Class Notes

Lead Photo: High jinks, 1965 style. The class of '65 celebrates its 50th reunion in October.

'49

Waldo Cobb recently returned from a two-week vacation in his home state of North Carolina, where he celebrated his 96th birthday. He has been married to Winifred Paynter for 69 years, and the couple they reside at Carlton Plaza in San Jose, Calif. He plays chess twice a week and spends much of his time writing a novel. He enjoys attending a variety of activities.

'51

Bob Fairbanks and his wife, Pat, for the first time in more than 40 years, took a vacation with just their three offspring to Saint Martin in the Caribbean. No wives or husbands, no in-laws, no grandkids. Now how can they ever get away with that again?

'63

John U. Fry received a doctorate of management from George Fox University in Newberg (Portland), Ore., on December 13, 2014. His dissertation was titled “Construction Field Architects: Women Barriers.” John pursued his degree while working full-time as executive project manager for CDM/Crocker-Fry Inc. in Watsonville, Calif. The firm specializes in commercial development and design, with recent emphasis on natural food grocery stores.

Dennis M. Lucey was honored at the annual SOAR! (Support Our Aging Religious) Gala in November 2014. Dennis was chairman of the SOAR! board in 2001. He currently serves on a number of nonprofit boards, including Gonzaga College High School, Ignatian Volunteer Corps, Loyola Club of Washington, D.C., and American Ireland Fund, among others. He is also a Knight of Malta. Dennis is in the computer business and lives with his wife, Pam, in McLean, Va.

Dudley L. Poston Jr. is a professor of sociology at Texas A&M University and was among the scientists elected in November 2014 as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). According to the AAAS announcement, he was elected for his “distinguished contributions to the field of social demography, particularly for work enhancing the understanding of population growth and change in the U.S. and China.” The 401 new AAAS Fellows (only five were social scientists) were awarded this honor because of “their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.”

'67

Denis Binder JD ’70 delivered the keynote address at the Canadian Dam Association Annual Conference in Banff, Canada, in October 2014.

John Kirby just returned from his annual six-day Medical Mission trip to Kalibo, Philippines, with Mending Faces, providing pro-bono cleft lip/cleft palate surgeries to more than 80 patients. The mission’s goal is to provide the children of this area with hope for a better life free of this affliction.

'70

Robert E. Jesinger has spent almost 40 years practicing labor and employment law on the side of workers and unions and the last eight years as house counsel for Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 in Alameda, Calif. It is now time to move on to another chapter. He is looking forward to volunteering for the many nonprofit charities needing help, especially those assisting young men and women entering the workforce.

Cathy Koetying Doherty received a master of nursing from the University of Washington. A family practice nurse practitioner, she has worked for 23 years at the Lopez Island Medical Clinic on the small island off the coast of Washington. Trying to retire!

'72

Chester K. Williams Jr. is developing two nonprofit associations in San Francisco: Fillmore MusicWorks, which aims to promote K–12 music training and appreciation in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, and The Fillmore Community African-American Mental Health Consortium, which fosters and implements a broad scope of behavioral health and related services through public discussion groups, forums, panels, lectures, and workshops.

'73

David Olivio was re-elected city treasurer of South Lake Tahoe. His son Michael graduated from the University of Southern California and is working for Audi America. Son Zach graduated from UCLA and is in his second year at USC School of Law.

Joe Schieffer recently completed his 100th ultramarathon (a running race that is longer than a marathon). When he is not running, he is a real estate attorney in Oakland.

'79

Peter Cullen is an intuitive accountant who began the process of recognizing the Top 10 ProAdvisors. Intuitive Accountant received almost 300 nominations, and more than 2,000 votes were cast as part of the process, in which objective criteria and definable measures led to the top 10. Peter successfully built his business around a BPO model.

Michael Malekos is a fly-fishing aficionado whose adventures appear monthly in California Fly Fisher magazine. Check out his column in a recent issue.

