University of Virginia Darden School of Business
T H E
D A R D E N
FALL / WINTER 2011
R E P O R T
HOW TO FIX THE ECONOMY A GALLERY OF LEADING THOUGHTS FROM MEMBERS OF DARDEN’S ALL-STAR FACULTY
Inside this issue: Jefferson Innovation Summit, A Closer Look at MBA Rankings (The Economist Ranks Darden No. 4 in the World)
You manage up. You manage down.
Do you manage
your career? DARDEN’S A RMSTRONG C ENTER FOR
ALUMNI CAREER SERVICES We can help you learn how to: ■ ■ ■
Grow and Nurture Your Network Leverage Social Media to Boost Your Career Engage Executive Recruiters
■ ■ ■
Launch a Job Search Negotiate Your Salary Land Your Next Promotion
Skype us. Call us. Take advantage of our vast online resources and check out the job posting board. The Armstrong Center for Alumni Career Services offers Darden graduates career advice, at no charge. It’s one of the services we provide to Darden alumni for life. AlumniCareerServices@darden.virginia.edu
www.darden.virginia.edu/acs
Darden seeks an additional $4.5 million to fully endow the Armstrong Center for Alumni Career Services. In honor of Beverley W. Booty Armstrong (U.Va. ’64, MBA ’66), an anonymous donor has offered a one-to-one match for all gifts to the center for up to $2 million. 2 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
University of Virginia Darden School of Business
THE DARDEN REPORT
10
FALL / WINTER 2011
Contents 20
22 COVER STORY
Jefferson Innovation Summit
A Closer Look at MBA Rankings
How to Fix the Economy
The Jefferson Innovation Summit gathered 60 of today’s national thought leaders in Thomas Jefferson’s Rotunda, Monticello and Montalto to debate the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. entrepreneurial ecosystem and the path to innovation.
No two MBA rankings use the same methodology or draw the same conclusions. This article goes behind the numbers of five major rankings to explain what information the publications collect, how they evaluate the polls and how alumni can affect the outcome.
Nine members of Darden’s all-star faculty, each representing one of the School’s academic areas, “frame” the conversation around the global economic slump and suggest ways the world might pull out of it.
3 4 12
From the Editor News Briefs Faculty Spotlight Frank Warnock “Creating Hope in Emerging Markets” 14 Did You Know? 16 What to Read Now 17 Case in Point: A Washington Post/Darden series “Think You Know What Innovative Looks Like?” by Prof. Jeanne M. Liedtka 19 Sound Bites 26 “4 Ways to Save the World” — MBA for Executives Create the Future 29 Alumni News & Class Notes 40
Alumni Spotlight Phil Knisely (MBA ’78)
42
Alumni Spotlight Kirby Adams (MBA ’79)
56
Alumni Spotlight John Yeager (MBA ’95)
72
20 Questions Rhonda M. Smith (MBA ’88)
With you when it’s time to get the deal done When longstanding client RockTenn saw an opportunity to diversify, they knew they needed to move quickly. Our integrated team of investment and corporate bankers worked seamlessly to structure the $5 billion transaction in a matter of weeks. Not only were we the sole financial advisor on the acquisition, we also led the underwriting of the $3.7 billion needed to finance the deal. Experience and expertise enabled us to help our client take advantage of a strategic market opportunity that fueled their growth. To find out what our capabilities can do for you, visit wellsfargo.com/securities.
Wells Fargo Securities InveStment BankIng
SaLeS & tRaDIng
ReSeaRch & economIcS hIgh gRaDe
hIgh YIeLD
eQUItIeS
aDvISoRY
Loan SYnDIcatIonS
PUBLIc FInance
DeRIvatIveS
Wells Fargo Securities is the trade name for the capital markets and investment banking services of Wells Fargo & Company and its subsidiaries, including Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, a member of FINRA, NYSE, and SIPC, Wells Fargo Institutional Securities, LLC, a member of FINRA, NFA and SIPC, and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. © 2011 Wells Fargo Securities, LLC. All rights reserved. MC-2903
Visit The Darden Report online, www.darden.virginia. edu/dardenreport, for additional audiovisual content. Dean, Charles C. Abbott Professor of Business Administration and Distinguished Professor of Business Administration Robert F. Bruner President, Darden School Foundation & Senior Associate Dean for External Relations Trip Davis (MBA ’94) Chairman, Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees Peter D. Kiernan (MBA ’79) Vice President, Alumni Relations Michael J. Woodfolk (TEP ’05) The Darden Report Editor and Senior Director of Communication Julie Daum Graphic Design Susan Wormington Ross Bradley Copy Editors Seamane Flanagan Catherine Burton Cover Illustration Ross Bradley Photography Michael Bailey, Ian Bradshaw, Tom Cogill, Cole Geddy, Jack Looney, Randy Schmidt, Andrew Shurtleff, Susan Wormington Printing Progress Printing, Lynchburg, VA
F RO M THE EDIT O R
Ignite Innovation “They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” — Andy Warhol Artist Andy Warhol’s inventive way of looking at ordinary things like the humble soup can and his “superstar” portraits redefined the visual arts. Warhol made his mark on pop culture through innovation — the ability to see things from a new angle. In the Dome Room of Thomas Jefferson’s Rotunda this fall, business leaders, academics, politicians and engineers gathered to brainstorm how the United States can rediscover its imagination — a little more Warhol, a little less of the same old thing. Designed by Darden’s Batten Institute in partnership with the Thomas Jefferson Foundation and CNBC, the Rotunda Dialogue — the signature event of the Jefferson Innovation Summit (see pages 10–11) — sparked a lively discussion on how to encourage entrepreneurship and new ways of thinking, and how to remove the obstacles that often stand in the way. One such obstacle is the gloomy economy. In our cover story for this issue of The Darden Report, we asked Darden professors — playfully depicted in Warholian style — how we might pull out of the global economic slump. “Dig deep and stop waiting for others to do the heavy lifting,” responded Professor Mary Margaret Frank. “Transform ideas into action,” wrote Elliott Weiss. Summarized Ed Freeman, “We have to create and innovate our way out of this mess.” What catalysts of creativity do you see in your world? Let us know. Julie Daum Editor and Senior Director of Communication DaumJ@darden.virginia.edu
Volume 38, No. 2: Fall/Winter 2011 Send correspondence to: The Darden Report Office of Communication & Marketing P. O. Box 7225 Charlottesville, VA 22906-7225 U.S.A. communication@darden.virginia.edu The Darden Report is published with private donations to the University of Virginia Darden School Foundation. © 2011 Darden School Foundation Advertising inquiries: Julie Daum, Senior Director of Communication DaumJ@darden.virginia.edu +1-434-243-3911
STAY CONNECTED Get to know the Darden Community through social media. Visit darden.virginia.edu/dardenvoices
DARDEN ALUMNI PORTAL
Log on to http://alumportal.darden.virginia.edu to update your contact information, reconnect with Darden graduates and learn about new job and educational opportunities.
FIND US ON:
The Darden MBA YouTube Channel 822 videos Facebook 15,261 fans Twitter 3,500 followers LinkedIn 3,988 members
PODCASTS
The Darden BusinessCast The 10-minute podcast, hosted by Abena Foreman-Trice and broadcast each Friday afternoon, features news from Darden and in-depth interviews with the School’s faculty, staff, students, alumni and distinguished visitors. Download the podcast from Darden’s website (http://media.darden.virginia.edu/ podcasts), Podcast Alley or iTunes.
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011 5
News Briefs Darden Launches New Center of Excellence: Initiative for Business in Society
“T
he global economic crisis and the resulting patchwork of policy responses have created a new, challenging operating environment,” says Darden’s Dean Bob Bruner, “The Initiative for Business in Society (IBiS) will prepare tomorrow’s leaders and innovate tangible
“We are energized to address the most pressing issues facing businesses and society. No other research institution has been established specifically to take on this challenge, and there is no business school better suited to lead this groundbreaking center.” —Dean Bob Bruner
ways that business and society can work together to build a more effective collaboration.” Launched in October, IBiS will develop current and future business leaders to function skillfully in an increasingly complex global society. IBiS will be the foremost global catalyst of thought, information and action on business’ role in society and will prepare leaders to positively influence society through business. In conjunction with Dean Bruner and Darden’s top-ranked faculty, IBiS will be guided by an advisory committee of chief executives and highly regarded thought leaders who will identify strategic IBiS issues, build new knowledge and proactively develop leading practices and competencies. IBiS will address wide-ranging issues such as the current regulatory environment, health care, corporate governance, intellectual property rights and trust in businesses and markets. It will be led by Executive Director Dean Krehmeyer (MBA ’99), who also serves as the executive director of the Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics, an independent business ethics center established in partnership with the Business Roundtable, which is housed at Darden.
6 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
“Today’s business leaders face a new set of demands, expectations, responsibilities and operating requirements,” says Krehmeyer. “IBiS will offer a suite of strategic activities designed to empower an organization to successfully navigate the interface between business and society.” Specifically, IBiS will do the following: • Develop case studies that explore the increasingly complex intersection of business and society, where national and international constraints overlap and when the outcome has a significant impact on an organization’s ability to execute its strategy • Design courses and curricula that replicate the real-world challenges faced by today’s executives, and provide insights and leading practices for these situations that immediately add value to the organization and its stakeholders • Convene conferences and events of impact, delivering faculty-led thought leadership and a rich exchange of leading-edge insights and practices “IBiS deliverables will help business leaders anticipate and address the issues that inevitably occur when business and society converge,” says Krehmeyer. “We will articulate the fundamental forces that govern this relationship and equip corporate leaders with the Dean Krehmknowledge and the strategies eyer (MBA ’99) they need to manage the tension will serve as IBiS’ executive director. between business and society more productively.” Darden is actively seeking a syndicate of founding corporate partners — leading and highly renowned companies representing diverse industries across a global landscape — to join this initiative. “IBiS builds on Darden’s mission of ‘improving society by developing principled leaders for the world of practical affairs,’ and we are energized to address the most pressing issues facing businesses and society,” says Dean Bruner. “No other research institution has been established specifically to take on this challenge, and there is no business school better suited to lead this groundbreaking center.”
For School news go to darden.virginia.edu
New Members Elected to Darden School Foundation Board
Kiernan
Knisely
Cooper
Lynch
Price
Sands
The University of Virginia Darden School of Business and Darden School Foundation announced new leadership and new members to the Foundation Board of Trustees, effective 1 July 2011. The new Chairman Peter Kiernan (MBA ’79) of Greenwich, Connecticut, CEO of Kiernan Ventures, and Vice Chairman Phil Knisely (MBA ’78) of Chicago, Illinois, an advisory partner with the private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, will serve two-year terms. Four new members were elected to three-year terms on the board: • James A. Cooper (MBA ’84) of St. Louis, Missouri Founder and senior managing partner of Thompson Street Capital Partners • Luann J. Lynch of Charlottesville, Virginia Darden professor of business administration; an expert in incentive and compensation systems • Scott A. Price (MBA/MA ’90) of Hong Kong, China President and CEO of Wal-Mart Asia • Frank M. Sands Sr. (MBA ’63) of McLean, Virginia Founder and chairman of Sands Capital Management
Darden Executive Education launched four new programs this fall: 1. True Leadership: Leading With Meaning (Prof. Ed Freeman and Executive Education CEO David Newkirk) 2. Servant Leadership: A Path to High Performance (Professors Ed Hess, S. Venkataraman and Alec Horniman) 3. The Darden/SNL Executive Program in Bank Financial Leadership (Senior Director Lou Centini and SNL’s Shawn Ryan) 4. Leading Innovation: Thinking Creatively for Positive Change (Prof. Jim Clawson and Batten Fellow Michael Gelb) In addition, Executive Education launched two newly designed courses for the Darden/U.Va.-Wise Partnership for Leadership Development: 1. Creating and Managing Growth (Prof. Ed Hess) 2. Leading a Lean Transformation (Prof. Elliott Weiss) The directors for the Darden/U.Va.-Wise partnership are Susian Brooks and Colin Winter.
U.S. Education Secretary Applauds School Leaders in Darden/Curry PLE “You are doing some of the toughest, most controversial work in education in this country today, and I thank you for your courage,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told a group of principals and state and school district leaders gathered at the Darden School of Business. The leaders — representing 24 schools and seven school districts from Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Colorado — spent a week at Darden in July as part of the University of Virginia Darden/Curry Partnership for Leaders in Education (PLE) School Turnaround Specialist Program. The custom program for southwestern schools, a partnership between the Southwest Comprehensive Center at WestEd and the Darden/Curry PLE, combines the most U.S. Secretary of Educainnovative thinking in tion Arne Duncan
business and education to provide the school leaders with the knowledge, tools, skills and resources they need to turn around struggling schools in their district. The U.S. Department of Education recently launched its own school turnaround office, and by speaking to the group, “Secretary Duncan signals that school turnaround is important, and [that] he’s paying attention to these efforts,” said LeAnn Buntrock, executive director of the Darden/Curry PLE. “On average, for the schools completing the program, we’re seeing a 30 to 40 percent rise in student achievement in reading and math. Our mission is to make a difference for the nation’s children, one school district at a time.”
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
7
News Briefs
Admissions Highlights
Class of 2012 Academic Awards Announced Samuel Forrest Hyde Memorial Fellowship Kimberly Dunn
Two New Dual Degrees t MBA for Executives — Applications surged for the Class of 2013, which includes 61 students with an average age of 37. Of the students, 36 percent have an advanced degree.
t MPP/MBA Darden and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy have launched a dual master’s degree program in public policy and business administration (MPP/MBA). The combination of the two degrees will help future leaders manage public and private-sector partnerships and move seamlessly through the worlds of government and business. t MBA/M.Ed. Darden and the Curry School of Education have partnered to create a new MBA/M.Ed. degree designed to prepare a new model of school leader and reformer — one who is steeped in the practices of business and innovation and who can lead datadriven reforms.
Meet the Darden Class of 2013 t MBA Program — The Class of 2013 includes 319 students from 38 countries and 29 U.S. states, with a record high average GMAT score (701).
t Global MBA for Executives — The inaugural class arrived at Darden in late August from as far afield as India, Russia, New Zealand and Pakistan and from companies such as Rolls-Royce, BP, the U.S. Navy, Booz Allen Hamilton and Accenture. With an average age of 37 and an average of 15 years of work experience, the executives will complete international residencies in some of the world’s most dynamic economies: Brazil, China, India, United States and Western Europe. The first term “Understanding and Leading the Global Enterprise” took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., in August. The GEMBA program will hold its next residencies in Brazil in January 2012 (see page 14 for more details) and then in China in May 2012.
William Michael Shermet Award Julia Abell Geir Atle Bore Justin Brenner Jonathan Carrier Christy Cook Tripper Dickson Kimberly Dunn Allen Harvey John Malek Cassidy McKee Reilly Monroe Paul Rhynard Caroline Stanford Sarah Stoneham Lily West C. Stewart Sheppard Distinguished Service Award Brian Nwokedi Lily West G. Robert Strauss Marketing Award Patrick Clifton Below: Kimberly Dunn (Class of 2012) received the Samuel Forrest Hyde Memorial Fellowship and a William Michael Shermet Award.
New Faculty Members This fall, the Darden School welcomed four new faculty members:
LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
FINANCE
Jeremy Hutchinson-Krupat
Kristin Behfar
Pedro Matos
(Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology)
(Ph.D., Johnson School, Cornell)
(Ph.D., Insead)
OPERATIONS
OPERATIONS
Timothy Kraft (Ph.D., Stanford)
8 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
Celebrating Virginia’s Most Resilient Businesses Tayloe Murphy Center 2011 Resilience Awards Representing the towns of Melfa on the Eastern Shore, Wise in the Appalachian Mountains, urban Woodbridge in Northern Virginia, Franklin in Tidewater and South Boston in Southern Virginia, the five winners of the Tayloe Murphy Center’s 2011 Resilience Awards are some of Virginia’s most resilient businesses. They display growth, a dogged entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to community in areas facing high unemployment, high poverty and low entrepreneurial activity. The 14 finalists were honored on 7 September at a special awards ceremony held in the historic Dome Room of the University of Virginia Rotunda. “A finalist or winning business in this competition defines resilience — the ability to bend but not break, to weather the storm and come out stronger for it, to thrive in the face of adversity. We believe that there are many more businesses like these around the Commonwealth and hope to have the opportunity to share their stories as well,” said Professor Gregory Fairchild, executive director of the center. The 2011 individual sector category and Chairman’s Award winners are as follows: • Chairman’s Award: Blue Crab Bay Co./Bay Beyond Inc., Melfa • Service Sector: Highground Services, Inc., Franklin • Manufacturing/Wholesale Sector: Lindstrand USA, Inc., South Boston • Agriculture Sector: MountainRose Vineyards, Inc., Wise Mountain • Retail Sector: Todos Super Market, Woodbridge “I extend to them [the winning businesses] my congratulations and my hope that they will continue to demonstrate the resilience that won for them the year’s recognition,” commented W. Tayloe Murphy Jr., chairman of the judging panel.
Gregory Fairchild, executive director of the Tayloe Murphy Center, congratulates Pamela Barefoot, the 2011 winner of the Tayloe Murphy Resilience Chairman’s Award.
Can Banks Designed for Latino Populations Lower Crime Rates and Increase Home Values? Referenced by The Economist and USA Today, a recent study by Darden’s Tayloe Murphy Center examines and compares crime statistics in low-income Latino neighborhoods in North Carolina before and after the state established credit unions specifically designed to assist Spanish-speaking customers. The study reveals that once the credit unions were in place, robberies dropped by an average of 4.2 percent. Virginia has 39,000 unbanked Latino households — meaning households that do not maintain an account at a bank or other financial institution — earning an average of $23,500 annually, which totals approximately $917 million from Latino sources that is not being channeled through the state’s financial system. Latinos who prefer not to use banks tend to carry cash or store it in their homes, which results in higher crime rates and decreases proprerty values. Says Tayloe Murphy Center Research Director Kulwant Rai, “Our research presents a valuable opportunity for the state’s banks and credit unions.”
Building an Ethical World
“Students who participate in the ‘Building an Ethical World’ contest need to go out and do something creative, interesting and new, which tackles an important issue and moves them and their community closer to their vision of what it means to ‘build an ethical world.’” — Andrew C. Wicks, director of the Olsson Center
Darden’s Olsson Center for Applied Ethics is asking university students from around the world to contribute to the conversation about the role of ethics in modern society. In October, the center launched the “Building an Ethical World” video contest, which invites students to creatively express their views on relevant ethical issues that impact our everyday lives and to share their visions for improving our world. “Globalization and new communications technologies have revolutionized our lives and broadened our knowledge of the world around us,” says Andrew C. Wicks, director of the Olsson Center. “Students who participate in the contest need to go out and do something creative, interesting and new, which tackles an important issue and moves them and their community closer to their vision of what it means to ‘build an ethical world.’” Video submissions must be received no later than 16 April 2012. The winning videos will be announced on 11 May 2012. Visit http://conference.darden.virginia.edu/olssonevent for more details.
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
9
News Briefs University of Virginia Investing Conference at the Darden School of Business 10 -11 November 2011
Even in a Sour Economy,
Opportunities Abound by Carlos Santos
T
Europe are alarming. Spain hit 50 percent hough the economic crisis persists, a bevy of top financial experts says inand Greece 40. The European stock marvestment opportunities are plentiful. ket suffers from volatility. Since Europe is The experts — many of whom oversee one of the United States’ largest trade partbillions of dollars in assets — explored the ners, “that will have an effect on us,” said high and low points of a world in econom- Ahamed. Sovereign defaults would send ic turmoil at the fourth annual University strong shockwaves around the globe. of Virginia Investing Conference, held at the Darden School of Business 10-11 November. The conference explored “The Political Cycle, Political Change and Investing” and considered how government policies will affect investment returns in 2012 — a year in which no fewer than 26 countries will elect a head of state. Liaquat Ahamed, author of the 2010 Pu- Liaquat Ahamed litzer Prize-winning book Lords of Finance: As for good news, Bass thinks the U.S. The Bankers Who Broke the World, kicked housing market will level out soon. “I off the conference with a look at the histhink the housing crisis peaked in ’06,” tory of financial crises. “Global financial he says. “All signs point to three years to crises are nothing new,” he said. “They’ve the bottom. I’m not going to say housing been with us a long time — since the inprices are going up, but we’re not going to vention of credit.” dump much from here.” The investors brought to light the most And the wealthy — both individuals and promising global investing opportunities. companies — are looking for a rewarding “The emerging markets are no longer place to invest. “I think there’s a lot of the tail,” says Steve Galbraith, partner at Maverick Capital. “They’re the dog. …The wealth looking for real returns and that’s why they’ll see equities as their only shot,” best investment market, long or short, is says Jason Trennert, managing partner China.” China is growing so rapidly it “creates a and chief investment strategist at StratNew York City every year,” says Galbraith. egas Research Partners. As for when the economic tailspin “The emerging markets serve to mitigate might straighten out, Ahamed points to a little bit the European crisis.” a tell-tale sign. “We will only get a real Europe, however, remains strapped by recovery when a new investment frondebt. “Europe’s going to have a recession,” tier appears. What that will be, I have no says Kyle Bass, managing partner of Hayidea,” he says. “Be prepared. There are big man Capital Management LP. The statistics for unemployment for young adults in changes in store.”
10 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
On inflation: Our debt is so large that almost the only option is inflation.” — Jason Trennert, managing partner and chief investment strategist at Strategas Research Partners
I’m a little worried about deflation, not inflation. You can’t get inflation unless too much money is chasing too few goods and services. I don’t see that happening.” — Peter Fisher, senior managing director and head of fixed income at BlackRock
On recessions: Recessions don’t last forever. We get back to expansion. We take a hard hit in recessions and then expand.” — Vincent Reinhart, managing director and chief U.S. economist at Morgan Stanley
On investing: Surprisingly, there are things out there that are not speculative; they’re big companies.” — Richard Mayo (MBA ’68), founder and chairman of Mayo Capital Partners
There’s so much volatility that everyone is tempted to react. What you need to do is strip out as much as possible, that temptation to overreact.” — Lawrence Kochard, chief executive officer of the University of Virginia Investment Management Company
On being cautious: It’s important to understand that nobody’s going to tell you when bad things are coming. Governments of the world just won’t tell you.” — Kyle Bass (right), managing partner of Hayman Capital Management LP
Inspiring us all to reach higher.
Johnson & Johnson is proud to support
the Darden School in all their continued efforts
©Johnson & Johnson Services Inc., 2011
to build smarter, more dedicated,
and principled leaders for tomorrow.
Events
Jefferson Innovation Summit • 11–12 October
Thought Leaders Develop Recommendations for an Entrepreneurial Future
Above: CNBC’s Tyler Mathisen kicks off the summit’s opening event, the Rotunda Dialogue.
Hosted by Darden’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation on 11–12 October, the Jefferson Innovation Summit convened 60 of today’s brightest minds in business, government, academia, media and the arts to explore how best to create and sustain a society of entrepreneurs and innovators.
by Julie Daum
As
video cameras rolled, CNBC’s Tyler Mathisen paced the floor of the Dome Room in U.Va.’s iconic Rotunda. Setting the stage for the inaugural Jefferson Innovation Summit, which was developed and sponsored by Darden’s Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Mathisen presented the summit’s 60 delegates — national leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, policy-makers, authors and creative thinkers — with an unusual assignment: Consider the case of an engineering student named “Alex” who
wants to start a business with his potentially breakthrough product, a house paint that collects solar energy; then help Alex navigate the challenges of starting a business and suggest ways the U.S. business climate can better promote entrepreneurs and innovators. For the next two hours, the summit delegates, representing such organizations as General Electric, Boston Scientific, the White House, Google and a wide variety of successful for-profit and not-for-profit entrepreneurial
“What motivates me is actually solving a problem
12 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
ventures, engaged in a classic case method discussion, debating the issues that confront every key player in an entrepreneurial ecosystem: • Financing: How should the founders secure funding for the venture? • Location: What incentives drive the decision about where to locate the business? • Hiring: Is the right talent out there? • Regulatory hurdles: Do domestic regulations restrain or encourage growth? • Corporate takeover: With a buyout offer pending, should the founder move on? • Expansion: How can the U.S. remain competitive in the face of rising China? Dubbed the Rotunda Dialogue, the signature event kicked off the Jefferson Innovation Summit, a new initiative from Darden’s Batten Institute, developed in partnership with CNBC, Fred Friendly Seminars and the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. Taking place over two days in October, the lively series of exchanges revealed both the strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. entrepreneurial ecosystem. “We’ve got to step up our game and we need to recognize up and down the full chain, not just the high-end innovators but everybody in the United States. It’s time for us to raise our game to the next level,” observed Mark Little, General Electric’s director of global research. “And we all have responsibility to do that as the entrepreneurial society that we want to build.” Education emerged as a key path. The delegates underscored the importance of teaching students to think creatively and inspiring interest at all grade levels in the STEM subject areas (science, technology, engineering and math). “We have to make it cool to do these things,” said John Abele, co-founder of Boston Scientific.
After the Rotunda Dialogue, the delegates continued their summit discussion during a working dinner at Thomas Jefferson’s historic home, Monticello. The next morning at a retreat on Jefferson’s property Montalto, small groups of delegates brainstormed specific areas of opportunity to encourage entrepreneurs and innovators: education, financing, regulation, culture, intellectual property, tax policy and immigration. In the coming months, the conversation will continue. The delegates will incorporate the ideas and issues raised during the summit in a statement of principles, which can guide local, regional and national efforts to create environments in which entrepreneurs and innovators can flourish. “This year’s summit helps solidify Darden’s role as a convener of authority on the topics of innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Batten’s Sean D. Carr (MBA ’03), who served as the summit’s executive chair. “By gathering the brightest minds from business, government, academia, media and the arts, we seek to promote purposeful conversation, spark innovative thinking and help address the obstacles to economic growth, job creation and global competitiveness. The Jefferson Innovation Summit marks the beginning of an ongoing exchange of ideas that can serve as the catalyst for positive change.”
2.
3.
4.
1. Bill McDonough (right), founder, William McDonough + Partners, and Joel Salatin (left), founder, Polyface Inc. 2. Pam Iorio, former two-term mayor of Tampa, Florida, and Jim Cheng (MBA ’87), Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia 3. John Abele, founding chairman, Boston Scientific 4. Scott Case, co-founder of Priceline.com and CEO, Startup America Partnership 5. Dinner tent in the evening on the west lawn of Monticello
that I don’t think anyone else has solved.”
1.
— Carbon War Room CEO Jigar Shah
5.
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
13
Faculty Spotlight: Frank Warnock
Creating Hope in Emerging Markets Frank Warnock understands the importance of having a vision for his life’s work. “Once you have a good sense of what you want to do with your life, everything becomes easier,” he says. “That’s what the Peace Corps did for me. It focused me on what’s important and what I ought to be doing with my skills.”
FAVORITE BOOK:
Warnock is currently rereading one of his favorite works, Goethe’s Faust. “The problem is that the version I have is in German. I used to be fluent, but [I’m] less so now, so it’s very slow going.”
FAVORITE FOOD:
Italian. His favorite places to eat are in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood and in Cefalu in Sicily.
FAVORITE LOCAL TEAM TO WATCH:
The U.Va. men’s soccer team. He grew up on the Jersey Shore, looking up to Coach George Gelnovatch (literally).
BACKGROUND
After graduating from Johns Hopkins, Frank Warnock worked on Wall Street, where he was a commodity trading advisor. In 1991, he left Wall Street for the Peace Corps in Malawi and discovered his true calling. “That’s when I really saw what happens when markets don’t work … and how that impacts people,” says Warnock, who is the Paul M. Hammaker Associate Professor of Business Administration at Darden. “I decided then that I was going to get a Ph.D. and become an economist.” He earned his Ph.D. in economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1999 and went on to teach at Georgetown University while serving as a senior economist for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in the international finance division.
14 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
Warnock joined Darden in 2004, later earning the Outstanding Faculty (Teaching) Award in 2008, the Wachovia Award for Research Excellence in 2010 and a 2011 multiyear teaching award. He teaches the core MBA courses “Global Economies and Markets” and “Global Financial Markets,” as well as the MBA elective “Markets in Human Hope.” Warnock balances teaching, consulting and research. He is a research associate with both the National Bureau of Economic Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Institute for International Integration Studies at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. He also serves on the Council on Foreign Relations and the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. His true passion is economic development in developing countries, from Bangladesh to Zimbabwe.
