Class Notes

Class Notes reflects submissions received between Jan. 1, 2016 and April 15, 2016.

The College

1937

Martha Farmer Forth ’37 reports: “In 2015 we sadly lost two of our classmates Howard Arthur Hill ’37 and Sydney Winters Wood ’37. Getting old is not for sissies!! Just ask Barbara Kimball Houser ’37, who is doing pretty well, still living in her own home in Redlands. Last June her family and friends threw a big celebration for her 100th birthday. Her 101st birthday is this June, and who knows what’s being planned for that big day? Another classmate, Mary Holmes McCombs ’37, just had her 100th birthday April 3. A large gathering of her family and friends had a big celebration for her. She, too, is still feeling well and living in her own home, but has assistance twice a week going to shop and to appointments. She said she has slowed down her Redlands activities since she stopped driving.” Of herself, Martha says, “Your class reporter also celebrated her 100th birthday in July of last year. Family and friends came from across the country to share in her birthday festivities. Her 101st is fast approaching and she is wondering what is in store for her… All three of us wish that our bodies could stay as young as our minds.”

1949

Jack W. Wilson ’49 reports: “Both my wife Barbara ’49 and I recently turned 92! We married in 1946—we are celebrating 70 years now—and both enrolled in Redlands, graduating in 1949 and on to a life of teaching (she) and preaching (me). We’ve always enjoyed the Och Tamale and wish we had a million $$ to assure its continuation for a century. We now live with our daughter here in Arizona, who is a great caregiver.”

1954

Class notes reporter Alton Robertson ’54 asked his classmates to respond to the following question: Is there a person or literary or artistic work that has had a major impact on your thinking in the past 62 years?

Nancy Ford Blue ’54 has decided that “any rap music is something I can easily do without in my life. How can rap be called music? Therefore, any person or persons involved are on my impact list of things to avoid.”

Jim Crow ’54 reports that “one novel has continued informing and enriching my awareness of human cruelty and insensitivity against the backdrop of the earth’s beauty and the richness of human cultures: Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country, a virtual case study of apartheid in South Africa.” Jim continues to live in Pacifica and to enjoy the Bay Area’s rich selection of music, drama, ballet performances and movie theatres.

Roger Cullen ’54 and his wife, Bev, traveled to Southern California from their San Antonio home in late January to attend a memorial service for the late Wes Reed ’53. Roger composed a songthat he performed with Benny Taylor ’53, who came from Sedona for the service. The song mentioned the way that Wes, a gifted musician, sparked the Pi Chi Four quartet all those years ago and during the many reunions since.

Ron “Squeak” Davis ’54 responded: “No one has impacted my thinking more than Jim Verdieck, my professor and football coach at the U of R. He not only taught me the intricacies of football, he taught me how to be a better person and how I could improve my life. I made an effort to pattern my coaching and athletic administration in the style of Coach Verdieck. I would be proud if one of my ex-students thought of me as I think of Coach Verdieck.”

Dale Edmondson ’54 writes: “Three influences have come together to shape my life: Rachel Carson, Martin Luther King Jr. and Emil Brunner. Carson has helped me see that we are an inseparable part of the created order, a recipient of its gift of wonder and a caretaker of its future. Dr. King has shown me the interconnection of racism, militarism and materialism. And Brunner has led me to believe that faith convictions spring from lived experience.”

Fred Edwards ’54 and Janet McLean Edwards ’55 celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 11, 2015! Janet’s parents both attended the University of Redlands in the 1920s. They count 21 additional Bulldogs as relatives, too. John Edwards ’81 and Serene McCabe (Linda Edwards) ’83, ’84 affectionately call their parents “Ma and Pa Redlands.”

Mary Pierson Graw ’54 and her husband, Herb, spent the month of March in Arizona to support their San Francisco Giants. Mary lists Gainsborough’s “Blue Boy” and Thomas Lawrence’s “Pinkie” plus her love for impressionist painters as crucial influences.