'81

Mark Quinsland has returned to Northern California full-time after 15 years of consulting for global car companies. He is now the big data architect for Engage3.com, a San Francisco start-up that provides price strategy information on consumer goods. He would love to have a beer and reconnect with the USF community.

'82

Stephen H. Fitzpatrick is a retired San Francisco adult probation officer with a caseload of more than 30 gangs. He worked with USF grads in the San Francisco Police Department, California Department of Justice, FBI, and Drug Enforcement Administration. He is attending courses at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute/San Francisco State in writing, history, and researching with the goal to write, especially about the USF presence in the city. Stephen enjoys fishing weekly in the California Delta and the San Francisco Bay and exploring the richness of Ignatian spirituality.

Kim Kovasala teaches physical education at Atlantis Academy for special-needs children in Coral Springs, Fla.

Steve Mullin has been appointed the parish outreach manager for Catholic Charities of the East Bay (CCEB). This position was created to connect the ministry and services of the 84 parishes in the Oakland Diocese to CCEB. Steve sees this position as an opportunity to help Catholics meet the challenge set forth by Pope Francis to be a “church in the streets of and for the poor.”

'84

Tracy Corral transitioned from production editor at BioCentury Publications to publisher of Cycle California! magazine, which she started 20 years ago with her husband. Rather than being tethered to a computer, she is now enjoying an active lifestyle that includes traveling with a bicycle.

'90

Alisi Maliasopesio Mataele Fineasi received an associate’s degree from Foothill College in 1988, majoring in social science and general education. She received a bachelor of arts from the University of San Francisco, where she majored in sociology and minored in philosophy. She received a master’s degree from the University of Santa Clara in 1991, majoring in educational administration with a focus on management development policy. She did postgraduate work at the University of Oxford in 2002 and is pursuing an EdD at USF, specializing in international multicultural education and policy studies.

Larry Lemos DNP ’14 graduated from USF’s Executive Leadership Doctor of Nursing Practice program in December 2014.

'91

Richard J. Doscher MPA ’93 has been appointed planning commissioner for the County of Sutter, Calif.

'95

Nomusa Mthembu is the founder of Vahluri Trading Enterprise, focusing on SAP ERP (enterprise resource planning) in South Africa. Truly grateful to be a USF graduate, she misses the professors who shaped her future, including Michael Kudlick and Allan Cruse, who had a passion for what they were doing. They helped make her the successful businesswoman she is today. Stanley Nel, mathematician and strategist, helped her to dream bigger than big.

'00

John-Paul Aguirre is getting married in October.

'05

Alexis McCurn earned a master’s degree in 2009 and a doctorate in 2013, both in sociology, from UC Santa Barbara. She accepted an appointment as assistant professor in the Department of Sociology at California State University, Dominguez Hills. She resides in Culver City, Calif.

Anne Stone is assistant professor of communication at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. She was recently awarded Florida Campus Compact’s Engaged Scholarship Faculty Award for creating learning opportunities beyond the bounds of the classroom while applying academic knowledge in community service settings.

'08

David S. Medina is now vice president of human resources for Self-Help Federal Credit Union, an institution dedicated to providing financial solutions to those most disenfranchised in our society. His territory includes all of California and the Chicago metropolitan area. His home is in Tigard, Ore., although he has a second home in the San Francisco Bay Area for respite during travel.

'09

Kyle James Auteri graduated from New York Law School in 2014. He passed the New York State bar exam and accepted a position with international law firm Pearl, Cohen, Zedek, Latzer, Baratz, specializing in intellectual properties (patent, trademark, etc.). Kyle will be taking the intellectual properties bar exam in 2015.

Lee Thomas was elected to the San Leandro City Council in 2014. He credits how his life has changed to USF.