A
n expert in international finance, Warnock researches and writes on such topics as myths about the U.S. dollar, the global financial crisis and housing finance in emerging economies. Numerous publications, including the Financial Times, The Economist and The Wall Street Journal, and a number of journals, such as the American Economic Review, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, The Review of Financial Studies and the Journal of International Economics, have featured his work. At the root of his efforts is a powerful goal: to help eradicate poverty and enable a better life for people around the globe. Most recently, Warnock and his wife, Veronica Cacdac Warnock, a Batten Fellow and senior lecturer at Darden, have been working with ShoreBank International and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to identify ways of improving the availability of mobile banking for the poor. In the past year, they have traveled from Manila, Philippines, to Bogota, Colombia, (and back) in their efforts to tackle the issue of the sustainable provision of housing finance in areas where inhabitants lack adequate shelter. “Our message in a place like the Philippines, where the housing deficit is well over 3 million units and production capacity is only 300,000 units per year, is that no one in that sector — not government, not financers, not developers — can make a dent in the backlog merely by doing things a little better than before,” explains Warnock. “There needs to be a fundamental rethinking. And Veronica and I bring the various sides together to enable that rethink.” In 2006, the Warnocks joined forces with Saras Sarasvathy, the Isidore Horween Research Associate Professor of Business Administration at Darden, to design a new course called “Markets in Human Hope.” Their goal? To change the way students approach the seemingly intractable problem of poverty. “We knew that if we could prove the concept, that the School would get behind us,” says Warnock. “Darden allows us to explore these different avenues.” “The Darden classroom is a special place to work, but so is the boardroom at the Federal Reserve, and so is a class[room] with no windows in Malawi. What defines this job for me is everything we as professors do and are allowed to do. The possibilities are endless.” In the “Markets in Human Hope” course, which began as a doctoral course and is now taught as an MBA ‘group incubator’ — a program in which students develop new ventures and learn through interaction with each other — students realize that aid that falls from the sky isn’t as effective as the kind that bubbles up from the ground.
Funding Good Ideas
“My objective is to bring about economic development from the ground up,” says Warnock. “It can be anywhere in the world, from Charlottesville to southern Africa.” Warnock first discovered the power of microfinance — how a simple loan can change a life — while living in Malawi. There he encountered a domestic worker who had no access to funds but wanted to start a brickmaking business. Warnock gave her a $100 interestfree loan. Not only did she pay him back on time, but she also made enough to fund her business and her life for the rest of the year. “Lack of access to finance holds people back,” says Warnock. “You cannot tell me that it is fair that we live in a world in which if you are born in one country and have a good idea, you can get it funded, but if you are born in another, you cannot. That’s what I am trying to fight against.” In the “Markets in Human Hope” course, the professors require students to develop private-sector solutions to long-standing social dilemmas. Ideas students have explored have varied from agrarian development funding in Lesotho to projects in Virginia in e4e
“You cannot tell me that it is fair that we live in a world in which if you are born in one country and have a good idea you can get it funded, but if you are born in another you cannot. That’s what I am trying to fight against.”
(education that leads to improved employment prospects) and mobile banking for the poor.
Financial Access: The Democracy of Opportunity
While teaching the course “Global Business Experience in South Africa,” which takes Darden MBA students to Cape Town and Johannesburg, the Warnocks began working with a South African housing microlender. To help the lender assess risk and determine how to best allocate its resources and loan officers, they helped create credit-scoring models. “It’s important that they offer these services — home loans for the poor — but also that they do it well,” says Warnock. “This requires them to think carefully about risk and repayment. This particular housing microlender wanted a better sense of ‘riskiness,’ not so that they could completely avoid riskier clients, but so they could dedicate more resources to servicing them.” The potential borrowers had no credit scores on which their loans could be based, but the housing microlender collected significant detail on these clients and on their repayment histories. Using this information, the Warnocks were able to build a model that could assess the risk associated with lending to these individuals and determine the probability of default. “Microlenders want to do good, but they must also be prudent. I don’t think it is a good idea to give someone money, call it a loan and not expect repayment,” says Warnock. “I don’t consider that a positive interaction with credit.” The Warnocks are now working on mobile banking initiatives in Bangladesh and Pakistan with banks that are striving to gain millions of customers within the next year. “What we have seen in places like South Africa and Kenya is success in getting poor people to conduct transactions and maybe even transfer money using their mobile phone,” says Warnock. “But they are still not saving or storing money. That is the next big push — to bring about a change in behavior so that the poor in Africa, Bangladesh, Pakistan and elsewhere will be more willing to take that next step and start saving.” In time, Warnock believes microfinance, when conducted properly, will have a positive impact on the world economy by broadening the financial services available to the poor. “We want people to have opportunity,” he says. “I think of financial access as an important component of the democracy of opportunity.” — Melissa V. P. Rossow DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
15
did you know? New Delhi
Alumni Launch New Mobile Apps Green Road Trips The app GreenEco, created by Chuck DiMeglio (MBA ’88), CEO and founder of Location Based Services & Content, LLC, provides Apple (and soon Droid and Blackberry) users with more than 50,000 green travel choices, such as nearby hotels, organic restaurants and farmers markets, as well as alternative fuel choices (biodiesel, ethanol, electric charging, liquefied petroleum gas, liquefied natural gas, hydrogen and compressed natural gas). Using location-based technology, GreenEco also finds green services along your course with route-planning software called “Road Trip.”
Game-Changing Content Joe Chard (MBA ’11), CEO of Nomuda Games, started his company in the Darden Business Incubator and won first prize in the University of Virginia Darden Business Plan Competition in April 2011. The Nomuda mobile game development studio has introduced its first game, Reedu: The First Explorer, on the Android Marketplace and the Amazon App Store. The intergalactic and interdimensional adventure explores notions of time, space, mythology and science.
Mumbai
Bangalore Chennai
On the Move in Search of Top Talent To reconnect with Darden alumni and to attract the next generation of bright, diverse students, Darden will host 40 admissions and alumni receptions this fall and winter: 21 in the United States and 19 in cities scattered around the globe, from Buenos Aires to Beijing to Bangalore. Darden will organize an additional 23 events in partnership with other business schools. Still more events are planned for 2012 to recruit top talent for Darden’s two MBA programs for executives: MBA for Executives and Global MBA for Executives. Visit darden.virginia.edu for updated information.
Tokyo
Dean Bruner, Paul Hamaguchi (MBA ’70), Shiro Sakamoto (MBA ’95) and Shin Furukawa (MBA ’92) in Tokyo.
GEMBA’s Next Stop? Brazil
The first class of Darden’s new Global MBA for Executives (GEMBA) program will head to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 7–20 January Sao Paulo 2012 for its second residency. On the agenda for Sao Paulo are core classes at Insper, a Darden partner school, as well as visits to Sao Paulo’s stock exchange and Itaú Bank. The executives’ exploration of Rio de Janeiro will include a meeting with the organizing committee for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
16 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
The committee will describe its preparations for the first Olympic Games to take place in South America. The GEMBA class will also visit the Corcovado and Sugar Loaf Mountains as well as Rio’s favelas — the poor, sprawling communities built into the hillsides — to discover how, despite the difficult conditions, residents have managed to build an economy and a social fabric.
MBA Employment Surge
% MBA students with offer at graduation % MBA students with offer three months after graduation
At graduation, 88 percent of Darden’s MBA Class of 2011 had received at least one job offer. Three months later, 95 percent of the class had a job. Bank of America, Microsoft and Amazon.com were the top employers. Bloomberg Businessweek named Darden fifth best (tied with The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania) in its “Best and Worst MBA Job Placement of 2011.”
’09 ’10 87
82
95
’11
88 77
77
Enlightening the Blogosphere Changing Commerce: Mapping the Sustainability Movement
Leveraging Difference: In My Opinion
In her blog, Darden Professor Andrea Larson explores sustainability-related innovation — the creation of new products, processes, technologies, markets and ways of organizing business. Recent posts include “Why Green Jobs Get a Green Light” and “The Role of Business in Creating Societal Change.”
Darden Professor Martin Davidson uses his blog to examine relationships, conflict and differences in identity. His latest posts offer a five-part series on unconventional reflections on race. His new book is entitled The End of Diversity as We Know It: Why Diversity Efforts Fail and How Leveraging Difference Can Succeed.
changingcommerce.com
leveragingdifference.com
Growth of Green Jobs Online job postings containing the key word “sustainability” have quadrupled in the past two years, according to The Wall Street Journal. Darden prepares its MBA students to serve in such roles through its new sustainability concentration. In addition, the student club Net Impact inspires students to create a more sustainable business environment. Through Darden Capital Management, students gain hands-on experience managing real-life funds, including the $750,000 Rotunda Fund, which specifically invests in companies with sustainable practices that will help the fund outperform the market.
Sustainability-related jobs rose
this
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
17
what to read now Effectual Entrepreneurship by Darden Professor Saras Sarasvathy, Stuart Read, Nick Dew, Robert Wiltbank and Anne-Valérie Ohlsson, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group Written for aspiring entrepreneurs, Effectual Entrepreneurship provides a wealth of expert advice, practical techniques and action steps for starting a business. Sarasvathy and her co-authors offer a unique perspective on the science of entrepreneurship and share over 70 case briefs about the entrepreneurs behind start-ups across industries, geographies and time. The book is available as an audiobook — free for registered members of the Society for Effectual Action research community (www. effectuation.org). Porcelain on Steel: Women of West Point’s Long Gray Line by Donna M. McAleer (MBA ’93), Fortis Publishing The United States Military Academy at West Point in New York admitted female cadets for the first time in 1976. Porcelain on Steel shares their stories and describes what it takes to succeed in the high-pressure, high-performance academy that produces some of the United States’ top military leaders. The book won a Military Writers Society of America Gold Medal. Frank Batten: The Untold Story of the Founder of the Weather Channel THE UNTOLD STORY OF by Connie M. Sage, University of Virginia Press THE FOUNDER OF THE In 1982, Frank Batten Sr. (1927–2009) created The Weather Channel, despite the skepticism of his media colleagues who doubted that around-the-clock weather broadcasts would be a success. The network, and later its companion website, weather.com, became the largest private weather company in the world and an American cultural icon. The book tells the story of Batten, who built a media empire centered on honesty, integrity and ethics and left a legacy through the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Darden School.
FRANK BATTEN
WEATHER CHANNEL CONNIE SAGE
18 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
Books, Cases and Darden in the Media
Darden Business Publishing Top-Selling Cases 1. “Nike, Inc.: Cost of Capital” by Robert F. Bruner, Sean Carr and Jessica Chan 2. “Methods of Valuation for Mergers and Acquisitions” by Susan Chaplinsky, Paul Doherty and Michael J. Schill 3. “Diamond Chemicals PLC (A): The Merseyside Project” by Robert F. Bruner 4. “JetBlue Airways IPO Valuation” by Cheng Cui, Michael J. Schill, John Owen and Garth Monroe 5. “Warren E. Buffett, 2005” by Robert F. Bruner and Sean Carr 6. “Calaveras Vineyards” by Robert F. Bruner 7. “What Makes Entrepreneurs Entrepreneurial?” by Saras D. Sarasvathy 8. “Warren E. Buffett, 1995” by Robert F. Bruner 9. “A Practical Guide to Conjoint Analysis” by Ronald T. Wilcox 10. “John Wolford (A)” by Tom Cross and R. Jack Weber
Darden alumni enjoy free access to the Darden Case Collection. For more details, email dardenalum@darden. virginia.edu.
DARDEN IN THE MEDIA HispanicBusiness Magazine — 4 October 2011
The magazine names Darden No. 6 among U.S. business schools in its “2011 Best Schools for Hispanics” issue. The poll studies five distinct variables (enrollment, faculty, reputation, retention rate and student services) to measure the effectiveness of U.S. universities in attracting Hispanic students. The Economic Times (India) — 22 September 2011
In the article entitled “India Is One of the Most Appealing Growth Venues Globally” by Vishnu Makhijani, Dean Bob Bruner says that India represents one of the most appealing growth venues in the world today. Financial Times — 11 September 2011
A new Darden Executive Education program, Women Emerging in Leadership – Dubai, was highlighted in the timely article, “Women Embrace the Strategies for a Corporate Life.” Forbes — 14 September 2011
Professor Saras Sarasvathy tested some of the best minds in American business and found that entrepreneurs and corporate execs have different ways of thinking in the article entitled “How Great Entrepreneurs Think.”
Financial Times — 5 September 2011
Dean Bob Bruner is recognized as one of the first B-school deans “to grasp the significance of Twitter” in the article “Learning the Game of Social Media.” Washington Post — 4 September 2011
Professor Jared Harris’ article “Engage the Larger Social Issues Behind Product Misuse” (a Washington Post/Darden “Case in Point” piece) explains why organizations must define their responsibilities, values and obligations should unanticipated issues from the larger social and cultural environment arise. Bloomberg Businessweek — 24 August 2011
In a Q&A with reporter Victoria Taylor, Assistant Dean for MBA Admissions Sara Neher discusses three of Darden’s winning attributes: “the case method, the overall community and the top-ranked faculty.” Washington Post — 21 August 2011
Professor Sam Bodily’s article “Balancing Objectives, Outcomes and Risks Can Avoid Decision Stalemates” (a Washington Post/Darden “Case in Point” piece) explains how proactive, ethical, multiattribute risk analysis can avoid stalemates between entrenched, extreme views.
case in point:
A Washington Post/Darden series*
Think You Know What Innovative Looks by Jeanne M. Liedtka
The Big Idea: Challenging our beliefs about what “innovative” people look and act like — where we find them, and how they do what they do.
as linear thinkers, not well suited to identifying and developing innovative new ideas. They were also seen as risk avoiders, reluctant to try new things that had not yet proved successful, for fear of damaging important client relationships. Yet Dave knew that innovation required a willingness to take risks and pursue “out of the box” solutions. The group would need to learn to accept
Prof. Jeanne Liedtka leads a class in Darden’s innovation laboratory, the “iLab,” in which executives explored ways to drive organic growth in their company.
The Scenario Crowe Horwath is one of the largest CPA firms in the United States. Dave Jarrett joined the firm in 1975 and spent the next 20 years there as an auditor and tax expert. He was then asked to lead a group to develop new and innovative solutions for clients. The group’s goal was to generate ideas that delivered better value to Crowe Horwath clients in profitable ways, while enhancing the firm’s capability set. Dave’s challenge was a daunting one, in large part because few people view accounting and tax firms as hotbeds of creativity. Dave knew that he and his colleagues were generally stereotyped
failures in the process, but failure, he knew, was expensive, with a working prototype often requiring an investment of $25,000 or more in new software. Dave also believed that clients ought to be involved much earlier in discussions about the value of the new ideas — yet his colleagues were reluctant to show their clients “unfinished” work. Dave wondered whether an approach was available that could help them surmount these obstacles. The Resolution Dave introduced a set of tools, similar to those used by such heralded design firms as IDEO, to the innovation process
at Crowe Horwath. He brought together multidisciplinary teams and used all the knowledge in the room to brainstorm new solutions, then translated these quickly into basic, low-cost prototypes. These prototypes often took the form of simple storyboards, which Dave and his colleagues used to engage clients in a conversation about how well the firm was serving their needs. Using the resulting feedback, the group would advance toward what they hoped was a better solution, and then seek additional input as to whether they were on track. The storyboard sessions, Dave emphasized, were never about trying to sell clients something: They were about understanding the extent to which the new approach created value for clients and soliciting information on how to improve it. From a financial perspective, the cost reduction was significant compared with that of prior practices. Furthermore, Dave’s colleagues discovered that clients enjoyed the conversations. Dave explained, “So now we’ve got a few hours invested in the storyboards and some guys going out and meeting with their clients. Even if the idea goes nowhere, there is always value in meeting with your client. Plus, the client always feels valued because you cared to ask them what they thought. So there is never a downside to that. And we have saved ourselves a fortune.” The Lesson Dave is just one of the people we’ve met from various walks of life — including accountants, engineers and nurses, in addition to managers — who have demonstrated that many of our beliefs about who is “innovative” and who is not are just plain wrong. These people can bring as much innovative spirit to an organization as those in marketing and R&D, provided they are given the tools to break apart the “black box” in which we so often cast creative thinking.
* Every other Sunday in The Washington Post’s Business section, Darden professors share lessons from recent cases. Jeanne M. Liedtka is the United Technologies Corporation Professor of Business Administration at Darden and is co-author of the new book Designing for Growth: A Design Thinking Toolkit for Managers. DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
19
In 2010, Financial Times ranked Darden Executive Education #1 in the world for food and accommodations.
You don’t need a room on the Lawn to sleep on Grounds.
Inn at Darden
Formerly Sponsors Executive Residence Center
The University of Virginia’s only on-Grounds hotel. • Comfortable accommodations at attractive rates • Local and organic cuisine • High-tech, wireless conference facilities • Memorable meetings, special events and weddings
Inn at Darden l 100 Darden Boulevard l Charlottesville, VA 22906-7243 l www.innatdarden.com
20 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011 +1-434-243-5000
‘‘
sound bites Use any QR Code Reader application on your mobile device to scan the following QR codes (short for Quick Response).
Failure is fatal only if it involves a violation of values. If it’s learning, judgment, then that’s an investment, and you will get a return on that investment.
— Wes Bush, chairman, CEO and president of Northrop Grumman Corporation, remarked that downturns bring upturns in defense technology during a discussion of leadership and innovation with Dean Bob Bruner at the Darden School.
“You used to be able to see your competitors coming. Business risk now comes from unforeseen places. Globalization and the Internet have reduced the barriers to competition.” — Joseph Ripp, CEO of Cannondale Investments Inc. and former chief financial officer of Time Warner and AOL, spoke on “The Role of the CFO” as part of Darden’s Leadership Speaker Series in October.
“The census showed that the Hispanic population reached 50 million this year. … This is not a trend, a little hiccup. This is going to affect marketing for as long as any of us are in the industry. It will shape every segment of the market.” — Elizabeth Ellers, executive vice president of corporate research at Univision Communications Inc., spoke at the Hispanic Marketing Summit, presented by the Hispanic American Network at Darden in association with the Darden Marketing Club, in October.
“Las Vegas, I contend, is the epicenter of the experience economy. The fact that Las Vegas is probably hurting most of any U.S. city in the current economic downturn is evidence of the fact that it will also boom the most when things are good. We need more trips to Las Vegas, we need more trade centers, we need more business being transacted through travel to Las Vegas and other B2B cities.”
“We’re a relationship firm. Our caution to our consultants is: We want you to be really close with your clients, but you can’t go native.” — S. Bradley Kitchens, president and CEO of ScottMadden Inc., discussed “The Art of Consulting” in September as part of Darden’s Leadership Speaker Series. His presentation was co-sponsored by Darden’s Consulting Club and Energy Club.
— James H. Gilmore, Batten Fellow, Darden adjunct lecturer and co-founder of Strategic Horizons LLP, kicked off his talk on the “Experience Economy in the Age of Digital Marketing” with a mini presentation called “Look Ma, No Payphone, or How I Learned to Loathe the iPad.” Gilmore spoke in October at Darden as part of the Leadership Speaker Series, in conjunction with the 10th Annual Darden Marketing Forum.
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
21
A CLOSER LOOK AT MBA
by Melissa V. P. Rossow
D
eciphering business school rankings can be a tricky business. Many prospective students look at them, yet no two ranking publications ever seem to come to the same conclusion or use the same methodology.
“I pay attention to Darden’s rankings because people I care about pay attention to them,” says Robert F. Bruner, dean of the Darden School of Business. “But I spend much more of my time thinking about the deep fundamentals of Darden’s progress and trust that the good work we’re doing will eventually be recognized in things such as rankings.” Darden appears in the top 20 of U.S. schools in the five major ranking publications: Bloomberg Businessweek, The Economist, Financial Times, Forbes and U.S. News & World Report. [See sidebar.] “We will not let the rankings dictate who we are,” says Bruner. “Fortunately, the rankings treat Darden relatively well.” For instance, in October 2011, The 22 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
Economist ranked Darden’s MBA program No. 4 in the world, No. 3 in North America and the No. 1 “education experience” in the world. Darden tends to do extremely well in surveys that measure student and alumni experience, like The Economist and Bloomberg Businessweek, says Sara Neher, assistant dean of MBA admissions, because those publications value what Darden values. Each publication measures different factors, none of the publications have the same No. 1 school and their lists of top 20 institutions all look different. “So, when you are a school like Darden,” says Neher, “and you are showing up in the top 20 of all of these dif-
ferent rankings, which are all measuring different things in different ways, that means you are highly successful.” Neher manages the rankings process with the help of her two associate directors, a data specialist and numerous people across the Darden Grounds. The process entails gathering the data required by each publication, which often involves answering questionnaires or sending surveys to recent graduates and alumni. No two surveys are alike — some are more qualitative and some are more quantitative. Despite skepticism over methodology differences, there are some benefits to the rankings. “It would be a lot more work to do that benchmarking by ourselves,”
In October 2011, The Economist ranked Darden’s MBA program No. 4 in the world, No. 3 in North America and the No. 1 “education experience” in the world. says Neher, “and here we get five amazing publications doing benchmarking for us.” “The rankings can identify some areas where maybe we are not as strong as our peers. If those are strategic choices we have made, like our focus on teaching as well as research, that’s okay as long as it’s a conscious choice.” What’s important is for prospective students and alumni to dig into each ranking and understand what they actually measure. The rankings can positively impact graduates’ careers. Alumni can do several things to influence the polls: complete rankings surveys when they receive them, hire new graduates and alumni who are three to five years out, post jobs with the Armstrong Center for Alumni Career Services, give back financially to the school and create networking opportunities. “Alumni who hire graduates demonstrate the power of the community,” says Neher. “And that affects the employment percentages, which matter a lot in multiple rankings.” Behind most of the rankings are editors and journalists who simply want to provide useful information to their readers. “Most of them are trying to educate the public,” says Neher. “They really do want
to provide students with an opportunity to learn about a variety of programs. That’s their goal, but it’s only one part of what a student should do when considering a school.” Dean Bruner believes strongly that students need to investigate their options firsthand when applying to business school. “As an insider to the field, I can confidently assert that the cultures of the top dozen schools are vastly different,” says Bruner. “Applicants need to get past the rankings. In the final event, choosing a school is not about the highest ranking, but about the fit that is right for you.” Neher concurs. “The last thing schools want is for someone to choose us based on a ranking and not on the experience they are going to have or the program they are going to attend.” Prospective students should visit the campus, ask questions of current students and alumni and sit in on a class to make sure the school has the program that will help them obtain their goals. “There are over 13,000 institutions in the world that award degrees in business of some kind,” says Bruner. “Rankings are one way to narrow your focus in the selection of schools. They are a way to
start a search — but they are a terrible way to end a search. As with any other major purchase (such as a car or house, for instance), you should talk with anyone who has firsthand knowledge of the school and its environment. Get on the ground; kick the tires; look at it from all angles; gauge the culture.”
MBA SPECIALTY RANKINGS Darden’s Rank
1 1 1 1 2 3 3
Student Satisfaction (Bloomberg Businessweek 2010)
General Management (Financial Times 2011)
Best Faculty (The Princeton Review 2010)
Education Experience (The Economist 2011)
Best Facilities (The Princeton Review 2011)
Corporate Social Responsibility (Financial Times 2010)
Entrepreneurship (The Princeton Review for Entrepreneur magazine 2011)
The MBA for Executives program will be eligible for rankings in 2013.
MBA RANKINGS Darden’s Rank
3 9 11 13 19
Publication
The information the publication collects
The criteria the publication evaluates
The Economist (North American Ranking)
Surveys students and alumni; collects data from the business school, including the percentage of international students on campus
Career services, job placement, faculty and student quality and diversity, recruiter diversity, salary changes from before to after degree
Forbes
Surveys alumni about salaries
Return on investment using total salaries of alumni who are five years out minus salaries lost while in school and cost of education
Bloomberg Businessweek
Surveys recent grads and surveys recruiters about perceived quality of the institution
Rates qualitative student experiences as well as recruiters’ 20 top school selections
U.S. News & World Report
Surveys deans and B-school administrators and recruiters; collects data from institutions on average GMAT scores, average GPA, acceptance rates, starting salaries and employment rates
Ratings from deans, administrators and recruiters; quantitative analysis of data
Financial Times
Surveys alumni three years out; collects data from the school on employment of recent graduates, diversity on campus and faculty research publishing
Salary increases for alumni since pre-MBA; student employment stats three months out; faculty and student diversity on campus and number of international opportunities; how much the faculty publishes
(U.S. Ranking)
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
23
The world continues to cough and sputter as it suffers from economic malaise. Among its symptoms: sluggish growth, erratic stock prices, entrenched unemployment, political upheaval, skeptical consumers and skyrocketing fuel costs. Nine members of Darden’s all-star faculty, one representing each of Darden’s academic areas, share ideas for how the world might pull out of the slump.
R. Edward Freeman
Erika James
Elena Loutskina’s research focuses on the role of venture capitalists and corporate venture capitalists in value creation for entrepreneurial firms.
Ed Freeman is an expert in the fields of stakeholder management, business strategy and business ethics and has written extensively on these subjects.
Erika James focuses on two critical issues facing today’s corporate and political environments: crisis leadership and workplace diversity.
I
I
A
Elena Loutskina F I N A NCE
n the short run, U.S. economic growth depends on the ability of the European governments to act on Greece insolvency and then resolve the debacle of solvent but illiquid Italy and Spain. The uncertainty about the European developed markets and EU banking sector affects U.S. companies’ willingness to expand production and payroll. Recent dramatic responses of the U.S. stock market to the news from Europe illustrate this dependence rather well. Internally, U.S. politicians add to uncertainty via unnecessary political brinksmanship and a political agenda that appeals to Main Street but that is economically irrational or even damaging. The raising of the debt ceiling debacle is a good example; the potential tariff war with China is another. Uncertainty, be that economic or political, forces companies to hoard cash and shy away from expansion. In the long run, if I am allowed to dream a bit, I would love to see an overhaul and simplification of the tax code and reform of entitlements. Lowering health care costs could also balance budgets and expand employment.
STRATEG Y, ETH I CS & EN TR EPREN EU RSH I P
n my view, there is only one way to “fix” the economy. We must focus on value creation, and not just for shareholders. Every sustainable business creates value for customers, suppliers, employees and communities, as well as financiers. In the past several decades, we have regarded “financiers” as more important than other stakeholders. In reality, the interests of these groups go together. We have to figure out how to make customers better off, employees better off, etc., and that will make financiers better off. Policymakers need to think about what they can do to allow and encourage value creation for stakeholders, rather than put barriers in the way. Policy-makers also must double down on attempts to encourage new business formation and entrepreneurship. We have to create and innovate our way out of this mess. More of the same stale old solutions will leave an impoverished world for our children.
L EAD ERSH I P & O RG AN I Z ATI ONA L B E HAV I OR
s a professor of leadership, I, along with my colleagues, view the economy through a lens connected to understanding people and their motivations. We teach that leadership is about broadening one’s perspective rather than staying entrenched in a single point of view. Just as we recognize the importance of multiple functional areas in effectively running a business, our government leaders must recognize the value that all of their constituents bring to the effort of rebuilding our economy. Great ideas come in a variety of packages, from a variety of gift bearers (rich, poor, black, white, business leaders, senate leaders), espousing a variety of values (conservative, liberal, Christian, non-Christian). Each one must be opened and carefully considered rather than summarily dismissed because someone takes issue with the person or group bearing the potential gift. To fix the economy, we must put our egos aside and consider the possibility that someone else, someone different, just might have a good idea.
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
25
James R. Rubin
Elliott N. Weiss
Mary Margaret Frank
James R. Rubin teaches management and corporate communication and writes about corporate brand and crisis communication.
Elliott N. Weiss specializes in production scheduling, workflow management, logistics, lean conversions and total productive maintenance.
Mary Margaret Frank teaches accounting courses and researches the effects of mandated disclosure on the strategy of corporate management, investors and entrepreneurs.
F
V
F
M A N AGE M E NT COM M U NICATIO N
rom the perspective of corporate communication, the most important issue affecting the economy is the need to restore trust in business. Anyone checking measurements over the last 10 years at places like the World Economic Forum can find “trust in business at an all-time low.” Trust in business and other large organizations has been declining since the 1970s, with precipitous drops during scandals or crises. Last year, the answer to “Do you trust business to do the right thing?” was at 28 percent. At the same time, public expectations for business have risen, as seen in the growth of corporate social responsibility. Arthur Page, long-time chief communication officer of AT&T, said that “business operates with the permission of the public.” We have seen what happens when investors lose confidence in capital markets. Almost every industry faces difficult issues. Will they have the public trust to address them?
26 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
TECHNOLO G Y & O PERATI O N S
alue in the marketplace is relative. Customers, shareholders and employees seek products and services that are less costly, of higher quality, delivered faster and are more customized or meet new needs. This is why firms exist: to transform inputs (labor, capital, materials and information) into outputs (products and services) of greater value. To get the economy on the right track, firms need to better execute the tasks directly related to creating that value as defined by the customer: (1) an effective product/service innovation process that identifies both stated and unstated customer needs and (2) improved processes to create and deliver these needs. The only way to achieve that level of customer value is through well-informed investments in product and service innovation, process improvement and the skills to transform the ideas into actions.