Dave Hayes ’54 reports that, after retiring from business in Southern California, he has been living in the Pacific Northwest for the last 20 years. His activities include salmon and crab fishing, gardening and enjoying the area. Dave and his wife, Dione, will be celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary this August.

George Jackson ’54 says reading Max Weber’s The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism helped him understand why under capitalism the United States became a world power during the 20th century, while many European nations that pursued Marxist and other socialist/communist systems declined. This awareness helped form his conservative beliefs.

Ruth Jordan Jackson ’54 reports that the 2016 triennial International Jordan Foundation Reunion will be held in Arizona for the first time. She and her niece are planning tours and events. In response to our question, Ruth writes that two artists have been extremely influential in her life. One was Helen Jordan, who did landscapes and portraits, and was married to her father’s brother. The other was Beatrice Floyd Jackson, a sister to Larry Jackson’s ’54 mother and a U of R alumna in the 1920s.

Dave Moke ’54 and his wife, Irma Draper Moke ’56, live in a retired military officer continuing care retirement community in northern Virginia. They have adopted a hyperactive four-year-old Maine coon named “Ginger, too” aka Tornado. In addition to demanding duties as part of Ginger’s staff, Irma volunteers in community activities and Dave, using materials from Hillsdale College, continues reading the history and philosophy of our founding.

Larry ’54 and Kris Nugent, Ron ’54 and Dionne Davis, Don ’54 and Sandi ’57 Ruh, Ron ’52 and Burga ’51 Kreutzberg, Al ’52 and Andrea Weinert, Burt ’53 and Wilma Chortkoff, Bob ’53 and Inga Miller and Mary Sones Nuffer ’56 gathered for their 10th annual Bulldog Bash at the home of the Millers in Imperial Beach, CA on the weekend of March 6th. Ron reports that they attempted to recite the “Och Tamale,” but no one could remember the words!

Don Ruh ’54 and his wife, Sandi ’57 Ruh have been married for 54 years; and, for 52 of those years, they have been associated with the Mt. SAC relays and the Olympic movement. Don writes that this association “has blessed us with friends and experiences of international proportions. Our work in the 1984 Olympic Games and a partnership with the LA84 Foundation thereafter has resulted in over 365,000 youth being introduced to athletics for the first time.”

Like several of our classmates, George ’54 and Mary Rector Russell ’54 have discovered the joys of visits to the delightful village of Cambria on the central California coast. Bill Baker ’54 and Ken and Phyllis Brewer Topping ’56 live there; and Janet Edwards ’55 has her art placed in a gallery in town. Joyce Renshaw ’58 and her husband Ken also call Cambria home. Joyce is very active in community affairs.

Bob Steinbach ’54 replied: “Zorba the Greek—book, movie and musical. Though many parables, Zorba led me from a passive participant in life to an enthusiastic seeker of all life has to offer.”

John Townsend ’54 writes: “Two powerful dramas seen many years ago continue to speak to my experience. The first is The Visit by Friedrich Duerrenmatt, a story of vengeance and greed. The second is Man of La Mancha, a story of hope and redemption.”

For the next issue, our theme/question: Do you have a favorite sports team or individual player? Are you an avid fan?

1957

Patricia “Pat” Bayless Huffman ’57, a long-time advocate of children and early-learning professionals, was honored for her commitment to children and youth during the 33rd Annual Policymaker Breakfast in Altadena on April 29, 2016. The Marge Wyatt Advocacy Award, presented by Options for Learning recognizes leaders for their commitment to children and youth. Pat is a long-time resident of Claremont and graduate of Bishop Johnson College of Nursing at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, is trained as a registered nurse and has worked professionally in programs devoted to children and families.

