Darden Report Alumni Magazine Winter 2024 by Darden School of Business

Why the middle class of business is a worthy dream for entrepreneurs

A new partnership model is moving the needle on once-intractable problems

ESG investing goes under the microscope as industry seeks more impact

WINTER 2024 UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA DARDEN SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

NEW IDEAS, BETTER BUSINESS Darden ideas advance investing, social good and the middle class of business

THE DARDEN EXPERIENCE

M A DE P O SSIB L E B Y YO U Join 4K alumni who contributed last year.

Unrestricted gifts support half of all scholarships.

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giving.darden.virginia.edu

FROM THE DEAN

WINTER 2024

RESEARCH MAKES BUSINESS BETTER

s I return to Darden this January from my sabbatical pursuing graduate research and coursework at Oxford University’s Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, I am invigorated by the power of research to make businesses better. Much of my work at Oxford focused on the intersection of ethics, well-being and artificial intelligence (AI), a topic with massive ramifications for business and society. It is also a topic Darden will prioritize and influence the conversation, thanks in large part to the generosity of David M. LaCross (MBA ’78) and his wife, Kathleen O. LaCross. The LaCross family’s updated gift to Darden, totaling well over $100 million, positions the School and UVA as trailblazers in research, teaching and deployment of AI in the business landscape. It will fund research and instruction in AI, its ethical implications for management, and the challenges and opportunities AI presents for business and society. Read more about this record gift on Page 5. Darden’s strength in research is not limited to one topic. It makes an impact across many fields, powered by our philosophy that capitalism should create value that makes the world better. Ideas matter and are central to keeping our transformational learning experience at the leading edge. This issue of The Darden Report highlights some of the latest research from three of the School’s leading Research Centers of Excellence. The Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology spotlights Professor Saras Sarasvathy’s research on how orienting entrepreneurs to build enterprises in “the middle class of business” offers worthy rewards to them and their communities (Page 16). The Institute for Business in Society looks back at a decade of data from its efforts with public-private partnerships to show how the collaborations improve success solving seemingly intractable societal problems (Page 22). Finally, the Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management spotlights research from Professor Pedro Matos and a group of Dardenfunded postgraduate researchers, who find that ESG investing has often fallen short of its goals but that there is a path forward to make more impact (Page 26).

“

At Darden, our ideas don’t just advance business practice, they are instrumental in creating a transformational learning experience.”

Darden is committed to excellence and having the best faculty anywhere. Our faculty members value research and its ability to improve the world. Faculty research — from books to field-based cases to groundbreaking articles — connects to the world of real business practice. But to enable our faculty to achieve their full potential requires impactful support. That’s why we introduced Faculty Forward — the second milestone of the Powered by Purpose campaign — to elevate faculty excellence and, by extension, enrich our students’ educational journey (Page 4). I hope you will join us as our faculty continue their work to shape the future of business practice — whether through a gift, participating in faculty case studies and research, or simply retaining the close-knit relationships you built with professors during your time on Grounds.

SCOTT C. BEARDSLEY Dean and Charles C. Abbott Professor of Business Administration WINTER 2024

DARDEN REPORT

WINTER 2024

16 A DREAM WORTH HAVING Silicon Valley exhorts entrepreneurs to supersize their dreams. But Professor Saras Sarasvathy believes entrepreneurs creating a “middle class of business” is a dream worth having.

A NEW MODEL FOR BIG CHANGE Are public-private partnerships the answer to get projects with big societal benefits done where traditional efforts have fallen short?

ESG INVESTING 2.0 Darden experts dissect environmental, social and governance (ESG) focused investing and recommend a new strategy for greater impact.

DA R D E N R E P O R T

HOT TECH HYPE CHECK AI, blockchain, VR — this issue’s Ideas to Action spotlight measures what’s real and what’s hype with hot tech.

DARDEN REPORT

WINTER 2024

DEPARTMENTS ON GROUNDS

Darden Report is published twice a year with private donations to the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation.

4 5 6 7 8 12

School News Gift Announcement Meet the Class Career Outcomes Faculty News Faculty Profile

University of Virginia Darden School of Business Office of Communication & Marketing P. O. Box 7225 Charlottesville, Virginia 22906-7225 USA communication@darden.virginia.edu

Scott C. Beardsley Dean and Charles C. Abbott Professor of Business Administration Robert Weiler President, Darden School Foundation

ALUMNI VOICES

Juliet K. Daum (TEP ’22) Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

EDITOR Jay Hodgkins ART DIRECTION & DESIGN Hyphen WRITERS Michael Blanding John Borgquist Dave Hendrick Molly Mitchell Sally Parker Tom van der Voort CLASS NOTES EDITOR Egidijus Paurys PHOTOGRAPHY Ali Johnson Sam Levitan Jack Looney Stephanie Gross Andrew Shurtleff Susan Wormington ILLUSTRATION Janis Andzans Blake Cale Hyphen

34 82 92

Susan Sobbott (MBA ’90) John Jordan (MBA ’03) Will Payne (EMBA ’10)

“INTEGRITY, CURIOSITY, GENEROSITY, COMMITMENT, RESILIENCE AND ENTHUSIASTIC COLLABORATION — BUILDING SOMETHING GREAT IS A Susan Sobbott (MBA ’90) TEAM EFFORT.” CLASS NOTES

37 37 94 96

Class Notes Abbott Award Nominations Darden Leadership Boards In Memoriam

Go to www.news.darden.virginia.edu for all the latest school news and updates. WINTER 2024

ON GROUNDS

SCHOOL NEWS

$505 MILLION IN TOTAL IMPACT: ALUMNI LIFT CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO NEW HEIGHTS Faculty Forward: A New Phase for the Powered by Purpose Campaign

WITH NE W COMMITMENTS for the 2023 fiscal

year totaling $33.1 million, Darden alumni and supporters helped advance the School’s Powered by Purpose campaign past its first milestone two years ahead of schedule.

“

Our alumni’s exceptional generosity demonstrates their deep belief in our mission. Their support significantly amplifies our ability to inspire responsible leaders and enrich the transformational learning experiences for which Darden is known.”

The campaign’s total impact, including matching funds from UVA and gifts held outside of Darden for the School’s exclusive benefit, reached $505 million as of 30 June 2023. An impressive 70 percent of Darden alumni have participated in the Powered by Purpose campaign.

$406M

Raised as of 30 June 2023

$61M

UVA Bicentennial Match Amount

$38M

Funds Held Outside Darden

— D EAN SCOTT BEARDSLEY

DA R D E N R E P O R T

$505M TOTAL IMPACT

WITH THE COMPLETION of the first milestone of the Powered by Purpose campaign, the second milestone — Faculty Forward, launched in October — will continue through the conclusion of the campaign in June 2025 and beyond. Faculty Forward will support four faculty-related priorities:

ire, retain and develop H the next generation of star professors.

Preserve and strengthen Darden’s transformational learning experience.

Grow Darden’s infrastructure for thought leadership.

I nvest in and promote ideas that change the world.

ON GROUNDS

Darden Leadership Updates

PROFESSOR JEANNE LIEDTKA on

31 December completed her tenure as interim dean of Darden, a role in which she served for six months while Dean Scott Beardsley completed a sabbatical leave to pursue graduate research and coursework at Oxford University’s Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics with the faculty of philosophy at Pembroke College. Professor Carolyn Miles (MBA ’88) completed her term as interim president of the Darden School Foundation in August, returning to her faculty position as John Alden Purinton Jr. Professor of Practice and senior adviser to the dean. The Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Robert Weiler as the new president of the Foundation. A UVA graduate with an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, Weiler brings extensive business school and industry experience to his new role. He comes to the Darden School Foundation after 16 years at the Anderson School, serving most recently as the associate dean of the Full-Time MBA program for a decade.

SCHOOL NEWS

The new bequest from David M. LaCross (MBA ’78) and Kathleen O. LaCross is a transformative investment to position Darden — and UVA as a whole — as a trailblazer in research, teaching and deployment of artificial intelligence and other innovative tech applications in the business landscape.

DARDEN RECEIVES LARGEST GIFT IN SCHOOL HISTORY

uring an evening reception at which the botanical gardens adjacent to The Forum Hotel Kimpton on Darden Grounds in Charlottesville were officially named the LaCross Botanical Gardens, Dean Scott Beardsley made a momentous announcement. David M. LaCross (MBA ’78) and his wife, Kathleen O. LaCross, for whom the gardens were named, updated a prior gift of $44 million the LaCross family made to Darden in October 2022. With this update, the LaCross gift to the Darden School is well over $100 million — the largest in the School’s history. The gift is among the Top 10 to any business school and puts the LaCross family among the Top 5 donors to the University of Virginia Honor the Future campaign. The new bequest is a transformative investment to position Darden — and UVA as a whole — as a trailblazer in research, teaching and deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) and other innovative tech applications in the business landscape. The gift will fund research and instruction in AI, its ethical implications for management, and the challenges and opportunities AI presents for business, society and human well-being. Darden’s Artificial Intelligence Initiative was launched by the LaCross family’s initial $6.5 million bequest in 2022 and has powered early faculty work in the field.

WINTER 2024

ON GROUNDS

SCHOOL NEWS

DARDEN WELCOMES STUDENTS ACROSS 5 PROGRAMS Darden welcomed roughly 550 First Year MBA and seven Ph.D. students to Grounds in Charlottesville with an “all-Darden” event, including members of the Full-Time MBA, Executive MBA and Part-Time MBA — held for the first time at The Forum Hotel. The Full-Time MBA and Executive MBA students will be part of the Class of 2025, while Part-Time MBA and Ph.D. students will earn their degrees at different paces.

MEET THE MBAS

BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK ranked

Darden’s Full-Time MBA program No. 3 in the United States in its new Best B-Schools 2023–24 ranking. The ranking is the highest the publication has ever given the School and up six places from the prior year. Darden remains the No. 1 ranked business school among public universities. The dramatic rise in rankings was driven by the School’s large gains in three of the subcategories that contribute to the overall score. Darden rose to No. 4 in compensation (up six places from No. 10), No. 4 in learning (up six places from No. 10) and No. 11 in networking (up 11 places from No. 22).

According to the publication, the $175,000 median starting salary for the School’s Full-Time MBA Class of 2023 graduates “tied with Stanford, Wharton, Booth, Columbia, Dartmouth and Harvard for the highest.”

DA R D E N R E P O R T

123

Full-Time MBA students

Executive MBA students

Part-Time MBA students

36%

35%

15%

International citizens from 38 countries

Women

U.S. minority students

19%

18%

710

First-generation college students

Served in the military

Average GMAT

MEET THE MSBAS

Darden also welcomed the Master of Science in business analytics (MSBA) Class of 2024 in August. The MSBA is presented jointly by Darden and the UVA McIntire School of Commerce.

Students

31%

Women

20%

U.S. minority students

20%

Hold advanced degrees

Years average work experience

IL LUS T R AT ION BY H Y PHEN

Darden Rises to HighestEver No. 3 in Latest Bloomberg Businessweek Ranking

352

ON GROUNDS

SCHOOL NEWS

DARDEN BREAKS THE SALARY RECORD AG A

I N!

The Full-Time MBA Class of 2023 secured the highest starting salary in school history for the fifth year in a row, according to Darden’s Career Center. That’s just one of many employment highlights across Darden’s degree programs.

Full-Time MBA Class of 2023

Executive MBA Class of 2023

Highest mean ($167,899) and median ($175,000) base salaries in school history

40% earned a promotion

89% employed at graduation

18.4% increase in average salary by graduation

96% reported job offers by three months after graduation

14% reported a new employer

Master of Science in Business Analytics Class of 2022 43% reported a new job title, employer or employment location 15% increase in average salary by graduation

95% employed at three months after graduation

46% of Full-Time MBA graduates accepted a role in the consulting industry, followed by 26% entering finance and 10.5% entering the technology industry. Top hiring companies included:

Amazon

JPMorgan Chase

Bank of America

Microsoft

Boston Consulting Group

Wells Fargo

McKinsey

Bain

WINTER 2024

ON GROUNDS

FA C U LT Y

NEWS

THOMASHUNT TAKES HELM OF FULL-TIME MBA PROGRAM

Two years after returning to Darden from her role as head of global diversity and belonging at Airbnb, Professor Melissa Thomas-Hunt has taken on the role of senior associate dean for Darden’s Full-Time MBA program. The role allows Thomas-Hunt to build on her significant leadership experience at Darden and at other institutions, bringing deep knowledge of Darden and the Full-Time MBA from prior service at the School as senior associate dean and chief global diversity officer, teaching in the Full-Time and Executive MBA programs, and serving as area head for Leadership & Organizational Behavior. Since returning to Darden, Thomas-Hunt has led the School’s initiative on connection and belonging and led the residential housing task force of the Darden Grounds Master Plan. She succeeds Professor Thomas Steenburgh, who was named dean of Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management last summer. Two other senior leaders agreed to serve additional terms in their roles. Professor Yael Grushka-Cockayne will serve another term as senior associate dean for professional degree programs and will chair the Programs Strategy Committee. Grushka-Cockayne will also help lead the next milestone of the Powered by Purpose campaign, Faculty Forward. Professor Sankaran “Venkat” Venkataraman will serve an additional term as senior associate dean for faculty and research. 8

DA R D E N R E P O R T

“ Additionally, Senior Assistant Dean for Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Christie Julien will serve as interim leader of the Office of Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Darden while Professor Martin Davidson serves as interim executive director of UVA’s Contemplative Sciences Center for the 2023–24 academic year. Senior Associate Dean for Student Engagement Marc Johnson has also taken on the role of chief strategy and innovation officer after Professor Mike Lenox concluded his second term as chief strategy officer.

In addition to her excellent teaching, research and thought leadership, Melissa is a practitioner who brings true leadership to Darden’s effort to create inclusive excellence and a sense of belonging to everyone at the School.” — DEAN SCOTT BEARDSLEY

ON GROUNDS

FA C U LT Y N E W S

FROM HEALTH CARE MARKETING TO SUPPLY CHAIN, DARDEN LAUNCHES 10 NEW COURSES Darden professors planned to debut 10 new courses in the 2023–24 academic year. New courses consider a variety of topics, including supply chain issues, the media industry and data-driven consumer insights, among other topics. The new courses include:

Faculty Awards and Accolades LUCA CIAN was named

associate editor for the Journal of Marketing Research. MIKE LENOX was appointed

a senior faculty fellow at UVA’s Miller Center and will serve as academic director for the Democracy and Capitalism Initiative. PEDRO MATOS and his co-au-

thors received a Geneva Institute for Wealth Management grant. LAURA MORGAN ROBERTS

was ranked in the Thinkers50 Top 50 for management thinking.

“Business and Transformation in the Southern Region of the US” Taught by Professor Greg Fairchild Students will explore a unique economic and social context within the United States and understand the ways that business plays a role in driving forward progress. “Consumer Insights in a Data-Driven World” Taught by Professor Zhihao Zhang Students will learn how to build an analytical mindset for understanding consumers through data, going from the initial formulation of business questions to the translation from data-driven insights to effective decision-making.

DWAIPAYAN ROY was appointed as the inaugural vice president of the INFORMS PRIDE Forum, a community for LGBTQ+-identifying INFORMS members and their allies. SARAS SARASVATHY deliv-

ered the Schumpeter Innovation in Enterprise Lecture at the European Union’s SME Week.

IL LUS T R AT IONS BY H Y PHEN

KIMBERLY WHITLER and her

co-authors received the 2023 Sheth Foundation/Journal of Marketing Award for Long Term Impact for the article, “When and How Board Members With Marketing Experience Facilitate Firm Growth” published in the Journal of Marketing.

“Disruptive Strategy: Building and Sustaining a Successful Enterprise” Taught by Professor Rory McDonald The course introduces a series of theoretical frameworks for navigating critical moments in enterprise growth and will help students interested in managing, advising or investing in any of a variety of organizations.

“Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition” Taught by Professor Les Alexander The course introduces students to searching for a company, valuing a small business, structuring a deal, negotiating, completing due diligence, obtaining deal financing and closing the transaction. “Health Care Marketing” Taught by Marc Ruggiano Students will examine similarities and differences between marketing in health care and in other sectors, plus learn to apply traditional marketing strategy and tactics in ways that embrace differences between health care and other sectors. “Marketing and Society” Taught by Professor Serena Hagerty Students will explore the role that managers and consumers can play in leveraging marketing resources to advance a good cause, create a socially desirable behavioral change or to enhance their own well-being.

“Media & Entertainment Business” Taught by Professor Anthony Palomba Students will increase their media literacy, deepen their knowledge about the media and entertainment industries, gain critical analytical skills specific to analyzing media data, and design media and business strategies.

“Strategic Sourcing” Taught by Professor Dwaipayan Roy The course explores how sourcing can help organizations improve performance on multiple dimensions and differentiate themselves from their competitors. “User Experience” Taught by Professor Tatiana Batova The course deepens students’ ability to research the needs, preferences and contexts of a variety of audiences. “Writing for Impact & Influence” Taught by Steve Soltis Students will be immersed in intimate, hands-on writing instruction focused on contemporary communication channels and the tools most widely used in today’s workplace.

WINTER 2024

ON GROUNDS

FA C U LT Y N E W S

6 NEW PROFESSORS JOIN DARDEN FACULTY Darden welcomed six new professors ahead of the 2023–24 academic year, who will teach and do research in the areas of Quantitative Analysis; Technology and Operations Management; Strategy, Ethics & Entrepreneurship; Finance; and Accounting.

SAEED ALIZAMIR Saeed Alizamir joins the Quantitative Analysis area as an associate professor. His research interests are focused on the area of social responsibility and public sector operations. Most recently an associate professor at the Yale School of Management, he earned his Ph.D. from Duke University in business administration.

PNINA FELDMAN Pnina Feldman joins as a visiting associate professor in the Technology and Operations Management area. Her research focuses on how digital technologies affect operations strategy decisions and the policy implications of these decisions. Most recently at Boston University, she earned her Ph.D. in operations and information management from the Wharton School. 10

DA R D E N R E P O R T

ON GROUNDS

CHRISTOPH HERPFER Christoph Herpfer joins the Finance area as an assistant professor after previously teaching at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. Building on his research in health care finance, he collaborates with industry partners on applying big data and advanced statistical tools. He earned his Ph.D. in finance from École Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne and Swiss Finance Institute.

FA C U LT Y N E W S

It’s not just about great teaching. It’s about teaching great things. Our faculty consistently deliver the best educational experience, intertwining leadingedge research and practical ideas.” — P ROFESSOR SANKARAN “VENKAT” VENKATARAMAN, SENIOR ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR FACULTY AND RESEARCH

SIMMI MOOKERJEE Simmi Mookerjee joins the Accounting area as an assistant professor. Mookerjee’s research interests include corporate social responsibility, political economy, human capital disclosure, information intermediaries and voluntary disclosure. She recently earned her Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Washington. Mookerjee worked as an accountant prior to earning her Ph.D.

RORY MCDONALD

CHRIS PARKER

Rory McDonald joins the Strategy, Ethics & Entrepreneurship area as a visiting associate professor. Most recently an associate professor at Harvard Business School, McDonald studies how firms successfully navigate new markets. He received his Ph.D. in management science and engineering, his master’s in sociology and his MBA from Stanford University.

Chris Parker joins the Technology and Operations Management area as a visiting associate professor. Most recently an associate professor at American University, Parker’s research focuses on how IT-enabled applications are changing consumer behavior and how firms interact with their customers. He received his Ph.D. from the London Business School. WINTER 2024

ON GROUNDS

FA C U LT Y N E W S

FA C U LT Y P RO F I L E

PROFESSOR TATIANA BATOVA UNCOVERING CLUES TO CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION BY TOM VAN DER VOORT

Tatiana Batova is an associate professor of business administration in the Communication area. She teaches the “Leadership Communication” core course and the “Storytelling With Data” elective in the Full-Time MBA program.

DA R D E N R E P O R T

atiana Batova was a young graduate student when she submitted her first research paper to the journal Technical Communication in 2010. Its success was immediate. Instead of simply being accepted for publication, her examination of legal, linguistic and cultural issues in medical communications won the Frank R. Smith Outstanding Journal Article Award from the Society for Technical Communication, establishing her reputation as an outstanding researcher in her field. As a professor at Arizona State University, Batova continued to thrive in her ongoing examination of language and technology in cross-cultural communications. Numerous awards followed, and she received tenure in 2019. But something was missing. “I started, way back in the day, wanting to be a teacher,” Batova says. “I really wanted to be in a place that values teaching more. I didn’t want to leave my research behind, but I wanted to have more interaction with students. Darden seemed to combine both. You can still do research, but teaching is elevated.” The move to Charlottesville to join the faculty in the Communication area, however, wasn’t easy. “I was one of the last two people to be offered jobs before the pandemic hit,” Batova remembers, and she had to remain in Arizona for an extra year with her “mind just kind of split between the two schools.” When she finally did start at Darden, she saw students — as well as faculty and staff colleagues — only on Zoom or in masks. As the School emerged from the restrictions of the

ON GROUNDS

FA C U LT Y N E W S

“The way we talk about AI in the U.S. is very different from the way people talk about AI in Germany. The frame of reference is different. The regulations are different. The mindset is different. There are two completely different discourses.”

pandemic, her vision of research and teaching complementing each other came to fruition. Finally seeing student faces clearly, she relied on her background in pedagogy and educational psychology to master teaching with the case method. She delivered core instruction in leadership communication and developed dynamic electives to help Darden students understand how to factor in linguistic and cultural factors into e-commerce, digital marketing, storytelling with data, and making digital products intuitive and desirable with user experience research. “At Darden, teaching feeds into research and research feeds back into teaching,” she says. The strength of Batova’s work comes from her ability to discover how unexamined assumptions and practices can undermine persuasion, effective communication and technology design in a wide variety of situations. Context, especially linguistic and cultural context, is critically important. In an increasingly interconnected world, understanding these factors is a non-negotiable skill for business leaders. “A lot of what you translate doesn’t resonate with people because the concepts are different, and the frames of reference are different,” Batova says. “The way we talk about AI in the U.S., for example, is very different from the way people talk about AI in Germany. The frame of reference is different. The regulations are different. The mindset is different. There are two completely different discourses.” That’s important, for one, because how we talk about technology can influence whether we want to use it or not, as well as our work motivation, according to Batova. To better understand the “rhetoric of technology,” she combines quantitative user experience research with

BATOVA’S RESEARCH AGENDA AND HER LOVE OF TEACHING ARE INSEPARABLE, DRIVING AN EXPLORATION OF HOW HUMANS COMMUNICATE USING AN EVER-EVOLVING SET OF TOOLS IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD.

exploratory qualitative methods. In her elective on storytelling with data, her research plays a vital role in the classroom, making students partners in examining the implications of her findings. “I’ve been working on a project on cross-cultural data visualization because nobody has empirically tested a lot of assumptions,” she says. In the United States, for instance, users tend to look at the title of a chart first, which frames their understanding of the data. But in India, “everybody went straight to the chart and kind of wanted to draw their own conclusion. The title was secondary. So what does that mean for a data visualization or a presentation being persuasive?” As she fields new studies in the European Union and China, she finds that “students want to talk about this. They’re asking about it. It’s really exciting to bring new research back into the classroom so we can discuss it.” For Batova, her research agenda and her love of teaching are inseparable, driving an exploration of how humans communicate using an ever-evolving set of tools in a rapidly changing world. Darden allows her to put both of those pieces of the puzzle together in a way that helps answer the key questions and make a practical impact. “The great thing about Darden is you can chart your own course.” WINTER 2024

DA R D E N R E P O R T

New Ways of Seeing

Darden’s research centers and initiatives build a community of experts to advance knowledge, offer student experiences, and convene forums with academics and executives to advance business practice. In this issue of The Darden Report, we offer a “research center takeover” featuring three in-depth pieces spotlighting how Darden research is making an impact on critical issues to business practice and societal well-being.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BLAKE CALE

BATTEN INSTITUTE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE FOR BUSINESS IN SOCIETY

RICHARD A. MAYO CENTER FOR ASSET MANAGEMENT

BATTEN INSTITUTE FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY

RESEARCH CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

A Dream Worth Having Why the Middle Class of Business Deserves More Attention From Aspiring Entrepreneurs

BY GOSIA GLINSKA

DA R D E N R E P O R T

ilicon Valley exhorts entrepreneurs to supersize their dreams: Have a crackerjack idea with disruptive potential, raise lots of funding from investors, scale up rapidly and hit a billion-dollar valuation. Awash in stories of “unicorns” and “gazelles” — the rare high-tech, high-growth firms that capture the headlines — many founders chase the dream of launching the next Stripe or Instacart. “But is that the only dream worth having?” asks Darden Professor Saras Sarasvathy, a leading expert on the cognitive basis for high-performance entrepreneurship and the 2022 winner of the Global Award for Entrepreneurship Research from the Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum. “In a business school,” says Sarasvathy, “we shouldn’t just be teaching high-growth, high-technology entrepreneurship. We should be teaching students how to build a middle class of business — companies that foster robust communities, create value for stakeholders, create jobs and last long enough to give an entrepreneur a good life.”

WINTER 2024

ALUMNI LIGHTING THE WAY Sarasvathy is quick to point out that many Darden alumni have built or are building such companies. Take Manoj Sinha (MBA ’09), c0-founder and CEO of Husk Power Systems. Sinha launched Husk in 2008 to solve an intractable problem afflicting three billion people around the world: lack of access to reliable and affordable power. Today, Husk provides electricity to 50,000 households, small businesses and factories in India, Nigeria and Tanzania through renewable energy-powered, decentralized minigrids. But Husk delivers more than electricity to remote areas. Sinha — recently named to Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential climate leaders in business — estimates that his company is responsible for creating around 20,000 jobs. “When we install minigrids in a community,” says Sinha, “we look at what might be brought in as a set of entrepreneurial activities that will help people use electricity more productively and generate new income sources. That’s how our business model became successful.” Another notable middle-class venture started by Darden alumni is 501 Auctions. The company, co-founded in 2011 by Jon Carrier (MBA ’12) and Teddy Jones (MBA ’12), developed a fundraising platform for nonprofit organizations, changing the way charity events are run. “501 Auctions is a for-profit business that helped fund the growth of nonprofits,” says Sarasvathy. “It raised more than half a billion dollars in charity contributions. It’s a business that creates value in multiple ways.” Haiama Beauty, a business founded by Allison Shimamoto (MBA ’19), is poised to become the next Darden-founded middle-class company, per Sarasvathy. As she puts it, “Allison is truly solving a problem — offering toxin-free products for Type 4 curly hair.” Shimamoto uses ethically sourced, plant-based ingredients from South America, choosing to partner with female suppliers who employ workers from local villages. None of these Darden founders started by chasing venture capital and unicorn status, notes Sarasvathy. Instead, they focused on tackling real problems and on building not just great companies but also a better world. DEFINING THE MIDDLE CLASS OF BUSINESS

“In a business school, we shouldn’t just be teaching high-growth, high-technology entrepreneurship. We should be teaching students how to build a middle class of business — companies that foster robust communities, create value, create jobs and last long enough to give an entrepreneur a good life.” — P ROFESSOR SARAS SARASVATHY, 2022 WINNER OF THE GLOBAL AWARD FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP RESEARCH FROM THE SWEDISH ENTREPRENEURSHIP FORUM

DEFI NED: “MIDDLE CLASS OF BUSINESS”

VENTURES THAT HAVE BETWEEN FIVE AND 300 EMPLOYEES AND PROFITABLY SURVIVE FOR AT

Sarasvathy has coined the term “middle class 18

DA R D E N R E P O R T

of business” to describe companies that grow and endure over time, but don’t grow very large in size. In her paper, “The Middle Class of Business: Endurance as a Dependent Variable in Entrepreneurship,” published in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Sarasvathy defines the category as ventures that have between five and 300 employees and profitably survive for at least 16 years. Even though firms that endure for 16 years or more have slower growth than younger firms, they actually employ the most people, studies show. “If we aim to spur job creation and economic development,” says Sarasvathy, “endurance over time is a better predictor than size. That’s one reason we should foster the development of a middle class of business.” The question is how.

LEAST 16 YEARS.

TEACHING ENTREPRENEURSHIP LIKE WE TEACH SCIENCE Sarasvathy, along with Professor Sankaran “Venkat” Venkataraman, has long believed in teaching entrepreneurship the way we teach science — to everyone who has access to education. As she puts it, “Today, we teach the scientific method not only to potential scientists in professional schools but to everyone, starting at an early age, as an essential mindset and skill.” But science wasn’t always considered teachable. Before Francis Bacon started to spell out the key elements of the scientific method, science was the rarefied domain of those who had wealth, time and a spark of divine revelation. According to Sarasvathy, democratizing this knowledge so that it was widely accessible spurred technological progress, which increased productivity. “For the first time in history, a large swath of society was able to earn enough money to escape poverty,” says Sarasvathy. “This led to the emergence of the middle class, defined by income.” In her “The Middle Class of Business” paper, Sarasvathy draws a historical parallel. She argues that — just like the introduction of science education to all fostered the rise of the middle class — the introduction of entrepreneurship education to all would spur the rise of a middle class of businesses. “When we start teaching entrepreneurship to everyone as a necessary skill,” argues Sarasvathy, “people will be more entrepreneurial, not only in starting companies but also in solving problems in their lives and in

“When we install minigrids in a community, we look at what might be brought in as a set of entrepreneurial activities that will help people use electricity more productively and generate new income sources. That’s how our business model became successful.” — M ANOJ SINHA (MBA ’09) CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, HUSK POWER SYSTEMS

DEFINED: “EFFECTUATION”

THE UNIQUE LOGIC EXPERT ENTREPRENEURS USE TO BUILD NEW VENTURES. IT IS USED BY THOUSANDS OF ENTREPRENEURS GLOBALLY, INCLUDING VIRGIN FOUNDER RICHARD BRANSON, LENDINGTREE FOUNDER DOUG LEBDA (EMBA ’14) AND FUBU FOUNDER DAYMOND JOHN.

darden.virginia.edu/ effectuation

the world. People won’t be necessarily starting more companies; they’ll be building better ones that endure for longer than average periods of time and create more value.” DEVELOPING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL METHOD But can entrepreneurship be taught? If you ask Sarasvathy, who’s been teaching it at Darden since 2004, the answer is a resounding yes. In fact, Sarasvathy pioneered the framing of entrepreneurship as a method à la the scientific method in her groundbreaking book, Effectuation: Elements of Entrepreneurial Expertise. She further developed the concept in “Entrepreneurship as Method: Open Questions for an Entrepreneurial Future,” a 2011 article co-authored with Venkataraman and published in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. The cornerstone of the entrepreneurial method is effectuation — the unique logic expert entrepreneurs use to build new ventures. Sarasvathy discovered this logic, which she distilled into five teachable principles, in the late 1990s as a result of in-depth studies of how expert entrepreneurs think, act and make decisions in the initial stages of venture creation. Effectuation is rooted in nonpredictive control. “Instead of trying to predict the future in order to control it, which is thinking causally,” says Sarasvathy, “expert entrepreneurs know from experience that if they control certain things in the present, they can create the future. That is thinking effectually.” WINTER 2024

“Most startups are not VC-backed, highgrowth ventures. What if you built a company that lasts 15, 30 years, and pays double what you’d earn as an MBA? Let’s say you earn $500,000 a year as a founder for the next 30 years, and at the end you sell your company for anywhere between $30 and $60 million. Isn’t this a dream worth having?” — PROFESSOR SARAS SARASVATHY

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Batten Institute Support for Entrepreneurship Research This article was produced by the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology, of which Professor Sarasvathy is an academic director.

Effectual entrepreneurs start with immediately available means — who they are, what they know and whom they know — to come up with doable venture ideas. They control the downside by investing only what they can afford to lose. They collaborate with self-selecting stakeholders who are willing to commit resources to their fledgling ventures. “The goal is to co-create rather than predict the future,” says Sarasvathy, “often with surprising results.” Shimamoto, for one, created an outcome she didn’t expect. The hair cream she developed was intended for curly hair. She was surprised to find that customers with all kinds of hair were buying her product. As Sarasvathy puts it, “Allison developed this niche product, trying to solve a problem for individuals with Type 4 hair. It turns out that her solution is applicable to a much wider group of people.” PURSUING A WORTHY DREAM The Silicon Valley model of entrepreneurship has captured the imagination of the public, and many founders want to emulate it, despite the fact that it reflects only a sliver of startups. “Most startups are not VC-backed, high-growth ventures,” says Sarasvathy, who encourages her students to build enduring businesses instead. She asks, “What if you built a company that lasts 15, 30 years, and pays double what you’d earn as an MBA? Let’s say you earn $500,000 a year as a founder for the next 30 years, and at the end you sell your company for anywhere between 30 and 60 million dollars. Isn’t this a dream worth having?” That dream worked out well for Carrier and Jones, who grew 501 Auctions to more than a hundred employees without seeking outside investments. When they launched their venture as Darden students, Carrier and Jones didn’t expect that five years later they’d be bombarded with offers from interested buyers. They ended up selling because they could do so on their own terms. While 501 Auctions continues to create value for nonprofits under a different name, its sale gave Carrier the freedom to choose what’s worth pursuing. “After the sale,” he says, “I had a lot of personal flexibility for what came next in my career. I was a successful entrepreneur, and I had gained a lot of technology and startup skills with 501 Auctions.” Unsurprisingly, Carrier decided to use those skills to build another venture, REI Hub. He enjoys the freedom of running his own business. “It’s challenging and rewarding,” he says. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

The Batten Institute supports Sarasvathy’s research and her and other faculty’s curricular offerings in entrepreneurship — including courses such as “Effectual Entrepreneurship,” “Starting New Ventures” and “Venture Velocity” — through its Batten Faculty Fellows program. The institute also helps disseminate Sarasvathy’s influential research on the cognitive basis for high-performance entrepreneurship through the Effectual Thinking & Action Initiative. Founded in 1999, the Batten Institute seeks to challenge Darden students to fulfill their entrepreneurial potential through transformational learning experiences and groundbreaking research in its focus areas of startup creation, VC, entrepreneurship through acquisition, technology and corporate innovation. To learn about the institute, please visit batten.institute.

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INSTITUTE FOR BUSINESS IN SOCIETY

RESEARCH CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

A New Model for Big Change Public-Private Partnerships Are Changing How the World Tackles Societal Challenges

BY SALLY PARKER

MORE THAN 12 MILLION people around the world, including 300,000 in Ethiopia, live with corneal blindness, an entirely avoidable condition if access to quality care is available. It’s a devastating disease that impacts both children and adults in low- to middle-income communities. After coming together to address the problem, four partners — the Eye Bank of Ethiopia, Ethiopia Ministry of Health, global nonprofit eye bank SightLife and the Himalayan Cataract Project — completed thousands of corneal transplants. Today, the Eye Bank of Ethiopia Elimination of Corneal Blindness Partnership (EBE) is a model for public-private development in the fast-growing sub-Saharan region of Africa. The aim

is to ensure a steady supply of tissue and affordable eye care, and to integrate corneal health services into primary care. Humanity’s most basic needs — for food, shelter, education, health — are not being met in many parts of the world. The reasons are many and complex. The wheels are falling off old development models, where the goals of different sectors are often at odds with one another. EBE is a perfect example of a growing effort to collaborate across sectors to overcome financing and logistics barriers. How can more public-private partnerships, known as P3s, evolve so complicated projects for the public good can get off the ground? “Multi-sector partnerships are increasingly

used by companies and governments to distribute and manage risk. There are financial, political and technical reasons they would choose to partner with each other and with civil society institutions to get social, environmental and other kinds of projects done,” said Joey Burton, executive director of Darden’s Institute for Business in Society (IBiS). To shine a light on promising P3s, IBiS launched the P3 Impact Award program 10 years ago with social impact nonprofit Concordia and the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Global Partnerships. EBE won the award in 2020. The program’s aim: to better understand cross-sector partnership trends and develop best practices for solving environmental and social problems around the world. WINTER 2024

SPURRING PROGRESS ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

DEFI NED:

expert. “Otherwise, we’re just passing the problems around.”

“P3”

The P3 program has yielded critical data on the structure, design, function and successes of the P3 model in global development projects. Organizers recently released a report on key learnings from The P3 Impact Award’s first decade — which spanned the launch of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals and a crippling global pandemic. In 2015, the U.N. set 17 goals to achieve in 15 years as part of its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Now at the midpoint, progress on the development goals has stalled and even lost ground in some areas due to the pandemic and geopolitical instability. Professor Vidya Mani, faculty lead on the P3 award, is exploring ways the program’s data could help fill in gaps where development goals aren’t progressing as they should. Part of the holdup is that projects often measure outcomes and success differently: Two projects may share a development goal of decent work, for example, but they may not measure that outcome in the same way. Mani aims to create a set of best practices for collecting and analyzing outcome data at the ground level — using the experiences of P3 participants as a starting point. “This whole conversation gets lost very quickly, because you’ll find a lot of people saying a lot of things,” Mani said. “How do I know how you’re doing it and what is it accomplishing? Unless we have ways to measure, it’s like talking in inches and kilometers without knowing what the conversion is. We have this opportunity now to look back at 10 years of work and say, ‘What has worked, and what has not worked?’” To that end, Mani also plans to standardize impact metrics for P3 projects that are seeking next-stage funding. “We would find a way to measure and train people to start looking at outcomes that will enable them to go to that next stage,” she said. A wealth of information lies in the successes current programs have had so far — lessons that can enrich future efforts, Mani said. “Were you able to scale? Did you have to leave the area? Did you do something else? How did this program help? We will get a set of best practices and a rulebook for how to make the P3s work going forward.” The ultimate goal is holistic stability. “Not just you, your organization or your people; it’s the whole chain that needs to be sustainable,” said Mani, a former Franklin Fellow at the U.S. State Department and a supply chain 24

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ON-GROUNDS EXPERTISE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP

DEFI NED: “P3 IMPACT AWARD” A PROGRAM LAUNCHED 10 YEARS AGO BY IBIS, CONCORDIA AND THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE’S OFFICE OF GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS. THE PROGRAM’S AIM IS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND CROSS-SECTOR PARTNERSHIP TRENDS AND DEVELOP BEST PRACTICES FOR SOLVING ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS AROUND THE WORLD.

“Unless we have ways to measure, it’s like talking in inches and kilometers without knowing what the conversion is. We have this opportunity now to look back at 10 years of work and say, ‘What has worked, and what has not worked?’” — PROFESSOR VIDYA MANI

Darden faculty members have diverse expertise reimagining the role of businesses in solving large societal problems. The School’s faculty has formed a research group to focus on current public-private partnerships in the United States. They’re looking at how P3s might be adjusted so that local communities benefit from not only the projects themselves but the financial designs that underpin them. Students will use cases to define the characteristics that lead to the best outcomes. “As a research center, IBiS is a conduit of information between the partnerships and the faculty. Data from the partnerships informs the faculty’s research, creating insights that are shared in the Darden classroom as well as the practicing world,” IBiS Director Maggie Morse said. The P3 Impact Award has evolved into a prestigious event to share ideas back to practitioners. Each year, five finalists for the award are picked from among dozens of P3 partnership applicants in the annual competition and an overall winner is announced at the Concordia Annual Summit. During the summit, finalists come together to explore ways their goals might interlock. Sharing their challenges and revealing proprietary data require a leap of faith, but summit participants know they are fighting intractable global challenges on many different fronts. “The summit provides a stage for the partnerships to receive international recognition as well as an opportunity to learn and network with others who are all in this space,” said Morse. The P3 program also provides resources for practitioners who are interested in leveraging the power of P3s, such as case studies on the finalists. The winning partnership receives a scholarship to attend a Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning program. By sharing the learnings from the P3 program with students, alumni and practitioners, IBiS elevates the P3 model so more partnerships can reach impact and scale, Morse added. “Business leaders agree they can’t operate in a silo. This is where the importance of idea sharing comes in. Through our relationships with alumni, and with the organizations they lead, we are able to support the School and faculty and, in turn, the practicing world.”

