Summer 2024 // The Caller: The magazine for alumni, parents, employees, and friends of Catlin Gabel
Reimagining Catlin Gabel
How the community is coming together to develop art, architecture, and natural spaces on campus
Catlin Gabel is an independent, non-sectarian, progressive coeducational day school serving 787 students from preschool through 12th grade. Its roots go back to the Portland Academy, founded in 1859. The school occupies 67 acres on Barnes Road, five miles west of downtown Portland, and a neighboring eight-acre East Campus currently used for the Community Arts Program for adults.
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Tim Bazemore
ASSISTANT HEAD OF SCHOOL
Kama Bruce
ASSISTANT HEAD FOR ENROLLMENT AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS
Sara Nordhoff
DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT
Nicole Rinetti-Clawson
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
Damon Knight
DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL CONTENT, CALLER EDITOR
Ken DuBois duboisk@catlin.edu
DESIGNER & ART DIRECTOR
Hannah Lee
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Tea Bear, Ken DuBois, John Olson, John Oribello, Daisy Steele
CATLIN GABEL SCHOOL
8825 SW Barnes Road Portland, OR 97225 (503) 297-1894 catlin.edu
COVER
A mural designed and created by Middle School students (detail) was permanently installed on a Middle School exterior wall in March 2024 (story on pg. 8).
Contents
The Spaces Students Inhabit
The Head of School reflects on the role that environment plays in education
Removing Barriers and Creating Opportunities
The new Middle School Head on giving students space to define themselves
Leading with Clarity and Purpose
Thoughts on the year ahead from the Upper School Interim Leadership Team
Resilience and Recovery
How a storm-related crisis became a learning adventure and community rallying point
Creating in Harmony
A mural project helps middle schoolers discover the joys of inclusive collaboration
Healing Habitat
With the new Pollinator Garden, students are countering environmental decline
Congratulations to the Class of 2 024!
A profile of our graduates and their college choices
Of Note: Winter-Spring 2024
Alumni Profile: Trace Hancock ’96
The data analyst and visualization expert reflects on his Catlin Gabel influences
Board Profiles
A recognition of outgoing members and an introduction to new trustees
By Tim Bazemore head of school
G The Spaces Students Inhabit
rowing up, I thought it was special that my dad was an architect. I was intrigued by the combination of creative thinking, aesthetic sensibility, engineering knowledge, and understanding of human behavior that he brought to projects. He taught me to notice the spaces we are in, how they make you feel, how they relate to adjacent spaces, the importance of scale and orientation, and to be curious about the intention of design and construction.
At Catlin Gabel, we understand the importance our environment plays in the education of every child, at every age. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia belief that a child’s classroom is a “third teacher” (first teachers are adults; second teachers are peers), we see both the natural and built environments as classrooms. Ideal “third teachers” create a sense of belonging, are flexible in use and purpose, content-rich in their own way, and organized for interaction. All spaces students inhabit should serve practical needs and inspire possibilities.
To that end, we are deeply fortunate to come each day to our expansive campus, with its 70 wooded acres, over 30 buildings, and numerous pathways, gardens, sculptures,
play areas, playing fields, and open spaces. Buildings of various vintages and styles tell the story of Portland architecture, in a Northwest vernacular, at a human scale, employing natural materials. Undeveloped and tended natural outdoor spaces foster a sense of freedom and invite exploration and discovery for students of all ages. Teachers and facilities/grounds staff give careful consideration to materials, visuals, furniture, and feel of indoor student spaces, prioritizing purpose, safety, and access. They tend to outdoor spaces with the same care and affection, knowing that learning and playing in nature contributes to healthy human development. The interplay of these environments reinforces the understanding that learning can happen everywhere.
In this issue, you’ll read stories of how teachers and students collaborate to create and nurture spaces of all kinds at Catlin Gabel. Following their lead, we are in the process of improving a variety of campus spaces. The loss of Douglas Firs in the Grove inspired us to consider a new and integrated vision for outdoor play and athletic fields for younger students. In the next year, we will redesign and continue restoration of the areas adjacent to the Beehive and Lower School with new
structures and plantings. North of the Middle School, we are kicking off a design process for a new, age-appropriate play and social space, suitable for year-round use and flexible activities. Discussions are underway with local organizations about installing artificial turf on the Beginning and Lower School and Middle School fields for year-round use and to enable community partnerships. Finally, we are moving forward with excitement and energy on the largest capital project we have ever undertaken, the new Community Center for Athletics and Wellness. With construction targeted to begin in summer 2025, it will provide classrooms, social space, a full-size gymnasium, and a new arrival experience that honors our alumni and school history.
When I meet with alumni around the country, I am often asked about two topics: teachers and the campus. Every Catlin Gabel graduate has deep memories of each, and understands that the people and spaces they experienced have shaped their lives in profound ways. We will continue to imagine how that legacy can be true for the students we serve today, and those to come.
Middle school is a time of significant transformations for most students. This stage of adolescence is marked by the duality of beginning to identify passions and interests while exploring new and exciting ideas and activities. This is a stage of intensity in emotions, and a need for support while also wanting to be independent.
It’s a time of trying to decide who you are. Sometimes middle schoolers feel an urgency to make immediate choices about their identities, as if they need to figure out who they are right now. This quest for self-discovery can be quite challenging.
But walking through this middle space with students is incredibly rewarding. Being there for them during this critical period allows us to share essential skills and support them as they define their interests and identities. This journey is about education, but it’s also about personal growth and self-awareness.
My educational approach is profoundly influenced by the principles of progressive education. I view learning not merely as a transmission of knowledge but as a dynamic, inquiry-based process. Progressive education embodies the ethos of encouraging curiosity, nurturing individual
BY MICHELE ROBERTS Head of Middle School
Removing Barriers and Creating Opportunities
The new division leader on the importance of providing students with a safe space to explore their interests and define themselves
identities, and fostering a deep understanding of the interconnectedness between diverse cultures and ideas. It’s this approach that guides me in creating inclusive learning environments that honor and celebrate the multifaceted identities of students.
Inclusion and equity are close to my heart because of the way I grew up. My mom was Mexican, and I didn’t present as Mexican, but my half-brothers did. And I noticed the privilege that I was given everywhere I went. I saw the disparity in how different people were treated in different ways, and how opportunities could be limited just by identity or race or who you were. So I am keenly aware of the complexities underlying these issues, and committed to ensuring that everyone—students, faculty, and colleagues— is seen and valued.
One of the reasons I chose Catlin Gabel is its intentional community, grounded in clear values of integrity, inclusion, and kindness. There is a strong partnership with parents, creating a collaborative larger community. School is not an isolated entity; it is an integral part of the family’s life, and our work with parents is essential. Together, we foster the growth of the students, which is the most important goal.
Leading with Clarity and Purpose
The 2024-25 Upper School Interim Leadership Team brings vast experience in teaching, curriculum development, and leadership, and a collective vision forged from years of working together in support of students and faculty
derek kanarek
Interim
Head of Upper School
A successful interim year is about keeping things a bit simpler. It’s a chance to focus on the areas that we see as most essential: continuing our move towards competency-based teaching and learning and increasing belonging and inclusion for all students using restorative practices.
Shannon was previously in an academic leadership role at Catlin Gabel and has a lot of experience around competency-based teaching and learning. She helped found our instructional coaching program. Recruiting her to our interim leadership team allows us to sustain that continued growth.
We’ve been doing a lot of work to include restorative practices across our division over the last four years. John’s been leading that for us, and during the interim year we look forward to continuing that work. That’s about teaching the whole child, and thinking about social emotional learning that is unique to teenage students.
