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Professional Updates and Accomplishments

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Your classmates want to know about the milestones in your life. Send your news including career changes, accomplishments, publications, weddings, births, and adoptions to the Office of Alumni Relations. Email alumwne@wne.edu or complete a short online form.

1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s| 2020s

1960s

DAVID ERICKSON ’63 (Mechanical Engineering) has retired from practicing law in Denver, CO. An extensive collection of his published articles, stories, essays, historical studies, and books are now housed with the Western History and Genealogical Section of the Denver Public Library.

1970s

JAN BROWN L’77 (JD) played an integral part in a groundbreaking decision made by the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in limiting the ability of the Department of State to revoke a citizen’s passport.

NICK RHODES G’77 (MBA) has been appointed to the New Hanover Airport Authority by the New Hanover County Commissioners and will serve a four-year term.

ELLIS M. DUMONT ’79 (Government) was named 2020 “Innovator of the Year” by the National Parking Association for his COVID-19 grocery delivery assistance program. Ellis is CEO and Founder of Advanced Parking Concepts.

1980s

BRIAN ADE L’80 (JD) has been recognized as one of Bergen’s Top Lawyers for 2020 by Bergen Magazine and was included in the prestigious list of Best Lawyers in America. Brian is a partner in the Commercial Litigation, Complex Torts & product Liability and Insurance Coverage practice groups at Rivkin Radler LLP.

RICHARD WILLIS ’80 (Quantitative Methods) was named the 2019 Connecticut High School Coach of the Year for tennis. Richard, a 4-year starter for the Golden Bears (’77-’80) completed his 11th year coaching the Ellington High School  Men and Women’s Tennis team. In addition to high school coaching, he coaches in the USTA league and high-performance teams in the summer. After many years in industry, Richard has joined the WNE University College of Business faculty as a professional educator in the BIS department.

MAY STACK G’81 (MBA), former director of Western New England’s D’Amour Library, has recently been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for her dedication, achievements, and leadership in library science.

BRIAN HAYNES L’83 (JD) was recognized as an Upstate New York 2020 Super Lawyer for his work in Employee Benefits. Brian has also been named to the 2021 Best Lawyers in America, as “Lawyer of the Year” for his work in Tax Law. Brian works at Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC in Syracuse, NY.

SAM PEPPER ’83 (Finance) has been appointed to Chief Operating Officer at EagleBank in Maryland. Sam will now be responsible for managing all of the bank’s operations, providing leadership, administrative, and reporting procedures to help grow and maintain an effective operating and profitable outcome.

JOSEPH ROBERTS ’83 (Electrical Engineering) recently retired from the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) division Newport Sensors and Sonar Systems Department. Upon retirement, Joseph was also awarded the Department of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service award, the third highest Navy civilian award, for his achievements and outstanding service.

RICHARD SYPEK L’83 (JD) and his wife, Catherine Sypek, have recently established the firm Sypek Law & Insurance in Westfield, MA. Richard also serves as the police commissioner in the City of Westfield.

EUGENE CASSIDY ’84 (Accounting) was recently elected chairman of the International Association of Fairs and Expositions. Eugene is currently the president and CEO of Eastern States Exposition and the Big E.

JONATHAN SHAFNER L’85 (JD) was recently named vice president and general counsel at GEICO.

ROBERT TROTTER G’85 (MBA) retired after 45 years of working as a fuel injector engineer for American Bosch, Ford, Stanadyne and Tenneco. He has relocated to Asheville, NC.

RAYMOND MCCARTHY ’86/G’98 (Accounting/MBA) has been promoted to senior vice president, chief financial officer (CFO), and treasurer for Baystate Health, Springfield, MA. Raymond had previously served as vice president of finance and CFO of Baycare Health Partners as well as other roles at Baystate beginning in 1993.

LYNNE WILSON L’86 (JD) has been named to The Best Lawyers in America 2021 by peers. Lynne is a partner at Shuffield, Lowman & Wilson PA, where she practices real estate law.

ANDREW HOCHBERG L’87 (JD) was recently recognized as one of 2020’s Massachusetts Super Lawyers.

ALAN WHITNEY ’87 (Management) has joined Cornerstone Bank in the role of vice president, marketing.

DANIEL J. HORGAN L’89 (JD) was named vice president of the Connecticut Bar Association; president-elect 2021-2022.

1990s

WILLIAM DOHERTY L’90 (JD) recently retired from practicing law. Prior to retirement William practiced primarily in workers compensation. He plans to travel and play golf during retirement.

BRENDA MARSIAN ’91 (English) is now chief development officer for the Wakeman Boys & Girls Club in Fairfield, CT.

ANDREW HIRSHFELD L’93 (JD) is the commissioner for patents at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and is currently performing the functions and duties of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director.

AMY LABELLE ’93 (English) and her husband Cesar Arboleda, co-owners of LaBelle Winery in New Hampshire, have purchased Brookstone Events & Golf in Derry, NH. This will be their second location. Renovations started in December 2020.