“Business leaders agree they can’t operate in a silo. This is where the importance of idea sharing comes in. Through our relationships with alumni, and with the organizations they lead, we are able to help the School and faculty and, in turn, the practicing world.” — MAGGIE MORSE, DIRECTOR, IBIS

WINTER 2024

RICHARD A. MAYO CENTER FOR ASSET MANAGEMENT

RESEARCH CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

ESG INVESTING AT A CROSSROADS Darden Research Puts ESG Investing Under the Microscope and Finds a Path for More Impact

The past decade has seen a dramatic rise in ESG investing — industry shorthand for investments that take environmental, social and governance issues into account. In part, that’s a response to corporate scandals going back years, says Professor Pedro Matos, academic director of Darden’s Richard A. Mayo Center for Asset Management. BY MICHAEL BLANDING

DA R D E N R E P O R T

“On the governance dimension, ESG investing goes all the way back to Enron and the fraud by executives and directors that existed there,” he says. “On the environment, it’s been industrial disasters like BP’s oil spill and Volkswagen’s Deiselgate emissions scandal. And on the social side, you have issues like Facebook’s data privacy breach, not to mention more recent controversies on how companies treated their workforces, customers and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Rising interest, says Matos, spurred investment managers — including the “big three” of BlackRock, State Street and Vanguard — to tout ESG-focused offerings, for both idealistic and practical reasons. On the one hand, “they have felt an increased responsibility for helping us live

WINTER 2024

“Many companies are already voluntarily reporting on their websites or to investors, but we need to make sure everyone is following the same framework and that ESG data is reliable. There are many shades of green, and we need to know everyone means the same green.” — P ROFESSOR PEDRO MATOS

in a more sustainable society,” Matos says. On the other, “these things can blow back” and harm investors when sustainability issues aren’t addressed. How much are investor efforts making a difference in creating a more sustainable world, however? Curious to see, Matos and his team at the Mayo Center conducted a series of studies looking at how ESG investing efforts translated into actual practices on ESG issues. They found that, overall, investors are much more likely to “talk the talk” on ESG issues rather than “walk the walk,” and even well-meaning efforts don’t necessarily bear fruit in real outcomes. If investors really want to make a difference, he concludes, they need to fundamentally rethink the way they implement ESG. LEGAL ISSUES, POLITICS, GREENWASHING HOLD ESG BACK Matos began by looking at the United Nations-sponsored Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), a set of six guidelines launched in 2006 that have become the most influential roadmap for investment firms and 28

DA R D E N R E P O R T

asset owners seeking to drive ESG improvements. Institutional investors that sign onto the PRI make a pledge to report their annual progress. This meant Matos could examine investors including mutual funds, pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and insurance companies to examine the progress they reported and compare it to the actual makeup of their equity portfolios, as determined by scores from three leading ESG data providers. He shared his findings in a paper published in the Review of Finance, co-written with Simon Glossner, a former Mayo Center post-doctoral researcher now at the Federal Reserve Board; Ranja Gibson-Brandon and Philipp Krueger of the University of Geneva; and Tom Steffen of Osmosis Investment Management. The researchers found that, on average, PRI signatory investors reported integrating ESG into approximately two-thirds of the equity investment decisions they made, either by excluding companies with poor ESG practices, actively including best-in-class stocks, or creating theme-based funds around certain environmental or social issues. They found that European investors that signed onto PRI had better portfolio ESG scores versus

nonsignatories. Furthermore, the portfolios of PRI investors based in the United States scored no different than those of non-PRI institutions — and in some cases, scored worse. How could that be? In part, says Matos, U.S.-based institutional investors are hamstrung by legal constraints that require that they follow fiduciary duty principles and prioritize risk-adjusted financial returns over environmental or social considerations. There has also been a backlash against ESG investing, including anti-ESG legislation proposed at state and federal levels. But he and his fellow researchers also found a fair amount of “greenwashing” by investment firms. “A number of investment firms market themselves employing ESG principles, including their PRI membership, but then we find they do little to walk the walk,” Matos says. “There’s a gap between what they say and what they do.” CLEANING UP PORTFOLIOS, NOT THE PLANET Matos and his team identified a fundamental problem with ESG investing as it is practiced

DE F I N E D : “PRINCIPLES FOR RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENT (PRI)”

PRINCIPLE 1

We will incorporate ESG issues into investment analysis and decision-making processes. PRINCIPLE 2

We will be active owners and incorporate ESG issues into our ownership policies and practices. PRINCIPLE 3

We will seek appropriate disclosure on ESG issues by the entities in which we invest. PRINCIPLE 4

We will promote acceptance and implementation of the Principles within the investment industry. PRINCIPLE 5

We will work together to enhance our effectiveness in implementing the Principles. PRINCIPLE 6

We will each report on our activities and progress towards implementing the Principles. Learn more at www.unpri.org/ about-us/about-the-pri.

by many institutions: by choosing not to invest in stocks of corporations with poor ESG track records, they aren’t necessarily impacting company behaviors. In fact, the strategy might be counterproductive, Matos says, since it limits the influence an ESG-minded investor can have over a corporation. “If the predominant investment strategy is to decarbonize your portfolio, then you’re just shifting the problem onto shareholders who may be less inclined or willing to engage,” Matos says. “You might be making your portfolio greener, but you aren’t helping to make the planet greener.” In a new working paper, co-written with Glossner, Krueger and Mayo Center post-doc Vaska Atta-Darkua, the researchers found evidence that is, in fact, the case. The paper used data from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), an international nonprofit launched in 2000, and the more recent Climate Action 100+, created in the wake of the 2015 Paris climate change agreement. Both initiatives represent ambitious efforts to help decarbonize the economy through corporate disclosure and investor engagement. By matching corporate emissions with investor portfolios, the researchers found that institutional investors overall have been actively decarbonizing their portfolios over the last 15 years, and that investors that join the CDP decarbonize faster than those that don’t. However, they found no significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the high-emitting companies, leading researchers to conclude that these investor portfolio reductions are due to divesting out of high-emitting companies and reweighting toward low-emitting companies, rather than engaging with companies to reduce their emissions. The existing portfolio decarbonization strategy of divestment is not likely to be effective any time soon, Matos says. “If the CDP and Climate Action 100+ investors were the entirety of institutional money, they could potentially starve companies of capital, so brown companies could find it extremely costly to raise capital,” Matos says. “But we are not seeing that happening.” A BETTER WAY FORWARD

“Portfolio divestment was a logical position for investors to take as they started to look at environmental considerations. But what we’ve come to realize is that, if you choose to sell assets that are public securities, you are just selling them to someone else. So why should we think that would have much of an impact in the real world?” — C ELIA DALLAS (MBA ’96) CAMBRIDGE ASSOCIATES

Creating a new ESG investing strategy that could meaningfully affect corporate sustainability will not be easy, Matos says. Such a strategy would have to start with creating better standards for disclosure and transparency, especially in the United States. “Many companies are already voluntarily reporting on their websites or to investors, but we need to make sure everyone is following the same framework and that ESG data is reliable,” Matos says. “There are many shades of green, and we need to know everyone means the same green.” The harder part of the equation is to figure out ways for institutional investors to actively engage with companies in their portfolio, pushing them toward better ESG practices, rather than just selling them to other investors who don’t care as much. That idea resonates with Celia Dallas (MBA ’96), chief investment strategist and partner with the global investment consulting firm Cambridge Associates. “Portfolio divestment was a logical position for investors to take as they started to look at environmental considerations,” she says. “But what WINTER 2024

we’ve come to realize is that, if you choose to sell assets that are public securities, you are just selling them to someone else. So why should we think that would have much of an impact in the real world?” In September 2021, Cambridge Associates joined 11 other investment consulting firms in a new Net Zero Pledge, supporting its institutional clients in pushing them to improve their environmental impact, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Dallas concedes that such a goal is daunting — requiring collective action by investors to stand up for their convictions. “Returns might improve if efforts are successful, and they might improve if you do nothing, but if the efforts are not successful, it creates a bad situation for everybody,” she says. As a first step, Dallas says, Cambridge Associates has helped educate clients on the levers they can pull to pressure investment managers, who can in turn pressure company boards to reform their practices. Currently, she says, 8 percent of the assets under advisement have made the 2050 net-zero pledge, with another 8 percent making a different net-zero pledge. While that’s only modest progress so far, she says, “if we had looked at this two years ago, that would have been zero.” At Darden, students are working to create their own impact. Alex Hassan (Class of 2024) 30

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“We’re trying to identify risk and opportunities that aren’t immediately apparent when doing a purely fundamental analysis. There are no explicit ESG-related restrictions, but we’re trying to really scrutinize companies on their ESG practices to figure out which ones to include.” — A LEX HASSAN (CLASS OF 2024), SENIOR PORTFOLIO MANAGER OF THE $4 MILLION ROTUNDA FUND, ONE OF SIX FUNDS MANAGED BY SECOND YEAR STUDENTS THROUGH DARDEN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

serves as senior portfolio manager for the Rotunda Fund, one of six investment portfolios managed by Second Years as part of Darden Capital Management. The Rotunda Fund specifically seeks higher returns through investing in companies with sound ESG practices. The Rotunda Fund operates by seeking out stock of companies that are best in their industry in ESG measures, rather than excluding poor-performing companies. “We’re trying to identify risk and opportunities that aren’t immediately apparent when doing a purely fundamental analysis,” Hassan says. “There are no explicit ESG-related restrictions, but we’re trying to really scrutinize companies on their ESG practices to figure out which ones to include.” With about $4 million under management, the fund isn’t likely to have a direct impact on company decisions, but he hopes it can have a multiplier effect by educating Darden students on the importance of ESG principles. The fund opens its meetings to outside students, and many First Years often attend to observe Hassan and the fund’s two other portfolio managers make decisions. “A lot of students at Darden are going to leave to become leaders in the business world,” Hassan says. “By having this practical experience focused on ESG initiatives, they can go on to have real-world impact.”

“If the predominant investment strategy is to decarbonize your portfolio, then you’re just shifting the problem onto shareholders who may be less inclined or willing to engage. You might be making your portfolio greener, but you aren’t helping to make the planet greener.” — PROFESSOR PEDRO MATOS

WINTER 2024

MEASURING THE HYPE THE FUTURE OF AI, BLOCKCHAIN, VR AND THE METAVERSE

Insights from Dennie Kim and Tim Laseter Written by John Borgquist

Illustrations by Janis Andzans

DA R D E N R E P O R T

What place do AI, blockchain and the metaverse hold in the future of business? And where does one even start to answer such a massive, open question? Darden Professors Dennie Kim and Tim Laseter have advice for forward-thinking business leaders navigating — and shaping — this future: Separate overinflated expectations from the business cases that will unlock real value. The past is rife with examples of companies, products and ideas that became media darlings only to lose the public’s attention span or fail to gain widespread adoption. The well-known Gartner Hype Cycle details these phases of an innovation’s lifecycle: Publicity, excitement and failures that accompany the peak may all be followed by a trough of waning interest. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the overall technology is just a flash in the pan. Good execution of good ideas changes what the future looks like. Looking back, even to the recent past, we can learn from examples of both overinflated expectations and cases of enlightened business practice that promise — or have already delivered — genuine value and mass adoption.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

An autonomous computer algorithm that can synthesize vast troves of data and complete complex tasks

A GitHub survey finds that over 90 percent of software developers use AI to speed coding tasks.

Overinflated?

In 1955, the term “artificial intelligence” is coined in a workshop proposal prepared by Dartmouth, Harvard, IBM and Bell Labs. In November of 1998, the turn of phrase is featured on the cover of Forbes: “Artificial Intelligence Gets Real.” Enlightened?

Presently, generative AI tools such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Bard are disrupting a host of industries. Meanwhile, a GitHub survey finds that over 90 percent of software developers use AI to speed coding tasks.

THE METAVERSE

A virtual-reality space in which users can interact with a computer-generated environment and other users AUGMENTED REALITY (AR) AND VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) HEADSETS

Technology that helps create a mixed reality, visually blending digital images into the user’s physical surroundings (AR) or presenting a simulation of an interactive environment (VR)

Overinflated?

In October 2021, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announces plans to rename his company “Meta,” to highlight its plans to bring the metaverse to life. Enlightened?

Overinflated?

In June 2012, Sergey Brin of Google introduces Google Glass “smart glasses,” displaying a live demo of the experience of device-wearing skydivers parachuting to the San Francisco Convention Center at its developer conference.

Roblox, a gaming platform created for players to both design and engage in virtual experiences, is founded in 2006. It now attracts over 200 million active monthly users, over half of whom are under 12 years old.

Enlightened?

BLOCKCHAIN

A decentralized ledger system that can log millions of transaction events in real time

In June 2023, Apple, renowned for creating consumer-focused hardware and software, announces a June 2024 release date of its “spatial computing” Vision Pro, a 3D headset controlled by users’ eyes and voice as well as hands.

Overinflated?

In January 2022, Paris Hilton hawks her non-fungible token (NFT) on The Tonight Show. In November of that year, cryptocurrency exchange FTX files for bankruptcy. Enlightened?

As of July 2023, Ukraine had raised more than $200 million in aid through cryptocurrency contributions, and projects around the world are working to use blockchain and cryptocurrency to enable market participation and economic development in developing communities.

Professors Dennie Kim and Tim Laseter lead the Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning course Unlocking Value of AI, Blockchain and Digital Assets. For more information, visit www.darden.virginia.edu/ executive-education. WINTER 2024

ALUMNI

PROFILE

20 QUESTIONS

SUSAN SOBBOTT (MBA ’90)

A Susan Sobbott (MBA ’90) currently serves as a mentor and adviser after 25 years in senior roles at American Express.

Business leaders can be gamechangers. Business is not only about the profits, but also about being a positive force.” 34

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purpose-driven leader, Susan Sobbott (MBA ’90) boasts over 25 years of experience at American Express, including president and general manager of global commercial services and president and general manager of American Express OPEN. Expanding her impact, she has become a sought-after adviser, board member and mentor across a diverse range of businesses. Sobbott’s influence extends to her roles as a board member for publicly traded WEX, venture-backed Bambee and the nonprofit ideas42, in addition to serving on the Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees. Customer insight and team culture take the spotlight in every endeavor she undertakes. A trailblazer for women’s leadership, Sobbott navigated her own path to senior leadership roles while championing the cause for others. At American Express, she chaired the global Women’s Interests Network and spearheaded flexible work arrangements and parent programs. Sobbott also developed the Women’s Business Initiative, supporting female founders in growing their startups. A fierce champion for entrepreneurs, she created Small Business Saturday and the Shop Small movement, encouraging consumers to patronize small, independent businesses. Learn what propels Sobbott in this edition of 20 Questions.

1. What was your first job? At 15, I worked for a local orthodontist after school. When I asked to reduce my hours to focus on my AP classes, he insultingly predicted I “wouldn’t amount to anything.” First job, first lesson: Find my own power. I fortified my resolve to prove him wrong! 2. What advice do you most often share? When faced with a tough decision, remember what you value. The answer will be clear. Integrity not only means being honest, but also means “being whole and undivided” — aligning your actions with what matters most. 3. Whom do you most admire? My father is my role model — an eternal optimist who faced life’s challenges with unwavering resilience.

ALUMNI

4. What motivates you? Helping others connect to their purpose and achieve their vision. 5. What is your superpower? Cutting through complexity, getting to the heart of an issue and then asking the right questions. The right questions can illuminate a path forward. 6. When and where do you do your best thinking? Downtime is rocket fuel for my creativity. It’s counterintuitive, but stepping back often brings a fresh perspective. 7. What’s been on your mind lately? We live in an era characterized by distrust. People aren’t exactly placing bets on government, education, religion or even businesses to do what’s right. But here’s the thing: Business leaders can be game-changers. Business is not only about the profits, but also about being a positive force. I’m constantly pondering how I can nudge things further in that direction. 8. What are you reading these days? Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus and Powered by Me, From Burned Out to Fully Charged at Work and in Life by Neha Sangwan. Despite vastly different genres, both dive into living with intention and staying true to yourself. Highly recommend! 9. How do you recharge? I love great storytelling in film, art, theater and music. It carries me out of my world and into another and inspires me to discover my own ingenuity.

“

PROFILE

YOUR INVESTMENT IN DARDEN IS AN INVESTMENT IN YOU. THE TIME IS SHORT, THE IMPACT LONG. BE PRESENT AND SAVOR IT.”

16. Which class at Darden impacted you the most? A&C (Analysis and Communications). As an introvert, I was not very confident in front of a crowd. The repeated (and intimidating) practice of thinking on my feet and responding to the demands of the moment cultivated one of my most powerful skills and sowed the seeds of my ability to listen, connect and influence. 17. What’s your favorite Darden memory? My favorite (and worst!) memory is from First Year, first semester Finance class. I came to Darden with that insufferable investment banking swagger, and early one fall morning, I found myself on the receiving end of a softball cold call. I confidently delivered precisely the wrong answer. My Section C mates smoothed over my gaffe, without judgment or stoking my overwhelming embarrassment. Lesson learned and never forgotten: Darden is about camaraderie over competition. 18. What’s your No. 1 tip for current Darden students? Embrace and enjoy each other, the Darden faculty and administration, and most importantly, your time immersed in the Darden experience. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in all the work, in the job seeking pressure and in your performance. Your investment in Darden is an investment in you. The time is short, the impact long. Be present and savor it. 19. You’re a member of several boards. How do you choose which boards to serve on, and do you have advice for Darden alumni considering board work?

11. How do you deal with conflict? With empathy. I prefer transparent, yet compassionate communication. It’s essential in resolving conflict.

My criteria is simple: 1. Healthy mission-driven companies 2. with integrous leaders 3. solving meaningful problems with innovative solutions 4. delivering value for all stakeholders 5. where I can make a difference.

12. What characteristics do you look for in people? Integrity, curiosity, generosity, commitment, resilience and enthusiastic collaboration — building something great is a team effort.

My advice: Be sure you are willing to invest the time to have informed points of view, and speak up even if yours is the only voice on an issue.

13. What makes you feel hopeful? My children and their generation. Their energy to make the world better is contagious.

20. You joined the Darden Foundation Board of Trustees in 2021. What are you most passionate about in your role as a trustee? Darden is a place where it is not only encouraged but demanded that you claim what you care deeply about. Not only because of its role in advancing your career, but also because it matters. That self-awareness unlocks something inside each member of the Darden community that fuels boundless courage and creativity, and a contagious persuasiveness to influence the future contributions of business to a better world.

10. What’s your motto? The future is ours to create.

14. What is your favorite cause? The One Love Foundation, created in response to tragic events here at UVA. One Love educates students and raises awareness of the warning signs of relationship abuse. 15. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? At the beach! Wouldn’t you?

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CLASS NOTES

CLASS

NOTES Reunion Weekend: 26–28 APRIL

CALL FOR ABBOTT AWARD NOMINATIONS The Charles C. Abbott Award is named in honor of the first dean of the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. The award is presented annually to a graduate of the Darden School or The Executive Program whose contributions of time, energy and talent are outstanding. The Alumni Association recognizes the recipient as an individual who: Demonstrates a strong level of interest in and concern for Darden’s mission Commits a generous amount of time, energy and funds to Darden Brings initiative and persistence to projects and responsibilities

Please nominate a fellow alumna or alumnus at alumni.darden. edu/abbottnomination. You will be asked to provide the nominee’s name and an explanation of why you identify this person as a strong candidate for the award. The Abbott Award will be presented to the recipient during Darden Reunion Weekend. Please direct questions to the Office of Advancement at +1-434-243-8977 or alumni@darden.virginia.edu.

Is regarded by other stakeholders as an outstanding contributor

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CLASS NOTES

401 Park Street Charlottesville, VA 22902

434.977.4005 lwoodriff@loringwoodriff.com

EXCEPTIONAL HOME WITH PRIVACY IN FARMINGTON

LUXURY CUSTOM IN KESWICK ESTATE

1525 BROOK HILL LANE $4,300,000 This exceptional Farmington Country Club home has generously proportioned rooms, 12’ ceilings, large windows, hardwood floors, 4 fireplaces & superb flow for easy 1-level living. Richly appointed spaces including spacious living room with stone fireplace, 3 add’l fireplaces in the dining room, library & family room. 4 large bedrooms each w/ en-suite bath. Well-appointed kitchen adjoins breakfast nook, butler’s pantry & wet bar. 20x30 terrace-level multipurpose room has large windows & built-in bookcases. Outdoor living w/ over 1600sf of deck & patio space. Mature landscaping and specimen trees. Punkie Feil (434) 962-5222 or Elizabeth Feil Matthews (434) 284-2105. MLS# 645940 PRISTINE KESWICK ESTATE 10 MINS TO TOWN

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2884 PALMER DRIVE • $2,595,000 Custom home w/ high quality craftsmanship, 1-level living & open concept offers traditional architecture & modern conveniences. Located on a secluded lot w/ mature trees next to trails & amenities of Keswick Club. Covered front & rear porches enities of Keswick Cluplus lush lawn space. Second floor offers sitting area, 2nd laundry rm & 3 spacious BRs all w/ ensuite baths. Tommy Brannock (434) 981-1486. MLS# 644156

GORGEOUS HOME & EQUESTRIAN FACILITIES

464 CLARKS TRACT • $4,900,000

1055 EAST WATER STREET • $1,825,000

12046 SPICERS MILL ROAD • $1,875,000

Comprised of 216 acres in the heart of Keswick Estate Country, Arabelle Farm offers a turn-key equestrian property, recently refurbished farm improvements & renovation of the c.1910 5 bed/5 full/2 half bath residence. 23 stall, center aisle barn w/ 2 apts, 5-bay car garage as well as a 2-bay oversized garage w/ renovated 2 bed apt above, 10 paddocks w/ run-ins, & 2 beautiful ponds. Firefly Fiber internet. Rebecca White (434) 531-5097 or Loring Woodriff (434) 466-2992. MLS# 640549

Located within a few blocks of the Downtown Mall, Belmont & Midtown, this sophisticated 3 bed, 3 full plus 2 half bath home offers the best downtown lifestyle. All 3 bedrms are ensuite, incl’ luxurious full floor master suite. Rooftop terrace w/ gas fire pit offers city & mtn views. 2 garage pkg spaces plus plenty of guest parking. Other features incl’ gas fireplace in the living/dining/kitchen, deck off the kitchen & many built-ins. MLS# 646519

Hamilton Farm offers custom home & equestrian amenities. Floor plan w/ flow & privacy has wings for huge master suite & guest quarters bracketing living, dining, great rm that opens to kitchen & deck, home office, & laundry. 2 ensuite bedrms upstairs & oversized att’d garage. 32 acres of open land, centeraisle barn w/ 12x12 stalls w/ auto waterers, board fenced pastures w/ run-in sheds, ample arena w/ excellent footing, & jumping field. Julia Parker Lyman (540) 748-1497. MLS# 646253

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17439 ROCKLANDS DRIVE $1,800,000

113 ALTAMONT CIRCLE • $1,599,000 Extremely rare opportunity to live just a few blocks from parks, restaurants & shopping. 1920’s character in this charming light-filled home w/ original woodwork, moldings & hardwood floors, dramatic foyer w/ fireplace, tall ceilings, deep welcoming front porch, & truly remarkable backyard oasis w/ swimming pool. 5 bedrms & 3.5 baths, incl’ 1st flr primary suite & elevator to main level & partially fin. basement. Sally Neill (434) 531-9941. MLS# 646332

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Located on one of Virginia’s most scenic & protected byways, this magnificent estate parcel offers multiple dramatic building sites, all set in absolute privacy & tranquility yet w/ stunning, panoramic views of the Virginia countryside. One building site in particular located about 2/3 of a mile off the state road offers staggering Blue Ridge views plus panoramic views of the surrounding, protected countryside in all directions. The rolling topography offers about 55 acres of lush meadows & 25 acres of mature hardwoods. Fiber internet! Zero road exposure & not in any flight paths, yet close to 2 charming small towns & within 25 min of Charlottesville via gorgeous State Route 231. Under conservation easement w/ no division rights. No square footage maximums! MLS# 647348

WWW.LORINGWOODRIFF.COM

To update your contact information, call +1-434-243-8977 or email alumni@darden.virginia.edu

CLASS NOTES ABBOTT SOCIET Y (1957-72)

Anne and Dick Wilson celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on 27 May 2023 with family and friends. Carson Gleberman (MBA ’86) brought her mother, Mary Ann Quarngesser Willingham, to the event.

Conley Ricker conleyricker@yahoo.com With a great deal of sadness, we share news of the passing of our classmate Randy Cabell on 7 September 2023. Randy was a dedicated student of the Darden culture, as shown this past June. When his health was failing and he was unable to contribute to the Darden Annual Fund, he agreed that I would contribute for him and be reimbursed by his son, Ran. And this is what happened. Even then, he was committed to the Darden future. Randy graduated from Georgia Tech in 1954 with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in electric engineering. He was then commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, in which he served for two years. Two days after he graduated from the Darden School

Dick Wilson (MBA ’57) sang to his wife, Anne, their lifelong favorite song, “The Nearness of You,” at their 70th anniversary celebration.

of Business, he married Mary Kay, his wife of the past 64 years. For the next 28 years he enjoyed his career at IBM as an engineer. As his fellow graduates know, Randy had a collateral career in music. He was a talented musician and composer, and he played a variety of instruments, including the saxophone, piano, and ukulele. He was a composer of both Dixieland and band music, as well as the founder of a Dixieland band. Many of Randy’s compositions were recorded on CDs for the enjoyment and delight of his fellow graduates. In retirement at WindsorMeade in Williamsburg, Virginia, he and Mary Kay would perform a variety of musical pieces on Sunday afternoons from their balcony overlooking a courtyard, to the delight of hundreds of their fellow residents. Randy is survived by his wife, Mary Kay; five children; fifteen grandchildren; and eight greatgrandchildren. Also surviving is the ballad he composed and recorded, entitled “Charlie Abbott, King of the Business School.” We are all blessed to have both Randy and Mary Kay as endearing members of our Darden family. We are sure that the memories of Randy, from his time at Darden and thereafter, will continue indefinitely with our fellow graduates. Wally Stettinius and Winkie just celebrated the marriage of one of their granddaughters. They both attended the ceremony in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Stettinius family also has seven greatgrandchildren, which, as you can imagine, keeps them quite busy. I spoke to Ned Hardison, who is still active on the board of directors of Charlotte Pipe and Foundry Company. He attends five board meetings annually, which requires continual analysis of financial statements and recommendations on the strategic direction of the company. Jim Daniel and his long-time partner, “the Squirrel,” are still active supporters of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation after they donated their ocean-going yacht to the foundation. The Daniels are very much looking forward to our 65th Reunion on 26–28 April next year. Howard Ulfelder and his wife, Susan, have spent many enjoyable years at the retirement home River Woods in Exeter, New Hampshire. After many years of service, Howie has just retired as trustee of RiverWoods. The Ulfelder family is now dealing with an abundance of publicity because of national attention on the

presidential primary in their state, together with the state of Iowa, regarding the presidential election in 2024. Theo Herbert and Theresa still reside in Belgium, which faces a war to its east after the Russian Bear invaded Ukraine, and now a war to the south between Israel and Hamas. Understandably, Theo spends a great deal of time watching daily developments in the news, in addition to spending time on his determined exercise program. Bill Smith and Jean traveled to Mamaroneck, New York, to attend the wedding of their grandson Alex. Bill and Jean have seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. They live in Wilmington, North Carolina. Bill Marburg’s daughter, Chandler, reports that her dad is doing as well as can be expected after the loss of his wife, Tineke, last year. Another of Bill’s daughters, Flori, has relocated near her dad in Mendota, Virginia, and visits him frequently. Those of our Class who attended our 60th Reunion in 2019 will remember the excellent entertainment Bill and Tineke provided as “Bill Clifton” (Bill’s stage name), and how his guitar took center stage. Chandler plans to bring her dad, Bill, to our 65th Reunion in April of next year. Jeff Robertson and Nancy follow very closely, with a great deal of pride, their grandson who is training in Europe as a member of the United States Ski Team. He will be competing this winter, representing the United States in the Paris Olympics. Jeff is also engaged in observing and managing his eleven acres in Rochester, Minnesota. He keeps an eye on flocks of wild turkey and a small herd of deer, one member of which is raising two fawns on his property. “Reb” Blanchard, Bob and Ginger Blanchard’s son, is visiting his mom and dad at their home in the Atlantic Shore Retirement Community in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He started in Norfolk, Virginia, and is on his way to somewhere in the Bahamas, crewing with five others on an ocean-going sailboat. At their retirement home, Ginger has a designated plot of ground on which she can exercise her passion of raising plants and flowers. Rich Ruedi just returned to his home in Decatur, Illinois, from a one-week visit to Kansas City, Missouri. (“Going to Kansas City, Kansas City here I come! They got crazy little women there, and I’m gonna get me one!” Remember that one? Delightfully, it goes way back!) Rich

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was visiting his two children, and they kept him an entire week instead of the weekend he usually spends. One of Rich’s sons is a submariner who retired from the Navy as a commander. In his last assignment he was a member of the staff of the U.S. admiral responsible for NATO’s entire submarine fleet. Rich mentioned that this son, who lives in Virginia Beach, may drive him to our Reunion in April of next year. Rich, and various members of his family, continue to spend summers at the family’s cabin resort near Pentwater, Michigan, which has been in the family for more than 100 years. Dick Rutledge reports: “My tennis activities are limited now to being an enthusiastic spectator. My 54th straight attendance at the U.S. Open was this year. I have always taken a small group of friends to two days of the tournament. This year was the biggest attendance at the Open ever. My daughter Elizabeth is always in the group. She has also been with me to the French Open and Wimbledon in the recent past. I spend most of my time reading The New York Times in its entirety, and I do physical therapy five days a week. Sometimes during my exercises at PT I announce, ‘When you see me coming, better step aside, a lotta men didn’t and a lotta men died...’ I also pay attention to three different churches, mostly in person but also online. Fleming is still publishing. Her 11th book, Epiphany: The Season of Glory, is coming out this month.” All of us in the Class of ’59 can be quite proud of our level of participation in this year’s Darden Annual Fund drive. More than 70 percent of us participated, ranking our Class among the highest of all the Darden graduating classes. Your scribe and the staff at Darden extend a gracious thank-you to the Class of ’59. In addition, your scribe continues to live a blessed life. I am still actively managing my real estate firm, Bankers Realty LLC., managing the five houses I own, and writing my fourth book, Midnight Ditties. My third book, A Memoir: Grandeur Unexpected (dedicated to my twin grandchildren, a boy and a girl, age 5), was completed last August and contains “Chapter 8: My MBA Experience.” The chapter was edited, not only by Mrs. John D. Forbes, but also by Linda Kaufman, Jim Daniel, Bob Blanchard, and Wally Stettinius, to all of whom I extend a gracious and appreciative “thank you.” A copy of this chapter is avail-

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CLASS NOTES

able to Class members upon request to my email: conleyricker@yahoo.com. Regarding our planned 65th reunion on 26–28 April of next year: the staff at Darden has reserved a block of rooms at the Sonesta ES Suites at 1111 Millmont Street in Charlottesville. Their telephone number is +1-434923-0300. The code is “UVA Darden Reunion Weekend.” If you have not already, they suggest you book your room as soon as possible. Given the inevitable cycle of life and the inexorable, nearly unbelievable, turning of the calendar pages, we are calling our 65th Reunion “Our Last Hurrah!” On this joyous occasion, we look forward to seeing and rejoicing again with as many of our graduates as possible.

Bob Gaines Rgaines379@gmail.com Bob Gaines says he overbooked himself this fall. He ended up traveling with AAPRCO around Vermont in a consist of eight private railcars to view the fall foliage over his 85th birthday in October. He then hustled down and back to Tennessee for the inauguration of an old friend as the new vice chancellor and president of Sewanee. He got back in time to leave for the “Castles of Transylvania,” a trip on the Golden Eagle Danube Express through Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary. Bob took a rest stop in Munich, Germany, to rehydrate before returning to the states. In between his travels, Bob squeezed in a trip to Charlottesville for the Darden annual meeting to be updated on “things new at Darden.” He experienced a stay at the new Forum Hotel and marveled at the incredible gardens between Darden and the Law School. On their 45th anniversary date in December, Marjorie and Bob will leave for Rome to join an “Iconic Mediterranean” cruise aboard one of Viking’s new ocean-going ships that carries about 900 passengers. They will visit ports such as Florence, Italy; Marseille, France; Montpellier, France; and Barcelona, Spain, before coming back in January of the new year.

alumni@darden.virginia.edu The Class of ’64 is excited to celebrate their 60th Darden Reunion in Charlottesville on 26–28 April 2024. We hope you are making plans

to come back to Darden for the celebrations. Check out the list of Reunion hotel blocks and book early as hotels tend to fill up fast! If you are interested in volunteering on the reunion committee, please email alumni@ darden.virginia.edu. Reunion registration will launch in February so be sure to look out for updates. We look forward to seeing you all this spring at Darden!

Frank Ellett ftellett@exceltg.com Jim Norman replied to my urgent request for news on his 83rd birthday and wrote: “I am healthy, and yet, grumpy daily. I am traveling to Atlanta, Georgia, to see the children for my birthday. I have three grandchildren in college (Tufts, Layette, and Worcester Poly) and four still in high school. I am just back from London, England, where our group met the archbishop of Canterbury. It was an outstanding event; the archbishop is so knowledgeable about world activities and, obviously, the royal family’s activities also. In earlier travels, I went to Spain, Paris, and Montenegro, where my son and his family live. Delta seems to be ready when we are. I am now retired, writing newsletter about batteries and electric vehicles to keep busy. It is the technology of the next few years that will affect all of us.” Lucien Bass had some disturbing news which has turned out well: “After attending a wedding in northern Virginia on the last weekend of August, the following Monday I started showing high blood pressure. The bottom line: a heart attack resulting in a stent being placed in one of my heart’s arteries. I went home after three days in the UVA hospital, but then I collapsed with tachycardia. It was back to UVA after having CPR twice. That episode resulted in my now having a defibrillator. All is well now, except my energy level is low. I’m starting cardio rehab next week. I can’t say enough good things about UVA cardiology. Other than this experience, it has been a normal summer with our usual two weeks at the beach.” Bruce MacAlister and Kathy: “We spent some of the summer with family at the lake in Maine where Bruce grew up. Then we had two weeks of a teenage granddaughter visiting. The big task for the fall is Bruce moving his radio room from the largest room on the second floor to the smallest. With transistors

To update your contact information, call +1-434-243-8977 or email alumni@darden.virginia.edu

and chips, amateur radio transceivers and computers have all gotten smaller and the size of the electronics projects have shrunk, so a small room fits. The large room will become a more spacious guest bedroom.” Walter Witschey had some good advice: “Mind the deer this season. As I was driving to town three weeks ago at about 7:20 a.m., an 11-point buck jumped into the road out from thick woods — two bounds, two seconds, and it was over (for me, but not for the buck). The buck bumped over onto his side, scrambled back to his feet, and departed at speed. My car deployed all airbags, shut down the engine, and was patiently waiting. I inspected the modest damage to the car (broken front-end plastic, etc.) successfully restarted it, tucked the airbags into likely spots such as the center of the steering wheel, and was on time to my 7:30 a.m. appointment. “I came out of shock within the hour, only to be shocked again. What appeared to be about $750 worth of damage was assessed at $16,800 (90 percent of that was for the airbag replacement). The car was totaled. Its replacement is in the driveway, and my few small bruises are virtually healed. Mind the deer!” Walter continues with news of his family: “The kids are fine, and the firstborn turns 57 today. The grandkids are fine too: Logan got to conn our newest fast-attack submarine, on which he manages the nuclear power plant. Emily and Javi have new jobs in Chicago, Illinois, and they took their daughter (our great-granddaughter) Cleo Simone on her first excursion — to New Zealand. Lucy and Neely became college freshmen at the University of Illinois Chicago and at Berry College. Alex and Hannah graduated (Sewanee and Ohio State) and have respectable jobs with ADP and Battelle Memorial Institute. Ian and his significant other, Shannon, are headed to South America and Antarctica for some months or years after earning enough at Microsoft in three years to go traveling and freewheeling for three more. Joan is well at over two years cancer-free, and I am wrestling with the final manuscript of Atlas of the Ancient Maya World with Cliff Brown to deliver to Brill Publishing in the Netherlands within 90 days.”

Greg Kilduff hgkilduff@gmail.com Phil Oliver says: “I retired two and

a half years ago and traveled in a motorhome for a couple of years. My wife and I have now settled down in the small city of Tifton, Georgia, about 2,200 miles from our old home in Montana. It is as hot here in the summer as it is cold in Montana in the winter. It is pleasing to look out on the little lake behind our small home each morning. I do not miss feeding the horses and cows twice a day. The 50-pound bales of hay and sacks of feed kept getting heavier and heavier with each passing year. I have found the folks here in Georgia to be very, very nice and I am a lot closer to Charlottesville. My regards to all the classmates.” Hervey Blalock shares: “This past summer Janice and I took a riverboat trip from Paris to the Normandy beaches in France, something we had wanted to do for years. “Although there were many pleasures, the highlights were Omaha beach and the American Cemetery. Since I served in the Army, as did many of our classmates, it was an emotional experience. “Good wishes to all from Hervey and Janice Blalock. (P.S. Our 55th anniversary will be 26 December.)”

alumni@darden.virginia.edu The Class of ’69 is excited to celebrate their 55th Darden Reunion in Charlottesville on 26–28 April 2024. We hope you are making plans to come back to Darden for the celebrations. Check out the list of Reunion hotel blocks and book early as hotels tend to fill up fast! If you are interested in volunteering on the reunion committee, please email alumni@ darden.virginia.edu. Reunion registration will launch in February so be sure to look out for updates. We look forward to seeing you all this spring at Darden!

Jack Young jacksonmyoung3@gmail.com “The Honor System is more than sanctions or a system of punishment. It is a shared value and commitment. It is fundamental to our ethos. It is an indelible part of a Virginia graduate.” — President James E. Ryan Given Darden’s mission of inspiring responsible leaders through unparalleled transformational learning experiences, the honor system is a fundamental component of the

Darden experience. Following our class reunion in 2021, attendees recommended that the School embrace an honor system that had existed for 180 years. Much has been going on at Darden to highlight the Honor Code. Given our class’s interest in the implementation of an Honor Code, I thought it appropriate to provide a brief update of the school’s honor activities following acceptance of the vote to change the penalty for lying, cheating, or stealing. William Whitehurst and David Armstrong of the Darden Class of 2024, along with 28 others, were elected by their student peers to serve on the Honor Committee for UVA. The committee meets weekly. Minutes of their meetings can be found at: honor.virginia. edu. They have developed a document for a general presentation for First Year Darden students. The presentation covers the roles of honor practices and the procedures of a multi-sanction system. Whitehurst and Armstrong created a revamped honor code and sanction norms in late 2023 for incoming Darden students. They have also produced a very interesting series of vignettes featuring specific honor-related incidents that have occurred over the years at Virginia. You can obtain a copy of their presentation for the class and/or the vignettes by emailing me at jacksonmyoung3@gmail.com. Positive feedback has encouraged a renewed spirit of honor throughout the school. Whitehurst’s and Armstrong’s initial ideas included hosting virtual discussions open to all alumni later this year, as well as programming around alumni gatherings in the spring. Dear Class of 1970 (and I do mean dear), It has been an honor and pleasure for me to serve as your Class Secretary for the past 50 years. It’s hard to believe... can it really be 50 years? The good news: I loved sharing your tales of success and personal family development. The bad news: earlier this year I was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. What a bummer! However, it is treatable, if not curable. I’ve written about so many of you that I’m having trouble writing about me! I’m doing well and the doctors at Penn are pleased with my progress. Wishing you the best of health and a wonderful holiday season! P.S. You can’t get rid of me so easily; I am

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CLASS NOTES

hoping to continue to chronicle your adventures for The Darden Report. (That is, if you’ll have me!)