1958

January 22 and 23 saw several Kappa Sigma Sigma alumni and their wives rendezvous at the home of Buzz ’58 and Marilyn ’68 Buster to renew old friendships and catch up on each others’ news. Festivities began with a sit-down dinner Thursday evening. On Friday, the group visited the Busters’ son’s T-shirt factory in Anaheim followed by an Amtrak ride to Los Angeles and Olvera Street on Saturday. Beyond hilarity, all agreed that their time at U of R involved the full and best of college experiences; a quality education, school, service, sorority and fraternity participation; and friendships that have now endured for over 50 years. Attendees were: Marty Adams ’57 and Phil Mohan ’57 with their wives, Sheryl and Charlotte; Chuck Lippincott ’58 and his wife, Bonnie; Stan Lamb ’59 and his wife, Sonya; Dick and Patti Willis Beiden ’59, along with Bob and Linda Nelson Simms ’62.

1959

Beth Elsberry Cotton ’59 looks forward to moving to California in May and being close enough to attend events at the University!

Anne Monroe Dahl ’59 and her husband Ron just completed a six-week trip starting with a two-week cultural tour in Cuba. They then visited friends on the East Coast and came home by way of a three-week cruise through the Panama Canal.

Rudy Dew ’59 and his wife, Maria, traveled to Paris then took the fast train to Lyon where they met a group, several from U of R: Carl ’59 and Lois Dodge Gott ’60, Marilyn Heyler ’60 and Vergil Hettick, Wayne ’59 and Virginia Kirschenman. They took a river boat down the Rhone River stopping at towns along the way, ending in Provence, then bus tours to Cassis. The Dews ended their trip back in Paris.

Lauralee Lindholm ’59 recently returned from a trip to Ethiopia where she and her husband Raymond Lindholm ’60 served as missionaries for many years. Lauralee and Ray run Heart for Ethiopia, a non profit organization in Desoto, Texas. They sell donated books and magazines on Ebay and Amazon and more than $1,000 a week in profits is sent to Ethiopia for education and development projects through the Addis Kidan churches.

Toni Leman Partain ’59 sent news of travels to Israel last year.

Marilyn Kerr Solter ’59 had the opportunity to try zip-lining while in Panama recently. As she says, “You are never too old to zip-line!” Recently, Marilyn was honored with a Town and Gown Award of Distinction.

1960

Henry “Hank” Dillon ’60, after serving in the U. S. Army for three years as an instructor of Military Applications of Geology at Ft. Belvoir, Va., returned to Redlands, earned an M.A. in education in 1968 while teaching locally in Riverside and Yucaipa. In 1969, he accepted a teaching assignment in Saudi Arabia with the Arabian American Oil Company, now called Saudi Aramco, teaching algebra to dependent children of Aramco employees. After teaching algebra and science for six years in the company school system, he transitioned into a training administration assignment with the petroleum engineering group. In 1989, he returned to Redlands for several additional years of teaching at the high school and junior college levels. He currently lives with his wife, Linda, in Sun City Lincoln Hills, Lincoln, Calif.

Ken Hall ’60 and Lynn Hall spent one week in El Progresso, Honduras, in early February building schools with Students Helping Honduras. Local Hondurans joined in to build the foundation for a three-room school for children with no educational opportunity. Ken arranged for the director of the program, Shin Fujiyama, to spend three days on the U of R campus to visit classes and interact with students.

1962

1962 class notes Reporter Judy Smith Gilmer writes: This summer Ray and Maggie Boren Bell ’62, ensconced in a 48-foot catamaran, will be touring the British Virgin Islands. Early March found Ann Stewart West ’62 on a sampan underneath a teak bridge in Mandalay, Myanmar, with very spotty internet. Continuing on to Bagan, home to over 3,100 Buddhist shrines and temples, Ann was constantly surprised by the kindness, courtesy and good nature of the Burmese people. Our 55th reunion is scheduled May 12-14, 2017! Please save the dates and join us at Redlands.

