Kelly Hardesty Phipps ’84 & Bernard Hardesty ’62

It’s a rarity to find someone who has held the same job since college, but Kelly Hardesty Phipps ’84 is one such exception. She has been a part of The Narrows Restaurant, her family’s business, since 1983.

“I went right from graduation to the bar,” she said. “On Mother’s Day! The biggest weekend of the year.”

Phipps’s father, Bernard “Bo” Hardesty ’62, has been in the restaurant industry for years, opening Middleton’s Tavern in Annapolis in the 1960s. “Everyone thought he was crazy because downtown was like a ghost town then,” she said. He had owned a house in Fairlee in the ’70s because he loved Chestertown and Washington College. Everyone had the same opinion of his opening The Narrows in the early ’80s, she says, but “he was always ahead of the game.”

Phipps is now the general manager, and her sister, Kate, takes care of the books. “It’s been a ride to watch the evolution of this area,” she said of Kent Narrows, where The Narrows is located. “You’re happy to have the business, but at the same time, it’s a shame to see all the progress. It was a quaint little waterman’s village here, but that has all changed.” 

And The Narrows has changed as well. Phipps has expanded and remodeled twice, and two years ago, she added a covered patio and a small banquet room. 

“I was an American studies major,” she said of her time at Washington College. “I got a great education. A lot of our customers are from Washington College. They know my dad, and they know me. It does give you a bond with people all over the place.”

And it’s her face that represents the product and the experience. “I think that’s the reason why we’ve been able to do what we do for so long,” said Phipps. “You want to look people in the eye and know that you didn’t disappoint them. We’re held accountable. That comes from my dad, too.”

Jeff Coomer ’77 & Susan Aiken Coomer ’77

Jeff Coomer ’77 and Susan Aiken Coomer ’77 aren’t the types to let moss grow under their feet. Since returning to Chestertown seven years ago, they have jumped at every opportunity to support Washington College. 

“In general, the College is such a big and important part of this town. Susan and I were anxious to bridge the gap between the College and the town,” said Jeff. “It was critical to our moving here.”

The couple have joined the 1782 Society, and Susan has become a member of the Women’s League of Washington College, which raises funds for scholarships. They credit Emily Kate Smith ’10 in the Alumni Engagement office with helping them reconnect.

“When Emily Kate found out that I’d published two books of poetry featuring poems read on a National Public Radio program, she put me in touch with James Allen Hall, the director of the Rose O’Neill Literary House,” he said. That led to his appointment on the Lit House Advisory Board.

The Coomers have also become members of the Washington College Academy of Lifelong Learning (WC-ALL), and both have been instructors. “I have particularly loved WC-ALL because I have a passion for continuing education and learning and being outside the zone of your learning,” said Jeff, who retired at age 51 as CIO of the largest division of Black & Decker. “I’ve been teaching poetry, philosophy, and tree identification. It has taken a significant amount of my time in the past four years, but it has also been very satisfying as we’ve grown the program to offer nearly 80 courses, talks, and other events each year. The program is now one of the biggest points of connection between the local community and the College, accounting for thousands of visits to the campus each semester.”

They don’t stop there. Susan is president of the Chestertown Garden Club, they both have completed a master naturalist program, and Jeff is a member of the Chestertown Tree Committee. All of these activities keep them busy and, in some way, support the College that has been important to them since they met their sophomore year. 

Of his time at Washington College, Coomer said it’s been invaluable. “I took two computer science classes here,” he said. “There was a small computer program here in the ’70s, so I took advantage of it. I somehow leveraged those to become the director of IT (information technology). That’s the value of a liberal arts education. You learn to strategize. That’s essential.” 

Jenn Carey Svehla ’03

For Jenn Carey Svehla ’03, the 20 years since she graduated have passed in the blink of an eye. Throughout she has remained involved with the College and has served on the Alumni Board, most recently as chair. 

“I was appointed to the Alumni Board in 2005 and have only taken breaks when I went to grad school and when I started a family,” she said. As the co-chair of the communications committee before serving as chair, Svehla worked with College officials and other alumni to support alumni communication initiatives and other strategic endeavors.

Svehla has seen a lot of growth at the College through leadership changes. “I really feel like we’re going in the right direction,” she said. “It feels great to share the good messaging that’s happening. Some of the goals for admissions and finances and new programs…they’re just fantastic.

“One of the best parts for me is to help the students who reach out to me since the changes have been made,” she said. “It’s great to make the connections between alumni and current students. It also helps the students realize that just because they’re done taking classes and their four years are over, they’re not alone.”

Svehla has met Washington graduates everywhere and has taken the initiative to get to know them. “We were taking our young children out to trick-or-treat, and we saw a car in the neighbor’s driveway with Washington College plates,” she said.  “I asked who went to Washington College, and the woman did. She graduated a year before me, but we didn’t know each other.” The two women and their children have wound up being good friends, a sign of the tight Washington bond that extends to alumni.

Svehla’s term as Alumni Board Chair expired in June. “It’s been great,” she said. “I honestly feel like I’ve never left the College.”