Jay McDonald jay@jaymcdonald.com Ted Linhart generously made another large gift to the Alex B. Horniman Fund at Darden, adding to his previous significant donation. Thank you, Ted. He remains president of the Linhart Foundation in Richmond, Virginia. Our class had a fantastic mini-reunion in late May–early June in New Orleans, Louisiana, hosted by Steve and Dana Hansel. Dana and Steve (mostly Dana, according to Steve) did a wonderful job of organizing several days that could never be duplicated. Others on the trip included Linda and Goose Tatum, Susan and Hugh Ewing, Jeanne and Ken Hutton, Pam and Gaither Shaw, Dave Meriwether, Janie Charles, and Jay McDonald. We started with a back-of-the-house tour of the Rex Den, belonging to the original krewe of Mardi Gras. One of the krewe members is annually crowned Rex, King of Carnival, on Lundi Gras, the day prior to Mardi Gras. The Krewe of Rex is the only krewe you become a member of by invitation only. The Krewe of Rex’s historian provided insights from its beginnings in 1872, shortly after the Civil War. We were treated to the floats (which now number 26 just for this krewe), costumes, crowns, scepters, historical documents, and photos. The Krewe of Rex, as well as the other krewes of Mardi Gras, has donated millions to charity in the community. A private Preservation Hall jazz concert followed our Krewe of Rex tour. We were then regaled with a wonderful dinner at Arnaud’s, where we were joined by Jay Bourgeois, a retired Darden professor of strategy, and his wife, Maggie. Arnaud’s proprietor gave us insights into this famous restaurant. Additional special activities included staying at the exclusive Higgins Hotel, named after the New Orleans native, Andrew Higgins, whose firm created the Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP). Dwight Eisenhower said once about him: “Andrew Higgins... is the man who won the war for us. If Higgins had not designed and built those LCVPs, we never could have landed over an open beach. The

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Members of the Class of 1971 enjoyed a mini-reunion river cruise.

whole strategy of the war would have been different.” Think D-Day. We got a special tour of the World War II Museum, followed by lunch at Galatoire’s in the Wine Room, where we were also treated to its history by its owner. We then had a walking historical tour of the city. We saw antique stores, special apartments from the 1800s, and Jackson Square. Cocktails followed at the home of David Kelso (MBA ’82) and his wife, Sara. David was formerly CFO of First Commerce Corp and then of Chubb. They joined us all at Gautreau’s, a special neighborhood restaurant and delight in the Garden District, owned by Rebecca and Peter Singley. Peter fascinated us with his stories of the restaurant. The next morning, we had a jazz brunch before boarding our Viking Riverboat to cruise from New Orleans to Memphis, Tennessee, for eight days. Our cruise was a remarkable mix of history, culture, and beauty. We visited the United States’ first sugar cane plantation, and we learned about the Louisiana Purchase, Huey Long, Mark Twain, Elvis Presley, moonshine, barbeque, steamboat races, Catholics, Protestants, and Native Americans, the wars, the crops, the food, and the music. We shared great food, fellowship, and libations with folks we’ve known since 1969. It was a unique and special experience. We’re in the early stages of planning our next mini-reunion, so please send your ideas. Our class gave a fleur-de-lis Frabel sculpture to Dana Hansel to thank her for her special efforts on our behalf. Thanks again, Dana! From Gaither Shaw: “Pam and I took off on our COVID-19 revenge summer. The first stop

was our mini-Darden class reunion in New Orleans and on the riverboat up to Memphis. Next was a two-week land tour all over Switzerland, which was fantastic. In August, we took a two-week river cruise from Budapest, Hungary, up to Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was very relaxing. This was followed by Labor Day weekend with Ken and Jeanne Hutton on Skaneateles Lake in New York. We completed our summer tour with a cruise around the Great Lakes, from Toronto, Canada, to Chicago, Illinois. During this cruise, we stopped in Cleveland, Ohio, and had a chance to visit with my former roommate in Virginia, Perry Doermann. It was quite a year, but now we are ready for a staycation.” Jay McDonald has had a number of speaking engagements on “Leadership for our Changing World” related to his book, Strategic Jaywalking: The Secret Sauce to Life & Leadership Excellence. He was also recently awarded Entrepreneur of the Year 2023 and Top Emerging Executive Coaching Company 2023 by Manage HR magazine. You can read the article at www.managehrmagazine.com/ jay-mcdonald.

C. Clint Bolte cbolte3@comcast.net Bill Lawson fills us in on his exploits, including his annual study group weekend retreat and news of his family: “Four and a half decades of marital bliss and two sons, ages 42 and 37, all happily married and with good employment. Two grandsons, ages 9 and 12, are doing well in their schools. We are healthy and happy. “This year our travels have taken us to Highlands, North Carolina; Charlevoix, Michigan (where we spend the summer at our lake cottage); Israel; and Longboat Key, Florida. If you haven’t been to Chez Francoise in Vermillion, Ohio, we highly recommend it. “We spent a weekend with Larry and Debbie Killgallon and Marc and Dierdre Christman last May at the Catawba Island Club on Lake Erie. The only annual retreat this study group missed in the past half-century was during the COVID-19 years!” Larry Killgallon noted that Marc lives in Northfield, Illinois, the Lawsons are in Indianapolis, Indiana, and the Killgallons are still in Bryan, Ohio. Bill spent his career at Eli Lilly and Compa-

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Christine and David (MBA ’72) Beatty and Bob (MBA ’72) and Lori Oster take a break on land during their Portuguese cruise.

ny. As a retiree, he says: “It has been nice to watch our Lilly stock appreciate.” Greg Coward reports in from Wayzata, Minnesota: “Still working! My golf game was just never good enough. I’m back in food for the third time, running a mid-size commercial artisan bakery. Made fresh daily, delivered direct overnight to hospitality and grocery. The previous food stints were General Mills when I was out the gate from UVA, and later running a food service distribution company. I seem to remember Sihler and Borden wondering out loud in class, ‘Who makes more money: marketing or finance?’ At the time, that seemed like an actual question, and I didn’t think it through. “Anyway, I left General Mills in part because every decision took five years. One year, the Cheerios brand spent $50,000 on research: should the front of the box have 24 Cheerios or 18 Cheerios falling into the bowl of milk? The strange thing was, it was a sales volumetric test, not a graphic design preference test. It’s a very important brand for the company, but still… “More on research: many years ago, a partner and I made private label golf bags. We were probably the largest supplier to independent retailers in the country, and to Ben Hogan. We noticed that the market (guys!) was not at all interested in the female consumer. So, we made up a couple of bags, different mostly by color scheme, and took them to our wives, neither of whom golfed. We asked them, ‘Sweety-pie, which ones do you like best?’ We took the winners to our customers. They sold really well. Our customers asked

Debbie Killgallon, Bill Lawson, Marc Christman, Larry Killgallon, Diedre Christman and Cathy Lawson met at the Catawba Island Club on Lake Erie. This Class of 1972 Study Group gets together most every year! how we came up with this fantastic program. The ladies loved them! We told them it was a company secret.” While attending his 60th high school reunion in Birmingham, Alabama, last May, Clint and Mary Bolte spent a delightful evening and ate a delightful dinner at Chris and Barbara Stone’s home. The group reports: “Wonderful catch-up dialogue on children and grandchildren’s activities. Chris’s daughter was a delightful infant when we all were in Charlottesville together.” Celebrating in a similar fashion as many of you have done, the Boltes floated across the pond in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary in September. They docked at several retreats in Ireland and the northern Canadian Bay along the way. Mary Bolte tells us: “The rest of 2023 was spent in packing up the half-century of baubles, bangles, and treasures accumulated as part of the ‘levelizing’ move to smaller quarters. The old 105-year-old, four-story home that we have enjoyed living in and entertaining from for 40 years was actually in superb condition. The agonizing part was unloading ‘good stuff’ that had not been used for decades. Clint was on a first-name basis with all of the local thrift and Habitat ReStore outlets as he made his weekly visits to unload excess (i.e. ‘can’t part with’) stuff. We are so pleased that there is a ready market for these gently used goods. Unfortunately, the newer, smaller, single-floor house has a ‘too large’ basement. No tennis outings in 2023 as the result.” This year Bob Oster and his wife, Lori,

spent a good part of the summer on the St. Lawrence River. Early fall found them cruising on the Great Lakes for a week. Their trip took them from Chicago, Illinois, to Toronto, Canada, through four of the Great Lakes and the Niagara Falls, which they had not seen before. They are enjoying retirement in upstate New York; Vero Beach, Florida; and Baltimore, Maryland. Bob and Lori joined up with David and Christine Beatty to cruise together in Portugal and Spain. They particularly liked the beautiful city of Madrid, Spain, and the Prado Museum located there.

Howard Wilkinson hpandcw@yahoo.com Not much to report in this issue. I did hear from Linda (Post) Herring, who responded to the news of Peter Lips passing: “So sad to hear of the passing of Peter Lips, one of my study group members and a good friend while we were at Darden. Pete always had such a positive attitude, was supportive and encouraging to all of us, and was a good leader for our group. I remember many fun times with Pete and his wife, Dianne, during our two years at Darden. Rest in peace!” I also heard from Fred Horneffer, who reported that everything is fine with him and his family, which includes his wife Lilly, two daughters, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren. This past summer, they all went together to Las Vegas, Nevada, and Honolulu, Hawaii, for a vacation. Also, Fred and his son-in-law, Scott (MBA ’03), came to Charlottesville and visited with C. Ray to thank him for all he had done for them while they were at Darden — 30 years apart. I received an email from Bruce Kinsey, who, after reading the last issue of The Darden Report, commented about the article on the Forum Hotel. He talked about its opulent decor and its numerous bars and restaurants. Bruce recalled the more austere setting we experienced at Monroe Hall, where the most impressive fixture was probably the Coke machine. Man, how times have changed. Carolyn and I also had a long telephone conversation with Rick Dent, who wanted to know all about the reunion: who was there, how it went, etc. All is well with him and his family. I wish I could give you more details, but the conversation quickly became one between him and Carolyn. I guess she was more

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interesting to talk to than I was. And to bring you up to date on yours truly: after a hospital stay about a year and a half ago, which ruined our plans to rent a villa in Tuscany, Italy, for our 50th anniversary, Carolyn and I got back on the travel wagon in 2023 with trips to Aruba; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; and Europe (France, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland). We can’t travel all the time because I’m still working, but we want to get in as much as we can before we get too old! Well, that’s it for this issue. Keep those cards, emails, and calls coming.

Mike Mayer Mike.mayer@cox.net We start with an update on our 50th reunion. Brad Armstrong, who is chairing the reunion committee along with Dick Crawford, sent the following: “Hey, everyone! I am writing to enthusiastically encourage all of you to come to our 50th reunion on 26–28 April 2024. It is hard to believe that it has been almost 50 years since Darden released us into the world, but it is not hard to believe that Darden made a real difference in our lives, turbocharging our careers and giving us life lessons that we’ll never forget. Next April will be a great time to revisit Darden, reconnect with classmates, tell some stories, celebrate the last 50 years, and, well, just have fun! “We have put together a reunion committee, and a member of the committee should have reached out to all of you. If you haven’t heard from anyone, please let me know (armbstrong@gmail.com), and we will get you on the list. We are working through some very cool possibilities for a class gift, and we will keep you posted along the way. So far, we have a good turnout: out of the remaining 87 of our class (sadly, 16 members of our graduating class have died), 34 of you have committed to attend and 9 of you can’t make it, leaving 44 of you undecided. So, please try to make it. It will be a great time. “On a personal note, other than the typical minor health stuff, life is quite good and really busy for me and my wife, Frazier; daughters Erin and Annie; and grandchildren Miles, Frances, and Violet. A couple of weeks ago, we took Miles fishing down in Chatham, Massachusetts, and he brought in the largest bass

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Brad Armstrong’s (MBA ’74) grandson Miles reeled in a record bass.

ever caught in that lake.” In addition to Brad and Dick, the reunion committee includes Wally Camp, Dave Jamison, Peter Hicks, Mike Kern, Jim Kluttz, George Korte, Clark Nesbit, Mike O’Neill, Peter Schmidt, Bob Wanke, Don Wheeler, and me. As Brad noted, one of us has been trying to connect with you, but if that hasn’t happened, please take steps to get signed up today. In addition to serving on the reunion committee, Peter Schmidt continues to serve the University through the Jefferson Scholars Foundation, as he has for the past eight years. Peter notes that he is privileged to help attract outstanding young men and women to Grounds with merit scholarships based on scholarship, leadership, and citizenship. He adds that they are serving the University well, as have their predecessors over the past 40 years. Peter and his wife, Rencie, are delighted to live in a place they love, and Peter loves what he is doing at UVA. Ed Burdett is looking forward to the reunion and sends an update on a challenging bike trip that he took last summer. He and a friend rented bikes in Venice, Italy, took the train to Trieste, Italy, and then packed their gear on the backs of their bikes and rode through Slovenia and Croatia. They took the path of an old abandoned train line, so the whole trip was off-road. Ed says skipping the traffic was probably safer, but the trail conditions varied between grass, mud, and gravel. Still, Ed reports that the trip was great fun with delicious food, beautiful little hill-towns made entirely of stone, and breathtaking views. However, by the last two days they had

both come down with COVID-19. They had no other recourse but to finish, and those last mountain climbs were brutal. Ed says it was tough to keep his handlebars from shaking. He’s still not sure how they made it back, but says that it does make a great story for cocktail parties, not to mention for Class Notes. Michael Painter sent an update from Palm Springs, California. He says: “I am still hard at work. This year I am celebrating 23 years in my own company and the expansion to 43 hotel clients. “As most of you know, my business is in hotel hospitality. We provide bed and bath linen to high-end, five-star properties around the world, with manufacturing and design coming from three fully owned factories in Pakistan and Turkey. At last count, I have 18 on management payroll and an additional 432 factory workers. The current 2023 is shaping up to be a record year, and for that I am very thankful, but it keeps me extremely busy. It’s good thing I am still 39 and can handle it. “Nothing can replace the importance of personal contact. Because of that, I am now spending over 50 percent of my time traveling, with four to five trips each year around the world. The emphasis of late has been in the Middle and Far East, so Hong Kong and Bangkok, Thailand, have become my second homes. We have 10 new clients in this region that we added in 2022 and 2023. I am in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today and I’m heading to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, later this week. “My formal home is Palm Springs, California, in the beautiful Coachella Valley. It is only a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Los Angeles and from the beaches in Orange County. My personal life is just about as busy as the business life, with me falling in and out of love with the change of each season. Add three board positions, daily trips to the gym, and a ton of entertaining, and my life is totally crazy. But it’s a craziness that I enjoy a lot. I am really looking forward to the next Class Reunion and hope to see many of you there.” Check www.quivera.net for more on Michael’s business. Chris Robinson writes that after 30 years in telecom and related industries, he retired in 2017. He and his wife decided to explore the world via cruising. Since 2017, they have been on 35 cruises, sailing from 2 days to 33 days. Chris says they are blessed to have

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two daughters living and working in a nearby suburb of Dallas, Texas, and they watch their ranch in their absence. Several years ago Chris made a commitment to cruise around Japan and visit Kyoto during cherry blossom season, which means that he will be cruising during the reunion and will miss the festivities. Instead, he promises to drink a glass of sake and toast everyone in Charlottesville. From Poquoson, Virginia, Bob Pride says all his news is good: “Pat had a kidney removed due to cancer, but there were no complications and she is doing fine. Our adopted son/ grandson, Che, turned 14 and has entered high school. I have had some issues with back pain from an old Army injury, but I still get around on my own, just a little slower. I am still working full time and (mostly) enjoying it. I lead Ferguson’s data privacy compliance program to meet emerging state laws on the subject. I also serve as the SME for credit card security. There has been plenty of challenge and a never-ending work stream as I mature the programs. As I approach 75, I have considered retiring, but I don’t really have anything to retire to. I seem to have enough time for my other interests, so I’m not sure what retirement would add. I work from home and just go into the office occasionally, so there is little incentive to trade the income for the extra time. “I’m on a weight loss mission. I hit 305 pounds (I was about 190 pounds in 1974) this summer and said ‘enough.’ So on 18 August, I gave up starches, sugars, and alcohol and now mostly eat meat, nuts, cheese, and leafy greens. I drink water, black coffee, and green tea. I weighed 263 pounds this morning, so it’s working. I’m now adding some strength training in order to tone a little. I hope you will see me at 220 pounds (or less) this spring! I’m halfway there. “For fun, I target shoot and serve as a range safety officer at a local gun club. I putter around in my woodshop, garden, improve the homestead, and fish. I also volunteer with several organizations that support fisheries conservation and second amendment rights. And I still serve on a federal fisheries advisory board.” Frank and Susan Genovese continue to live in Florida from 1 October to mid-April. They spend their summers on Figure Eight Island near Wilmington, North Carolina, where they have had a home for 32 years. Frank continues

to love golf and should play around 180 rounds this year. For the first time, Frank shot at or below his age. He is 75 and shot a 74. Both Susan and Frank will be at the 50th reunion. Mike and Martha Santoro vacationed in Austria in the fall. Mike says they went “back to the area we lived in 20 years ago (the Styrian wine country near Graz) and then on to Vienna for five days of music and good food. “We spent our time in Styria visiting two families that we had gotten close to during our time there. We attended a fall festival in Graz and spent plenty of time drinking a particular type of Austrian wine called ‘Schilcher’ (a very dry rosé). We were serenaded one morning by the sounds of one of our hosts playing the ‘Harmonika’ (an Austrian equivalent of an accordion), much to the chagrin of his college-aged kids who were not quite ready to rise and shine. “It has been fun to watch these two families grow up and to see the career success of the two women who worked for me so many years ago. One of them has continued her climb in the same company and was excited about her new position. The other owns a payroll processing firm with lots of clients. (Being an expert in Austrian payroll is no small task). “Our family is doing fine. Both daughters are doing well in their respective careers. Our son-in-law is still running ultramarathons. Both grandkids seem to have an early interest in UVA.” Sandy Boyce has his travel booked and is ready for the reunion. He is still with Merrill in Chicago, Illinois, focused on private equity and alternative investments. Sandy and Vicki share seven children who are involved in everything from gig jobs to bourbon distillery tours to CEO positions. However, it was Sandy’s interest in horses that was on his mind when he wrote: “I have been involved with horses for most of my life. During my Darden years, I regularly fox-hunted with the Farmington and Keswick Hunt Clubs. For the past seven years, I have participated in racehorse syndications with WinStar Farm in Kentucky, where I typically owned a 1 percent interest in the racers. Although we had racing success and lots of fun, we never earned enough purses to cover our annual expenses. There is a saying about the horse business: ‘To make a small fortune, start with a big fortune.’

“In 2021, WinStar discontinued its program, so I joined Chase Chamberlain, who had started a micro-share racing syndicate business called JoinCommonwealth. There are other syndicates, such as MyRaceHorse, but Chase’s program seemed more closely aligned with top Kentucky farms, such as WinStar. Once again, we had fun in 2022 but failed to win enough purse money to cover expenses… until this year. “Chase got a call from Gustavus Delgado, who bought a horse at the Maryland sale in May 2022. Delgado exceeded his budget by paying $320,000 for an unraced son of Good Magic. Delgado offered 25 percent of the horse for $80,000. Chase said, ‘Sure.’ Then Chase sent me (and others) an email offering a piece of the action. I messaged back, ‘Would $2,000 help?’ That unraced two-year-old was Mage, the 2023 Kentucky Derby winner. After a third place finish in the Preakness, we skipped the Belmont, ran second in Haskell, and then ran a ‘clunker’ in the Travers Stakes. The next race will be on 4 November 2023 for the Breeders’ Cup Classic.” The Breeders’ Cup will be history by the time you read this, and hopefully another celebration for Sandy. Steve Hoard says he and Mike Santoro continue to play golf regularly—often enough that they joke that they are renewing their B school study group. Sometimes a classmate joins them for golf, sometimes a friend. Steve says his brother even came one time. They call these outings “Study Group Opens.” He says: “We joke with each other, particularly when one of us is in position to birdie a hole. These moments always bring on the comment, ‘Mike, you are about to birdie this hole. You’ve never done that before. Be careful.’ This is generally the kiss of death for that hole, but it is still fun to tease. But at the same time, we offer encouragement and applaud successes, much like we did in our real study group almost 50 years ago. That study group in the B school had similar elements. There was joking and teasing, but also a real dependency on each other for help and advice, much like we find in our golfing Study Group Opens. Sometimes when walking a fairway, one of us in the Study Group Opens will mention something from our B school days. It’s nice to remember. In the meantime, we are helping each other with our games.

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One day we’ll break 85. It’s nice to dream.” Alex Spivey writes that life is good in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Alex is 84 and still involved in the family business. He says he and Pat have three adult children and five wonderful grandchildren. In anticipation of our 50th reunion, Bruce Carmichael sent a great update. Here’s a full report from our classmate who will travel the longest distance to join the reunion: “Hello to everyone, from ‘Down Under’. As you may remember, I live in Sydney, a city of about five million people, located on the east coast of Australia, and bathed in a sunny, temperate climate. For the last 47 years I have resided in the same terrace house in Paddington, a charming, trendy, and fashionable suburb close to the city. A benefit of being in one place for so long is that you can hone your home to near-perfection. “I last caught up with you at our 40th reunion with my wife, Robbie. Sadly, Robbie passed away suddenly in 2015. Strangely, she was in excellent health and was always very certain she would outlive me. It just goes to show that life is not at all predictable and that one needs to roll with the punches. For us remaining, living does go on, and adjusting to the future with a positive attitude has helped considerably. “I have now had a beautiful relationship with ‘Suze’ for the last five years. She would be by my side at our forthcoming reunion if it weren’t for the unexpected, but now anticipated, arrival of her 11th grandchild here in Sydney then. Suze works part time in the cruise industry and is enthusiastically passionate about travel. We have just returned from a wonderful river cruise from Prague, Czech Republic, to Paris, France. “My two adult children have left home at last! Camilla is involved with communications, and Hamish is a doctor specializing in anatomical pathology. “I continue to run my family office, managing investments, and am actively involved with the TIP Group, a listed public company on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). TIP Group is a conglomerate of businesses in different industries and runs very much on a Warren Buffett philosophy. One of TIP Group’s businesses, Teaminvest, is a collegiate collective of about 600 high-net-worth individuals with substantial investments in companies

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listed on the ASX. I am a regular attendee and contributor at their meetings. “My other roles at TIP Group have included being a member of the Investment Committee, where I chair with due diligence in relation to acquisitions and design and implementation of various financial software systems. Some of these systems have evolved from my extensive research into what drives successful businesses, and I would love to share my insights with the Darden faculty. “I am very much looking forward to joining you in celebrating our 50th reunion in Charlottesville.” And now, I will close with a first-rate note from one of our classmates who will travel the least distance to the reunion: Charlottesville resident Dave Jamison. Dave writes: “As one of the three naval officers in the Class of ’74, I didn’t need to spend the summer looking for a job. I spent the time in town helping out at the UVA student health center. One day, a classmate, Dick Crawford, asked me if I’d like to have a blind date. I said ‘sure.’ Dick was dating an audiologist, Kathy, who worked at the school where my wife-to-be, Helen, was teaching first grade. When she asked Helen the same question, Helen reluctantly agreed. When the day arrived, Helen stayed in her bedroom and asked Kathy to answer the door with one instruction: ‘If he is not good-looking, tell him I’ve got a headache and won’t be able to go out.’ Kathy promised Helen that I passed the test! “We dated that summer and the next school year. My Navy assignment out of Darden was to the U.S. Naval Air Station Bermuda. Helen came out to see me at the end of August. While she was there, we eloped and were married on 1 September at the air station chapel. We had to get special permission from the governor of Bermuda to waive the two week waiting period. Helen then flew back to Charlottesville to resign from her job, which she had just started, as the acting director of the UVA Child Development Center. We joyfully celebrated our 49th anniversary this year. Thank you, Dick! “After our year in Bermuda, I taught economics at the Naval Academy for a few years and then worked as an analyst with Williams Inference Service for 30 years. After 35 years in Annapolis, Maryland, we now live in Charlottesville near our son, Austin, and his family. And we are glad to be back!”

As these notes are written, a bit less than half our class has committed to attending our 50th reunion. Hopefully this issue of Darden Class Notes will encourage those of you who are still on the fence to make your travel arrangements and line up a place to stay in Charlottesville. Don Wheeler has done some research on available places to stay, and that information should have come to you in a reunion update. Please feel free to contact me directly if you need help with your reunion plan.

Mark Howell mwhowell@msn.com Bruce Bowers let me know that his kitchen is still yielding a wealth of “buckwheat pancakes,” but he has nothing else to report. Au contraire, my friend. I am sure there is lots going on with Bruce. I encourage all classmates to send updates even if you think there is “nothing worthy.” As class secretary, I am empowered to enhance and magnify all reported events. You may find your life to be very exciting! Here’s news of Ron Eckstam: After merging his financial planning business with another firm, Ron found that he had extra time on his hands. Thus, he trained for and competed in his first triathlon. Ron finished second in his age group. Very impressive! I congratulated Ron on his running, but he was quick to correct me by describing it as “trundling.” Well, to me, that is a “distinction without a difference.” Moving at any pace is a success in my judgment. Congrats, Ron, on your achievement. Jim Farkas let me know that he is planning a trip to the Galápagos Islands. The news from Jim may be light for this edition of Class Notes, but I am expecting a substantial report from Jim after that “bucket list” trip. Safe travels, Jim! Gordie Grand sent me an update advising that he and Cecily have moved back to the United States after a year and a half in Anguilla. The move allows them to spend more time with their eight grandchildren, the youngest being identical twin girls, age 6 months. As we all can appreciate, Gordie is spending a lot of time watching the kids play lacrosse, hockey, and soccer. Gordie and Cecily also traveled to Israel and Egypt during January 2023. Gordie describes the trip as especially fascinating con-

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Joe (MBA ’75) and Maggie Spears and Chip (MBA ’75) and Diane Harpster visited the Martin Guitar Factory in Pennsylvania.

Tom Hudson (MBA ’75) canoed the Tarendo River near the Arctic Circle.

sidering the current world events unfolding now (October 2023). For classmates who do not know, I want to give a shout out to Gordie for his nine years of service to Darden as an alumni volunteer and six years as a trustee. During that time, Gordie helped reorganize the alumni committee structure along with other trustee responsibilities. Thanks for your service, Gordie! “Senior living” agrees with Ed Hawfield. Ed is happy to relinquish cleaning gutters, mowing lawns, replacing AC filters, repairing roof leaks, cleaning dryer vents, vacuuming the pool, cooking meals, etc. Ed reports that the only challenge is getting used to living with 300 more people in “his house!” Tom Hudson and I will be returning to Atlanta, Georgia, for our 50th reunion at Georgia Tech in October. Tom has served on the Georgia Tech reunion committee as he has on previous Darden ’75 reunion committees. Tom says that he and Lili have been the “poster children” for post-pandemic revenge travel. They have enjoyed 20 trips in less than two years, capped by 11 days north of the arctic circle. Tom invites ’75 classmates to call him if they need any travel recommendations. Artificial intelligence is now an adventure for Rich Lawrence. Rich recently completed a course in “Prompt Engineering.” He is learning to get the most from the popular ChatGPT and Bard. Rich has already had success with using AI to create competitive tennis schedules for his tennis group. Advantage, Rich. Roland Lynch let me know that he continues to run Capsulated Systems Inc. as

its president. His company developed and patented a prolonged release local anesthetic which totally blocks pain post-surgery without using narcotics. The product is being prepared for FDA trials. On a personal note, Roland and Patricia (MBA ’81) have a daughter, Sarena, who attended UVA College of Arts and Science. The family very recently celebrated Sarena’s marriage in October 2023. Congratulations to Family Lynch! John Rossell and his wife, Christine, reported in while on a one-month sojourn to Croatia and Scandinavia. John and Christine will spend a week with their daughter Cora who is studying at the University of Copenhagen while she is on junior-year leave from UCLA. John updated me that he toured a Norwegian fjord in a speedboat. The takeaway: bring goggles if you do that! A mini-reunion occurred for Joe Spears and Chip Harpster. Joe, Maggie, Chip, and Diane met in Pennsylvania at the Martin Guitar Factory. Joe reported the trip provided a great time to catch up with good friends from their Darden years. Also, Chip and Diane were celebrating their 48th wedding anniversary. A lasting union, indeed! Since my last writing (March 2023), the Class of ’75 has lost Frank Ix from our numbers. We mourn the loss of Frank and cherish our memories of them while at Darden and afterwards. My best wishes to the Darden Class of ’75 for your continued safety and good health! I am looking forward to seeing you at Reunion 2025! Mark your calendars for April 2025.

Dana E. Quillen Painterdana21@gmail.com Thanks to everyone for sending us an update. It looks like Henry DeMontebello is having some challenges this year, so please keep him in your thoughts. Henry writes: “This year has been very difficult, with two more operations. But the prognosis is positive, so next year I hope to be able to tell you about a bunch of interesting trips and things that, sadly, I cannot do this year.” Bill Battison sends greetings from New Hampshire: “I am still enjoying working and have moved to Bedford, New Hampshire, after 35 years of living in California. It’s a big change, at least in the weather. It is nice to be back on the East Coast again. I’m still hanging onto my beach house in California, however, just in case. I can’t spell ‘winter’ yet, but I guess I can learn.” Tom Parker was on the move: “I’m writing this note from the high-speed train between Barcelona, Spain, and Madrid, Spain. Betsy and I have been having a great time touring Spain. We’ve got a bunch more fun trips planned over the next 12 months. We figure that sooner or later (probably sooner!) we’ll be too old for this kind of thing. Currently we are enjoying excellent health. Our boys and our seven grandkids are doing great, so life for us is good. Having said that, we are as shocked and saddened as the rest of the civilized world is with the carnage in Israel. We can only hope that those taken from their families can be brought home soon and that some kind of peace can come to that troubled part of the world.” Peter Loring writes: “I’m still alive. I’m enjoying retirement from a career in investment management (which I loved). Babette and I are living in Beverly, Massachusetts. We have a son and two daughters. No grandchildren yet. We are enjoying ourselves. We do a lot of sailing, both here and in Maine, on our 40-foot sloop. Steve Orr sends us an update: “I have just returned from a wonderful trip to Oregon where I played the incredible five golf courses of the Bandon Dunes. I traveled with seven others from my club in Maryland, and what a sensory overload it was for me! I highly recommend this experience for any golfers who want to play along the Pacific coast. The

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outdoors (plein air) is still my passion, and I’ve sold several paintings. Paul and I traveled to Bordeaux, France, this spring and in late summer we went to Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Tetons National Parks. All three were majestic in their own way. Thanks again to everyone for keeping in touch.

77 Mike Messick (MBA ’76) with kids from the Pasture Valley Children’s Home near Nhlangano, Eswatini, in Swaziland

five courses offer quite a variety of challenges, and you will get your steps in as they are all walking-only courses. By the last day, I was done, and my score reflected it! “We now have five grandkids spanning the ages 1.5 to 14 years. They are scattered between New York and North Carolina. Thankfully we get to see them all frequently. I will be taking one of the older ones with me on a trip to Spain in February. Our health remains good, I am thankful to report. I still work out daily and play lots of golf. I have taken on the leadership of a small group in one of the churches I attend, and I am finding that stimulating.” Mike Messick sends us greeting from Africa: “Same old story for Mike and Gail Messick. We are still spending time at Pasture Valley Children’s Home near Nhlangano, Eswatini, with 47 children:10 in the crèche (preschool), 23 in first through seventh grade, and 14 in high school. And there are another 20 out in the world studying or working. On 7 October we celebrated 20 years of operation and God’s faithfulness and love. When Gail arrived in 2010 there were 20 children, and we were the first volunteers. Children who were 3 or 4 then and in the crèche that Gail ran, are now 16, 17, and 18 and in high school. Sadly, as we all know, children do grow up. Life is good.” As for me, Dana Quillen: we added another grandson to our family. The count is six granddaughters and five grandsons. Not bad for someone who never had children. I continue to pickle away, processing 60 pints of yellow squash pickles and 50 pints of jalapeño pickles this summer. Painting landscapes

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Paul Nelson lpaulnelson@mindspring.com Greetings to the great Class of ’77! Wow! We’ve had a great response this time. I suggest that y’all get a glass of your favorite beverage, sit back with this edition of The Darden Report and enjoy these great updates from many of your classmates. But first, I must give a four-star recommendation for the new Darden hotel, the Forum Hotel by Kimpton. Lee and I spent two nights there for a football weekend and it is wonderful. This ain’t your old Sponsors Hall! The building and rooms are fantastic. The patio, botanical gardens, and walking trails in the back make this a very special place. In addition, the Charlottesville area has a lot to offer. Come visit and stay at the Forum sometime. You’ll love it. Speaking of the Forum, our architect and B-School classmate, Mike Vardell, writes to say: “In April I attended the grand opening of the ‘Darden Inn,’ which I consulted on for about 18 months — during the ‘formative months.’ It is a great facility and was a great event! Our son, Andrew, graduated with an MBA from HBS in May. Yahoo! In September, Mollie and I traveled to Italy, Croatia, and Greece for 17 days: a bit too long, but illuminating! We enjoyed seeing the Parthenon in Athens. It is 2,500 years old. Now, I’m just trying to improve my poor golf skills, which is an ongoing project. I’m enjoying the retired life! Come visit us in Charleston, South Carolina, y’all.”

(Mike: based on the results, you did a great job consulting on the new hotel. And congrats on Andrew’s graduation from that other “well known Eastern Business School!”)

Continuing the Charlottesville theme, Tom Haling offers this update: “Debbi and I have had enough hurricanes. The eye of Irma went over our house under construction in 2017, and the storm surge from Ian in 2022 came within a few blocks of our front door in Naples, Florida. We have decided to move north and become snow birds. We will rent

in Naples somewhere between three and six months a year. We picked a nice town, a little farther north, so the summers will not be so incredibly hot. It is not close to the ocean so we are less concerned with hurricanes. We are going to move to Charlottesville. We have started house-hunting and listed our house. My oldest son Andrew, age 29, got married 4 November 2023. My youngest son Jonathan, age 25, left Proctor & Gamble in Martinsburg, West Virginia. He now works at Los Alamos and lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.”

(Thanks for the update, Tom. That’s a major move. And you’re quite right: very few hurricanes hit Albemarle County! So let’s get together in C’ville—after you’ve unpacked the boxes and settled in!)

Our always-fun classmate Dennis Malloy is making a big change. He informs us: “I will be fully retired in February of this year. I’m very lucky to have had a circuitous career that allowed me to work with great people and utilize many skillsets, which I realize later in life that I learned at Darden. Kathy and I turned 70 this year and took the family to Ireland to celebrate! We had the time of our lives with our sons, daughters-in-law, and two granddaughters! Needless to say, I hoisted a few Guinnesses. We split our time between Venice, Florida, and the Jersey Shore. “Our doors are always open for our classmate visitors! The beer is cold, and bourbon, gin, and vodka are plentiful! All are welcome.”

(Welcome to retirement life, Dennis! If you’re like the rest of us, you’ll soon be wondering how you ever had time to work at all! All good! Congrats!)

Tom Storrs provides this great update: “Susan and I helped Jesse and Vanessa Crews celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary at Greenhorn Ranch in California. The Crews hosted friends and family for the event, and it was great fun. I was also at their wedding 50 years prior, which doesn’t seem that long ago.

(Wow! A Dude Ranch getaway for a great celebration: I can see you guys shoeing horses and fly fishun.’ Fun stuff for such old and dear friends! And yes, Tom, as Bagger Vance said, it was just a moment ago!)

Leading what I am sure is an interesting, bi-country life, Bob Dykes says: “Nothing much new to report. I’m still spending spring, summer, and fall in Worthington (a suburb of Columbus, Ohio), and fall and winter in Akumal, Mexico.

To update your contact information, call +1-434-243-8977 or email alumni@darden.virginia.edu

(Hola mi amigo! Gracias por el gran informe. Estoy seguro Akumal Mexico es muy bonita y interesante!)

Speaking of world travelers, our old friend Ajit Sahgal provides this interesting update: “I am settled in New Delhi, India, where I have been living since my retirement in 2008. I spent my summer in London, England, where my wife and I have a small townhouse. In August, I visited Toronto, Canada, for a month, visiting my children and two grandchildren who were enrolled in a summer camp program there. I’m generally leading a retired life with lots of travel, reading, occasional golf, and lots of leisure. I hope all is well at your end. Warm regards to my classmates.”

(So good to hear from you Ajit! On your next trip to Canada, maybe make a swing south and we can meet? It would be so good to see you again!)

Rex Bradley writes to report: “I have fully retired after a career in banking, mostly at Bank of America. We are now happily living in Charlotte, North Carolina, my wife Patsy’s hometown. When we moved away in 1984, I told her mom, ‘It’s one of those corporate moves. We’ll be back in a few years.’ Well, it took 31 years to get back following moves to Washington, D.C.; Baltimore, Maryland; Tampa, Florida; Orange County, California; and Birmingham, Alabama. Whew! Give us a call if you are in the Queen City!”

(Congrats, Rex, on the successful retirement and getting back to Charlotte! We will definitely reach out to you on our next trip to the Queen city!)

Moving again and a little farther north, Lisa Whitney writes to say: “At a party last year, a tarot card reader told me to ‘blow it up!’ She must have known that the year 2023 would mark major transitions: I turn 70, passed the five-year mark of Kim’s death (and our 45th anniversary), saw my daughter turn 40, and, after almost a decade in the city of Brotherly Love, I’ve moved back to the area’s suburbs and bought a new (old) house! I’m still catching my breath before bringing in the New Year on a peaceful cruise to the White Continent. In addition to buying house things like hoses and recycling bins, I play tons of pickleball (I know, I know), commune with my three granddaughters ages 5, 1.5, and 2, and work on making new friends in my adopted community. I established a donor advised fund which christened the William Kim Foster Pancreatic Cancer Collaborative Space at

Jefferson Hospital and take solace in the fact that medical research in the field continues in his honor. My best to all of you!”

(Lisa: what a great tribute to Kim! He was always about “making a difference,” and now that legacy continues. Congratulations!)

Moving back south, Bill Fisher writes to say: “Not much to report now that I am retired. Seven years ago my wife, Sarah, and I joined the masses trekking to Florida, where we now live for half the year. We spend summer months in the North Carolina mountains. Having taken up croquet, both golf and six wickets, I welcome all comers who wish to challenge me. I hope all is well with you.”

(Thanks, Bill. Croquet is a ruthless sport! Sending opponents’ balls to the hinterlands, all while wearing genteel, traditional croquet-white! What fun!)

Our old friend and now former commodore of the New York Yacht Club, Bill Ketcham provides this update: “I am still consulting for two clients in the digital media space, and stay involved in yacht racing (we just won the J44 North American Championship). This includes volunteer work at the New York Yacht Club as well as a board position on the Club’s America’s Cup campaign, ‘American Magic.’ I am also on the Fales Committee at the Naval Academy, part of the Naval Academy Sailing Foundation. It’s an advisory group for Navy Offshore Sailing. Sailing is a life-long passion for me, and it’s nice to stay involved and not age out of it. “The family is great. My daughter Liza is at Darden now. I’m also still in Connecticut while all of my Darden classmates that used to be up here have moved to Florida. I guess I failed that IQ test! But we look forward to winter in Vermont and the skiing that goes with it. Life is good. Hope all is well.”

(Geez, Bill: winning the J44 Nationals, helping the Naval Academy offshore sailing team and playing a major part in the America’s Cup program! “Staying involved in sailing” is an understatement! And having Liza at Darden! How cool is that! We need to get together on your next trip to visit her. I’ll buy!)

It was great to hear from David James and he reports that all is well with him and his family. And he also said: “I do read with interest and pride about my classmates and their accomplishments. Best to all.”

(So very glad to hear from you, David! And wishing you the best.)