ACCO U N TI N G
ix the economy by reducing regulatory uncertainty. How? Find a sustainable compromise to reduce the national debt and stop legislating to eliminate life’s risks. It is time for grown-ups to make hard choices, if not for ourselves, then for our children. Dig deep and stop waiting for others to do the heavy lifting. Until we find a sustainable solution to our long-term debt crisis, the uncertainty of our response will limit investment in our future. Bad outcomes from greed, hubris, laziness and naiveté shook the world. Regulators responded with numerous rules to prevent future occurrences, but at what cost? Have you seen the size of our tax code lately? New regulations generate uncertainty about their interpretation and enforcement, which leads to a continuous cycle of rule-making. Regulations cannot substitute for good judgment.
Yael Grushka-Cockayne
Raj Venkatesan
Mir M. Salim
Yael Grushka-Cockayne’s research and teaching activities focus on project and project portfolio management, strategic and behavioral decision making and new product development.
Raj Venkatesan teaches marketing courses and researches customer-centric marketing strategies that provide measurable financial results.
Mir M. Salim studies the empirical economics of development, with a focus on microfinance, the strategic interactions of for-profits and nonprofits, and the objectives of nonprofits.
T
T
S
Q UANTITATIV E ANALY SIS
he economy is shaped, in part, by the many decisions organizations and individuals make every day. Thus, improving the quality of such decisions would be a necessity in reviving and sustaining the economy. How might this be done? Once one recognizes that decisions can only be as robust as the data they rely on, it is clear that we must focus on the quality of the underlying data. Such input into our decision models often requires a prediction of the future of, for example, demand levels, company profits or forecasted interest rates. And thus, good forecasts are fundamental for good decisions. Good forecasting involves acknowledging the inherent uncertainties in a situation and that things can go very wrong very quickly. A well-designed forecast will help managers internalize the breadth of the uncertainty so that they can make better plans, develop contingency plans and take advantage of unexpected opportunities.
MARKET I N G
G L O BAL ECO N O MI ES & MAR K E T S
he importance of consistent quality is even higher in a recession. Consumers are less willing to take a risk with new products and brands because, with less discretionary income, they cannot afford to experiment. Firms need to recognize that consumers research online before they purchase. This is even more prevalent when consumers have less discretionary income and are risk averse. So, having an online presence with consumer forums and reviews is paramount. The middle class has almost vanished in this economy. Providing a two-part product assortment — one aimed at lower-income consumers, with smaller sizes, and another focused on high-income consumers, with premium services — would be a good strategy. Consumers are occasionally also splurging on hedonic products as a way of escaping from their daily routine. So, products such as beauty items and desserts will perform better.
aving the economy somehow connotes a doomed economy. While a quick recovery isn’t manifest, I am optimistic about a medium-term recovery. In my opinion, that could start with a careful stimulus and austerity plan all in one. On austerity, reforming the tax system to patch tax avoidance loopholes and increase the tax base could be coupled with introducing a Value Added Tax, painful as it will be on consumers. A carbon tax should be seriously considered. There is plenty of slack in the economy. Forward-looking investments need to happen in infrastructure and sustainability, alongside job creation. Investors and consumers need to be optimistic and spend, taking advantage of easy money to spend (even on lumpy durables). On the housing front, due diligence should be exercised in restructuring mortgages to preempt some imminent foreclosures. Facilitating foreign direct investment by friendlier foreign policy could allow the United States to leverage the Euro Zone woes.
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
27
4
WAYS TO SAVE THE WORLD
The capstone leadership residency of the MBA for Executives program, dubbed “Creating the Future,” challenged executives with a colossal assignment: Identify a world problem about which you are passionate and commit to changing things for the better. by Carlos Santos
D
esigned to enhance the students’ leadership skills, the final residency of the MBA for Executives program challenged the 57 members of the MBA for Executives Class of 2011 to create a future of new opportunities to help resolve some of today’s vexing societal problems on a local, national and global scale. “What’s unique about the MBA for Executives format is that students have the opportunity to discuss with their professors and classmates the challenges they confront every day at work and what they are seeing in the world,” said Paul Simko, associate dean of Darden’s MBA for Executives program. “The students can go back to the workplace and to their lives with fresh ideas, information and approaches that can make an immediate difference.” In November 2010, the executives received a questionnaire asking, “What are the three to five ‘things’ in the world today (upon which you can have an influence) that you consider real gaps, real anomalies and real discontinuities?” The data revealed a group of professionals who care deeply about society and the planet and are determined to help solve the world’s persistent, vexing problems. “The future will be shaped by entrepreneurially thinking people who create new solutions to fill the gaps, to address the anomalies and to respond to discontinuities,” said Darden Professor Sherwood Frey, who led the course with Michel Schlosser, a Batten Fellow who helped design and deliver the residency.
28 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
The students identified an array of topics, including personal health care, globalization, regulation, the impact of information technology and social unhappiness. Four key problems stood out, each of which was mentioned by a third to a half of the students. 1. A lack of sustainability: the need for better harmony between economics and nature to ensure resources for future generations 2. Corporate glitches: the frustration of corporate inefficiencies, the failure to stop unethical behavior, and unmotivated, unsatisfied and unhappy employees 3. Education: the systemic failure of the U.S. educational system, including rampant financial illiteracy among the young and the poor 4. Inequality/poverty: inadequate living conditions for people around the world, including in America, and inefficient mechanisms for redistributing wealth To fully understand the terrain defined by each issue, the class engaged in a process of “collective investigation” from December 2010 to April 2011. Using a specially designed “Creating the Future” website, developed in a Web 2.0 environment, the executives developed a deeper understanding of their areas of concern through collaborative research and discussion and by asking key questions: What are the genuine issues at stake? What are the symptoms of the problem? What are the root causes? Why will my initiative achieve its intended effect? In white papers, the executives outlined a strategy to guide their actions. On the final day of the course, with graduation just days away,
many members of the class committed to begin taking real steps to make a difference. For example, Rutuja Pathare (pictured above, center), a rehabilitation program manager at Cameron Glen Health & Rehab Center, a skilled nursing facility in Reston, Virginia, committed to providing more “patient-centered” experiences. “Our patients come to us from the hospital after a life-altering event like a stroke or a heart attack or after major surgery,’’ said Pathare. “It may seem simple and basic, but the patient’s opinion is often the missing factor in health care. I have started talking to patients more about their personal goals for therapy. Luckily, the company I work for is very supportive of this; its motto is ‘Your therapy, your way.’” Other students set out to improve financial literacy among the disadvantaged and to encourage work-life balance in their organizations. Said Frey, “We look forward to witnessing the fruits of these leaders’ efforts in the months and years ahead.”
Expect the Best Target.com/careers
expect to lead
x
You can expect a lot from a career at Target. A great culture. Incredible opportunity. A community-focused company. And one of the most powerful brands in the world. Your best is just ahead. To learn more, visit Target.com/careers.
Kyle L. Corporate
©2011 Target Stores. The Bullseye Design and Target are registered trademarks of Target Brands, Inc. All rights reserved. 101315
101315_Darden_Ad_v3.indd 1
9/15/11 3:34 PM
N A M E A S PA C E
on the Darden Grounds A small set of extremely generous donors have built Darden’s incredible buildings and spaces. We now have the opportunity to offer naming rights for the spaces to donors who make an unrestricted gift of $50,000 or more to the Darden Annual Fund or the Dean’s Innovation Fund.
FAC ULTY OFFIC E BUIL D IN G
AU D I T O R I U M
S O U T H L O U N GE
60-S EAT C LAS SRO O M S
T H E PU B
L EAR N I N G T EAM RO O M S
$10 million
$1 million
$5 million
$250,000
$2.5 million
$50,000
Unrestricted giving is critical for Dean Bob Bruner’s next four years as dean. Flexible funds enable him to realize his vision by responding quickly and strategically to ever-changing needs and opportunities.
To name a space, visit darden.virginia.edu/unnamedspaces or contact Katherine Schieffelin, Vice President of Development, +1-434-924-0734, SchieffelinK@darden.virginia.edu.
Alumni News
Class Notes
CORE STRENGTH — ALUMNI LEADERSHIP
D
arden’s recent success illustrated by The Economist rankings of No. 4 in the world and No. 3 in North America underlines the notion that our great alma mater is doing well. We couldn’t help but notice that Alumni Effectiveness at Darden was ranked No. 5, reinforcing what the data suggests: Darden alumni are connected and will propel the School to No. 1. Your attendance at admissions events, contributions to the Darden Annual Fund, recruitment of top students, teaching in the classroom and participation in student club activities are unprecedented. Our chapter event support remains strong, and the enhanced effort to elevate our brand via the dean’s recent trips to India and Japan reinforces the strength and connectedness of our international alumni population. Remaining top of mind is the joint initiative with our Alumni Board of Directors to build the most robust engagement index in the world. We are striving to understand all the ways that you are engaged at the School and within the network that we may not yet measure and to determine how in the future we may capture and leverage all the work you are doing to move Darden forward. Our goal is always to connect alumni back to the School in ways that are meaningful and impactful to help deliver on Dean Bruner’s vision and the School’s strategy.
Jennifer McEnery Finn (MBA
We welcome Jennifer McEnery Finn (MBA ’00) and Karen Edwards (MBA ’84) as the incoming Alumni Board of Directors chair and president, respectively. They have just executed one of the most energizing and actionoriented board meetings in the School’s history — a clear indicator that their tenure is going to be synergistic and transformational. Lastly, we extend our Karen Edwards heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Mark Riser (MBA ’94), immediate past (MBA ’84) chair of the Alumni Board of Directors, for his dedication and unrelenting commitment to enhancing the Darden volunteer experience. His leadership has empowered and motivated volunteers to engage with the School in new and influential ways. Until we see you in Charlottesville or around the globe, my best. Michael J. Woodfolk (TEP ’05) Vice President, Alumni Relations
Professor Emeritus of International Business Leslie Grayson (second row from top, far right) visited with Darden alumni in Tokyo in September.
IN MEMORIAM Class of 1957: Pliny A. Porter Class of 1959: Johnson Crawford Jr. Class of 1962: Wilbur A. Rapp
Class of 1966: Beverley W. Armstrong Class of 1977: Steven F. Sell George Stradtner Jr.
1957 • Reunion 2012 HARRY LEWIS RECEIVED A 2011 HIGHPERFORMANCE AWARD FOR CLASS AGENTS. STUART QUARNGESSER +1-410-366-1137 WOODS@DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU
“My mother was killed by a stray bullet on a farm near Rose Hill. I was twelve years old.” These are the early words in the first of two books of Tipton Snavely’s autobiography. The area to which he refers is the most southwest part of Virginia, where the boundaries of Tennessee and Kentucky squeeze Virginia to a point. More about Snavely later… I keep in touch with Pliny Porter most every month. When he talks his voice has been gravelly and forced. His throat has been radiated unmercifully, and when he is given chemotherapy for his pancreas, his throat has swollen to the diameter of a dime. When I called him two days ago, his voice on his answering machine was loud and crystal clear. That let me know he is winning the war. Finally, his wife, Kathrin, answered the phone and explained he is being fed by a tube. Editor’s Note: Pliny A. Porter passed away on 16 November 2011. Dick Wilson, some moons ago, suffered a very serious stroke and his best nurse — his wife, Ann — got him to the hospital in time to save his life, and I am sure her time with him during his recovery was critical. I am happy to report that I recently saw Dick, and he looks younger, with that great smile of his, and his hearing seemed better than before. He was cool, calm and collected. Maybe all of us need a good stroke. Tyson Janney and Harry Lewis have the idea that this coming Spring will be our 55th year after graduation and that it would be good if we could get as many classmates as will attend — hopefully all — and find a way to celebrate the occasion momentously. Shaele Wood Culbreath, our new director of Alumni Relations, has already started paving the way. She is a wonderful person and cares very much about our class. She recently held a meeting in the Abbott Dining Room with Tyson Janney, Harry Lewis, Dick Wilson, and me. Speaking of this bunch of gentlemen, Harry Lewis reports that Tyson, Dick, Lee
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
31
CLASS NOTES LeCompte and himself finally got together for their semi-annual golf outing in Charlottesville. They were rained out several months ago. The beautiful greens and fairways are healing slowly. I spoke recently with Woody Goss, who seems very happy. He has a social life and apparently his children are doing well. He told me he looks forward to coming to our reunion. (There’s our first RSVP for our 55th!) Lee LeCompte is still wrecking his motor bike and repairing joints (not the kind you inhale before taking a bike ride). Robbie, a master docent at two museums, succumbs to Lee’s masterful play of the incompetence card by cutting the grass and doing all the cooking and laundry. She even makes sure Antoine, the poodle, does his business outside. He plans to see us all April 27-29! Gene Crotty wrote in: “Three years ago I moved to C’ville with my dog, ‘Jake,’ and began my official retirement at the Colonnades Retirement Center on Barracks Road. We live in a small apartment which is situated within a few miles of the Darden School and only a few minutes’ drive. Periodically, I visit Darden’s dining hall and dine with the ‘Nine Old Men Society.’ I am also involved with other U.Va. departments. Currently I serve on the board at the McIntire School of Commerce’s special fundraising team, ‘The Cornerstone Society.’ On the Board of Thomas Jefferson Heritage Society in their struggle to defend his honor. I have also become involved with The Miller Center in restoring copies of my five speeches I performed there. I am still writing books on ‘Mr. Jefferson.’ My current one is about his efforts to establish a Revolutionary ‘Prison-of-War Camp’ a few miles westward from where I live on Barracks Road. This is a very interesting story on his contribution to the Rev-War. I am enjoying taking weekend adventures to discover Albemarle County and to learn more about Mr. Jefferson’s adventures here and about.” Denny Candler and Marilyn are well and are hanging in there when real estate is really suffering. They seem to be resilient when times are tough. I’m proud of them. Denny could always come up with a great joke when we needed it. Please hold your thoughts as I tell you about Tipton Snavely in the next issue! See you all April 27 and 28. Please be well, Stuart
1958 C. RAY SMITH RECEIVED A 2011 HIGHPERFORMANCE AWARD FOR CLASS AGENTS. ED DINWIDDIE DINWIDDIEE@EMBARQMAIL.COM
As we start to reach a more senior status, it seems there is less to report so we really appreciate the news we receive. By the time this is in print, we will have wrapped up a Wahoo football season, one that we may not wish to talk about. There are some fall baseball stories and that is a topic of pride around here. Betty 32 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
and I debated the trip to Omaha for the college World Series last season, but health stopped the planning. We did go to the U.Va. girls’ basketball tournament and from there on down to the Washington Nationals’ spring training in Florida. In the immediate future we have been invited as guests to tour the UPS facilities in Louisville. We had been cleared in advance. On the way back we will stop in Abingdon for a play at Barter. All else are short day trips, almost walking distance: baseball, football, girls’ basketball, and many other functions at the University. Richard and Shirley Chewning continue to have a healthy love at their care facility in Arkansas. They rejoice in their grandchildren: Rebekah is soon to give birth to their first greatgrandchild. Sarah, an AR diving champion, is on a diving scholarship at University of Kentucky. Rachel is in a Ph.D. program in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Michigan. Alex and Caroline McMillan spend their warmer months in Blowing Rock, N.C. They have helped us find a place to stay when our granddaughter graduates from Appalachian State in June. Bill Brewster says that since Hap Hackney has moved into a “senior cottage” nearby he is down using the Brewster swimming pool regularly and that is confusing Brewster’s afternoon beer time. Fred Stow expects to spend a different type of holiday over Christmas. He is scheduled to leave Ft. Lauderdale on December 20th and spend the next sixteen days over Christmas and New Years floating around the Caribbean, transiting the Panama Canal, and then up the West Coast to Los Angeles on a small, 35-passenger ship, the Seaborne Odyssey. He reports “I have been on this one before and they do such a great job! I thought it would be interesting to see what they come up with over the holidays. Texas has been a disaster the last three months. I now have a “lake view” property as I have about 15 feet of sand bottom in front of the boat house and water. No rain for almost six weeks now and a constant temperature of over 100 degrees. I have not experienced this in the 45 years or so that we have lived here. It is just beginning to cool down a bit (the low 90s) but no rain in sight. Not much else going on other than getting high blood pressure from listening to our President.” Ray Smith and Phyllis live just down the hall from us. He is chairman of the dining committee so you know we are eating well and the cost is right. Ray and I have lunch each month with Harry Lewis (MBA ’57) and Tyson Janney (MBA ’57). That way we keep up with what is happening at Darden and the rest of the economy. If you are close by on the second Tuesday of any month, give us a call, we may be on schedule.
1959 JOHN DODGE JLD4FSHS@AOL.COM
Howard Ulfelder tells us “Susie and I have sold our Cambridge, Mass., house and have bought a unit in the Boulders at Riverwoods in Exeter, NH. It is a CCRC and will suit us well when we need it. Our primary residence is in New Ipswich, N.H. so we have left Mass. for good after forty years. I still get to most of the Harvard football games however. We just returned from a great two-week trip to Provence with two couples who are old friends. We rented a house in Apt for a week and spent a week barging from Avignon to Sete. We will go to Antigua and Barbuda in January for two weeks and then Sonoma, Oahu and San Diego for a month in March/April. Retirement is grand! I continue to be active in several non-profits and a bi-weekly discussion group to keep active and stay relevant. Susie continues to paint and has just had a show in Jaffrey, N.H. I wish all of my classmates well and would love to see anybody who wanders north by accident.” Sadly, we remember Johnson (Jack) Crawford Jr. who passed away on May 1, 2011 after a long battle with cancer and is survived by his wife, Ann Turley Crawford. His obituary reports: “Jack was born in Knoxville, Tenn., May 21, 1932, the son of the late Johnson Crawford and Jane King Crawford. Jack grew up in Jefferson City, Tenn., and Austinville, Va., where his father was a geologist with New Jersey Zinc. He graduated from Staunton Military Academy and received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Virginia where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. He served two years as a radar officer in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Totten in Queens, New York. He returned to the University of Virginia where he earned an MBA degree from the Darden School. Jack worked for Procter & Gamble marketing their products first within the United States from Cincinnati, Ohio, and then for their International division in Scandinavia from the London headquarters. While in England, Jack and his family lived in Newcastle Upon Tyne and Gerrards Cross, and made full use of the opportunity to travel extensively throughout Europe. Upon returning to the United States, he bought Service Gas Co. Inc. in Wytheville, Va., which he operated for ten years. After selling Service Gas, he founded Wordsprint Inc., a commercial printing company which he operated until his retirement to Pawleys Island in 1994. While in Wytheville, he was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church, where he served as junior and senior warden. Jack was past President of the Wytheville Rotary Club and received the Paul Harris Fellow award. He also served on the advisory board of Dominion Bank and the Wythe County Community Hospital. For a fourteen-year period when retirees
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
from all over were moving to the Grand Strand, Jack launched his post-retirement career, introducing the world of computer technology to scores of adult students every semester from 1994 through 2008. Sharing his skills and his collection of computers, he taught for Senior Semesters, Campus Brookgreen, Community Learning About Special Subjects (CLASS) and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Coastal Carolina University. Jack loved living in the Low Country, enjoying the hot summers and fishing, crabbing and boating in the creeks of Murrells Inlet, and took pleasure in simply putting his feet in the ocean. Jack was also a great lover of literature, poetry and music. He was a member of All Saints Church where he was a lay reader and a lay Eucharistic Minister.”
1960 JAMES FOWLER JLOFTUSFOWLER@AOL.COM
Ken MacCormac is really/finally retiring at the end of the year. He is finishing up 30 years with Capewell with many happy, challenging and memorable experiences. He and his wife, Mary, were happy to see Ben Weimer and his wife, Cay, again this year, enroute to Maine. His Grandson, Ken II, is graduating from high school next year and very interested in attending the University of Richmond. Perhaps we will meet the Weimers there, if he is accepted and hope to see them again en route to Maine next summer or sooner. It is always great to visit with ’60 class mates, brings back old memories. So call or stop by any time. Best wishes to my classmates and Darden. Allen Venner and his daughter, Crystal, (who was born in Charlottesville shortly after graduation) and her family took a cruise to Alaska in August, sailing out of Seattle on the Holland America ship, Westerdam. Mike, her husband, Christine, 18, and Brian, 16, were really looking forward to their first trip to Alaska. The first port of call was Juneau on Monday, Aug. 13, the Hubbard Glacier on Tuesday, Sitka on Wednesday, Ketchikan on Thursday and a brief stop in Victoria, BC, Friday evening before returning to Seattle on Saturday, Aug 20th. The food was great, entertainment fun and weather very cooperative. We had a beautiful sunny day to see the Hubbard Glacier and were told that it is frequently enshrouded in fog. The views were awe-inspiring. One of the highlights of the trip was an entertainment evening in which a ventriloquist picked Mike out of the audience as his “dummy” and brought him up for 20 minutes of fun. It kept everyone in stitches and from then on people came up to Mike and asked, “Are you Mike?” He was an instant celebrity. The trip was the highlight of the summer.
1961 NATE BACHMAN AND JERRY KAVANAUGH RECEIVED A 2011 HIGH-PERFORMANCE AWARD FOR CLASS AGENTS, THE HIGHEST REUNION OVERALL PARTICIPATION AWARD (100%), THE GREATEST DARDEN ANNUAL FUND PERCENT INCREASE IN PARTICIPATION AWARD (88%) AND THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF DARDEN SOCIETY MEMBERS AWARD (22%). IN ADDITION, NATE WAS RECOGNIZED WITH THE 2011 OUTSTANDING SECRETARY AWARD FOR GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY. NATE BACHMAN NDBACHMAN@AOL.COM
As I write this column, the date is the end of September … our 50th Darden Reunion was five months ago. Time flies! These eight classmates and five wives attended the 50th: Nate & Lynda Bachman, Ken & Kate Culbert, Bob Digges, David and Mary Jo Farrar, Jerry Kavanaugh, Reb McCowen, Nat & Chris Pendleton and Robin & Kay Sommers. At the time, the exact amount raised by the class was not known. The total turned out to be $503,355. In the previous 49 years, our class raised $375,000. Thus, at our 50th Reunion, the class raised $129,000 more (or 35 percent) than in the previous 49 years! The Class of 1961 certainly did not raise much cash for a long time to reflect gratitude to Darden, but “all’s well that ends well.” Congratulations to the Class of 1961 for this extraordinary cash achievement. Our magnificent results were largely the result of matches from the Yellow Ribbon Fund. At the present time, the Yellow Ribbon match is no longer available, so a high bar has been set for future Darden 50th Reunion fund-raising. So far, no classmate has stepped up to volunteer to serve as my successor as class secretary for the next five years. Please respond!
1962 • Reunion 2012 FRED GIGNOUX GIGNOUXIII@YAHOO.COM
I received a note from Larry Keller. He started by writing, “Since our 50th anniversary is coming up, I thought I would send you my regular ‘decade e-mail.’ I consider myself ‘semiself-employed’ currently, i.e. serving on four public company boards (which takes a lot of time) and four nonprofit boards, mostly helping them raise money (which also takes a lot of time).” At the last reunion Larry attended (as I remember), he had finished running Kroger’s finance and real estate operations (1996) and had joined Kmart to run their real estate operations. After they filed for bankruptcy, he joined a Milwaukee-based developer, Continental Properties. As Larry said, “That’s all the country needed — another strip-center developer.” Larry said he hopes to make our 50th … I LOOK FORWARD TO IT … Nate Bachman (MBA ’61), another Darden graduate a year ahead of
us, mentioned that John Forbes was at his reunion last year and hopefully that will be true of ours. He ended his e-mail with these words of wisdom: “Stay well … (513) 321-1748.” I talked with Joyce Rapp last night and passed on the class’s condolences to her on Wilbur’s death in August. She is a wonderful lady. She might join us next year in Charlottesville. Darden should have a longer article on him.
1963 HUGH CAMPBELL RECEIVED A 2011 HIGHPERFORMANCE AWARD FOR CLASS AGENTS. Frank M. Sands Sr. is featured in “New Members Elected to Darden School Foundation Board” on page 5. ROBERT GAINES RGAINES@SNET.NET
Remember to save the dates: 26–28 April 2013 for our 50th Reunion! It is reassuring that many of us are alive and well, can receive and send emails and still use the phone. Thanks to all who responded to the appeal for class notes. John Wright e-mailed a response. The health and money are holding out so we continue on: “Not a lot to report but to ensure your inbox is not empty, here is our report. We have received an invitation to watch a football game in Darden’s new Darden Society suite. We have requested U.Va. versus Virginia Tech and are awaiting our journey to see the world. We’re in Egypt for the revolution, Turkey for two weeks traveling the country by bus, Slovenia (a beautiful country we strongly recommend) and Puerto Vallarta in a smashing seaside home on the Bay of Banderes with our daughter and son-in-law. After football season we have plans to visit Chile, Argentina and Brazil to close out the year. “Thanks to thoughtful Lee Forker. I will soon join him to visit Dr. Forbes at his home. Lee was host last year at a wonderful 100 years birthday celebration. Dr. Forbes asked that Lee start saving his money for the 105 party, so mark your calendars! Week after next I plan to see Courtney Mauzy, so I will send you news from the mountains of North Carolina.” Carter Fox e-mailed: “On July 25, Carol and I and our daughter, Lucy, and her husband, Paul, visited Michael Boemers in his chateau in Bordeaux. Michael showed us around the winery and then joined us for dinner at our hotel. It was great to see him again after so long.” Received a wonderful phone call from Zeke Knight, who says that even after 16 years with his wife, Ellen, each day always seems like nirvana. They have four children and nine grandchildren, the oldest of whom is 27. His kids are all entrepreneurs living in Tahiti, Hawaii, Honolulu and northern California. It sounds like Zeke has his vacation destinations all set. Zeke and Ellen like hiking. They recommend Bryce Canyon, the north rim of the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. He points out that there are incredible mountains, deserts and
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
33
CLASS NOTES plains out west that many people never get to enjoy. The Knights have a small home on a lake in Massachusetts for fishing, rowing and sailing, and Zeke wants to build a 10-foot pram for the grandkids. Hobbies: Zeke has started turning wood and makes bowls out of monkey pod, cedar and mahogany. His recommended reading: Moloka’i about Father Damien, who was just made a saint and who was a priest on Moloka’i, which was a leper colony. Zeke says fortunately his health is excellent, but he can’t climb up or down the really steep hills anymore. New in the last 10 years is a little acrophobia. Not bad for a 75-year-old. He will be back for our 50th Reunion, 26–28 April 2013. Wally McDowell called and said that he is retired from the Prospect Group, which placed equity, and is now managing private investments. He and his wife, Annie, spend time on Spring Island, S.C., outside of Savannah, and in Prouts Neck, Maine, about 20 miles southeast of Portland on a point of land that was the home of Homer Windsor. They also have a home in Greenwich, Conn., which I guess is a stopping point on the way back and forth between Maine and South Carolina. They have three daughters, two of whom are twins, one day apart, who live in San Francisco and northern Virginia, and they have four grandchildren. Wally said his investment philosophy is “barbell style.” That means municipal bonds on one side and hedge funds on the other. He is hoping the state of Connecticut doesn’t default. In discussing the recent hurricane, Irene, he said that they lost a few trees in Greenwich but didn’t lose power (75 percent of the county had no power for up to five days), not much damage in Maine but that Hugo did much more damage in Connecticut, uprooting trees and destroying 65 percent of Charleston not far from Prouts Neck. Quail shooting is Wally’s hobby, and he spends a month each year following the pointers either on horseback or on foot. He says he could well make the 50th Reunion. I received the following from Richard Shenk: “Bob. Thank you for the effort. I have five grandchildren from my three sons, two of whom are writers, David and Joshua, and one is a documentary filmmaker. I live in Aspen with my wife, Betty Ann. In 2008, I crashed my plane and have been a paraplegic since. I still work out on my tricycle and on sit skis and continue with my photography. I hope this is enough!” Great to hear from you, Richard! From Clyde Ratcliff: “Attached is a letter that I mailed to you more than years ago. Nothing significant has changed — which is good news for someone our age”: “After Darden, I went with IBM in Richmond (along with Bob Cross and Rob Jordan) for fiveplus years, and after that to Universal Leaf Tobacco Co. (now Universal Corp.) until 1993, retiring as director of corporate planning. “Carolyn and I then built a home (where we previously had had a cottage) on the water in 34 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
the Northern Neck of Virginia (that land between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers). In retirement, I became interested in genealogy, printed up some calling cards and began to do family research for others. We both have been lucky health-wise, and play tennis on a regular basis. “Happily, my life is my family. Carolyn and I will celebrate No. 50 next year [2010]. We have two married daughters (one born while we were in Charlottesville) and five grandchildren — four girls and a boy, ranging in age from 10 to 15. We very much enjoy seeing and traveling with them as a group and also with the grandchildren on separate trips each summer through Elderhostel’s Intergenerational program. “Even without my learned MBA skills (discounted cash flow and all), it is easily determined that time-shares are not usually economically justified. However, on a lark, in 2000 while in Marco Island, Fla. (below Naples), we bought two weeks and have since added four more weeks. We much enjoy spending February and part of March there. So it has been a good return on investment. “The Northern Neck is not a retirement community as such, but an area that attracts retired people. Carol and Carter Fox live nearby, and we enjoy seeing them here on a regular basis (along with visiting them at their Richmond, Sarasota and France homes). Carter retired several years ago as CEO of Chesapeake Corporation. See Hunter Thompson occasionally. He is married to a delightful girl named Nell (from this area), and is still ‘at it’ in Richmond as a very successful money manager. “While in Charlottesville several years ago, I visited Monroe Hall, which now houses U.Va.’s undergraduate Commerce School — a nostalgic step into the past. Do you still get dreams about doing spreadsheets by hand? Wonder what happened to my slide rule?” John Wright reported that he recently attended a deceased friend’s wake in Charlotte, N.C., and Courtney Mauzy was there. He looks fit and trim and loves living in the mountains of North Carolina. He even has a picture of the view from his house on his business card. Next week he and Bo will travel to Breckenridge, Colo., for the ski season but his first challenge will be a two-week mountain hike with family members. We compared tractors. On his North Carolina tree farm he has a John Deere 360-radius-turn mower which came with an official John Deere baseball hat. My mower is also a 360 radius turn but a lowly Troy-Bilt model. We may be the only class members who look forward to cutting the grass! We each have big tractors, too. Lucky for me, my big one is a 55 HP New Holland, which dwarfs his 35 HP Kubota.” Steve Bachand called and you will all be glad to hear he is alive and well but feels chastised in front of all his classmates by our call for class notes using him as an example. Part of that goes with being alphabetically first in our class.
