originally published in the Observer Magazine, November 2000 Volume 27, Number2 Alumni Notes 1950s 1950 1960s 1961 1962 1965 1966 WILLIAM E. SITTARD (HARTT) of Chicopee, Mass., is an enlisted bandleader with the 94th Army Band, of which he has been a member since 1977. The band, formed in 1947, is composed of 41 soldiers/musicians in six ensembles that perform in public concerts and parades throughout New England, including a July performance at the Manchester (Conn.) Band Shell. Sittard teaches instrumental music in Chicopee. 1968 1969 MICHAEL F. WIRZ (ENG) of New Freedom, Penn., is vice president of MyParentsCare.org, a nonprofit, nationwide vehicle-monitoring service. The organization is designed to foster responsible driving by teens, reinforce parental authority, and promote better communications between teens and parents. Wirz writes that the program is "currently looking for corporate sponsors to provide grant money to help us gain a presence in every one of the 26,511 high schools in the United States." For further information, see www.MyParentsCare.org. 1970s 1970 1970 1972 DENNIS PILLION (A&S) of Birmingham, Ala., has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Medical College of Georgia School of Graduate Studies. Dr. Pillion is professor of pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Alabama (UAB) at Birmingham. He is a scientist for the UAB Centers for Cystic Fibrosis Research, Vision Science Research, and Aging, and has received numerous teaching and research awards at UAB, including the 1999 Presidential Teaching Award as the outstanding teacher of the year. 1973 1974 1975 RICHARD MICHAUD (A&S) of Hartford, Conn., directed Bent by Martin Sherman for the Pride City Players of Hartford, with several performances in September and October. Michaud's group, The Rumple Players, performed The Orphans by James Prideau at various retirement homes during October. Michaud directed a cast that included 57 children in The Wizard of Oz during July for the Indian Valley YMCA in Vernon, Conn. PETER MULLIGAN (BARNEY) of Vernon, Conn., was recently promoted to senior executive vice president at Webster Financial Corp., Waterbury, Conn. 1977 ALYCE COGNETTA BERTZ (HARTT) of Southbury, Conn., recently performed for the Heritage Village chapter of Hadassah in Southbury. Bertz is concertmaster of the Waterbury Symphony and a violinist with the Hartford Symphony. DANIEL J. TYLAK (BARNEY, MBA) of Tampa, Fla., has joined Universal Solutions, Clearwater, Fla., as vice president of information technology. Tylak was previously regional information officer for RJR Nabisco in southern Europe and northern Africa. 1978 JAMES VANCE (BARNEY, MSPA) of Coventry, Conn., who has served as chief financial officer of the Connecticut Lottery Corp. since 1999, was named acting president in June. 1979 DAVID NORD (BARNEY) of Newtown, Conn., was named vice president, controller for United Technologies Corp. (UTC) in October. He reports to David FitzPatrick, the corporation's chief financial officer. Nord joined UTC in 1996 as assistant controller and has been acting controller since November 1999. ALI RYERSON (HARTT) of Brookfield, Conn., is continuing the musical partnership with Joe Beck that began in 1996 by playing prestigious clubs in America and Europe and appearing on National Public Radio. According to a New York Times story, the two have more than 50 combined years in jazz, Ryerson on the flute and Beck on guitar. 1980s 1980 PAULINE HYLA (HARTT) of Haddam, Conn., has been named account supervisormarketing director of Cronin & Co., Inc., Glastonbury, Conn. 1981 FRANK D'AMBROSIO (HARTT) of New York, N.Y., will star in Barry Manilow's Copacabana, launched this summer in Pittsburgh and scheduled for a two-week run at the Shubert Performing Arts Center in New Haven, Conn., December 5 through 17. The show is also scheduled to play at The Bushnell in Hartford in May 2001. D'Ambrosio, a frequent performer in the Hartford area, starred on Broadway and toured in The Phantom of the Opera. JIM GARRETTSON (BARNEY) of Monmouth Junction, N.J., has joined Cidera, described as an "Internet broadcast backbone," as senior vice president of U.S. sales. Cidera is an international leader in the satellite delivery of broadband content to the edge of the Internet. Garrettson recently served as president of Teleglobe Business Solutions and has had 15 years' experience in sales management. 