Sue-Gray Goller has always held many leadership roles with her undergraduate college, Randolph-Macon Woman’s College (now Randolph College). She reports: “This was the year of 50th reunions for a lot of us. Randolph has a new president and we were welcomed to her home in June as the 50th class and shared in her extensive art collection. She comes to Chicago, Illinois, in November and I host her and the entourage between a donor lunch and cocktail party for alums. “I have spent time in Wellington, Florida, and Palm Beach, Florida, and been introduced to the world of polo, croquet, and the Norton Museum. I took three trips to Aruba this year, the first time down without my travel buddy, who passed away last September. We had travelled together since becoming friends in NYC in the Junior League. Now I am in the process of establishing new travel acquaintances. In April and May I returned to Europe for the first time since the pandemic and two hip replacements prevented such a trip. I hosted my American Field Service (AFS) sister from Bath, U.K., for a week in Tuscany, Italy, and spent time in Bath, Devon, and London with her and her family. My high school classmates from the AFS year gathered in Birmingham to have a reunion. We are now in the season of the year when Chicago is at its best for outside activities. I took a quick week back to NYC in September for a Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company (Manny Hanny) reunion and caught up with friends in Greenwich, friends from my Hamptons House, friends from my internship the summer of ’76, Junior League buddies, and theater and ballet with my BFF from the internship at Citi. I extended my trip an extra day when the devastating floods cancelled flights. It was expensive, but another experience to remember.”

(Wow, Sue-Gray! You have done a phenomenal job keeping in touch with so many of your friends and coworkers. Truly inspirational! Kudos and congrats!)

Speaking of moves and being on-the-go, Nancy Muller writes to say: “I’m announcing a move to the Boston, Massachusetts, area to be closer to our grandchildren here. I retired in January 2022 from the College of Charleston as a visiting associate professor in public health and in my administrative leadership capacity there. We sold our home on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, and found our-

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selves extensively renovating a house in Groton, Massachusetts, with two acres—which means replanting and fertilizing, mowing grass, raking leaves, and shoveling snow… all in vast quantities. The remodeling expense budget doubled my initial estimates. I joined the local garden club to learn a few things about New England native plant species. We named our new abode ‘Camp Nanawa’ and have our 7- and 4-year-old grandchildren here most weekends. Of course, we acquired a new golden retriever pup, but that’s a whole other tale. “I have become quite active in the local Episcopal Church, including managing the children’s easter egg hunt. Within weeks of becoming involved with a neighborhood group fighting nearby rezoning, I found myself spokesperson at the Groton town meeting. Everyone was trying to translate my southern accent (inserting non-phonetic syllables) into their own Bostonian accent (in which syllables and Rs are eclipsed). It’s refreshing to find democracy so alive and well in New England, as well as strong patriotism. Meanwhile, a new, healthy grandson was born in Santa Barbara, California, in December 2022, so that is where I am now spending my future winter months! “For myself, I am swimming three to seven miles weekly, bicycling or walking miles every day (weather permitting), and continuing to serve as I have for over 12 years on a board whose funds treat and rehabilitate women in Africa suffering from severe obstetric injuries in childbirth. Life is very good. My husband and I are celebrating our upcoming 40th anniversary and have planned a lengthy trip to Eastern Europe, as well as to Amsterdam, Netherlands, where we lived for nearly five years, to visit friends. Best regards to all my classmates.”

(Congrats on all those great events, Nancy! And it sounds like you’ve got some great travel plans in the future too: Europe and Santa Barbara! Fun stuff!)

Closer to home, our great friend Ted Gary reports in to say: “Having just returned from a great golf outing in Jamaica with fellow class member Paul Nelson, fellow older Darden alumnus Frank Genovese (MBA ’74), and six others, I thought I would reach out with a brief update. One of my twin sons, Andrew, age 30, is a certified financial planner working at an institutional and high-wealth planning firm

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in northern Virginia. He wanted to pursue an MBA and is now part of the second class in the part-time Darden MBA program at the Reston Virginia campus. “This brought back many memories of my Darden experiences, and never more than when I traveled to Charlottesville to have dinner with Andrew the week of 15 August, when all the Darden MBA classes came together for their first week of orientation and in-person study group meetings. On Wednesday we dined at the Birch & Bloom restaurant at the new Forum Hotel on the Darden campus. If you have not visited the hotel and surrounding grounds, I highly recommend it! My first ‘aha moment’ was parking next to the hotel and realizing that I had parked next to our old Darden School, in the vicinity of where we enjoyed many social events next to the building, which is now part of the Law School grounds. I enjoyed walking around the old building and thinking back to many enjoyable and character-building, albeit occasionally painful (Saturday exams and tests!), memories of my two years there. “The next aha moment was observing the study group meetings in the hotel lobby while I enjoyed a scotch at the bar and waited for my son to join me. I recalled my own great study group of Donn Hutchins, David James, and Tom Brooke. Many thanks to those guys for helping me get through the program! It’s also been wonderful hearing of Andrew’s first-year Darden experiences, many of which mirrored my own! “Other than that, all is good with me. In 2016 I retired from the CPA firm I co-founded in Richmond, Virginia. Keiter is now one of the top 50 public accounting firms in the U.S. I continue to stay busy serving four Richmond companies as their functional CFO. I am also active in a GPS school bus routing business I co-own with another Darden MBA. This allows time for me to enjoy playing bad golf and living somewhat vicariously through Andrew and my other two sons. One works as a sales manager for a company distributing international tiles, and the other works for Trackman Golf. Life is good!”

(Thanks, Ted! And it is so cool that Andrew will also be a Darden Alumnus! See you soon, my friend!)

And our world-traveler and great friend Joanna Miller-de Zwart pens this update: “As promised, I am updating you during our flight from Paris to New York. We are traveling

more this year than we normally do, celebrating three big life events with experiences, rather than things—or trying to live by that philosophy, anyway. Not always successfully. The occasions are our 20th wedding anniversary, a milestone birthday for Pieter, and my semi-retirement. “I officially closed my executive search practice at the beginning of the summer. I still have an active executive coaching practice. I was hoping that our usual summer spent living on our boat cruising on the coast of Maine, which we have done for the last 20 years, would be even better without the deadlines, unpredictable demands, and pressures of active searches. My hopes were met in spades. I had a fabulous summer and experienced the joys of our cruising with new eyes. “After tucking our boat away for the winter in late September, we headed to Lisbon, Portugal, for a few days and then on to Provence, France, where we rented a house for 10 days as a base and visited 11 different ancient towns. Then on to Paris by car, with an overnight stay in a chateau in Burgundy, France, on the way. We’ll be spending the winter in our Fort Lauderdale, Florida, house as we always do, and then sailing in Antigua and Guadeloupe in March for Pieter’s actual birthday. The last leg of this travel whirlwind is a rented house in Scottsdale, Arizona, in April with all the children and grandchildren. “Lest this all sound pretty splurgy, we are at the same time sharpening our pencil on the budget, finding ways to live sustainably after this year without the contribution of the search firm. We have sold the small center console powerboat we kept in Fort Lauderdale; put our NYC apartment on the market; and are evaluating club memberships. No sympathy is owed us—I am so far discovering the clean freedom of fewer possessions. “Our blended family is thriving with two at Amazon; daughter Abby on her second venture capital-backed tech venture after a successful exit from the first one; and daughter Emily now a national leader in the green burial movement after founding the first natural burial preserve in the state of Colorado. I think a lot about Mary Oliver’s instructions for living a life: pay attention, be astonished, and tell about it. So thank you, classmates, for giving me a forum to tell about it.”

(It is so great to hear from you, Joanna! And

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what a great update. But once again, we did not meet in Maine as we had hoped. My bad… again! Some of my excuses are outlined in my update below. Next year for sure!)

Also reporting some major life changes, Buddy Best writes: “I’ve been retired for 1 year. I spent the first 11 years in Lexington, Kentucky, and then 35 years in Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve been married for 38 years to Debbie Cloyd, with two daughters, three grandsons, and one granddaughter. Our youngest daughter Katie is a UVA ’12 graduate and a Darden ’18 graduate. She now lives in Nashville. Our oldest daughter Kelsay graduated from Sewanee in 2010 and lives in Austin, Texas. I’m finishing my second and final year as president of Belle Meade Country Club and my hobbies are golf and grandkids. Best wishes to all!”

(So good to hear from you, Buddy! And another proud father of a Darden grad! And as for your future plans: those are two great hobbies to have!)

And Scott Harris continues the retirement theme and more with this update: “I retired in August from my second career as a headhunter for DHR Global. I continue my important role as First Gentleman of the City of Clayton where my wife, Michelle, serves as mayor. Additionally, we enjoy traveling and working on our limited golf skills. This fall I started tutoring a couple of elementary school students and I’m taking two terrific extension classes at Washington University. I had a marvelous and long-overdue catch-up with our classmate, Maritta Ko, in Seattle, Washington, last month while visiting my son. Best to all.”

(Thanks, Scott. Great update, and I bet the title “First Gentleman” is a first for Darden! And taking classes again! Good on you! As Clint Eastwood says, “Don’t let the old man out!”)

Reporting in from Southern California, Terri Louden pens: “My life is very simple since I have no family and am retired. My days are spent walking by the Coronado beach and beautiful home-front gardens, and going to happy hours! I love my relaxed life after years of travel and long hours of work, so I am a happy camper! Hope all is well with everyone and enjoying life!”

(Thanks, Terri! And that sounds like a pretty damn good life in San Diego, California! Congrats! You certainly earned it!)

And Ken Magee writes to us to say: “Just getting older and crankier. I do want to let you

know that your efforts over all these years in putting together the Class Notes is greatly appreciated, even from those of us who have not actively participated. Best to my classmates.”

(Thanks, Ken! And please stay in touch!)

A little closer to home, Bob Spicer reports in saying: “Kathy and I have lived in Williamsburg, Virginia, since 1989. We moved from Houston, Texas, and then Austin, Texas, after leaving Guest Quarters Suite Hotel Company, a company founded and well-staffed with Darden graduates. I decided to use all the experience in the industry to begin brokering motels and hotels with a small but well-known hotel brokerage firm in Newport News. Selling them was easier than running them. Kathy worked for years as an elementary school nurse. She loved the job, but disliked the occasional emergency situation. We’ve both been retired for some time. We have three children and six grandchildren, all of whom live close by.”

(Thanks, Bob. Nice update. We live too close not to get together for a few drinks and stories. I’ll reach out soon.)

Last but certainly not least, Sallye C. Zink writes to say: “I know you enjoyed your trip with Ted—one of many I am sure. So here you go with my notes. I always enjoy reading about all the impressive and interesting accomplishments and feats of our classmates. Therefore, while I have little to report in comparison, Paul’s persistence has worn me down. I am proud of myself in achieving my own ‘Everest’ this summer. As part of my 70th birthday celebration summer, I hiked the ‘hut-to-hut’ Tour du Mont-Blanc: 11 days, 110 miles, and 29,110 feet in altitude gain! There were nine other women, aged from 22 to 50—and then there was me. What a wonderful, rejuvenating experience! “Ron and I remain in Princeton, New Jersey. Ron is still working at Temple University Hospital System in Philadelphia where he has been for over 35 years. He is targeting retirement next summer—maybe. In Princeton I do take advantage of the perks of living in a university town. Top of the list is auditing courses. Of particular note is this semester’s ‘Philanthropy and Democracy’ and last spring’s ‘Tech Ethics.’ Quite interesting and thought provoking—and no exams! Having missed our Class 45th, I am particularly look-

ing forward to our 50th reunion!”

(Great update, Sallye! And the Mont-Blanc hike is no small accomplishment! So cool that you are able to take interesting classes at an incredible university… with no exams! That’s the way to do it! And so glad you are planning on our 50th reunion. It will be a blast!)

As for Lee and me, it has been a very busy summer. We have almost finished renovating our family camp in Maine on Lake Damariscotta and really look forward to being able to enjoy it next summer. After all these years of failed schedules, we are hoping to finally get together with Joanna and Pieter as they sail the Maine coast! And maybe see June McCormack, who lives close by (just outside Portland, Maine)… though she is a major world traveler and hiker! We’ve also taken our usual beach trips to our place at Sandbridge in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. And a week at a boys/family camp in West Virginia. (Yep—tents, archery, shooting, tubing, food hall, etc. But with adult happy hours!) Our daughter Katie, a 2020 graduate of UVA, is gainfully employed and enjoying life in Washington D.C. I get together with Ted Gary often, and this usually involves some swinging of golf clubs and a few beers. I feel very, very lucky and grateful. And I know that much of this would not have been possible without the lessons I learned at Darden… from great professors and great classmates! Much thanks to all of you!

Margot Bearden jmbearden@gmail.com As hoped, 2023 has turned out to be remarkably (and wonderfully) drama-free for me, a marked improvement over the last several years. I’m now a year out from my cancer surgery and enjoy a healthy, busy, and otherwise mundane schedule. I’ve reluctantly given up running (at least for the moment) but—as someone easily susceptible to the lure of exercise classes—I now attend a dizzying mix of spinning, yoga, Pilates, and Gyrotonics (don’t ask) sessions weekly. I’m still living quietly on the water near the Chesapeake Bay and have developed a wonderful group of friends who—along with my family, my meds, and my therapist —have kept me on a mostly even keel with a generally positive trajectory. I see both daughters regularly and continue to watch

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in admiration as their families and careers progress. My grandson Larkin is now almost a year old and—with apologies to others—is truly the most beautiful little boy in the world. My soon-to-be 97-year-old mother is doing well and lives locally with the support of her remarkable care team, and I get to see her almost daily. All things considered, life is good. On the other hand… in a weak moment this summer I bought a restored 1977 BMW R60 motorcycle. Truly a classic, but I haven’t ridden it much, am mildly terrified of it, and it’s currently in the shop. What could possibly go wrong? Stay tuned for more developments. Finally, I’m appreciative of all the work Mike Ganey continues to do as our class agent, but also for all the support that members of the class provide with your wonderful updates. Thank you, all! Jim Reynolds: “Judy and I are thoroughly enjoying our retirement. We spend much of the year at Pawleys Island in South Carolina. Judy’s health continues to challenge her, so we just take it easy and enjoy each other’s company. Our daughter Kathryn lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and has a great career and keeps us entertained with stories of her exciting life and travels. We wish our classmates and their families all the best!” Betsy Bruce: “I had a busy fall beginning with a trip to Iceland with my Harvard Leadership group. One of our classmates is the new ambassador to Iceland and she helped us craft a very in-depth trip. I left Iceland and traveled directly to Sicily, Italy (quite the packing challenge!), to meet up with Missie Ludlow. A fascinating but hot trip. Sicily’s history is fascinating. I highly recommend it, though possibly a little later in the season. I will spend Thanksgiving with Byron and Cynthia Grant at their beautiful Ojai, California, house. I have been working on introducing a national non-profit, Friends of the Children, to the state of Maine. The work has enabled me to meet many great people in my newly-adopted state. I encourage everyone to visit Portland, Maine, and to give me a call.” Nick Fina: “By the way, I received my certificate of completion for the University of California Paralegal Studies program. I’m working remotely from Delaware for my daughter, a lawyer in San Luis Obispo, California.” Chris Mahoney: “Joan and I were going to go to Israel in May but have postponed

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Cynthia and Byron Grant (both MBA ’78) visited Mongolia in October where their trip included staying in a traditional yurt with a coal-burning stove.

Paul Rubin (MBA ’78) and wife Janet took a post-retirement cruise through Portugal last summer.

that until September, by which time we hope things will be more peaceful. Instead, we are going to the Vale di Noto in Sicily, Italy, to look at Baroque architecture. Spending the winter in the Bahamas.” Paul Rubin: “Lots of news from Memphis, Tennessee. I retired in May, though I am still doing some subcontracting for my old firm. Janet and I just returned from a wonderful Portugal River Cruise and Lisbon, Portugal, excursion. Earlier this year we did vacation trips in Utah (Arches, Canyonland, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks), New Mexico (Albuquerque and Santa Fe), and New York City (four Broadway shows in three days)! I also enjoyed my first Roads Scholar adventure, a hiking/biking/kayaking trip in Quebec, Canada. “The cooler weather was a welcome respite from the Memphis summer. I am still figuring out how I want to spend my retirement. I have resumed playing bridge and am doing more jigsaw puzzles and reading. Trying to decide where to volunteer my time. We head back to NYC next week to watch our singer/songwriter/Jewish-educator daughter, Eliana, receive a prestigious award.” Dave LaCross: I won’t add to what’s been well-documented in regard to Dave and Kathy’s remarkable support of the School, but it’s been so wonderful to see his re-engagement not only with the school but also with our class. Terms like warm, modest, generous, and soft-spoken are often over-used but seem particularly well-suited in this case.” Cynthia and Byron Grant: “Byron and I took a trip to Mongolia in October. We attended

the Golden Eagle Festival, where nomads on horseback use eagles they’ve trained in falconry to compete in a number of events. We stayed in yurts, which were comfortable but either hot or cold depending on how well the fire in your coal-burning stove was doing (the locals burn sheep dung instead). The landscapes are vast, with no fences in sight. Beautiful!” Anne Wood Bryant: Anne is also one of those who manage to stay in touch with warm notes and photos from her life. Her Facebook posts are aways lovely. Anne, Judy Glazier, and Brewer Doran have all stayed close over the years both in conversation and in person. Judy Glazier: “I finally managed to travel a bit this year, including a trip to Paris, France, in August. It was great fun seeing many of my favorite landmarks again, this time with a new traveling companion, also named Judy. On our final day in Paris, we learned to grow the Eiffel Tower right out of our heads. What a great party trick to have mastered! All is going well. I’ll be off to Portugal in April. In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoys the holidays.” Madeleine Ludlow: “Betsy, Bruce, and I went to Sicily, Italy, this fall with four other friends. It is an amazing place that has been occupied by Greeks, Romans, Christians, Muslims, and Italians. I recommend it. Other than that, I haven’t done much traveling recently. Other than to Las Vegas, Nevada, to visit Ben. Same old thing here in Cincinnati, Ohio.” Dave Wunderlin: “Hi, Margot. The only update I have is that a memorial service for Bob Giltner is planned for a time between Christ-

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Judy Glazier (MBA ’78) visited Paris in the summer of 2023.

Ann Wilkerson and Kathy Keyes Hart (both MBA ’78) had a personal reunion this summer in Los Angeles, California.

mas and New Year’s Day. I will provide further information as I get it. Happy holidays!” Linda Fisher: Linda has been wonderful at staying in touch with frequent short notes and is adjusting to a somewhat slower pace of life following the sale of her business. Linda says: “We are helping our son Reed with the many complications of his upcoming move to Bangkok, Thailand, as a foreign service officer for the State Department. He is scheduled for spine surgery before he leaves. He will know on 3 August if he will need the surgery that is scheduled for 7 August. He flies out 19 August! “John and I finally had dinner with Mike and Judith Ganey after living in the Raleigh, North Carolina, area since 1995! It was delightful! And the end is now in sight for the successful sale of Communications Corp of America!” Mark McGuiness: “Margot, good to hear from you and hope you are doing well. All is great here and sending you the following short note: “Mexico continues to grow, despite its leadership, with ‘nearshoring’ expanding the Mexican economy. Companies such as Tesla and others are here to build factories, as well as Chinese companies who do not want to be locked out of the U.S. market. Luckily, we have found opportunities to equally take advantage of further plant expansions. “On the private side, I made a trip through northern Germany with my brother-in-law, who was born and raised along the Baltic Sea. The small towns are gems, and the people are friendly. We continue to travel to see my two daughters, who are in extreme locations: Portland, Oregon, and Brooklyn, New York. Both very accessible from Mexico City. As al-

ways, you are all welcome to visit Mexico City, and especially our neighborhood Condesa, where many young Americans have come to settle in their ‘work from home’ status. The city has many cultural, gastronomic, low-cost housing/living options, and is a short flight from most large North American cities.” Ann Wilkerson: “Kathy Hart and I had our own private reunion over lunch in Pasadena, California, where I had been visiting my granddaughter, age almost 1.” Cullen Coates: “A belated thanks to you for all the hard work on our behalf. I hope things are clearing up for you and the family. It can’t be easy, and I very much respect your perseverance. “We are fine here in California. Our son and his wife had a new daughter in April. Fortunately, both kids live within reasonable driving distance, so we get to spend time with the grandchildren. Sally is happy to be able to help out with some of their care and thus be a more regular part of their lives. We have managed to escape this year’s latest California hazard: excess water and snow. The snowpack reached over 65 feet at some resorts, which would have been wonderful years ago when I was actively skiing. Otherwise, life moves along. We are fortunate to have good health so far and a wonderful family to enjoy. Best Regards!” Mike Ganey: “Knowing you are likely desperate for submissions, here goes! Being of an advanced age compared to most of you (my wife, Judith, excluded, of course), we recently made the move to a retirement community. No, it’s not the Old Folks Home… or is it? Our original plan was to move here five or six years after our dog went to doggy heaven,

but a house became available. I don’t know how it is where you live, but waiting lists for retirement communities in Raleigh, North Carolina, run 2-3 years for an apartment and 8-12 years for a house. After inspecting the home and making our remodeling plans, we made the move. “One important thing we learned was the difficulty downsizing, and getting rid of ‘things’ and ‘precious stuff.’ Nobody wants your furniture, silver, or china. Since moving in August, we are adjusting to being among the younger people here, and certainly among the most active. I walk 18 holes of golf twice weekly and ride my e-bike 20-35 miles each week. Judith stays active with her friends, and our neighbors marvel at our energy levels. Life is full of adjustments, so add this to the list of things to look forward to in the coming years. Our best to everyone in our fine class, and special thanks to Margot for keeping us glued together.” David Charlton: “Just under the deadline, here goes! This year we traveled. It was more about seeing people than places. In March we went to London, England, to see our daughter, then on to Norway to visit our son who lives 325 miles above the arctic circle and loves it! Back home in time for the reunion in April. In May, a family wedding in Morehead City, North Carolina, followed by a few days hanging out in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a buddy I have had since second grade. In July it was off to Scotland, traveling with Texas friends from my post-college time. Then on to visit German friends from early in our married life. We found we could take trains from Erfurt, Germany, all the way back to London! Almost as fast as flying. “August we spent in training, no travel. More later. In September we went to the George Washington Forest in Virginia and West Virginia to hang out with friends from Laurie’s time at Purdue. More training. In late October, Laurie and I biked from Cumberland, Mayland, back to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail. Perfect weather and well worth all the training miles over the summer! November will see us in Western Massachusetts for Thanksgiving. In December, it will be back to Corning, New York, for a short holiday visit. Then the keystone for the year: all our kids will be in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, minus one son-in-

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law! This marks the first time we have all been in the same spot since at least 2019! Thanks for all you do to keep us engaged in the loose community!”

Peggy Watts Gup wattsgup@gmail.com John Robertson: “I’m still working as a job-search coach part time for Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Charlotte and I live in Evanston, Illinois, and have a house on the market in Dewees Island, South Carolina (hint, hint). Next year we want to do more traveling. Looking forward to another reunion next year.” Jim Magill: “The fun part: Anne and I continue to juggle work and play with our anti-COVID-19 travel plans: several quick trips throughout the U.S. and fun times in Copenhagen, Denmark; Tokyo, Japan; Jordan, Israel; and Peru next month. We took our grandson James, age 6, to Disneyland, which was all about Star Wars. We got our annual Aspen ski trip in. Carlie and Erin are both in California so we’re seeing more of them. Erin’s production design work is back on track after the strike. Several are in the can awaiting release, but she did ‘Dead Ringer’ on Netflix if you like creepy but with great sets. And we added Zay to our family (a long-hair white Swiss shepherd) so we now have two beasts to board as we travel. “The not so fun: Even after launching a new name for projekt202, who bought my company (Cibo) and several others, the parent company, Amdocs, has decided to withdraw from San Francisco, California, so I’ll be leaving at the end of the ear. No retirement for me as I still love the client relationships, and helping when they are stuck or have a gap in their customer experience. So, look for another company by the time we all see each other in April.” Dennis Dixon: “I’m back from this year’s cross-country trip: 9,143 miles in three weeks. Some days the driving was a bit much, but hiking in the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains (based out of the Hostel California in Bishop, California) was great!” Paul Sartori: “Anne and I are enjoying Charlottesville. I am working with a few early-stage biotech companies here and in California, and running the Children’s Hospital Fore the Kids golf tournament. Anne is active with Georgia’s

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Dennis Dixon (MBA ’79) stopped for a photo opportunity at Kearsarge Pass in Kings Canyon National Park in California.

Bill Bunn (MBA ’79) explored an ancient Native American burial ground with Jeff Elmer (MBA ’79).

House, the Charlottesville Symphony, and Christ Church soup kitchen. We get to see our children and grandchildren often here and in Boston, Massachusetts, and we manage to do some personal traveling as well. Our most exciting and interesting event of late was going to Prague, Czech Republic, this past July to watch our granddaughter, Kennedy, play for England’s women’s lacrosse team in the European International U-21 Tournament. England won and Kennedy returned triumphant and has now just entered her first year of college at Loyola, Maryland.” Charles Edwards: “I am divorced and am in a relationship with a woman I met in 1974 while at the University of Reading (U.K.). We hadn’t seen each other for almost four decades. We ran into each other in a hotel lobby in south Florida: I was speaking at a conference and she was visiting friends... and, as they say, the rest is history. As a result of this change, I have moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where Judy is from. “It is not that different than Raleigh, North Carolina, where I lived for almost 40 years, other than there being no traffic despite the city having about one million people. The people are very friendly, and the weather is not that bad. The winters and summers are like North Carolina, without the humidity—a welcome change indeed. Fortunately, the tornado area has moved east and north so that is not a worry. Fingers crossed. “I retired from the North Carolina Department of Transportation at the end of 2019, but still work as an air cargo advisor to governments, airlines, and airports. I still have a

faculty appointment at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill but have transitioned from teaching to research, with a focus on issues surrounding e-commerce deliveries in urban areas. I also keep my hand in other academic activities as an advisor to universities in North Carolina and Florida and the Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. I also have a blog which covers issues about logistics, education needs, and the impact of AI. “Now that the pandemic has subsided, I am back to traveling for work and pleasure. Last year was hectic. Twice to Greece, three times to the U.K. as well as trips to Africa (to see the gorillas in Rwanda—a must for everyone) and Italy. I am looking forward to seeing Tom and Diane Fechtel in January and then seeing everyone at the reunion.” Lucy J. Lowenthal: “I am doing well and look forward to seeing everybody and catching up at the reunion next spring. I am still living in Bethesda, Maryland. I’m very busy with teaching a course at GW in Public Health and taking care of my mother, who is still in the big house and farm where we grew up in Virginia. My family members and I are working on selling the property and hope to select a developer soon. It is a very interesting process in a competitive market in Northern Virginia. “My husband, Peter, continues to work full time in solar energy. My children, Rachel and Max, both live and work in Washington, D.C., which is nice. We try to travel when possible.” Jeff Elmer: “I can report on being coaxed by Bill Bunn to come out to Ohio last fall

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Shelby Hypes (MBA ’79) and Dennis (MBA ’79) and Wendy Dixon enjoyed lunch together in Massachusetts this summer.

Fenton (MBA ’81) and Tina Priest visited the Amalfi Coast in Italy.

to explore ancient Native American burial grounds. Both he and I got interested in these formations and decided to investigate. It was fun, but the best part was getting some Billand-Leslie-Bunn-time. Otherwise, Linda and I are enjoying our four grandchildren: Lucianna, Alessandra, Nathan, and Josephine.” Peggy Watts Gup: “Had a lovely lunch with Shelby Hypes and Dennis and Wendy Dixon in Massachusetts this summer.”

nizations as well. We are always busy. “On the family front, our oldest granddaughter started at Oklahoma University in the fall.” From Stefanie Paulos, a terrific suggestion from our last update that I think we should consider: “It was so nice to be able to connect with classmates on the virtual call we had for our reunion in 2021. It would have been better to be in person, but it was good to see folks that I haven’t seen since graduation. It would be great to do more virtual gatherings since our next reunion won’t happen until 2026. Anyway, with fond memories of Darden, I hope we can keep the connections going. See you in C’ville in 2026!” From your secretary, Fenton Priest: My wife, Tina, and I decided to celebrate our first wedding anniversary by taking a trip to Europe to visit my daughter in Barcelona, Spain, and then to the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy. It was my first time to that part of Italy. It is a stunningly beautiful area with dramatic cliffs and charming villages. We spent five days in Positano, a really picturesque village described as “a coastal gem on the Amalfi Coast, featuring pastel-hued buildings cascading down cliffs, Mediterranean beauty, and a relaxed, romantic atmosphere” (thanks, ChatGPT). Another great thing about Positano: I wore my Darden T-shirt one day and met a number of fellow Wahoos there! I didn’t meet anyone from Darden, but it was fun talking about our times in C’ville. I’ll definitely be packing my UVA T-shirts in the future! I want to add my sincere thanks to everyone for sending updates! Looking back, I consider our time at Darden to be a truly significant,

Fenton Priest fentonpriest@iCloud.com Bill Prodouz has been staying busy! Thanks, Bill, for sending this update: “We are alive and well and thriving in Pocasset, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod, where we have now retired to and have lived for 10 years. “I still fish the Cape Cod Canal about 100plus days a year for striped bass. I do some citizen science, sending scale samples and measurements of stripers I catch to Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. I use my old Analysis and Communications class skills for public speaking, including a Cataumet Schoolhouse presentation on ‘Fishing the Cape Cod Canal.’ “My wife, Tina (GSAS ’80), and I recently performed in the play ‘Rip Van Winkle’ at Aptucxet for the Bourne Historical Society, tying the play to Grover Cleveland from neighboring Gray Gables to his fishing partner, the actor Joe Jefferson, who was famous for playing Rip Van Winkle at the turn of the 20th century. “I continue my involvement as an AARP tax volunteer and a treasurer in several local organizations, and Tina leads many local orga-

life-changing experience. It seems many agree. It is great for us to stay connected! Please let me know if you would like to try a virtual gathering before our next reunion, like Stefanie suggested. If there’s interest, we can try to arrange it. In closing, as recognized by Tom Richards and reported in the previous Darden Report: we have lost some classmates this year. I want to express my deepest sympathies and condolences from the Darden Class of ’81 to the families and close friends of our classmates Tom Paine and Kevin Twillman. Sadly, we have lost these classmates too soon. Class of ’81: Take care and stay in touch!

Mike Diefenbach mike.diefenbach@gmail.com In September, Rick Pfeiffer was married to Pam Kittrell in San Antonio, Texas. Connee Sullivan, Scott Franklin, Garrett Verdone, and Garrett’s wife, Gloria, had dinner with Rick the night before the wedding. Rick is now founder and CEO of Texas Private Investment Capital (TPIC). He plans to invite a select group of prominent Texas and international families to partner with them and offer a broad suite of investment opportunities. In late October, Bradd Gold, Garrett Verdone, and EJ Pipkin were hosted by Gerry Nagler in his new home in Sarasota, Florida. Golf was involved. David Harrison reports that his buddy Curt Mildner and Curt’s wife, Loralee, have become avid Civil War historians and have visited multiple historic sites. Curt has participated in battle reenactments and has built

In September, Rick Pfeiffer (MBA ’82) was married to Pam Kittrell in San Antonio, Texas.

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Scott Franklin, Connee Sullivan, Garrett Verdone and Rick Pfeiffer (all MBA ’82) with Gloria Verdone before Rick’s wedding

Class of 1982 alumni Bradd Gold, Gerry Nagler, Garrett Verdone and E.J. Pipken met at Bradd’s home in Park City, Utah.

Harry Travis (MBA ’82) attended a Harvard Business School executive education course on being an effective corporate director.

an impressive collection of memorabilia from this time in American history. In September, Dave and his wife, Kathy, met up with the Mildners at Gettysburg for an amazing educational experience, thanks to a guided tour with a certified expert. Dave’s core conclusion: Gettysburg was not the result of brilliant strategies by generals, but rather was an accumulation of circumstance, poor maleego-based decisions, and much heroism along the way by many relatively unknown people. Says Dave: “Life continues to treat me better than I deserve. I’m doing philanthropic (free) consulting for SCORE, which has 11,000 mostly retired executives across the country and is part of the SBA helping small businesses and entrepreneurs. It’s very rewarding. Interested? Let me know and I’ll connect you!” Last April, Steve Durham moved to Portugal with his fiancé, Chuck Wild. Says Steve: “We haven’t regretted a moment. Beautiful country, great weather, amazing food, reasonable cost of living, and friendly people. We’re ensconced in a four-bedroom, two-balcony, fifth-floor apartment in a residential section of Porto, Portugal. We keep discovering incredible restaurants where a meal that would cost $75-$100 in the United States is half that price in Euros. I spend time writing my fiction. We’re enrolled in Portuguese lessons, but it’s not an easy language to learn, particularly the spoken word. The natives drop letters and entire syllables. It’s nuts!” Tom Sullivan enjoyed a “Darden summer” this year. He reconnected with Rick Gould, who has been amazing in assisting, advising,

and introducing as Tom raises a $250 million Fund III at Farmland LP. Says Tom: “Harry Travis and Kevin McCarthy are also on board, providing valuable sales training for my team. (I’m beyond trainable, but they are doing wonders with the junior staff!)” Harry Travis writes: “Here’s a scary picture: Harry at an HBS Exec Ed program for new corporate directors. Forgive me, Darden, for writing a check to the competition, but it was a great program. “One of the professors, Dave Fubini, worked with Huyett at McKinsey for about 20 years. Small world!” Kevin Kelly recently spent a long weekend in Charlottesville. Kevin says the group included: “Harriott and I, our three daughters, and the full complement of husbands, fiancés and boyfriends. Six UVA degrees between us all and, by extension, three more if you include the dads of fiancés and boyfriends! There’s certainly not a lot of imagination in the Kelly family! “P.S. The next generation of Kelly UVA alumni is underway.” (Kevin sent a photo of his grandson Andrew in a Virginia sweatshirt) David Blair and Marianne have been enjoying retirement, and yet are busier than ever. They’re spending most of their time shuttling from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Brooklyn, NYC, to look after their seven grandkids. John Reilly reports: “My daughter Kathleen and her family moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August, for a great career opportunity for my son-in-law Ryan. They’re quickly finding their way around, having settled into

an apartment with a great view, across the boulevard from Ipanema Beach. They’ll be there for probably three or four years. Carrine and I are planning on a couple of visits there each year, the first of which will be in late January—the middle of summer in Brazil, and likely a welcome change from winter weather in Texas. Carrine is taking online Portuguese lessons, but I say, ‘não obrigado.’” Dave Tew offers his latest “News from Tews”: “After years of saving dollars, overcoming permit hassles with local, state, and national bureaucracies, hammering out legal arrangements, and finally, building, Margaret and I now have a pier, ramp, and float on our shorefront to share with our close neighbors. (Remember Jack Weber’s boat dock story? Just ask Dief.) “Almost every child and grandchild jumped into the warming waters from the floats and boats tied alongside. We’ll be intrigued to see how global climate breakdown develops along our stretch of the coast this winter and into the future. Maine’s coastal waters are said to be the most rapidly warming of anywhere on earth. (I wonder how this is known, given that the oceans cover something like 70 percent of the earth’s surface.)” Lastly, Dave reports: “In yet more important news, our oldest grandchild has recently lost the last of her baby teeth. Such a seemingly pedestrian event qualifies as a milestone for us here in the quiet boonies of Maine.”

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(Sounds like big news to us, too!)

From the northwest U.S., Earl Seekins writes: “Things are good for us. We like our little town (Bend, Oregon) and its distance from

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Andrew, grandson of Kevin Kelly (MBA ’82)

Dave Tew (MBA ’82) built this pier, ramp and float in West Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

the chaos that seems to have enveloped the world we know. Of course, we have our own share of crazy people, but things are good. “Looking at your sign-off, ‘Class Secretary, D’82,’ is but another reminder of the passage of time. You know, I am experiencing conflicting sensations about this time thing. We marked two years since the death of a friend’s child last week, and it seems so very long ago that we mourned with them. So very long and sadly long. Yet, other things from far longer in the past seem more recent. Maybe I’m starting to slip in time the way Billy Pilgrim does in Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five.”

rise, we will be into 2024. Yikes! We will try to make the best of it, just as we tried to do with all those years between then and now. Take care of yourself and those around you.” I can’t wrap up better than that.

(Like me, you probably need to look this up, folks.)

Earl continues: “Anyway, Janet and I are still together. Guess she’s stuck with me. We travel (we recommend Slovenia before it gets too discovered), sail, play golf, visit with the kids and the grands, and do little projects around the house and the community. Emily is 41 next week, has three kids, a full time job as HR VP for a software development company, a husband, and a dog. She makes it seem normal and easy. Clare is 38, has a fella, quit her job with Deloitte and started her own practice doing strategic and OD planning. She has two nice gigs going already. She’s pretty sharp, and the happiest she has been. Grace, age 29, worked through COVID-19 and found out how much more she wanted to learn so she is in the full-time MBA program at UCLA. Based on her descriptions, the school experience has ‘evolved’ in the 40 years since we left it. Everybody is on the west coast, and we really like that. “Soon, God-willing and the creek don’t

Mitch Bland Mitch.bland@cox.net It was a great reunion! My apologies for not getting a more detailed recap out for the last The Darden Report. About thirty of our classmates made it for various parts of the weekend, starting with a get-together at Ralph Sampson’s American Grill Friday night out on Barracks Road. The food was really good, by the way, so be sure to go there if you make it to Charlottesville. The farthest travelers were Kim Labuschagne and his wife, Nicky. Kim is semi-retired but still running a small group of hotels in South Africa. The closest traveler was Ralph Sampson himself, who was there all night. Coming from much closer than South Africa was a large contingent that showed up from Richmond, Virginia, mostly on Friday night. The group included Anne S. Henkel, Susanne J. McCusty, Palmer P. Garson (with her husband, Doug), Peggy and Jay Doherty, and Tricia Bullock Branch. Tricia was there with her son, Reed Barton (MBA ’18), who was attending his five-year reunion. From D.C., Fred and Nancy Van Huyck Chockley were there too along with the man who made the evening possible, Warren Thompson. Warren’s wife, Danielle, and his daughter, Skylar Valley Thompson, were at all the weekend events as well. Charlie Tillotson, who has just moved

to the Charlottesville area, also attended and was as fun as ever. In attendance on Saturday were Melissa and Scott Hinchman, who recently relocated to Charlottesville as well. Rachel Heidenreich was there, traveling from her home in Ohio. Meryl and Chuck Witmer were in attendance and checked out the site of their first meeting, World of Foods Market (yes, it is still there). Our favorite Memphis, Tennessee, resident, the stalwart Ned Spangler, took time out of retirement to come, too. It was nice as always to see Heidi Barmettler Eldred, who recently moved back to New Hampshire after a short stint in Ohio. Incidentally, rumor has it that Heidi, Palmer, Anne Henkel, and Susan Johnston are all staying very busy with their grandchildren. Finally, the crew from the northeast U.S. was well represented with Nick Lemma and Drew Tamoney. Nick fondly recalled the many promotions he oversaw while at Pepsi, including a few involving Micheal Jackson. In fact, the study group of Lemma, Tamoney, Harriet H. Clubb and Melanie Hale all showed up. Drew of course had many great stories about the old days in section D. Professor Rick Swasey and his Darden alumnus son were also in for the weekend. Kevin Murray was in from Rhode Island while Steve Ham drove down from New Jersey and also had one of his sons in attendance (who was just graduating from Darden). Glenn Geiger came down from Northern Virginia while John Maserjian and his wife, Gina Luna, did a fine job of representing upstate New York with Glenn Hudson. Fun fact: John’s childhood home was recently on Netflix. Coming from a bit farther south, Stuart Maron made it in from Venice, Florida. Now on to the non-reunion news. One of the DBA graduates in our class year, George Kester (DBA ’83), wrote to say: “I retired after 23 years from Washington and Lee University where I was the Mamie Fox Twyman Martel Professor of Finance.” George previously held the William H. Dunkak Chair in Finance at Bucknell University. Each summer of 2001 to 2015, he traveled to Australia to teach in the Master of Finance program at the University of Melbourne. He has also been a visiting professor at the University of Hawai’i, Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, National University of Ireland Galway, University of the South Pacific, University of Malaya,

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and National University of Singapore. Since 1995 he has traveled annually to Slovenia to teach at the University of Ljubljana. He was honored in 2018 by the Financial Education Association with the inaugural Jean L. Heck Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Financial Education. Over the years, he has led numerous executive seminars and taught in management development programs in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and the U.S. His travels have also taken him to South America and Antarctica. Prior to his academic career, he was president of Financial Analysis Systems Inc., a computer software and consulting company, and held various positions with First Union National Bank (now Wells Fargo). He earned his MBA from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and DBA from the University of Virginia. He and Karen, his wife of 52 years, have two sons and two grandchildren. So clearly George hasn’t been up to much since graduation. Susan Waxter wrote: “It’s been 10 years since retirement, and I hardly remember working! I’m writing this from Leon, Spain, on one of five international trips this year. It’s always nice to have Baltimore, Maryland, to go home to. I was sorry to miss our reunion but will always think that pausing my career to go to Darden was the best professional move I made.” Then there’s Mark Casey, another international traveler. Mark reports he is still living in Boulder, Colorado, and enjoying more travel these days. He is getting ready to visit his “digital nomad” software engineer son who now lives in Portugal. Speaking of international travel, Julie Fairchild Andrews said: “Travel has been at the top of the list during retirement. The last 12 months took us to Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Botswana. All wonderful places with beautiful sites and interesting histories. So far, next year we are planning on going to Japan and the Panama Canal. On the family side, we now have seven grandchildren. The oldest is age 6 so family gatherings are fun and chaotic! So sorry to have missed the 40th reunion as it conflicted with one of these trips. I hope to make the next big one!” We still have a few “non-retired” classmates, such as Peer Nielsen. Peter writes: “After returning from China to Boston, Massa-

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CLASS NOTES

chusetts, in 2016. I started a small consulting company which led to an assignment at California Closets in 2021, which at the time had quite some manufacturing problems. The consulting work led to more work and eventually a full-time job that started in May last year. Most recently my scope was expanded to include sourcing, procurement, and engineering, in addition to manufacturing. All of which means that I spend less time with my family! It’s a fantastic brand and my first gig in the B to C world. I enjoy it and, as a result, retirement has been put on hold. As an aside, we are working with Professor Doug Thomas, writing a business case on the situation I was dropped into. No doubt it will (and I hope) create headaches for students going forward.”