Steve and Phyllis spend their summers in Bridgeton, Maine, in the Lake District near the New Hampshire border in western Maine. True snowbirds, they spend the winter in Ponte Vedra, Fla., near Jacksonville on the east coast. They have three daughters and five granddaughters. Retired now but still on several corporate and two nonprofit boards, Steve spent the last eight years of his career in Toronto helping solve problems for Canadian Tire, a retailer of hardware, auto parts and sporting goods. He retired in 2001. Steve has been in touch with Curt Scribner and talked recently with Al Perini. The good news is that the Bachands are definitely planning on being at our 50th Reunion, 26–28 April 2013. A final note from your secretary: Marjorie and I are happy to announce the addition of our first grandchild from our daughter Elizabeth (U.Va. ’03), Catherine Loring Cardone. We have a ways to go to catch up to Zeke and Clyde. Elizabeth is finishing her residency in dermatology and is seeking private practice in the greater New York area. Our son Robert is building a career in the hospitality industry and is a manager at the Omni hotel in Austin, Texas.
1964 DICK TATLOW DICKTATLOW@ME.COM
David Walentas and wife, Jane, are very busy and generous — no surprise, as they have always been. Back in 1984 they bought a run-down 1922 carousel from Idora Amusement Park in Youngstown, Ohio, shipped it to Brooklyn, and started a 25-year renovation. This September they donated it to the Brooklyn Bridge Park valued at $15 million. This unbelievable treasure is housed in a spectacular building in the park on the East River. I cannot do this project justice as I write for our notes but urge folks to check the website (www.JanesCarousel.org). Jane is the artist while David was the developer of the park back in 1983. M.E. Costello responded to my call for notes saying he was still working and fly-fishing with his wife in Jackson Hole. There are a lot worse places to spend quality time than looking at the Teton Mountains and waiting for a rainbow trout. John Porter sends his best to everyone. Brad Lindsey and I had a good catch up emailing each other this past summer. Brad and his wife, Julie, have their two oldest grandchildren in college (my favorite — where does the time go). Three of his grandkids are accomplished dancers and competed in a national contest in Austin, Texas, where their daughter lives. I have a son living in Austin as well — a really great town if you have not been there. After attending Julie’s 50th college reunion, Brad reports honing his golf skills for our next reunion. Our life has been busy. Between trips to
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
Austin and Denver to see kids and grandkids, we have been to Cornell to celebrate my 50th reunion, to Pasadena to catch Pat’s 50th high school reunion, and to Canada to ride the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver through the Canadian Rockies for 12 days (that is some experience — and recommended). We had a hiccup this summer when our granddaughter in Denver (8 years old) had heart surgery. The surgery was pronounced successful, and three hours later she flatlined. Thanks to an alert nurse who saved her life, she was brought back (on a machine for a few days). The details are too long for these notes. I trust everyone had a great summer. I hope to hear from more of you at our next submission, probably in March. Thanks to the folks above.
1965 TOM CORDLE RECEIVED A 2011 HIGHPERFORMANCE AWARD FOR CLASS AGENTS AND THE HIGHEST NON-REUNION DARDEN ANNUAL FUND PARTICIPATION AWARD (61%). FRANK ELLETT FTELLETT@VIRGINIATRUCKCENTER.COM
News was nonexistent as the deadline for this issue approached. But thank goodness several of you replied to my frantic e-mail updates on your activities. Had Talbot of New York City alligator fame was the first to reply. “In September 2010, I was accepted as a GreenFaith Fellow in the Class of 2011. (See www.greenfaith.org.) The GreenFaith Fellowship Program is a ‘comprehensive education and training program to prepare lay and ordained leaders from diverse religious backgrounds for environmental leadership.’ The program includes three residential four-day retreats, numerous webinars, extensive reading and four papers ranging from 500 words to 2,000 words. We focus on ‘eco-theology,’ the ‘greening’ of religious institutions, environmental advocacy and environmental justice. I feel a bit like I am back at Darden, but for the subject matter! “My class, the fifth that GreenFaith has nurtured, is composed of 25 members. About a dozen of us are Christians of all denominations, including a few clergy, about a dozen of us are Jews of all varieties, including three rabbis, and we are the first class of fellows to have two very bright and engaging Muslims. It has proved to be a most interesting and stimulating group — particularly at the retreats. I am currently doing the reading and writing for our third retreat in mid-November, which will be in Newark and focus on environmental justice. We will also meet and learn about the Class of 2012, which is also about 25 and equally diverse. GreenFaith will soon begin its recruiting for the Class of 2013. Any takers?” Ron Wagner and Gordon Sidford both replied and promised news for the next issue. Gordon is still working hard in the commercial mortgage business.
Henry Dodge wrote that his over-50 seniors tennis team won the state tennis championship and was recognized as the “Team of the Year” in Mississippi. He opines that “It doesn’t get harder every year — it gets harder every shot.” He has just begun a $6.3 million fundraiser for the Elvis Presley Foundation to add venues to the birthplace grounds. It’s already the largest tourist attraction in Mississippi. He has raised $3.7 million so far. Peter Glover is still working for Commonwealth Engineering, soliciting engineering work for them at northeast refineries. He is active in church work and on the executive committee of the Republican Party of Delaware’s Sussex County. He and Betsy enjoy their six grandchildren. He comments, “You don’t grow old if you stay busy.” Walter Witschey sent the following: “The book I’ve just completed, with my colleague Cliff Brown of Florida Atlantic University, is called Historical Dictionary of Ancient Mesoamerica and is being published next year by Scarecrow Press as part of one of their series. We prepared about 1,000 entries covering the land of the Aztecs, Toltecs, Teotihuacanos and, of course, the Maya. “My oldest granddaughter just got her driver’s license, and New Orleans is now under yet another threat. Thanks to double cataract surgery, I can see again. Fall classes at Longwood University are terrific — I teach ‘Introduction to Anthropology’ to 45 students and ‘Introduction to Geographic Information Systems’ to a lab class of 15. Another two years and my students will be the age of my grandchildren.” Since there will not be another issue before the holidays, Lucy and I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous and healthy New Year.— Frank
1966 SEND TO DARDEN ALUMNI RELATIONS: WOODS@DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU
Richard Hutchinson writes, “I spent a long weekend in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the end of September. A good friend and old racing competitor has a second home there. Merle and I traveled to Santa Fe regularly some years ago, and I always enjoy being there. My friend and I spent quite a bit of time at the Santa Fe Concorso, which is a high end collectors’ car show. There were 100 wonderful old cars and motorcycles on display. The facility, food and drink were all first class as well. I had the opportunity to chat with Stirling Moss, Bob Bondurant, Al Unser Sr. and Denise McCluggage. All are titans of a bygone racing era — I still have motor oil in my veins.” Herb and Susan Crowder are now living year round in Vero Beach and are looking forward to seeing classmates there. With sadness we recognize the passing of Beverley Wilkes “Booty” Armstrong who died 1 June 2011, after a lengthy battle with cancer. In the dedication of the Armstrong Center
for Alumni Career Services, Dean Bob Bruner reflected on Booty’s many contributions to the School: “How wonderful to have this occasion to publicly acknowledge the tremendous contributions that Booty Armstrong has made to Darden. Alumni Career Services is just one of the many ways he has influenced this Institution. He served on the board of trustees from 1998-2007, chairing the Finance/Audit Committee and serving as vice chair. Professional and passionate, Booty always came with a purpose and always seemed to spark action. He has been a mentor, a leader and a friend to many here at Darden. He has inspired many, so it is fitting that Alumni Career Services now carries his name. This honor … will remind us of the role model that Booty is as the center carries out its mission to assist Darden alumni with career management issues throughout their lives.”
1967 • Reunion 2012 BRUCE JOLLY RECEIVED A 2011 HIGHPERFORMANCE AWARD FOR CLASS AGENTS. JIM CAPPIO JCAPPIO@HOTMAIL.COM
Greetings from South Carolina! Let me start with news of our 45th Reunion. It is just around the corner on 27–29 April 2012; plan to join us back on Grounds this spring. Bruce Jolly, Charlie Foster and I are planning a memorable weekend. Darden’s expecting more than 600 alumni back on Grounds, so think about booking your hotel reservations soon. We’ve selected the Inn at Darden (formerly Sponsors Executive Residence Center) as our hotel of choice. Call +1-434-243-5000 to make your reservation early and ask for the reunion block. So that you may plan accordingly, the reunion program will begin at noon on Friday and continue through Sunday breakfast. And speaking of Charlie, here is a note from Free Union Road: “It is discord as usual in the People’s Republic of Charlottesville over a range of growth and transportation issues. Lawsuits and rabble-rousing are constant. The best new bumper sticker comes from out here in Free Union: people have put the FU English oval decal on their pickup trucks and Volvos. As for the spasms of Congressional theatrics surrounding our fiscal state nationally — bring back James Madison — we are bereft of civil discourse. And anybody who doesn’t agree with me is a moron, a fool and a blithering idiot.” Well said! And a long missive message from Rich Reibman: “My travels this year included helping a friend sail his Tayana 56 from Ft. Lauderdale to Norfolk. Our intended destination was New England, but in a storm just off Cape Hatteras we lost our steering cable and had to rig an emergency tiller. “Also traveled to Southwest France where Joan and I rented a drive-it-yourself barge to cruise the Canal du Midi. We had tons of fun moving 6 mph on the canal with vineyards on each side. The only catch was the 42 locks we had to go through. This meant lots of scram-
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
35
CLASS NOTES bling and line tossing, resulting in Joan referring to this as ‘Barge Bootcamp.’ We then went to Munich to pick up a BMW on European Delivery (save 7 percent off U.S. list price and you get two tickets on Lufthansa for the price of one. How could a Darden MBA refuse?). This became a sociological adventure as you do not just ‘pick up your car.’ You spend most of a day at BMW World touring the factory, touring the museum and getting checked out on a driving simulator before you are allowed to hit the Autobahn. We then took the car (at speeds exceeding 100 mph, of course) to Friedrichshafen, Germany, where zeppelins are built. Yes, they still make them, only they have nonflammable helium inside instead of hydrogen. We took a ride over Lake Constance (bordered by Switzerland, Austria and Germany) on the zeppelin, which will join the Goodyear fleet in the United States. This is the way to sightsee. Moving about 80 mph at 1,000 feet with little sound or vibration. “State of the Economy: I well recall that Stewart Sheppard often said that Keynesian Economics was good for getting out of a recession/depression by engaging in deficit spending; but that the flip side (running surpluses during good times) was a political impossibility as Congress would always spend the money rather than run a surplus. This is what has happened over the past 50 or more years, and we now find ourselves with such a large deficit and debt that we cannot increase spending at this time and may be trapped in a slow growth/ no growth economy. I also find it scary that 50 percent of those filing tax returns pay NO INCOME TAX but seem to think that the top 3 percent, who pay 50 percent of taxes collected, should pay more. I wonder if the recent debacle over raising the debt limit is the result of a polarization of those who pay no or little taxes but want an expansion of government services versus those who pay significant taxes and are concerned about government being an inefficient and wasteful provider of services. This could be quite a struggle and produce class warfare for perhaps the first time in our country’s history. On the bright side, when I look at my children and grandchildren, who are all wonderful, intelligent and hardworking (as I believe many young people are), I think things will get worked out in a good manner. Gee, I think I sound like an old codger!” Vic Bell writes to say that he and Jean went on a 10-day trip to Turkey in late June and early July. The trip was sponsored by an Atlanta organization: The Istanbul Center in cooperation with the Turkish American Chamber of Commerce of the Southeast. (He has also been invited to serve as a member of their advisory board.) It was a chamber of commerce type of trip and there were representatives of Georgia and local government agencies, academicians, businesspeople — in all a broad cross section of the population. They visited with a number of Turkish government agencies, some four to five universities, and got in some sightseeing as 36 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
well. Covered Istanbul, Ephesus, Ankara, Konya and the Cappadocia region. His independent investment consulting business continues to grow and do well. CAPTRUST now represents some $60 billion of assets and has about 700 institutional clients as well as a substantial high net worth division. I only wish I had known the firm earlier!! Tom Elgar and Martha are enjoying semiretirement in Marietta, Ga. Tom plays tennis three to four times per week, volunteers with the Kdz2leaders organization, which works with kids with parents who are in jail, and does consulting work on a part-time basis. Martha maintains multiple gardens and volunteers at an adult day-care facility. They both enjoy traveling and taking care of their three grandkids that live near them. They are looking forward to their fourth grandchild who will be coming in mid-February. Finally, I heard from both Rich Globman and John Piper. They are both planning on coming to our 45th Reunion. As Rich put it, “No conflicts with a NASCAR race in Martinsville or a softball tournament. I just need to find a way to iron out the wrinkles in my face.” Hope to see you at our reunion also.
1968 GREG KILDUFF HGKILDUFF@GMAIL.COM
Not long ago an interesting note from Cliff Miller showed up in my e-mail which, in addition to providing a new e-mail address, offered a quick account of his past 10 years running the family farm, Mount Vernon, in Sperryville, Va. This property has been in Cliff’s family for 184 years, six generations by his count. At the moment, he is raising grass-fed beef and lamb as well as pastured pork. Not only that, but recently they have opened The Inn at Mount Vernon Farm, a very attractive-looking bed and breakfast, on the property. The farm property is about an hour north of Charlottesville and perhaps an hour and a half from D.C. According to Cliff, the whole project “honors our heritage and the grand old home” while “offering the wonderful modern amenities to which members of our distinguished Class of 1968 have become accustomed.” I suppose we can accept the “distinguished” label without further examination, but to get a sense of both the beauty of the farm and the accommodations, there are two excellent websites to visit: www.mountvernonfarm.net and www. theinnatmountvernonfarm.com Congratulations, Cliff, and very good wishes for success with the farm and the B&B. Robert Knight checked in from Austin with the report that he and his wife recently returned from a trip to South Africa in celebration of their 40th wedding anniversary. Incidentally they swapped the worst summer heat wave Texas has had in years for “winter in South Africa (where) there is a vineyard on
almost every corner.” Of course, the flight from Atlanta was 17 uninterrupted hours in the air, but it was worth it. Robert continues to operate Knight Real Estate in Austin and has recently added his son to the business. He says that he’ll “probably never hang ’em up completely” since his son has now joined “the family sweatshop, and my wife won’t let me hang around the house.” No doubt there’s a bit of exaggeration in there somewhere, but a 40th anniversary deserves recognition, so congratulations to you both. It appears Herb Karg and his wife suddenly find themselves in the grandparent business, with the August 30 birth of son Ryan and his wife Sara’s twins, identified as Princess Elizabeth and Prince William. In addition, the Kargs’ daughter Lauren is planning to add another grandchild to the roster late in January. Herb says that grandmother is busy shopping while he is adjusting travel plans. These things happen, but congratulations on each of the new grandchildren and thanks for keeping us up to date. On a less pleasant note, David Wicks sent a quick note from a heart rehab facility, where he is recovering from a heart mitral valve repair accomplished on September 13. His note came in less than a week after the procedure, and he was already considering a bit more time with his granddaughters as compensation for the disruption of travel plans over the next few months. Best wishes for a quick recovery. On the Googan Bunn front, daughter Grace, who was gracious enough to attend part of our last class reunion, has already completed her work at U.Va. and graduated last May. Congratulations, Grace, and to your dad as well, although I don’t suppose he did much of the work. Please feel free to attend the next Class of 1968 Darden reunion, which will be coming up before too long. Beirne Shuffle sent in a message from Saratoga, Calif., where he has been working in residential real estate for the past several years and his wife, Cynthia, has just completed 30 years with 3M. The family is thriving; Elliott, the older son, is doing lighting, sound and eventstaging design, while their younger son, Eric, is currently in Denver working on a master’s in biomedical science at Regis University. He’s hoping to enter medical school next fall. Beirne had one final note on which I need some help. He closed with this remark: “We made news a couple of weeks ago when the Giants sportscasters poked fun at us on national TV sitting at a Giants baseball game here in San Francisco. There’s a clip on YouTube.” I tried, but I could not find that YouTube item. Of course our children, and more especially our grandchildren, would not find that remarkable; on the off chance, of course, that one of you is a more diligent fan of YouTube than I, please send me the appropriate web address if you find it. I’ll share it with the group next time. Things are going well in Smithfield; Hurricane Irene knocked down a couple of trees, but
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
ily to Africa for a two-week safari. Everyone in the family over 12 got to go, and we visited Kenya and Tanzania, and it proved to be a great experience for all. In late July, Anne and I did a 10-day cruise in the Greek Isles, sailing from Athens to Istanbul. In January, we head for South America for a two-week cruise around Cape Horn. If you haven’t figured it out by now, Anne is in the travel business and always has her bags packed and ready to go; I tag along and tote the luggage. —George Youmans Kent LaVine (MBA ’69) and family
they only blocked the drive for a few hours. We were in St. Louis over the July Fourth weekend for the wedding of one of Jane’s nephews, and one of my nephews will be married in Seattle in mid-October; otherwise, we’ve done no traveling this year. Remember you’re all welcome to call or stop in when you find yourselves near Smithfield; we still have the B&B space, even if it’s not open to the public, and the beer is generally cold. We have changed Internet providers recently and with the change I’ve updated my e-mail address to hgkilduff@gmail.com
1969 GEORGE YOUMANS GYOU1460@HOTMAIL.COM BILL PARHAM WMPARHAM@AOL.COM
Bill Hawfield writes that he is doing a lot of board work. He and his partner are in the final stages of completing a book with the exciting title of The Professional Advisory Board … Using Outside Wisdom to Build Extraordinary Transferable Value. He is enjoying speaking to business owners on success and visual planning. For recreation, mountain biking in California and chasing grandchildren … both are good exercise! Connie and Chip Lacy are almost retired. Chip is still involved in some for-profit and nonprofit boards. The goal is to be finished with all of the for-profit boards by Chip’s 70th birthday. Connie is very happy with all her grandchildren (six), but is particularly enjoying her newest grandgirl, Dylan. This winter they will be in Key West for New Year’s and in Cancun (Isla Mujeres) for part of February! Angie Orfanedes writes, “In May, Karol and I went on a cruise of the western Med with friends from our neighborhood. Started in Athens for two days — we got great service in the restaurants when I used my Greek. From there we went to several other stops in Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Turkey. Besides Athens, our favorites were Rhodes, Greece; Capernaum and Jerusalem in Israel; Knossos on Crete (Greece); and Ephesus in Turkey. But my absolute favorite was getting back home.” Finally, Anne and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary on June 23 by taking our fam-
1970 Paul Hamaguchi is pictured in “Did You Know?” on page 14. JACK YOUNG PJYOUNG2@VERIZON.NET
Just a few words this issue. I promise to do better next time. Since 1999, Louie Bissette has been president of McGuire, Wood & Bissette, which is the oldest law firm in Asheville, N.C. He was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Lawyers in America® 2012. Best Lawyers conducts exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of leading lawyers evaluate their professional peers. Louie was selected for his work in the fields of Administrative/Regulatory Law, Commercial Litigation, and Land Use and Zoning Law. He currently serves on the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and is the vice chairman of the Wake Forest University Board of Trustees (an opportunity to trade tips with life trustee Arnold Palmer at board meetings!). Congratulations, Louie! The Darden School Scholarship Committee has done it again! It seems that every year they find a most deserving recipient for our class Everard Meade Scholarship for Creative Leadership and Management. This year’s award goes to Ryal Tayloe. Ryal is a graduate of the University of North Carolina with work experience in D.C. as an associate director of sales for the corporate executive board and an account executive for corporate sales at the Vovici Corporation. He is the first Darden intern ever to work as a summer principal for the Parthenon Group, a Bostonbased corporate strategy, private equity and education management consulting organization. Good luck in the future, Ryal. The Jack Young (does anybody know the whereabouts of Roger Young?) family had a very busy summer with wonderful visits to and with grandchildren in D.C., Virginia Beach, Colorado and Doylestown. Paula continues to substitute teach with special needs children. I teach ESL and work (volunteer) with an organization dealing with victims of sexual assault, locally with marketing at a thrift shop and at the state level with legislation affecting victims of crime. We’re off to the United Kingdom for Christmas with Margaret’s family and visiting with old friends from our time in Wales.
Any cards or e-mail messages received during the holiday season about YOU will be greatly appreciated and reported in the next issue!
1971 HUGH EWING RECEIVED A 2011 HIGHPERFORMANCE AWARD FOR CLASS AGENTS. JAY M. MCDONALD JAY.MCDONALD@MINDSPRING.COM
Paul Rosensteel reports that he is still employed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a supervisory analyst in Winchester, Va. He’s spending more and more time traveling to/from his beach house at Nag’s Head and spoiling his two beautiful granddaughters who live with his son and his wife in Madison, Wis. Great fun to have teams in both ACC and Big Ten to root for!! The Jerry McKenna clan gathered at his house in Phoenix the last weekend in August for Pat’s birthday. The temperature was around 110 degrees, and the pool was a big hit with the kids. The best news is they are expecting their fourth granddaughter in December. He and Pat said it was great to see everyone at the reunion. Steve Hansel and his son continue to outmaneuver the market with their investment company, Eclectic Investments. Both Tom Duke and George Logan are giving back by teaching at Darden. The current crop of students is lucky to gain from their experiences and expertise. Nick Ceppi continues to grow his firm, One Brain Marketing (www.onebrainmarketing.com), which consistently helps businesses grow and build brands through the strategic experience of Nick and his partner’s more than 30 years of successful marketing for leading companies throughout the world. Terry O’Neill rooted the Billings, Mont., little league team into the College World Series! John Pollack’s sports car rental business (www.sportscarrentals.com) continues to prosper in Charlottesville. Eric Chaffin continues to influence young lives positively at Woodberry Forest. Vistage International, the world’s leading organization for CEO coaching and training, recently announced the selection of Jay McDonald to lead a new peer advisory group for Atlanta CEOs. Templeton Elliott serves on the board of Forsyth Jail and Prison Ministries, and he has been mentoring inmates and constructing a shower stall trailer that will be used by a disaster relief agency. John Wiggins, 46, an inmate at the Forsyth Correctional Center commented on his mentor, Temp: “For months now, I have been listening to this elder statesman, and he has been teaching me, through his actions and words, how to be a man.” Wiggins, who will be released January 27 after serving 20 years, went on to say, “He has taught me how to live and function in society.” Great work giving back to society, Temp!
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
37
CLASS NOTES David Baltimore recently retired and is living in Charlottesville doing all of the things he didn’t have time to do over the past 10 years. His son Scott married Feliz in July 2010 in Antalya, Turkey. They are living in Istanbul and plan to relocate to the United States next year. Please join the Darden Class of 1971 group on Facebook.
1972 • Reunion 2012 CLINT BOLTE CBOLTE3@COMCAST.NET EARL FERGUSON EFERGUSON@ARTCRAFTMANAGEMENT.COM
David Beatty reports, “Earl Ferguson and I worked together on financing two apartment complexes Earl had developed and sold in the Norfolk, Va., area.” In addition, David has been elected to the board of directors of MHI Hospitality, a public hotel REIT (Symbol: MDH). Earl Ferguson says, “As I have done the past two years, I’ve reactivated my love of the musical theater. This December I’ll be appearing as one of the leads in a local production of How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. (How appropriate for a Darden graduate?) Rehearsals have already begun — I’m having a blast!!! Linda and I will be at the reunion in April. Looking forward to seeing the gray (and bald) heads!!” Cliff Hattaway will be playing in the Tennessee Senior Olympics in April. He competes in tennis, table tennis, pickle ball, and track and field events. Artie Johnson tells us, “I retired almost two years ago from a company I helped start and am now teaching marketing courses at Vanderbilt. Since our 35th Reunion, we have a second grandchild, Chase, age 2, along with Amy, who just started kindergarten. This past summer I attended a program for Civil War buffs at my undergraduate alma mater, Gettysburg College, and last April, Nancy and I added a male Corgi puppy to our family and are in the process of training him (us?). Hope to see everyone next April.” Larry Kilgallon writes, “I was cruising toward a well-deserved retirement (my feelings perhaps not others), when ’08 and ’09 told me to rethink that proposition. My wife and I are all set to rock the years away in Lake Toxaway, N.C., and Sea Island, Ga. Buy your grandchildren Etch-a-Sketch and help us on our way.” Jim Murray says, “Frida and I are about to celebrate 13 years of retirement. Our health is excellent, and we haven’t run out of money yet, so life is good. Over the past 10 years we have moved from Atlanta to Hilton Head and back to Atlanta (actually Dawsonville, in a golf community on Lake Lanier 50 miles north of Atlanta) again to be near two of our three daughters and four grandkids. Our youngest daughter and her husband and two children live in Castle Rock, a few miles south of Denver. Other than spending quality time with our kids, their children and their husbands, we enjoy gardening (together), boating (together) and golf (me). We also try to 38 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
take at least one interesting trip each year. Recently, we’ve been to Europe a number of times (Holland and France, most often), Ecuador and the Galapagos, and Southeast Asia (Vietnam and Cambodia most recently). We look forward to the reunion next year, hoping that the functions are not too dressy. I haven’t worn a tie since 2006.” Ned Haley writes, “Fricka and I moved into our newly renovated house (c. 1927) in Church Hill a couple of days before the earthquake hit our area, and just before the final renovations were to be completed. Fortunately for us, there was no damage. Four days later, Hurricane Irene came through, knocking down a large red oak that took out part of the roof and one dormer, one chimney, and the entire two-level front porch. Most importantly, no one was hurt, and repairs should be completed before the holidays. This has also been a year of health-related issues, but hopefully those are mostly behind us. We’re looking forward to a more relaxed year in 2012, along with some much anticipated traveling!” Doug and Joan Smith just moved after 40 years in New Jersey and working in the financial world to a newly built house in the Myers Park section of Charlotte, N.C. Any and all welcome at any time! We look forward to seeing you back on Darden Grounds in April as we celebrate our 40th Reunion. Hard to believe it’s been that long! Clint Bolte, Earl Ferguson and David Beatty make up our reunion committee. Please let us know if you’d like to be involved — the more, the merrier. Consider booking your hotel soon at The Inn at Darden (formerly Sponsors Hall) before they book up: 27–29 April 2012.
1973 HOWARD WILKINSON HPANDCW@YAHOO.COM
News from our class is pretty slim for this issue. I did hear from Jim Brennan recently for the first time in a long time. Jim reports that after spending some 20 years in Atlanta as a stockbroker, he moved to Chattanooga and founded a venture capital firm — Broad Street Ventures — that specializes in biotech, biopharma, agbio and medical devices and diagnostics. He says that this has been much more interesting than peddling stocks. Like most of us, he has also raised kids who are now grown with a 30-year-old son in Chattanooga and a 25-yearold daughter in D.C. Jim is looking forward to seeing as many of us as possible at our 40th Reunion in 2013.