1982 KATHLEEN CARTER (BARNEY, MBA) of West Hartford, Conn., has been named assistant principal of Plainville High School. She has had 17 years of business experience with Hartford insurance companies and has been a math teacher in West Hartford. LAURA SHIFRIN FELDMAN (HARTT) of Pembroke Pines, Fla., sang the national anthem before the April 21 game between the Florida Marlins and the Philadelphia Phillies. Feldman, who was selected by the Marlins after a series of auditions, said that singing the national anthem to a crowd of close to 20,000 was the fulfillment of a dream. JOSEPH ZABOROWSKI (A&S) of Meriden, Conn., is now affiliated with Maier Real Estate as a sales associate specializing in residential listings. 1983 MARILYN BARNES (HARTT, MMus) of Santa Fe, N.M., is director of the Zia Singers, a women's choir, and performs with the Santa Fe Symphony Chorus and New Mexico Pro Coro. Recently, she performed in a cabaret showcase of George Gershwin's music presented by Theaterwork Studio of Santa Fe. JACQUELINE BIRMINGHAM (ENHP) of Suffield, Conn., was named Distinguished Case Manager of the Year by the Case Management Society at its annual meeting in Tampa, Fla. Birmingham has been active in nursing for 40 years, has written eight books and contributed to seven others, and has written numerous articles on health-care issues. She has worked in hospitals as a public health nurse and clinical nurse specialist, and in staff development, discharge planning, and case management. CHRISTOPHER PERKINS (A&S) of Granby, Conn., edited a sports segment on the University of Connecticut's Ray Allen, for which WFSB-TV Channel 3, received an award at the New England regional Emmy Awards ceremony in May. 1984 1985 THIERRY PERREIN (BARNEY) of Cos Cob, Conn., was named by the magazine Institutional Investor to The 2000 All-America Fixed-Income Research Team this past summer. Perrein is vice president, REIT & Lodging Research, Fixed-Income Division, at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. 1987 BRIAN HEALY (HARTT) of New Britain, Conn., has been named systems administration officer of SSB, where he has been a member of the bank's information systems department since 1998. SSB, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bancorp Connecticut Inc., provides business, consumer, and money-management services to the greater Southington and Wallingford region. DAVID MARKS (BARNEY) of South Salem, N.Y., has been promoted to vice president of Albert B. Ashforth Inc., Management Services in Stamford. He will be responsible for overseeing the higher-level operation of a 15-building portfolio in Westchester County. 1988 DAVID C. ROBINSON (BARNEY) of Simsbury, Conn., has rejoined Chubb Executive Risk (CBER) as general counsel. During a recent 10-month absence from the company, Robinson was law clerk to U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill, with whom he had previously practiced law at Day Berry & Howard in Hartford. As general counsel, Robinson will advise senior management, oversee underwriting, and support new-product development, marketing communications, and risk management. PATRICIA ROSOFF (ART, MAEd) of West Hartford, Conn., who is a painter and art critic, created this year's poster and announcement card for Miracles 2000, a silent auction and art exhibition held during August and September at the 100 Pearl Gallery in Hartford. Rosoff's card and poster featured a brilliant color abstraction. Proceeds of Miracles 2000, presented by Paesaggio Gallery and St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, benefit comprehensive breast health services offered by the hospital. 1989 DONNA FRUSTERE (ART, MAEd) of Avon, Conn., exhibited her art recently at The Bushnell and participated in a number of shows, including Connecticut Women Artists and Canton Artists' Guild. She is a workshop facilitator for art education in Wallingford and teaches photography and printmaking at the Kingswood Oxford upper school. ANDREW J. GOLDBERG (A&S) of New York, N.Y., well-known as VH1 veteran and on-air personality A. J. Hammer, was signed on by Centerseat.com to host promotional and music programming for the entertainment and information megasite, beginning last April. Centerseat's programming is displayed on jumbo screens in the Mills Malls and seen by over 162 million people per year. Hammer will be the on-air talent and will host select music programs. "As my career has taken me from radio to cable to network TV, the Internet is the next logical step," he said, "and the perfect complement to my continuing work in broadcasting." SHARON REILLY (HCW) of Windsor, Conn., has published in two periodicals recently. Her article about midwives appeared in The Door Opener, Connecticut's holistic health magazine, and her book review of Michael Odent's The Scientification of Love was printed in CFM News, a national quarterly. Reilly expects two articles about birth to be published in the near future. 