Shannon, John, and I all come from strong organizational or coaching backgrounds, and that’s something we all share: the mind of a coach. It feels like a dream interim leadership team who are expert at building relationships, facilitating conversations, and leading with clarity and purpose.
shannon rush
Interim Upper School Academic Dean
Competency-based learning is about visible teaching and learning—making it really clear what the expectations are for students. It’s a system where we use benchmarks of learning outcomes as a way to define progress and success.
A competency-based system needs to be sustainable for teachers so that they can communicate well to students and families. If you try to change too much at once and you’re unsure of yourself, then the students become unsure or lose confidence. I did some pilots when I was a math teacher here at Catlin Gabel, and that was a big lesson: it’s not just the content that you’re teaching in your course, but you’re also teaching students and their families a different way of looking at education. I think we've come a long way. Our community is much more understanding and sees the value.
I’ve worked with John and Derek on lots of different projects, and I think it’s a great team, and knowing that we already have a good working relationship will allow us to hit the ground running. We know each other’s strengths, and know that we all care deeply about the work.
john harnetiaux Upper School Dean of Students
When we are educating the whole child, we're seeing them in all the different contexts that they exist in—treating them as a continually evolving person. And that is the restorative justice ethos: no one is the sum of one action or one aspect of their identity.
There’s a lot of ripeness as far as integrating student voice and leadership into some of the work that we’re doing around restorative justice. We’re looking at existing structures, such as C&Cs, clubs, affinity groups, and sports teams, and how these groups could proactively adopt restorative practices as part of their everyday way of being with each other. And we don’t always have to label things. There is power in letting these approaches simply breathe. Part of the simplification goal is to avoid programmatizing “restorative justice” or “whole child education.” Rather, we commit to integrating certain actions in our work, assess their impact, and see them as one of many steps.
The three of us ask a lot of questions, many to which we don't already think we know the answer. That curiosity is something that certainly attracts me to working with this team. There’s a natural orientation to exploration that’s part of everyone's leadership style.
Left to Right: Shannon Rush, Derek Kanarek, and John Harnetiaux
Resilience & Recovery
A storm-related crisis becomes a learning adventure and community rallying point
Over three days in January 2024, Portland was blasted by a severe-weather phenomenon, a combination of high winds, rain, and freezing temperatures that caused roots to break and trees to topple. In the storm’s aftermath, the Catlin Gabel campus was littered with broken timbers. The Lower School, Beehive, and Barn were closed while crews worked to remove tons of debris and make the area safe for students and teachers to return.
An alternative Lower School was quickly established, thanks to a generous offer by Jordan D. Schnitzer ’69 (and current parent) to relocate our 1st-5th graders to unused floors in a downtown office building. Within days, empty offices and conference rooms were transformed into makeshift classrooms. In this new environment, teachers kept students focused and engaged, and parent/guardian volunteers stepped up to manage curb duty and chaperone field trips.
Middle and Upper School students remained on campus during the clean-up and had access to most of their usual spaces, with one exception: the Upper School Library became a temporary Beehive for our Beginning School students and teachers.
Strength in Community
by nick zosel-johnson head of beginning & lower school
I will not soon forget the call letting me know the Beginning & Lower School buildings were inaccessible due to damage from the ice storm. How would we ensure that our students continued to learn together in-person?
Our community stepped up. We had multiple offers to borrow office space across Portland. And our teachers demonstrated tremendous skill in leaning into experiential learning. We ran over 25 field experiences in the first week alone.
The effort to build a pop-up school brought us all together. And at the end of the three weeks off campus, we held onto a sense of pride, resilience, and the true sense of community.
Turning Towards Creativity
by olivia poirier 4th grade homeroom teacher
When life gives you lemons, make a musical! With a new, wide open space in our “downtown campus,” the 4th graders turned towards creativity and decided to put on a performance. We chose the musical, “Leap Day.”
It was a transformative experience for our learners, and we witnessed remarkable growth.
The artistic expression fostered in acting, choreography, set design, and costume design allowed students to explore their creativity and imagination. In the collaborative environment of theater, they learned to communicate effectively and work as a team.
"Leap Day" became a spontaneous, storm-induced platform for holistic development, nurturing not only performance skills but also empathy, resilience, and a love for the performing arts.
Reimagining Science
by robbyn leventhal lower school science teacher
When our school moved off campus to a downtown space, science was reimagined with creativity and innovation.
From day one, we seized the opportunity to transform our new environment into a space for science and engineering. Design challenges sparked curiosity, and a trip to Tinker Camp further ignited students' courage and tenacity.
In the Tinker Camp space, grades 1-4 designed games, food carts, and a vibrant parade, while 5th graders ambitiously created a city and planned a mission to Mars. This dynamic approach fostered hands-on learning and teamwork, showcasing our commitment to nurturing future scientists and engineers.
Our journey downtown was a testament to the power of adaptability and imagination.
Holding the Story
by leondra brackett beginning school studio teacher
Unable to return to the Beehive in the weeks after the winter storm, the Kindergarten team was tasked with teaching the Eagles in the Upper School Library.
We were all drawn to the ceiling-high windows, with views of our colleagues hard at work felling trees and moving logs with heavy machinery, accumulating a massive log pile below us.
We bore witness. The children watched, drew, talked, counted, wrote, sang, and moved their bodies. They made observational drawings of what they saw. The Eagles became the citizens of the Beginning and Lower School that could record and hold the story of what was happening to our trees and forest on campus.
Creating in Harmony
with guidance from a master artist, middle schoolers take a deep dive into art history, theory, and technique— and the joys of inclusive collaboration
By Ken DuBois, Editor
“I thought it was going to be very different,” says 6th grader Sophia of the March Breakaway mural project, an artistic marathon in which ten middle schoolers came together to create a large-scale painting from start to finish in just four days. “I thought people were going to get upset all the time. But it was harmonious. We just worked together perfectly.”
The calming influence was artist William Hernandez, the renowned muralist and Catlin Gabel parent who guided the students in conceiving, planning, and completing a 8’ x 16’ mural as a permanent installation on campus. For several years, he’s been an instructor in Catlin Gabel’s Community Arts Program for adults, and was quick to embrace the opportunity to deepen his connection to the school. When the request came from Middle School Spanish teacher Laura Spence-Newhouse, he responded, “I’ve always wanted to do a mural at Catlin Gabel.”
Each day on the project started with lessons on mural history and artistic technique, followed by artistic warmups, such as sketching with oil pastels—important steps that informed the choices the students made collectively with their own mural project. Within a day, they had agreed on the visual elements they wanted to include, and begun the process of transferring their sketches to the four 8' x 4' canvases with a free-hand technique. By
the second day, they were filling in colors and making collaborative decisions about what to keep or cut.
“They’re making their own choices, and learning a lot about working as a team,” William said on day three, “and everyone is very engaged. So I’m more like the guidance for the process.” Sixth-grader Petra added, “He just left everything up to us mostly. You could put your own ideas on there.”
The freedom to create and express themselves on a large scale came in part from community members who stepped up to support the endeavor. Laura joined the effort as a studio assistant, along with artist Jessica Lagunas. Senior Development Director Lea Trefsgar sought angels to fund the project, and received enthusiastic support from Lisa, Rob, and Jack Ericksen ’25. On the fourth and final day, a crowd of supporters was in attendance to see the unveiling and the mural’s installation on a Middle School exterior wall.
“I told them they are in charge of creating something that will be part of the school for years to come,” William said. “And in 10 years, when they come back to visit campus, they will see what they have created. So this is powerful for them.”