1974 MIKE MAYER MIKE.MAYER@COX.NET
Those of you who have current e-mail addresses on file will occasionally receive interesting updates and other correspondence from Darden and from classmates. For the benefit of those
whose addresses are not current, I want to mention a recent note from Bruce Carmichael. Bruce was responding to a posting from Bob Wanke on the joys of aging. Bruce commented, “I’m very much alive and well in the land down under — have been married for the past 22 years to Robbie and have a daughter (Camilla, aged 20) and a son (Hamish, aged 17). I have an office in Sydney’s CBD and manage share investments, which in this part of the world is now very exciting. There are definite plans now to attend our 40th Reunion — catching up with you all is now long overdue. My e-mail address has changed to bc@ carstate.com.au, so please change your records accordingly. If any of you are thinking of visiting Sydney, I would certainly like to see you here.” As a reminder, please keep Darden and me advised of changes in your e-mail address, not to mention other address changes, so we can keep you current on the school and the class. While on the subject, I need to mention that a few of you have tried to connect with me via LinkedIn, which has not been successful. Somehow, LinkedIn has crossed my address with my wife’s and I haven’t been able to unscramble things. I’m still working on it, and hope to get it fixed soon. Bob Lawson has abandoned retirement. In May, he joined Asheboro Elastics Corp. (AEC) as president. AEC is a privately held narrow fabrics manufacturer headquartered in Asheboro, N.C., with manufacturing plants in Asheboro and Central America. Bob writes, “After a few months, it is still fun, and I expect to be in Asheboro, N.C., for quite some time. Charlotte and I still have our home in Charleston, S.C., but spend most of the work week up here. If any one of our class gets to Asheboro, N.C., I would love to see them and catch up. Dave Johnson was here last weekend, and we saw North Carolina beat our beloved Cavaliers.” Tony Hobson has exchanged food for vacuum cleaners. He was in the process of merging Northern Foods PLC with Greencore PLC (its Irish competitor) when the merger was rudely interrupted by a cash offer for Northern by an Indian entrepreneur. The shareholders preferred cash today over jam tomorrow. He has now joined the board of Sir James Dyson, the British entrepreneur famous for his vacuum cleaners, fans and hand dryers. Tony remains chairman of The Sage Group (the FTSE 100 software business) and Changing Faces (the leading U.K. disfigurement charity). Lord Fellowes, the writer of Downtown Abbey (a winner in the recent Emmy awards), is the charity’s patron. Steve Zimmerly says Howdy from Dallas. Steve, his wife, Jenny, and their son Chris have been running their family business (ZINC) since 1988. ZINC is a marketing services agency providing design, print, production, signage, POP materials, promotional products, web stores and kit packing/distribution etc. from their warehouse to the world. The Zimmerlys find it very satisfying to have pleased clients for
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
many years. If you are heading down Texas way, Steve would love to see you. His office phone is (214) 904-8605 and his e-mail address is steve. zimmerly@zincfirm.com. Mike Santoro writes, “Martha and I have completed our move from New England back to Virginia. We are now living in Chesterfield County outside of Richmond and assimilating to our new surroundings. We are literally about midway between our daughter Mary Catherine and our daughter Anne and her family. It is good to be located close enough to see family more often.” Mike might have added “close to Charlottesville and numerous classmates.” Sandy Boyce has moved to Chicago. He says, “After 25 years of North Shore suburbia, I am now residing on Lake Shore Drive on the north side of Chicago. I’m still selling bonds for William Blair & Company (investment banking firm). Love the city life and am a regular at the symphony, theatres and museums. Fair-weather fan of whichever sports team is winning. Staying reasonably fit by biking and skiing. Still enjoy the horses and headed for the Breeders Cup at Churchill Downs on November 5. “My five children are all headed in different directions. Gwendolyn (Darden Class of 2005) is a brand manager at Heineken’s. Heyward is physical fitness nut in Louisville. Lawrence is trying to break into franchising with Jimmy John’s (sandwiches). Grayson is in university in western Kentucky. Isabel is co-captain of the field hockey team at Garrison Forest School (Maryland), where she is a senior resident student. She invited her Dad in to accompany her to the Maryland Hunt Cup Ball. She ‘ditched’ me for college boys as soon as we arrived.” Bob Pride has been busier than many of us. Bob says, “After spending about 18 months with U.S. Joint Forces Command, I fell victim to the closure of the command. I landed with Delaware Resource Group, a defense contractor, as the distance learning program manager on a USAF training contract. I’m involved with virtualizing the course delivery systems infrastructure, upgrading the learning software systems and looking for ways to provide better service to the Air Force for the same or less cost. Good company and good job — I like it and feel like I am making a difference. “We are transitioning from grandparents to parents, at least for one grandchild. We are adopting our 2-year-old grandson, Che. His father, our youngest son Rob, died last fall. We had been providing most of the care for baby Che and felt very close to him. Rather than let him fall into the randomness of the public system, we chose to adopt. While it is a challenge providing full-time care to a two year-old after over 30 years absence from that role (and over 15 years since we even had teenagers at home), we are glad we have. We know more about Thomas the Train, Sesame Street and Yo Gabba Gabba than current events, but that is not necessarily a bad thing. If any classmates need advice on what 2-year-old boys like, I can help! “Pat and I are healthy, although a bit heavier
and less energetic compared to 1974. We continue to enjoy waterfront living in Poquoson Va., although the constant challenges to that decision in terms of rough weather and the associated flooding are wearing at times. I ride the Harley less each year and think I may give up the Jeep for a real car one of these days. Pat has left the CTS behind for a SUV to tote the baby and related stuff, but she likes it much better than the vans of the 1970s. She does draw the line at minivans: ‘No way,’ she says.” Finally, from San Francisco, Ed Burdette sends word that he plans to continue doing bond deals at Bank of America for a while. Ed has also taken a step toward his next career by planting grapes and 50 olive trees in Sonoma. He’s looking forward to balancing his work at B of A during the week with his work in the vineyards on the weekend. (Probably too soon to ask him to supply the wine for our next reunion.) I hope this 37th year after our Darden (nee GSBA) experience finds us all content with our stations and proud of what we have contributed to the world. The recent top 10 Darden placements should certainly make us all proud of the school’s reputation we helped foster. Thanks to all of you who make my job easy by staying in touch. Even though Deni and I have relocated to northern Florida, the e-mail address is still the same: mike.mayer@cox.net.
1975 MARK HOWELL MARK.HOWELL@PP-S.COM
The Class of 1975 continues to enjoy work, retirement and hobbies, based on recent updates. Ron Eckstam is using his past experience as a buyer with Target stores as well as running his own business to help others. Ron is assisting small business owners in exiting their own businesses effectively. Ron asks the owner(s) lots of questions, brings in experts to advise them and works on family-focused matters to create the transition plan. Ron credits his Darden MBA and his business experience with bringing him to this place in his career. Ron says, “It is a perfect fit”… which goes well with his three kids, two and a half grandkids and wife of 35 years. In July, Jim Farkas and family returned from a Baltic cruise. Jim continues his work as senior project manager for Edgewater-Fullscope. Jim’s focus is on delivering enterprise transformations using Microsoft ERP applications, and business is booming. So much so that the family is already planning their next cruise — to Tahiti next August! Our Virginia resident classmates had an interesting summer with both earthquakes and hurricanes hitting the commonwealth. Ed Hawfield reports that all survived in his household, but they are concerned about the plague or the Rapture, since unusual events seem to be the norm now. But don’t look for Ed to be hunkered down. He is heading for some scuba diving in Bonaire in September.
Our Renaissance man Tom Hudson completed his boat-building project this summer. Tom is not able to disclose much information at this time, but he promises more info at a later date — and hopefully a few pictures. Dave Shein is still busy as ever with his varied teaching and consulting roles. Grinding it out daily, Dave reports. Thanks and be sure to send me any news for the Class of 1975.
1976 DANA QUILLEN DQUILLEN@WINTERGREENRESORT.COM
We are still recuperating from the class reunion this past spring. Sandy Schenck sent in an update. He and his wife, Missy, continue to be the executive directors of the Green River Preserve, a summer camp near Hendersonville, N.C. They love their work and look forward to the day when their children will manage the camp. The camp helps children avoid “nature deficit disorder,” but it is causing Sandy “fly-fishing deficit disorder.” In October, he is off to British Columbia for a salmon-fishing treatment and will follow up with bone fishing therapy in the Caribbean. Sandy also teaches fly-fishing at camp (greenriverpreserve.org), calling it aquatic therapy. It was great to hear from Clark Fitzgerald from Atlanta. He and his wife, Diana, live in Atlanta and have a son, Tommy (senior in high school), and a daughter, Natalie, who is a sophomore. Clark does business law and joined Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice in 2006 after 30 years at another Atlanta firm. He would love to hear from classmates (as would I). Jim Spearman wrote in with questions about the suggested golf tournament. He is in the Northern Virginia area. More to come on the tournament! Based on the interest, we could probably collect a decent group in about four years. So, thanks everyone for sending in your information. Keep it on your mind as you will be hearing from me in six months. Take care. — Dana Q.
1977 • Reunion 2012 PAUL NELSON LPAULNELSON@MINDSPRING.COM OR PNELSON@TALLANTINC.COM
Fall greetings to the Great Class of 1977! Here in beautiful Virginia the leaves are turning, First Year Darden students are churning and football season is underway! And Darden was just ranked the fourth best B-School in the world by The Economist magazine! How about that! So, if you get a chance, it is a great time to visit The School, visit some of your former (note I did not say “old”) professors and get a feel for the incredible energy and catch all the excitement going on there! And if you’re not sure how to facilitate a good trip back, contact Michael Woodfolk or anyone in Alumni Relations and they will make sure you are well received!
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
39
CLASS NOTES Now, looking back a few months, it turns out that many members of our great class had an exciting summer … fun events, family matters and yes … even some business stuff. And talking about exciting life and business changes, Charlie Scarlett writes, “Yes, life is interesting — between the economy and the climate and the grandkids, there’s never a dull moment. In addition to our self-employment coaching business (7 years and counting), Lori and I bought a BrightStar private-duty homecare franchise resale in June (two territories). I didn’t expect to be doing anything like this at 59, but hey, it’s a new challenge and frankly it’s a lot of fun to be back in the business building business. I’ve missed it. We’re learning the ropes, struggling to meet payroll and selling our tails off. We’re awaiting an October closing date on our SBA loan (not a minute too soon) and ramping up for our Joint Commission survey in November. Are we having fun yet? Yes! On the home front, my son Will is a senior at Reed College in Portland, Ore. and Jes is a high school junior in Chicago. Lori’s kids Chris, Ashley and Alex are grown and live here in St. Louis too. We have two grandkids (Lea — 3 and Krew — 2. Lori’s folks also moved in with us last Christmas (fun, but …). Lori and I both love to travel, but thanks to all our current “preoccupations,” that habit is way on the back burner for the foreseeable future. If you ever get to St Louis, please look us up along with Mike DeCola and Scott Harris. Cheers! (Wow Charlie – with all that you have going on there … how did you find the time to even write!?! But I bet all that stuff keeps you young and living large! Good luck with the new business venture … and keep us posted next time!) Updating us from the beautiful Eastern Shore, one of our uniquely skilled MBA/JD classmates, Bruce Armistead tells us that he is … “Still practicing law (primarily real estate and zoning) in the Land of Pleasant Living in Easton on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. To my knowledge, there are no other Darden alums in the immediate area, but would like to know of them if there are any. Spouse (Blenda — UNC and FSU) has retired from managing Talbot County and now serves on numerous boards. Daughter (Corrine) is a junior at Boston College but presently is on semester abroad in Melbourne, Australia. So, while surrounded by Terps, we follow the ACC from north to south.” (Thanks for the update Bruce … sounds like life is good … but personally I still think it was a mistake when the ACC opened the gates to let in the barbarians from the North, Florida and Blacksburg! And now it is going to expand again! Still … I’m sure that it makes for interesting family discussions around football and basketball season in your home!) Talking about celebrating life’s changes in a big way, Sue-Gray Goller may have won the prize as she writes that, “Turning 60 in August was great! I spent July at numerous lunches and dinners, spent two weeks of August at Hilton Head (which was nearly deserted as south40 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
ern schools had opened — what a wonderful beach!), tomorrow I leave for seven nights at Mii Amo in Sedona after another birthday dinner tonight (spa conditioning required), October sees a four night Caribbean cruise and next February a 10 night Caribbean cruise. I can stretch a birthday forever! Meanwhile, life at Citi is full and clients are loyal; life is good. If our stock had not plummeted in ’08 I might have retired, but no such luck.” (Wait a minute Sue-Gray! Based on your travels and exploits it appears that retirement may be boring compared to what you are able to do while still gainfully employed!!! Not sure how you do it … must have been the great time-management skills you picked up at Darden? I guess I missed that class! Good for you! And as they say, you go girl!!) Speaking of Darden School connections, Bob Dykes reports that the circle extends in his family as he pens, “Hi Paul, I had forgotten I had written you last winter concerning my son, Nash’s, graduation from Darden. It is time for a post script. My wife and I did attend the Darden graduation. Imagine my pleasure to find that the 2011 graduates had chosen as their faculty marshalls Robert Landel and Alex Horniman. Following the graduation exercise I had a chance to walk up and greet them. Within moments Dick Brownlee walked up as well and shook my hand. Bill Sihler is another Darden professor known to the Class of 1977 who is still on the Darden faculty. My son took a class with him this year. Still later I flagged down Alan Beckenstein and chatted with him. We talked about our common experiences including my work with him and Landis Gabel in the summer of 1977. Later on I wrote to Landis at Insead in France. Landis is semi-retired, teaching an occasional class for free, and he reports that he just attended his daughter’s wedding earlier in the summer.” (Thanks Bob and congratulations again on Nash’s graduation. And I can’t help but wonder how his experiences with our same professors compared to yours? It looks like some are as revered as ever!) And continuing with Darden family connections … and more, Jesse Crews writes from the West Coast, “Vanessa and I are grandparents now with our new granddaughter, Cedra, a little over 3 months old! I recently left my position as COO of Willis Lease and am doing a lot of consulting work in the equipment leasing and commercial finance space so I am still staying very busy. I had a great time at my annual father/son fishing expedition to the Katmai Wilderness in Alaska and Tom Storrs and his son John joined as well. All the family is healthy and doing great. Vanessa is the director of development for the U.C. Berkeley Botanical Garden, which is not only beautiful but is one of the top rare/endangered species gardens in the world. She is having a major impact on the fundraising and as well as communications effectiveness. This role combines two of her passions, namely gardens and education. Daughter Sarah (also a Darden grad, MBA ’09) just started a new job
in San Francisco as head recruiter for genius engineers for the tech start-up Pocket Gem. I now call her new title “Nerd Ranger”! Oldest son, Brian, is also into tech/tech finance. He has just helped found and raise capital for a new venture debt fund called Waterman Capital and his prospects look very exciting. We are making superb wine in the new cellar under our house and second son, Mikey, is chief wine maker along with youngest son Andy. We will try and bring out some Crews Family Wine for the reunion next year. (Well OK Jesse! You’ve got a lot of really good stuff going on with the Crews family and I know your fellow classmates are all especially interested in doing a bit of homebrew wine-tasting at reunion!!! And congrats to Vanessa too!) Now from the big state of Texas, Lacy Newman offers this great update, “My wife Amy and I live in Dallas with two wonderful girls, ages 16 and 11. (Yes, I got a late start.) We’re doing our best to keep up with them. My oldest had life-defining challenges through a 9-year battle with leukemia but is healthy now, doing well in high school and starting to visit colleges. (The bills increased exponentially since she started driving, so I’m still hard at work.) She is truly a blessing and a gift. My youngest is an accomplished gymnast, dancer and pianist who has her heart set on Broadway … and we seem to just be along for the ride. (When she was 9 she asked, “Dad, with this recession and all, do you think there will even be a Broadway when I grow up?” I was blown away and realized I needed to stop bringing my worries to the dinner table). We spent over a month last summer with her in the Joffrey program in New York and at a classical ballet school in Pennsylvannia. Amy is a Michigan girl I met during a real estate workout stint in Boston. She was with Bank of Boston while I fought the Bank of New England issues for a few years, and she keeps up with friends there better than I. She is now a stay-at-home mom very involved with the girls. I’ve been in the banking and real estate businesses my whole career, initially courting business and then focusing on turnarounds with a well-heeled operator in Dallas who invests in or buys troubled banks. After five years in New York and Boston, I came back to Dallas for a while until he bought a troubled bank in San Francisco. We lived in the Bay Area for nine years and our girls were born there before coming back to Dallas 10 years ago. I was selfemployed in real estate for quite a while after that and was also part owner for three years with my brother-in-law in an airplane sales business. (Now there’s a good case study of a financial guy trying to manage a sales force of accomplished pilots … I was happy just to get my taw back and return to something I knew more about.) At present I’m the credit guy/change agent in a troubled Dallas bank our group recently invested in. Come see us.” (Thanks for the great update Lacy! Your career across functions and states is a real tribute to you … and maybe some of the “general manager” Darden
CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA: Scenic and Cosmopolitan A Great Town in Which to Live VIRGINIA FILM FESTIVAL
Byrd and Jim, with their DARDEN BACKGROUNDS and combined 60 years of working with buyers and sellers, will serve you well!
Jim McVay, Associate Broker
Byrd Abbott, Associate Broker
ABR, CRS, GRI, SRES Founding Dean, Charles Abbott’s Daughter-In-Law Native-Born Charlottesvillian BA Mary Baldwin College, Seattle Pacific (434) 242-9600 byrd@byrdabbott.com
So
Iv
ld
y
Darden ‘76 Dartmouth College ‘74 Since 1978, Darden deans, profs, staff and alums have used Jim for their real estate needs and referred family members and colleagues to him. (434) 962-3420 jhm@jimmcvay.com
Rugby Road Listed and sold this year by Jim.
Owensville Road ∼ $1,095,000 House and 2 BR cottage on 2.4 acres.
From condos to estates or land, have Byrd or Jim be your guide. Searching the possibilities for buyers and creatively helping sellers in all price levels.
Roy Wheeler Realty Co. at Ednam Hall
CLASS NOTES
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
Coming Home to Darden: Phil Knisely (MBA ’78) Reconnects
“A
lthough the competitive environment for top business schools has intensified,” says Phil Knisely, “the core values that made Darden special are still there. I encourage the Class of 1978 to come see the Darden of 2011; you’ll be proud of your degree all over again.” For many years, Knisely’s engagement with Darden was limited to recruiting. He has reconnected in full force and was recently elected vice chair of the Darden School Foundation Board of Trustees. Knisely considers his days at Darden key to his business successes. “Many people talk about their time at Darden being transformational, and I’m no exception,” he explains. “Darden honed my work ethic and appreciation for seeking diverse inputs in building a consensus.” Darden also taught him how to inspire by, he says, focusing “organizations and individuals on what needs to be done, not what you think you can do … It’s not enough to just create a vision of where you are trying to go; you have to empower people to get there.” Of leadership, Knisely declares, “The best leaders I’ve come across all have one thing in common — intellectual curiosity. They know they don’t have all the answers, and their interest in people, businesses and processes makes them lifelong learners.” After more than 30 years in corporate strategy and manufacturing, Knisely retired from a full-time position with Danaher Corporation last year to become a consultant for the company and to work with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice — a leading private equity firm — as chairman of one of its portfolio companies. Knisely, 57, and his wife, Pattie, have been married for 28 years and have three daughters: Anne Marie, Marissa and Kate. The family splits its time between Chicago, Illinois, and Hilton Head, South Carolina. But life isn’t all about work for Knisely. “We just returned from a safari to the Masai Mara in Kenya with our daughters,” he says. “We went for the animals but fell in love with [the] Masai people. Great family trip.”
training? And it sounds like you may well be Broadway-bound!) Also checking in from Dallas, Mike Mische writes to inform us that he is “Still down here in Irving-Groves-III-land, saving (sorry I mean shutting down) the banking system. I have been ascribing to the Administration theory to: “never let a GOOD crisis go to waste.” Volumes and closings are off slightly and the FDIC is preparing and acting (scaling back) like it is over. But 800 banks remain on the bad bank list and almost 200 are on the very bad list. We have closed about 75 banks YTD and expect to close “fewer” for 2012. You can do the math. Are we done yet?? I manage a group of 36 to 39 accountant and item processors supporting the FDIC cash management team for AP, cash receipts, reconciliations and looking for escheated monies failed banks have sent to the states over time. I have been notified that they will execute the second annual extension of the contract until November 2012.” (Mike — it is good to know that at least one Darden person is involved in making things better … and making a living doing it! Congrats on that!) 42 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
As for me, it has been 385 days since my company was acquired by a large, Paris-based international company. They (foolishly!) wanted me to stay on … and it has been, as they say … “interesting.” I thought I had escaped bigcompany activities … but not so much these days! Fortunately, as often as possible, I get to hang with our classmate Ted Gary! Ted and his great three boys are doing very well and occasionally he makes the trip back to Charlottesville to help Frank Genovese (MBA ’74) teach a class at Darden. I also heard from Joanna Miller DeZwart and her husband Pieter. Her news involved sailing excursions in Maine between lots of successful recruiting activities! Congrats again Joanna! So … maybe next year??? I also heard from Greg Reisinger recently. He and his wife Vanessa had a fantastic trip to Africa and came back with some great memories and incredible photos! Greg, you should send some of those pics on to Darden, as they display photos from alums and students in the hallways! And our own Class Agent Mike DeCola continues to provide dedicated service to the school as he serves on the Darden Board
of Trustees. Mike really is a force at the School, and should you wish to know more about ways you can help the School continue its success do not hesitate to give him a call. Thanks Mike for all that you do … for our Class and Darden! Now, unfortunately, I have to pass on some bad news to our class. It is with great sadness that I have to let you know that two of our classmates, George Stradtner Jr. and Steve Sell, have passed away. George died November 13, 2010 and Steve passed away on June 4, 2011. I’m sure many of you have fond memories of these two and if you want to send a note to their families you can contact the Alumni Relations Office and they will be able to help you. I am sorry that you are just getting this sad news now and I will try to forward this type of information through e-mails in a more timely fashion. All of these updates are the reminders that life is precious and short … and that love, family and friendships are to be treasured. I know that our Class of ’77 has been blessed with all of that … and more. As we are about to enter our 35th reunion year (gasp!), I hope all of you will try to make a special effort to venture back to Darden and Charlottesville April 27-29, 2012. So please mark those dates in your calendars now … and you will be hearing more about that incredibly fun event in the very near future! And if you need another reason to attend … rumor has it that Jesse Crews will be bootlegging in some home-grown special wine! Thanks to all of you that contributed to these notes here and I hope to hear from more of you soon … just drop me an e-mail anytime and I will make sure it gets into the Spring Notes. Bon voyage!
1978 Phil Knisely is featured in “New Members Elected to Darden School Foundation Board” on page 5 and in an Alumni Spotlight (this page). ANN WILKERSON ANNWWILKERSON@COMCAST.NET
Yes, it has been 35 years since we were shinyfaced First Year students at Darden, but Missy Ludlow says she is definitely not that old and has reminded Bunker Snyder, Joan Barrett and Bill Haggerty to stick to her story. Missy has started a new company in Cincinnatti — West Capital Advisors LLC — to provide outsourced advice to corporations that wish to invest in venture capital. Their first client, a local bank was just signed. Missy is continuing her education at Xavier to get her master’s in theology. She says she is not sure where that will lead but that she loves it. Her son Ben, a senior at Dartmouth, spent the summer in Las Vegas as a reporter for Poker News, covering the World Series of Poker. Fooling around on his new iPad gave Kevin Ramundo an excuse to e-mail his news. He has lived in Dallas about seven years as communications vice president with Raytheon but just became a Mavericks fan after they won the NBA championship. His two oldest are in col-
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
lege: Ben is a senior at Georgetown and Anna is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kate is in high school and spends lots of time with her horse. Kevin says he and Anne are interested in property in Charlottesville, such as a small horse farm, as they would like to be closer to D.C., and he asks anyone with ideas on the market to let them know. Anne Bryant and H.B. spent eight days in June in Utah touring the national parks and experiencing spectacular scenery and perfect weather. They saw Bryce, Zion and Capitol Reef and then crossed the state to the Golden Spike Historic Site. As railroad buffs and collectors of railroad memorabilia, they wanted to see where the first transcontinental railroads came together. Many of our class notes editions have news of grandchildren, but when was the last time we had baby news from one of us? Murray Holland wrote to announce his marriage last year to Kim, a pilot for United Airlines, and they have now welcomed baby boy Harrison Holland to the family. At this writing in September, he is five months old and already on a trip through the South Pacific. Murray says he is the happiest he’s been in his life. Nick Fina received my e-mail while having lunch at Panera, and reminded me TANSTAAFL. His bill was $9.97 for the record; not free, but reasonable. Beginning his fourth year as dean of the business school at Wake Forest, Steve Reinemund and Gail are enjoying Winston-Salem, N.C. Board positions at American Express, Walmart, Exxon and Marriott keep Steve challenged. Their youngest son, Kevin, is a senior in high school, so they have one more college search drill to complete. Chrissy is a freshman at Furman, only three hours away. Eldest son Steven lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Cristina. In April, Jonathan married Kate Kennedy in the chapel at Stanford, where both had graduated from business school. Jim Reynolds is still at Total Comfort Solutions, a commercial mechanical service company in Columbia, S.C. His young partners are now running the business, as Jim gets to devote more time to education and workforce development through the S.C. Chamber of Commerce. His daughter, Kathryn, just moved to Denver and is pursuing a career in theater management. Jim and Judy spend as much time as they can at Pawleys Island on the coast, and they send best wishes to all our classmates. From Geneva, Switzerland, Charles de Mestral continues as CEO of Toronto-listed Winstar Resources Ltd., which is an oil and gas exploration company working mostly in Tunisia. Charles reports, “As we all know, we just had a revolution in this country. Winstar’s operations were essentially unaffected by these events. We were very supportive of this Tunisian change of regime.” Charles also updated us on his three sons. His first, Olivier, born in Charlottesville in 1978, godson of Vernon Himebauch: Olivier began his career as a
banker in Geneva and was very successful at it but decided nevertheless to quit banking, and he became a saddle maker three years ago. He is happy to be now fully busy with his two main hobbies: leather work and horseback riding. He and his wife, Stéphanie, who is an executive vice president at BNP Paribas, live about 15 minutes away from Charles and Françoise near Geneva. Their second son, Louis, born in 1979 in Geneva, godson of Cullen Coates: Louis got married to Julia last July and they live in Geneva. Louis studied law at Geneva University and is a lawyer on the Geneva bar, working in the Swiss law firm Pestalozzi. Julia is currently working for the relatively challenging admission to the Geneva bar. Their third son, Gabriel, is working in Paris for Swiss Chemical company Firmenich (perfumes, etc.), after having worked with L’Oreal and then for Firmenich in Shanghai. Gabriel had studied economics at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and business at Bocconi University in Milano. Charles’s wife, Françoise, continues to be very involved with the Geneva Opera. She is the president of the donors circle and has just been appointed to the management board of the opera. Literally going to the dogs is our Class Agent Mike Ganey, who became marketing director for the 127-year-old organization the American Kennel Club. In Mike’s own words: “It’s the dream marketing role: great values and mission, a perfect fit with my experience, and a chance to build a strategic marketing function from scratch. Plus I can bring my (future) dog to work after she/I pass obedience and basic agility. If anyone needs tips on purebred dog breeders, raise your hand and I’ll be glad to help ‘retrieve’ your information.” The highlight of the summer for my family was Paul McCartney’s concert at Wrigley Field. Despite 100 degree heat, Paul played to his fans for three hours with no break. Lindsay Jane and Courtney agreed it was the best concert they’ve seen. Keith and I also spent a long Labor Day weekend in Montana where we fished, hiked, golfed (okay, I rode on the cart) and took lots of photos of Old Faithful and Big Sky scenery. I am astounded by the diverse interests of our classmates and hope you are, too. Please answer my next e-mail request for news and add your own amazing bits to our ongoing class notes.
