the classes
FROM UNION TO D.C.: A C A R E E R I N A G R I C U LT U R E A N D N AT U R A L R E S O U R C E P O L I C Y
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arah Bittleman ’88 grew up on a tree farm in rural Cambridge, N.Y., so she knows agriculture. She also spent her last term at Union as an intern with Congressman Lee Hamilton (Ill.) in Washington, D.C., and went on to hold many leadership positions in state and federal service, so she knows government. Perhaps it’s not surprising then, that Bittleman became the chief agriculture counselor to the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Feb. 2013 – Feb. 2014), before recently returning to Capitol Hill with Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon. “I explained agriculture to EPA and EPA to agriculture. I love working with farmers who produce our nation’s food, fiber and fuel, and I love working with federal employees who implement laws to provide cleaner air, water and land,” she said. “EPA has a regulatory role but also a supporting role, my job was to balance those and amplify the good works that agriculture and EPA can do together.” “I tried to open lines of communication between these passionate entities so they can see that they have more in common than they might have thought,” added Bittleman, a political science major whose father, Arnold Bittleman, taught art at Union from 1970–1984. At the beginning of March, Bittleman left EPA to return to Capitol Hill to be Senator Ron Wyden’s legislative director in his personal office and his chief counsel for agriculture, energy and natural resources on his Finance Committee. “As I left EPA I was assured by many in agriculture that the lines of communication between them and EPA had been improved,” Bittleman said. “Now, I return to where Union College gave me my start in D.C., Capitol Hill, to continue working on agriculture, energy and natural resources policy, along with the many other issues important to the people of Oregon.”
Philip J. Zaccheo ’89
David Markenson ’90
event of the Anti-Defamation League’s centennial celebration. Steven was noted for his passion, commitment and dedication to ADL’s mission to create a “world without hate.” Steven is director of legal solutions for Pangea3.
matters and counseling commercial and residential owners on a broad range of lease-related and occupancy issues. She earned a J.D. from Brooklyn Law.
Michael Uccellini, president and CEO of The United Group of Companies, Inc. in Troy, N.Y., was recently profiled by the New York State Real Estate Journal. The piece focused on his career and education. Steven G. Sanders writes, “On Friday, Nov. 22, 2013, I was one of several prosecutors honored by the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation with the ‘Prosecutor of the Year Award.’ It was given for my participation in the prosecution and conviction of former prosecutor and defense attorney Paul Bergrin on various charges, including racketeering and murder. This case required two successful government appeals to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (both of which I argued) before culminating in a verdict.” Steven is assistant U.S. attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey.
Ingram Yuzek recently announced the promotion of Jennifer E. Schwartz to its partnership. Jennifer has extensive experience litigating landlord-tenant 40 | UNION COLLEGE Spring 2014
Bond, Schoeneck & King (Syracuse, N.Y.) recently announced that Philip J. Zaccheo has been elected as a new member of the firm’s eight-member management committee. Philip is a business attorney and co-chair of the firm’s higher education practice, chair of the firm’s retirement committee and a member of the firm’s diversity committee. He provides general counseling and representation to colleges and universities throughout the United States on a variety of legal issues. He joined the firm in 1992.
1990 CLASS CORRESPONDENT
Mary Jo Burke 532 Whitcover Circle Charlottesville, Va. 22901 mjcburke@earthlink.net Pamela (Haber) Mondschein has been named the executive director of the United States Collegiate Archery Association (USCAA). A philosophy and psychology major at Union, she went on to earn a law degree from Western New England University. She lives in Glastonbury, Conn., with her husband and twin daughters.