Healing Habitat
BY PATRICK WALSH Upper School Social Studies Teacher
With the new Pollinator Garden, students are countering environmental decline and creating an educational space for generations to come
The situation is dire. Pollinators— the animals who make much of the food we eat possible—are at risk because of habitat loss, a changing climate, and pesticides. After a couple of hopeful years, eastern monarch butterfly populations fell almost 60% in counts this past winter. The Oregon State Extension Service reports that western bumble bee populations are down some 90% over the past two decades.
And so, in the face of daunting declines in the numbers of many pollinators, students in the Upper School Environmental Action Team (EAT) put together a list of native, pollinator-friendly plants. They aimed to create a garden in which a succession of plants would bloom from spring through fall: Oregon Sunshine, Lupine, California Poppies, Yarrow, and Douglas Aster.
As spring rains fell, students pulled weeds and readied the soil. The kind folks at nearby Cornell Farm Nursery helped us match our list with what was
available and offered EAT the plants at discounted prices.
On April 14, about twenty students, teachers, parents, and little siblings met in Catlin Gabel’s venerable apple orchard and planted the Pollinator Garden beside it. We listened to music, shared some food, and planted about a hundred native plants. We had a great time!
The work continued in June, when Upper School Science teacher Brooke Krolick and Associate Librarian Derek King led an Immersive course focusing on the Pollinator Garden, building houses for bees and other pollinators.
I advise the EAT because I feel called to confront the environmental issues worrying young people, learn about them myself, and then act alongside our students. Taking action to directly counter that which makes us anxious— and doing it with like-minded people— changes everything. I saw this firsthand when we planted the Tiny Forest in 2022.
John Barry, a professor at Queen’s University in Belfast, writes that such “‘radical hope’ is a clear-eyed recognition of the problems we face, a courageous and explicit disavowal of the temptations of a naïve...assumption that ‘all will be well,’ but nevertheless a belief in the capacity of human agency.”
My “radical hope” is that the Catlin Gabel community can act to transform its evolving campus into an educational space of biodiverse habitats in which students can learn about and take part in the solutions to our most daunting environmental problems.
“To be truly radical,” Welsh writer Raymond Williams once noted, “is to make hope possible, rather than despair convincing.” The plants in the Pollinator Garden are small and the thistles keep poking through the wood chips. But the EAT will keep tending it as it grows, working together for a more hopeful future.
Students working in the Pollinator Garden during a June 2024 Immersive
CONGRATULATIONS! CLASS OF 2024
by the numbers
There are 73 students in the class of 2024. Class members will attend 55 different institutions. Twenty-three states and two countries, United Kingdom and United States, are represented. Five students will take a gap year or semester.
college choice
American University
Arizona State University
Barnard College
Biola University
Boston College
Brandeis University
California Polytechnic State UniversitySan Luis Obispo
Carleton College
Chapman University (2)
Colorado College (2)
Cornell University
Creighton University
Dartmouth College (2)
Drexel University
Fashion Institute of Technology
Fordham University (2)
George Washington University (2)
Grinnell College
Johns Hopkins University
Loyola Marymount University (3)
Macalester College
Marymount University
New York University
Northeastern University (2)
Northwestern University
Oregon State University
Pitzer College (2)
Purdue University
Santa Clara University
Scripps College (3)
Stanford University
Syracuse University (3)
The New School - Parsons School of Design
Tufts University (2)
Tulane University
University of California-Irvine
University of California-San Diego
University of Chicago
University of Colorado Boulder (2)
University of Denver
University of Edinburgh
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
University of Montana (2)
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
University of Portland
University of Rochester
University of Washington
Vanderbilt University
VERTO Education-London
Whitman College
Willamette University
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Yale University
Access Head of School Tim Bazemore’s graduation address to the Class of 2024 at catlin.edu/speech24
At the 2024 Northwest Science Expo, the state-level science research competition for Oregon, projects were presented by Julia Chun ’25, Nathan Chen ’24, Katie Gragg ’25 and Jonah Reznick ’25
The annual Middle School Spring Art Show showcased students’ work in media art, studio art, and woodshop, as well as music and drama performance.
(1) The entire school met on the track for the inaugural CG Fun(d) Run, a new event organized by Tyler George ’25 as a way to build community and support the Catlin Gabel Fund.
(2) Catlin Gabel’s robotics team, 1540 The Flaming Chickens, won the Pacific Northwest District Championship and advanced to the 2024 FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas, where they finished in the top 3% of teams worldwide.
(3) For Medical Day, 8th graders worked with medical practitioners from the school community, learning to suture and cast, and exploring techniques in ultrasound and dentistry.
Preschool and kindergarten students enjoyed a performance by 6th grade drama students who presented a story-theater version of the anti-bullying picture book One
(4) Spring Festival brought the community together for joyful celebration on campus that included the Maypole Dance, live music in the Barn, and the Honey Hollow Plant Exchange.
The Catlin Gabel Mock Trial Team competed at the State Championship, advancing to the final round and earning second place—the highest ranking Catlin Gabel has received in a decade.
At the annual Lunar New Year celebration in the Lower School, students demonstrated their Mandarin language skills in recitations and song, and paraded in traditional costumes.
The Beginning and Lower School celebrated Black History Month with a joyful event that included student presenters, music, and dance, with opportunities for everyone to join in the fun.
(5) To thank Upper School Science teacher Bob Sauer for his help in their investigation of Alaska Airlines flight 1282—he discovered the missing door plug in his backyard—National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy and her team visited Catlin Gabel to talk with students in the Galileo science classroom.
(6) Crowds lined the parade route to cheer on Beginning and Lower School students as they marched through campus in the festive annual Rainbow Parade
(7) Middle School students led a presentation on the cultural significance of Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, and invited their peers to celebrate the arrival of spring with the traditional throwing of colored powders.
Upper School drama students wrote, directed, and performed original work in the One Acts Festival 2024, and presented
Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” in the Catlin Gabel Orchard.
Eagles Soar: The Campaign for Catlin Gabel engaged the community, with individuals and families showing their support for the school’s endowment, the Catlin Gabel Fund, and the planned Community Center for Athletics and Wellness.
Middle School Basketball: The Girls and Boys teams competed well throughout the Metro Christian League.
(8) Middle School Track and Field: The Girls and Boys teams advanced to Districts, where the Girls finished eighth and Boys took fifth.
(9) Upper School Swimming: Both Boys and Girls teams went to the State Championships, with the Boys finishing second and the Girls taking seventh.
(10) Upper School Skiing: Kyle Olson ’24 (bib #9) represented the team at the State Championships, competing in the Giant Slalom.
(11) Upper School Basketball: The Boys Varsity finished seventh in League, with Riley Nordhoff ’25 named to the Second Team All-League and Miles Wolahan ’24 earning All-League Honorable Mention. The Girls Varsity team finished seventh in League, with Sydney Perlewitz ’27 named to the Honorable Mention Team.
Upper School Tennis: At the State Championship, the Boys Varsity team took third and the Girls Varsity team took ninth. Zareh Gonzalvo ’27 took second in boys singles; Nathan Chen ’24 and Riley Nordhoff ’25 took
third place in boys doubles; Amanda Perez ’26 made the quarterfinals for girls singles; Elise Kim ’25 and Jiya Mehta ’26 were the State Consolation Champions for girls doubles; and Lily Wang ’25 and Olivia Morrison ’24 advanced to the State Consolation Quarterfinals for girls doubles.
Upper School Golf: At the State Championship, Vishaka Priyan ’26 finished second for Girls with a two-round score of 156, and Liko Edelen Hare ’25 finished 22nd for Boys with a two-round score of 174.
