Lynne Beiermeister is being inducted into the Hall of Fame for her academic and career achievements, and for the resurrection and leadership of the Alumni Association.
Lynne graduated 4th in her class in 1969. Her high school career included English poetry and essay awards, the Charles G Malloy Award for most enriched curriculum, athletic trophies for Miss Spring Sports and Miss Phys Ed and she lettered in cheerleading. She medaled in the NYS School of Music Association competitions for chorus, ensemble performances and achieved the highest rating for her solo singing, and participated in All-County and All-State music festivals. She served as a class officer and on Yearbook staff. Post-high school, Lynne attended a summer language school through SUNY Albany, at the Goethe Institut in Germany and graduated with a BA four years later in 1973. Post college education included courses at Hudson Valley Community College and the University of Connecticut in conjunction with Rutgers University. She joined the NYS Office of Mental Health for a 33 year career starting as a file clerk and working her way up the ladder to management. Most of her career was spent traveling the state inspecting programs serving the mentally ill for quality assurance and standard’s compliance. Other duties included training, regulation drafting, contract management, survey protocol development, and computer program design. During the ‘80’s and 90’s while raising her daughter Megan, she volunteered at her dance school and was instrumental in organizing the Friends of the Albany Berkshire Ballet (FABB). Lynne and her co-president raised over $40,000. She also served on the ballet’s Board of Directors, working at many performances backstage and in FABB’S Boutique at the Palace Theater, The Egg and events throughout the Berkshires in MA. Lynne has kept in touch with many of her high school classmates and was on all of the many class reunion committees. Lynne retired in 2006 and that year was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a successful year of treatment, she turned to helping others and in the fall of 2010 helped the class of 1948 with a fundraiser for the Centennial Award. In 2011 she was elected president of the newly resurrected Alumni Association and in the three years of her
service, among other things; 1) wrote the charter for the Alumni Association; 2) established the Hall of Fame and the Enrichment Grant; 3) preserved the Centennial Award; 4) established a collaboration with the school’s Music Department; 5) established the Class Directory of over 6,000 names ; 6) began the Annual Membership Drive; 7) created the Alumni Club for students; 8) created and administers the Alumni Facebook Page and monitors the Association’s two websites;9) developed an archive and display in the high school for alumni memorabilia, and 10) runs alumni mixers for socialization and camaraderie. All told, under her leadership, the Association has raised over $15,000. Lynne comes from a long line of family who were Rensselaer School academicians including Valedictorians of the classes of 1902, 1932, and 1967. Her grandfather, Louis Dutcher, was Salutatorian of the class of ’24 and elected to the Hall of Fame in 2011 for having served as a teacher and Principal. She is very proud of them and her other family roots which include her great- great grandfather who was Mayor in 1919-20 and her great-grandmother who served as Charities Commissioner in the 30’s. Her mom was an alumna of the class of 1945. Lynne lived many years in Rensselaer and currently lives in the village of Voorheesville. She enjoys genealogy and has recently started an antique business. She was nominated by her friend of almost 50 yrs, 3-term Alumni Association Treasurer and classmate, Ginny Colvin Lazzaro, along with 2-term Alumni Association Vice President and current Ex-Officio and alumna of the class of ’61, Doris Nichols Roberts.