'10

Merideth Hall completed her third runDisney race of 2014 by participating in the inaugural Avengers Half Marathon Weekend in Anaheim, Calif. She and fellow alumni and running enthusiasts Anne Dalisay ’08,Joyce Dalisay ’08, Ann Dam ’10, Glen Fernandez ’11 , Kelly Fernandez ’11, and Mario Roson-Samson ’08 assembled for an impromptu USF reunion.

'11

Molly Masier wed Matt Hiserman ’10, MA ’12 in October 2014. They have recently moved to Los Angeles and adopted a puppy.

'14

Laszlo Balogh is a qualified automotive technician for Volkswagen. He has earned his health and safety and manual handling certificates and has acquired many work skills.

'64

Rodger Lippa JD retired in 2012 after 25 years as a judge for the State of California. He previously served as a defense trial lawyer for 22 years.

'71

George Camerlengo became a partner of Gray, Duffy LLP in Redwood City, Calif.

'75

Jilma Fournier MA attended USF in 1967–68, got married, and returned for a master’s in 1975. For the past 13 years, she has been working with students with difficulties. Now Jilma is a grandma of six and enjoys her free time.

'76

Patricia Burgess JD recently published her second book, First Friends: Love, Loss and Life in Humboldt County, a memoir about friendship, the cycle of life, and forging one’s place as a single mother, attorney, and compassionate friend, set in Northern California.

'79

Gordon McShean MA already had a 20-year career in library management (MS in library service, USC, 1964) when he obtained a master’s degree in public service from USF in 1979 and then a senior lecturer’s appointment at Massey University in New Zealand, facilitating media relations and subsequently publicizing USF programs that might be useful to Kiwis. He still appreciates the warm letters he received then from President John Lo Schiavo, S.J., in this regard. He’s lost touch in recent years due to health problems that reach back to his boyhood in Scotland during the war years; he had to retire in 2002. He was bemused recently when radio news commented on USF’s need for cadavers for medical training and research (such donations in New Zealand are restricted by regional concerns), so he sent off a few emails to USF asking if his body might be of use, since it bears evidence of surgical innovation over a great number of years (he wrote the book Operation New Zealand in the ’60s)! He hasn’t received a response! Gordon is also the author of Running a Message (sic) Parlor (published by Ramparts, Palo Alto), about being a Haight-Ashbury type of librarian, and Retired Terrorist (2011), a more complete autobiography. He is now 78 and slowing down. If his cadaver or his books inspire curiosity, please get in touch: gordy.mcshean@gmail.com.

'80

Paula Canny JD wrote a chapter in Strategies for Defending DUI Cases in California.

Ron Dodge JD and his wife, Sandy, volunteer at the Family Justice Center Sonoma County, an organization offering services to victims of domestic violence. They travel to visit family in Ohio and Louisiana, where their daughter, Sonya, is a registered nurse in Baton Rouge, and regularly see their son, Corey, in Marin County, where he is a tunnel administrator at the Presidio Tunnel.

Susan Mendelsohn co-authored a chapter on foreign direct investments in Vietnam in the Laws of International Trade.

'82

Monica Bay JD retired in February, marking the end of her long career in the legal technology field.

Margaret Coyne JD is celebrating her 10th year as executive director and co-founder of Advokids, a legal advocacy nonprofit for foster children in California. Advokids protects the right of every foster child to safety, security, and a permanent home.

'83

Audrey Lynch EdD has written books that have won recognition in many book festivals: San Francisco Book Festival, Los Angeles Book Festival, Hollywood Book Festival, and London Book Festival.

'85

James Defrantz JD is now a full-time mediator and discovery referee. She is also a panelist for ADR Services Inc.

'89

Kristine Eagle JD was appointed as a court commissioner by the San Joaquin County Superior Court.

'91

Sandra Edwards JD was appointed by Farella Braun + Martel to chair its environmental law department.

'93

Jeanine Cotter JD co-founder and president of Luminalt, a San Francisco solar contractor, was honored by California Assembly Member Phil Ting as Woman of the Year. See https://www.usfca.edu/news/usf-alumna-national-leader-solar.