(12) Upper School Baseball: The team finished eighth in League, with Nate Kagen ’26 named to the Second Team All-League, and Ben Halvorson ’25 and Nico Howlett ’25 earning AllLeague Honorable Mention.
(13) Upper School Track and Field: At the State Championship, the Girls finished second and the Boys finished fourth. Ella Bulkley ’26 took first place in the Girls 200m, second in the 100m, and third in the long jump; Abby Greenspan ’25 took first place in the Girls 100m hurdles and second in the high jump; Caroline Mauro ’25 took first place in the Girls high jump and second in the long jump; and Joshua Widdows ’24 took first place in both Boys 110m and 300m hurdles, second in the 200m, and fourth in the 100m.
For the third time, the Oregon Athletic Coaches Association named Head Varsity Girls Soccer Coach Chris Dorough ’03 OACA Coach of the Year.
Trace Hancock ’96
The data analyst and visualization expert on how the brain processes quantitative information, the psychology of judgment, and discovering “relevance” at Catlin Gabel
What kind of experience did you have at Catlin Gabel?
It was a really great experience for me. It was definitely an adjustment, completely different, and it took a while. But I realized that it was the opportunity of a lifetime. I didn’t take it for granted.
I grew up on welfare. In 7th grade, I was attending Ockley Green Middle School. My mom cleaned houses and heard about Catlin Gabel from one of the people she worked for who knew that I was struggling a little bit in my situation, and they thought if I was in the right environment I could do some good things. So my mom and I went through the process. Ron Sobel, may he rest in peace, was the first person I met on campus and he was instrumental in my being accepted and receiving full financial assistance.
It wasn’t always easy, but I worked really hard and had a great support
network—friends, family, the parents, the whole institution was there to support me every step of the way. Really, the whole Catlin community helped me graduate.
So I was able to do things. I got class president twice, played basketball. There definitely was that socioeconomic difference, and that’s something I had to navigate through. But that’s just natural and it is what it is.
Were there teachers who were especially helpful or inspiring—who made a lasting impression on you?
Three have had an outsized influence on my life and career. My history teacher Dave Corkran taught me how to think clearly and reason effectively, and that good writing was its byproduct. My science teacher Paul “Mr. D” Dickinson first introduced me to the scientific method and how crucial it is for critical thinking. My English teacher Clint Darling taught me resilience. His
Junior English class was the toughest class I’ve ever taken—including college. There were days I wanted to quit. I didn’t. I barely passed with a C-minus. I earned that C-minus. “The real world is harder, kid.” I’m so grateful to him for that.
After starting your career as a data analyst in the financial sector, you transitioned towards data visualization at Stanford University, Electronic Arts, and Apple. What drew you to that work?
That started when I was at Nike. I discovered a visualization tool that is quite popular now, called Tableau, and read lots of books on data and neuroscience, authored by the world’s preeminent academic in the field, Stephen Few. I learned that, as in writing, there is a “grammar of graphics,” and if you master the underlying “rules” of perception and cognition—or, how the brain processes quantitative information pre-attentively— you can communicate data much more effectively.
And that spawned another passion I have: applied behavioral science. I’m fascinated with the science of data visualization, but also psychology of judgment and decision
“Just because we have data, that’s not the end of it; lots of bad decisions are made even if we have all the data in the world. Ultimately, we’re judged with making good decisions.”
making—the ways people make decisions based on data. There are lots of ways in which our minds can play tricks on us, such as confirmation bias—we look for the data that can confirm our opinion depending on how the data is framed. There’s a mental process behind that. So just because we have data, that’s not the end of it; lots of bad decisions are made even if we have all the data in the world. Ultimately, we’re judged with making good decisions. So critical thinking, reasoning, creativity is really important. It matters, especially now. And for me, that started at Catlin.
Do you consider data visualization to be a form of storytelling—a narrative way to help people understand information and ideas? Data visualization can be used to tell a story, but I think of it more as a mode of communication, not unlike writing. And one of my philosophies—and this goes back to Catlin—is to always keep it simple. As E.B. White said in Elements of Style, “Vigorous writing is concise.” Be succinct, concise, make every word count, and get to the point. That’s something I pride myself on. And it’s just like Corkran’s class. It’s amazing how much Catlin is influencing me right now.
I understand that Dave Corkran would rubber-stamp students’ papers with the word Relevance. I see that in my dreams. Hundreds of times. Relevance, relevance, relevance…
But I do owe a debt of gratitude. If it wasn’t for Catlin, I wouldn’t be here. And this field I’m pursuing—it’s all Catlin. They gave me the values and the critical thinking.
I get emotional talking about this. When I was at Catlin, my family had to pay maybe $200 a month, and we couldn’t afford that. So we were racking up a lot of debt. I think we owed $4,000 or $5,000. Catlin never harassed us about these bills, but it was something we were really worried about. But shortly after I graduated, we got this note in the mail, an anonymous handwritten note, and it said, “All right, congratulations, Trace. Your debt is wiped away.” And to this day, I don’t know who did it. That’s Catlin. It takes care of people.
Lead Data Visualization Consultant, Apple (2021-23)
Senior Analyst for Tableau Software, 2K, and Grovemade (2017-21)
Senior Manager, Data Visualization and Analytics, Electronic Arts (2014-16)
Data Visualization Specialist, Stanford University (2014-16)
E-Commerce Operations Analyst, Columbia Sportswear (2013-14)
Market Intelligence Analyst, Nike (2011-12)
Senior Operations and Reporting Analyst, Wells Fargo (2010-11)
Business Intelligence Analyst, Redwood Trust, Inc. (2005-08)
B.A. in Economics and Public Policy from Kenyon College
Board Profiles
BOARD LEADERSHIP
MARK HOLLIDAY, CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
A Board member since 2015, Mark graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in economics. He is the President of the investment fund Goshawk Capital, and has Director, Audit, and Finance committee experience from his current and past involvement with ten corporate boards. For Catlin Gabel, Mark has served on the Creative Arts Center, Finance, and Advancement committees, and currently serves as the Catlin Gabel Eagles Soar Co-Campaign Chair with his wife Ingeborg Holliday. He is the parent of two Catlin Gabel graduates.
NITESH SHARAN, TREASURER
A Board member since 2021, Nitesh holds a bachelor’s degree from Case Western Reserve University and an MBA from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University. He is currently Chief Financial Officer at SoundHound AI, where his responsibilities include Strategy, Global Finance, Legal, and Intellectual Property; he successfully took the company public in 2022. Previously he was Vice President and CFO for Nike’s Global Operations & Technology function. Nitesh is a Board Member of the Alzheimer’s Association Oregon and SW Washington chapter. He is a parent of two students at Catlin Gabel.
KATE WARREN HALL ’93, SECRETARY
Kate is a graduate of Catlin Gabel who has served on the board since 2018. She received a bachelor’s degree in economics
and an Executive MBA at the Babson College F. W. Olin Graduate School of Business, and her degrees were earned while she was also working for Cascade Corporation. She joined ESCO in 2014 to work in Mergers and Acquisitions, and joined their board in 2016. Kate is a parent of two children attending Catlin Gabel.
INCOMING TRUSTEES
We welcome our incoming 2024-25 Trustees, who selflessly offer their time and expertise to support the Catlin Gabel community and excellence in education.
LISA ERICKSEN
Lisa worked in finance as a regulatory compliance officer, retiring after 25 years, and is currently managing her family’s charitable foundation. She has served the school as PFA President and Vice President, and in other volunteer capacities. The Ericksen family connection to Catlin Gabel goes back to Miss Catlin’s School. Lisa and her husband are the parents of a senior and lifer, who they are raising to understand the importance of philanthropy, being active in one’s community, and honoring their Indigenous American heritage.