1964

Alan Bestall ’64 writes that the West Oakland Health Center, which he organized two years out of graduate school, has survived through challenging times since 1968 to be a six-site community health
center model that set the format for many community health centers across the country as well as the Black Panther Party’s health service focus during its nationwide active years. Since retiring, he works as a registered counselor and legal advocate for Medicare beneficiaries. He is also president of the Capuchino High School Alumni Association and has been building the non-profit corporation from the ground up to be the umbrella organization for the five parent-led on campus booster groups. The organization raised $180,000 last year to offset public education funding shortfalls and plans to expand that number in the future.

Gary Larsen ’64, Phil Estermann ’64 and Ed Matsuishi ’63 are volunteering with Operation USA to deliver recycled equipment from California hospitals to Myanmar.

1965

David Graham ’65 recently went on a road trip to Southern California and other places. He was delighted to see how open and spacious the UR campus still is. He writes, “The Chartres maze behind the Chapel at Redlands—happy to see—led me to realize one is obliged to walk the entire maze in order to reach its center. It’s not really a maze, it’s a trek, a via, a camino, a path. I did not know/had not heard that.”

Linda and Bob Halliwell ’65 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in April. Their celebrations are continuing throughout the year. They have a trip coming up to NYC, a family celebration in July with kids and grandkids and a trip to Austria, Switzerland and Bavaria in the fall.

Kathy Terbeck Johnson ’65 and Hank Johnson ’64 write: “We would like to share the news of our 50th wedding anniversary! After a wonderful month-long trip to Australia, New Zealand and Moorea, we were treated to a lovely dinner party in the San Francisco Bay Area hosted by our two kids, in-law kids and six grandkids. Many life-long friends came up to share our joy!”

Alice Randall ’65 and Craig Wallace ’64 were chaperones on yet another spring break D.C. trip with 8th-graders on March 24. This was Craig’s 45th and Alice’s 25th trip! In spite of being retired from teaching, they both love seeing kids react to experiencing “hands-on history” for the first time in Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg, Monticello, D.C., Gettysburg, Mount Vernon and Philadelphia. Craig is no longer in charge of the whole trip, thanks to a former student who became a U.S. History teacher and started his own D.C. trip after going on the 8th-grade trip with Craig years ago. The beat goes on!

Chris Schriner ’65 reached the high point of his motorsports hobby in October 2015 hitting 154.75 mph in one-half mile from a standing start in his 1988 Honda CRX. He plans to retire from racing later this year.

1966

Ann Stacy Coppin ’66 recently retired after 12 years of employment at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. Ann enjoyed being a librarian working with the various projects and missions.

Bill Willsie ’66 reports that he and his wife, Monica, have been married 47 years. They have a daughter and a son, both married with two boys each. After living in San Diego for 18 years, they retired to Fernley, Nev., 12 years ago. For five years Bill served on the board of directors of the Fernley Chamber of Commerce and more recently helped start the Northern Nevada Chapter of the Honor Flight Network Program. This is a nationwide nonprofit organization that raises money to take veterans on trips to visit their service memorials in Washington, D.C. Singing has always been a passion, and Bill spent three years volunteering for his local hospice chapter. Soon Bill and Monica will leave on a 30-day, 8,000-mile road trip around the U.S. Upon return, he will have visited 49 states. The 50th, Alaska, they plan for their 50th wedding anniversary.

1967

Darlene Johnson Backlund ’67 reports that having turned 70 in August 2015, she couldn’t wait to set several American and one specific World Age Group record in racewalking. In September 2015, she set American records for 70-74 year-old women in racewalking at the following distances: 25K, 30K, 35K and 40K. In November 2015, she set the American and world 70-74 age group record for 50K (31.1 miles). She still holds the 50K world record for the 65-69 age group. There certainly are advantages to getting to the next five-year age group!