1990s 1990 KAREN PELLINO PAQUETTE (HARTT, MMus '92) of Suffern, N.Y., is a tenured fourth-grade teacher, and her husband, Russ, is vice president of Sentinel Real Estate Corp., headquartered in New York City. DAVID YEAGLEY (HARTT, Cert.) of Oklahoma City, Okla., holds a D.M.A. in piano and composition from the University of Arizona and master's degrees from Yale University and Emory University. Last November, he completed a lecture tour in Iran, speaking at the University of Tehran and the University of Masshad (or Ferdowsi University) on the subjects of American literature, society, and politics. At the Third Biennial Conference on Iranian Studies in May in Washington, D.C., Yeagley, who is published regularly in Persian Heritage magazine, presented a paper titled "Zoroaster and the Jews." He may be contacted at <badeagle2000@yahoo.com>. 1991 1992 WENDY LEMKE (A&S) of Westfield, N.J., was one of five individuals honored at the annual meeting of the Chemical Industry Council of New Jersey. She received this year's Communications Committee Merit Award for outstanding contributions and service to the organization. Lemke works in public affairs for Infineum, formerly Exxon Chemical Company, a joint venture of ExxonMobil and Shell. Classmates may contact her at <wendyjlemke@yahoo.com>. LISA LYONS (A&S) of San Francisco, Calif., has accepted a position as assistant director of the Koret/Hebrew Free Loan Teen Fellowship Program. Lyons has been involved with a local Jewish federation and looks forward to working in the nonprofit world. She encourages classmates to email her at <ldlyons@aol.com>. SHARON MEYERS (HARTT) of Los Angeles, Calif., and her husband, Nate Rotmensz, honeymooned in London and Amsterdam during May. She writes that she is "pursuing an acting career, and Nate is a writer and producer." SIDNEY MURRAY (A&S) of North Dartmouth, Mass., has received his Juris Doctor from Southern New England School of law in North Dartmouth and was recognized for his service as president of the Black Law Students for two years. VISHNUE "VISH" NARAINE (A&S) of East Hartford, Conn., joined Vin Baker Enterprises last summer, where he is "wearing a lot of hats," he commented. "Security plays a part, but I also work with sponsors. I plug a lot of holes." Although knee injuries devastated Vish's college basketball career at the University, he and Vin became and remain close friends. "Before, the moons weren't really aligned and now they are," Naraine said. "I guess you could say I'm a professional hat wearer. First and foremost right now, my obligation is to Vin Baker." Baker, '93, four-time NBA All-Star, was a member of the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team in the Sydney, Australia, games this summer. LINDA ZAMPINI TOMAIUOLO (ENHP, MS) of Glastonbury, Conn., formerly of Portland, was recognized as the Homes Teacher of the Year 2000 at the annual New Britain, Conn. Board of Education Recognition Night in May. Tomaiuolo is a second-grade teacher in New Britain. 1994 ANDREA RIDLON (A&S) and STEPHEN JARMIE (A&S) of Rumford, R.I., welcomed the following alumni to their June wedding: LEIGH MEDEIROS '94, JENNI FERNEY '94, and AARON VITONE '94. Ridlon is intake coordinator at St. Mary's Home for Children, an outpatient facility for children who are victims of sexual abuse or who are offenders. Jarmie is technical director of Channel 10, NBC News, in Rhode Island. 1995 JOSEPH TIMM (BARNEY) of Harwinton, Conn., has been promoted to vice president of sales for Alife USA. Before joining Artificial Life, Inc., Timm was regional manager for I-Mark, an e-commerce technology company. BRIAN WETZEL (BARNEY) and GERI SANTINI (HARTT) of Las Vegas, Nev., were married in May 2000, in Athens, Greece. Geri is a paranormal psychologist and professional boxer in Las Vegas, and Brian is working for a consulting firm as a certified public accountant. 