MARC HILL
Marc graduated from the University of Oregon with a double major in marketing and management. He was the CEO of The United States Playing Card, The Coleman Company, and recently Stella and Chewy’s; he retired in February of 2024. Marc has lived all over the world, privately and professionally, and is fluent in German. He has vast experience in public and private equity-backed companies as a CEO and board member. Marc is a member of YPO, mentors young professionals, and is the parent of a fifth grader at Catlin Gabel.
GRETCHEN KEYS
Gretchen completed her Doctor of Dental Surgery at Baylor College of Dentistry, and relocated to Portland in 1995. She now collaborates with her husband to develop
design concepts for multi-family housing projects. Her philanthropic work includes co-founding Fortify Families, a non-profit focused on housing at-risk families. She has also been a board member of the Classic Wines Auction and chaired the American Cancer Society’s annual gala. Gretchen is the parent of a Catlin Gabel graduate and a current Upper School student.
CHRIS PARK ’14
Chris is vice president of Westhood, Inc., an investment company whose portfolio includes The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club. As a student at Catlin Gabel he served on the Board of Trustees as Student Association President; he went on to attend Princeton University and graduated with a degree in public and international affairs. Chris began his development career at Nike where he was the owner’s rep and lead project manager for the LeBron James building at World Headquarters. Chris enjoys traveling and spending time with family.
JASON ZIDELL ’97
Jason is a fourth-generation Portlander with a family tradition of philanthropy and community involvement. He attended Catlin Gabel from third grade through high school. He is the immediate past president of Portland Jewish Academy and Mittleman Jewish Community Center, as well as the board chair of the Jason E. Zidell Foundation. Jason is also the founder and president of the Argonaut Group, a real estate investment company based in Portland.
ROBIN JANSSEN, PFA PRESIDENT (EX-OFFICIO)
Approaching her 10th year as a Catlin Gabel parent, Robin has participated in a variety of Catlin Gabel volunteering roles, including co-chairing the Gala, Art Auction lead, serving on the PFA Executive Council, and co-leading the Neurodiversity Affinity and Discussion Group.
Robin has found volunteering over the years to be a very fulfilling experience; she partners with openness and curiosity.
TYLER GEORGE ’25, 2024-25
CGSA PRESIDENT (EX-OFFICIO)
Tyler has attended Catlin Gabel since kindergarten and has a long-standing family connection to the school through his brothers, mother, and uncles. He has experience with student government, having served as a co-class president in his freshman year and treasurer in his junior year. He serves as a Catlin Gabel student ambassador, Communicare Club leader, and captain of the Mock Trial team, and competes on the Catlin Gabel track team.
OUTGOING TRUSTEES
For their service to the school, generosity of spirit, and commitment to the mission of Catlin Gabel, we thank our outgoing trustees.
DERRICK BUTLER MD, MPH ’86
Derrick has been a board member since 2014. He received his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College and his medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco. He is a family medicine physician and HIV specialist practicing in South Central Los Angeles, where he serves as Associate Medical Director at the To Help Everyone (T.H.E.) Health and Wellness Centers and director of their HIV Treatment Program. He is also a faculty member at Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles.
D’ARTAGNAN CALIMAN ’91, VICE CHAIR
D’Artagnan has served on the Catlin Gabel Board since 2021. He earned a Master’s in Social Work degree from Portland State University and has been a leader in community-based and philanthropic organizations across the juvenile justice, child welfare, and homelessness sectors for 25 years. He is currently Vice President, Community Partnerships, for the 1803 Fund, an
organization that seeks to grow shared prosperity through investments in community-based organizations and smart financial investments. He previously served as Director for the Justice Oregon for Black Lives initiative at Meyer Memorial Trust.
AMELIA TEMPLETON ’02
Amelia has served on the board since 2017. She has a BA in history from Swarthmore College. Amelia is a multimedia reporter and producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting, and has also worked as a freelance journalist for NPR, Marketplace, and CBS News. Her work has taken her from an armed occupation in Eastern Oregon to the ice caves inside the Sandy Glacier on Mt. Hood. Prior to her career in journalism, she worked in Washington, D.C. on policy and legislation to help refugees from Iraq. Amelia received Catlin Gabel's Distinguished Younger Alumni Award in 2014.
BECKY LENNON, PFA PRESIDENT (EX-OFFICIO)
Becky received a bachelor's degree in Human Development from Connecticut College and taught at Cold Spring School in New Haven before moving to Portland. She loves to sing and was fortunate enough to perform at Carnegie Hall in 2019. Becky is a parent of two current Catlin Gabel students.
JOHN DI LORENZO ’24, 2023-24 CGSA PRESIDENT (EX-OFFICIO)
John is a Catlin Gabel lifer who has a passion for representation, politics, and student government, having previously served as sophomore co-class president. He was involved in several clubs at Catlin Gabel including the Global Events Club, the Feminism Club, the Interfaith Club, and the Chess Club. John was also on a rowing team and participated in Model UN and Speech and Debate.
See the full roster of Catlin Gabel 2024-25 Trustees at catlin.edu/trustees
Incoming Trustees From Top, Left to Right: Lisa Ericksen, Marc Hill, Gretchen Keys, Chris Park ’14, Jason Zidell ’97, Robin Janssen, Tyler George ’25
CLASS NOTES
We are pleased to publish all Class Notes submitted by alumni or their class representative. Notes and photos may be submitted at any time through the online submission form at catlin.edu/classnotes.
Class Year: Class Member
54: Members of the class of 1954 at their 70th reunion in Olympia
62: Cathy Treece
67: Etchings by Leslie Pohl-Kosbau
77-81: Sterling Cruiser band rehearsal, June 2024
78: Research buoy deployment on ship captained by Darroch Cahen
78: Stuart Taylor Valentine
81: Robert Sean McAnulty and Satan’s Pilgrims on tour in 2023
83: Classmates Adrienne, Tizzy, Dorbe, and Heidi at Rockaway Beach, Oregon
84: James Waller
90: Pippa Arend’s “Ophelia, the morning of...”
93: Kate Robinson and family
94: Molly McAllistar traveling with her children in Oaxaca, Mexico, in 2023
98: Lizzy Levenson’s pug, Pugsley
98: Lyla Andrews Bashan with Mike, Ramona, and Lulu in Hawaii
00: Class of ’00 family reunion at the Oregon Zoo
04: Miranda Middleton Hedlund with son Colin and friends
05: Rachel Weinrib with son Rami
06: Cover art for Casey Michel’s new book
07: Rob Kaye and Divneet Kaur with daughter Babiha
09: Christopher Skinner’s children Finn and baby Kira
11: Stephen Lezak in Alaska
54 The Catlin class of 1954 had their 70th reunion in Olympia. Lee Blaesing Ragen, Martha Ireland, Suzanne Munk Ragen, Marilyn Johnson, and Susan Hawes Swindells attended. Unable to be there were Carla Wood Stevenson, Joey Day Pope, Patty King Eskenazi, and Mary Sewall. Lee, Marty, and Marilyn drove up from Portland. Suzanne and Susie drove down from Seattle. Martha and Suzanne report, “We had a lovely lunch together.”
58
Mary Beebe writes, “After 41 years, I’ve retired as founding Director of the Stuart Collection. We commissioned 22 works by important artists. They are integrated into UC San Diego campus life throughout the 1,200-acre grounds and buildings. The project will continue under a new director. My husband, Charles Reilly, and I are enjoying gardening, reading, and traveling. But not enjoying the state of the world.”