Russ and Connie Moxon Livingston ’67 will celebrate 50 years of marriage in June, having met at a freshman book discussion of Lord of the Flies in CAL Hall basement the first week of freshman orientation in 1963. Connie, a UR song girl ’63–’65, has been an active dancer all her life and continues dancing as well as taking taiko drum classes. Russ has been volunteering internationally, participating in a turtle conservation project in Costa Rica, spending a month in a monastery above Mae Hong Son in Thailand teaching English to novice monks, working on the island of Nosy Komba, Madagascar, doing reptile and lemur surveys, rebuilding Mayan stone walls and re-introducing rain forest biomes in central Yucatan and building kindergarten rooms in Fiji. Both spend much time interacting with their semi-feral grandchildren.

Salzburg, 1965: Memories, and so much more…

On Feb. 5-6, 2016, 25 of the original group of 36 students who had spent the fall semester in Salzburg assembled in Sonoma, Calif., for their 50th anniversary. The two-day event was graciously hosted by Thrace Bromberger at the WALT wine tasting room in downtown Sonoma and included 15 spouses, many of whom were Redlands alumni as well. Thrace was joined at the reunion by her sister Corinth, both of whom were in Salzburg with their sister Troy and brother, Matt, accompanying their parents, Dr. Fritz and Corrine Bromberger.

The fine food and wine in the beautiful courtyard provided the backdrop for reminiscences of good times together, highlighted by a 45-minute slide show assembled by John Gibson ’67. Then we all really got into that ’60s vibe with renditions of the Beatles and Stones songs recreated by the original version of our own rock band: John Curtis ’67, Bob McCann ’67, Bill Heck ’67, David Pollock ’67, ’68, Mike Groher ’67, ’69, Ron Reis ’68, ’69, Jim Rundel ’67, Dave Takagi ’68, joined for the evening by Nancy McCann and John Gibson. It was so great to be alive in ’65!

We all came together to relive a wonderful time in our lives and to reconnect with friends, many of whom we hadn’t seen in 50 years. We discovered that we quickly rekindled the sense of camaraderie of that small group, falling easily into an intimacy established through those intense five months of living together: studying, sharing meals, traveling, sightseeing. During that time we learned a lot about Europe—art, culture, architecture, politics, history—but we also learned a lot about ourselves, individually and as a group.

It was a rare sense of community we formed, partly by the circumstances of studies and travels, but also by the values emulated for us by our professors, Dr. Fritz Bromberger and Dr. Henry Dittmar. They in turn reflected the qualities of character that are part of the Redlands tradition—openness, compassion, tolerance, intellectual curiosity, academic rigor—all of which were magnified by our close proximity over a prolonged period. We learned to care about each other, because of, not in spite of, our differences. It was together that we experienced the sober
realities of a divided Berlin, that we actually were able to touch the monoliths at Stonehenge, that we all heaved together to push the broken down bus, that we stood in awe of Michelangelo’s David, that we walked through the ruins of Pompeii in the rain, that we cringed at the sight of the bullet-ridden buildings of Budapest, and that we watched in horror as Dr. Bromberger was thrown to the floor as he valiantly tried to save us from an overly aggressive Krampus with a switch.

Throughout the weekend there was a lot of “Do you remember…” countered with “Oh, yeah, and remember …” or just as likely, “Uh, no, I don’t remember that at all.” But beyond the chance to recount specific memories, the reunion rekindled that sense of community developed through a once-in-a-lifetime experience and joined us in sense of easy exchange, genuine interest and caring for one another. Even after all these years.

The University of Redlands has offered thousands of students myriad experiences over its long history. This was ours, the Salzburg fall semester of 1965, and it stands as a testimony to the institution, to the students it attracts and to the values of a liberal arts education. The reunion renewed friendships and deepened our appreciation for such a unique opportunity and to the university that provided it.

