January 2018 Class Notes

1966: BARRY ROSS

The Kalamazoo Michigan Symphony Orchestra announced the designation of Concertmaster Emeritus for Barry Ross (HARTT) of Kalamazoo, Mich., in recognition of his long years of service and artistry.

1980: MARGARET FRENCH-BETTIS

Margaret French-Bettis M (BARNEY) of Harwich, Mass., was named the CFO at Latham Centers, Inc., a human services provider on Cape Cod. Previously, she had a financial consultancy and professional/personal development coaching business. 

1983: TERI BAYS

Teri Bays (HARTT) of Sedona, Ariz., wrote and performed in the one-woman play, Her Story, My Story, Our Story, about Joan Chittisler, the Benedictine nun-turned controversial spokesperson for international peace and social justice. Bays is a singer, writer and actor. She has recorded two CDs and authored the book Through Stained Glass. 

1984: CLAUDIO PERUGINI

Claudio Perugini A’82 (WARD), of Watertown, Conn., is now the Senior Vice President of Global Channels at Aryaka Networks, Inc., which develops and provides application and network performance solutions for enterprises. He has also been in leadership roles at Big Switch Networks, Inc., and LightCyber, Ltd. 

1985: BRUCE FIEDOROWICZ

Bruce Fiedorowicz M (BARNEY) of Burlington, Conn., assumed the reins as executive director of Aerospace Components Manufacturers in Rocky Hill, Conn. He has spent more than three decades in aerospace, with his last stop being GKN Eerospace Engine Systems. Fiedorowicz was profiled in the January edition of HartfordBusiness.com. 

1985: ANTHONY SUSI

Anthony Susi (HARTT) of Andover, Conn., retired after teaching instrumental music for more than 30 years in Connecticut public schools. He will now devote his time to his passion for performing and composing.

1986: TOM SIVAK

Tom Sivak (A&S) of Natick, Mass., was recently appointed as CEO of DESIGNA Access, Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of a global parking management systems company.

1989: JERRY KELLY

Long-time PGA professional Jerry Kelly (BARNEY) of Madison, Wis., turned a one-shot deficit into a one-stroke victory with a birdie putt on the last hole to win the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. It was his third win on the PGA Tour Champions Tour (over-50) and sixth overall as a professional.

1990: JANELLE ANNE ROBINSON

Mezzo soprano Janelle Anne Robinson (HARTT) of Danbury, Conn., performed with pianist Sandy Klemer at Gunn Memorial Library in Washington. She has enjoyed an award-winning career as an operatic and musical theatre performer the past 20 years.  

1993: VIN BAKER

The NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks have announced that Vin Baker ND (A&S) of Old Saybrook, Conn., has joined Interim Head Coach Joe Prunty’s staff as an assistant coach. He had been a pre-and-postgame analyst for Fox Sports Wisconsin.

1993: ERIC BATCHELDER

Eric Batchelder M (BARNEY) of New York, N.Y. has joined EnLink as executive vice president and CFO. He has more than 15 years of financial leadership experience in the energy sector, most recently as managing director for energy investment banking at RBC Capital Markets.

1993: AARON KRASTING

Aaron Krasting (HARTT) of Atco, N.J. conducted the 2018 All-South Jersey High School Chorus at the 60^th Annual Choral Festival of the South Jersey Choral Directors Association on January 27 and 28 at Washington Township High School in Sewell, N.J. 

1993: KIM LEMERE

Former UHart women’s soccer All-American forward Kim LeMere (ENHP) of Denver, Colo., was inducted into the Connecticut Soccer Hall of Fame. Her 145 points and 56 goals are both ranked second among the program’s all-time leading scorers, while her 33 career assists tops the list.  

1994: JORGE GOMEZ

Jorge Gomez M (BARNEY) assumed a new position as CFO at Cardinal Health, Inc. Previously, he was with Cardinal Health 109, Inc. and the General Motors Corporation.