62 Jock Kimberley shares, “I am going fishing in Mongolia with Spencer Beebe ’64 and Bobby Warren ’66 in August.” Catherine (Cathy) Treece writes, “Greetings and good wishes to any of my cohort! I’m in Madison, Wisconsin, easing into old age as gracefully as I can, retiring inch by inch, still dancing (social) some, enjoying loving and much loved family which now extends to two grandkids, and close friends (local and distant), and trying to be part of the solution(s). Hugs!”
1963 CLASS REP: Jennie Tucker, jtucker@oregonwireless.net
63
David Avshalomov writes, “We now have two grandsons, Eli, age 1, and Cypress, age 2 ½. Their parents live in Berkeley and Oakland. We visit as often as we can; they are wonderful boys. I and my surviving Felde and Avshalomov relatives had another family reunion at my late parents’ house in Portland in late June, hosted by Dan (who is retiring this year as violist of the American String Quartet after 50 years). It was wonderful. I put a few photos on my Facebook page. Randi and I will travel to Shanghai in September, where I will guest-conduct the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in a special full program of Chinese-style symphonic works which my Siberian-born grandfather Aaron Avshalomoff composed during his 30-year sojourn in China
before their Revolution. Otherwise, we are well and aging decently; Randi is about to retire from her 45-year practice as a shrink; she does a lot of yoga, cooking, and baking, and keeps fit. I walk, bike, swim, and hike as much as I can, only recently got some knee and hip problems but they are manageable. We got Covid a year ago, survived easily. Otherwise we are comfortable and still functioning decently, with the normal degree of minor forgetfulness.” Bruce Byerly writes that it was good to hear from Jennie Tucker, and “I’m still in beautiful Camp Sherman, my capsule of sanity. Lyle Lovett’s tune: ‘I live in my own mind.’ Also, daily flashbacks! Lots of love.” Duncan Murray shares, “Saundra and I retired from Los Angeles to Eugene, Oregon in 2004. I retired from a career in the cable TV, home video, and direct response TV industries (half with Disney). Saundra was a public school and corporate (Disney) librarian and researcher. We have three kids and one granddaughter. Saundra and I are active in our church. I’m also active in local politics. We have traveled to about 30 countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. In February we’re taking our eighth trip to Scotland and a side trip to Belgium. Over the many years since I graduated from Gabel/Hillside/Catlin Gabel I’ve come to increasingly value the education we got there.” Laurie Senders reports, “Three years ago I started taking art classes at OSA (Oregon Society of Artists). My teacher opened the class and me up to exciting artistic challenges along with monthly exhibits. My paintings are abstract and gifts to a gladly expanding interest as a painter. I enjoy my life with artists.” Jim (James) Thompson writes, “I’m still teaching high school students one day a week. The group went to Access Broadway and won the one act that I directed.” He adds that he is working with a woman to develop an original show, and coached another woman in acting and mask work “and sent her to The American Shakespeare Center in Virginia to perform Isabella in ‘Measure for Measure.’ By all reports she was very good.” Barry Trevye reports, “All well. Living in Lincoln City full time now. Sarah and I are driving to Alaska at the end of August for three-week road trip with our two 19-year-old grandkids, the youngest two as we have four now. Fun time and we are all excited. Still working part time as my son-in-law assumed 95% of my business. Good transition but cannot give it up completely. My territory is Astoria down Highway 101 to Crescent
City plus state of Alaska, my home away from home since doing business up there since 1982.” Jennie Tucker writes, “Life in the Blue Mountains can be idyllic and then not so—now and last summer the valley is full of wildfire smoke. Had a delightful time at the wedding of my nephew Ethan Tucker ’07 with LOTS of CG alums and retired staff in attendance.”
1966 CLASS REP: Tom Tucker, tuckert6671@gmail.com
67
Etchings by Leslie Pohl-Kosbau were featured at Bite Studio in June and at First Unitarian Church in July and August.
1969 CLASS REP: Steve Bachelder, steve.bachelder@gmail.com
69 Liz Denecke, Jane Lee, Jeff Miller, Dick Singer, and Steve Bachelder are organizing the Class of 1969’s 55th reunion as part of the Alumni Weekend festivities on campus Saturday, September 21. There will be a catered dinner in the Dant House living room at 6 p.m., preceded by wine/beer/appetizers at 5 p.m. But the fun starts much earlier in the day, with interesting and fun activities as part of the weekend: 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m. - Pine Cone Guild luncheon for those who’ve graduated 50 years ago or more; 1:30-2:30 p.m. - Landscape painting class with Ronna Fujisawa; 2-3:30 p.m. - Wine Walking Tour of campus, featuring wine tastings from several alumni wineries; 3:30-5 p.m. - Alumni Art Show and Reception. Plus: Friday, September 20, 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. - Homecoming Soccer Matches complete with tailgate. We expect a good turnout, so please join the fun with your classmates!
72 Karen Smith writes, “After being retired for several years, I started a parttime technical writing job at Baxter in March 2021. The year before, I edited a deaf friend’s young adults novel. I live in Rochester, MN with my husband Craig and a hearing dog, a yellow lab named Midge.”
1973 CLASS REPS: Debbie Kaye, djek53@aol.com; Ted Kaye, kandsons@aol.com; and Steve Swire, sswire@gmail.com
73
Kate Chavigny has returned to Portland after sojourns in the Republic of Georgia as a Fulbright U.S. scholar and
retiring from her career teaching history at a liberal arts college in central Virginia. She looks forward to settling in and reconnecting. Ted Kaye was featured in an OPB item on Flag Day that described how he flies a different flag from his home every day. (OPB.org: “For this Portland vexillologist, every day is Flag Day.”) He writes, “For everyone turning 70: Congratulations!” Allen Schauffler had the honor this June of being inducted into the “Silver Circle” by the Pacific Northwest Region of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, acknowledging 35 years of work in broadcast journalism and video production. He writes, “I worked as a photographer, editor, reporter, anchor, producer, writer, correspondent, makeit-work-fixit-guy on the local, national, and international level. It was quite a ride. Retired now, always loving the K-12 Catlin years. Really like our ’73 class unity and willingness to come together for reunions and share our lives. Bless you Deb and Ted!” Steve Swire traveled to Japan in June. It was his first time back since just after college.
74
Sarah Wheat Shoemaker reports that she is loving the sunshine of summer and is very happy at the University of Portland, where she teaches ESL to adult students from all over the world.
1975 CLASS REP: Len Carr, carrl@catlin.edu
75
David Ewart writes, “Some of us are getting ‘old.’ A daughter’s Ph.D. in Environmental Biology prompted me to offer her a new car (Porsche Taycan—it’s electric), but she demurred and suggested I use some of the money to retire her student loan. Taking the tube in London is greener I suppose. Way to go Heather! Isn’t it grand, as we age, to believe the next generation may better care for our planet? That’s a Catlin thing, right?” Kenneth Morris shares, “Three years ago (in four month’s time) I lost my mom and our Northwest Morris family home stay of many decades, I was involved in an (un-insured) rear end accident that totaled out my car, and given a cancer diagnosis. Three years ago I was issued a veteran license plate for my new car that says ‘MQVE,’ three months ago I was blessed with a mortgage and a (new) townhouse to replace and re-establish a renewed Northwest ‘Morris family home’ (for family to visit), I received a part-time government at-home two-hour daily job and remarried on June 29 for the second time since losing my first one so long
ago. All of this was done within the scope of my disability retirement as I turned 67 on June 7. I say all this to you to let you know that God never gives up on any of HIS; even when you might feel less than, just know that HE always has a Godly plan to make you more than. As a disabled retired CG Eagle, I will aways continue to soar.” Alison Holland Thompson reports, “It’s been a busy and happy year with the birth of our second grandchild in London in July and the wedding of our daughter Jane in October in San Francisco. We have had a wonderful year of travel, including a fantastic tour of Jane Austen sites in Hampshire and visiting some exquisite gardens in the UK over the summer. Our family is all together now for Christmas which is very special, and we’re taking the grandkids to Disneyland for the first time!”