MICHAEL JELLSON ’96 (Management - Entrepreneurship) has been named director of corporate sales at The Cromer Company, an apparel screen printing and embroidering company based in Miami, FL.

GREGORY MADRID ’96 (General Business) has been promoted to director of residential life at Sacred Heart University.

LAURA RICCIO L’96 (JD) has just finished serving as the president of the Norfolk and Plymouth County Estate and Business Planning Council. Laura was recently designated as an accredited estate planner by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils.

RITA AQUILIO L’97 (JD) has been elected treasurer of the Somerset (NJ) County Bar Association. Her two-year term began in September 2020.

MARY ANN CARLSON ’97 (Acquisition & Contracts) received the prestigious “AFCEA International Medal of Merit” award.

JEREMIAH O’CALLAGHAN ’97 (Mechanical Engineering) has been appointed manager of engineering at Conval, Inc., a manufacturer of service valves in Enfield, CT.

SCOTT ROGOFF L’97 (JD) was recognized as one of 2021’s Best Lawyers in the Rochester, NY office of Barclay Damon Attorneys.

CELIA NORCROSS ’98 (Management Studies) has accepted a position as dean of students at Berkshire Community College in Pittsfield, MA.

THERESA JASMIN G’99 (MBA) has been appointed to chief financial officer of Big Y Foods. She is responsible for the company’s strategic planning, finance, accounting, treasury, and tax functions. Theresa is the first woman to be appointed to the c-suite for the company.

2000s

ADRIENNE PETRINO ’00 (Sport Management) founder of You Make the World Better Coaching, set out to achieve a goal to stay active during quarantine while exploring her home town. By August, Adrienne had walked over 300 streets and 250 miles, all within five months. Adrienne was recognized by her community and she shared her journey through social media.

WILLIAM TRAVAUN BAILEY L’01 (JD) was nominated by Governor Charlie Baker as Associate Justice of the Cambridge District Court.

DIANE KELLY G’01 (MBA) has been appointed president of Greenwich Hospital, where she has served as COO since 2018.

MICHAEL MCGILL ’02/L’05 (Criminal Justice/JD) has been appointed to the Yavapai County Superior Court by Arizona Governor Doug Ducey.

DANIELLE WILLIAMS L’02 (JD) was sworn in as District Court Judge in Springfield, MA. Danielle was nominated by Governor Charlie Baker.

HEIDI (WOESSNER) REMICK L’03 (JD) retired as the special investigations unit prosecutor in Windsor County, VT. She recently moved her family cross country to take a job as deputy general counsel with the Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau in Carson City, NV. Heidi left behind teaching criminal law, but began teaching a narrative writing course in the fall at Vermont Law School.

RYAN KLEIN ’04 (Criminal Justice) was recently named principal at St. Michael’s School in Fall River, MA. Prior to his education career, he served the community in law enforcement.

MEREDITH ODELL ’04 (Chemistry) was named global marketing director for COVID-19 at AstraZeneca, where she has worked since 2015.

ANNIE RENNIX ’04 (Government) has been named executive director of the Central and Western Massachusetts American Red Cross chapter.

BRYAN CASSIDY ’05 (Computer Information Systems) joined Torrington Savings Bank as chief information officer and senior vice president.

SARA (CLOTHIER) CHARPENTIER L’05 (JD) was named chief assistant district attorney and drug task force prosecutor for the St. Lawrence County District Attorney’s office in Canton, NY.

STEVE PARASTATIDIS ’05 (Finance) was promoted to first vice president, commercial banking at PeoplesBank.

CHRIS PURCELL ’05 (Government) was named assistant dean of students at Chatham University, in Pittsburgh, PA.

ERIN THRON L’06 (JD) was promoted to partner at Morrison Mahoney LLP, in Boston, MA.

JOSHUA BROOKMAN ’07 (Accounting) was named finance officer of the Greater New York Division of The Salvation Army.

BRIAN MEGLIOLA ’07 (General Business) purchased Coldwell Banker Community Realtors, becoming CEO and chief financial officer. He previously served as operations director and has been with the company for 11 years.

MEGHAN SMITH L’07 (JD) was named to the Hartford Business Journal’s “40 Under Forty” Class of 2020. She also recently founded the Smith Law Group, LLC, where she practices business law, commercial real estate, residential real estate, and estate planning.

KENDRA BERARDI L’08 (JD) was elected president-elect of the Real Estate Bar Association for Massachusetts.

RONELSON LOVAINCY ’08 (Marketing Communications/Advertising) is now project manager for running and training footwear at PUMA.

ALEXANDER MAZZAFERRO ’09 (English Literature) recently began the position of tenure-track professor of early American literature in the English Department at the University of California, Los Angeles. He earned his Ph.D. from Rutgers University in 2017 after graduating from WNE, and he has previously held postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Chicago and the American Philosophical Society.

