FOFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Cindy Deppe, media relations, 641-269-4834

June 2, 2008

CATHERINE 'KATIE' MEARS '03 HONORED AT GRINNELL COLLEGE ALUMNI REUNION

GRINNELL, IA - Grinnell College recognized the professional accomplishments and service contributions of 12 alumni during Alumni Reunion Weekend, May 28-June 1 on the Grinnell campus. Alumni Award winners are members of reunion classes who have distinguished themselves in their careers and communities and embody Grinnell’s mission of life-long learning and service.

Catherine Mears, a 2003 graduate of Grinnell College from New Orleans, La., received the Pioneer Award as a member of the 5th year reunion class. Following is the citation read about Mears’ accomplishments: "There may be no more important place in the world than the one we call home. This alumna has helped rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, giving hundreds of longtime residents a place they can again call home. While at Grinnell, this alumna majored in history, served as editor of the newspaper, and helped lead several alternative break trips. After graduation, she worked on several political campaigns.

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina, she joined the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, where she has helped coordinate the gutting and rebuilding of hundreds of homes across the city. While working grueling 18-hour days to arrange tasks on what one nominator calls “a dizzying logistical chessboard,” she has kept the needs of the homeowners at the forefront. She asks volunteers who gut houses to save small but potentially meaningful objects such as vases or photos so the homeowner can look through them. She works closely with the homeowners to be sure their specific needs are met.

Her clear-eyed pragmatism has earned the respect of seasoned disaster professionals, nonprofit managers, and neighborhood leaders. She continues to work closely with Grinnell students through Alternative Break and ReNew Orleans, and many alumni and faculty have returned to work for her for a day, a season, or a year. For her efforts to help rebuild a city and for her ability to encourage others to do the same, Grinnell is pleased to honor Catherine H. Mears ’03."

Grinnell College is a nationally recognized, private, four year, liberal arts college located in Grinnell, Iowa. Founded in 1846, Grinnell enrolls 1,600 students from all 50 states and from as many international countries in more than 25 major fields, interdisciplinary concentrations, and pre-professional programs.

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