Bliss was it on that dawn to be alive, but to be young was very heaven!—William Wordsworth

1968

Connie Jones Pillsbury ’68 writes: “I attended the Salzburg Semester in spring of 1966 with Dr. Dittmar and Dr. Cranston. I was given a host family in Salzburg, of Herr and Frau Marschall, who lived nearby and invited two students each semester to share their life and travel with them. The other student that was hosted by them was Bruce Taylor ’68. We spent lots of time at the Marschall’s, eating, dancing, speaking German and getting to know their daughter, Karin. I have stayed close to ‘Mutti’ through the years, visiting her often. I went back last summer, 2015, to celebrate 50 years since that wonderful semester in Salzburg. Herr Marschall, ‘Vati,’ passed away several years ago and Mutti still lives in the same house at 10 Schwarzparkstrasse, where she tends her garden and enjoys swimming. As Margie Payne Graves ’66, also a Marschall student, wrote in a recent letter, ‘They changed our lives with their friendship.’ So true! Mutti would love to hear from any of her former Redlands students. Her address: Frau Elfi Marschall, Schwarzpartstrasse 10, A-5020 Salzburg, Austria.”

1970

William “Bill” Kennedy ’70, after 41 years of practicing anti-poverty/civil rights law, left the nonprofit legal world and opened a home law office where he focuses on training and consulting on cases involving implicit bias and racialized structures. Last year, Bill represented 19 cognitive scientists and social psychologists in an amicus brief, filed in the U.S. Supreme Court in Texas, DHCA v. Inclusive Communities Project. The court, for the first time, recognized the existence of unconscious bias in this fair housing case. He also received the Equal Justice Society advocacy award.

William “Bill” Lowman ’70 recently had the concert hall at Idyllwind Arts Academy named for him. Bill was the headmaster at the school for many years.

1973

Terry Hertz ’73 and his granddaughter Johanna “Jojo” James Hertz, 8, are scheduled to go to the Philippines on a mission trip soon. Jojo will accompany Terry on the trip to volunteer with the organization he is the director of: Daring, Caring and Sharing Ministries Inc. based in Grass Valley, Calif.

Steve Kosareff ’73 is developing his second documentary project on singer-songwriter John Stewart (The Kingston Trio) entitled The Ghost of Daydream Believer. The project’s Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/JohnStewartDocumentary and website is johnstewartdocumentary.wordpress.com.

In September of 2015, Jim Zarrillo ’73 was appointed interim dean of the College of Education and Allied Studies at California State University, East Bay (CSUEB). Earlier, Jim taught elementary school, earned his doctorate from the Claremont Graduate University and was a faculty member and administrator for over 30 years at CSUEB and Long Beach State. Jim and his wife, Donna, live in Pleasanton, Calif., and have two children and six granddaughters.

1975

Maureen McElligott ’75 will be graduating with her ministerial degree (master’s) in June through Centers for Spiritual Living, Holmes Institute School of Spiritual Leadership.

1976

Jan Christian ’76 writes: “I have retired after over 39 years as an educator in San Bernardino City Unified School District. My last official day of work was May 29, 2015. My retirement party was held on May 15 with several alumni in attendance. Jon and I continued the party with a pub crawl through Ireland for two weeks in June.”

Jennifer Fleming ’76 writes that she has moved to Oregon and is enjoying living with her mom and closer to her daughter’s and sister’s families. She has one granddaughter and a new grandson (born in June of 2015). Jennifer retired from teaching special education in 2011 to help out her mother—and has no regrets!

Ann Hallighan ’76 writes: “After 30 years at Boeing (which included my time at Rockwell, Rocketdyne, United Space Alliance and Boeing), I retired last October, after 35 years in human space flight-government contracting. Wonderful career and wonderful people to be associated with. I loved every minute of my time working on the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station and most recently, the Commercial Crew program. I am staying in Texas, my home for the past 23 years, and travelling whenever I can—most recently to Maui with Luanne Stanton Hardy ’76 and Katy Trumbo ’76.”