Debbie McPhillips dashmcp@gmail.com Greetings Class of ’84! Please read all the way through these notes: you may notice a theme. That’s what happens when you only have one response and your submission is due! I’ll have a prize waiting at our 40th Reunion next April to the first classmate (who is not mentioned) to identify the bona fide note among the shameless plugs to attend our Reunion next 26–28 April 2024! Here we go! Tim Laseter sent me this update: “First, I’m having a blast with my grandkids. My daughter Cecilia has produced two (with the help of her wonderful husband, who she met while earning her MBA at McCombs after turning down Darden). I’m particularly enjoying my grandson, age 17 months, who apparently is quite like me: he talks nonstop even though it is mostly gibberish and no one is listening. “Second, I’m now the self-proclaimed ‘faculty lord’ of Darden’s metaverse, and perhaps the leading faculty proponent of encouraging Darden students to embrace ChatGPT. I have explained how 40 years ago we transitioned from our HP 12C calculators and IBM typewriters to a handful of Apple II computers with VisiCalc and WordStar available in the library. The world of work changed fundamentally then and is doing so again now. “Finally, I should mention that Dean Johnson hosted me on a weeklong bike trip along the Danube. We started in Vienna, Austria, and included Bratislava, Slovakia; and Budapest, Hungary. (Though we used

the train to get to the latter.) He even talked me into attending the Vienna ballet, though I enjoyed the local bar scene more. It was a great way to extend my student Field Study in Germany on ‘AI, Robotics, and Technologic Unemployment.’ “Third, as you may know, I get to play multiple roles during reunion weekend: Darden ’84 alumnus and also former professor for the more recent graduates. This year, I have a third role as the (also self-proclaimed) ‘Social Chair’ for Section F. Triggered at a faculty offsite earlier this year and led by one of our new, tenure-track faculty members, Ayana Younge, and in partnership with Carolyn Miles (MBA’88), Section F seeks to enhance connections among faculty (hence ‘Section F’) and support the successful transition of the school’s leadership to the next generation. We are exploring the possibility of an activity to introduce the young faculty to alumni who are interested in serving as case protagonists, offering a new way for our class to connect with the school.” Look for more on this exciting (if a bit high maintenance) new section, especially at our Reunion next April! Your humble secretary had a great catchup call with Darden roommate Laura Klapper in September. Somehow, we managed to fill each other in on the past 10 years (since our 30th reunion) in one two-and-a-half-hour phone conversation! I’m not going to share any state secrets here, but Laura did mention that she was going to use our 40th Reunion to scout for new talent for her upcoming production of the Darden Talent Show: Geezer Edition! From closer to home, I heard from Louis Gary: “Last March I retired from what had become a 25+ year career in IT management. I had managed small teams that delivered and enhanced servers, networks, internet (when it was still a gleam in Sergey Brinn’s eye), international WAN’s, bleeding edge VPN technology, Linux (life is too short to learn UNIX), firewalls, and the like. I got to dodge and weave past wannacry, Iloveyou, Melissa, CodeRed, and CryptoLocker, to name a few fun viruses in the computer world over the past two dozen years or so. In earlier roles, I built networks in Canada, Mexico, and China, and interconnected them during the early days of computer server networking, watching Wellfleet and Novell die from larger,

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Class of 1984 classmates Karen Kosiba Edwards visited with Fiona Roche in Florence, Italy.

more deep-pocketed competitors (Cisco and Microsoft). My last stomping ground was the Technical Operations Center team I helped develop at VCU Health, wherein we ramped up system monitoring, alerting, incident management, and vulnerability remediation. Not very high-end glamour, but fun nonetheless. “I now enjoy many a pickleball and golf game, work at a golf course to get to play for free, enjoy retirement while my wife, Judy, still enjoys her work career, and watch my two grown children navigate early careers and relationships. Looking forward to seeing many former classmates at next year’s reunion in April.” Karen Kosiba Edwards sent a text message and a couple of photos: “Look who’s planning to be back in C’ville for Reunion! Erik, Vince and Karen held an advance planning session over dinner in D.C., following up on Karen’s visit with Fiona in Florence, Italy. Make this our biggest Reunion yet — don’t wait for the 50th — who knows where we’ll be then?” Kent Smith wrote: “The 40th Reunion is coming, which means more reconnection time with old friends as well as those who I just crossed paths with in the Darden hallway, but I love hearing their stories! Please don’t wait for the 50th. I personally don’t want to see anyone in walkers. “As for the latest: the turnaround of the $3 billion Florida health care system is complete. We are back in the black, so I am on to the CEO search for a successor. I am back on the tennis court getting ready to rejoin my buddies on the Senior Tour.” Dave Dross provided this life update: “After 27 years in my home state of Texas, I

became a climate change refugee and moved to Hendersonville, North Carolina (altitude 2,200 feet), to enjoy the outdoors a lot more. On average the temperatures in my new location are roughly 20 degrees cooler than our previous Texas residence. “Of course, this means it’s a lot easier for me to get to Charlottesville for basketball games — and for our 40th class reunion. I am looking forward to visiting in April (and likely before then for basketball games) for the class reunion. I can think of no better way to spend an April weekend than in Charlottesville surrounded by old friends, good times, and stimulating conversations!” And from our esteemed classmate, John Fowler: “Corey and I are really looking forward to the reunion next April. It is hard to believe our cohort, 40 years later, is hitting ‘retirement’ age. Although 65 is the new 50, and I’m certainly still showing up at my work-fromhome office many days every week (even though I’m not scoring well on the badgeswipe, big-brother monitoring system my employer has in place). I am truly hoping that the Class of ’84 can continue its leadership role at Darden by having a large percentage of us show up at the reunion and, regardless of amount, hit a new record of the percentage of the class that gives this year. Bob Bruner, our class ‘mascot,’ will be joining our class festivities. And no doubt we’ll replay Stan Allen’s classic and epic video. “It is also worth coming back to see the new Darden Grounds. Darden has replaced the Darden Inn with the new Forum Hotel. It is now the best hotel in Charlottesville — run by Kimpton — and an exceptional hotel and event facility with a beautiful, multi-acre arboretum with hundreds of plantings from Monticello. “I have the honor of currently serving on the Board of Trustees at Darden. It’s nothing to do with me, but I would add that we just got ranked as the No. 3 MBA program by Bloomberg Businessweek. While our generation of professors has largely retired, the current faculty is made up of an exceptional group of motivated, dynamic, and engaged professors who create that same intense but magical and transformational experience for students that we had. Everyone, you need to make every effort to come back for the reunion.” I’ll close with a few words from our 40th Reunion Giving co-chairs, Peggy Doherty and

John Jung: “Come back for our 40th reunion, since life doesn’t guarantee you a 45th or 50th. Our attendance goal is 40 percent, which coincidentally equates to 84 classmates. It’s got to be a sign. Put 26–28 April on your calendars, make your hotel and travel arrangements, and get yourself there!”

Tom Taylor tomtaylornj@gmail.com I retired in 2021 and got a puppy. It’s been demanding but wonderful. Apparently, I’m not the only one who thought it was a good idea. Here’s the update from Susie (Sommer) Futter: “My husband, Jeff, and I both retired in January 2020, right before the pandemic. Since our nest was empty, we thought it would be a good time to start to travel. We all know how that worked out. Our three girls came home from college and we got a new puppy. So much for the empty nest. Since then, all three girls have graduated from college and are gainfully employed. I keep in touch with some of our classmates, most frequently with Kirsten (Schubauer) Heinemann, who lives nearby. I had a great visit with Julie (Tysver) Wurst in Tacoma, Washington, this summer. I keep busy by serving on a couple of boards and committees, including that of our local museum and the Long Island chapter of Save the Children. I still play tennis (badly), but serve as membership and communications chair of our local indoor tennis club. I have recently taken up mahjong. All in all, life is good!” Speaking of dogs, Bob Reeve has long been invested in a life with canine company: “Busy here as always. Georgeann and I bought a vacation home in Cashiers, North Carolina, and are doing a complete remodel/renovation; we took it down to the studs. It should be ready late this year and for summer next year to give our Berners a break from the heat of Leesburg, Virginia. Georgeann completes her sixth and last year as president of the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America, and we will both be glad as it has taken up a lot of her time. I made a long put off golf trip to Ireland in August with seven good buddies, originally scheduled for August 2020 and canceled due to COVID-19. We had a great time, and good weather — for Ireland. I got back just in time for some sur-

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CLASS NOTES

Betsy Griffith (MBA ’85) performed risk assessment with a camel.

Deb Lennington (MBA ’85) at the Budapest Opera House.

Scott Kammeraad and Mike Bray (both MBA ’85) in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

gery and am fully recovered and playing golf again. Looking forward to 2024.” Charles Coker Jr. and Sylvia live in Bluffton, South Carolina. Their four daughters “have created six grandchildren so far. I always have time for some quail hunting with Charley McLendon and seasonal visits with Louis Sarkes and his family. Come on down to the Low Country! We welcome visits from Darden classmates who may find themselves around Hilton Head, South Carolina, or Savannah, Georgia.” Many in our class have kids who went to UVA, and some who went to Darden. Here’s some wonderful news from Ann (Hallquist) Taylor: “I’m happy to report that our son Peter and his wife, Janie Whitaker Taylor (both Darden Class of 2019), are the proud parents of Cornelia Rose Taylor (Coco), born 30 July 2023, in New York City. Coco visited us in Keswick, Virginia, in October. We’re also proud of my sister Connie Hallquist, MBA ’91, who was recently elected to the Darden Foundation Board of Trustees. We look forward to seeing ’85 classmates anytime you are in Charlottesville!” It’s probably too soon to commit Coco to Darden Class of 2051, but who knows! David and Adele Stotler are also reaching a new milestone: “Looks like it’s time for us to share that we are entering grandparenthood. Grandson Simon Weaver was born to our daughter Anne Stotler (UVA BA History ’11) on 6 May. Not surprisingly, this event has triggered three trips from Houston, Texas, to San Francisco, California, totaling seven weeks so far this year!” Here’s the latest from Betsy Griffith: “Don and I are busy with work of our choosing: for him, teaching for Road Scholars, and for me,

researching a book on European slavery (and realizing how big Europe really is). Keeping the house up for family and friends is a labor of (mostly) love. Don’s five grandchildren range from second grade to sophomore at Berkeley. We took the grandgirls to Scotland in June. My dozens of nieces and nephews are now reproducing, and I’m feeling the exponentiality of it—think compound interest in terms of birthday cards. My mom, age 92, is hanging in there. I do three school pickups a week for the local family, which is a great pleasure. I see Michelle Weiss when I’m on the left coast. Greetings to all.” It’s nice that travel is back to normal postCOVID-19, but geopolitical events are now weighing. Deb Lennington is overseas as of this writing and sent this report: “Presently plotting activities and personal safety for the next few days in Prague, Czech Republic, while I’m recovering from a long train trip earlier today from Budapest, Hungary. I’m in the middle of what I had naively planned as my annual escape from the craziness that has been consuming the United States these last years. Then the Middle East blew up. “My time away in central Europe is now all about working through the complicated histories here, while thinking deep thoughts about the lessons and ramifications of history and the rise and fall of empires. It has been an interesting time, to say the least. When I am in residence in the States, I am still in Michigan, still with University of Michigan Medical School, and still hoping in vain to actually be a real grandmother someday (and not just an honorary one!).” For those looking for a domestic vaca-

tion destination, consider… Grand Rapids, Michigan! Scott Kammeraad’s accommodations are open: “Mike Bray, the Prodigal Son, spent a week in Grand Rapids visiting family and he stayed in our Airbnb suite. Good times in Grand Rapids. Hoos next?” Leisure activities are becoming a larger part of many classmates’ lives. Exhibit A from Mike Falletti: “I, like most of our classmates, retired in 2021. I built a place on the water in East North Carolina near Surf City/Topsail Island. I stay entertained, moving large sailboats up and down the East Coast, working on my golf game, and enjoying beach life. My twin daughters (VT alumnae), four grandkids, and my mom live in Northern Virginia so I split time between North Carolina and Virginia.” Exhibit B from James Totten: “We still try to spend the winter in southwest Florida. However, as a result of Hurricane Ian (which made landfall a mere 10 miles south of our house on Boca Grande, Florida) and our decision to move to Birmingham, Alabama, to be closer to children, this year we only made it down for April. Still hoping to live long enough to shoot my age in golf (only 20 more years). Other than staying on as a director of the 1911 Trust Company, which I helped form from a family office in Massachusetts, I do as little work as possible.” Exhibit C from Tim O’Shea: “Work life is transitioning to be less than full time and advisory only. I have time now to be on a few boards, mostly in HR tech space. My family is good, with one grandchild. My golf game is inconsistent. Happy to be busy but grateful to have the flexibility to enjoy life too.” As for me, I just got my commercial pilot’s

DA R D E N R E P O R T

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license and I’m pondering what to do with it. Best to all.

Teresa Green Cooper Tcooper59@gmail.com Wow! I sent out a guilt-inducing plea for Class Notes and you all delivered. (As Pat O’Shea pointed out to me, we learned that in OB.) Thank you. Let’s get to it. Pat has been busy meeting up with a lot of Darden ’86-ers. He writes: “Here in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, we continue to have not just POTUS sightings but also Darden sightings! Thanks to The Darden Report column last spring about my meeting up with Lynne (Azamar) Watson, Peter Intermaggio reached out and met me for breakfast. He is retiring from Comcast, and splitting time between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Rehoboth Beach, spending more and more time here. Lynne threatens to convince Stacy (Smith) Brinkley and Nalini (Thornton) Rogers to visit the beach too, so maybe there’s an ’86 reunion ‘offsite’ brewing! “I’ll be stepping down soon from serving as chair of the Darden Alumni Board. It’s been great fun to get to know and work with faculty and staff. As ex-officio on the Darden Foundation Board, it’s been great to gather periodically in C’ville with Cathy Friedman, Byrne Murphy, Mary (Buckle) Searle, Peter Grant, and Ruffner Page, and among reps from lesser classes as well. I encourage anyone with even the most remote inkling of giving something back to strongly consider doing so through any of the Leadership Boards or other means. In fact, our Darden Notes author, Teresa Green Cooper, deserves a huge shout-out for giving back by herding all us ’86 cats over the years, and maybe she’ll consider handing over the baton if someone wants to help out.” (More about that later.) Continuing our theme of responding to my email claiming we are not boring, Sara Jones also wrote: “I’m writing only to confirm that I’m in the extremely boring category. I retired in 2021 after 34 years with AT&T. (Previously Lucent Technologies, Alcatel-Lucent, and Nokia. Continuous employment, changing company names.) I started in 1988 as a marketing and employee communications manager and ended as a senior proposal (bid projects) manager. “If I were more ambitious, I could probably write a book about all the changes I observed

in the telecommunications industry over more than three decades, and my participation in those changes, but I’m sure that book has already been written multiple times. “I’m in good health, and I plan to do something ‘constructive’ with my retirement phase ‘any minute now.’” It was also a treat to hear from Steve Zoota, who claims to have not sent in any class notes in 30 years. Steve writes: “I will skip years spent in many places, working and avoiding work. I recently connected with Chip Basset, who seems to be enjoying retirement in southern Maine (where he grew up). We commiserated on the world at Phillips Exeter Academy, where he was an ‘inmate’ and where my daughter is serving the last year of her high school experience under lock and key. “I visited C’ville this weekend with my son after his Carnegie Mellon swim team visited Lexington, Virginia, for a dual meet against W&L. We were startled by the urban sprawl but enjoyed the National Geographic-rated ‘best pizza in the world’ at Crozet Pizza and reminisced about John Colley’s readings class. David met Dr. Colley (as he remembers ‘the professor’) at a reading group reunion about 10 years ago when David was age 10. “Post PEA, my daughter is headed to Swarthmore College to play field hockey, play lacrosse, study computational biology, and perhaps explain how my wife’s and my children can average 7 inches taller than us. (We think Bob Carraway would think this rarer than UVA losing in ball to UMBC.) “As for me, I am contemplating how to spend my sudden spare time in the New York metro. I am happy to take advice from those whose children slithered through their hands much earlier in life. “The urban sprawl of C’ville and the quiet solitude of hiking old rag mountain off skyline drive seems magnetic.” Peter Hennessy, also a reticent Note-sender, wrote: “Teresa, in response to your years of keeping the class of ’86 informed, here goes: “My first update in 37 years. The car business has been very good to the family. Along with two brothers, we operate 10 dealerships in Atlanta, representing 11 brands with 14 franchises. We recently opened a new independent collision center, and a second Porsche dealership is scheduled to open next October. The best part of the car business is

George Tahija (MBA ’86) in Indonesia

that you never need to retire. It’s a passion and a profession. “Our third child, Katherine (A&S ’22), finishes her master’s in Stats at UVA in December and will join her two brothers in the workforce. Unfortunately, all three are far from Atlanta, Georgia. My wife of 32 years, Anne (MBA ’91), and I get to visit NYC; Seattle, Washington; and soon Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As I am typing, Anne is preparing for next weekend’s Marine Corp Marathon in D.C. that she will run with our daughter. I’ll be a spectator.” George Tahija recently received the 2023 Oak Leaf Award, the highest award from the global organization the Nature Conservancy (TNC). The first Oak Leaf awards were given in the mid-1960s, making it TNC’s longest-running awards program. George is an advisor at Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (YKAN), a nonprofit that protects land and water for a sustainable Indonesia. This is what YKAN wrote about George: “As a founding member of the Tahija Foundation, Mr. George, affectionately called, has long been involved in philanthropy, including nature conservation in Indonesia. Pak George has been a volunteer leader since TNC started its conservation program in Indonesia in 1991… His thoughts, ideas, and financial contributions have significantly strengthened nature conservation programs and improved community welfare.” Congratulations, George! You can read more about this on their website: www.ykan.or.id/en/publications/articles/perspectives/the-oak-leaf-award/. Bonnie Hutchinson Zellerbach, frequent intercontinental traveler, sent this update: “At the end of my winter whirlwind tour of Virginia

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CLASS NOTES

Class of 1986 alumni Suellen Kauffman Blackwood, Bonnie Hutchinson Zellerbach and Gail Thalheimer Grib reunited in Wilmington, Delaware.

Karl (MBA ’86) and Eileen Brumback attended the wedding of their son Mark to Georgia Parker in Wilmington, North Carolina, in September.

Greg Yorke and Judy Dorow Conner (both MBA ’86) and family raised a toast to long friendships.

and the Northeast, I went back to Lewes, Delaware, for some R&R with Suellen Blackwood and her husband, Larry. While there, I fell in love with a house with a view of the bay, which completely upended my plans to live in Northern Virginia. I made a snap decision, and I am happy to say I am now the proud owner of a beautiful beach house in Lewes with tons of room for guests! Come on down! I still have one foot in Thailand, but plan to spend most of 2024 in Lewes. “Notably, Peter Intermaggio also has a home just one town over. We all got together for lunch and a great day of marine conservation at the University of Delaware. And at the end of the spring visit that I reported on last time, I also got a chance to catch up with Andy Bugas in NYC and Gail Grib (née Thalhamer) in Wilmington, Delaware (halfway between her home in Philly and Suellen’s in Lewes). I’m happy to report that everyone is living their best life. Karl Brumback wrote: “Eileen is happily retired in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, while Karl is easing out of New York City with JLL. “Our second son, Mark (UNC ’16), married Georgia Parker in Wilmington, North Carolina, in September. Hopefully this will lead to grandbabies soon as Matt and Cat (UVA ’04) are not taking the hint! “Truth time: we were seriously bummed at the UNC–UVA football game!” Judy Dorow Conner met up with Greg Yorke last summer: “Nick, our oldest, age 28, is living in Los Angeles, California, having completed his MBA at the University of Southern California. Later this year he’ll be starting full-time at EY

Parthenon as a consultant. His start date was pushed back, so he is pursuing several start-up opportunities in the meantime. “My youngest, Olivia, age 21, is a fourth year at UVA. She had an internship this summer, also at EY Parthenon. With two of three kiddos in Los Angeles, California, for the summer, Eric and I took them all to Napa, California, for a long weekend and then stayed in Venice Beach for a week. “Greg met all four of us for dinner in Venice. It was great to hear about all of his adventures and it was fun for the kids to hear stories about Darden — especially the story about our ill-fated but very fun adventure on a 40 foot sail boat with eight other classmates right before graduation. Loved visiting with Greg! “I should say that Noah, age 25, the missing Conner kid, is now living in Denver, Colorado, working for Smith & Nephew in supply chain management.” Mary Haggerty Miller also took pity on me and wrote: “After nearly 30 years in Denver, Colorado, we moved to our retirement home in western Colorado near the San Juan mountains. We are loving how easy life is here and how close we are to so much natural beauty.” Lynne (Azamar) Watson sent an upbeat update: “Dave and I have moved back to Annapolis, Maryland, and we will definitely be spending time on both coasts because our oldest, Jeff, lives in San Francisco, California. Dave just completed hiking and biking El Camino de Santiago in Spain. He loved the experience so much that I may join him next fall for a shorter route through Portugal. Life is good for the Watson Clan!

“We hope to be in Charlottesville later this fall for a home football game. I hope I might even see a classmate or two there! Wahoowa!” Jeff Griffin sent this travel and relocation news: “I have moved to Raleigh, North Carolina, to be closer to two of my daughters and four grandkids. I enjoyed 10 days in Florence, Italy, and riding road bikes through Tuscany for my birthday in September. I just survived taking the grandkids and their families to Disney World for a week, and I came to realize that EPCOT stands for Every Person Comes Out Tired.” On a personal note, I think it’s time to turn in my class secretary hat and let someone new wear it for a while. It’s a fun job, only requires any effort twice a year, and you get the early scoop on our classmates. Contact me or our helpful and supportive Darden representative, Gina DeMattia, (DeMattiaG@ darden.virginia.edu) for more info. And that’s a wrap for this issue! Stay well, everyone.

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Chris Padgett Padgett60@gmail.com As I write this column in late October here in St. Louis, Missouri, the falling leaves have started to blanket my yard and driveway. I wish to thank everyone who contributed to this edition of the Class Notes, thus helping me procrastinate in my leaf raking/blowing. On with the news! Dick Dahling sat down to talk about his enduring ties to Darden in the fall 2023 edition of Darden’s Pillars publication. A fact I didn’t know about Dick: he chose Darden over Fuqua (Duke) and Ross (Michigan).

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Those schools don’t know what they missed! Also, Dick called out two marketing professors, Chris Gale and Paul Farris, for making a significant impact on him. And, of course, he talked about the power of investing in Darden. Check out the full article! The farthest-from-Darden contributor this issue is Tony Clark. Tony writes: “Checking in from ‘over the pond.’ I was banished to Europe 33 years ago... and still enjoying it! The grass is always greener, and I long for the U.S. of A. most of the time, but I get an excellent dose of it each summer on the sunny shores of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. “As I write to you, it is 19 October and I stare out at the snow coming down here in Stockholm, Sweden! Truly! I also want to mention that it is exactly 36 years ago today that I came out of the MBA Training Program at Prudential-Bache in New York and had my first day on the Bond Trading Floor. And you know what happened on this day back then, 19 October 1987? Black Monday. The stock markets crashed and bonds... well, they went straight up. Everyone wanted to be in bonds. Pru-Bache began with 85 MBAs across all programs. A month after the crash, they had only 15 left! I was one of them, as I had a home on the successful bond trading floor. I was lucky! “Who would imagine I would still live here in Sweden and coach the increasingly ‘global’ sport of basketball after 30 years in the bond markets? Life has strange turns. My wife and I have recently shipped our two sons, ages 19 and 16, to the U.S. One is in college in New York and the other is doing a prep school year in Rhode Island, chasing that dream of being a basketball star (encouraged by his dad). “One would never think that life in the U.S. is safer than it could be in Sweden. But if one reads the news, one would know that Sweden (one of the most pacifist countries in the world) is now hated for various reasons. Still, there is a beautiful side to life here that I would never give up. I encourage all to give me a shout if you are over this way, and you can choose if you want me to take you to a local basketball game or more likely out on a tour of the gorgeous Stockholm archipelago!” And a short update from Phillip Chen: “If we were still in A&C Class, you would get an A+ on your messages. I have nothing (else) to say.” Thanks for that, Phillip. Although I don’t plan on appealing my actual A&C grade!

Charles Magolske (MBA ’87), CEO of Artin Bioscience, in a pharmaceutical clean room

Kit Baker writes: “This may be the first Class Note I have ever submitted, I am embarrassed to admit. Just wanted to say that I am retiring from real estate development at the end of the year and moving up to Greenville, South Carolina, from Atlanta, Georgia, where I have lived pretty much since graduating from Darden (give or take a few years here and there). I’m planning to do lots of cycling around Greenville, the U.S., and wherever I can around the world!” Thanks, Kit! Yours is a wonderful example/reminder for the 50 percent of the class who have never contributed to the Class Notes. It’s never too late to start! From Charles Magolske: “Since your note six months ago, Elizabeth, my oldest, was married in July. She just graduated from the Colorado School of Mines as a materials engineer. James and Caroline attend the Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. In 12 years, my last will graduate from college. “My pharma business was fully funded as of August. One of the conditions of the funding by a wonderful private sponsor was to locate the business in Austria. So, I am commuting from Denver, Colorado, to Graz, Austria, each month. I opened part of today with a supplier 40 minutes away in Slovenia. The company’s web site is www.artinbio.com. So far, I could not be happier.” Rob Mitchell writes: “Betsy and I recently completed 20 years in Richmond, Virginia, and are very young grandparents of six children, including identical twin boys, age 2. “I continue to be busy with my bank consulting work. Besides lots of M&A and loan work, we created management software that over 100 banks are using. What’s

more interesting is that Google and Amazon discovered our software and are using it to help the boards of Alphabet and AWS. We’ve raised around $25 million of capital, including ours, to fund it. Betsy continues her work at a designer jewelry store, which has greatly simplified my gift giving.” Ha! The note from Howard Lee had me feeling as though he were right next to me talking: “Dude, greetings! My Derek, age 8, just won his first epee fencing gold medal in an October nine-regions tournament in Stamford, Connecticut. It was his second tournament since starting lessons 18 months ago. We arrived just 10 minutes before it started. He proceeded to lose two consecutive matches, then, he never lost again. He was interviewed for live streaming. It was quite charming, if I may say. “Then we had to rush back to Long Island, New York, for violin class. Fortunately, his piano teacher was in Italy that day. The kid would’ve had a super long day. “Can you believe I got married at 58 and became a dad at 59! I keep reading that old parents have offspring like little dictators! I’m still mowing my own lawn. You? Cheers Bro!” An upbeat update from Bill Tonetti: “Having sold my supply chain software company, I’m entering semi-retirement in December. Now, my wife, Suzanne, and I are enjoying our growing family and home on Canandaigua Lake in Western New York. Surprisingly, we learned that our neighbor a few houses up from us is none other than Mark O’Malley (MBA ’89). I’m looking forward to many good times, and he’s even tentatively agreed to crew with me on our one design sailboat.” And a quick note from Jim Sowers: “Sorry, no pictures to share this time. I’ll work on getting together with classmates for next time.” I consider this an invitation for classmates to plan something with Jim, then send me a recap and pictures for the next issue! As for me, even in “retirement” the year has flown by with lots of travel, seven months of home renovation, plenty of tennis, some consulting, and non-profit work. That includes supporting my wife, Sandy’s, non-profit, Consumers Council of Missouri (moconsumers. org). Our third son, Matthew, age 26, married his high school sweetheart in October. It was a super-wonderful wedding for a wonderful ongoing relationship. Everyone is happy and healthy, for which we are so thankful. And, like

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ALUMNI

Jerry Connolly, Hamid Lalani and Jack Oakes (all MBA ’88) had dinner together in Cary, North Carolina.

Howard Lee, I am still mowing my own lawn! I hope life is good for you and your family and friends, and that this issue’s news sparks reconnections with our classmates. And, of course, keep sending me updates!

alumni@darden.virginia.edu From Martha Shenkenberg: “I’m at it again, planning a Camino de Santiago pilgrimage walk for end of September 2024. I’m likely going the North Way. Let me know if you’d like to join us by emailing MShenkenberg@yahoo.com. We walk 10 to 20 miles a day for six days in beautiful Spanish countryside.” Jerry Connolly shares: “I met with Hamid Lalani and Jack Oakes on 16 October in Cary, North Carolina, for dinner. I was in the area attending the Eclipse Conference being held the next day. It was so much fun spending time with classmates and reliving the good times we had at Darden. Of course, our stories get more interesting and less believable over time.”

Steve Hassett, Champe Fisher Shassett@hassett-mail.com, Champe59@Gmail.com The countdown to our 35th reunion is underway. Please take a moment to register online and reserve a room at the new Forum Hotel. It is getting rave reviews! Now for the Class Notes. Alex Picou reported he recently spent time with Robert James, Victor Walker (JD/ MBA), Brian Holman (UVA Master of computer science) and Jeanne Holeman (UVA undergraduate) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at

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CLASS NOTES

Al Sanford’s belated surprise 60th birthday party. Alex has recently been elevated to vice chairman within the Global Private Bank at JP Morgan. He is still working at the bank after 35 years. He spent 22 years in the Investment Banking group and the last 11 years at the Private Bank, both of which are headquartered in New York City. Alex and his wife, Deirdra, are empty nesters now that their twin daughters have started their freshman years at Hofstra and Rutgers universities. Alex was recently back at Darden recruiting for JP Morgan’s Private and Investment Bank. He met with professors and toured the new Forum Hotel (Alex reports: “It is awesome!”). Most impressively, Alex has already made hotel reservations for our 26–28 April 2024 Alumni reunion… Hint! Hint! Steve Stradtman has recently accepted the CEO role to lead International Consortium, a global manufacturing and sourcing firm based in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Steve tells us the company was recently purchased by Markham Capital Partners. It has a new strategy in place to diversify its customer and supplier base through acquisition and organic growth by supplying North American original equipment manufacturers. Their primary markets are agriculture, lawn and garden, outdoor power equipment, metering, and environmental material handling equipment. Steve and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Nolensville, Tennessee, with their twin boys who are turning 8 years old after Christmas. He is looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion in April. Don Barnett sent greetings from Carmel, California! He “retired” in 2022 after seven great years as CEO at Sun Basket, a national, organic, direct-to-consumer meal delivery company. In the past year he has advised venture firms and joined several boards of directors (including the Monterey Jazz Festival, for all the classmates that may be music aficionados). Don and his wife, Lisa. have been traveling more. They just returned from captaining a sailboat along the Croatian coast. Don recently spent a weekend cycling and playing golf with Darin Salk and his wife, Jean Gray. Don shares that Darin (“the surge”) continues to compete at a high level in everything he does! Darin and his wife are happily settled in Davis, California. From the Longhorn state, Ralph Stow

Reid Buckley (MBA ’89) came to visit Leslie Gordon (MBA ’89) in Southampton, New York.

shared the exciting news that he and his sweetheart, Linda, are in the process of moving from Plano, Texas (where he has been since graduating from Darden), to Lake Kiowa, Texas. His new home is located about an hour north of the Dallas Metroplex and is a gated lake and golf community. Ralph is still investing in Oil & Gas while enjoying his kids and grandkids, who he says are all living the dream. His daughter, Ellen, is with Blue Cross Blue Shield as a product manager. His son, Jack, is a staff sergeant in the USMC (Oorah!) and currently is stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Ralph and Linda are traveling incessantly, mostly to Palm Desert, California; Scottsdale, Arizona; Florida for golf; and Colorado and Utah for skiing in the winter. Leslie (Peyton) Gordon checked in to say she has had several major life events recently, all within five weeks. She lost her beloved mother, Grace Baker Peyton; her daughter Peyton Margaret Gordon graduated from Dartmouth College; and she celebrated 25 years of marriage to her husband, Bart Gordon. Reid (Norris) Buckley came to visit Leslie in Southampton, New York, and they had a grand time reminiscing about life, including their Darden days. Sadly, Reid reported she lost her husband last year to a very rare and aggressive cancer. She is continuing in the real estate business, and her younger daughter has come back from New York to join her. She is optimistic for the future and has enjoyed seeing several classmates this year: She spent three days with Leslie Peyton Gordon in Southampton, as mentioned above, had dinner with Thaxter

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Bill Powell (MBA ’90), David Todd (MBA ’12) and Greg Meyer (MBA ’89) in Brookfield’s headquarters in lower Manhattan last fall.

Debra Banks (MBA ’89) is retired and traveling.

Sharp and Leslie in Washington D.C., and reconnected with her next-door seatmate Orrin Murray. She welcomes anybody who wants to visit her in Annapolis, Maryland! Greg Meyer wrote that three Darden alumni are colleagues at Brookfield Properties, the $850 billion global real estate and alternatives giant. The three were recently gathered at the parent company’s headquarters in Lower Manhattan, New York. Together with Greg at Brookfield are Bill Powell (MBA ’90), who is global COO of Brookfield’s $270 billion real estate business, and David Todd (EMBA ’12), who is a Brookfield managing director leading its 11,000-home U.S. single family rental business. Greg is President of Brookfield’s 70 million square foot U.S. office business. From the DMV section of the country (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia), Kelly Baker is happy to report that her family has grown to seven grandchildren. As if the expanding family is not enough to keep Kelly busy, her company, DC-Analytics, is about to launch its Sustainability Reporting Platform. Her new platform can be found at dc-analytics.com. Debra Banks is enjoying her retirement with lots of traveling around the world. She reports that when she is home in West Palm Beach, Florida, she is busy exercising and going to the beach. She also enjoys spending time with her son and her grandson, age 13, who wants to be a future Wahoo. Last but not least, Tom Knauer reported that he and John Parsons and a few other friends took an epic five day/four night, 140 mile “hut to hut” bike trip in the Rockies. They rode from Telluride, Colorado, to Gateway, Col-

orado, which involved more than 12,000 feet of climbing, tight quarters at night, beautiful vistas, and great companionship. Tom said John was an awesome organizer and leader of the trip. Amazingly, they had no major accidents, only a few small mechanical failures, and no interpersonal conflicts. Tom sent kudos to John for helping the riders successfully navigate the challenges of the trip, and happily, everyone is still close friends! When he was reached for comment, John shared that the trip took place at altitudes in the vicinity of 11,000 feet and the riders did not have oxygen bottles. Impressive!

Heather McGrew, Steve Silbiger heatherjmcgrew@gmail.com, silbigers@gmail.com It has been a long time since there has been an official in-person reunion event for the Class of ’90. Many of us gathered in Charlottesville in 2015, but then COVID-19 knocked the planned 2020 reunion off the calendar. Our next official reunion on Grounds isn’t scheduled until 2025. That said, Darden grads are by their very nature an entrepreneurial and creative group. It isn’t surprising that we are able to report that multiple mini-reunions have popped up in recent months. In June, one of your humble scribes, Heather McGrew, was visiting her family in Virginia and planned a side trip to Charlottesville. I connected with Dorothy Batten to pull together a Darden ’90 gathering at the stunning tasting room at her winery, Oakencroft, off Barracks Road. Despite it being an extremely wet day (there were jokes about

building arks), several of us gathered for excellent wine, snacks, and good conversation. Our conversations focused on family updates, work endeavors, farm life, environmental conservation, cows that come in different sizes, and other creative interests. We were joined by Walt Birch; Michael Larsen and his wife, Sarah; Reenst Lesemann; and Mark Burget and Mark’s partner, Kacky. Aside from this group, other classmates have commented to Heather and Steve (via email and on social media) about Oakencroft as a must-stop during visits to Charlottesville. David Cocke was in Charlottesville for a wedding in May and took his mom, his aunt, and his wife to Oakencroft for a tasting and a quick hello to Dorothy. His family describes it as one of the highlights of their C’ville weekend. It was great to reconnect with Mark at the Oakencroft gathering. He was in my study group way back when, and it had been a very long time since we had connected. After our wine tasting, Mark shared the following personal update: Mark Burget (JD/MBA) has dedicated his post-Darden life to ensuring a viable future for the diversity of life on Earth. For over 25 years, Mark helped build the Nature Conservancy into a global force for good. He also led ClimateWorks Foundation in its formative years working to address global climate change. Mark and his partner, Kacky Andrews (chief of strategy for ocean conservancy), are busy restoring a historic homestead farm in Sugar Hollow, Virginia, west of Charlottesville. Note: if you are planning a visit to the Charlottesville area and looking for a gorgeous place to stay and relax, Mark and Kacky have a B&B in Sugar Hollow. There is a bit of a “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” vibe to some of the sharing about mini-reunions. Tim Gould reported very light details (in other words, zero details) on recent getaways with Shannon Smith, Jesse Ellington, Ira Green, and Reenst. It warms our hearts to hear about these gatherings, but where did you go? What did you do? Can you send pictures? Tim has also reconnected with Michael Larsen now that Michael is back in Charlottesville. Our stalwart class agent, Dave “Mole” Mulholland, reported that he and his wife, Amy, hopped into their boat to travel from their “shack” (his words) on Gwynnn’s Island in the Chesapeake Bay to crash a beach

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party hosted by Mary Kate and Richard Skeppstrom in nearby Deltaville, Virginia. Other classmates in attendance were Sean Darby and his wife, Patty; John Davenport and his wife, Susan; and Tom Crowell and his wife, Sherri. There are reports of photographic evidence of this gathering, but we have yet to see such evidence. Not a classmate reunion per se, but Bill Powell sent in a photo of himself with two other Darden grads, one from the Class of ’89 and another from the Class of ’12, who work together at the real estate group Brookfield Asset Management. Bill serves as the global COO of Brookfield’s $270 billion real estate business. From various classmate reports, we are noticing a high correlation between retirements, travel, and classmate meetups. This summer, Dan and Cammy Bryce stopped to visit David and JoAnne Alkire in Salt Lake City, Utah, while en route to Yellowstone National Park and their son’s wedding in Colorado. Since Dan’s retirement, he and Cammy have been busy traveling. In late 2021, the Alkires relocated from Minnesota to Utah when JoAnne started a great new job with Merit Medical in Salt Lake City. JoAnne and David (now retired) have an apartment in the city, and are really enjoying the amazing Utah outdoors — hiking, biking, skiing. They still have their house in Minnesota. David bounces back and forth a bit to stay connected to some things he is involved with there. Speaking of retirements, Walter Marullo wrote in to let us know that he retired from his role as managing director at First Eagle Private Credit back in May 2020, after a career in leveraged finance. In 2017 First Eagle Private Credit acquired NewStar Financial Inc., a company he joined back in 2005 and that went public in 2006. Tim Krongard and his wife reside in Baltimore, Maryland, and are officially empty nesters. Their daughter graduated in May 2023 and moved to NYC. Their son has been working near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, since January 2023. Tim is still enjoying his work and his philanthropic involvement with a community hospital and various veteran service organizations. Also joining the empty nester club: Gina Galgano Hoagland’s kids are all out of the house. Gina continues to work at the strategy firm she started over 25 years ago. She

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The Bryces and Alkires went hiking in Utah. From left to right, Dan Bryce, Cammy Bryce, Jo Anne Alkire and David Alkire — all Class of 1990.