1979 Peter Kiernan is featured in “New Members Elected to Darden School Foundation Board” on page 5. Kirby Adams is featured in an Alumni Spotlight on page 42. BILL BUNN WBUNN@ZOOMTOWN.COM PEGGY WATTS GUP WATTSGUP@GMAIL.COM RAY TODD TODDR79@ALUM.DARDEN.EDU
Nick Tensen reports, “Kathy and I spent sever-
al years in Seattle. We were running a furniture business out there and at one time we used it as a venue to host Darden recruiters entertaining potential candidates. Once we started to get grandchildren on the east coast we made plans to move back. The trick was to find a new job, sell a couple of houses and move during the height of the recession. Well, maybe it wasn’t the height of the recession; now I realize it was more like the beginning. “Anyway, the kids were in New England, so we searched for something from New Jersey to New Hampshire. Anywhere would be closer than Seattle. As luck would have it, a couple of months after moving back, I found something only a half hour from the kids. So now we’re living in Boston’s north shore, and I’m working in Tewksbury, Mass., as the vice president of finance and administration for a cable installation company. The best news is we just bought a four acre farmlet in Hamilton, Mass., with tractor, chickens, gardens and hopefully bees. So, I’m as happy as a pig in s***; children and grandchildren close by, a job, still playing basketball and a place to transition into my next career — farming. Hope everyone is doing well!” Katherine Mull reports: “I am still in North Carolina and planning to move to Richmond, Va., where my daughter lives. After almost five years of building capacity for a growing nonprofit, I resigned my position as executive director of the Dan River Basin Association in the spring of 2011 and have been enjoying life, with more time for walking in the woods, running the rivers and just chilling on my deck while waiting for my house to sell. Did a ‘bucket list’ trip to the Grand Canyon — down the Colorado River in a dory to Phantom Ranch to hike out up to the South Rim. Also doing a lot of reading and thinking about the next great adventure of my career.” Jim Magill reports: “Never the one to slow down. Got back from consulting in London on agency mergers at Thanksgiving and founded Cibo with two other younger partners. It’s like a digital leaning agency but with more senior people, technologists, strategists and integrated programs from platforms, to advertising. So far so good with 34 people in San Francisco and some great clients like Dolby, Union Bank and Seagate. Carlie (born day after graduation) married this past summer in Montana and is living in Missoula with her local grown husband. Erin left Pixar after four years and credits on Ratatouille and Toy Story 3 and is now in graduate school at American Film Institute in Los Angeles studying production design. Anne is still building the Grace Magill Project at Edgewood, and thanks to many people our ‘assessment tool’ to help schools recognize their deficiencies in mental health education is being adopted by the state and feds for more pilots and national replication. I am still managing 20-plus days of skiing, mostly in Montana, and a bit of tennis.” Renee Anne Shirley reports: “I’m alive and kicking — still single, but now very involved in
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
43
CLASS NOTES
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
Valuable Lessons From Darden— Kirby Adams (MBA ’79) KIRBY ADAMS was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated in 1977 from Auburn University with a degree in industrial engineering. From college, he went straight to Darden, making him one of the youngest members of his graduating class. “As one of the youngest students, I was also the least experienced,” Adams recalls. “Therefore, I learned a bit of humility — and the value of listening and learning with my mouth closed.” Adams was impressed that the School had received top ratings and used the case method in the classroom. “I had no previous connections to Darden,” says Adams. “I liked that Darden gave me a chance to get my MBA without having to start a full-time job. I was in study mode.” Adams has many significant memories of his time at Darden, especially of the people in his class and the teamwork. “One of my finest moments at Darden was representing the School in 1979 in New York City at a national MBA school championship,” he says. “Our five-person team was up against [students from] other great business schools in a case method contest. Our case was Joseph Schlitz Brewing. I was nominated as the chairman, and we won the tournament with our analysis and presentation. It was a great day!” Since graduating from Darden, Adams has had a successful career as an international CEO in the petroleum, mining and metals industries, helping to build leading businesses in the United States, Australia, Europe, China, India and throughout the world. Some of his key business achievements include growing Australia’s BHP Steel into a global leader and restructuring Tata Steel Europe to become Europe’s second largest steel company. “Darden gave me a great generalist management education,” Adams says. “The need to consider all perspectives and the ability to present with confidence to a large group ultimately became my best assets as a CEO.” Adams, 55, recently retired from the Tata Steel Group. He currently lives in Melbourne, Australia, and Lake Tahoe, Nevada, with his partner and enjoys skiing, swimming and gardening. He still values the lessons he learned at Darden. “Empathy, humility and listening will go a long way in business — and in life,” he says, “because they are increasingly rare attributes.” running the sport of rugby in Jamaica as the CEO of the Jamaica Rugby Football Union. I am having a great time working with young Jamaicans and trying to instill the values of hard work and good sportsmanship in them (smile). “I’m heading off to New Zealand in a few weeks’ time to watch the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand and hope to spend some time travelling around the North Island (from Auckland to Wellington). So I’ll miss a trip back to U.Va. to see the football team (some of my friends who were law students during our days at U.Va. make an annual visit to the campus to see the team play, and I hope to join them next year).” After 15 years overseas with Hines in Barcelona and London, Jay and Heather Wyper have moved their base of operations back to the United States and bought a house in Houston. This “next phase” in life is to be closer to their two 44 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
children, who are 20 and 24 and living in the United States. The shift notwithstanding, Jay reports that he is still the managing director of Hines business in the United Kingdom as well as a managing director of the Europe/MENA business and participates on Hines global task forces like the Sustainability Task Force. He is in Europe/United Kingdom at least two weeks a month. So in Jay’s words, the business is the same but the closets and airports have moved! John Marshall reports, “I’m in a new chapter of my career/life. Nowhere close to retirement ready (too many years in government, a price of which is underfunded retirement savings). So, figuring I have one good run left, I’ve started up a cloud/IT services company that helps entities that do business with government manage their compliance reporting workloads (mostly manual) more efficiently and effectively — kind of like TurboTax. Our
first offering is a grant reporting service for research universities — we can save them 20 to 30 FTEs by simplifying and moving to the cloud a highly complex, mostly manual reporting workload. Having a lot of fun and using more of the Darden tool-kit (at least the ones I can remember!) than ever before. Very exciting!” Frederic Guyonneau writes that “2011 started off nicely with a family vacation to Hong Kong and Beijing as both girls’ spring breaks fell on the same week. It turned out to be a fantastic adventure and the opportunity for the two girls to get a quick sense of Asia. We went there in early March, and it turned out to be the ideal time, with few foreign and domestic tourists, and very short to no lines at all. Never in my life would I have thought that at 6.0 feet, I would be thought of as an NBA player and be asked to pose for pictures with total strangers. As for the girls, they were featured in dozens of photos with people mesmerized by blue eyes and blonde hair. “Our oldest daughter Margaux graduated from U.Va. last May with a double major in Latin American studies and Spanish and, a few days later, joined a start-up hi-tech venture in Manhattan as community manager. Look up Tout.com to find a creative and innovative approach to managing and sending e-mails. Since she moved to New York City in early June, and as I travel often to the home office in New Jersey, I have had more opportunities to have dinner with her than in the past four years at U.Va., which is really enjoyable to break up a business trip. “Her sister Morgan is a sophomore in the business program at the University of South Carolina (USC). One of the benefits of USC, as a parent, is that one can cheer for a real football team, or even drive to Columbia for solid tailgating and a thrilling game. Morgan is now ‘Greek Village ambassador,’ guiding visitors and prospective students through the corner of the university where all the sorority and fraternity houses have been built. “Laura has taken on a new career and now applies her skills and parenting talents as a French teacher at Roswell High School. After many years of substituting, she figured she might as well do it fulltime now that the kids are away and as I continue to walk my beat in Brazil, Mexico (trying not to get my head lopped off) or other parts of the world: just came back from Colombo, arguably one of the hardest places to reach, where we have a very large manufacturing complex. “Amidst all the great blessings we’ve had this year, my mom passed away a few months ago after several difficult months, but in spite of the distance, my sister and I took the time to visit and be with her, making the loss less painful.” I am pleased to announce that T. Scott Coleman, age 57 with insulin-dependent diabetes, has added another major swim to his already impressive resume!! He crossed the Gibraltar Strait on Monday morning, 8 August 2011, in 4 hours, 2 minutes and 58 seconds. He had stellar
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
conditions for the first half of the swim with escorts of dolphin pods, Pilot whales, sun fish and even some 30-foot “other" whales below him. The wind kicked up the second half of the swim with terrible chop), but he powered through to become what appears to be the fastest time for an insulin-dependent diabetic person to swim Gibraltar. This adds to his past successes of the English Channel, Catalina Channel, MIMS, Cook Strait (New Zealand), Tampa Bay 24-mile swim, Long Island Sound, around Key West and Masters Open Water National Championship (and others I’m certain that I’ve omitted). At age 57 and with his medical issues, he is a true and “real” testimony that age is just a number. I was honored to be the M.D. and crew member for Scott’s swim, but he needed no assistance or care as he truly knows his body and diabetes. His blood sugars were spot on at the end of his swim. He was bummed that he didn’t break four hours, but the last hour proved to be a challenge as the wind kicked up, and at the end, the current off the Coast of Africa was running at 2.5 knots/hour and he really showed grit powering through to Morocco. It was full circle for this year as he was crew (along with my brother Dan Richards) for my 24-mile Tampa swim this past April, and then he and I crewed for my brother’s recent MIMS swim in June. This time Dan (my bro) and I were able to provide the support as crew. We all are graduates of Pine Crest Prep High School (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.: Scott Coleman ’72, Dan Richards ’74 and Scott Richards ’77) and are proud to carry on the school’s swimming tradition into our 50s!!! His preparation was obvious from the start. Way to go, T. Scott Coleman!!! On to new adventures for the future! Finally, John Robertson says, “I will get on the phone with you sometime, but just to let you (and the rest of the class) know, Charlotte and I are moving back to Chicago. I had an opportunity come up a few weeks ago with BMO Harris Bank in Chicago to join their credit review team as a senior reviewer, and I accepted their offer. They just bought M&I Bank, the largest bank in Wisconsin, and have a great need for pulling apart and analyzing the portfolio. This is what I would regard as my ‘get back to the Lower 48 and one more gig before retirement job,’ but it could be a fairly long-term deal (if I last that long). Never thought we’d be going back to colder weather than here, but we really like Chicago and will help our granddaughter celebrate her first birthday on Thanksgiving Day!! Hope all is well with you. Yikes, after nine years up here, it doesn’t seem possible I’ll be back in the real USA.”
1980 CLAIRE TERRY CTERRY@CINCI.RR.COM
Peter Chadwick retired three years ago, is doing a lot of fun volunteer stuff and is waiting for his wife to retire so they can more seriously
focus on their bucket list. They have spotted Frank Kinder doing stand-up comedy under the name of Tim Balz at Second City in Chicago — check it out: www.secondcity.com/about/ people/cast — Frank finally followed his true calling! John Kotsonis has had a good year: his son David graduated from Case Western Reserve University with a degree in economics and math and joined a medium-size global firm as a Forex trader, and his daughter Rebecca started her studies at Wake Forest University. Among other distinctions, Rebecca was selected as a Presidential Scholar, one of two of New Jersey’s top-rated high school seniors, who were rewarded with a four-day trip to Washington, D.C., for shows, medals, parties and speeches, including Obama himself! “Yes, we’re very proud of them both,” John writes, “and my wife, Miriam, and I work, work, work — but I love this volatility in the market the past few years. Trading is good (fun and profitable) these days.” John Johnston sends this update: “The kids are grown and off the payroll, and my wife is still working, so I could be a gentleman of leisure if I could figure out how to stay retired. My temporary part-time job turned into full-time. I hired a replacement for myself, and the work expanded to load both of us. (Captain Z warned us about that.) I hope eventually the revenues will expand as well.” John Bogasky retired from Accenture after 30 years and has become an independent consultant. “It’s going very well, and I am having more fun that I have had in years,” he writes. If you are interested, you can see more about his business at his Website, www.advancier.us. Bill Martin writes: “I continue at Wilmington Trust Company after spending 30 years in the wealth management industry. My wife, Punky, and I are deeply involved in many charities here in Baltimore, including the University of Virginia Alumni Club of Maryland. I continue to serve the university as a member of the Gift Planning Committee, which brings me back to Charlottesville twice annually. My daughter Elizabeth recently married a wonderful young man from England whom she met through international lacrosse programs, and we are fortunate that they live in Baltimore. I am lucky to be able to spend a good deal of time fishing for brown trout throughout the country and serving in a variety of environmental causes. All of the Maryland alums here were very proud of what the University’s men’s lacrosse team accomplished last spring.” Gary Becker is still working the commercial real estate beat in the Raleigh Triangle area of North Carolina. Working with successful retail franchisees and restaurant owners is helping him weather today’s economic climate, as they are excellent sources of repeat business. He writes, “To make things more interesting, my oldest daughter has a New York City wedding planned for next spring.” Tim Ebright reports he is “amazingly an empty nester. Last son, Quinn, off to play soc-
cer for the University of Mary Washington.” Greg Islan reports having seen Tom Laster and John Rockwell recently and both are doing well. An update from Preston Moore: “I’m still enjoying Charlottesville and was recently made president and CEO of Virginia Community Bank. All classmates are welcome to look me up if they come to town. Best regards!” I just celebrated the milestone of my 10th anniversary surviving breast cancer with a team of family and friends in the Komen Race for the Cure. We have one more in high school, and I am working for Ted (Terry)’s company, primarily in human resources. That does it for this edition — keep those updates coming! Claire Terry Secretary, Class of 1980
1981 SEND TO DARDEN ALUMNI RELATIONS: WOODS@DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU
Jim Baker reports that his daughter Sarah Baker (U.Va. ’11) began medical school this fall and is doing well. His wife, Adele Baker “Sugar” (U.Va. ’82), is still competing in USEA and USEF events up and down the East Coast in between her instructing and breeding three-day event horses at Fox Lake Farm (www.foxlakestables.com ). Finally, his son James P. Baker III (“Jamie”) is running Lundy Charters and doing well (www.lundycharters.com). Luckily, Lundy Group is still in the commercial real estate business and surviving! Alton Martin writes, “Glad to have Katrina, my older daughter, back from 18 months in Korea, where she taught English to elementary school kids. She had a wonderful time and is preparing to head off to Durham for several months prior to either going back to school or hitting the real world of work! Wonder which it will be … Tyler, my younger daughter, is ensconced at UNC-Ashville. I had a chance to visit with her last June, and we had a wonderful time, including rafting on the French Broad River and spending a day at the Biltmore Mansion, which is truly a sight to see. “Work is going great, having set up my own consultancy a couple of years ago. I enjoy the clients and curiously, given the high hassle factor at times, the travel. I will say that [the movie] Up in the Air hit pretty close to home at times, with the best scene being the one where George Clooney refused to travel with someone who checked bags. I so get that. … “Golf and, of all things, yoga, are my fun activities. There are about 40 golf courses within an hour of my home, and I swear twice that number of yoga studios. I will NEVER consider yoga a wimpy activity again! I have been getting around seeing more of Texas than in the past, as well as taking some time when I travel for clients to see the sights where they are. I took a helicopter tour through the Grand Canyon earlier this year, which was spectacular to say the least. I wish all of you the best.”
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
45
CLASS NOTES
1982 • Reunion 2012
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
fort that garnered over $13M for two West Coast–based AIDS organizations. MICHAEL DIEFENBACH Mark Hartshorn is getting back into the exMIKE.DIEFENBACH@GMAIL.COM ecutive search game after 20 years of disability Deborah Anderson is orchestrating a comeretirement with a brain injury. At the urging of back after the California Inspection Company an old entrepreneur friend and with encourageshe started 20 years ago lost most of its business ment from his injury therapist, he has started with the 2010 shutdown of an automobile asworking again part-time. Mark’s now managing sembly plant she serviced. Her recovery has her six searches for two clients. Don’t be surprised working for Tesla and Bloom now. Talk about if you hear from him, as he plans to take full continuity! Debbie lives in the same house she advantage of the Darden alumni network. Go grew up in (and one of these years, she says, get ’em, Mark! she’s going to remodel it). Carlos Ioas is no longer an employee. No, Debbie’s son studies at Claremont McKenna he didn’t get canned; he’s just enjoying the freeCollege, ranked as the “happiest college” in the dom of being an independent asset manager. United States by The Daily Beast (and among Carlos and wife Ana will be at our 30th Reunion the top ten liberal arts colleges by U.S. News next April. Their son William is in his third year & World Report). Her son plays basketball and at U.Va., majoring in political philosophy, poliruns track there, and is holding up far better cy and law. Daughter Victoria has three years than Deb’s dog, who tore his ACL twice and left at the International School of Geneva and needed surgery. Debbie’s daughter is 15 and is is dreaming about attending U.Va. afterwards. dreaming of college. This summer Carlos and Ana visited Soo and Glenn Camp is a grandpa! In July, a little boy Steve Peer in Washington, D.C. described by Glenn as “incredibly humbling” Ann Tessier Lundeen checked in from Ariwas born to his oldest son and his wife. Glenn zona, where she’s a docent and vice president at probably speaks for many of us as he laments, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Arts. “Each month my target retirement date moves Ann donated a kidney to a friend in 2010 (both out one year, currently slated for sometime afare in great health). She went to Sweden in June ter my 90th!” for the World Transplant Games in Goteborg to Scott Creighton has been at Johnson & watch a friend compete in track and floorball Johnson (J&J) for nearly nine years and just (indoor floor hockey). Incredibly warm and took on a role overseeing the marketing develwelcoming people, the transplant community opment of 1,600 consumer marketers across all are, says Ann. Ann’s son, Jay, graduated from of J&J’s franchises. Scott gets back to Darden Yale this May, moved to Providence, R.I., and often, as the executive sponsor for “Team now works for a major consumer product sales Darden” at J&J. After nearly five years of activbroker in New England. ity, he now has about 18 dedicated Hoos on the Jan McLemore’s son is a freshman in the Team. This fall, J&J welcomed four full-time College of Engineering at Penn State. Her marketers (their best year ever). J&J’s chairyounger son is a high school junior, so Jan’s woman addressed the First Year class during hoping to fit our reunion in among a bunch of orientation last fall, supplied their first case and college visits next spring. ran a four-hour version of “The Corporate AthSally (Genster) Robling, president of the lete” (a program on energy management) from Bird’s Eye Frozen Division of Pinnacle Foods, is their Health Performance Institute. doing her part to get us to eat more vegetables Scott’s become an avid cyclist and completed (and, of course, move more product). Less than a benefit ride from San Francisco to Los Anthree months after the USDA unveiled its new geles this past summer — six days of pedaling plate icon for following a healthy diet, Sally’s (whoa). He was also a top fundraiser in an efdivision kicked off a “Wonder of Vegetables” marketing campaign in September. (Guess it’s time to move my snacking from chocolates to chickpeas ...) The U.S. Government and Sally Robling (MBA ’82) want us to eat more veggies. Rick Pfeiffer caught up with Lyon Loomis recently (assist to David Hillman). Lyon lives in Florida and works in support of the property and casualty insurance industry. Rick returned recently from Lagos, Nigeria, where he checked out a bank for an internaClass of 1982 at the first “O.B. Open.” The 30th was held last May. tional investor consortium. 46 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
It reminded him of the kinds of opportunities he saw 18 years ago in India. John Reilly says that son Myles, his new bride Jillian, and daughter Kathleen all have jobs (for the moment, anyway) and are still living in the Dallas area (for the moment, anyway). Myles got married to a lovely young lady over Memorial Day weekend. He met his future bride the old fashioned way … he was introduced to her by his mother at church. Classmate and lifelong pal Mike Diefenbach (me) and wife, Michele, screeched into the rehearsal dinner on two wheels, after racing from Houston to Dallas in a rental car when the airline screwed up our connection in Houston. The wedding was followed by a record-setting heat wave in Texas, packing triple-digit heat and wildfires for something like 70 out of 71 days ending in early September. “No, Texas didn’t burn to the ground,” John reports. “It just looked that way on TV.” Other Class of 1982 Texans who we hope have enjoyed soaking fall rains are Jim Allison, Scott Franklin, Ginnie Mueller, Dick Peters, Connee Sullivan and Sue Wasilewski. Call them and “wish them wet,” won’t you? My son Ted didn’t have to pray for rain this summer, as he interned at Microsoft in soggy Seattle, doing video game development. He finishes his MFA program at USC Interactive Media next spring. My other son, Colin, is delighting tenants as a property manager at Transwestern in Northern Virginia. My freshly minted college grad daughters Hilary and Heather are chasing careers in music therapy and food policy, respectively. Earl Seekins wrote from Venice to say … he was in Venice! He would have written more, but drafting e-mails from smartphone in a gondola will get anyone seasick! Ralph White is savoring (and still recovering from) his daughter Molly’s September wedding. Molly will be a cardiac intensive care nurse in Fairfax, Va., and her husband, Jarrett, is an investment banker with BB&T capital markets in Reston, Va. Ralph now turns to helping son Beau apply to Duke, UNC, and U.Va. (he’ll handle the financial aid form part). Beau and his soccer team are serious contenders for the North Carolina state title. Ralph’s wife, Beth, retires from the school system and the end of this school year, and hopes to continue with some contract work that’ll allow them to do some traveling. Sue Sweet wrote from the Senate Hart Office Building about continuing her “non-MBA” career path as a congressional staffer. Her boss, Sen. Kirk, sits on the Banking Committee, so she finds herself recalling her years at Wachovia. Sue’s daughter ended up at B-school in Chicago (Chicago Booth). She enjoyed a great summer internship in product management at KFC, and is probably heading to Louisville after graduation. Sue’s second daughter is in St. Louis, studying occupational therapy at Washington University. Gary Shaivitz joined Maryland Financial
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
Bank in June as senior vice president, with responsibility for operations and its consulting subsidiary, MFB Advisory LLC, which provides loan reviews for community banks. Gary’s son is starting a production company called jumpcutentertainment. Louise Smoak is now the recruiter for Edison Electric Institute in Washington, D.C., working full-time after more than 20 years of part-time employment. She started there when she had her own consulting business doing project work, then morphed into regular, parttime and now full-time. Suzi Bailey Stone loves her active role in the U.Va. Club of Jacksonville. She serves as treasurer, coordinated the Jefferson Book Award and represented U.Va. at several college fairs. Suzi organized several events for the club, including “A Taste of Virginia” last October, where attendees sampled Virginia wines. This January, she coordinated a visit to Jacksonville by Professor Larry Goedde, who gave a lecture at the University of North Florida Art Gallery. Suzi’s looking forward to mid-November, when U.Va. plays Florida State University in Tallahassee. She plans to rally a horde of vocal, local ’Hoos at the game … despite the fact that both of her children are Seminoles! Harry Travis reports from Orlando that son Danny graduated from Rollins with a sociology degree and is now gainfully employed in the kitchen at … The Cheesecake Factory. In today’s economy, Harry considers that a win! Younger son Peter transferred from Rollins to Portland State, which Harry notes is about as far away from mom and dad as he can get in the contiguous United States! Wife Joan is keeping very busy as the president of a nonprofit summer study abroad program for aspiring opera and musical theater students (www.musictheaterbavaria.org). Our 30th graduation anniversary may not be until next April, but this May marked the 30th anniversary of the O.B. Open, a riotous (read: “drunken”) golf outing we held at Keswick Country Club. Ask David Kelso (center) … he just might remember some of it! While you’re at it, ask John Reilly about “cart jousting,” a new, unofficial sport he played with Susan Coogan. I can’t imagine why we weren’t asked back to hold a second annual tourney… I hope many, many of you are planning to return to Darden next spring! Watch your inbox for news and updates from our Reunion Committee.
1983 MITCH BLAND MITCH.BLAND@CABLEONE.NET
As I write, fall is officially upon us, but everyone seems to have had a great summer. For example, Chris Privon, our illustrious Class Agent, had an awesome time with his wife, Keron, in France, where they did a bike ride in Provence with their “kids.” Recently retired from HP, Chris stated, “What a beautiful area and a fun
ride!” Speaking of foreign places, Kim Labuschage sent in a short update: “Two years ago I started Continuum Principal Investments with a group of colleagues from Babcock & Brown. It’s a company focused on developing infrastructure projects (mostly rail related) in sub-Saharan Africa, and it all seems to be coming together quite nicely. Still living in Durban, South Africa, but travelling a bit in Southern Africa. On the personal side, I finally got divorced. My two sons are both at the University of Cape Town. Just attended a Darden recruiting presentation in South Africa and realised that none of the prospective students were born when we were there! Visitors welcome. Just drop me a line.” Another biker, Brad Smith checked in and wrote that his youngest is off to college later this fall so “my wife and I will have a lot more freedom in planning our travel schedule in the future.” Brad also (in a note to Chris) said, “I’m still riding my bike, but not as much since I’ve taken up a new activity: rowing. After watching both our girls row in high school and sending one off to college to row, I took up the sport about four years ago. Master’s rowing in the northwest, really throughout the county, is very active and competitive. Lots of former collegiate rowers who want to stick with the sport form the base for many clubs, including the one I row with. Since we row from 5:30-–7:15 in the morning, I still manage to ride my bike a few afternoons a week or on weekends. Clearly, there isn’t enough time to goof off as much as I’d like and still manage to earn a living. So far I’m staying ahead of the curve, but I won’t be out of the woods until our youngest gets through college.” Brad also told Chris that John Schumacher was in Portland a few weeks back and got together with Brad for lunch. According to Brad, John is “a picture of health and success, notwithstanding his employment at Goldman Sachs (ha ha). Since he has a few clients in this area, we get together every year or so and share war stories. He and Katie have raised a couple of kids, with the youngest in his second year at Alabama.” And finally, reporting in from Richmond was Anne Henkel, who had this excellent recap for everyone: “On a lovely summer evening late in June, the Richmond Chapter of the Darden School Class of 1983 held its first gathering at Al and Liz Rider’s home in Goochland. For a relatively spur-of-the-moment idea, thanks to Al, attendance was excellent. Gathered on June 30 were Al and Liz, of course, Brian Gagliardi, Jay and Peggy (MBA ’84) Doherty, Pat and Tricia Bullock Branch, David Wade and his lovely date, Howard and Jill Goldfine, Laura Roberts Wright, Suzanne Johnson McCusty and Anne Stephan Henkel. Jay Moore, Coke Hall and Palmer Peebles Garson were unavailable and we were unable to track down Walter Smith and Earl Cox. Yes, I’ll call the Martin Agency next time. Not much high finance or global business was discussed, other than to acknowledge Howard’s longevity with
the Richmond Fed. We did become wiser, the deeper into Al’s wine cellar we delved (serves you right to offer to do the cocktails, Al!). We beat several dead horses rehashing stories from way back when — the OB Open… Notes were compared on children, whose kids were going to which college with other classmates’ kids, and general family matters. Everyone seems to be faring well despite the economy. I’m not sure the Riders will be inviting us back anytime soon, but perhaps with time, they’ll forget how late we stayed (or perhaps have time to restock their wine cellar) and we’ll do this again. I promised not to take pictures or notes, so will be silent on that! Best to all, and anyone who’s in Richmond, let me know, and we’ll get you on the list for next time.”
