Dear Colleagues,

With very deep sadness yet joyous remembrance, we write of the passing of our dear colleague and friend, Dr. Clare D. Klunk, on December 5, 2023.  Clare served as President of AAACE, 2010-2011 (including 2009-2010 as President-Elect and 2011-2012 as Immediate Past President), and as Secretary prior to that. In addition to serving as Chair, AAACE Annual Conference, 2011, she also served as Chair of AAACE Conference Proposals for the national conference, 2007 to 2009, Co-Chair, Commission of Workforce and Professional Development (CWPD), Co-Chair, Human Resource Development (HRD) Special Interest Group (SIG), Commission of Professors of Adult Education, 2002 to 2005, and others. Her many contributions to AAACE have received recognitions such as the President’s Achievement Award (2013) and the President’s Appreciation Award (2007). She  also served as a Board of Directors member and Secretary of the Coalition of Lifelong Learning Organizations (COLLO) from 2017 to 2022.

Clare earned her Ph.D. in Human Development (Adult Learning and HRD) at Virginia Tech/Northern Virginia (VT) in 1999, where her dissertation (“Workplace Devaluation:  Learning from experience”) was selected as Outstanding Dissertation, and as the Outstanding Graduate Research Paper Award at the 18th Annual Mid-West Research-to-Practice Conference, University of Missouri, St. Louis, September 1999.  Subsequently, she served with us as a key faculty member at VT, teaching, developing courses, advising students, and chairing doctoral dissertations. In addition, she also developed a partnership with the Northern Virginia Community College for Instructor development in facilitating adult learning in an on-line environment. Among many other positions in her career trajectory, her work with and contributions to the Office of Training and Development of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), was recognized with a Merit Award for Outstanding Professional Work and a Leadership and Mentoring Award.
Clare was a very giving spirit, and a memorable example of the meaning of this season, who will be dearly missed. Rest in peace dear colleague and friend.  
Warmest regards, 

Marcie Boucouvalas, Ph.D.                     
Professor Emerita                                     
Virginia Tech/ Northern VA