Steve Sykes (MBA ’90) and his family

has streamlined her client load, focusing on board, strategy, and succession work with a handful of clients. She and her husband, Lee, are traveling more and working through their “someday” list. Steve Sykes wrote to us to share that after a very long tenure with Regal Rexnord as an IT project manager, he returned to his supply chain roots and joined Fortune Brands Innovations as director of supply chain process advancement. Steve is enjoying the challenges of a new position at a new company, trying to implement Demand Driven Planning. Steve, along with his wife, Fanchon, and their three daughters have now been in Fort Wayne, Indiana, for 20 years—making it their longest tenured place to call home. Their daughters Jessica and Jacinda recently achieved their undergraduate degrees, and Jasmine is about halfway through her Purdue University education. Nelson Patterson is still working hard as CEO at Anavasi Diagnostics, a (in-the-midstof) Series A molecular diagnostic start-up backed by the NIH RADx program. The company received EUA clearance for their first test in February. Nelson’s wife, Debra, serves as Anavasi’s regulatory lead, and her experience in PhD Econ training combined with a prior stint at a company in Langley are working out very well. Although the Pattersons reside in Missouri now to be close to Debra’s family and the business, they travel to the Redmond, Washington, office regularly, as well as traveling to investment forums, conferences, and plenty of potential customers and collaborators. Nelson writes: “I never expected to learn about the difficulties of diagnosing

some respiratory and sexual health diseases (we’ll leave that for the case study), or to get to know the animal health market as I have.” Speaking of fantastic places to stay in Charlottesville, you may have noticed in our email call for class news that we included a plug for the new Forum Hotel on the Darden Grounds. Nelson reports that his family is planning a multiday event in Charlottesville and they are using the Forum Hotel for both event space and hotel rooms. He reports it has been a very good experience working with their service-focused team. Nelson, we look forward to getting another update after the event! Darden ’90 grads are always moving and shaking, and sometimes that movement is quite speedy and through water! Dan Phillips sent us an update on his continuing involvement in competitive swimming. He apologized for the humble brags, but, please… if you can’t humble brag among friends in the class column, what is it really for? OK, the column is for more than that, but humble bragging is one of the opportunities the class column gladly presents! This year Dan has won five national titles and competed internationally. Dan writes: “While I have aged normally in most ways, in the water that is not the case. I won bronze in the 800 meter Freestyle in the 60-64 age group and competed in the 400 meter Individual Medley in Fukuoka, Japan, at the FINA Masters World Championships in August. One unusual swim was the 3 kilometer Open Water World Championship in the Sea of Japan. In it I fended off seasickness, hot water, and fish bites to set a personal record for 4 kilometers.

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Dan Phillips (MBA ’90) competed in Fukuoka, Japan, at the FINA Masters World Championships in the 400-meter individual medley last summer.

Unfortunately, adding the additional distance to the swim proved not a positive, so the effort did not go down well in the finishing place.” Speaking of moving and shaking, classmate John Bolduc has joined the Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees. Congratulations, John, on this new role! From the official announcement: “John Bolduc, executive managing director at HIG Capital, brings over 25 years of experience in credit investments and private equity.” Also making moves is classmate Michael Graney. Michael shares that after selling his business he was trying to figure out Mikey 2.0. The governor called and asked him to take over economic development for West Virginia. Michael writes: “Now after five years on the job, I may know what I am doing. We have had some great wins for West Virginia in the last couple of years and more to come. It’s a fascinating job but it’s ridiculously complicated. “Margaret and I have been married for 36 years. After seven years of fighting oral cancer, Margaret is cancer free and has a strong will to live, which humbles me daily. Life is good. We have three children who are well and successful in their chosen careers located in Denver, Colorado; London; and NYC. No grandchildren, only granddogs. I miss the carefree days of Darden (second semester, second year) and all our exceptional classmates. I look forward to our next reunion. Best to all, and if anyone wants to talk about investing in West Virginia, I am the guy and may be able to work some magic!” Annette and George Cassiere became grandparents for the first time in March. Their

granddaughter, Isabella Goldner, was born on 27 March 2023. George is still running his boutique investment banking firm, Pace Financial Group, with a focus on leveraged ESOP transactions and M&A for ESOP companies. He writes: “We had our best year ever in 2022 with 19 transactions and are enjoying a similarly robust year in 2023. Fortunately, my clients are in some excellent locations and Annette has been joining me on trips. Recent client trips have been coupled with visits to Rocky Mountain, Olympic, Glacier, and the Grand Canyon national parks.” Paul Berry shared that in October he left CBRE, where he had been vice chairman and a senior partner in the Southeast Multifamily Investment Properties Group. Paul was with CBRE for over 24 years, all in multifamily investments. Paul decided he wants to take on a new challenge while he has plenty of time and energy to make an impact. He took a new position as president and COO with Mesa Capital Partners, an Atlanta-based real estate firm that places private capital into multifamily acquisitions and new developments. Their geographical focus is the Southeast. He writes: “With property values down about 20 percent from 1Q2022 peak levels and continuing to erode a bit with interest rate increases, the multifamily market is setting up for an advantageous, low re-entry cost-basis environment over the next couple years. Hopefully that perspective proves correct.” Paul and his wife, Theresa (they got married between our first and second years at Darden), live in Sandy Springs outside of Atlanta. Theresa recently retired as a physician with the Emory University Medical System and Emory Clinics. They have three sons: Brandon, age 25, and Aidan and Alex, age 17, identical twins. Aidan and Alex are seniors in high school. Theresa and Paul are about 8 months away from being empty nesters. Anne Kroemer shared career news, both for her and for her husband. She writes: “I’ve come full circle (in a sense) returning to my alma mater, Virginia Tech, as non-teaching faculty while my husband, Greg, is retiring this winter after 30 years with the Chicago Police Department. We’ve built a house in Blacksburg, Virginia, and are selling our Chicago, Illinois, home early next year (we hope). We have guest rooms if any of our Darden classmates want to venture into Hokie territory. I started my Virgin-

ia Tech job in the summer, so I’ve been living separately from my family and adapting to a much different life in the South. Our two youngest daughters are both in Chicago for college and for work, respectively, and I miss them.” Kristin Colber-Baker shared the happy news that her and her husband’s younger son has graduated from University of Michigan in 2023 and is now a strategy consultant. They are thrilled both boys have returned to Chicago, Illinois, at least for the time being. In mid2021 Kristin transitioned to corporate board service, including roles on the Fresh DelMonte Produce and Heaven Hill Brands boards, along with serving on the board of Compassion International. Kristin shares: “This shortlived chapter allowed me to pour into the next generation of leaders, the foundation of which was built during our time at Darden. Unfortunately, in April I was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma brain cancer and bowed out of professional life to focus on my family and my health.” Kristin, please know that we are all sending you healing energy and wishing you the very best in this challenging time. Personal news from your humble scribe, Steve Silbiger: My 5th edition of the Ten-Day MBA is coming out in the Summer of 2024. Over 600,000 copies and counting — thanks, Darden! The new edition had been delayed several years due to the pandemic. I had help on the update from a recent Darden grad, Clay Olson (’22). It’s all in there from AI to ESG, including what they taught us way back when: the “whole enchilada.” Personal news from your humble scribe, Heather: By the time this is published in the Darden Magazine, I will have relocated from Hoboken, New Jersey (where I’ve lived since late 1997), to Richmond, Virginia. I am grateful that my siblings and I still have both our parents. They are now in their late 80s and need more help than I can provide from New Jersey. I have been the COO for the nonprofit the National Employment Law Project since 2014 and I’ll be continuing in that role and braving the commute between Richmond and Washington, D.C., multiple times a month. There are rumors of a train, which I hope proves a workable solution. I work with a group of fantastic people who I truly enjoy spending time with and, therefore, have no plans to be 100 percent remote. I will miss the one-mile-square city of Hoboken, and my

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eight-minute train or ferry ride to the Financial District and all the rest that New York City has to offer. I am excited to explore RVA, where I have never lived but where most of my family have landed, and to reconnect with other Darden classmates in the area. Finally, if you missed the notification we sent out via email in June, we are sad to report the loss of our classmate Janice Horan. Janice passed away on 1 June 2023, after a brief battle with renal and pancreatic cancer. Janice traveled all over the world in her 28-year career at FICO, most recently as a FICO Advisors Vice President. During her FICO years Janice built a network of international colleagues who became family. Janice mentored and supported women in business. She loved music and could often be found watching MTV or attending a concert, often taking family or friends along. Although Janice traveled extensively for work, she also enjoyed traveling for leisure, typically taking along family and friends to cities throughout the world. In all her travels, Ireland was her favorite destination as it felt like home.

Asli Eksioglu asli@aslieksioglu.com Greetings from a sunny Sunday in London, England! With all the chaos going on in the world, it feels wonderful to see the sun and continue believing that every day is a new day. For this fall there are only a few updates. But they are all very detailed and exciting, which makes me happy and thrilled for the upcoming year. First, one from George Goldman: “After 26 years at Becton Dickinson (and over 35 years working), I decided to retire over the summer. It’s been a challenge over the years to do all the traveling Tobi and I have wanted to do, and since we aren’t getting any younger, I wanted to take advantage of free time while we are still healthy. It has only been a few months, but so far, so good. My golf game has gotten a lot better (albeit still not great), I have gotten in a lot more bike rides, and I definitely enjoy not having early wake-ups or a commute. Plus, if we get good snow, I can now take advantage of weekday skiing any time I want! “I will probably start getting antsy by the time we get to 2024, so I have been exploring some part-time things to stay busy, including

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adjunct professor opportunities and small company board positions. Nothing is finalized yet but a few things are in the works. If any classmates think I would be a good fit for something. let me know (you can see my profile on LinkedIn). For now, I am really enjoying the relaxation and freedom. We just got back from 10 great days in Spain and we’re looking forward to more travels to come. And I am also still serving on the board of Homeless Solutions, a wonderful New Jersey nonprofit (I just finished three years as board chair). “Family-wise, all is good. Tobi is still staying busy part time as business manager for some small doctor practices. Lauren is loving the private equity world (she is focused on impact investing in the broad education space) and living her best life in lower Manhattan, New York. Zach just finished a summer internship at Fox Sports in media relations and is back at Syracuse now for his senior year, majoring in broadcast and digital journalism (focused on sports) and minoring in sport management. “I’m hoping to reconnect with more Class of ’92 classmates as we ramp up our travels!” (May we all reconnect with each other more and more.)” And another update from our musician George Collins: George released his first EP last year, a five-track collection of original songs titled It’s Been a Long Time. He is now in the process of releasing the six singles from his follow-up EP, Songs for Grown-ups, while writing songs for the next album. Apart from his creative work, he uses his JD in administration and promotion for his new career as an indie musician, which he describes as ‘a little known part of the nonprofit sector.’ In parallel with his music, and drawing upon his previous life as an English major, George plans to publish his first novel, a ‘jazz-infused love story’ called Playing The Changes, early next year. He is actively pitching the screenplay adaptation that he wrote to movie producers in Hollywood. He lives with his family in Prague, Czech Republic, and in Key West, Florida. You can keep up with George’s musical and literary endeavors on his website, georgecollins.com. All the best with the music and tours! Thirdly, life changing news from our Robbie Huffines: “In early 2024, I am retiring from JPM where I have been since graduation. I feel

George Collins (MBA ’92) released his first EP last year, a five-track collection of original songs.

so lucky to have had those 30+ years. Great people, great clients, and I got to see lots of the world. Lisa and I are moving from New York to Charleston, South Carolina. We are going to work together on a not-for-profit focused on improving kids’ mental health in underserved communities. Lisa is wrapping up her Master’s in Clinical Psychology at Columbia and her last year has been focused on shaping this project. I also plan to stay active in the healthcare ecosystem, which was my focus at JPM. Y’all reach out if you’re in Charleston!” Amazing work, and all the best on your new project for the children, who shape the future of our world. Susan Bratton shared: “My update is that I am still running Savor Health, the precision nutrition company I founded in 2012. I am thrilled to share that last Thursday I was presented with the C2 Award for Innovation in Oncology Care! Sponsored by Astra Zeneca and Scientific American, this prestigious national awards program recognizes, honors, and celebrates the innovative individuals and organizations dedicated to making a difference for those living with and affected by cancer. My dad, age 91, a cancer survivor, was able to attend. This was a bright spot in what has been a tough year for him and for the family, as we lost Mom in May. “You can read the press release and watch the video here: www.yourcancer.org/home/ the-c2-awards/winners-2023.html “Winning this award will help to raise awareness of the positive impact that nutrition and food have in improving health outcomes, which is the mission and focus of Savor Health. Having launched in the highly complex, multiple

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comorbidity disease of cancer for proof of concept where our market leading results include 70 percent utilization, 91 percent satisfaction, and 84 percent adherence, we have now expanded to other disease states where we will continue to improve clinical outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and improve patients’ quality of life through guidelines-based precision nutrition interventions.” Also, a bit of update from me (Asli Keskinel Eksioglu): “I am still traveling, mostly between Istanbul and Alacati in Turkey, and London. I’m ready and very much looking forward to seeing any classmates in these places. I got the chance to experience the weeklong retreat of Dr. Joe Dispenza in June and will also go in December. It has been uplifting and very impactful — physically and spiritually — for me. I continue to do integrative healing therapy sessions in-person and online. My daughter, Dafne, is working as business coordinator in a top production company (Ay Yapim) in Istanbul. I am a proud mom seeing her name on the credits of many TV series and films that are on global digital media, mostly Netflix.” Last but not least, please do keep in touch and drop in an update, even if it is a few sentences. It is always precious to hear from each and all of dear Darden ’92s!

Laura Curran, Rebecca Kilduff, May Ng lauracurran@me.com, beccaindc@gmail.com, ngmay2000@ yahoo.com From Gunther Brinkman, at Team Brinkman: “Gunther and Beth have relocated to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where we’re hoping native Virginian Beth will learn to embrace the snow. Gunther took over as CEO of Baking Company LLC on 1 July, with a charge to focus this commercial cookie bakery on contract manufacturing and private brands, and generate some growth. We are enjoying the challenge and enjoying being back in the Mitten State. It makes life easier when you can show people on your hand where you live. “Gunther connected with Tory Johnston in the spring. Tory is living the sweet life (literally) at Chatttanooga Bakery, making sure we all have enough moon pies in our lives.”

(Editor’s note: I was inspired to try moon pies based on this note, and can attest they are tasty.)

From Jason Lunday: Mike Yamamoto has been traveling the national parks, birding, and showing us what retirement can be all about. Gerry Sequeira and his wife, Pilar, have moved to her hometown of Valencia, Spain, for retirement and to find his next “passion.” Mike Schiavo is loving the remote lifestyle and occasionally working from Colorado. Ed and Annie Han continue to try to “empty nest” while various children cycle through their home while searching for careers. (Editor’s note: Thank you, Jason, for the most Class of ’93 callouts in one note.) From Martha Collins: Martha is based in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and continues to work part-time as a college admissions counselor (Admit.fit). She has a daily Quordle streak going with Laura Curran, whom she visited on the West Coast in early 2023. In the summer of 2023 she welcomed a visit from May Ng; Mary’s husband, James Masuoka; and their daughter for a visit to the Boston, Massachusetts, area. Now empty nesters, they visit their adult children in New Jersey, NYC, and Boston. From Jan Unger: “After turning over the family business to an outside CEO and CFO in 2013, I have become a driver for my kids, home cook, and stay-at-home dad. My wife also works from home but her professorship at Yale keeps her busy. Right now we are in full fall sports season, with one of our twins, age 11, playing tackle football and our daughter, age 16, playing varsity high school soccer. My business continues to perform well, and I still have the lead governance role. That keeps me both engaged and business-busy. I am off to India on a Buddhist pilgrimage in a couple of weeks and will see Hasmeeth Uppal in Delhi as I pass through.” From Thea Austin: “Hey Darden Class of ’93! It’s been a long while since I’ve seen most of you! I’ll catch you next reunion. Let’s start with the family. My Darden baby has three babies of his own and resides in Greensboro, North Carolina. Everyone is happy and healthy. Grammy loves the babies! My son Abram is finishing up his economics degree at Temple University. My daughter is a food vlogger and client administration associate at Infosys, which is where I also work. She is in school for nursing. “After contributing to Vanguard in Malvern, Pennsylvania, for over 12 years, the company

Thea Peters, Austin Joe Heastie and Vanessa Renee Pharr (all MBA ’93) attended the Black MBA Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

entered an agreement with Infosys to assume the record keeping services business, and 1,300 employees (including me) were a part of the deal. I am working as a leader in risk management. “What else is happening? Glad you asked! I take acting classes — Viola Davis should watch out! After six years on the school board, I assist local and state political campaigns. In my spare time, I am taking classes at the Palmer Theological Seminary. “Finally, I was happy to connect with Vanessa Renee (Pharr) and Joe Heastie at the Darden reception at the National Black MBA Association conference held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in September. I also had the opportunity to meet some amazing current students.” Sandy Coburn: “Had a fun visit from the lovely Laura Curran here in D.C. back in the spring. We had a great roam on the Mall, including a visit to the Museum of African American History and Culture. And Laura, needless to say, caught me up on all things Darden. I was very sorry to miss the reunion (I had a no-miss wedding that weekend), but I hope folks will find me if they are in D.C. In the meantime, it’s great to see the Facebook and LinkedIn posts. (I started to list some of the usual suspects—from birds to food to travel to amazing impact, and, of course, to the never-dead Dead — but it got way too long!) Hope folks are well!” Todd Azadian retired and moved to Midcoast Maine to start an oyster farm and enjoy the waterfront. From Vincent Rice: “Still in Madison, Wisconsin. I’m working for a credit union, leading

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CLASS NOTES

Kevin (MBA ’93) and Barbara Catallo (MBA ’93) and family on a Villanova campus tour.

Eli and Jandie (MBA ’93) Turner and Donna Matturo McAleer (MBA ’93) at the Bicycle Collective.

its business and community impact team. Tia and I have two grandkids, Erik and Ryan. Erik, age 5, is in the first year of kindergarten, and his brother Ryan is age 2. They enjoy tormenting anyone and everyone! Our son and his family lives in Omaha, Nebraska, so the trip is not a long one to get to them. He’s in pharmacy. Our daughter, who was born while we were at Darden, is an elementary music teacher in Chesapeake, Virginia.” Kevin Catallo, along with his wife, Barbara, and two children, took a wonderful family vacation to Hawaii this summer to celebrate Jennifer’s graduation from high school and acceptance to Villanova University, where she is now a freshman. Michael is a senior in high school and currently applying to Richmond, UNC, and Wake Forest, among other schools. With Honeywell’s headquarters now in Charlotte, North Carolina, Kevin and Barbara are actively considering a 2024 move to North Carolina from their current home in New Jersey. Ken Good was recently spotted in his television element as a guest on reality show “Below Deck.” Is an IMDB page coming soon? (Editor’s note: Thank you for the tip off, Joe

and we had a good laugh!” Mark is now a VP at Tenneco. From Dorene Blythe: “My daughter India graduated from UVA’s McIntire School in May, so I have another Virginia Hoo alumna in the family. And on a family-adjacent note: we watched a lot of Women’s World Cup soccer this summer, as we had been Alyssa Naeher’s host family for years when she played in Boston. Massachusetts. It was a disappointing finish, but so awesome to see how great she was in goal and scoring her own PK!” And now for updates from the West (Coast). First, from Donna Matturro McAleer: “While in Utah to see Aaron Turner (a wide receiver for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats) play against BYU, Jandie and Eli Turner met up with Donna M. McAleer at Bicycle Collective to tour the nonprofit bike shop’s current digs and soon-to-be statewide New Hub and Headquarters. It was a joy-filled surprise afternoon visit. “Bicycle Collective is a community resource providing a path to personal and self-reliant transportation. We operate as a group of nonprofit bike shops in Utah (Salt Lake City, Provo, Ogden, and St. George) that refurbish bicycles donated by the thousands each year and put them into the hands of those in need—focusing on children, newly resettled refugees and immigrants, individuals experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, individuals recovering from substance abuse, and low-to-moderate income households. “In late October 2022, we broke ground on our New Hub… and are now midway through construction. This new flagship location in Salt Lake City will allow us to expand the

Heastie.)

Yoichi Tamura: May 2023 Yoichi was appointed president of the newly formed Robert Fritz Consulting, a pioneering consulting firm. With 25 years of consulting experience behind him, he is developing an entirely new business strategy consulting service. He helps turn good companies into great ones. From Mark Perry: “Things are good here, overall. Two kids are out in the world and working, and two are still in high school! I recently connected with Paul Thiel via LinkedIn

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reach of bicycle shop services and programs to residents of Salt Lake City and will serve as our main headquarters and administrative offices coordinating operations throughout the state at our four locations. You can see a virtual tour of our facility here: www.bowenstudios-vt.com/bicyclecollective/.” From Paul Thiel: “After taking advantage of a trip east to help my son move out of Brooklyn, New York, I returned to Darden in September 2023 for the first time since 2015. I had a great time at the 35th anniversary of the Batten Media Fellowships. It was great to catch up with admissions director Barbara Millar and other Batten Fellows like Keith White (MBA ’95), Eric Randall (’91), Graham Anthony (MBA ’94), Bill Choyke (MBA ’91), and Skip Horne (MBA ’91), as well as meet Tony Capra (EMBA ’18) and Micahel Saewitz (MBA ’12). “On the way down we stopped for dinner in D.C. to catch up with Darden MBA Softball Tournament co-founder Doug Kaufman, from our class, who has sent two of his three kids to UVA. It was great to get reconnected to both Darden and to media. “With the Great Recession and the near-collapse of journalism-driven media, I took advantage of my Darden education and switched from media to banking and wealth management about 15 years ago. I am currently the president of Northern Trust San Diego and co-founder and lead advisor of a wealthtech startup, WEALTHAWK, as well as the finance chair for the La Jolla Institute for Immunology. Lori, who is CEO of the startup, and I celebrate our 30th anniversary this year. Our son McClain, age 25, is a machine-learning scientist with a computational genomic oncology company and the CTO of WEALTHAWK. Our daughter, Madeline, has had some challenges and works in hospitality. We are now empty nesters living in La Jolla, California, with our dog, Calliope, and generally keeping busy.”

(Editor’s note: Paul’s journalism chops show through in the attributions, thank you!)

From May Ng: “James (Masuoka) and I took our daughter Sydney on a three week east coast tour this summer. We started in Boston, Massachusetts, where we stayed with Martha and Bob Collins (based on Laura Curran’s good recommendation!). Sydney loved meeting Martha and described her as ‘having as much energy as a 6th grader,’

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Ken Pawlak (MBA ’93) and Nicolas Choumenkovitch (MBA ’92)

which is a compliment in the point of view of a 12 year old. ‘She’s so fun!’ Martha hasn’t changed at all! We did the typical Boston tourist stuff but had the most fun just hanging out at Martha’s house, laughing and playing board games. Yes, Martha is still competitive as ever and Sydney got such a kick out of it! When I’m not traveling, I’m enjoying playing pickleball and tennis. “After a fun week in NYC, we headed down to D.C. where we stayed with Kathy and Hadi Alsegaf and their cute, beloved dachshund, Dr. Fauci. Kathy and Hadi had just returned from a week-long, relaxing trip in a remote wooded area of Canada where their friends have a cabin. My daughter, who has been visiting Kathy and Hadi since she was 2 years old, is always inspired from spending time at the Alsegaf house. She enjoys spending time learning origami from Kathy, who is quite the origami master. In case you didn’t know, Kathy and Hadi have been annually attending the National Folding Conference in NYC, so they can definitely make some intricate pieces. Of course, we all get to enjoy Hadi’s wonderful cooking and enjoy the best cup of coffee you’ve ever had!” Ken Pawlak: “In August, we celebrated Nicolas Choumenkovitch’s (MBA ’92) 60th with family and friends at a beautiful house about 3 hours from Athens, Greece (Porto Heli). With much help from fun new AI photo tools, I made slides for the group documenting Nic’s before-unknown undercover life as various movie and sport stars outside of his actual very impressive finance career. We had a great time catching up, laughing, and relaxing. “After Greece, Carol and I enjoyed exploring

the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for a few days, and the not-always-wanted thrill of driving a too-large SUV on the left side of the too-small roads across the Scottish Highlands. In September, we visited our daughter Cami in Los Angeles, California, as she happily settled into her UCLA PhD program. Now it’s back to Maui, Hawaii, for shoulder season and then (with fingers crossed for another ski season of 50+ feet of snow) back to Tahoe, California.” Laura Curran is learning pickleball, in both California and in Colorado Springs. Laura says: “Of course, in Colorado, you can attribute strange ball bounces to the altitude. This has been the year of hosting, with guests from Graz, Austria; and Amsterdam, Netherlands; coming to California for three months.” Laura is now helping May and Rebecca as secretary. We appreciate all the great notes from classmates. Roy Perticucci: “I moved to Warsaw, Poland, in August 2022 to take over as CEO of Allegro, a publicly listed Polish marketplace (GMV EUR 10 billion). We have offices in Warsaw, Poznan, Prague, and Ljubljana. We are doing well and are expanding into other countries in Central Eastern Europe. We launched our Marketplace in the Czech Republic during the summer and are already the most popular eComerce site in the country, as measured by visitor traffic. I divide my time between Warsaw, Munich, and Ibiza, with regular visits to London and Luxembourg to see my kids. If anyone is travelling to those locations, let me know! “My kids are all getting very big. The three eldest are living in London. Valeria is working for the Hay Group, Elena is at BCG, and Fred is finishing up a degree from University Arts London (a.k.a. Central St. Martins). Olivia will be sitting for the International Baccalaureate at the International School of Luxembourg in the next academic year. “I had a fabulous time seeing so many dear old friends at the reunion and am working on an excuse to see them again before our next reunion.” Meredith (Moskow) Bolon and Todd Bolon were visiting Prague this summer. Roy Perticucci and Ania (his girlfriend) spent an enjoyable long weekend with them seeing the sights. From Ted Forbes: “I was sorry to miss everyone at the reunion — the calendar just wouldn’t work. We’ve had a busy summer. Deborah and I left Park City for our summer

Stuard Detmer and Raul Arrazcaeta of the Class of 1993

place on the Olympic Peninsula in May. We spent two weeks of July in England out on the Cornish Coast visiting family, then back to Port Ludlow. August found us in Wyoming for my son McCoy’s wedding at the top of Grand Targhee over bluegrass festival weekend. Loving the PNW life with fishing and crabbing around Puget Sound. We head back to Utah at the end of October for ski season. I’m officially ‘semi-retired,’ but a lot more semi than retired. Exec coaching, consulting, and search work are still keeping me busy. Best to all.” From Raul Arrazcaeta: “I frequently see Stuard Detmer. We were just together on an October weekend.” Tom Peltier and his wife Laurel (MBA ’91) became empty nesters this past August when their youngest of three went to college. Tom reports: “…but not much change yet. Still working as a tech M&A banker, but we still have a lot of fun. Ski trips out west, a couple weeks in Nantucket each July, plus fly fishing and golf trips, including a guys’ golf trip to Ireland this past September. Still living outside Baltimore and see a number of Darden friends on a semi-regular basis (just saw Dan and Allison Parsley).” Greg Cashman shared that he just celebrated his 27th year at Golub Capital. They provide LBO financing to private equity firms, which has been a rapidly growing space. On the family front, his oldest is working at the School for Visual Arts and living the starving artist life in Brooklyn, New York. His other two are at RPI (computer science) and MICA (fine arts). Not sure where all of this artistic energy comes from! He and Peg are adjusting to the empty nest and spending as much time

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as they can up at Lake George. Greg says: “Hope all is well with everyone.”

Tamara de Dios tamaradedios@yahoo.com Hope to see many of you at our 30th reunion in April! In the meantime, here are a few updates to remind us that our class is one of close connections, lifelong friendships, and a sprinkle of adventures. Let’s begin with highlighting members of our class who continue to provide their talent and time to support UVA. The Board of Trustees has a new chair with Frank Sands (moving from vice chair), and Carl Peoples has joined the board. Elizabeth (Kirk) Weymouth is now serving on the Board of Directors for University of Virginia Investment Management Company (UVIMCO). Her term started on 1 July. UVIMCO provides investment management services to the University of Virginia and associated organizations to serve the University’s mission. Turner Bredrup serves as treasurer for the Foundation Trustees for the College Foundation (UVA College of Arts & Sciences). Their mission is to raise and invest private funds for the benefit of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and to advise and support the dean. Christine (Piorkowski) Barth and Kristina (Freiberg) Mangelsdorf serve on the Darden Alumni Association Board of Directors. Hunter Reichert is a lecturer for the Darden School in Strategy, Ethics & Entrepreneurship. As you can see, the Class of ’94 continues to provide leadership and guidance in so many roles! (Apologies if I missed anyone. I trolled the Darden website for everyone I could find.) Surprisingly, I don’t have much to report on business updates for the Class of ’94. You must all be too modest. But I can report on another business book that hit the shelves in March. Rob Cross co-authored The MicroStress Effect. “Build resilience against microstress, find purpose, and cultivate relationships that enable you to thrive both at work and in life.” Sounds like a must-read for us all! But we do have a world class athlete in our ranks: Chris Matt! In July he competed at the USA Fencing National Championships in

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Phoenix, Arizona, where he won the National Championship and was selected to Team USA for Vet World Championship (Vet-60 Men’s Saber). In October he traveled to Daytona, Florida, where he finished 6th after being knocked out by a French fencer in the quarter finals in a 9-10 nailbiter. We are proud of you, Chris! We will end this with travel—I live vicariously through you all. David Richardson and his wife, Towns, are living the dream. They have spent the past year touring the waterways on their “Great Loop Adventure” on their Grand Banks-Voyager. Their itinerary started in October 2022 in Alabama with plans to visit Florida, the Bahamas, and East Coast ICW to the Hudson River. Then up into Canada and the Trent Severn, Georgian Bay, and Lake Michigan. And then down the Illinois River and the mighty Mississippi and back to Louisville. As of this summer they had made it to Maryland, and then to New York, so we hope all is well and that you both are enjoying every minute of this incredible dream! Thomas Falck traveled to New York City (back in November 2022) and met up with Daryl Schroeder Lubin, Rob Lubin, and Marc Bivona. Thomas enjoyed reminiscing about shared experiences and Daryl noted that it was great to see Thomas and Marc. “There is something so special about our class and I feel lucky to be a part of it.” Mike Burke traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, in May where he had the good fortune to meet up with Carl Peoples and Wilbur Ellis for dinner. All he could tell me was “the food was delicious and we had lots of laughs sharing life stories.” And most importantly: Carl bought! And many of our classmates traveled to Charlottesville in October for the Celebration of Life for Damon DeVito. Damon’s wife and children shared some special memories, as did many of his friends and colleagues. His was most definitely a life well-lived and the world will miss this amazing and dedicated man. Thank you to Rob Archer for your beautiful words as you invited all to share their thoughts, and to Ian Ratcliffe and Hunter Reichert for hosting events that continued to bring everyone together to celebrate Damon, and for the countless others who came to Charlottesville and shared their memories at the gathering. Now it’s up to all of you to continue keep-

ing our connections strong. I hope to see many of you in Charlottesville for the reunion! And do not worry if you have not yet cured cancer or earned your first billion. I have embraced my natural hair color now that I’m in Club 60 (so you can stand next to me and look young) and I’m on year 18 of my planned 2-year sabbatical that started when Jorge and I brought our son home from Russia. I will celebrate all of your life wins, wherever and whatever they may be!

Nene Spivy, Gina Merritt nspivy@aol.com, gmerritt@nreuv.com To stay in touch with classmates year-round, Darden ’95 grads can join the Darden Class of 1995 Facebook Group! Speaking of Facebook, Dina Mackney launched a “Think Pink” campaign in support of the Susan G Komen foundation; your class secretaries follow Dina’s company on Facebook and can confirm that this line of pink jewelry is gorgeous! Dina just picked up a great new client for her jewelry business, Mix at The Breakers in Palm Beach. This is especially good because Neiman Marcus, her biggest client, closed their Palm Beach store during COVID-19 and their bankruptcy. Dina’s big family news is that she is a new empty nester, with her son starting his first year at University of Chicago and her daughter in her third year at UVA. Go Hoos! Jeff Smith and family are also contributing to the next generation of UVA students. His son-in-law, Spencer Holmgren, is a first year at Darden. Spencer is in Charlottesville with their daughter Avery, and two boys, Finn and Oaks, ages 4 and almost 2. They’ve visited twice already and have had fun remembering and revisiting all that they loved about Charlottesville. Jeff started a new job this past year as the executive vice president and managing director of Derivatives Product Group at Veritex Community Bank. They currently have eight beautiful grandchildren. Jeff reports that “life is really great!” Art and Nene Spivy also joined the ranks of empty nesters this year. While they have no new Hoos in the family, they are cheering for additional Virginia universities with their youngest at University of Mary Washington, their middle at George Mason University, and their oldest, Nathan, a recent graduate

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of Mason. They shared that “words cannot express the euphoria of having our first child gainfully employed. Nathan works for Noblis in Reston, Virginia, as a machine learning research scientist.” Art is finding his work in the healthcare industry to be extremely gratifying, while Nene equally enjoys serving the community through her work leading the Northern Virginia Science Center Foundation. She also serves several nonprofit boards and was recently elected to serve as the treasurer of the board of directors for the Association of Science and Technology Centers, supporting member museums across the world. Mitch and Emily Wander shared their latest wanderings, noting that “the Wanders love our routines, even when it comes to leisure. We took our umpteenth trip to Monhegan Island this summer for the usual simple life of reading, board games, sunsets, sea glass, and hiking. Thankfully Mitch’s mom joined us for the minivan expedition north and 11-mile ferry ride. Ben joined us late because he again helped coach the D.C. Little League

team at the regional tourney in Bristol. The team fell to Pennsylvania in extra innings, the closest they’ve ever been to reaching the Little League World Series. This fall, Julia plays on three baseball teams, making this household into all baseball, all the time. She plays soccer too! Mitch continues his work at Treasury and with the Army Reserve, and Emily continues her work with CommerceNext. Every few weeks, we wonder why we haven’t made it to Charlottesville in way too long. We hope to stop the excuses and visit soon!” Congratulations to Eric Schiff and his wife Julia on celebrating their 25th anniversary this past year. Their older daughter, Bailey, is now a junior at American University studying international relations and working full time with the State Department this semester. Their younger daughter, Lily, is a sophomore at Tulane studying design. On a common Darden ’95 theme, Julia and Eric are also enjoying empty nesting and looking forward to their daughters being “off the payroll.” Eric enjoyed a Sazarac and Jazz with Paul Watkins in New Orleans and some good whiskey with

Eric Schiff and Shiro Sakamoto (both MBA ’95)

Shiro Sakamoto in Tokyo! And speaking of Shiro Sakamoto, he shared that he has been traveling in Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania, where he as been presenting to prospective young engineers. Mike Hilado shared that he met up with Shiro Sakamoto and Michael Chang recently. Both visited him in Manila, Philippines. He said, “It was great catching up with each of

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CLASS NOTES

Mike Hilado and Michael Chung (both MBA ’95)

them after 28 years!” Last year Mike joined Manila-based Darden alumni in hosting Senior Associate Dean Marc Johnson along with prospective students for the coming year. He enjoyed getting updates about the Darden School and the progress of fellow alumni. Mike’s professional news is that, after almost 13 years with his company, he was promoted to CFO at PHINMA Property Holdings Corporation, a mid-sized real estate developer based in Manila. The company specializes in residential development, construction, and property management. He is working to partner with financial institutions and equity investors to fund major expansion plans over the next 5-10 years. Jason Kurtz reports a quick end to his sabbatical after heading back to work in a new role serving as the CEO of Basware, an accounts payable and invoice automation software company headquartered in Finland. He has been on the board and served as the interim CEO for several months, and was having so much fun he decided to make it a permanent role. For all those who listen to his podcast, What’s Next: When Every Hour is Happy Hour, A Retirement Podcast, don’t worry—there are several episodes waiting to be released, and he’ll continue to produce new ones! Finally, a shout out to Van Wishard, who continues to organize great happy hours for Northern Virginia and D.C. area classmates. Joining Van at a recent happy hour were Jennifer Griffin McDowell, Sara Hammel McNamara, Knut Skare, Brad Macomber, Pam Silberman, Art Spivy, and Nene Spivy. To get in on the happy hour action or organize one with alums in your area, join the Darden Class of 1995 Facebook Group!

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Frank Martien frank.b.martien@gmail.com Lynn Atkinson dropped her older daughter at Dartmouth for her freshman year in September, and her younger daughter is a sophomore in high school. They continue to live in San Francisco, California, where Lynn still works in growth equity and tries to fit in a bike ride, hike, or some skiing when she can. Lynn had an opportunity to see John Fruehwirth in October when he was in San Francisco for work and to see his daughter who is at University of California, Berkeley. Kevin Bauer and his wife, Holly, a UVA law school graduate, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary last October. Kevin and Holly have lived in San Diego, California, for the past 20 years. Their son Grant is a sophomore at the University of Southern California while Carson is a senior in high school. Holly is still practicing as a partner at Latham & Watkins. After close to ten years in banking, Kevin left the Bay Area in 2004 and started operating companies funded by venture and private equity groups. Last January, Kevin launched Furvor, a pet nutrition company focused on the benefits of bone broth for dogs with his younger son. A family passion project has turned into the third-most sold bone broth for dogs on Amazon. Bruce Bowden and his wife, Toni, are living in the Boston area and recently purchased a house in the lake region of New Hampshire, where they will be moving soon. Nico is a junior at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT), and Tyler just started his first year at USC. Bruce is CFO of Rocket Software, an enterprise software company headquartered outside of Boston and part of Bain Capital’s portfolio. Toni recently celebrated a big birthday week in the Cayman Islands with Bruce and five other couples, including Celia Dallas and Celia’s husband, Jim. Rich Davis and his wife just celebrated their 27th anniversary. Their oldest is back from 15 months of teaching English in South Korea after graduating from Union College. Their oldest and their second daughter, who has graduated from Tulane, are now living and working in Manhattan. Their youngest just started her freshman year in high school and is in rowing crew for one of the top programs in the country. With a pace reminiscent for

Lori Manise (MBA ’96) visited New York City to celebrate Andrea DiNunzio’s (MBA ’96) birthday.

him of first year Darden, Rich continues to run his space advisory business (ArgoSat), while also serving as a managing director with a private equity fund (Antarctica Capital), serving as a CEO of a data analytics company (Descartes Labs), and being a member of several boards. Andrea DiNunzio continues to enjoy her role at Coty. She joined the board of a fantastic charity, The Door. The Door’s mission is to empower young people to reach their potential by providing comprehensive youth development services, serving up to 11,000 youth annually across New York City. She recently had another birthday, and Lori Manise came into the city to celebrate. Kent Goeking is managing director of a carbon dioxide removal startup, Thai Carbon, which is dedicated to producing the world’s highest quality biocarbon (biochar) to simultaneously remove CO2 from the atmosphere and produce carbon materials for agricultural, water filtration, and battery technologies in lieu of fossil-activated carbon applications. Kent is also a managing director of Lee Enterprise Consulting (LEC), the leading Global BioEconomy consulting firm. He is building LEC’s operation in Asia, as demand for projects to meet environmental targets escalates. Max, age 24, received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Brown in computer science and has been interviewing for jobs on the West Coast. Kris, age 16, completed high school early and is embarking on a music career, having already signed with a record label in Thailand and released his first original song. Kent’s wife, Mena, works with Thai students to help them prepare for life in a rapidly changing world, and is acting as Kris’s music video director.