'95

Jeff Gray JD assumed the role of managing partner of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. He practices in the firm’s energy and environmental group, focusing on energy regulatory matters.

Ron Knecht JD has been elected Nevada state controller. He has served eight years on the Nevada Board of Regents and a term in the Nevada State Assembly. He lives in Carson City with his wife, Kathy, their daughter, Karyn, and Kathy’s mother, Christena Jensen.

'96

Craig M. Peters JD became a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. His team handles complex and catastrophic cases involving severe injury or death.

David Tognotti JD was a finalist for the 2015 Best Bay Area Corporate Counsel in the category of Best IP Lawyer by the Silicon Valley Business Journal and the San Francisco Business Times.

'97

Michael Laurenson JD provided defense for the case Hartnett v. Forensic Analytical Sciences, Inc. With a unanimous verdict in favor of the defense, this case was voted one of the “Top Verdicts of 2014” by the Daily Journal.

'98

Edina Martinez PsyD was married to Richard Andryc on Sept. 4, 2014, in Ireland.

'01

Linda Kim JD is now director of external affairs at Bay Area Legal Aid.

Huy Hoang Nguyen JD co-authored a chapter on foreign direct investments in Vietnam in the Laws of International Trade.

Deah Schwartz JD published her second book, Dr. Deah’s Calmanac: Your Interactive Monthly Guide for Cultivating a Positive Body Image. See www.drdeah.com.

'03

Alexa Koenig JD is executive director of the Human Rights Center at UC Berkeley School of Law.

Lisa M. Moore MNA was recently appointed vice president for advancement at Saint Mary’s College. In her role, she also serves as chief development officer for the college.

'04

Evonne Wong MBA and Darren Wong MBA ’03 are a husband-and-wife wedding photography team. They moved back to the Bay Area from Hawaii in 2012 and rebranded their wedding photography company U Me Us Studios (www.umeusstudios.com). They recently relocated their studio to Marina Bay in Richmond, Calif.

'05

Courtney Cruz JD co-authored the chapter “Medical Malpractice” in the Massachusetts Superior Court Civil Practice Jury Instructions manual.

Verleana D. Green JD was honored at the Sixth Annual Powerful Women of the Bay Awards in March 2014.

'06

James E. Heffner JD of Hahn Loeser & Parks LLP was named one of “San Diego’s Rising Stars” in the category of Civil Litigation—Defense in the 2015 edition of Super Lawyers.

'07

Ifeoma Ajunwa JD wrote the op-ed piece on genetic testing “There’s No Guarantee of Anonymity,” which was published in The New York Times’ “Room for Debate.”

'08

Phyra McCandless JD has joined the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Barristers Club Board of Directors and the Justice and Diversity Center Board of Directors.

Anthony D. Phillips JD became an associate at Archer Norris PLC in San Francisco, specializing in commercial and financial disputes.

Christena Reinhard MBA finally put her MBA degree to use and launched Union & Fifth, an online fundraising platform that sells donated designer clothes to raise money for nonprofits.

'09

Cometria Cooper JD received the Woman of Inspiration award from Ms. JD magazine.

Jessica Mansmith MNA returned to her home of origin in upstate New York to work in the community. She is now director of development and community engagement for the Early Care and Learning Council, a statewide nonprofit working to improve the quality of and access to child care in New York State. She also serves as vice president of the board of directors for Albany Center Gallery, a local arts nonprofit in Albany, N.Y. While she misses the Bay Area, she is happy to see that two of her USF cohort members have also moved east (Sabrina Pourmand MNA ’09, Joyce Schriebman MNA ’09), and she hopes to see them both soon!

Amol Mehra JD is director of the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable. He spoke on a panel at the Dialogue on the United States National Action Plan on Responsible Business Conduct held at UC Berkeley in February 2015.