alumni at large excited about its prospects, particularly given the advance reviews. Sam reports that Colby has quite a presence in transportation policy at the federal level with Robyn Boerstling ’98 leading the National Association of Manufacturer’s efforts to shape transportation policy and Lisa Mark McLean ’01 as an integral part of the U.S. Chamber’s transportation policy efforts. Y Tim Holt lives just outside Vancouver and works at Coast Capital Savings, where he is branch manager of one of their largest locations. He and his wife, Carolyn, have three sons, with the youngest just graduating from high school. Tim still plays recreational hockey and continues to love skating and plays a bit of golf. Tim and his wife bought a cottage in Osoyoos, B.C., a Canadian hot spot in the summer. He sends a shout out to Andy Brown ’85, Bobby McLaughlin, Ogden White, Rob Graham, Tom Clune, and anyone else from DKE. Y Dana Hanley and Eric van Gestel were in Chicago with Hall Adams over Labor Day weekend. They went to two Cubs games and a Northwestern vs. Syracuse Big 10 football game. Y Vanessa Alonso DeSimone moved back to New Hampshire after living in New Jersey for 20 years. She and her family have a home in Orford, N.H., and are in the process of a major renovation. She looks forward to connecting with roommate Kathy Musser Marshall, who lives just 40 minutes away. Vanessa teaches American studies and American government in the Lebanon School District. Her middle daughter, Elise, is a first-year at Colby. Vanessa noted so much has changed on campus yet so much has stayed the same. Y I hope many of you will come back to Colby to see for yourself. If you are interested in helping, contact the Alumni Office. See you in June. —Cynthia Mulliken Lazzara Dave and Michelle Linder Simpson adopted two children from Poland, bringing them home to Massachusetts in July 2007. When they arrived Arek was 7 and his sister, Aleksandra, was 10. After an initially challenging transition, things slowly settled into “normal” with Mickie and Dave learning to be instant parents and the kids mastering English, a new home, and new school experience. Mickie says, “It has been a tiring but exciting experience so far. If there are any other Colby adoptive parents who would be interested in starting some sort of New England adoption group
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to share experiences, either online or perhaps occasionally having family events, please let me know.” Y Anne Cookson moved to Durham, N.C., after six years in Charlottesville, Va., and before that 15 years in Washington, D.C. She works for LexisNexis and her previous careers included meeting planning, student travel advisor, and hotel sales. Anne admits she needs “new challenges!” Anne lives with her beautiful daughter, Caitlin, 6 (going on 18!), her mother, and their schnoodle, Lucy. Travel is a priority and they spent Christmas vacations in Rome (twice), Boston, New York, Florida (Disney World and Key West), and are planning a trip to Thailand so Anne can visit her childhood haunts. Anne plans on attending our 25th reunion. Y Associate Professor of Political Science Richard Leitch received Gustavus Adolphus College’s 2008 Edgar M. Carlson Award for Distinguished Teaching last June. A member of the political science department since 1996, Richard has taught courses such as international relations, comparative politics, Asian politics, and politics of developing nations. Richard earned an M.A. in Asian studies and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champagne. Richard says, “It has been incredibly rewarding to be able to live my vocation as a college professor at a school that values teaching as much as Gustavus does.” Y Carol Eisenberg had a great adventure last summer traveling to Israel with her daughters, Maxine, 14, and Charlotte, 11. Carol and her husband, David Simpson ’86, are glad that Elias, 4, is still a year away from kindergarten. While they were away they missed Mary Alice Weller-Mayan’s visit with her daughter to Peaks Island, where she visited with Meghan Casey and family in their new vacation home. Y Since last he wrote Michael Muir has gone through a job change. After 12 years at the University of Maine at Farmington, he resigned to work full time with ResulTech Educational Services, a company that works with schools to motivate kids. Currently vice president of development and support, Mike has projects running or in development in N.Y., Penn., Alaska, and Ga. Y Consummate hockey dad Roy Hirshland spends his time driving his daughter to the rink. Roy writes, “I still live in Concord, Mass., with my patient and loving wife, Chris, daughter Samantha, 14, and crazy chocolate lab. In addition to being a typical teenage girl, Sammy is