1996 1997 MICHAEL GABIGA (ENG) of San Antonio, Tex., has completed aviation preflight indoctrination (API) and primary naval flight officer (NFO) training. Gabiga is an ensign stationed at Randolph Airforce Base, where, he writes, "I am currently six months away from earning my wings as a panel navigator." 1998 DAVID GOLDBERG (BARNEY) recently of Dallas, Tex., has been accepted into the 200001 Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, designed to enhance foreign language education in Japan. Goldberg has been assigned to teach English conversation in junior high and select elementary schools in Miyagi Prefecture, Shiogama, a small coastal city on the main island of Honshu. His decision to leave Streetball Partners International was a difficult one because he was scheduled to become an events manager. "However," he writes, "I have always had a desire to live and work internationally," and "I feel that this is the ideal time to go." CORI ANN MARINO (ENHP, 6th Year Cert.) of Glastonbury, Conn., has been named principal of Griswold Middle School in Rocky Hill, Conn. Marino, a native of Rocky Hill, has been serving as assistant principal. SHARON REIS (A&S, MA) of Alexandria, Va., was selected as one of the "15 to Watch" by the publication PR News this year. CRAIG STEVENSON (ENHP) of East Hartford, Conn., has been named manager of economic development services for the Connecticut Economic Resource Center (CERC), a private, nonprofit corporation. Stevenson, chairman of the East Hartford Economic Development Commission, will be responsible for developing a municipal partnership program and linking local economic development organizations to CERC's business services. 1999 MARY GAETA (ENHP) of Floral Park, N.Y., recently started a new job at the New England Center for Children, working with children who have intensive special needs. Previously, she was a preschool teacher in Belmont, Mass. Gaeta plans to begin studying for her master's degree in intensive special needs this fall. FRANK KNIPPENBERG (BARNEY) of East Sandwich, Mass., has announced the start-up of his advertising company, FHK Marketing. The company will offer innovative programs and low unit costs to Cape Cod businesses, with concentration on food and beverage establishments. KRISTIN KOBLECT (ENHP, MSN) of Vernon, Conn., has joined Windham Community Memorial Hospital as clinical educator, surgical services. In addition to direct patient care, Koblect's responsibilities include staff orientation, continuing education for current staff, and development of family and patient informational materials on surgical STEPHEN KRASNER (A&S) of Rockville, Md., was accepted into the Peace Corps in September and writes that he will be leaving on Feb. 20, 2001, for 27 months in Ecuador. Among Krasner's projected activities are improvement of farm management, agricultural marketing, soil and water conservation, and agroforestry. He may be contacted at IRENEUSZ LACKI (HARTT) of Port Chester, N.Y., is employed by the business affairs department of Zomba Recording Corporation, where his responsibilities include mechanical licenses and copyright credits. MARTIN K. STINE (BARNEY, MST) of Enfield, Conn., has been appointed division controller, business unit, for Hyson Products, a division of Associated Spring, Barnes Group, Inc. In this position, Stine will be responsible for all financial activities of the business unit's U.S. operations. He joined Associated Spring in 1995 as financial analyst and since 1999 has been manager of shared resources. CHARLES A. TEALE (BARNEY, MPA) has been named chief of the Hartford (Conn.) Fire Department. A native of Hartford, Teale rose through the ranks and recently served as acting chief. According to The Hartford Courant, Teale is a "hometown hero" whom city and community officials know and trust to bring "stability and pride to the department." 2000s 2000 RIVKAH EIDEX (A&S, PsyD) of Atlanta, Ga., works in a private practice of psychologists. STACI LABREQUE (ENHP) of Bristol, Conn., has her first full-time job at Arrow Drug in New Britain as a pharmacy technician. NICHOLAS OLIVER (A&S) of East Providence, R.I., is employed by the American Heart Association as Rhode Island director of advocacy. CORRECTION |
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