1994: CHARLOTTE HANSEN

Charlotte Hansen (BARNEY) of Stafford Springs, Conn., joined the Polish National Credit Union as senior vice president, chief financial officer. She has 27 years of experience in the financial services industry.

1994: DAVID PRITIKIN

Netflix has announced an eight-episode order for Flint Town, a docuseries produced in association with Anonymous Content. David Pritikin (A&S) of Los Angeles, Calif., is one of the show’s executive producers. He leads Anonymous Content’s Unscripted Division. The show will focus on the aftermath of the water crises in Flint, Mich.  

1995: MICHAEL ADDO

Michael Addo M (BARNEY) of Liberty Township, Ohio, is currently the Deputy Director-General responsible for finance and administration at the Social Security and National Insurance Trust. He had been the executive director at Emex Oil Ndawta Limited.

2001: MICHAEL REZEK

Town Business Systems, an office equipment and supply company located in Norwood, Mass., has announced that Vice President Michael Rezek A'00, '01 (HILLYER), (BARNEY) has been selected to participate in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businessesprogram. 

2001: JASON TRAMM

Dubbed a “Conductor to Watch” by Symphony Magazine and “filled with Italian passion” by the Huffington Post, Jason Tramm M (HARTT) of Nanust, N.Y., served as a guest conductor for the Adelphi Orchestra’s presentation of Power and Majesty. An accomplished educator, he is the director of choral activities at Seton Hall University.

2002: DAVID DAVIS

Saxophonist David Davis (HARTT) of West Haven, Conn., was interviewed on the popular talk show Talking Smooth Jazz that aired on blogtalkradio.com. He produces and writes music for hip hop, R&B, gospel, jazz and dance artists.  Davis has recorded eight CDs of his own, including his most recent release Dig This.

2004: JOEY "BATTS" BATTAGLIA

Hip-hop musician and teacher JOEY “BATTS” BATTAGLIA (ENHP) of Hartford, Conn., filmmaker PEDRO BERMUDEZ ’07 (A&S) of Hartford, Conn., and jazz musician MIKE CASEY ’15 (HARTT) of Hartford, Conn., were named to Connecticut Magazine’s list of “40 under 40.” 

2005: ROB RICHARDSON

Rob Richardson (A&S) of Irondequoit, N.Y., was named an assistant city manager for the city of Canandaigua, N.Y. He had spent the previous nine years working at the YMCA.

2005: LUKE SCOTT

Baritone Luke Scott (HARTT) of Hartford, Conn., played the title character in the production of The Marriage of Figaro that was staged at the Academy of Music in Northampton, Mass.

2006: MEREDITH NEUMANN

Connecticut Children’s Chorus Director and Northwest Catholic H.S. (West Hartford, Conn.) grad Meredith Neumann (HARTT), M’12 (HARTT) of Hartford, Conn., spent two days at NWC auditioning and mentoring students.  She was there to launch a new NWC-Hartt partnership.

2007: PEDRO BERMUDEZ

See JOEY "BATTS" BATAGLIA '04 (ENHP)

2008: KRIS LEE

Kris Lee (HARTT) of Norwich, Conn. is part of the eight-member troupe of Stomp. Currently on a national tour, the show is a witty and unique mix of acrobatics, percussion, and pantomime that has become an international sensation.

2009: BRITTANY (CONFORTI) BRUNO

Brittany (Conforti) Bruno (ENHP) of Hoboken, N.J., was promoted to department chair, speech pathology, at Cooke Center Academy in New York City. 

2009: CHRISTOPHER BRUNO

Christopher Bruno (BARNEY) of Hoboken, N.J., was named senior director for strategy, solutions development & product management at Stroz Friedberg, an Aon Company.  

2009: HOLLY CHAFFEE

VNA Care, the largest non-profit home health and hospice provider in Massachusetts, named Holly Chaffee M (ENHP) of Enfield, Conn., as president and chief executive officer. For the past decade, she has been president and chief executive officer for Porchlight VNA/Home Care in Western Massachusetts.  