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Davis Griffin and his wife, Mary Ann (UVA ’98), celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary with a trip to Blackberry Mountain. Will is headed to Middlebury College in their February admission program after time in India on a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) mountaineering course. Ella is a high school junior who loves math, chemistry, golf, and squash. Davis is actively racing road and mountain bicycles, and he competed in USA Cycling’s Masters Road National Championship in Augusta, Georgia, this summer in the sweltering heat. Work wise, Davis spends his time growing two behavioral healthcare businesses that address substance use issues in adults, and teen mental wellness. Greg Hallford and his wife, Tate, moved to North Florida in early 2020 and are enjoying Ponte Vedra Beach with their son, Greyson, along with Tate’s two older sons, Will and Beck, who visit regularly from Litchfield, Connecticut. Greyson, age 9, plays football and lacrosse on travel teams, competing in all-star tournaments throughout the state and the East Coast, while Greg’s golf game has been placed on pause. The family has become big Jacksonville Jaguars fans with season tickets. Tate has a thriving luxury travel business and Greg has made a career in renewable/green energy industry deals. He now leads a team at Scale Microgrids, a Warburg Pincus-backed development shop, in developing energy transition and decarbonization strategies for national/Fortune 500 companies. Greg periodically connects with Scott Casey and Dave Levanson. Vickie Hayashigatani has her twins in college. Marika is a junior at Haverford College in Pennsylvania and studies environmental studies with a possible minor in education/ development. Following two years at Smith College in Massachusetts, Erika transferred to Claremont McKenna College where she is a psychology major and enjoys being back in California. Vickie is still with Hewlett Packard Enterprise and working in their Hybrid Cloud and GreenLake businesses. She also enjoys trail running and snowshoeing, and she volunteers at a local food bank and with a land trust to promote open space in Placer County. Caribou Honig and his wife, Laura, relocated in the summer of 2022 from Richmond, Virginia, to Santa Fe, New Mexico. He continues to dabble in launching and growing

Matt Lennarz (MBA ’96) on the 52-foot catamaran Wahoo

industry tech conferences, alongside his day job in venture capital, helping small companies get bigger. Caribou, together with his sons Jack and Ben, led another successful group of fathers and kids (including Frank Martien and his Grayson, age 17) in the longstanding annual “Burning Moose” camping trip in Douthat State Park, Virginia, last August. Mark Kockler took over as CFO of a Virginia Beach-based government contractor called the Ascendancy Group last April. He spends much of his free time in Aldie, Virginia, where his daughter, Courtney, has a 15-acre horse farm, with some goats, dogs, and cats as well. Matt Lennarz and his wife, Kristin, with two daughters in college and one daughter starting high school, have been amazed at how fast their kids have grown and at their unique interests and talents. Matt took several months off to cross the South Atlantic, from South Africa to the Caribbean, on the 52-foot catamaran Wahoo last summer with his brother and sister-in-law. Along the way, they stopped in Cape Town, St. Helena Island, the Fernando de Noronha islands, and Grenada Island. Matt has also earned his international sailing license (SLC) and he raced in the Scotch Bonnet Light Race (from Rochester, New York, on Lake Ontario) last summer. Matt continues his freelance lean consulting and integration project management with several clients and private equity firms. He also co-founded Lean Positive, LLC, which focuses on leadership training, and has been excited to launch a new eLearning offering, “Employee Experience Multiplier.” Frank Martien and his wife, Laura, continue to live in Annapolis, Maryland. Windward

Strategy Inc. has reached its third anniversary of providing card payments strategy and M&A support. Laura founded Lavendar Fields LLC in 2023 to market a variety of homemade crafts. Along with actively sailing and racing their Tartan 101 Starbird in Annapolis, Frank took first place in the Bill Adams regatta of 43 Sunfish at Camp Sea Gull near Arapahoe, North Carolina, during their 75th anniversary weekend last October. The following weekend, Frank placed second in his age group while running a 5K along with his two sons at the Key School they both attended. Frank will serve as commodore of the Sailing Club of the Chesapeake in 2024. Michele (Pontillas) Minton and her husband, Paul Minton, have five children ranging in age from their early teens to early 20s. They still live in Darien, Connecticut, and look forward to traveling more. Marci (Mueller) Mouritzen is still managing Lapine Group, which has her traveling to New York City each month and hitting the theatre scene since many of her clients are arts organizations. Jeff just graduated from UVA and is back home seeking a software engineering job in a surprisingly competitive market. Drew is a third year at UVA and Eric is a junior in high school. She met up frequently last summer at Lake Anna with Celia Dallas and her husband, Jim, and Luanne Pavco and her husband, Lance Luttschwager (Darden MBA ’95). Romvadee (Cadwallader) Overbey has been working in the internet of things (IoT) for a little over 10 years, where she’s connected cars, people, animals, and all sorts of devices. She recently joined the board of a Georgia nonprofit, Quality Care for Children, with three Darden 1997 graduates: Saira Joseph, Vicki Raimey, and Ben Pivar. Al Patel has twin daughters applying to college this year. Meme Scherr, together with Mike Sicoli, Celia Dallas, and Mayur Maniar, had an enjoyable study group reunion in Washington D.C. last June. Kevin Stein recently took on a new role as vice president of Sales & Marketing at Winchester Interconnect, which manufactures cable assemblies and connectors for the military, aerospace, medical, and industrial verticals. He has moved to Guilford, Connecticut, and met up in Washington D.C. last October with study group members Neeraj Bhagat and

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Meme Scherr, Mike Sicoli, Celia Dallas and Mayur Maniar of the Class of 1996 had an enjoyable study group reunion in Washington, D.C., last June.

Andrea (Brennan) Ayres and Meme Scherr (both MBA ’96) met at a Brown advisory event in New York City.

Audrey Chen (MBA ’97) attended UVA Club of Taipei events in Taiwan.

Frank Martien, along with classmate Steve McCleaf, while attending the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) trade show. Rebecca Wilson has a college senior graduating from Notre Dame this spring, and her younger daughter is a sophomore at Lehigh University. She took up golf again a few years ago, which brings back memories for her of playing in Charlottesville. She met up with Michele Minton and Paul Minton last September for a lovely lunch at their home. She also enjoyed spending time with Andrea (Brennan) Ayres and Meme Scherr at a Brown Advisory Event in New York City.

on the NY Mets. John V. notes that he had lunch with Monica Spence recently and is also in touch with Annie Tronoski. From Norway to Taiwan, Audrey Chen shared some photos from a UVA Club of Taipei event in May 2023. Audrey was delighted to meet Ambassador Stephen D. Mull, who is UVA vice provost for Global Affairs, and Michael Goetz, the senior director of UVA Clubs Global Network. Most importantly, Audrey met a few old friends from Darden, too. Two Darden alums recalled interviewing with Audrey more than a decade ago. She commented: “Gee... am I really that old?” (Yes, Audrey, we are “that old.”) She concluded with: “It’s a warm and lovely evening, and I miss you all and I miss my days at Darden. Hope one day we can meet in person again and until then, take a good care!” Steve Boschulte checked in to ask if he had been featured in a previous edition of Notes. The answer was, “Yes,” and here you are again, Steve: “After graduating from Darden, I started as a traveling consultant, working at Ernst&Young, Cap Gemini, and Deloitte for the first 12 years. During that time, I picked up a few certifications to help me stay on top of my game (PMP, ACP, CISSP). I also got married, settled in Columbia, Maryland, and started a family. I have two daughters: Lani, a senior at Pace University, and Leila, a freshman at Notre Dame.” (That makes at least three Notre Dame parents in our class: Steve, Joe Walsh and Jim Hermens who also has a freshman daughter there.) We continue with Stephen: “After Deloitte,

I decided to get off the road and joined CACI where I have been working local D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) projects since, helping organizations build ‘Big Data’ technical solutions as a senior technical project manager. In my free time, I keep my entrepreneurial spirit alive by helping out small businesses, including my wife’s business, Simply Desserts LLC (www.simplydesserts.net).” Michael Skelps is running for re-election to the Middlefield, Connecticut, board of finance, which he currently chairs, and is serving the town as deputy registrar of voters. Mike claims to be “living the dream selling insurance (lol), and my longstanding photography business has been relegated to a side hustle (it seems everyone has a side hustle these days).” Michael and his wife, Janine, have a son who is a proud U.S. Marine. Chuck Brown is having fun with Daniel, age 4, and Lily, age 1, in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He launched an investment firm in August 2022 called Longview Investment Advisors (longviewinvestments.com), partnering with the former vice-chairman of Fidelity (Bob Pozen) and the finance department chair at Northeastern University’s B School. They count clients in six states along the east coast. Chuck notes: “All of my clients from my old firm, primarily small nonprofits and families, came with me.” Chuck is active with Darden alums in the Boston area and would love to hear from those in the vicinity (such as Stacy Coen and Mario Wanderley). Tom Lacy (Sasquatch) remains with Baird Investment Banking. He and his wife, Jane, are shuttling between Milwaukee, NYC, and

Karen Castellon, Mark Bridgers KarenCastellon908@gmail.com, mbridgers@continuumcapital.net Hello, international friends! Please check in with Class Notes. We realize that this may be an American tradition, so we hope you will join us and keep the connections alive and well. American classmates, please reach out to our international classmates or anyone else with whom you would like an excuse to be in touch. Tell them that we want to hear from them in Class Notes. Our favorite Norwegian classmates, Thomas Amundsen and Lars Christian Torhaug, kick off this edition of Class Notes ’97. Thomas hosted Kip Pagach and his girlfriend, Michéle, during a visit to Oslo in the fall. Lars and his wife, Siri, travelled from Norway to the U.S. and met up with John Vaccaro and Bill Root at the U.S. Open (tennis) in Queens, New York. On another evening, Kip, Bill, and Brad Blonkvist (Learning Team 1) joined Lars and Siri to cheer

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downtown Tampa now that their kids are away at school. Cat’s a sophomore at Texas Christian University business school and Marcus is a high school freshman at Berkshire School in Massachusetts. We received this joint missive from classmates in the greater Atlanta area. Louis Gump wrote: “Vicki Raimey, Saira Joseph, Ben Pivar and I went to the annual fundraiser for the Fernbank Museum of Natural History here in Atlanta. We had a great time catching up. All of them are doing some really impressive things.” Then Ben continued, “In addition to Fernbank, where Louis is on the board and Saira, Vicki, and I are on the corporate leadership council, Saira, Vicki, Romvadee Overbey (MBA ’96) and I are all on the board of Quality Care for Children (QCC). QCC is a nonprofit focused on daycare centers across the state of Georgia, providing center ratings, back-office operations support, and help for parents navigating the childcare industry.” Then Louis shared that he is writing a book to be published in March 2024: “The title is The Inside Innovator: A Practical Guide to Intrapreneurship. It focuses on building growth businesses and leading innovation within larger organizations. He has interviewed a variety of people for the book, including several Darden grads. Otherwise, there’s plenty going on with professional, community, and family activities. It’s been great to see some of our classmates recently!” More Notes from the greater Charlottesville area. Lauren Taylor moved to Stanardsville in Greene County, Virginia, in February. She writes: “The mountains have been calling me home for several years now! By the time of these Notes, I will have bought a rural property in Ruckersville with a beautiful Blue Ridge view, where I will be operating Beloved Brook Natives, my native plants nursery that I started this summer. It’s a different and blissful pace of life here, and the people of Greene County are wonderful, warm, and welcoming. It feels like home, and I never want to leave! Even Bella, my English Shepherd rescue, is happier than I’ve ever seen her, and she now has a new buddy, Jasper, an Aussie mix rescue, for canine company. C’ville friends and visitors, meet me for lunch at Jack’s Shop Kitchen on Route 29... or in Stanardsville at Maybelle’s on Main. It’s worth the drive!”

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Bill Stilley started a new company, Adovate, and then “bought my previous company that I had sold in early 2021. I am now in the adenosine drug development business, which is where I started when I got my first pharma job 22 years ago. The company is developing drugs to treat cancer and asthma. The CFO is a Darden ’04 grad. On the family side, our last daughter is applying to college now, so it is a stressful time in the Stilley house. Both older daughters went to UVA, with one currently a third-year. Our family travelled to Iceland, and highlights included swimming in the hot pools and seeing the aurora.” Like Bill, Gavin McFarland is making tracks to UVA to visit his daughter, who is a first year and participating in a UVA dance troop. Henley Sims Green has also visited for her first-year daughter. David Tayman’s son is a second year. What other Hoo parents are among us? Georgina “G” Price visited Ted and Karen Castellon in Crozet, Virginia. G took her cousin Maria, from Derby, England, to a UVA football game against G’s son’s school, William and Mary. It turned out to be UVA’s first win of the season! Ted and Karen say: “The Castellon door is open in Crozet to all classmates and their families. The new Kimpton Hotel is surely ‘nicer,’ but we are an excellent option, too. Come and visit!” Gee McVey sent a lovely update: “I am one of the lucky few ’97ers who found his way back to Charlottesville. Following a great experience at Goldman Sachs, I returned to Charlottesville in July 2000 to found what would become an investment management firm called Investment Management of Virginia LLC (IMVA). I served as CFO and the Large Capitalization Core Equity (and Balanced) Portfolio Manager for 23 years. IMVA joined a larger entity, Pinnacle Associates Ltd. in May 2023. Relieved of CFO and other duties (thankfully), I now focus solely on clients and investments; I enjoy this work. “Outside of work, I spend most of my time at our farm in Rockbridge County, trying to wring order from chaos on 700 acres— bush-hogging fields, grading roads, fixing machinery, building barns, and painting the house (the very one that Andy Greene and Kevin Schuyler encouraged me to bulldoze in 1997). We also raise corn and orchard grass hay. This work keeps me young (and out of Mary Ellen’s hair).

“Mary Ellen and I just lapped 33 years, and we are pleased to report that both our children are thriving. Mariah lives in D.C., works for Nascent Art, and runs marathons. Amanda is a junior at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts; she is majoring in graphic design and plays bass in the up-and-coming punk rock band, Tentative Decisions. “Other interests include: softball (I still play in the men’s ‘pro’ league with the 20-somethings — and will leave my hamstrings between second and third someday); charitable endeavors (I serve as chairman of the Maxwelton and Lachlan Foundation, a small not-for-profit that sends 8 to 10 kids to summer camp each year); and woodworking (I have made a variety of tables, bars, etc. that pass muster with Mary Ellen, a sharp-eyed critic. I was going to throw lamps in the list as well, but those did not pass muster).” Gee concludes with an open invitation: “The McVeys hope that all of you are well and that you’ll let us know if you pass through Charlottesville (or Lexington).” The newest addition to the Charlottesville scene is John Cox, who writes: “Darlene and I finally made the ‘plunge’ and moved back to Charlottesville. That is, we’re here for at least a year. Living in San Clemente, California, for so long has made us ‘soft,’ so we’ll see if the weather of Charlottesville is too much for us. I’m going to use the year to reconnect with old friends and family, and of course, to drop in on Darden. If you are coming to town just let me know! My personal email is johnacox27@gmail.com.” You probably heard from our class agents, Gibboney Huske and Jim Meneely, asking about your “aha!” moment at Darden. Bob Bruner did a one-minute video to discuss how this moment in a Darden student’s journey is so satisfying for both student and professor alike. What was your aha moment? For the last fiscal year, the Class of ’97 had 39 percent participation in giving to Darden. None of us gave the recent record $100 million, and yet, wouldn’t it be great to consistently have a 75 percent participation rate? Because, why not? Remember, if you are coming to or are already at a flex point in your career, Darden Career Services offers free consultations and support to help you consider next steps. With this edition of Notes, we have men-

To update your contact information, call +1-434-243-8977 or email alumni@darden.virginia.edu

tioned 34 classmates. If you are not among them, we want your update for the next edition in the spring of 2024. It is our goal to cover all classmates in every 3-year cycle of notes that appear twice per year. LinkedIn and Facebook are also good online options for being connected with the class of ’97. Please join us and, better yet, encourage a classmate to participate. Thank you, class of 1997.

Bill Young Wyoung44@gmail.com I’m happy to pass along an eclectic mix of updates from near and far as we approach the end of our 25th year after graduation. There were lots of regrets from missing out on reunion, but 2028 is just around the corner so start clearing your schedules now. I’m happy to see numerous examples where our class is giving back and making a difference. I know there’s more out there, so please take a moment to share what you’re doing. And, if you’re not doing anything, now would be a great time to jump in to make a difference in your community. As a 13-year veteran in the nonprofit space, it’s encouraging to see so many of our classmates dedicating their time and talent (and not just their treasure) to making positive change in their community. I encourage you to check out the web addresses included below to learn more about how you can commit to positive change. Joanna (West) Larson returned to her roots in San Diego, California, in 2021 to work at Kitchens for Good (www.kitchensforgood.org) as the director of programs. She’s a long-timer in the nonprofit world, having had various positions for two decades in and around New York City. While not a nonprofit in its legal form, David Keeler recently launched Congruence, a free self-coaching tool for teens. Driven to do better for his own kids, David has created a great resource for your teen (or for you, if you’re still lacking in some maturity). Learn more at congruence.app. David lives in North Lake Tahoe and shares that the welcome mat is out for visitors looking to ski this winter. Also out west, Doug Stotland is so excited to host visitors (from section D or classmates from the “inferior sections”) that he just finished up an accessory dwelling unit in his backyard in Santa Cruz—just a five

be found at: vimeo.com/fishercreative/review/816683398/98ad92d8c2. He’s already got Sony Pictures signed up for distribution, with streaming in early 2024. Professionally he’s onto his next thing, called DaVinci 3.0, where they are building micro data centers with immersion cooling for more environmentally friendly and dispersed computing. He’s teaching as a Fellow at the U.S. National War College and tries to keep up with his kids. He has a student at University of Lausanne, a senior in high school in Massachusetts, and Matt Scher (MBA ’98) and UVA student Julian Scher (UVA ’25) with Darden Dean Scott Beardsley. a full-time hockey player. Patrick is serious when he says the invitation stands for a visit if you’re near Chamonix. Special thanks to Chris Wixom and Fernando Merce for leading the way in organizing our 25th Reunion this past spring. Everyone minute walk to the ocean. He’s five months that came enjoyed a beautiful weekend and, into a new executive coaching venture (www. most importantly, a chance to catch up with westcliff.industries) working with anyone and friends. Thanks as well to Peter Harris and everyone who is looking to lead better. his wife, Dana, for opening up their home to Matt Sher still calls the west coast home our ragtag group on Friday night once again. (Seattle), but he’s been covering some I’m not sure what the tougher assignment ground. He ran into Dean Beardsley in Lisbon, is: wrangling our rowdy class for a reunion or Portugal, at the Hotel Olissippo Lapa Palace. leading 70 Cub Scouts like Dan, but I’ll take a Matt and family were soaking up the sights pass on both. and Dean Beardsley was in town repping UVA Chris and his wife, Barb, are settled in Lake Tennis for a masters tournament (it’s good Norman near Charlotte. Chris is in the midst to be on sabbatical). Matt stopped off on the of launching a new consulting business called way home in Charlottesville, where his son is Carpe Diem Wireless. His wife is promoting her on track to graduate from UVA in 2025. Matt new book titled Data is Everybody’s Business. officially gets bonus points for sending in an Sounds like a great gift idea if you’re buying for update without any additional prodding. that hard-to-please someone in your life. Last but not least, Dan Martin checked in Fernando got an extra shout-out from from Marin County, California, where he is in Susan Crookston. His company, Melissa & the midst of fall soccer and little league with Doug, donated 100 toys to kids at Lincoln his two boys, Wyatt and Cody. He’s also the Elementary School in Pittsburgh where Susan incoming Cubmaster, so he’s about to take on volunteers. Melissa & Doug was sold in leadership of 70 Cub Scouts. I’m exhausted October, and we’re waiting to hear what’s next just thinking about it. Dan continues his work from Fernando. with Amped Solutions, where he is helping Last but certainly not least, Katie Fehsclients integrate renewable energy into their kens Nappi shared that she’s just retired fleets, buildings, and everything in between. after a 25-year career at P&G in Cincinnati, To blow off steam (created by solar power, of her one and only employer since Darden. course), Dan hits the trails on his bike, reduc- She’s taking some time to plot her next act ing his carbon footprint with every pedal. while visiting her kids at Indiana and Purdue Back east, Patrick Sweeney continues and keeping up with a 6th grader on the his effort to win the title of “Most Interesthome front. Katie says: “I might be coming by ing Man in the World.” He’s splits his time for a visit, as it looks like our youngest may between Chamonix, France, and Boston, be making her way from Georgia Tech to work Massachusetts, paragliding, rock climbing, at GE in Cincinnati.” mountaineering, and cycling. His passion Thanks again to everyone for their updates. project is a film about Ukraine. The trailer can That’s the news for now for the Class of ’98.

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Hutch Corbett and Owen Griffin (both MBA ’99) had a chance encounter on separate trips to Italy.

Rob Steinberger, Bob Loria robsteinberger@hotmail.com, robertloria@gmail.com Owen Griffin reported that he randomly ran into Hutch Corbett in Italy this summer. After a day of sightseeing, Owen and his family decided to have dinner at their hotel. You can imagine his surprise when he looked over and realized Hutch was sitting at the next table. What a small world. Owen shared: “It was great to catch up and walk down memory lane a bit. I tried unsuccessfully to stick him with the dinner bill, but he’s as sharp as ever.” Heidi Ha now lives and works in New York! Her son Kai is loving NYC and is transitioning to middle school this year. That means lots of homework and extracurricular activities. Her husband, Tony, is at home full time with Kai and their dog named Jake, a two-year-old Border Collie who, apparently, gets to go out to the park five times a day. Go Jake. In October Heidi met up with Jeffery Rogers, Lawrence Snapp, and their kids. She reports that it was a fun visit and she was glad to spend some time together with their kids. Heidi has also seen Kelly Wieme Thomson, Judy Hafner, MaryEllen Hickman, David Tayman, Jim Cecil and Chris Briggs in the past six months, and Damon Woo more than a year ago. (Pictures or it isn’t real, Heidi.) She recently reconnected with John Lanza, who is now in Florida. Heidi reports that she misses the happy hours we used to have in NYC and D.C. when we first graduated, and the annual visits by Chris Harvey and Naresh

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CLASS NOTES

Heidi Ha, Jeff Rogers and Lawrence Snapp (all MBA ’99)

Sonia and Patrick Hounsell, Meredith and Sam Tutterow, Kristen and Michael DesMond, Jenelle and Dan Sullivan, and Jenny and Todd Latz enjoyed a Class of 1999 mini-reunion when they visited Las Vegas, Nevada.

Kumra. Heidi is hoping to see more Darden friends, though it does sound like she has done pretty well in that regard. Martin Gonzalez reports he is currently unemployed due to a number of reasons, but basically due to the pandemic. He said his prospects for finding a job are looking good due to all the FDI coming to his city. And while he felt it was weird reaching 51 years old, after 50 we’re eligible for different benefits and some are very good! He has invested in his brother’s business, and he was able to start it. Let us know how the job search goes and share an update on your brother’s business with details, Martin! Scott Swindell is still with ATT and moved over to ATT’s internal salesforce implementation team about a year and a half ago. He reports that everything is going well. In June, he and his family traveled to Carnegie Hall in NYC to watch his son, age 9, play piano with a group of 20 other young musicians from north Texas. They visited the 9/11 memorial and other sites. Scott said it was good to see the city. Wei Jin was in Las Vegas for the annual Angel Investing Conference as a member of the CAV Angel group. CAV Angel is University of Virginia’s angel investing club. In Vegas, Wei met with classmate Walter Lucchi and Ted Wang, Class ’98. After Darden, Walter started his own online training business, initially in North Carolina, and then moved to Nevada. Walter lives in Vegas with his wife and daughter. Ted has been with the airline industry for a long time. Both of Ted’s sons are in college. As you may have seen on the news, celeb-

rity couples are flocking to Vegas in greater numbers than ever. Five such pairs of celebrated individuals need no introduction: Sonia and Patrick Hounsell, Meredith and Sam Tutterow, Kristen and Michael DesMond, Jenelle and Dan Sullivan, and Jenny and Todd Latz. I am quite sure they had an amazing time together, but of course, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Laura Paul has returned to the U.S. from four years abroad in London. She and her partner, Paul, are living in Boston, Massachusetts, and some weekends on Cape Cod. She is planning on being at the reunion (Editor’s note: As should you all.) and is looking forward to catching up with everyone then! Speaking of returning from abroad: My family and I are back living in Maryland after just over two years in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was an experience I would recommend to anyone, and it was incredible for us — especially for our kids. We even came home with an extra one (Margaret was born there in April 2022). It is great to be back, though there are of course many things we miss. To all of my classmates and friends that get to Annapolis, Baltimore, or even the D.C. area: please let me know. We’d love to host a visit. We are about 10 or 15 minutes from the Academy grounds and downtown Annapolis. (We do have kids and dogs. Both are generally well behaved…) Please do make your reservations for our upcoming 25th Reunion on 26–28 April 2024! I expect we will have a great turnout. And it’s never too late to help with planning. Please reach out if you’d like to volunteer.

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Erin (McCool) Byrczek and Jiggy Santillan (both MBA ’00) in Madrid, Spain

Serena Matsunaga, Paige (Newton) Killian serenamatsu2@gmail.com, paigekillian@mac.com Thank you to all who submitted updates to class notes. For this version, we are including a summary from the Darden Class of 2000 WhatsApp group. Jose Zertuche started the group as we were preparing for the 2000 reunion. The chat has taken on a life of its own as a platform for class updates and news. We encourage you to join the group chat. Be on the lookout for an email with the instructions to join or contact us for more information. Darden 2000 was active in Europe this season. Jiggy Santillan excelled in her role of class ambassador to Spain. Last April, she connected with Paul Heitlinger (exchange student from Australia) when he was in town for the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Jiggy visited with Hysham Abdelnour in Madrid in October. Erin (McCool) Byrczek also met up with her in Madrid. Erin shared that Jiggy “must have won the genetic lottery as she looks wonderful and exactly the same as she did in our Darden days!” Erin recently returned to New York City from an international assignment in Warsaw, Poland, with Pfizer. She noted: “I had the opportunity to take a general manager role, leading the vaccines business there for just under two years. It was an amazing and challenging growth opportunity, and I got to experience the strength and resilience of the Polish people as they supported the influx of refugees due to the Russian invasion of

Ukraine… I’m working in Pfizer’s Global Hospital division, leading our portfolio of novel anti-infectives (anti-biotics, anti-fungals). I’m loving this role.” Welcome back, Erin! Bella (Greystoke) Pollack met up with Darden Professor Martin Davidson (Section A, OB) at the Academy of Management Conference. In an instance of academic role reversal, Bella was an invited presenter at the conference. She is pursuing her doctoral degree at Maastricht University, Netherlands, while continuing to reside in New York. LASAs are on the move with new ventures. Fernanda Pasquarelli is focusing her efforts on sports with the launch of CO-LEAUGE. She shared: “It’s much more than a project. It is a dream coming true… We provide tournaments for free to volleyball players. They log into our digital platform, post their data and videos. We will soon be selecting a team to play in the U.S. and run for athletic scholarships for university. Our mission is to transform lives by combining sports and education.” Manuel Irarrazaval left Bank of America and joined a group of investors to pursue a rollup of airlines in Latin America. They started off with two carriers and with potential plans for a third. The group plans to operate the companies separately and integrate where it makes sense. Congratulations to Fernanda and Manuel on their next chapters! In what might be one of our first deals across the Class of 2000, Bob Galinsky recently sold his business, Geotoys, to Divya Bhansali. The company offers a wide range of innovative puzzles and games based on geography. Bob shared: “it was a good run of 18 years, but it was the right time. Divya is bringing new investment and a fresh perspective.” Bob is staying on as an advisor and plans to relocate to Austin, Texas. The class entrepreneurial connections continue with Kerry (Hartigan) Gilmartin, Erin (Johnston) Kriessmann, and Jen (McEnery) Finn collaborating on AI capabilities for their mutual venture. Jen reported: “Kerry joined me in C’ville for a pitch night and networked with some other great Darden alumni... Who would have thought we’d be doing this after being roommates in D.C. post Darden?” Jen and her husband, Chris, along with Bill and Susanna Barton, Chris Mullen, and Elise Townsend, joined Reid and Anne Townsend to “celebrate the Commish turning the big 50. It

Class of 2000 alumni Jen (McEnery) Finn, Chris Mullen, Bill Barton and Reid Townsend celebrate Reid’s 50th.

was a special night recounting the late night learning team stories, the latest in our lives, and everything in between.” Jen also caught up learning team member Greg Gartland, who moved just a mile away from her in the Richmond area. LT 20 for life! Ilan Danieli and Bella Greystoke connected at an alumni and admissions event in New York City with interim dean Jeanne Liedtka. Chris Duffus, Jay Evans and Alan Reyes represented our class at the same event in Washington, D.C. Gina Flango, Susan Camp, and Carolyn Cooley reunited at a winery in the D.C. area. Carolyn recently returned to D.C. from an assignment in west Senegal for the U.S. State Department. Welcome back, Carolyn!

Trina Rogers jones_trina@yahoo.com In this short update, we are honored to celebrate several milestones and accomplishments with our classmates. We look forward to many more updates in our next issue! Lilli and Matt Benko traveled with their younger son Thaddeus; Matt’s mother, Connie; and dear friend Larry Mueller (MBA ’93) to celebrate their older son Winfield’s graduation from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. The baby who “walked” the Lawn for Matt’s Darden graduation completed his own graduation parade of the St. Salvator’s Quad after earning his Master of Theology. Win has since moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, to pursue a graduate-level Master of Theology

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ALUMNI PROFILE

JOHN JORDAN (MBA ’03) A Lifelong Learning Believer BY DAVE HENDRICK

s head of The Academy, Bank of America’s global learning and skills development organization until January, John Jordan (MBA ’03) was responsible for the onboarding and continuing education of more than 200,000 employees across the company. It’s a company and culture Jordan became particularly well-versed in, having worked at Bank of America since graduating from Darden, until this January. An industrial engineer as an undergraduate, Jordan left Auburn University imagining a career in technology and entrepreneurship. When the tech bubble burst in the early 2000s and a professional path forward became less clear, Jordan pursued an MBA at Darden. “When I first got to Darden, I was honestly overwhelmed with how intelligent, and just how amazing, the students around me were,” said Jordan, but the initial “shock to the system” gave way to a constant desire to learn and lifelong friends. “Those class discussions with Darden professors are memories that I cherish, and the way we learned influences the way that I try to drive education today, which is more experiential and conversational,” said Jordan. A believer and practitioner in lifelong learning, Jordan worked in various capacities at Bank of America throughout his career, rising from regional to national roles with responsibility touching on topics including wealth management, analytics and client experience before leading education and learning programs. It’s clear that the skills that may lead to someone’s first job are not necessarily those that will sustain a career, he says. “You need a lifelong learning approach to a career, because things are changing so quickly that if you aren’t learning, you’re falling behind,” said Jordan.

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“

YOU NEED A LIFELONG LEARNING APPROACH TO A CAREER, BECAUSE THINGS ARE CHANGING SO QUICKLY THAT IF YOU AREN’T LEARNING, YOU’RE FALLING BEHIND.”

In corporate America, companies can encourage learning by both helping employees draw a connection between continuous learning and career advancement and offering formal designations, such as badges and certifications testifying to earned skills. Jordan and his team at Bank of America played a key role in incorporating new technologies into reskilling and training. Virtual reality and artificial intelligence-driven simulators are helping frontline employees build resilience by working through difficult conversations or interactions, for instance, and career path tools offer greater visibility and transparency into potential roles and routes. Bank of America also tries to share its educational capabilities within the community. Through its Pathways career program, the company partners with local nonprofits and community colleges to provide skills training to candidates from low and moderate income backgrounds, hiring thousands of these individuals and positioning them for success with the bank. Jordan said the Pathways program began with informal discussions of how the company could aid the communities they served using existing resources. “It’s been a fruitful program and a great example of taking purpose beyond the core business. This is impacting peoples’ lives,” said Jordan. “There’s definitely a connection to what we learned at Darden around ethics and impacting stakeholders beyond just the bottom line.”

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at Edinburgh Theological Seminary — providing the Benko family another round of excuses to tour the Scottish Isles. In the more mundane and domestic sphere of Richmond, Virginia: Matt recently passed his 20-year service mark with Elevance Health, Lilli is in her 13th year on staff at Veritas School leading the strings and orchestra programs, and Tad is a sophomore at Veritas. Ngoc Tran enjoyed a very special fall trip to Italy, followed by a fun reunion in Atlanta, Georgia, with Jon (MBA ’99) and Thes Spivey. Wendy Bolger was named by the Baltimore Business Journal as one of 2022’s Women to Watch, a “list of women leaders posed to make headlines in the coming years.” Wendy is the founding director of Loyola University Maryland’s Simor Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Rob Van Genderen launched a new firm in January, Private Capital Transaction Advisors. The firm focuses on raising capital and advising on mergers and acquisitions for private companies.

Flip Pidot flippidot@gmail.com Julie Rowe was re-elected to her local school committee (school board) last spring and continues working on negotiations with their teachers’ union, among other things. She’s trying to apply skills learned in Negotiations with Dana, although, as she recalls, she only got a B. Unlike many school boards, Julie allows two minutes for every person to tell them exactly what they think of them, which can be entertaining. Otherwise, Julie’s been watching a lot of youth and high school girls’ soccer (Go Sharon Eagles!).

Graham Beatty, Meg Brennan, Lauren Macleod beattyg03@gmail.com, megnesbitt@hotmail.com, lgmacleod@ gmail.com After a great 20th reunion, the notes are a little light this time. We got to share so many updates in person, there are fewer for the printed page. Nirav Desai said: “My family vacationed in Portugal and the Azores over fall break. It was so nice to meet up with the Joaos (Joao Santos and Joao Pedro Montes) and their

Nirav Desai, Joao Santos, Priya Behari, Joao Pedro Montes and Filipa Barata of the Class of 2003

Lauren Grodinsky, Aron Grodinsky (MBA ’03), Karen Beatty (MBA ’03) and Jackson Beatty

lovely families for dinner in Lisbon. Priya and I learned so much more about Portugal’s rich culture and history and about their work and families. Our girls discovered that they had so many things in common like school, hobbies, and, no surprise, a love for Taylor Swift. Afterwards, my older daughter remarked how cool it was to see that kids all over the world can be so similar.” Jerry Peng shared: “We had a mini Darden ’03 reunion at the LaCross Botanical Gardens Dedication and Principal Donors Celebration last night, including Anand Stanley and Kristy Alimard, at the beautiful arboretum behind the new Forum Hotel. Seated together at the dinner, we had lots of fun, small talk, and wine! Recognizing it was Thursday night, Anand could not help reflecting on his time serving as chair (and allegedly as the founder) of TNDC, in front of several zealous Second Year student scholars at our table; his brags were short-lived and quickly defied by Kristy, the former Shermet Scholar whose recount convinced the table effortlessly. Anand started serving on the Darden Foundation Board of Trustees this fall and traveled across the ocean to attend the meetings. He and family are still living in Singapore, where he leads Airbus for Asia. Kristina continues her leadership with our very own UVIMCO operations. It was truly a memorable evening at Darden, filled with joy, excitement, and touching speeches, not long after our incredible 20th reunion in April.” Jenny Zenner shared that during her most recent trips to D.C., she and Kate Siefert caught up for dinner. And apparently Tania de

la Pena has been sharing pics from her solo trek of the Camino de Santiago (although we haven’t seen them, ahem!). Jeremy Shinewald has created an “adorable and somewhat bizarre political podcast” with his ten-year-old daughter. Interested in listening? Check out World News of the Week (WNW) with Maya and Dad where you find podcasts (it’s available on major platforms like Apple, Spotify, and others). The description of the podcast reads: “Ten-year-old Maya and her dad, Jeremy, discuss major news events each week, hoping to inspire other families to discuss the big issues at their dinner tables, on their way to school or, frankly, wherever it works in their busy family lives. We examine a major event, ask questions of each other and hope to find some answers… and raise more questions!” Karen Beatty and her son Jackson (oldest of Karen and Graham Beatty) made a trek west to visit colleges and spent some time with Lauren and Aron Grodinsky while in Colorado.

Jill Lewandosky jill.lewandosky@gmail.com We have notes from classmates all over the world. I hope we’ll see many faces at our reunion in 2024. Julie Robey is sending us notes for the first time from Minnesota (we love first time submitters). Over the last few years, she has been taking classes in sustainability at the Harvard Extension School and will be putting those to good use. She is currently transitioning from leading marketing of Cargill’s

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Jason Kim, Van Witwutisak and Isao Sekiguchi (all MBA ’04) got together for a small dinner in a cozy Japanese restaurant in the heart of Bangkok, Thailand. Jason was visiting from Seol, South Korea, while Van and Isao are both based in Bangkok.

North American Edible Oils group to being the Commercial Sustainability Leader for Cargill’s Food Solutions Americas group. She is also on loan as the acting chief commercial officer of TRACT (www.tract.eco), a startup that is transforming sustainability measurement. The family has been very supportive of all of these endeavors. Her son is a sophomore in high school and her daughter is in 8th grade. Isao Sekiguchi sent us an update from Bangkok and included a few more Darden classmates. Jason Kim, Van Witwutisak and Isao got together for a small 2004 get-together dinner in a cozy Japanese restaurant in the heart of Bangkok. Jason was visiting from Seol, South Korea, while Van has been in Bangkok for a few years now. Isao is currently based in Bangkok and is responsible for Nissan’s Southeast Asia and the Pacific operations as president of Nissan ASEAN. His daughter started her first year at Waseda University in Tokyo, but he and his wife keep the house full with their cat and dog. Rebecca Gordon reports in from New York City, where she sends us an update from Dennis Ortiz’s apartment. Sadly, he is not there, but his absence does mean she can spend a few days in her old neighborhood (and run her old routes). She is still living full-time in East Hampton and hoping she can pull off living there forever. Rebecca started a new job in April as chief of staff at RSAC. She’ll be doing a bit of Customer Success, but she’s also added some operational responsibilities. Emailing in from Washington, D.C., Jorge Peredo has been named president of the new

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Washington, D.C., chapter of the Oris Social Club. Do we have any watch aficionados in the class? Oris is one of a small handful of Swiss watch brands that makes only mechanical watches and has a strong focus on sustainability and community. Jorge would love to see you at the D.C. Chapter events (find it on the Oris website). Joseph Parkhill was in D.C. and caught up for food and drinks with Katherine Neebe. Outreach for our 20th reunion has also brought in a few updates. T.R. Harrington’s work for OrbitStartups.com (seed VC) has kept him busy with trips to five countries in five weeks. To ensure he has no free time, he works with steamoji.com (a STEM franchise for 6- to 14-year-olds) which just sold its 28th location. He and Shaojian Zhang (MBA ’99) organized a meetup at the UVA office in Shanghai where he heard from alumni spanning ’97 to ’23. Meredith Hobik was in San Francisco and I caught her for drinks on the Embarcadero. She was back for meetings all over the Bay Area for the startup she co-founded, Precanto. Building the P&L management platform leaves her little downtime, but she loves the challenge, of course. I also ran into Villi Iltchev at a Darden event in San Francisco for alumni and prospective students. We exchanged notes on raising kids in these days of social media, after the in-person case study on self-driving cars. I hope to have even more notes after I see you in Charlottesville.