Rod MacAlister ’76 writes from Africa: “Mary and I spent 3.5 years in Gabon, central Africa, where I ran an oil company. We moved to Cape Town, South Africa, last September, the world’s finest city. I’m chairman of a private equity fund investing in the Republic of the Congo and co-founder of a new company that will build infrastructure across Africa to turn natural gas resources to electricity. I also work with a Washington, D.C., consultancy, The Spectrum Group, to build their business in Africa, beginning with countering environmental crime, especially rhino and elephant poaching. Mary sets up opportunities for American volunteers who want to perform conservation and/or learn how to be wildlife rangers.”

Don McFarland ’76 continues to be employed by Raytheon and continues to travel internationally in connection with work. He attended a Salzburg reunion in the late spring of 2015, and he’s having a wonderful time with his grand-kids.

LeAnn Zunich ’76 shares: “I have been hosting a friend and three kids (all under 7) for the last year while the family transitions; it’s all the joys of grandparenting and none of the pains of kid-raising. And I’ve taken up cycling; riding is SO much easier than running.”

1978

Rebecca Gardner ’78 shares: “Ahoy! I retired from practicing law in January 2015. For the next four months I will be traveling on a cargo freighter ship between Auckland, New Zealand; Ningbo, China; Southampton, England; Rotterdam, Holland; Charleston, S.C.; and back to Auckland, New Zealand in June 2016.”

1981

Teri Crawford ’81 traveled from Idaho to Tennessee last October to go to the Australian Shepherd Club of America National Specialty with her 14th-ranked bitch to compete against the top 30 dogs and a panel of three judges and returned home No. 1! “Can you say thrilled and proud?!”

1983

Scott F. Belcher ’83 was appointed president and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America in September 2007 after a successful legal and nonprofit management career. Scott brought to ITS America more than 20 years of private and public sector experience in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining ITS America, Scott most recently served as executive vice president and general counsel at the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, Scott held senior management positions at a number of prominent trade associations, worked in private practice at the law firm of Beveridge & Diamond PC and at the Environmental Protection Agency.

1989

After 26 years working in Riverside County for the city of Corona, county of Riverside and city of Riverside, Deanna De Boer Lorson ’89 moved to San Diego County to become assistant city manager for the city of Oceanside.

1996

Crystal Perry Read ’96 writes: “My child, Nikki Read, has been accepted and decided to attend the University of Redlands, class of 2020!“

1998

Gwynne Loke Staton ’98 married Jason Lees in a beautiful ceremony that reflected their loving, loyal and fun personalities in Kaneohe, Hawaii, on March 25, 2016. Gwynne danced a beautiful and moving hula for her new husband. Not only was it a fantastic celebration but it was also a Bulldog reunion. In attendance to help them celebrate were, Michelle Little Baynes ’98, Teal Sewards Conroy ’00, Sarah Frid ’00, Juli Seitz Henning ’99, Nate McCall ’98, Stacie McRae Marshall ’99, Colette Seu ’98, and Kara Kokotas Smith ’98.

1999

Tia Ghan May ’99 ’01 and Brett May ’01, plus their children, Teagan and Camden, are fully settled in Carlsbad, Calif., after living in Nevada for 11 years. Brett is head of development for BigHand Office at BigHand, and Tia is thriving as a small-business owner, focused on building her 2 Legged Mermaid™ apparel brand, which can be found on Etsy and at various street fairs and shops in the San Diego area. Check out her designs and support a Redlands grad!

Heather Overton Nelson ’99 and her husband, Matthew, live just south of Raleigh, N.C. Heather works for Bayer in the Global Stewardship department and to her great surprise, in the same building as Stacie McRae Marshall ’99, which she discovered reading the fall issue of the Och Tamale. What are the chances? Matt owns a specialty firearms company, which keeps them both very busy.

2009

Meg Freeland Emori ’09 earned a Ph.D. in human biology and translational medicine from Harvard Graduate School in July of 2015.