1984 GARY WILHITE RECEIVED A 2011 HIGHPERFORMANCE AWARD FOR CLASS AGENTS, THE HIGHEST NON-REUNION DARDEN ANNUAL FUND DOLLAR TOTAL AWARD ($281,982) AND THE GREATEST DARDEN ANNUAL FUND PERCENT INCREASE IN GIVING AWARD (159%). James Cooper is featured in “New Members Elected to Darden School Foundation Board” on page 5. DEBBIE SHINAULT MCPHILLIPS MCSIX@EMBARQMAIL.COM
Greetings, Class of 1984! Thanks again for saving my butt — I mean, responding to the call for Class Notes. Here’s the latest from our class. First, from Marci Dobal (mdobal@verizon. net), “In May, I had the pleasure of spending a glorious weekend at the St. Michaels, Md., home of Lisa Sanders for a mini reunion with Lisa, Lezlee Emory-Cherrix, Jane Piness (wife of Jack O’Neil) and U.Va. alumna and classmate of Lisa’s, Janet Hinchcliff. Lisa has painstakingly restored this lovely historic property that sits on the Miles River and was gracious enough to host the weekend that was long overdue, since planning among five women with busy lives proves challenging at best. Though alarmed to find that the first to arrive had somehow managed to forget to bring wine, Lisa quickly rummaged in the owner’s closet and came up with some harder alternatives until reinforcements arrived with the vino. Between combing the streets of St. Michaels to check out every shop in town and hanging at the house to catch up — cocktails on the dock, anyone? — a good time was had by all. As an added bonus, Lezlee surprised each of us with a photo memory book that she published after our return that captures the weekend beautifully.” The alumnae updates continued, with the following from Karen Edwards (karen.edwards@ kosibaedwards.com), who kicked off what will now be known as the “back to school” edition of Class Notes. She wrote in sympathy to my plight as mom to four kids in four different schools. “My eldest daughter is a sophomore at UTampa. My other sophomore, in high school, reminds me that parenting different children is
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
47
CLASS NOTES
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
ties.com), responded next, also from Texas. He wrote, “I have two great daughters. Mandy is a sophomore at Indiana University and majors in international marketing and Spanish with a minor in Portuguese. She plays in the marching band there, too, and through high school was an accomplished soccer player. She spent last summer in Spain going to school and interning with a tour company. My older daughter, Laura, is a senior at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta and majoring in English with a minor in Japanese. She has studied in Japan and England and been active in drama and music! She is clearly headed toward being a professional student, Lisa Sanders and Marci Dobal (both MBA ’84), with but it also helps to be a writer.” Jane Piness in St. Michaels, Maryland. “I live in Dallas, Texas, and work with a company called Greystone Communities — we totally different. This summer we went to see Gabriela Gold (MBA ’95) in Rome, followed by develop retirement communities with nota stunning tour of northern Croatia, including for-profits around the country. Last year we Plitvice Lakes Park — highly recommended. I’m completed about $1B in financings and will be excited and honored to be incoming president close to that this year. We are self owned, which of the Alumni Board, and proud our class con- means I’m fully invested or poor, depending on tinues to be so involved in Darden’s leadership the day! It’s a lot of fun. Been in this space for and in so many ways supporting the mission over 25 years now — never expected that for a of the School and each other. Please do check life.” Next up, Lezlee Emory-Cherrix (lec4ever@ out Darden’s website to see what’s happening in cox.net), a fellow mother of twins, who wrote, Charlottesville and around the globe. I continue “Wow, I cannot believe your twins are now to consult with entrepreneurial companies and am increasingly active in several organizations in college! My B/G twins started middle school trying to increase the numbers of women who this year, and I am definitely not ready for serve on public company boards of directors in that onslaught of adolescent angst. Nothing the United States and abroad. Still a member of else new with me. I’m still in consulting (with the board of Arbor Realty Trust in New York, I MorganFranklin), and hubby Bill is still doing am looking for my next opportunity to build on his R&R band thing, in between assisting with homework and chauffeuring kiddos everythat experience.” Also following the different school theme, where (he has been home with them since AOL Steve Mewborn (sm2626@att.com) wrote, imploded and has never looked back!).” Julie Bakke Dittman (juliannedittman@ “Tammi and I have three small children — Mahotmail.com) began her update with an underrina (7), Noah (4) and Coral (2) — also all in different schools. We live on Galveston Bay near statement: “Life sure takes unexpected turns. Houston and often take them boating and fish- For the past few years, I have been substitute ing off our dock. I will be going to Uganda for 1 teaching at Juvenile Hall in Fresno. I loved 1/2 weeks in October on a Mission trip to visit working with the students. So, I made a return eight children that we sponsor through Com- trip to college. I recently completed my teachpassion International. Still working at AT&T ing credential at CSU Fresno and qualified to teach mathematics through calculus. (Pretty (second time around), for a total of 24 years.” Brian Schiff (bschiff@greystonecommuni- scary thought!) We have relocated to Patterson, Calif., and I am teaching five geometry classes, tutoring athletes and seeing a lot more of my two grandchildren (ages 4 and 6) who live in Patterson. Patterson is near Modesto, Calif., and about 1 1/2 hours from San Francisco.” Tom Inglesby (tinglesby@ saratogapartners.com) wrote, “My son Tad graduated U.Va. in 2010, which means I no longer get to sit next to Bill Utt at my son’s fraternity parents’ weekends. My daughter Caroline is starting her second year at the Leadership Roundtable was well represented by the Class of 1984: Gary University. At her first parents’ Wilhite, class agent; Karen Edwards, president, Alumni Board of Direcformal last year, I saw a lot of tors; Henry Skelsey, past chairman, Darden School Foundation Board of Darden parents from the Classes Trustees; Debbie McPhillips, class secretary; and Michael Woodfolk, vice of 1985 and 1986; wondering if president, Alumni Relations. 48 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
any 1984 class members will be at the parents’ formal in October. “I recently had dinner with David Johnson and Jim Ferency in New York City. Jim had to go home after two drinks because he wasn’t feeling well; some things never change …” Here is an update from Dan Rusz (Daniel. rusx@woodmac.com): “I recently bought a wonderful new house on Kent Island, Md., in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay across from Annapolis. I live there with my girlfriend, Shannon, and we’re enjoying island life very much, lots of great seafood restaurants and dock bars near us. My youngest son is now a freshman at Virginia Tech’s School of Engineering. This now means all three of my kids have gone to Tech — a tough pill to swallow for this double Wahoo. But I’m proud of them all just the same! “I just got back from three weeks in Australia for my work, giving speeches, meeting clients and visiting coal mines (yup, dirty coal mines). Aus is a wonderful place to see.” I informed Dan that we were sitting two seats apart at his son’s and my nephew’s high school graduation in Richmond in June. Of course, neither of us realized it at the time, but it is a small world after all! Joan Gutmann Roberts (jroberts@zoomtown.com) wrote, “I sent my oldest off to Bellarmine University in Louisville in August. To fill the void, Bill and I are now certified open water divers — we intend to try our first ocean dive this January in the Caymans. I switched companies again. Now I am with Fairway Mortgage, which I helped bring to Cincinnati. Had a quick visit with Sarah Lincoln Trafidlo and Diane Johnson Exter in Providence, R.I., when I was in the area for a wedding this summer. They both looked fabulous. So wonderful to catch up!” From Lou Gary (louis.gary@gmail.com): “Fall is the new beginning, isn’t it? Still living in Richmond, I now have two kids in high school, but they are in different schools. My oldest is a junior at Freeman in their Government, Economics and Leadership Center. I believe she is working harder now than she will at college, but don’t tell her that! My youngest is a freshman at Deep Run High School and has made the transition well. Look for his sports scores in the future! I am still at Hamilton Beach Brands (16 years) managing the security, telecommunications, database and Linux support, network and VoIP support team. That is my current incarnation! My wife, Judy, is continuing to work part-time for VCU’s Department of Family Medicine in ever increasing roles and responsibilities. I have been working for various charitable causes helping raise money so that I don’t feel guilty just playing in their golf tournaments. Just had my 35th high school reunion, and we aren’t really that old, are we? Last summer (2010) I worked on the Richmond Maccabi Games (1,000+ Jewish athletes from around the country and Israel descended on Richmond for a week, along with 300+ coaches and officials) managing the transportation needs with
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
a great local bus company (James River). I survived a couple of storms and the redirection of many bus routes!” Stuart Frantz (sfrantz@biologicstoday.com) wrote, “Ella and I still live in Raleigh and have two not-so-young children. Our daughter Neill graduated from Elon and is in Wellington, New Zealand, for the next year or so working and exploring. She is NOT our adventuresome child, so we were shocked and excited about her decision to venture off. Rob, on the other hand is adventuresome. He took a gap semester between high school and college attending a National Outdoor Leadership School semester in the Baja. He is now a junior at UGA and dreams of being the next great singer/songwriter. He sings and plays guitar (mainly acoustic) in the Athens bar scene. He occasionally will play in Raleigh when he is home, which is not that often. “Ella is very active with a nonprofit, Dress for Success. And I’m running a health care company focusing on care coordination and navigation for cancer patients. While we love catching a glimpse of Neill and Rob at every opportunity, the empty nest is a lot of fun.” And my final update for this edition, the Smythe/Parker update from Dan Smythe (smythe@mastcapllc.com) who wrote, “Ros would do a much better job on this but she is on the back of a horse somewhere. After commuting to New York City from Boston for five years, I joined Mast Capital, a Boston-based credit hedge fund, in January of this year. Shortening the commute from four hours to 40 minutes has made the Delta shuttle less profitable, but life so much better out on Round Lot Farm in Medfield. With our eldest child out of college, number two in her senior year at Washington & Lee, and our youngest enjoying her second year at U.Va., the animals seem to take up more and more of our time, which isn’t so bad; they complain less and do not need private education!” Thanks to everyone who sent updates this time, and for those of you who didn’t, please start making notes now for the graduation issue!
1985 TOM TAYLOR TOMTAYLOR84@OPTONLINE.NET
As you may recall, my request for your updates mentioned the anniversary of the HP12C, which is now 30 years old. Judging from the updates I received, a lot of these little slabs are still on the job. Tim O’Shea writes that he had to get a new one a few years ago (so did I) and still uses it, admitting that “regular calculators remain awkward for me after all these years.” He adds, “For the past decade, I have been managing principal with Dominion Benefits, an employee benefits consulting firm in Richmond. One of my partners is Larry Colley, M.D., John’s son. About 30 employees. We specialize in employer decision support analytics and this year received a patent on one of our models. Another patent is pending. About two years ago we started doing analytic work for middle market
benefit consultants in other markets around the country (in addition to the employers we work with directly). “Earlier this year, we sold our core agency to an Atlanta-based company called Digital Insurance, and we are on the ground floor of forming a new middle market group called Digital Benefit Advisors. We spun out our analytics to a separate company (independent of Digital, called Dominion Analytics) and are expanding our reach across Digital and with independent consultants as well through licensing agreements. So far, so good. Health care is tricky these days, but we are staying one step ahead so far.” Tim is now an empty nester. “One son is an employed college graduate (hurray) and a son and daughter are first and fourth years at U.Va.” Tim says that wife Kim is “still hanging with me”; I love it. Another new empty nester is Jimmy Rose, who also wins the Largest HP12C Collection award and might need an intervention. “I think I have five of them. Three at the office, one at home and one in briefcase. I have probably lost five or six over the years. The pattern repeats itself. I lose one, go replace it and then the one I lost is returned. I now etch my name into the back of them. “Still live in Richmond and work in New York. Commuting now for 12 years. Older daughter is sophomore at Vanderbilt and younger daughter first year at U.Va. I now have another reason (other than Darden recruiting) to visit Charlottesville. Recently returned from Parents Weekend at Vanderbilt, where I saw Sylvia and Charles Coker. Sylvia and Charles have two daughters at Vanderbilt. Also saw Heather and Randy Daniel. Randy is Darden Class of 1986. Their daughter Parks is a Vanderbilt junior.” Not everybody is a 12C loyalist. Tom Paine writes that he retired the 12C after finding that the iPhone took over many of its more basic functions. “Retiring me is another story,” as is the case for many of us. “Still at AGER Group, the Boston office I opened in 2008 for a Chinese design firm, doing development and green infrastructure design projects in China and now Taiwan, where it all began for me before Darden. Would love to hear from classmates involved in China or sustainability.” Incidentally, I visited China for the first time in March and recommend Shanghai to anybody who wants to see a non-fantasy version of Disney World. I digress; Tom continues: “Our youngest, Lydia, graduated from U.Va. last year and has joined the online educational publishing group at HRH in Boston, while her two brothers are still leading parallel lives on the Left Coast — Sumner at Adobe as project manager for photo library cloud-based Carousel, and Mallory at Path, an Apple-app start-up, which he joined after many years at Apple doing the photo/video apps on iPhone and iPad.” Back to the stories from the 12C faithful. Lee Stocks writes that he still uses his original Darden-issue 12-C on a daily basis. “Thought
I’d lost it a few years back, and bought a 12-C 25th anniversary edition on eBay to replace it, but then found the original. So now I have one for both home and office. I never have to worry about anyone borrowing it, because very few folks are familiar with Reverse Polish Notation! “I have been working at ESG for close to seven years, involved primarily with providing engineering and staffing services to electric utilities. I have two kids — son Braden is starting his junior year at Clemson, majoring in environment and natural resources, while my daughter Grace is starting third grade, majoring in American Girl dolls.” Hey, that can get costly! “In May of this year, I knocked off one of my bucket-list items by riding my bicycle crosscountry, from Newport Beach, Calif., to Amesbury Beach, Mass. It took 31 days to cover 3,457 miles, averaging 111 miles per day. Attached is a photo of my wife, Debbie, and daughter Grace meeting me at the finish in Massachusetts.” Very impressive! As usual, there’s a mix of our classmates who are on a long run with their current employer and others who have transitioned. Scott Kammeraad has a new job, and I would almost be disappointed to hear otherwise. “In June I joined Cascade Engineering, the largest accredited B Corporation (look it up) in the country after a decade of entrepreneurial distress. I’m happy to contribute to our household income once again. I’ve discovered that I’m pretty good at marketing despite my accounting background. “I’m also a proud papa. Daughter Haley started med school at Michigan State University in the fall. Colin is a junior at Grand Valley State University. He and Haley are running a marathon in October. And youngest daughter Dara got her braces off this week, just in time for her Homecoming date. “This may not make very good fodder for the Alumni News, but what the hell. The Tigers just clinched the division.” It’s excellent fodder and will be even better if, by the time this is published, the Tigers finish strong. Madison Riley continues his career in consulting, which explains why his update arrived in a numbered list ready for easy transfer to a PowerPoint slide: Family is doing well — oldest is a senior at Cornell, middle starting at MIT and our youngest a high school junior. Still living outside Boston, MD, and with the Consultancy Kurt Salmon. My firm does a lot of recruiting at U.Va. and we are quite successful with the school. Whether it’s recruiting or offspring at U.Va., so many in our class have reasons to go back to Charlottesville. Mark Shields is another one; here’s his update: “Karen and I, married 26 years, have four children: Andrew, 23, an army lieutenant leading a cavalry platoon in Afghanistan; Ian, 21, an army infantryman in Hawaii; Struan, 20, a U.Va. Second Year and aspiring rock star (www.struanshields.com); and Mary, 17, a high school senior keen to study nursing.
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
49
CLASS NOTES I’m a partner at The Avascent Group, a strategy firm in D.C. I’m still a history bore and piper, and still talk too much. New interest: learning Hebrew. Karen and I do a lot at church, and do mission work in Rwanda. It’s been a busy quarter century; we promise to make the next reunion! New home e-mail: markkarenshields@ gmail.com.” Steve Cook checked in and provided this news: “I’m still president of Thoughtfire Communications LLC, consulting in marketing and new products strategy; positioning / branding; and all forms of written business communications. I’ve been in Wisconsin 26 years with my wife and three kids. Wilson is 25 and working at Bridgewater Associates (Conn.), the world’s biggest hedge fund. I keep sending him Darden propaganda as he thinks about grad school. Sarah, 22, is doing very well in restaurant management, and my youngest, Biz, 20, is at UW-Madison, majoring in graphic design/commercial communications while playing on a ranked Ultimate Frisbee Club travelling team and having way too much fun. Nina is working for a lean management health organization that gives advice (and takes advice) from around the country on ways to take costs out of health care. I bought a house out East, and eventually we’ll likely end up back on the East Coast — New England most likely — but not until this lovely economy turns around.” Steve is on the hunt for Don Harris. Anybody know his whereabouts? Don, if you’re reading this, please raise your hand (then use it to dial Steve). With fall upon us as this is being put together, it’s timely for a colorful update from Van Sewell: “I still have my 12C and it is in working order. Libby, my one and only, just graduated from George Washington. She spent the first semester of her senior year in Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Turkey. I drew the line at Syria. She got home about two weeks before it all broke loose. With the Feds not hiring, only the IS guys, engineers and accountants got real jobs after graduation. And, the accountants were hired to audit the banks and health care (me). A big chunk of the new graduates took public service stuff to keep their student loans dormant. And here I thought ‘free at last.’ Well maybe not. Anyone got a position for a 23-yearold that speaks Arabic and French? Since I am still paying the rent in D.C., I am pretty sure she will relocate if needed. “I am still in Chattanooga working in managed care and waiting for the reform legislation to either die or take hold and possibly make me obsolete. Talk about dysfunctional government. I now have a more sympathetic view of the French Terror. While I do not condone mass beheadings, I now understand how you can get that frustrated.” Good to hear from Marvin Pastel, who provided this news: “I have started my own law firm that specializes in small to medium corporate transaction and litigation. The firm has 11 lawyers and six paralegals. We are located in 50 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
the heart of Buckhead at One Securities (Lenox and Piedmont). The firm handles the gambit of corporate activities from incorporation to SEC audits and shareholders litigation. View our Website at www.wczlaw.net.” Jim Leavitt used to say (and probably still does) that if it weren’t for bad luck, we’d have no luck at all. That pithy remark popped into my head when I saw the news from Sam Yates. “2011 hasn’t been a good year. In January, daughter Kathryn, a U.Va. undergrad, totaled her car a few blocks from home. Fortunately, no one was injured. In February, wife Heidi, had repeat bunion surgery on her right foot. In March, daughter Virginia, a Vail resident, shredded her knee at high speed on a tree off the slope when she caught an edge. Included in this package were a compression fracture of the tibia, an MCL, ACL and a PCL tear. In May, I suffered a near fatal cycling accident when I collided into a stone wall at 40 mph with my face. Fortunately, today I am fully recovered with a face full of titanium and a new nose. In June, daughter Samantha, a ninth grader, suffered a broken shoulder and torn rotator cuff in a bicycle wreck. July through September have thus far been free of bad news, but we still have a dog that hasn’t been injured this year. On the positive side, business is booming, and we are rebuilding industrial America a piece at a time!” Sam is with TMS Group, a diverse manufacturing company based in Alabama. Since I already mentioned Jim Leavitt, I was glad to get his quick update: “My oldest is a senior at William & Mary undergrad B-school and is seeming to attract the big eight consulting firms sides — EY, KPMG, PWC … She also is interviewing with Booz in D.C. Will let you know how it all shakes out! I have three more to launch — the girls I don’t worry about; it’s the boys. Patrick is at William & Mary B-school too — he is starting to get it. “Christopher is a junior in high school and plays lacrosse. He is flying around this fall to see college coaches/teams. Might be Fairfield, Hofstra, Vermont, UMBC, etc. Kathleen is a sophomore, and I don’t worry about her.” Here’s the latest from Bob Reeve along with some advice, so listen up: “All pretty much same with us, same jobs, still raising our Bernese Mountain Dogs. My golf game took an unexpected turn entering my favorite time of year when I lacerated my right forearm, seven tendons cut and a minor nerve, done while moving a mirror. Was lucky, missed the main nerve that controls hand movement by one layer, that would have meant long-term loss of some hand capability, as it is, I should make a full recovery in a couple more months. “Advice to classmates if they need to move a large mirror: Hire someone If that fails, do some Internet research — use duct tape on all edges and a big X across surface, etc.” I’m tempted to stretch Bob’s mirror story and his advice into some elegant life metaphor, but
I’ll resist. By the way, Bill Hardy still uses his original HP 12C with the same batteries. Another metaphor opportunity! OK, I’ll drop it. I visited Celia Martin (Vlasin) and her husband Jim this summer at their beach home in Delaware for a mini Darden reunion that included Elizabeth Lawson. Celia’s oldest is a high school senior and will soon be college bound. Elizabeth has changed jobs and is now working for Freddie Mac. As for yours truly, I’m still playing in a rock band, and we’re booking dates into April of next year. No plans for a CD because it is too hard to fully appreciate us if you’re not in a bar. My oldest, Tommy, is a high school senior and looking north for colleges where he can continue alpine racing. Daughter Gina isn’t far behind; she’s a junior. The empty nest isn’t appealing to me right now; we’ll see how that evolves. My company, Neoris, provides nearshore IT services and continues to grow nicely in the United States. Enjoy the rest of your 2011 … onward and upward!
1986 BEN MIX AND MARY BUCKLE RECEIVED THE HIGHEST REUNION OVERALL DOLLAR TOTAL AWARD ($1,251,034) AND HIGHEST REUNION DARDEN ANNUAL FUND DOLLAR TOTAL AWARD ($165,837). BEN MIX, MARY BUCKLE AND GREG YORKE RECEIVED THE AWARD FOR 2011 OUTSTANDING CLASS OFFICER TEAM FOR THEIR SEAMLESS EFFORTS IN PLANNING THE 1986 25TH REUNION. GREG YORKE GYORKE@GMAIL.COM
Gregory Dyson writes “Sorry I missed the 25th reunion. Thanks for the notes and calls from those who attended, “fondly” remembering the Earl Black case from the first day of OB class first year, back in the dark ages of 1984!!! Yes, I “fired” Earl Black. Twenty-five years later I remember the lessons from that case whenever I have to execute a “personnel action.” This fall Avis and I celebrated our 25th anniversary and sent Adam off to college. He is a freshman at the University of Tampa, where he is playing lacrosse. I know, an athletic Dyson, not thought to be in the gene pool. Our other son, Alden is a junior and just beginning to think college. I have enjoyed getting to see classmates on Facebook the past several months and getting caught up.” News from Bonnie Zellerbach: “This email came in just as we finished sandbagging our house in defense of flooding in Bangkok in October. By the time everyone reads this, it will be all over and I hope our house will be dry once more!” Celebrations are in order for Bob Louthan and his wife Katherine! Bob writes “The big news for me is Katherine and I celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary on Oct. 25, 2011. We met during First Year at Darden — Katherine was at U.Va. working on her Masters of
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
MCLEAN FAULCONER INC. REALTORS Charlottesville, Virginia’s leading farm and estate brokers invite you to preview a sample of our 2011 current offerings. . .
MAXFIELD – 37+ acre estate located in the renowned Keswick Hunt Country features a circa 1767 renovated historic manor home w/handsome interior woodwork, hardwood floors, 5 working FP. Complete w/1.5 Story guesthouse, 6-stall stable, kennels, bank barn & machine sheds. $695,000. MLS #463584
NORTH WALES FARM - Exceptional 1,466-acre VA estate, c. 1718, featuring an impressive Georgian-style manor house, a Georgian Revival-style stone carriage house, extensive farm & equestrian improvements, additional residences & a shooting preserve. Listed on both the National Register of Historic Places & the Virginia Landmarks Register, as well as under a preservation easement, this extraordinary property, in excellent condition, is a rare offering of a National treasure. www.NorthWales-Farm.com
WINDY COVE FARM - Stunning Colonial manor home on 182 protected acres overlooking appx. 1 mile of river frontage w/sweeping mtn. views, guest & carriage houses, 6-stall stable & barn complex, all just minutes from the Homestead Resort. Additional 919 acres available. MLS #486991 www.WindyCove-Farm.com
FARMINGTON - This charming circa 1930 home was totally renovated and expanded in 2003, has great character and updated systems. Privately situated on over 4 acres. Features include large gourmet kitchen, main level master suite. Price: $1,275,000. MLS #488810
SUGAR HILL FARM - Spectacular country estate offering breathtaking panoramic pastoral & Blue Ridge Mountain views from 51+ acres in Western Albemarle. Impressive stone 6,100+ sq.ft. manor home, pool, pool house, guest quarters, manager’s residence & extensive equestrian facilities. $5,495,000. MLS #482382
CUMBERLAND FARM – 102 acre country estate, privately situated on the Pamunkey River just east of Richmond. Lovely historic frame & brick manor home, c. 1662, w/much original woodwork & moldings, but enlarged & modernized. Also includes a pool & barn all set on a navigable river. MLS#: 486771
EDGEWOOD - Magnificent 206 ac. horse farm in famed Somerset estate area near Montpelier. Restored brick manor, c. 1852, features high ceilings, extensive moldings, spacious rooms. Garage w/huge studio, guest house, pool, 6-stall stable, riding ring. Rapidan River frontage. MLS #487472 $3,695,000.
GEORGETOWN FARM - Spectacular 542 acre farming estate offering a beautiful Williamsburg manor home, numerous other homes, barns, privacy. Only 8 miles from Charlottesville, Blue Ridge Mt. views; available as whole or divisions: 120 acres with main residential complex for $3,750,000; total farm $10,300,000. See website: www.georgetown-farm.com Jim Faulconer (434) 981-0076.
RAMSAY - Exquisite historic estate with 180-degrees of breathtaking pastoral & Blue Ridge Mtn. views, apprx. 17 miles west of Charlottesville & UVA! c. 1895 Revival-style manor home, guest house, farm manager’s residence, architecturally designed barn & other improvements. 78+ acres of gently rolling pastures well-suited for livestock, a vineyard or other agricultural pursuits. $6,950,000. www.RamsayEstate.com Steve McLean (434) 9811863.
KENRIDGE - Lovely spacious townhome 2 miles from the Rotunda. Over 3,900 finished sq.ft., 3 or 4 BR, huge master on main level, traditional w/open floorplan. Loaded w/extra features. Great entertaining home, or for retirement. Price $699,000. MLS #481405.
KESWICK ESTATE - Magnificent brick home w/slate roof within walking distance to Keswick Hall & all club amenities. Superbly constructed, 5BR, 6.5BA, grand 1st-floor master suite, gourmet kitchen, 3 fireplaces, 3-bay garage, large covered deck, professional landscaping. MLS #490673 $1,695,000.
503 Faulconer Drive, Charlottesville, VA 22903 PH: (434) 295-1131 FAX: (434) 293-7377
jfaulconer@mcleanfaulconer.com ~ www.mcleanfaulconer.com ~ smclean@mcleanfaulconer.com DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
51
CLASS NOTES Education. I learned a lot at Darden, but she’s the best thing I took home. I am sure there are a few others in the class having passed or closing in on the same milestone — best wishes to all.” Tom Fulcher has ridden his bicycle over 4,000 miles so far this year and has taken up cyclocross racing, a sport out of Belgium that is like a steeplechase race on bicycles on grass, mud, and lots of twists, turns and hopping off the bike to carry it over barriers. George Tahija tells us “My business is doing fine mostly because Asia is still growing rapidly. Next year we expect a slow down, though. I am making plans to transition from business to non-profit activities. Both kids are in college in the U.S.A. so we are empty nesting— not at all bad! Looking forward to visiting the kids over Thanksgiving holidays.” Dean Bob Bruner joined Pat (Bland) Nicklin for the Partnership for Public Service’s “Improving the Business of Government” conference at the Rockefeller Estate in Tarrytown, New York. Pat recently joined the Partnership as EVP/COO. The Partnership for Public Service is a national nonpartisan nonprofit the mission of which is to make government more effective by inspiring a new generation to serve and by transforming federal government operations. Pat is working with Dean Bruner and Darden towards incorporating some of this programming at the Darden School. And on a more personal note, Pat’s 14 year old son Thomas has starting attending boarding school at St. Andrew’s School in Middletown, Del. and she misses him!
1987 • Reunion 2012 CHRIS PADGETT CPADGETT@PURINA.COM TWITTER: @CHRISPADGETT
Hello, classmates! The countdown continues toward our 25th Class Reunion! I’m sure everyone’s fitness programs, family picture updates and resume revisions are in full swing. Don’t forget to add to your list catching up, in advance, with your classmates. Let me get you started with a brief set of Class Notes, and a tip for an easy way to reconnect (read on). Beth Nelson Cliff has been doing a great job contributing to the class’ Facebook page, including a recent query about Newton’s Laws. You remember “feed your eagles,” etc? Joyce Jennings Ernst added: “If it doesn’t smell good, it’s not going to taste good” and “You can’t polish horse****.” Beth also mentioned that Dan Newton wrote a book including many of his laws, but I can’t find it on Amazon (probably because, as I write this, I’m in Paris and all the top results are French things). Beth also asks, “Is it my imagination, or is Section D overrepresented on Facebook? Yahoo! We always knew we were hip, starting with Mr. Weber as advisor.” C’mon, other sections (especially A !!), join in the class page fun! Charlie Duffy (still aka The Mysterious Entity) has posted a reunion countdown clock at www.1charlie.com/flower. It is his second re52 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
union clock post, the first being “so powerful, I cannot be held responsible if it falls into the hands of any other B-school graduates except those of the Darden Class of 1987.” From viewing some awesome travel pictures, it looks like Mike Kender spent some fun time this summer traveling Europe, including stays in the Dolomite Mountains in Italy, Fussen, Germany and the Timmelsjoch Pass on the Italy/ Austria border. Also, commenting on recent important events in the United States, Mike notes: “I never thought that all three of the universities that I attended (Virginia Tech, Pitt, and U.Va.) would eventually end up in the same conference.” I saw a pretty funny picture of Bubba Fortner on his blog (blogs.darden.virginia.edu/everettefortner/), showing him in shirt, tie and shorts running from or to somewhere — it is a picture of unbridled energy and enthusiasm (I think). There is a lot of good stuff in Bubba’s blog, beyond the pictures, including a post on his time in Japan this year, during the earthquakes. As I complete this short column, remember to head over to the Facebook page (this is the promised “tip”), where the reunion chatter and nostalgia will begin piling up. Type “Darden Class of 1987” in the Facebook search bar! And, as always, stay connected, and see you next April!
