The Yale Alumni Fund has announced the 2025 recipients of its Chair’s Award, a group of six exceptional volunteer leaders. Rich Roberts ’86, ’89 JD, chair of the Yale Alumni Fund Board of Directors, announced the winners, selected from a wide pool of volunteers nominated by Alumni Fund staff across all of Yale’s schools.

“I’m delighted to present this year’s Alumni Fund Chair’s Awards,” Roberts said. “The awards recognize Alumni Fund volunteers who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, initiative, innovation, and dedication through their work for the Fund. Each year, recipients are nominated by Alumni Fund staff across all Yale schools and are selected by the current chair of the Board of Directors. This is the Alumni Fund’s and my opportunity to show our appreciation for extraordinary volunteer leadership.”

Six individuals were presented with these awards on February 9 during the Yale Alumni Fund Board of Directors meeting. View the celebration video and read more about the recipients below.

Award Recipients

Starling “Star” Childs II ’76, ’80 MFS

Childs is a long-serving volunteer for the Yale School of the Environment (YSE) as chair of the Annual Fund and a board member and former president of the school’s Alumni Association. He is a dedicated forester and conservationist.

Childs’s family founded Great Mountain Forest, straddling the border of Norfolk and Canaan, Connecticut. Great Mountain’s mission is to be a leader in forest stewardship, and it is composed of more than 6,000 acres of contiguous forest and woodland habitat. Countless YSE alumni have fond memories of their time field training at Yale Camp, located within the forest, with Childs teaching land navigation and mapping.

Childs is active on the YSE Leadership Council and is a distinctive presence at the school who rallies his fellow alumni to action with his authoritative and warm voice and his desire to make things fun. He’s a charismatic and natural leader and generations of YSE students admire Childs and identify him as one of the most compelling and memorable personalities within the school’s tight-knit community. Childs is the owner of Environmental & Ecological Consulting Services, providing a full range of environmental, forestry, and ecological consulting services to private and public landowners.

Josh Clapper ’16

Clapper has served as chair of agents since graduation and is a current member of the Yale Alumni Fund (YAF) Board of Directors. He has distinguished himself through his consistently thoughtful, proactive, and engaged approach to his classmates.

Clapper is steadfast in his belief that gifts of all sizes truly matter. With that philosophy in mind, he actively explores creative and inclusive ways to reach out to classmates who give at all levels, ensuring they feel encouraged and genuinely celebrated for their participation. His approach helps reinforce a culture of giving rooted in accessibility and shared purpose.

As the Class of 2016 approaches its 10th Reunion later this spring, Clapper has been employing new strategies to recruit volunteers, strengthen the Alumni Fund agent cohort, and ensure long-term engagement from his peers. Josh is an exceptional thought partner with staff regularly contributing innovative ideas and taking initiative on several special projects in the GiveCampus volunteer portal to more effectively connect with classmates. He is also the class secretary collaborating with the YAA for the reunion.

Beyond his contributions to the Alumni Fund, Clapper, a former US Navy nuclear submarine officer stationed at the Pentagon, served as Chair of the Yale Veterans Association Washington, DC chapter and represented the Yale Veterans Association at the 2024 For Humanity Illuminated event in Washington, DC.

John and Sabrina Foster P ’25

The Fosters served as chairs of the Parents Annual Fund from 2023 through 2025 while their daughter Sophie Foster ’25 was a student at Yale College. During their tenure, they welcomed a cadre of new volunteers each year, led volunteer meetings on campus, enjoyed Parents Leadership Council gatherings, attended Convocation & Assembly, and frequently traveled from California to New York City for Alumni Fund Board meetings. Despite their “retirement” as Parents Fund Chairs with their daughter’s graduation, they have agreed to continue their service as Yale Alumni Fund Board members.

The Fosters embraced the transition to the GiveCampus volunteer portal and showed interest in learning everything about the university. They set a strong example which encouraged other parent volunteers to participate with enthusiasm ensuring the Parents Fund continued success helping to raise a record $5 million in fiscal year 2025.

We are grateful that the Fosters have agreed to continue their leadership volunteer service in their new role as Past Parents Chairs for the Parents Fund. As volunteers, they continue to encourage unrestricted support through the Parents Fund and are dedicated and thorough in reaching out to their assigned parents with whom they have developed personal relationships. Their endorsement of Yale’s mission, belief in Yale’s values, and unwavering commitment make them exceptional volunteers.

Charlene Ramos ’13

Ramos is an incredibly involved volunteer having joined the Alumni Fund as a Class Agent in 2020. She has since been invited to serve on the Alumni Fund Board and its executive committee from 2022 to 2024. In 2023, Ramos co-chaired the Class of 2013’s 10th Reunion Gift Committee.

Ramos is deeply committed to giving back to Yale because of her understanding of the profound impact of student financial aid. To her, funding a student means supporting what that student represents, a belief that stems from her own experience. Her sincerity and dedication resonate deeply within the Yale community, inspiring others to share in her commitment. This has had a significant positive impact on the Alumni Fund, as her enthusiasm and dedication encourage greater participation and giving among her peers. Ramos’s warmth and enthusiasm for Yale make her a joy to fundraise with as she continues to be an outstanding voice in the Young Alumni community.

Beyond her work with the Alumni Fund, Ramos is an active member of YaleWomen and the Alumni Schools Committee. She currently lives in San Diego, where she is pursuing her PhD in Economics at UC San Diego. Ramos is deeply engaged in service work with communities around the world and is passionate about growing as a leader in the field of development economics.

Margo Wolf O’Donnell ’90

Wolf O’Donnell boasts a distinguished history of Yale volunteer work with nearly 20 years of service. She joined the Alumni Fund as a class agent later assuming the role of co-chair. Wolf O’Donnell has been instrumental in driving participation and fundraising efforts, pioneering new strategies to engage alumni. Her commitment to Yale is exemplified through her two six-year terms on the Alumni Fund Board of Directors, where she served twice on the nominating committee, playing a crucial role in the selection of future leaders. 

Additionally, Wolf O’Donnell has been a dedicated board member for the Yale Club of Chicago and has led her local Alumni Schools Committee, reinforcing her commitment to enhancing the alumni network. Wolf O’Donnell has also been an active member on four Class of 1990 Reunion Gift Committees. Wolf O’Donnell and her husband Ger are parents to two children currently enrolled at Yale: Amanda, Class of 2026 and Ben, Class of 2029. 

Wolf O’Donnell’s dedication to fundraising for Yale includes serving as an influential campaign volunteer on the Midwest Regional Advisory Group, where her insights and leadership help guide regional efforts. She is also an active member of YaleWomen.

Professionally, Margo is a Partner at Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff, LLP, where she holds the roles of co-chair of the Labor & Employment Practice Group and co-chair of the Inclusion & Opportunity Committee in Chicago.