ToTran Nguyen totran05@gmail.com It is with great sadness that we announce the loss of our classmate Dave Lauffer. His obituary from Clark Associates Funeral Home follows: “David Paul Lauffer, 48, of Watertown, New York, passed away on 28 June 2023. David was born to Warren and Audrey Lauffer in Watertown, New York. One of four children, David graduated from Watertown High School in 1994. He went on to study at Ohio Wesleyan University where he joined the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, an honor he valued and upheld throughout his life. David graduated Dean’s List, a National Science Foundation Fellow, an Eagle Scholar, and a Wilson Award Winner with a degree in Microbiology. In

1998 he moved to Washington D.C. where he worked as a consultant for Markowitz & McNaughton. He went on to earn a Master of Business Administration from the Darden School of Business. In 2005 David started working at Bank of America, kickstarting a long career in healthcare investment banking. “In 2006 David met his wife, Amber, in New York City. In 2009 they moved to Europe for six years where they welcomed their first daughter, Olivia, age 9. In 2015 they moved to Westchester, New York, and shortly after welcomed their second daughter, Ava, age 6. “From Bank of America in New York to Novartis in Switzerland to Barclays in London to Wells Fargo in New York, David had a successful career known for his integrity and conscientiousness. His work was his passion. Aside from spending time with his family, nothing gave him more pleasure and satisfaction. David loved Billy Joel, airplanes, playing monopoly with his daughters, cooking for family and friends, and making people laugh. “On 28 June 2023 David passed away peacefully at Stonybrook University Hospital with his children and wife near him. “David lived life always trying to do the right thing. He was kind, thoughtful, gracious and charming. He will be missed by everyone who knew him. “David is predeceased by his sister Sandra, his mother Audrey, his brother Steven, and his father Warren. He is survived by his wife Amber and their daughters Olivia and Ava, his brother Jeffrey and his wife Cheri and their two children, and his niece Megan and her husband Adam and their two children.” Classmates, some of whom attended his funeral, share their memories. Steve Walzer: “Lauffer and I shared an apartment our second year of business school and built a strong and lasting bond over the course of that year. It was a pivotal year for me — one that set me on the path I would take through my adulthood — and David was a key part of that. His warmth and openness to new experiences rubbed off on me and I am infinitely better for it. I will miss him deeply and thoroughly.” Charles Hill: “Dave’s passing was so sad. He was a wonderful person. My thoughts are with his family, and he will be greatly missed.” Rob Ellenbogen: “Dave was a true friend and wonderful person. His kindness, humor,

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ALUMNI

CLASS NOTES

Elad Mardix and Guilherme Puppi Silva of the Class of 2005 met up on Darden Grounds in Charlottesville.

Alice (Ganier) Rolli (MBA ’07) finished second out of 12 candidates in the race to serve as mayor of Nashville, Tennessee. Her Darden skills learned in “General Managers Taking Action” paid off in her historic performance as a firsttime candidate.

Raj Kher (MBA ’09) and his family visited the Taj Mahal.

humility, and generosity of spirit touched all of us, and he will be deeply missed.” Holly Baran: “With his infectious laugh and warm heart, I am so lucky to have been friends with Dave. Who knew that a friendship starting from an impromptu D.C. road trip at Darden would continue on for almost 20 years? Life gets busy, but he always found the time to call and make sure we kept in touch or met up when possible. Dave meant a lot to so many people and he will be incredibly missed.” Elad Mardix, wife Yael, and their four children are safe in Israel and hoping that the hostilities end soon. The family spent last summer in New York and also made a visit to C’ville. Elad shares: “My two little kids (our two elder girls were at sleep-away camps) enjoyed visiting Darden class and feeling the room, and we also met with Paola and Guilherme Puppi over the weekend at Darden.”

coming to the area for some good BBQ and baseball games! J.Y. Brown and his wife, Esther, welcomed a son, John Young Brown VII (yes, the seventh in the line!), on 17 August 2023. His older sister, Eloise, just turned 2 in October, so she’s still getting used to the new baby in the house! Alice (Ganier) Rolli finished second out of 12 candidates in the race to serve as Nashville’s 10th mayor, advancing to the run-off, which she lost on 14 September. In 50 years, only one other person who was never before been elected in the city has advanced to the run-off. This proves that the Darden skills learned in “general managers taking action” paid off in her historic performance as a firsttime candidate. Got news? Please send contributions to the Class of ’07 Notes anytime to: HeatherRaeDanforth@gmail.com, RyanDavis07@ gmail.com, or aliceanna@gmail.com.

Perhaps spurred by the conversations at the spring class reunion, both Davina Myers and Janis Frazer have taken a break from the corporate world. Both are enjoying some travel time while figuring out their next steps. Stay tuned!

Heather Danforth Hill, Ryan Davis, Alice Ganier Rolli HeatherRaeDanforth@gmail. com, RyanDavis07@gmail.com, aliceanna@gmail.com Jason and Jessica (Pohl) Sinnarajah moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in August. Jason took on a new role as chief operating officer of the Kansas City Royals while Jessica continues to work in Executive Search with Turing. They are excited to reconnect with classmate Marshall Lockton and other Darden alums, such as John Pendleton (MBA ’10). They would love to host anyone who is

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EMBA

Davina Myers davinajmyers@gmail.com Matt Fischer has relocated to Fairfax, Virginia. He recently founded CayaAI, a consultancy offering marketing/sales-centric AI strategy development, coaching/training, and AI-driven automation and productivity solutions. (Caya means “come as you are” — it’s for everyone, whether you’re ready to place an order for a customer support AI chatbot, or don’t even know where to begin and are terrified to start).

Lizzie Breyer, Neal Pavlic lizziebreyer@gmail.com, pavlic16@gmail.com Raj Kher joined Gartner in June 2023 as senior director of global sales strategy and operations. He and the family are based in Dallas, Texas. Before joining Gartner, he traveled with his family to Turkey and India and went to see the Taj Mahal in India as well. Arnie Katz recently started as the chief product and technology officer at GoFundMe, helping people help each other. Arnie shares: “Amazing mission, of course, and also super excited about the culture and team!” Katie Tower writes with some happy news: “I got married this year! My husband and I met just before COVID-19 and sustained our romance through the pandemic. We moved to Redondo Beach, California, last year just as we got engaged. We got married in April surrounded by family and friends at South Coast Botanic Garden.” She was surrounded by Darden classmates, including Gina (Rajpal) Felton, Kate Canale, Katie Griesbeck, Christine Davies, Chrissa Pagitsas, and Erica (Herrmann) Malkasian. Christof Meyer and his wife, Megan, bought

To update your contact information, call +1-434-243-8977 or email alumni@darden.virginia.edu

Katie Tower (MBA ’09) with her new husband and Darden 2009 classmates at her wedding; from left to right: Gina Rajpal Felton, Kate Canale, Katie Griesbeck, Christine Davies, Chrissa Pagitsas, Erica Malkasian.

Huan Tran, Mike Henry and Trey Packard — with wives Molly, Megan and Caroline — reunited in St Andrews, Scotland, in July, where Mike’s front nine 38 on the Old Course was shocking even to himself.

Jimmy Hicks (MBA ’11) and family welcomed Laura Lino Hicks on 20 March 2023.

a business. After many years of strategy consulting and CPA work, Christof says they decided to put “our money where our mouth is. After my last internal consulting role ran its course, Megan and I decided to conduct a self-funded search (thanks Adam Bennett for the idea!) and bought AloTerra Restoration — a very dirty, very fun business. This latest adventure is fun, scary, and generally more interesting than anything we’ve ever done, but it’s amazing to finally be making our own dreams come true instead of someone else’s. Happy to talk to anyone about the process!” Jamala Massenburg has joined the Jefferson Scholars Foundation in Charlottesville as their director of Graduate Fellowship Programs. Jamala is a Darden Jefferson Fellowship alumna herself and most recently served as senior manager of hardware programs at Cruise, a self-driving car company based in San Francisco.

launch in February, so be sure to look out for updates. We look forward to seeing you all this spring at Darden!

University Communications and Marketing at the University of Pittsburgh. In this capacity, she directs the integrated communications and marketing strategy that supports Pitt’s world-class research and scholarship, academic achievements, groundbreaking partnerships and innovations, and pioneering faculty and staff. Richelieu oversees a nearly 60-person team of communications, marketing, and creative design professionals. Richelieu previously served as director of strategic communications at MITRE, a non-profit technology and research-and-development company.

EMBA

alumni@darden.virginia.edu The EMBA Class of 2009 is excited to celebrate their 15th Darden Reunion in Charlottesville on 26–28 April 2024. We hope you are making plans to come back to Darden for the celebrations. Check out the list of Reunion hotel blocks and book early as hotels tend to fill up fast! If you are interested in volunteering on the reunion committee, please contact classmates Drew Holzwarth (drew@greenwoodhomes.com) and Tim Oakhill (toakhill@gmail.com). Reunion registration will

Meredith Valentine, Kyle Power, Jackie Grace meredith.v.dupont@gmail.com, kylepower11@gmail.com Huan Tran, Mike Henry, and Trey Packard (with their wives, Molly, Megan, and Caroline) reunited in St. Andrews, Scotland, in July, where Mike’s front nine 38 on the Old Course was shocking even to himself. Ed Liebowitz and his family moved to Madison, New Jersey, about a year ago and they are loving it. Their son Lo, age 7, is thriving in first grade and having a blast playing flag football and baseball, both of which Ed coaches. Kate is loving the walkability of Madison, but longs for city life. Their first international trip this past summer was fantastic; they even got to see the last stage of the Tour de France in Paris! For the past three years, Ed has been at Solera Health as chief product officer, launching a portfolio of solutions across mental, social, and physical health while introducing a value-based accountable care model for the digital health ecosystem.

EMBA

Anthony Anticole, David Bonenfant anthonyanticole@gmail.com, david.bonenfant@gmail.com Following a national search, Rachel Decker Richelieu was appointed vice chancellor of

Stephanie Connell, Sarah Boice stephanie.h.conell@gmail.com, sarahsboice@gmail.com Jimmy Hicks welcomed another beautiful baby girl into the world this year. Laura Lino Hicks was born 20 March 2023.

Sadie Wieschhoff, Travis Danysh swieschhoff@gmail.com, travis. danysh@gmail.com Kendall Anne Jennings married Zachary Scott Hayden in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, on 23 September 2023. She also wrote: “Darden folks, of course, out-shined Zach’s Georgetown University MBA classmates.” Brooke Lloyd bought an existing bar business, called Teeth, in the Mission District in San Francisco, California, with a ton of oppor-

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Kendall Anne Jennings (MBA ’12) married Zachary Scott Hayden in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, on 23 September. Many Darden classmates were there to celebrate. Front: Daria Abrashova (MBA ’12). Middle: Ellie Shields Jenkins, Meera Shankar (MBA ’12), YingYing Hu Garcis (MBA ’12), Kendall Jennings Hayden (MBA ’12). Back: Bill Jenkins (MBA ’12), Dave Cahoy (MBA ’12), Mikhail Koptev (MBA ’12), Miguel Garcia (MBA ’12), Jimmy Barter (MBA ’12). tunity. He is looking forward to hosting Darden and UVA events on the large back patio.

EMBA

Courtney Johnston courtney.johnston@gmail.com As we navigate the tides of 2023, our Darden family continues to grow and shine. Notably, Nickolay Bochilo in the Bay Area celebrates the upcoming second birthday of his third child, Nicolas, and extends a hearty invitation for hikes and camaraderie to any classmates passing through California. Meanwhile, after a fintech foray, I’m returning to the financial fold as a global product manager for Middle Market at Citi, eagerly anticipating new challenges. We’re excited to hear more from the rest of you; your journeys are the narratives that enrich our collective Darden story.

Deanna de Arango, Janet Pittman deannadearango@gmail.com, jspittman20@gmail.com Lauren (Keller) Hunter and her husband, Dan, welcomed their second daughter, Audrey Louise, on 25 February 2023. Lauren writes: “Audrey is an absolute joy and is completely enamored with her older sister, Rose. Our family continues to reside in San Francisco, California.” Since October 2013, Amram Migdal has

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served as head of knowledge for the Harvard Business School Institute for the Study of Business in Global Society (BiGS). BiGS aims to provide a research-based platform to integrate, amplify, and catalyze streams of inquiry to address the critical areas where business and society overlap and occasionally collide. Amram focuses on developing an intellectual community of academics and practitioners to provide business leaders with new ways of thinking about how they and their organizations can help to address some of society’s most urgent challenges. Rebecca Migdal is executive director of the Thoreau Farm Trust (birthplace of Henry David Thoreau) and author of Museum Mercenary: A Handbook for Independent Museum Professionals (Rowman & Littlefield, American Association for State and Local History, 2020). They live with their daughters, Meirav, age 9; Sarit, age 6; and Limor, age 4; in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Margot Sakoian Crivelli, Himanshu Singh margotsakoian@gmail.com, himanshu.tevotia@gmail.com Margot (Sakoian) and Miguel Crivelli welcomed their daughter Lucia on 3 October 2023. Lucia was celebrated in style with a baby shower in Charlottesville in late August with Maria (Blackwell) McAllister, Michelle (Callen) Uy, Chelsea Church, Lauren Mendell, Jennifer O’Brien, Ashley Oost-Lievense, and Emily Yee in attendance. So far, Lucia enjoys eating four times more than her weight, taking short walks on Park Avenue, and impressing people with the power of her small lungs. She is excited to see her future classmates and alumni in April and already has her Foxfield dress picked out. Hope to see you all then!

EMBA

alumni@darden.virginia.edu The EMBA Class of 2014 is excited to celebrate their 10th Darden Reunion in Charlottesville on 26–28 April 2024. We hope you are making plans to come back to Darden for the celebrations. Check out the list of Reunion hotel blocks and book early as hotels tend to fill up fast! If you are interested in volunteering on the reunion committee, please email alumni@ darden.virginia.edu. Reunion registration will

Margot (Sakoian) (MBA ’14) and Miguel Crivelli welcomed daughter Lucia on 3 October.

launch in February, so be sure to look out for updates. We look forward to seeing you all this spring at Darden!

EMBA

Liz Goldstein, Jessica Pearson lizgoldstein15@gmail.com, jessica.obradovic.pearson@gmail.com Hi everyone! We hope all is well. We have a few job and family updates to share with you — enjoy! Liz Goldstein was promoted to the position of chief compliance officer of PSERS, a $70 billion state pension fund. She is focusing on investment compliance and ethics. She is also working on several Python natural language processing projects. In February, Maurice Jones joined the Durham County Government as deputy county manager of external affairs. Heather Moor has a new position as clinical operations administrator at UVA Physicians Group! In September, Joe Rutte started with Genpact as an assistant vice president in their semiconductor consulting division. In this role he will be responsible for business development and delivery management. This past summer, Brendan Lawrence and his wife, Jill, welcomed their first child: Phil Alan. Another summer baby: Brendan Miniter and his wife, Paulette, also welcomed their first child, Leola, in July. Congratulations to the happy parents!

To update your contact information, call +1-434-243-8977 or email alumni@darden.virginia.edu

student at the U.S. Army War College, and simultaneously acts as the director of Cyber Initiatives, which is part of a specialized science and technology task force under the Military Intelligence Readiness Command. In 2022, Rino returned from a deployment where he served as the director of a forward-deployed military intelligence task force within the U.S. Army Central Command. He supported Afghans at risk during the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Alice Cassin (MBA ’17) welcomed baby Charles in March 2023.

Amy B. Menendez, Gabriel Legendy amy.b.menendez@gmail.com, glegendy@gmail.com Alice Cassin welcomed a baby, Charles, in March 2023. Work-wise, she is a manager at Accenture Federal Services, and was able to get a nice catch-up with Jannie Trelogan in D.C.

Elisa Kenyon was promoted to director of facilities administration this past summer at Clark University. And after three years of construction, she and her family finally got to move into their dream home. Nathan Uldricks was recognized by the Northwest Indiana Business Magazine and The Times of Northwest Indiana as a 20 Under 40 honoree. He was also invited to attend the Young Leaders Conference of the Swiss American Foundation in Zurich, which aims

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EMBA

Nathan Uldricks, Jana Burnett Nathan.uldricks@gmail.com, jana.burnett4@gmail.com Dona Edwards was featured in a documentary film called Big Stages. It is about six speakers who discover the power within, embrace their own unique voice, and build up resilience to make it to the world’s biggest stages. The film, by directors and producers Patryk and Kasia Wezowski, showcases Tricia Brouk’s powerful mentoring as the incredible speakers go on a journey of deep transformation, delving into the emotional and physical challenges they must conquer in order to speak effectively for global audiences. The world premiere of Big Stages was on 14 October 2023 at Chelsea Film Festival in New York City. Rino Fazio currently serves as a director in the U.S. Department of State where he oversees the budgeting IT system. In this role he is currently spearheading a substantial procurement initiative aimed at modernizing the Department’s enterprise-wide systems for budgeting, accounting, acquisition, and reporting. In the U.S. Army Reserve, Rino was recently promoted to colonel, is currently a

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Contact Mary Katherine Barbour barbourm@darden.virginia.edu +1-434-924-4782

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ALUMNI

to cultivate long-term friendship between the U.S. and Switzerland through citizen-to-citizen diplomacy under the shared values of liberty, rule of law, and free enterprise. Danielle Walker left Pfizer last April to start a podcast called The State of Freedom, which is available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, YouTube, and most platforms where people listen to podcasts. The show is about Louisiana politics and aims to keep citizens informed about what’s really happening in the Louisiana State Legislature. Most recently, she was very involved in the statewide election and saw many victories for candidates that she promoted. Beside the podcast, she joined a political action committee called Louisiana Citizen Advocacy Group, which was founded by my podcast cohost Chris Alexander and his wife, Katie. Lewis Nelson recently accepted a new role as senior director, Strategic Sales and OEM/National Accounts, at Enerpac Tool Group, based near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Lewis resides in Charlottesville and will lead a team of 15 with global and North American responsibility.

GEMBA

Amanda Fox Amanda.j.fox.1@gmail.com Teresa Fuller was recently brought on as senior vice president of marketing and partnerships at Bask Suncare, “The World’s Best Feeling Sunscreen,” known for its nostalgia-inducing, award-winning, feel-good sunscreens. As is the case with most startups, Fuller will wear many hats and bring her expertise in creating cult followings for new consumer brands in the market to the “Baskforce.” Teresa has also launched Congressional Consulting, a career coaching practice. On a personal note, she has grown her family by adding another baby to the mix, George, and two new dogs, Jeb and Max, who she adopted from iDog Doodle Rescue. Jason Newby graduated this summer from the UVA Darden-McIntire Master of Science in Business Analytics program, where he enjoyed the opportunity to take classes with professor Rajkumar Venkatesan again! Brian Ribera continues to run the 501(c) (3) Military Mobility, which provides resiliency training to veterans in need. They also provide corporate adventure retreats and experiential learning programs for private schools (middle school and high school children).

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CLASS NOTES

Michael Sargent (GEMBA ’17) and his wife welcomed their second daughter, Addison Kelly Sargent, last fall.

Addy Cleverly (MBA ’18) and Emily Cole (MBA ’18) hiked part of the Olympic Coast this summer.

These much-needed programs have filled a gap in the education field where true leadership training and personal development is lacking in many schools. Brian is also contracted by the military and government as a program manager for training and exercises. Michael Sargent and his wife welcomed their second daughter, Addison Kelly Sargent, last fall.

After nearly 16 combined years at S&P Global Market Intelligence (formerly SNL Financial) and S&P Global Ratings, Chris Schenkkan has embarked on a new career at FactSet Research Systems Inc. where he will be the director of content. His job will focus on their “deep sector” product offerings across nine economic sectors, providing granular information beyond what is found in SEC filings, but nonetheless required to be filed by various industry regulators.

Collin Bauer, Lauren Hansen, Kali Samuel Collin.bauer@gmail.com, lehansen23@gmail.com, kalimcfarland12@gmail.com James Franco and his wife, Meredith (Col ’10), moved back to his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, three years ago to take a job at Timucuan Asset Management, an investment firm. They live at the beach, recently bought a house, and are enjoying the warmer weather. Addy Cleverly and Emily Cole hiked part of the Olympic Coast this summer.

EMBA

Adam Doyle, Laura Pettus, Chris Schenkkan adamdoyle0369@gmail.com, lmpettus1276@yahoo.com, cms4v@hotmail.com After 11 years at The Heritage Foundation, Andrew McIndoe left his job as vice president of development to launch his own company, Invictus Strategies, a philanthropic advising and fundraising consultancy where he is CEO.

Peggy Bermel, Sophie Jung, Cait Pearson, Freyan Soonawalla, Allison Yarborough mmbermel@gmail.com, sophie.n. jung@gmail.com, cms2hu@virginia.edu, f.j.soonawalla@gmail.com, ayarborough12@ gmail.com Hillary Hardy and John Horton (MBA ’18) were married in Charlottesville, Virginia, on 7 October 2023, with many Darden and UVA friends in attendance to celebrate the happy couple. Sophie Jung and Zach Jung (MBA ’18) welcomed their first child, Zoe Alexandra Jung, on 30 August 2023. Zoe made her first trip to Charlottesville at five weeks old and was thrilled to visit the Rotunda. Claire (Brown) Jervis and Stephen Jervis welcomed a new “Hoo,” Elle LuAnn Jervis, in NYC on 7 October 2023. Ashish Singh and his now wife, Erinn Wagner, eloped this summer on 29 August 2023 to Olympic National Park. Their day started with a hike to Hurricane Hill for some breathtaking vista views followed by an intimate wedding at Crescent Lake, which was wit-

To update your contact information, call +1-434-243-8977 or email alumni@darden.virginia.edu

Sophie Jung’s (MBA ’19) and Zach Jung’s (MBA ’18) daughter Zoe visited UVA’s Rotunda.

nessed by Erinn’s parents. They finished their day watching the sunset over the Ruby beach and enjoying their favorite scotch. Later in the summer, they had a small gathering of friends at their house to celebrate their wedding, including classmates Kislay Kaushal, Tanvi Pritmani, Arnav Verma, Susan Isaac and Mike Christison. Justin Masters left his corporate job without another one lined up in early 2023. After some hiking, skiing, and surfing, he worked with career coach Everette “Bubba” Fortner (MBA ’87) as well as Marty Speight (MBA ’96) in Alumni Career Services on a journey to re-design his life. Fast forward to 100+ prototyping calls, a move from the San Francisco Bay Area, California, back to Charlottesville, and a new job as director of Customer Operations at the life sciences instrument startup, LumaCyte.

Ashish Singh (MBA ’19) and his wife, Erinn Wagner

EMBA

Charlotte Gage charlotte.jean.gage@gmail.com Shristi Kauffman took on a new role as the senior director of Total Rewards at GitLab, the world’s largest all-remote company known for their AI-powered DevSecOps platform. In her new role, she is leading GitLab’s global compensation and benefits programs across more than 60 countries. Andrew Henderson graduated from law school at the London School of Economics and Political Science in the spring of 2023. Jen Tumminio has accepted a new position as executive director, chief of staff, for the cloud enablement group at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Jenna Daniel and her family welcomed their second child, Ander Clarke Grimm, on 30 June 2023. He’s been an easy-going baby and his older sister loves him!

Christopher Skinner (MBA ’20), Cam and Finn, with Christopher’s parents in Estepona, Spain

Jordan Casserley jchart92@gmail.com Christopher Skinner, Cam and Finn have continued to enjoy living in London, U.K., developing a deepening sense of connection in and around the Pimlico area. Christopher continues to get out to see opera when his schedule at L.E.K. Consulting allows, although he has scaled back a bit from last season, which was his most prolific ever (32 performances!). Finn is deeply engaged in school, and continues to climb and jump on everything in sight. Meanwhile, Cam has joined the governor’s board for Tachbrook Nursery School. The family also enjoys receiving family visitors and getting away to other parts of Europe, most recently Spain and Gibraltar. December 2023 will hold the first return to Charlottesville and to the USA in almost 15 months!

Hillary Hardy (MBA ’19) and John Horton (MBA ’18) at their wedding in Charlottesville

Jenna Daniel (EMBA ’19) and her family welcomed their second child, Ander Clarke Grimm.

EMBA

Karen Henneberger Karen.henneberger@gmail.com It’s hard to believe that just five years ago we were at the start of our Darden journey. How time flies! I hope everyone is looking forward to attending our five-year class reunion in the spring of 2025. It will be here in no time. Some exciting current news from our classmates includes: Jenn Zeng and her husband, Scott, sent word of the birth of their daughter, Elise Ingrid Schumacher, who was born on 28 May 2023. Jenn is happy to receive any parenting advice as her daughter gets close to being mobile. Leslie Ladd Kime reported that she took a

WINTER 2024

ALUMNI PROFILE

WILL PAYNE (EMBA ’22) Bringing Relationships to the Table BY TOM VAN DER VOORT

fter building an impressive career in Virginia politics, working with both Republicans and Democrats, Will Payne (EMBA ’22) came to Darden to begin what he calls “a process of reinvention.” The urge to get an MBA came following a conversation with U.S. Senator Mark Warner, the first Democrat that Payne had ever worked with. After working with Republicans for the first part of his career, Payne observed how then-Governor Warner collaborated with his political opponents during the budget battles of the early 2000s. “I learned bipartisanship during that session because bipartisanship ruled the day. That really set the stage for me to understand the value of relationships. It was purely relationships that got the budget deal through.” Just over a year before entering Darden, Southwest Virginia’s senior legislators put out a call for consulting firms to help address a shrinking population and job losses stemming largely from declining coal production. Payne was not a consultant, but his political experience and innate skill at building relationships made him a better fit for the assignment than the traditional firms he beat out. And he offered one other thing: “I said, ‘You want someone who’s all in. I’m always all in. I’m going to move here and run this.’” From Bristol, Virginia, his new journey began. Launching Coalfield Strategies in July 2019, his mission focused primarily on redeveloping reclaimed coal mine properties for more contemporary uses. More than a dozen projects under consideration today represent in excess of $8 billion in potential private capital investment, 1,600 new jobs, and nearly 1 gigawatt of new power generation and demand.

DA R D E N R E P O R T

“

I FEEL LIKE I HAVE NO FEAR OF FAILURE AT THIS POINT AND I THINK DARDEN HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THAT MINDSET CHANGE.”

The Darden classroom and community fit Payne’s philosophy of collaboration and relationship-building perfectly. He built on the skills he had learned in the political realm and added business acumen to his arsenal, increasing his power to make a real impact in the Commonwealth. “Darden has made me a more effective leader, more thoughtful person and more discerning,” Payne said. Now, Payne is shifting his focus almost exclusively to serving as a matchmaker for utilities, developers and landowners in Southwest Virginia with the launch of Energy DELTA Lab. Two years of work building a relationship with Fortune 100 company Energy Transfer recently resulted in the largest private land deal in the region — 65,000 acres now on the table for clean energy development. He’s pursued personal ventures in the area, too, preparing to launch Squabble State Hard Cider & Spirits in a venture developed through Darden’s i.Lab Incubator. The name references early border disputes between Virginia and North Carolina. “I feel like I have no fear of failure at this point,” Payne said, “and I know Darden has a lot to do with that mindset change.”

To update your contact information, call +1-434-243-8977 or email alumni@darden.virginia.edu

Elise Ingrid Schumacher, daughter of Jenn Zeng (EMBA ’20) and Scott

Andrew Harris (EMBA ’20) with wife, Katie; son, Declan Alan Harris; and dog, Madison

quick break from consulting for the birth of her first child. Leslie and her husband, Michael (EMBA Class of 2024), welcomed Catherine (Rin) Andrew Kime on 24 July 2023. Leslie noted that she is ready to get rolling again and pick up consulting for the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, and hopefully reunite with Darden classmates soon! Andrew Harris and his wife, Katie, (and their dog, Madison) announced the birth of their first child, Declan Alan Harris, born on 16 August 2023. Matt Derenthal and his wife, Caitlin, welcomed their son, Murphy Philip Derenthal, on 6 October 2023. Their daughter Cora, age 2, is excited to be a big sister. Congrats to all the new parents! Kirk Kloeppel became a grandfather for the first time in June. Grandchild Maggie lives with her mom and dad in Houston, Texas. Get ready, Darden EMBA Class of 2055! And Jonas Porcar became a U.S. citizen on 30 September 2023. Congratulations, Jonas! I hope everyone is well, and we look forward to hearing more great news from all of you.

desk to the skies. He was working as an equity trader at JPMorgan Chase & Co., but after earning his private pilot license he accepted an offer to join Frontier Airlines’ F9 Program. Justin will become a first officer as a commercial airline pilot and fly an Airbus A320.

EMBA alumni@darden.virginia.edu Justin Hicks completed a career transition from a Wall Street trading

Ryan Crawford (MBA ’22) and 2018 UVA alumna Courtney DeMane were married in Charlottesville on 3 September. The couple currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.

Amanda Wear acwear1@gmail.com Ryan Crawford (Darden MBA ’22, SEAS ’15) and Courtney DeMane (CLAS ’18) were married in Charlottesville on 3 September 2023. The couple currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts. Lauren Wippman married Patrick Brady in Aspen, Colorado, on 29 July 2023. In addition to celebrating with their dog, Elway, they were also surrounded by 15 Darden and UVA alumni!

Emily Corelli eacorelli@gmail.com Hello! I hope everyone is doing well and settling into post-Darden life. For those who don’t know me, I’m Emily and I’ll be collecting our Class Notes. Please email me your life/career updates (photos encouraged!). Updates will be included in future editions of this magazine. Also, keep an eye out for reunion updates. I hope to see everyone back in Charlottesville in April!

Lauren Wippman (MBA ‘22) married Patrick Brady in Aspen, Colorado, on 29 July. In addition to celebrating with their dog, Elway, they were also surrounded by 15 Darden and UVA alums!

WINTER 2024

LEADERSH I P BOARDS

DARDEN LEADERSHIP BOARDS The two leadership boards of the Darden School of Business are composed of nearly 100 distinguished leaders who serve as an innovative force in the advancement of the Darden School throughout the world. (Listing as of 31 December 2023)

DARDEN SCHOOL FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chair Frank M. Sands (MBA ’94)

University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Elizabeth Hagood (MBA ’89)

Vice Chair John D. Fowler Jr. (MBA/JD ’84)

Constance J. Hallquist (MBA ’91)

Wells Fargo Securities LLC

Immediate Past Chair Martina Hund-Mejean (MBA ’88) Retired, Mastercard International Inc.

Scott C. Beardsley

University of Virginia Darden School of Business

John P. Bolduc (MBA ’90)

Retired, Firstmark Corp.

James A. Cooper (MBA ’84)

Thompson Street Capital Partners

Charles R. Cory (MBA/JD ’82) Retired, Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc

Guillaume M. Cuvelier (MBA ’91) Davos Brands LLC

Robert G. Doumar Jr. (MBA/JD ’88) Park Square Capital LLP

Debra Draughan (MBA ’84)

The Process Management Group LLC

Frank S. Edmonds (MBA/JD ’95) Covey Hill Capital Management

Arnold B. Evans (MBA/JD ’97) JP Morgan Chase & Co.

Richard B. Evans

University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Catherine J. Friedman (MBA ’86) GV

Kirsti W. Goodwin (MBA ’02) Tower3 Investments

Peter M. Grant II (MBA ’86) Anchormarck Holdings LLC

DA R D E N R E P O R T

Yael Grushka-Cockayne

Retired, Lowcountry Open Land Trust

H. William Coogan Jr. (MBA ’82)

Currie Medical

Sands Capital

H.I.G. Capital

Thank you to our alumni and volunteer leaders for a record year of support for Darden.

Owen D. Griffin Jr. (MBA ’99)

Garnet Hill

Michelle B. Horn (MBA ’95) Delta Air Lines

Robert L. Huffines (MBA ’92) J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.

Robert J. Hugin (MBA ’85) Retired, Celgene Corp.

Mark J. Kington (MBA ’88) Kington Management LLC

David M. LaCross (MBA ’78) Morgan Territory Brewing

Beverly B. Ladley (MBA ’92) Consultant

Douglas R. Lebda (EMBA ’14) LendingTree Inc.

Lemuel E. Lewis (MBA ’72) Iv Media LLC

Amanda Lozano (MBA ’09) Spoke Sciences Inc.

Paul Mahoney

University of Virginia School of Law

Richard A. Mayo (MBA ’68) Game Creek Capital

Sachin J. Mehra (MBA ’96) Mastercard Worldwide

Donald E. Morel Jr. (TEP ’97) Progenitor Capital LLC

Kim B. Morrish (MBA ’93) Ground Control Ltd.

J. Byrne Murphy (MBA ’86) Kitebook Partners Limited

Adair B. Newhall (MBA ’09) StepStone Group

LEADERSH I P BOARDS

G. Ruffner Page Jr. (MBA ’86) O’Neal Industries LLC

William H. Payne II (GEMBA ’22)

DARDEN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Miranda A. Grueiro (MBA ’21) Microsoft

Douglas T. Moore (MBA ’80) Fahrenheit Advisors

Taylor P. Heaps (MBA ’13) Robert W. Baird

Tami M. Moore (EMBA ’09) Tillman Fiber Co.

Chair Michelle B. Horn (MBA ’95) Delta Air Lines

Karen O. Henneberger (EMBA ’20) 7 Rules Consulting LLC

Tiffani C. Moore (EMBA ’16) Federal Housing Finance Agency

Sonia L. Hounsell (MBA ’99) FunkkOFF! Inc.

Betsy M. Moszeter (EMBA ’11) Green Alpha Investments

Coalfield Strategies

Carl Peoples (MBA ’94)

Goldmach Sachs Group Inc.

C. Evans Poston Jr. (EMBA ’17) Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP

Vice Chair

Matthew Joseph Reintjes (MBA ’04)

Cynthia K. Soledad (MBA ’02) Egon Zehnder

Evan Inra (EMBA ’08) Amazon

Nikhil Nath (MBA ’00) NSQ Advisors

James E. Ryan

Rachel Barnes (MBA ’21) Royer Cooper Cohen Braunfeld LLC

Gen A. Izutsu (MBA ’15) Veralto

Ann H. S. Nicholson (MBA ’01) Corning Inc.

William Q.O. Shelton Jr. (MBA ’93)

Stephen (Gregg) Brooks (MBA ’09) Self employed

Marcien B. Jenckes (MBA ’98) Comcast Corporation

Patrick A O’Shea (MBA ’86) Vesttoo Securities (USA)

Mary Buckle Searle (MBA ’86)

Melissa Jenkins (MBA ’16) Washington Nationals

Chetan Peddada (MBA ’15) DoorDash

Kendall Jennings (MBA ’12) Accenture

Alyssa N. Perez-Melendez (MBA ’20) Bain & Company

Claritza E. Jimenez (EMBA ’21) Paramount/CBS News

Alex R. Picou (MBA ’89) JP Morgan Private Bank

Wei Jin (MBA ’99) Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company

Jason Sinnarajah (MBA ’07) Kansas City Royals

YETI

University of Virginia Group 1001

Erik A. Slingerland (MBA ’84) EAS International S.A.

Robert W. Smith (MBA ’87)

Retired, T. Rowe Price Trust Co.

Shannon G. Smith (MBA ’90) Abundant Power Group

Susan Sobbott (MBA ’90) Independent Consultant

Cynthia K. Soledad (MBA ’02) Egon Zehnder

Anand Emmanuel Stanley (MBA ’03) Airbus

Mark J. Styslinger Altec Industries Inc.

Bruce R. Thompson (MBA ’90) Bank of America

Lilo Simmons Ukrop (MBA ’89) University of Virginia Darden School of Business

Jordan H. Casserley (MBA ’20) McKinsey & Company Sandhya K. Chhabra MD (EMBA ’17) Albemarle Endocrinology Sean M. Corrigan (MBA ’05) The Walt Disney Company Richard P. Dahling (MBA ’87) Fiducient Advisors E. Gulen Desteli (MBA ’06) GE HealthCare Zhana Edmonds (MBA ’19) CVS Health Richard C. Edmunds III (MBA ’92) PricewaterhouseCoopers Rachel M. Edwards (MBA ’22) JP Morgan Chase & Co. Sarita T. Finnie (MBA ’01) Bayer

Steven C. Voorhees (MBA ’80)

Theresa O. Frankiewicz (MBA ’87) Crown Community Development

Jimmy Jianzhong Wei (MBA ’02)

Michael J. Ganey (MBA ’78) GaneyNPD

Marietta Edmunds Zakas (MBA/JD ’84)

Ivy L. Ghatan (MBA ’03) LinkedIn

ImaGene Pharmaceuticals

Mueller Water Products Inc.

Leslie P. Gordon (MBA ’89) Korn Ferry Jacqueline Grace (MBA ’10)

Patrice Ju (MBA ’14) Google Matthew A. Kaness (MBA ’02) GoodwillFinds Ecommerce Inc. Markus A. Kritzler (MBA ’04) Ingenia Capital

David L. Tayman (MBA/JD ’99) Tayman Lane Chaverri LLP Deborah B. Thomas (MBA ’89) Somos Inc. Kelly M. Thomson (MBA ’99) Mubadala Capital

Xiang Liu (MBA ’05)

Zachary G. Upcheshaw (MBA ’15) Goldman Sachs

Kristina F. Mangelsdorf (MBA ’94) KFM Executive Coaching (self-employed)

Gerrud Wallaert (TEP ’18) Brightmark

Sherry McCray (MBA ’05) Constellation

Meghan Welch (EMBA ’10) Plaid

Lois M. McEntyre (MBA ’95) Intuit Inc.

Daniele M. Wilson (MBA ’11) Google

Harold W. McGraw IV (MBA ’07) S&P Global

Rebecca M. Wilson (MBA ’96) 20/20 Foresight Executive Search

Rajan J. Mehra (MBA ’93) March Capital

Jose Maria Zertuche (MBA ’00) BlackRock

Michael W. Meredith (GEMBA ’17) Akamai

Shaojian Zhang (MBA ’99) Yushi Consulting

WINTER 2024

IN MEMORIAM

The Darden School offers its condolences to the families of the following individuals whose deaths have been reported to us in the past six months.

Vidhi Agarwal (Class of 2025)

Henry H. Harrell (TEP ’70)

Randolph W. Cabell (MBA ’59)

Howard N. Heller (MBA ’69)

Cummins Catherwood Jr. (MBA ’67)

Burdett L. Ives (MBA ’67)

Alfred R. Anderson (TEP ’81)

Albert J. Cadaret II (MBA ’66)

Thomas L. Cordle Jr. (MBA ’65)

Charles A. Harris (TEP ’70)

Marc Rockwell-Pate (Class of 2025)

Janice Horan (MBA ’90)

J. Larry Rutherford (MBA ’74)

Frank W. Ix IV (MBA ’75)

Michael A. Stroka (MBAJD ’95)

David P. Lauffer (MBA ’05)

Ronald W. Wenger (MBA ’78)

Kenneth B. Culbert (MBA ’61)

Lorrence T. Kellar (MBA ’62)

Thaddeus W. Evans Jr. (MBA ’62)

John R. Light (MBA ’74)

Damon S. DeVito (MBA ’94) Robert C. Giltner (MBA ’78) Ray V. Hansen (TEP ’70)

UVA DARDEN PROFESSOR EMERITUS C. RAY SMITH

David I. Ramsey (MBA ’70)

Peter D. Lips (MBA ’73)

Gary M. Rosenthal (MBA ’84) C. Ray Smith (MBA ’58)

James B. Van Dusen (TEP ’66) John R. Wilson (MBA ’91)

Richard J. Mandeville (TEP ’79)

THE DARDEN COMMUNITY mourned the loss this fall of Professor Emeritus

C. Ray Smith (MBA ’58) after his death on 3 November at the age of 88. A celebrated educator, administrator and guiding voice who served the School with unparalleled dedication for more than four decades, Smith joined the Darden faculty at 26 in 1961 and retired in 2003 after a 42-year career. As a professor, Smith taught in five of Darden’s academic areas. He became a full professor of business administration in 1971 and became chaired as the Tipton R. Snavely Professor of Business Administration in 1981. In addition to teaching in the MBA program, he taught many Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning programs over the years. Smith’s commitment to education matched his passion for leadership and service. He was appointed executive director of the Darden School Foundation in 1996 and stayed there until retirement. He led Darden as interim dean on three separate occasions: 1993, 1997 and 2001. For his commitment, he was given the Charles C. Abbott Award, the highest honor bestowed on a Darden graduate, in 1995.

SMITH’S COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION MATCHED HIS PASSION FOR LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE.

DA R D E N R E P O R T

Darden Executive Education & Lifelong Learning

2024 OPEN PROGRAMS NAME

Live Virtual

Online

In-Person

DATES

FEE

DELIVERY/LOCATION