The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes the outstanding achievement, the dedication, and the personal accomplishments of a Shipley alumna or alumnus in a particular field of endeavor, whether it be in a chosen profession, through formal volunteer activities unrelated to the School, or through a personal commitment to an issue, project, or cause.

After graduating from Shipley in 1962, Kathleen Ridder Crampton, known by her classmates as “Chou Chou,” earned a BA in American studies from Boston University. She then took a job at the Martha Eliot Health Center, which served an economically disadvantaged population in Jamaica Plain, an inner suburb of Boston, and spent the next 47 years working to improve the U.S. healthcare system in executive level roles at Boston Children’s Hospital, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Harvard Pilgrim, Kaiser Permanente, and, most recently, United Healthcare of Florida Community Plan, one of the largest providers of managed care services to the Medicaid population in Florida.

Since retiring from the healthcare industry, Kathleen has focused on civic engagement, serving as Chair of the League of Women Voters of Florida’s National Popular Vote initiative, co-founding Floridians for National Popular Vote, which she currently chairs, and serving as a Director of the Palm Beach Civic Association. She is also an active member on a number of boards, including New World Angels, a Florida-focused Angel investment group, and the WCD Foundation, which supports women on corporate boards.

In recognition of Kathleen’s role as a leader in her field and her dedication to making a difference in the lives of others, the Alumni Council has awarded her the Distinguished Alumni Award.