2010s

KYLE BAK ’10 (Sport Management) has been named the women’s head soccer coach at Holy Cross. Kyle has spent the last six seasons as the associate head coach at Providence College.

RACHEL FAIN L’10 (JD) was named to the Hartford Business Journal’s “40 Under Forty” class of 2020. Fain is a partner at the Connecticut-based law firm, Halloran Sage. She is cochair of Halloran Sage’s insurance coverage litigation practice group and works with the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center on a pro bono basis, managing eviction defense cases for veterans facing homelessness.

RABBI DANIEL GOODMAN L’10 (JD) has published his first novel, A Single Life. It is available on Amazon and Ktav.com.

KATHARINE (GROGAN) STARON ’10 (Psychology) accepted a new position as client success manager at TeamSnap.

SCOTT JORGE GANHAO ’11 (Finance) has been appointed to manager of the new PeoplesBank located in Ludlow, MA. Scott has more than 13 years of financial services experience.

JUAN F. LATORRE III G’11 (Engineering) was recently promoted to Principal Engineer at Verizon.

ALYSSA (OBIN) GITTLEMAN ’12 (Integrated Liberal Studies) was recently promoted to vice president within Insurance Research at Conning. She also recently completed her MBA from UCONN.

ERIC SORENSON ’14 (Sport Management) has accepted the men’s hockey head coach position at Rivier University in Nashua, NH. He will be responsible for building a brand-new program. He was previously an assistant coach at Williams College.

MALIK GARVIN ’15 (Accounting & Finance) recently started as program director for Ice Hockey in Harlem, a nonprofit organization based in New York City that works to improve social and academic well-being of children in the community. Malik was a member of Ice Hockey in Harlem and then went on to be a member of the WNE men’s ice hockey team.

MARISSA HUBER L’15 (JD) was promoted to partner within Chartwell Law. Marissa practices workers compensation defense, with a focus on representing New York state indemnity and medical exposure cases.

ANETA LOMBARDI G’15 (Accounting) has been promoted to finance officer within the Holyoke, MA branch of PeoplesBank. Aneta has more than 15 years of financial services and banking experience.

JOSEPH SERRANTINO L’15 (JD) was recognized as one of Marquis Who’s Who for 2020. Joseph has also been named among the Top 10 Lawyers Under 40 for the State of Connecticut.

MARK SIMMONS ’15 (Sport Management) has been hired as director of parks and recreation for the town of Plainfield, CT.

NATHANIEL MUNSON ’17 (Business Administration) has been promoted to assistant vice president/portfolio manager at BankESB.

PASCALE JEAN-GILLES L’18 (JD) has accepted the position of outreach director with Senator Reichlin-Melnick’s team to serve the 38th District in New York. Pascale began her career as a clerk for a New Jersey Superior Court Judge, and most recently served as communications director for former state assembly woman Ellen Jaffee.

STEFAN SJOBERG L’18/G’18 (JD/MBA) has joined the law firm of Reid & Riege as a corporate attorney.

JOSHUA WOODS L’18 (JD) has joined the law firm of Bacon Wilson as an associate and member of the firm’s business and commercial law team, and is licensed in both Massachusetts and Connecticut.

ALEXANDER FLETCHER ’19/G’20 (Pharmacy Studies/MBA) has accepted a post-doctoral fellowship with Bristol Myers Squibb through the Rutgers Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship (RPIF) Program as the US Cardiovascular: Medical Strategy and Field Medicine Sciences fellow. Fletcher expects to receive his PharmD from the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in May 2021.

BENJAMIN GREENBERG ’19 (Civil Engineering) recently started a new position with the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation, as a transportation engineer trainee for the Office of Rail in Newington, CT.

ROBERT MALSON G’19 (Sport Leadership and Coaching) has recently been hired by Norwich University in Vermont as the defensive line coach for their football team. Robert has also taken on the role of assistant director of COVID-19 Response. Previously he spent two years as the defensive line coach, and one year as the special teams coordinator and defensive line coach for WNE.

KRISTEN MCCLINTOCK G’19 (English for Teachers) recently joined The Gray House, a nonprofit in Springfield, MA, as the executive director.

CLARIBEL MORALES L’19 (JD) has been awarded the Bart Gordon Fellowship by the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corp. (MLAC). This fellowship will support Claribel’s housing work in Western Massachusetts, where she assists tenants facing homelessness or are denied housing of their choice for discriminatory reasons.

JAMES SULLIVAN ’19 (History) is the customer support specialist at ClickUp, a productivity platform startup based in San Diego.

2020s

AIMEE KISTNER ’20 (Criminal Justice) has been named to the Boston Herald, EMASS Softball All-Decade team as a pitcher. Aimee was named CCC Rookie of the Year, and recognized as an All CCC team selection several times throughout her WNE softball career.