Anne Sunners: From Cookie Lady to LLI President

by Deborah Lanser

Anne Sunners was the third president of LLI and later head of the Curriculum Committee.

Introduction

About 25 years ago, a friend warned Anne Sunners to apply to Bard LLI quickly as there might be a waiting list. She joined immediately and during her first semester was captivated by a class on Chopin’s Études held in Olin Hall. She also volunteered to serve as chair of the Hospitality Committee, which was then a Council position. As chair, she showed up at the hospitality room with fruit and cookies. So when she chose to run for president, one member quipped, “What, the cookie lady?”

When she was president, Anne drew on her past managerial experience as head of a local Head Start program and president of the Dutchess County YWCA to ensure that LLI kept functioning smoothly. She remembers working with many committed members who had excellent skills. During her tenure, Anne believed that “it was important that LLI continues to develop and grow. People want to belong to this type of organization.”

LLI Changes

Since her term in office, Anne has continued to support several institutional changes, particularly the expanded use of technology. “The tech team is now central to the functioning of LLI,” she notes. That technology has facilitated the growth of LLI from about 100 members when she first joined to the current 350.

Anne is also enthusiastic about the expansion of social activities over the years, which she believes is particularly important for people who have moved here recently. She also favors activities that get people outdoors and keep them healthy. That makes sense from someone who worked as a tennis coach and managed the aquatic program while she was at the Y.

Head of Curriculum

After retiring as president, Anne was asked to chair the Curriculum Committee. “Taking over Curriculum was easy in a sense because people were already good at developing courses,” she says. She worked with an enthusiastic team of producers who had a knack for finding people who wanted to teach. So rather than developing courses herself, she focused on keeping the committee organized and on track to develop a good balance of course topics. In particular, she wanted to expand the course offerings in math, science, and history.

The school shutdown necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic was the committee’s biggest challenge. She believes the tech team helped keep the program functioning at a high level, first by implementing excellent Zoom classes while people stayed home and more recently by supporting a variety of excellent course offerings. Anne is proud of the fact that the Curriculum committee adapted so well during the pandemic without losing a member.

Working on Two Continents

Anne’s first job was teaching grade school in her native Scotland. She continued teaching in Canada, after she and her husband moved there because he got a fellowship with the National Research Council. Two years later, Anne and her husband moved to Poughkeepsie for his job at IBM. She now lives in Rhinebeck.

Volunteering

You have the best of both worlds as a member and as a volunteer, Anne believes. As a volunteer, you have the opportunity to work with wonderful people who have excellent skills. As a member, you have the opportunity to keep learning. Every course she’s taken has taught her something new, she says. “Joining LLI was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”