1976 CLASS REP: Hester Buell Carr, hbc58@aol.com
1978 CLASS REPS: Ken Naito, kennaito@comcast.net, and Peggy Schauffler, schaufflerp@catlin.edu
78
Darroch Cahen assisted as captain of the maritime Training Vessel at Clatsop Community College in Astoria for the 2023-24 academic year. At the end of spring term, the students participated in the deployment of a research buoy off the Oregon Coast. James Grant writes, “Hi everyone. Just a quick note to tell my fellow alums that my husband Alan and I moved back to Portland last month. Having spent much of my early life in the Portland area including six years at Catlin for both middle and upper school, we then lived and worked in New York City and Los Angeles. We are thrilled to now live in S.W. Portland. We will be continuing to run our PR company, James Grant Public Relations, which helps non-profit organizations and companies in New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles, to raise their profile in the media and help them publicize their fundraising galas and other charity events. Look forward to reconnecting. I hope this will be a great year for everyone.” Bill Polits reports, “Breaking News!: Six members of CG classes 1977-1981 (Ed Bartlett ’77, Bill Polits ’78, Tim Dunn ’79, Joey Edelman ’80, Chuck Jung ’80, and Nadine Stanton ’81) are re-forming their 70s-era school rock band, Sterling Cruiser. Rumor has it that Sterling Cruiser will perform at a satellite event to
the CG 2025 reunion, and that rehearsals are underway. This would be Sterling Cruiser’s first performance since their last appearance at the CG Talent Show in 1979! Save the date: September 21, 2025. Stuart Valentine writes, “Hi Dear Catlin Family! Such a pleasure to drop into a catch-up on life’s twists and turns since graduating in 1978. One reflection that puts perspective on the water under the proverbial bridge since graduating from Catlin in 1978 is that Schauff was 54 years old when I graduated and I am now in my 64th year. My wife Elin and I are fully rooted here in Fairfield, Iowa, where for the last 40 years we have played out the game of life. At this point, our two daughters, Jhana and Amanda, are fully fledged and living out their adult lives in Oakland and Brooklyn respectively. My financial planning and investment management business, Centered Wealth, is focused on the ‘Sustainability Megatrend’ and is thriving. Non-profit work focuses on enhancing local food systems and building an organic farmland trust (SILT.org) here in Iowa. Thank you Dave Corkran for your environmental studies class putting me on this path!”
81 Robert Sean McAnulty writes, “My ‘surf’ instrumental group, Satan’s Pilgrims, are thrilled and honored to be invited to join Thomas Lauderdale on stage at the Hollywood Bowl, August 23rd and 24th, to celebrate Pink Martini’s 30th anniversary. We will be performing Surf Rhapsody (our version of Rhapsody in Blue), transcribed and arranged by our beloved band member Dave Busacker and Thomas some 30 years ago, and released on Heinz records last summer.”
82
Gia Accuardi shares, “I live and work on the Navajo Reservation (northern Arizona) at Indian Health Service as a psychiatric nurse practitioner (PNP). I have three lovely, generous, and kind children: Niko, Alwynn, and Cian. I’m co-writing a screenplay about a PNP working in a woman’s prison with my friend Betsy. I am elbow deep into a novel about working on an inpatient psychiatric unit. Occasionally I make collages. I am trying to garden in the high desert dirt. I bake sourdough. My time at Catlin was too brief but I think of my classmates and time I spent there often and with great fondness and longing.” Julie Iverson reports, “After retiring from private practice, I had the privilege of caring for the women of South Sudan (as a member
of Doctors Without Borders). These amazing women live in the newest country in the world, which boasts the highest maternal mortality rate of any nation. My hope is to go to Chad or Democratic Republic of the Congo at the end of this year.”
1983 CLASS REPS: Traci Rossi, traci.j.rossi@gmail.com, and Adrienne Wannamaker, adrienne@wannamaker.com
83
Adrienne Wannamaker Lear writes, “After last year’s 40 year reunion, us girls took a trip!” [See photo]
84
Stu Michelson says, “Aloha. I’ve been in South Lake Tahoe for 28 years. Snowboarding, e-mountain biking, sailing, e-foiling whenever possible. If anyone is in the area, let me know and maybe we could have some fun. Worked as an emergency physician 20 plus years, but now just doing some urgent care work to pay the bills.” James Waller writes, “Hey class of ’84, It would be so nice to be with you all in September, however I am in Brazil trying out the expat life for five months. I am in L.A. when I am not traveling, so if you find yourselves there, hit me up and let’s get together. Have a great time at the reunion!”
1990 CLASS REP: Pippa Arend, pippaa@gmail.com
90
Pip pa Arend reports, “My Auntie is about to go to her 60th reunion at Lincoln High School. Wowza. That’s something to think about. Meanwhile, for me, it’s been a mere 34 years since graduation. Current debacles: Art is going well. I’m experimenting with pastels on oil, with a bit of (or too much) gold leaf. Always portraiture. On that note, I have a show at Imogen Gallery (Astoria) in November. Come if you can! Also, I started a business last year in which I matchmake philanthropists to nonprofits, trying to make use of my 20 years of executive nonprofit experience. That has been decidedly fulfilling. I really like helping people do good in the world.” Ryan Wiser continues to maintain two jobs simultaneously (not recommended)—at Berkeley National Lab and at the U.S. Department of Energy, in both cases working on clean energy policy.
As a learned behavior from COVID, he spends a decent amount of time each year in Portland and Phoenix to see family, while maintaining home base in Northern California.
1991 CLASS REP: D’Artagnan Bernard Caliman, dbcaliman@gmail.com
1992 CLASS REP: Melanie Novack Piziali, melaniepiziali@yahoo.com
93
Kate Robinson reports, “Portland has certainly grown and changed since my high school years but it is a town I am happy to call home and where my husband and I live with our 13-year old. It is also where I maintain my private mental health counseling practice, Clear Path Counseling. Highlights of this year have been spending three weeks in Paris with my family and being invited to be a guest speaker in Warsaw, Poland, at a symposium teaching military personal and health professionals about traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. I hope my classmates are happy and healthy and I look forward to our next reunion!”
94
Molly McAllister works as the chief medical officer for a global veterinary business, Mars Veterinary Health, supporting access to care for pet owners around the world. She is passionate about advancing DEI work in veterinary medicine, and does so through the non-profit she co-founded, the Diversify Veterinary Medicine Coalition. She lives in Camas, WA, with her two kids, 10 and 7, and has enjoyed beginning to travel the world with them. Shawn Weiss has an essay, “Philo and Rav Kook: On the Harmony of Creation and the Creation of Harmony,” forthcoming in Masorti: The New Journal of Conservative Judaism
1996 CLASS REPS: Daniel Karlin, danielkarlin7@gmail.com, and Trace Hancock, tjhancock@gmail.com
1997 CLASS REPS: Katey Flack, katey.flack@gmail.com, and Phoebe Wayne, phoebevwayne@gmail.com
1998 CLASS REP: David Shankar, david.shankar@gmail.com
98
Aft er completing her most recent assignment, four years at the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, Lyla Andrews Bashan is taking a year-long sabbatical from the diplomatic corps of the U.S. Agency for International Development to travel throughout Asia with her husband, Mike, while homeschooling their kids, Ramona 12, and Lyla Leigh, 9. She says, “Life is short—it’s good to adventure!” Lizzy (Garnett) Levenson reports, “We added to our family in May and got Pugsley, a sweet three-year-old pug, from the Washington state-based rescue organization Church of Pug. The kids are thrilled and we couldn’t be happier with this sweet boy. This year I celebrated 12 years editing peerreviewed manuscripts for the RSNA; Joel and I will celebrate our 13-year wedding anniversary in August; Jack played on the All Star baseball team for 11U WilshireRiverside, is studying for his bar mitzvah, and is entering middle school; and Rachel is entering second grade and continues to be fearless on the soccer field.” David Shankar writes that he is “excited to have Iris joining the Beehive this year. With another one on the way, who we hope will be following in her footsteps.”