2009: SAMANTHA JENKINS

Samantha Jenkins (HAS) of Wethersfield, Conn., opened ArtSplash in Cromwell, Conn. The business pairs the delivery of nutritious smoothies with paint nights.

2009: DOUGLAS LYONS

Douglas Lyons (HARTT) of New Haven, Conn., co-wrote the music and wrote the lyrics for the musical Five Points that debuted at the Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn., in January. Previously, he was part of the national tour of The Book of Mormon and was an original Broadway cast member in Beautiful.  

2009: JAMES O'BRIEN

Noted illustrator James O’Brien (HAS) of Minneapolis, Minn., had his depiction of gravity published in an issue of Quanta Magazine. 

2010: MUHAMMAD AMMAD

Muhammad Ammad M (CETA) of Rocky Hill, Conn., was promoted to assistant vice president and partner at TranSystems Corporation. TranSystems is one of Engineering News-Record's (ENR) top 100 design firms in the United States and a top 20 bridge firm.

2010: DAN LIPTAK

Clarinetist Dan Liptak (HARTT) of Moretown, Vt., joined with three other Vermont musicians to perform Olivier Messiaens’s “Quartet for the End of Time” at Stowe’s Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center in early February. Originally written and premiered in a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp in 1941, it is one of the most storied pieces of music in history. 

2010: STEVEN V. PRIGIONIERI

The partners of Nicola Yester & Company, P.C. announced the election of Steven V. Prigionieri M (BARNEY) of East Haddam, Conn., as managing partner. A veteran of 25 years of public accounting, he originally joined the firm in 2010. 

2011: LIZAH CAREY

The Strategic Insurance Agency Alliance has hired Lizah Carey (A&S) of Old Saybrook, Conn., as a business insurance development specialist for its Business Insurance Advantage Program. Previously, she was an operations manager/licensed P&C producer for an independent agency in Middletown, Conn.  

2012: ANEIL BHALLA

Aneil Bhalla (A&S) of Ottawa, Ontario Canada graduated in the spring of 2017 from St. George’s University School of Medicine in True Point, Grenada, West Indies, through the Keith B. Taylor Global Scholars program. He now is doing his residency at the Yale University School of Medicine.

2012: JASON CADESTIN

Speakman Company, a producer of superior quality and high performing plumbing products and emergency equipment, has added Jason Cadestin(CETA) of Rahway, N.J., to its staff as an electro/mechanical engineer. He has seven years of experience in high tech manufacturing settings and electro-mechanical systems.

2013: JULIET DAWSON

Juliet Dawson M (HARTT) of Oak Park, Ill., performed solos on viola and violin as part of the Adler Center Concert Series in Libertyville, Ill.  

2014: MARY MATTHEWS

Flutist Mary Matthews D (HARTT) of Boulder, Colo., has released her debut album, Three-Nine Line. It features a collection of solo and chamber works for flute and piccolo by composer Nicole Chamberlain. Flutist Matthew Angello M'14 (HARTT) of Pittstown, N.J. also performs on the album.  

2015: MIKE CASEY

See JOEY BATTS '04

2016: BILLY BIVONA

Billy Bivona (HARTT) of Middlebury, Conn., composed and performed an original interactive score for the show Constellations that opened the 2018 season for TheatreWorks in Hartford, Conn.

2016: CHAZ DAVIS

The NCAA published its 10^th anniversary issue of Champion magazine and re-featured former UHart track performer Chaz Davis (A&S) of Grafton, Mass. He was on the cover for the Winter 2016 issue. The story detailed Davis’ battle with Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy. He competed as a member of the 2016 U.S. Paralympic Track and Field Team.

2016: ELENA HAVLENA

Elena Havlena (HAS) of Plainfield, N.J. has landed a position as a junior graphic design associate on the Product Development Team at Gramercy Products Nerf Dog, a dog toy manufacturer.