an avid ice hockey player (goalie). It’s hard to be a goalie parent but we are very proud of her accomplishments and hard work. Perhaps someday she will wear a Colby jersey!” Y And last but certainly not least, Tom Colt finally got married! Tom just waited until he found the perfect woman. I saw Tom in Seattle in September and he looked very happy! Tom and Megan Shields tied the knot in July at a farm just north of Pittsburgh. They live in Pittsburgh and Tom teaches and works as a college counselor at Shady Side Academy. Colby attendees at the wedding included Paul Swartz, Doug Parker ’86, and Chris Parker ’86. And, although he went to a Steelers game with Ted Jenkins ’84, I have it on good authority that Tom remains true to his Red Sox Nation roots and he is not cheering for the Pirates, Penguins, or Steelers. —Gretchen Bean Bergill
86 Hello Classmates. I don’t know
whether to be ashamed or proud, but I’ve been catching up with a few of you on Facebook. Once the teenager’s hip universe, now a haven for 40-somethings! It is a fun and, yes, slightly addictive way to catch up with friends and see photos, too. Y One of my recent late-night chat buddies has been Gretchen Bean Lurie. In October she came to NYC on business, which gave some Colby gals a chance to get together for dinner. Of course, kids and life intervened so Wendy Armstrong and Colette Cote weren’t able to join Leslie Greenslet Perry, Brigid Hoffman Murray, and Gretchen. Gretchen notes: “We talked kids and schools from preschool (Brigid) to almost college (Gretchen) and everything in between (Leslie). We wondered where some people were hiding (i.e. Hamilton Brower) and how old we would be when the 25th rolled around. It was good food and good friends.” Y I heard from Lori Berger, who is finally using her Colby education in a more direct way. After years as a freelance horseback riding instructor and erstwhile dairy farmer, Lori is now a professor of equine studies at Vermont Technical College, where she’s developing a four-year program and is into her second year of classroom teaching. Lori opines that, “It sure beats standing in an unheated indoor arena all winter! It’s nice to be back in the halls of academe, hearing (almost) all the same excuses I had for missing class (no Grateful Dead related ones from this group, though).” Y Lee Scammon Kubishta wrote from her
office in Nashua, N.H., musing about the change of seasons. After a beautiful Columbus Day weekend at her Maine house, she’d pulled the boat and the dock out of the water and, ever the optimist, was dreaming of snow and snowmobiles with more weekends in Maine! Y I had an update all the way from the Persian Gulf, where Andy Docherty (that’s Commander to you and me) was serving as executive officer on USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) during a seven-month deployment. For those not up on your military ranks, XO means that Andy is in charge of this large deck amphibious assault ship, with a crew of approximately 1,100 Navy personnel and about 1,300 Marines. He notes “it’s pretty hot over here,” and I don’t think he just means from the sunshine. Y Remember Kate Paterson’s wit and way with words? Here’s her latest update: “Kate Paterson would like to assure her Colby classmates that she played no part whatsoever in the subprime loan industry, and had even less to do with the resultant tanking of the world’s financial markets. Evidence of her innocence is the poor and obscure life she continues to lead with her family in the backwoods of western New York. She would, however, like to implicate the following hooligans: Genevieve Hammond (Mini Coopers don’t just grow on trees), Jane Powers (Colby “Trust”ee? I think not), Wendy Lapham (SEC’s been watching her for years), and Monique Reed Kotsiopoulos (that tricked-out Pacifica speaks volumes). Ladies, your fronts as educators, working to better the lives of children and young adults, have fooled no one.” Y For over 20 years Chris and Kathleen Hooper Zane have spent Labor Day weekend with Dan MacDonald, Nils ’84 and Janet Kelley Gjesteby, and Jay and Lori O’Keefe Burke at the Zane’s beach house in Madison, Conn. There are nine children ranging from 18 to 8 among the three families. Check out the fabulous photo on our class page at www.colby.edu/alumni. Y Ellen Field Greene was promoted to senior managing director, U.S. transaction services, at NASDAQ OMX Group. She works out of NYC and lives in Brookville on Long Island with husband Marc and children Andrew, 11, and Laura, 8. Andrew is an avid hockey and soccer player, while Laura figure skates and plays soccer. Y Marian Huntington Schinske’s son, Robert, 9, dreams of becoming a pro basketball player. (Marian encourages