2000 CLASS REP: Alex Youssefian, ayoussefian@gmail.com
00 Ali Jepson reports, “I live in Los Angeles with my husband, Evan, and our four children Montgomery (9), Memphis (6), Redding (3), and Pendleton (6 weeks). I made a career change from chef to early child development, and am weeks away from earning my teaching certificate with an emphasis on infants and toddlers. During a recent visit back home, I reunited with Rosemary Stafford and Kasi (née Boyd) Campbell at the Oregon Zoo, and Kasi and I are eagerly preparing for our annual family vacation to Yosemite this fall.”
2001 CLASS REP: Tyler Francis, tyler.p.francis@gmail.com
2004 CLASS REP: Hannah Aultman, hannah.aultman@gmail.com
04
Miranda Middleton Hedlund and her husband, David, joyfully welcomed their son, Colin, into their family on March 19, 2024. Over the past several
months, Colin has met several of Miranda’s Catlin classmates. Andy Young is excited to move back to Portland this winter to be with his family.
2005 CLASS REP: Donna Canada-Smith, donna.canadasmith@gmail.com
05
Rachel Weinrib writes, “At the end of February, my husband Ahmed and I welcomed our son Rami into the world. The past few months have been an intense and wonderful ride, getting to know each other and watching him grow and change every day.”
06
Casey Michel recently published his second book, “Foreign Agents: How American Lobbyists and Lawmakers Threaten Democracy Around the World,” from St. Martin’s Press. The book focuses on the rise and impact of the U.S.’s foreign lobbying industry, and how the industry has degraded democracy both at home and around the world. It is now available for pre-order. Casey will be speaking about the book at Powell's on September 27 at 7 p.m. When not writing about foreign lobbyists, Casey is usually beating Sam Woodard, Justin Young, and Nick Farris (all Catlin class of 2006) at Settlers of Catan.
2007 CLASS REP: Rob Kaye, robert.e.kaye@gmail.com
07
Rob Kaye and Divneet Kaur are delighted to welcome their daughter, Babiha Ehrman Kaye-Kaur, born at the end of March. Her name means “rain bird” in Punjabi. They live in SE Portland.
09
Christopher Skinner and Cameron welcomed Kira Frances Skinner to the family, and brother Finn couldn’t be happier to assume his role as “best big brother.” Christopher writes, “We’ve been grateful for the family and friend visits from grandparents and others that this has brought, with a parade of joyful reunions here in central London, where we’ve now lived almost three years!”
11
Stephen Lezak ’s first book, about climate change in Alaska, was acquired in June by Simon & Schuster—and now he has to write it! He thinks often, and gratefully, of the Catlin Gabel teachers who taught him to put words to paper. The day after landing the book deal, he was awarded his Ph.D. from Cambridge.
He spent most of July in Alaska, producing a documentary in partnership with a small Alaska Native community.
2013 CLASS REP: Alexandra van Alebeek, alexandra@vanalebeek.com
2014 CLASS REP: Chris Park, parkcgs@gmail.com
16
Harrison Alterman reports, “After four years of art school, I’ve ended up in a job I never expected! I’ve been a police officer with the city of Portland for the last two years, and was just assigned to the downtown precinct. I am thankful every day for the listening, problem solving, and communication skills that I learned at Catlin. I’m honored to have the chance to use those skills to try and help other people.” Adam Frank writes, “I hope everyone from the class of 2016 and broader Catlin community is doing well. After spending summer 2023 working with a disaster relief NGO in Turkey as a project manager, I finished my B.A. Phi Beta Kappa at Columbia in May, while also working at a late stage start-up. At the end of August, I’ll be moving to Palo Alto, CA, to start law school at Stanford.”
2019 CLASS REPS: Miles Asher Cohen, milesashercohen@gmail.com; Layton Rosenfeld, sparkyrosenfeld@gmail.com; Sydney Nagy, sydneycnagy@gmail.com; and Helene Stockton, hlfstockton@gmail.com
19
After graduating from Pomona College, Riya Sivakumar spent a year working at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. This fall, she will start as a Ph.D. student in the Program in Neuroscience at Harvard University.
2020 CLASS REPS: Annika Holliday, annika.holliday@icloud.com, and Eamon Walsh, eamonreedwalsh@gmail.com
20
Catie Kean has been selected as Tufts Astronaut Scholar for 202425. The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation awards scholarships valued up to $15,000, and programming includes a conference, mentorship, and more. Catie conducts research in the Mirkin Lab and works as a teaching assistant and department ambassador for the biology department.
Gad Alon
in memoriam
The Caller is honored to print In Memoriam notices for alumni and family members. Notices may be submitted at any time through the online submission form at catlin.edu/inmemoriam
Father of Ori Alon ’17
Joyce E. Braak, M.D.
Mother of Eden S. Braun, SPHR, SHRM-CP ’87, and Kevin E. Braun, M.D. ’83
Nancy Horton Bragdon
Mother of David Bragdon ’77, Susan Bragdon ’78, and Peter Bragdon ’80; grandmother of Emily Bragdon ’12
Linda Clingan
Mother of Amelia Templeton ’02
Virginia (Giny) Polk Finch
Grandmother of Brian Jones ’88, Andrew Jones ’07, Peter Jones ’09, Robert Bishop ’08, Charles Bishop Jr. ’09, Sam Bishop ’10, Mary Bishop ’11, Will Bishop ’13, George Bishop ’14, Jack Bishop ’16, Anna Bishop ’17, and Lucy Bishop ’20; mother-in-law of Charlie Bishop Sr. ’76
Eric Haber ’76
Brother of Gordon Haber ’74 and Martha Haber Enroth ’79; uncle of Joey Haber ’01 and Rachel Haber ’04
Jean Irwin Hoffman
Mother of Joan Hoffman ’67, Susan Hoffman ’68, son-in-law
Fred Trullinger Jr. ’68, and Sally Miller ’71; grandmother of Hawley Hubbard ’98, Edge Trullinger ’06, and Hyde Trullinger ’09; aunt of Carter Paterson ’68, and Kelsey Grout ’70
Jim Lane
Husband of Luise Lane ’54; father of Adam Lane ’82; grandfather of James Lane ’20; son-in-law of Amalie Langerman ’26; brother-in-law of Peggy Hammond ’50
Gary Lunquist
Husband of Kathleen (Kathie) Lundquist ’82
Eleanor Molnar
Grandmother of Jasmine Bath ’10 and Jade Bath ’12
John Thomas Montague
Father of Eric Montague ’08; uncle of Eli Skeggs ’13 and Cel Skeggs ’16
Sara “Sally” Voss Newlands ’49
Mother of George Newlands ’78 and Donald Newlands ’82; grandmother of Thomas Newlands ’14