Helena Rindone ’09 works as an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls. She holds a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision.

2011

Nick Daily ’11 earned a M.Ed. degree from Oregon State University in 2013 and is currently the assistant dean for the Office of Black Student Affairs at the Claremont University Consortium.

School of Business

1993

Neal Kelley ’93 has been the chief election official for the county of Orange since 2005. Kelley leads a team of 200-plus employees who conduct elections in the fifth largest voting jurisdiction in the country. Kelley is an appointed member of the United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Board of Advisors and the EAC Voting Systems Standards Board, serves as the elected president of the California Association of Clerks and Election Officials (CACEO) and is the immediate past president for the National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks (NACRC). He was recently honored with the “2015 Public Official of the Year” from the National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Clerks.

2010

Rachel A. McGuire ’10 received the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) 2016 Communicator of the Year Award. This prestigious honor is bestowed to a CAPIO member who has demonstrated extraordinary success in 2015 for a program, project or year-long communications
efforts as a public information professional. McGuire has been serving as a public information officer at Western Municipal Water District (WMWD) for the past four years.

2011

Carla J. Thornton ’11, MA has been appointed to the California Veterans Board. Thornton has served as associate director of development at the University of California, Riverside since 2014, a victim advocate for the U.S. Air Force Reserve since 2007 and logistics manager for the U.S. Air Force since 1997. She was fund development coordinator at Human Options from 2012 to 2014 and combined federal campaign fund manager for the U.S. Air Force Reserve from 2009 to 2011. In addition, she serves in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and served active duty from 1997 to 2008. She earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California School of Social Work. Her position requires Senate confirmation.

Patty Tovar-Nessen ’11 writes: “I created www.facebook.com/womenthatamaze/ which is paired with a YouTube channel and Instagram account. Each week I will be featuring real women and their career paths in hopes of inspiring and empowering the next generation. I want those that follow us to know that there are so many different paths in life you can choose from, and you can really be anything you want to be if you set your mind to it. It is a video series.” Recently, she featured Judge Laine Sklar, telling her story. Learn more at: www.youtube.com/channel/UC6IIEcI6MoTaL3QWIZc6B4g.

School of Education

1997

Colleen Cunningham ’95, ’97 was chosen as teacher
of the year for Poly High School in Riverside and high school teacher of the year for Riverside Unified School District. Colleen has been teaching high school English for 21 years and has been at Poly for 16 years.

Engagements, Marriages and Partnerships

Engagements

Nick Daily ’11 and Josh Scacco became engaged in June of 2015.

Marriages

Jonathan Erb ’70 and Gretchen Vorhaus were married in Boulder, Colo., on Nov. 7, 2015. They live in Longmont, Colo.

James Augur ’89 married Tracey Lutrario on Jan. 15, 2016, in San Jose, Calif.

Gwynne Loke Staton ’98 married Jason Lees on March 25, 2016, in Kaneohe, Hawaii.

Sara Snyder ’05 married Patrick Haedtler in May 2015 at Spruce Mountain Ranch in Larkspur, Colo.

Devon Cannon ’09 and Spencer Thomas ’09 were married on Sept. 6, 2014, in Apple Valley, Calif.

Iliana Grigera ’09 married Francisco Giudici on April 17, 2015, in Long Beach, Calif.

Porscha Soto ’11 and Jonathan Guillot were married on Jan. 31, 2016. The road to their venue washed out the afternoon of the wedding, and with the help of friends and family they were able to plan a new wedding in less than four hours! They would like to extend a special thank you to the fellow alumni and professors who trudged through the pouring rain to make it to the festivities. Thank you!

Sebastian Galmarini ’11, MBA and Kaitlynn Smith ’14 married on Feb. 21, 2016. They met in an Intro to Accounting class at the Riverside satellite campus. They began dating one full class year later in the spring of 2012 and were engaged in 2015.