1988 Chuck DiMeglio is featured in “Did You Know?” on page 14. Rhonda M. Smith is featured in “20 Questions” on page 72. ROB HANCKEL HANCKEL@AOL.COM
Happy fall to everyone! I hope your spring and summer were filled with adventure and safety. Several responded to my call for news and activities, so here goes. We have several classmates who live in or around Charlottesville, one of whom is Steve Krohn: “Carol and I are alive and quietly kicking here in Cville. We’re going to have a fun weekend this Saturday as my undergraduate alma mater — Southern Mississippi — will be here to play the ’Hoos. I’ve taken the high road, just as I did two years ago, and committed to root for the home team. I have a fraternity brother coming down from Washington for the game, though, so I might be the only one in the group wearing orange. Work goes as well as any banker can claim, and play goes pretty well, too. Turns out, a sucky economy is a great time to improve a golf game or discover a new hobby. It is early yet, but I seem to have caught the running bug from my oldest, who really excels at it. I’m a relative newbie but considering a half marathon in December. I get to go ‘back to school’ tomorrow (Sept. 23): I’m helping Professor Sihler with a case in his second-year entrepreneurial finance class. I’ve been able to help him with cases a few times a year for several years now. Seeing cold calls happen is much more
fun when there’s zero chance it’ll be you! And no one does a cold call better than Sihler. We’re starting to make some college trips with Joseph, who’s now a junior. We have to work those in between his cross-country running, which is going well for him. His team has legitimate state championship aspirations, so we’re hopeful they all stay healthy and fast. Our youngest, Peter, is like any eighth grader, acting like he owns the school before he goes up to high school and back to the bottom rung of the ladder again. Carol just wrapped up her final year as board chair for the local domestic violence shelter. She enjoyed that (and did a great job too!) and often worked with Darden second-year students via their women MBA organization’s annual fundraiser for the shelter. If anyone knows any good experienced commercial bankers, please steer them to my Virginia National Bank posting on the Darden Alumni Career Services site (and on McIntire’s site also). I could use a good talent acquisition, if a small community bank environment and Cville would be the right long-term career fit.” Further south in Atlanta, Steve Colton checks in: “It has been a busy past six months in the Colton household. My three sons and I backpacked 105 miles in the mountains of New Mexico; kids spent a month working in orphanage in Mozambique and then traveled with Jeri through Western and Eastern Europe. Two sons at BYU (one son is a junior in the accounting program and the other is a freshman who is a lacrosse high school all-American midfielder on semester at the Y and then going on a two-year mission for our church in January). Daughter is a junior at Stanford. Business (Zerorez Atlanta) is going well, running 18 trucks and using much of what Darden taught me.” From the northern outback, Don Dunham writes that they (Don and Linda) are experiencing their first empty nest moments. “Our son, Robert, went off to Eastern Europe as part of a high school/early honors college class for three weeks in January so we scooted down to Scottsdale, Ariz., for a quick break. Fell in love with old car auctions at the Barrett-Jackson Auction (did not buy anything — yet). We went to Scottsdale again in March for my beloved and beleaguered Chicago Cubs Spring Training — another long year for me and all friends of the friendly confines. In May, our family went to Ohio as three of us were in my niece’s wedding, and I got to practice giving away a bride, hopefully a long way off for our Maggie who is in nursing school at Kent State. While in Ohio, we conducted our maintenance week on our real estate ‘empire’ of five rentals, one of which includes our retirement house in Bay Village, Ohio. Financially, retirement seems a long way away. I am now chief of staff to the president at BP Alaska, though a new role is expected in a year or so. Managing the senior management team and its direction is a real challenge, but we have such a good team. As I write, I have just completed five days in Durango, Colo., and just last night arrived for four in Vegas (our first trip) for another bout of the Barrett-Jackson Car Auction
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
— still going to only look. I know the temptation will win out at some point, though.” We have many classmates overseas, and several wrote in. Our faithful resident German, Udo Reichling, reported: “No new job, no new house, and no new family. What did change is that we did not go to Denmark this summer (Danish economy tanked as a result), but we took a tour of the American West, including Hawaii, taking advantage of the exchange rate (my personal theory is that the crisis was triggered by the news of us leaving the country). The kids loved it, but found the Pacific altogether too salty compared to the Baltic. Since shops, restaurants, malls etc. were all packed, I found it hard to believe at first that there is a crisis, but watching the debt ceiling drama convinced me. It is interesting that in Europe, everybody blames the current meltdown on the Americans, and vice versa in the United States. Germany is holding up pretty well, so I am very busy, and Berlin is actually experiencing a rise in housing prices for the first time since 1994! All best from Old Europe, and see you 2013 (25th Reunion for our class).” Staying with the European theme, Bill Birrell talks about his latest project and family: “I have directed my second feature film, “Where Did You Sleep Last Night,” starring Lydia Hearst, Luke Bracey, Reed Thompson, Izzy McNally and HRH Theodora Greece. It was produced by Two Ton Films (“The Bucket List,” “The Wedding”). My oldest daughter is studying painting at NYU, middle daughter a senior at Cate, eyeing the Ivy League, and my youngest is at Marlborough School. Laura and I spend a lot of time in Northern Italy, at the gateway to the Dolomites — lovely spot.” And lastly from the other side of the world, Thomas (MBA ’89) and Rong Huang Amann write: “I was just at Allan Beckenstein’s talk he gives here in Auckland, New Zealand, for the executive program that Ernst & Young organizes here and thought it would be nice for Rong’s classmates to hear what she is up to. Rong and I are happily settled here in New Zealand (over 11 years now). There is a large percentage of Chinese here in Auckland and the restaurants and supermarkets that go with that. She started playing tennis six years ago and competes in the local scene. Felix Fei, 20, is studying software engineering here and loves it. He has to cut back on his sports after winning the National and the Oceania Championships in Modern Pentathlon twice in a row. Louisa Li, 18, just joined the police force and will graduate from police college in November. There have not been any Darden visits to our place recently, but thanks to Facebook we do not lose touch.” Now speaking of social media, I want everyone to be aware that our class has both LinkedIn and Facebook group sites. If you are involved in social media (of course we all are as we are trail blazers!!), please try to connect with as many as you can on both sites. It is an easy way to keep in touch between my reports in the Darden news.
One last item before I sign off — if you recall, our class is making a significant impact on the university as a whole, and another member, Alison Cryor DiNardo, has been elevated to a leadership role. Alison was selected by the governor to join the Board of Visitors, which makes the third classmate (Helen Dragas, Mark Kington) to be a part of that important group. Congratulations to her!! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, and let’s hope the economy improves!! All the best, Rob
1989 CHAMPE FISHER CHAMPE59@GMAIL.COM
Whew! If you are reading this, then I just made the deadline for submitting my column. I don’t know where the time went since my last column, but I certainly lost track of it. It has been crazy here in Delaware, as I am certain it has been wherever you are, but over the summer we had an earthquake, tornado and hurricane. I would deem that to be the Triple Crown of nature’s wrath. OK ... enough about me. Let’s get going with the Class Notes. Debra Wilson checked in to announce that she has started her next great career opportunity as the vice president of global talent acquisition at Assurant Inc. Assurant, a Fortune 300 company and a member of the S&P 500, is traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Assurant is a premier provider of specialized insurance products and related services in North America and select worldwide markets. She is responsible for global talent acquisition strategy and performance, linking customized and scalable talent acquisition strategies and processes to the corporate culture, business plans and needs. She also spends time on workforce planning, including succession planning, gaps in skills and capabilities and competencies. Debra mentions that during her search journey, many of her Darden classmates offered encouragement, contacts and coaching. For that she thanks each and every one. She shares with us that a key learning for her during the job search has been the true power of a mutually beneficial, well-developed and nurtured network. Marianne Dean has checked in again to say that although she has been a victim of California budget cuts, her time out of the workforce has turned out to be a needed respite — she took the time to think about her career over the next 30 years and a chance to solidify her relationship with her soon-to-fledge 16-year-old son. She found it to be a very fruitful year with the most important realization that her skills and interests are truly better suited for the for-profit world. She is now working in downtown San Francisco for a small commercial insurance brokerage, ISU of San Francisco, which is the flagship for a national network. They are in the midst
of rethinking how an insurance brokerage in a mature industry can best provide insurance and risk management services to the vital and evolving market of small to medium-size companies. Marianne is looking forward to sharpening her MBA skills in the process of helping companies better manage their risk and realize their goals. She encourages classmates to call anytime they are in San Francisco. She is in the financial district enjoying the urban environment! Lastly, Bill Douglas wrote to say that for the past four years he has been running his own small business as an independent focus group moderator (his e-mail address is below). He has been helping global brands with new product development, advertising and packaging optimization. He reminds us that anyone interested in marketing research should feel free to contact him. Bill is happy to help in any way that he can. His e-mail is bill@envision-research.com. Bill goes on to mention that he lives in Atlanta and that his wife, Beth, is a project manager for the state of Georgia. His son Evan is a high school senior and enjoys engineering classes (his mentions his tinkering skills definitely did not come from Bill!) and lacrosse (and Bill says way to go ’Hoos for the National Championship!). His daughter Alexa is a high school freshman and enjoys cello and, of course, shopping. That is all for now. Please keep the updates coming (Champe59@gmail.com).
1990 Scott A. Price is featured in “New Members Elected to Darden School Foundation Board on page 5. HEATHER MCGREW HEATHERJMCGREW@GMAIL.COM
When I sent out my call for news for this column, I mentioned that yet again Darden had managed to find the worst possible timing for a Class Notes deadline. Now that I’m working for a breast cancer organization (the Young Survival Coalition [YSC]), thanks to Breast Cancer Awareness Month (officially October 1–31, unofficially early September through mid-November), my life is pretty crazy in the fall. Even though I know this, in a moment of utter insanity in February, I signed up to ride in three different cycling events in September/October to raise awareness and funding for YSC. Five hundred miles over seven days in three different states. Really, what was I thinking? To make matters worse, the deadline for this column was on the calendar right smack between ride number two and ride number three. In my note to the class, I mentioned my insanity and the three rides and also included that my training schedule had been disrupted over the summer when I had a nasty crash due to some unfortunately situated train tracks and was carted off to the emergency room in an ambulance. Almost as soon as I hit send on my e-mail to the class, I began receiving responses from numerous classmates who had also had nasty
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
53
CLASS NOTES cycling accidents. And people weren’t referring to accidents they had back when they were 8 years old and weren’t terribly coordinated. No, these were accidents that happened within the past year. One had happened the week before. I won’t share the stories or reveal who sent them in, since some of the tales of woe were a bit gory. I’m really not sure what to take away from this other than if you see a Darden classmate approaching you on a bike, it may be a good idea to get out of the way! Dorothy Batten, who has not fallen off her bike lately, wrote in to share that she completed her master’s in counseling studies last December and is now working toward a doctorate in positive psychology. One of her two sons is a high school senior and co-captain of his varsity football team and the other is in ninth grade and was made co-captain of his junior varsity football team. Both are very busy, and Dorothy is burning up the roads driving all over the place for games. And then on the weekends they want to go to U.Va. football games. In our last column, I mentioned that Steve Wilson was pondering relocating to Singapore. He recently wrote to tell me that he moved to Singapore last summer with his job with World Fuel Services. He hopes that if any of our classmates find themselves in Singapore that they will give him a call for dinner. Jess Ellington now has two more Wahoos in the family. He and Sally have a first year and a fourth year at U.Va. Joe Gill is still plugging away with his home remodeling and repair business and just started a Boy Scout Troop for his sons, who turn 12 in December. Cynthia Ashworth and her boyfriend, Malcolm, visited with Mike and Vicky HowellObresly in Piedmont, Calif., over the summer. They enjoyed many bottles of wine from their trip to Santa Ynez wine country and made a pilgrimage to foodie shrine Chez Panisse for dinner. Cynthia writes, “Vicky’s girl are bright, gorgeous and (no shock given Vicky’s their mom) sassy!” In August, Ron Aizer married the amazing woman he brought to our reunion last spring. He writes that despite a work trip to Africa two weeks prior to the wedding, an earthquake the week prior and a hurricane that struck during the ceremony, they had a great time. They are hoping the string of pre-wedding natural disasters is not an omen. They spent a week in Spain on their honeymoon. Ron is now the proud stepfather of two really great kids. Paul Pliakas drove down from Providence, R.I., to attend the wedding. Ron reports that Paul seems to be happy and busy with his tax preparation franchise and marketing consulting practice. Ron’s fairly new position with FINCA International is going well. He shares, “I reflect on the ‘A’ I received in Mark Eakers’s ‘International Finance’ class and realize now I probably deserved a D.” Tracée Edmondson is a homeschooling mother of an 8-year-old and an advocate for the 54 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
homeschooling movement. Around the time I sent out the call for news, Tracée had just received word from the New Jersey Appellate Court that she will orally argue before it on October 31 in Edmondson v. Elmer & Pittsgrove. The current ruling challenges compulsory education and residency laws and thus — in the State of New Jersey — appears to reverse a prior ruling on vouchers. She writes, “Guess I will have to dust off my Darden A&C skills! Given that the oral argument is on Halloween, I guess I will have to dress in costume as — well, what else? — the winner!” Annette and George Cassiere celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this year by taking the family on a cruise. George described the cruise as a great blend of family and alone time in that they were able to get rid of the kids each evening and yet still know where they were. George’s youngest son took up lacrosse this year, and it has become his favorite sport. He and George watched numerous U.Va. games this year on ESPN, including the national championship. The lacrosse bug has taken hold, and George has signed on to be the head coach for the winter indoor league. Bob Cox left Howrey LLP and private law practice in March 2011 (Howrey went into dissolution after a failed merger attempt with another large law firm in March). He is now an assistant director with the Division of Enforcement and Investigations at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). He is learning the PCAOB auditing standards and other related securities regulations. Bob feels this is a good fit with his previous career in litigating securities and complex commercial cases involving accounting issues. The best part of his new job is that the work/life balance is much better. Bob sees his wife, Shawn, and son, John, a lot more. He is optimistic that he may even have time to start playing golf again. John is doing well in second grade, a NASCAR fan (Kyle Busch is his favorite driver) and becoming a Redskins fan. Rusty Saylor retired from investment banking and started a small consulting business, which is consulting to not-for-profits. His practice requires a bit of travel but allows time for Rusty to finally try to learn to play golf, and spend more time with his daughter, who is now 16. After 2.5 years as CFO for Mars Retail Group (division of Mars, Inc.), Kristin Colber-Baker traded chocolate for gum and transferred to Wrigley (acquired by Mars, Inc., in 2008), to head up the global strategic and financial planning team. Kristin says that her kids still love the perks and she’s shed the eight pounds of weight put on via the daily ritual of chocolate eating. She says that the best business trip of her former role included visiting 65 chocolate shops in four European cities over the course of four days. “Top recco from the trip is Patrick Roget in Paris.” Kristin and Joe’s two boys — Quinn, 13, and Aaron, 10 — are at that really fun stage where they are fairly independent and self sufficient yet still enjoy being around
their parents. Larry Selzer continues to lead The Conservation Fund. Last year they launched a major initiative with North Face and REI called Outdoor Nation. The campaign is aimed at reconnecting young people with the outdoors. Eric Allyn has been working in his family’s business, Welch Allyn Inc., since graduation. Welch Allyn has nearly 3,000 employees worldwide and is one of the world’s leading medical device firms. The company was started by Eric’s great-grandfather, and it remains 100% family owned today. Eric is now chairman of the trust that controls his company’s stock. Eric led his company through the transition from the third generation to the fourth generation of ownership and governance, a task that sounds much easier than it is! Outside of Welch Allyn, Eric works with other family businesses, serving on a number of privately held company boards, and is a frequent speaker at family business seminars. Eric is also the chairman of the board of Auburn Hospital, on the Board of Governors of the Healthcare Trustees of NYS, and serves on the boards of several foundations, for two of which he chairs the investment committee. He is also founder and managing director of a small, private investment fund. eric and his wife, Meg O’Connell, have three daughters — ages 19, 17 and 14 — and the oldest is a freshman at Dartmouth College, but hopefully one of the others will consider U.Va.! Eric and his family live in Skaneateles, N.Y., and he still plays guitar from time to time. Dave Lisle recently completed the sale of his family’s company, Wausaukee Composites, to Sintex Industries, a diversified international manufacturer headquartered in Gujarat, India. They have grown nicely over the past 10 years, and established the company as one of the leading suppliers of very large molded composite plastic housings to the passenger rail, wind turbine and Con-Ag truck industries in the United States. Dave continues to serve as CEO, but the sale gives him some additional freedom, and perhaps other options to consider. Dave writes, “I can tell you I already miss all of the highs and lows of ownership, but this has also been an extremely challenging time to be a rust-belt manufacturer in the United States. With ownership came these daily tremors and an irrational fear that the whole thing was in the balance every waking moment. Candidly, it’s a relief to have the elephant off the back for the first time in a decade! Bonnie and I made it to the Super Bowl last January in Dallas, and helped coach our Green Bay Packers to their 13th world championship! We had a fantastic time at the game, but the pre-game management by Jerry Jones could serve as a model case study on bad planning and worse customer service! Anyway, best to you, and would love to catch up with any who might stray through Green Bay!”
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
1991 BRIAN COWAN RECEIVED A 2011 HIGHPERFORMANCE AWARD FOR CLASS AGENTS AND THE HIGHEST REUNION DARDEN ANNUAL FUND PARTICIPATION AWARD (79%) LAUREL PELTIER LAUREL77@COMCAST.NET
Kudos to our school’s leaders for continuously improving, thinking competitively and marketing our program’s strengths so well and it shows with our Economist ranking of number four in the world! The “glue” for our class has been Brian Cowan, and after a decade he is passing his Class Agent baton to John Harris. John and Brian will serve for one year as co-Class Agents, then John will take over in full starting the summer of 2012. Our class is fortunate to have two amazing and committed classmates. John Carrico and his wife, Sheri, enjoyed seeing everyone at our reunion in the spring (20 years … really?) and, “I finally have some great ’Hoos family news to share. Over the summer, my oldest son, Tyler (currently a senior at James River High School in Midlothian / Richmond), received an offer from U.Va. head baseball coach Brian O’Connor to play for the ’Hoos next year. He is a pitcher and is very excited to join the team next fall … the U.Va. baseball team was ranked number one in the country most of last year and advanced to the College World Series. He signs his official letter of intent/offer the first week of November. Sheri and I are still pinching ourselves at his wonderful opportunity to play college baseball and receive an incredible education, too! Tyler is a very good student (he gets this from his Mom). He also had offers from William & Mary and several great Ivy League schools (but it is just too cold to play baseball in New England in the early spring)! On a business note …. Ukrop’s Dress Express (we design, manufacture and distribute custom uniform apparel programs) now supplies more top 100 (based on sales) supermarket chains in the United States than any other company. We recently signed deals with Harris Teeter (Charlotte), Schnuck’s Markets (St. Louis), Sweetbay Markets (Tampa), Roundy’s (Milwaukee) and Fiesta (Houston). So the next time folks are in Charlottesville and need food (or beer & wine) and venture to the Barrack’s Road Harris Teeter store, admire those great looking uniforms. It is definitely a “low tech” business, but since even in a recession people have to eat, we are fortunate to be serving a good industry in these unstable economic times.” Tracy Shirley checked in from the Midwest. “Our oldest child, Parker, started college at the University of Tulsa this fall. He is majoring in mechanical engineering. My youngest, Jeff, started driving this fall as well, so Shari and I are closing in on empty nest syndrome. Is it wrong to say we are looking forward to being the co-captains of our lives again? I finally qualified for the Boston Marathon last year and ran it this April. I’m wondering how many of our
class members have run marathons and how many have run Boston?” Scott Crawford and his wife, Linda, are still in San Francisco. “I was acquired again (a good outcome), this time by Dell. Dell acquired Boomi about a year ago, and still going through the acquisition integration. Last time it was IBM. I seem to have a knack for finding startups, growing them and then going through the acquisition process. I’m pretty sure I’ll find another start-up in the near future that looks primed to be acquired by a big company with a blue logo (there are lots of those in the software world).” Per-Andre Marum shares with us, “I’d like to use this opportunity to extend our thanks to all the Darden alumni who showed their concern and support after the terrible killings in Oslo this summer. It really warmed our hearts in a demanding situation. (We live in between the two locations, 20 minutes in each direction.) Most of the summer we spent in the United States, and our only regret was that we did not have time to follow up on all the hospitality invitations that we got during our nice reunion. We ended up spending almost a week in D.C. at Leslie and John Pitcher’s (THANKS AGAIN) — and almost suffocated in the heat and humidity. We also enjoyed a great BBQ there over at Master Chef Brian Cowan and Connie Hallquist’s. The trip also covered Boston, Martha’s Vineyard, The Hamptons, New Jersey, New York City and the U.S. Naval Academy. We’ll be back next summer — the boys just loved it! Hope to see more of you then, or make sure to stop by when you’re in Oslo next time.” Our own maestro Paul Hoffman e-mailed in, “I am still running the orchestra in New Hampshire, trying to keep things lean as is the way with nonprofits these days. Also rowing seriously again, racing in the Head of the Charles. Over the summer, Martha hiked the Maine section of the Appalachian Trail; Samuel is doing lots of karate; Kerry is happiest when she is riding her big horse in the woods. Hello to the Darden gang!” What a nice surprise to see Julie Mollick Hallowell’s e-mail in my inbox (laurel77@ comcast.net BTW): “It has been awhile since I checked in, so here is a quick summary. I voluntarily left the financial world a couple of years ago to spend more time with my kids, travel and just take in a bit of a change of scenery since I had been going full-time ever since Darden! I am now thinking of getting back into the workforce (but with this economy, who knows!). Certainly not before I go to Bolivia for a couple of weeks next month! It has been a great couple of years pursuing many different things, and I’ve had the luxury to travel (my passion) to places that I just couldn’t fit into a regular working schedule. And it has also been great spending more time with my kids and getting more involved in their activities and my community and volunteer organizations. Fortunately I have a very understanding husband and a mom that comes up and covers for me while I’m gone! I’m
certainly not going to call being a full-time parent ‘taking a break’ — in fact, I think in many ways it is easier to have a job than be a full-time parent, but I miss work outside the home so will probably go back at some point…[Editor’s note: Amen sister. Staying at home is amazing and a little humbling and exhausting.] My son Drew is 11 now, and my daughter Allison is 9 and my husband and I just celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary.” Jay Scott is still running his own business! “Business volume has increased every year since we started four years ago. Sarah, the kids (Ford, 9 in Nov., Alden, 6, and Elisabeth, 3 in Dec.) and I all doing well. Sarah just did her third triathlon and is now hooked. Ford and his swimming relay team won first in their age-group in the regional swim team championships this summer. Alden and Elisabeth just love doing their thing, whatever that is from day to day! Sarah and I celebrate our 10th anniversary this week. Lots of things for which to be thankful.” My favorite line to read is when classmates say, “I have nothing new to add” and then your e-mails are the opposite. Check out Greg Warmuth’s e-mail. “Actually, you could put in there that I received a master’s of accountancy degree from Gardner Webb University in 2009, and I passed the CPA exam. Still working with American Emergency Vehicles as VP of finance — 18 years next week.” If most people did that, hmmm, a long-term career a second master’s degree, a CPA, yeah, that’s chump change. Call the president — our economy would be zooming if everyone thought that was nothing! Chris Black and Connie Dato English met for lunch in Atlanta and hopefully Bob Bruner spotted the bill! (Idea: Take pictures when you visit classmates and we’ll include in this magazine.) Mark Dales has been flying under the radar for a while but resurfaced in real estate, of all places. Son Alec is 19 and looking at colleges; Veronica, 16, is in a private school in upstate New York. I am working in South Carolina and Georgia, buying low and selling hopefully not as low. Keeping an eye on Eric Randall, George Collins (the troubadour from Prague), RT Lyman, and Brian Cowan. Looking for Chris Black and Tripp Wood. (Editor’s note: I sent Mark their contact info; just go to the Darden website, enter your user name and password and the updated database is at your fingertips). Heading to Philly in a few weeks to see the folks and sites, then New York City to see the amazing Alfie Boe in “Les Miserables” and perhaps the Rockettes Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall. Jim Kent once again states that his e-mail is boring; not so, says editor. “Still working at Washington Gas Energy Services, but many new challenges as we expand our service area and product mix out of Northern Virginia/Baltimore into all of Pennsylvania, western Maryland and Delaware. Although natural is in our company name, we actually sell more electricity and green power to consumers than gas. And
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
55
CLASS NOTES we sell a lot of gas... Family doing well. Dena and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this July in the south Outer Banks, where we’ve been going for nearly 20 years. Our kids were with us, of course. John is a junior at Cornell, and Eleanor is a senior in high school looking at Virginia Tech and JMU. A lot has happened since we walked the lawn...Any cheeseheads out there? Look for me on Monday Night Football this November as all four Kents will be on the 50-yard line of the home-team at Lambeau Field as our world-champion Packers take on the (hopefully) hapless Vikings! Other than that, all work and no play make Jim a pretty dull boy … but it pays the bills.” Antony Takahashi is still in China on assignment for IBM. “I am an old SAP cost accounting guy, but I have been asked to do this project in Oracle, so it has been a fun learning experience. My family joined me in August after five months of commuting back and forth. I do miss spending time in the United States but I am very happy to have my family here and to not be jet-lagged!” Another classmate living the life abroad! John Reisky de Dubnic wrote: “The ‘Swedish’ Reisky family is doing well, and we enjoy living in Malmö in the burbs of Copenhagen. Elliot and Amanda are now 7 and 11 years old, respectively. Johanna is a district nurse working in a private pediatric clinic. We enjoy supporting football and dance performances, lots of travel and a neverending list of renovation projects at home. As for work, I have found a dream job: running an early stage biotech company with a novel diagnostic technology for HIV management in high disease burden countries. I am learning to live in the moment and savor these precious years, with the realization that these are our best days.” Doug Klein has a great idea for our class, “Facebook, Schmacebook! LinkedIn is the way to go! I already have 662 quality leaders in my network, with over 50 from Darden. Please, please send me an invite! I was just recruited to be the sales manager for corporate treasury and risk management applications for OpenLink Financial, a global provider of trading technology tools for central banks, comm-banks, I-banks, oil, gas, electric, etc. I’m hoping to travel to visit clients and prospects in some of the 44 countries where we do business. Little Eliana just had her Bat Mitzvah October 17th, and sophomore Evan is in the teen phase where everything we do is annoying. But compared to what we did in high school, these kids today are angels (or they hide things very well!). Wife Rebecca managing the chaos somehow. Sorry I missed the reunion; best wishes to everyone from D’91!” Finally, I am often asked what I’m doing outside of gathering our Class Notes. Laurel Peltier is our family’s chief household officer (the CHO title is courtesy of Paul Miller, who markets for www.manilla.com, a very cool and free online account and bill manager). And, I’ve 56 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
taken my consumer brand management experience and now publish an “eco-glancer” called www.greenlaurel.com. Focusing on super-busy iPhone readers, an eco-glancer is a monthly newsletter: only four bullet points on one topic and why it’s relevant. It’s been fun to become a green expert in Baltimore ( a not-very-green city). Doing radio gigs, consulting for nonprofits, running classes and writing for various publications, hopefully bringing a big topic down to a personal level. Cheers and happy holidays.
1992 • Reunion 2012 Shin Furukawa is pictured in “Did You Know?” on page 14. JAMIE BERGER JAMIEMBERGER@VERIZON.NET
Bob Armour writes: “I recently left Cognizant to pursue something more entrepreneurial again. My passion is really around building and transforming businesses — especially those that are software/IT intensive. Despite the economy there are a lot of emerging opportunities in the cloud/mobile space so we’ll see…perhaps by the time this is published I’ll be back in the game. Family is doing well. Alex just turned 14!?! Hoping to make reunions in April – it’s 20 years so we need a good turn out! Have caught up with Scott Adams, Bruce Lavine and Bernie Student in recent months. Perhaps we can provide the “things that make you go hmmm” chili and a few kegs at Old Turner Mountain Rd. as a draw in April!” Lawrence Gray reports: “In January of 2010, I started as the CEO of Gray Holdings, a real estate operating company based in Richmond, Virginia, with investments in apartments and residential land throughout the southeastern U.S. The great recession provided an excellent opportunity for a “sabbatical” for most of 2009 after 17 exciting years in the real estate investment banking business, the last 12 of which were with Wachovia/First Union. Yoshi Watanabe writes “My wife, Noriko, and I are enjoying our life in Tokyo. We actually got married in 1990 when I was at Darden, and I still remember well my (male) classmates held a “special” party right before our wedding…Over the past several years, I’ve been with a Belgium company “SWIFT” as Head of Japan. And my wife works at a small law firm as a lawyer, spending part of her time to protect human rights of foreigners in Japan. We are trying to mark our calendar for the 27th–29th of April 2012. We’re hoping to see you all there!” Hard to believe we are old enough to be celebrating a 20 year anniversary of our Darden graduation….” After eight years as VP Content Acquisition, Erin Ruane has left Netflix to spend a bit of time at home with her three children with Geoff Hale (JD/MBA ‘93). They both frequently see Jordan Posell. They most recently visited
Ann (O’Connell) Joseph in April in Paris (it could be a song!) for a great visit with her and her family. Rick Edmunds says he hasn’t sent notes in a while so he could probably fill out a long list of things since last time. However, he offers up the short version: “Still living in Alexandria 20 years after Darden with my wife and two high school kids. Elected as senior partner and head of the global health practice at Booz & Company this past year. Joined the Darden Corporate Advisory Board this year and still a leader of the Washington Tennis & Education Foundation. Keep up with a number of fellow ’92 grads including Robbie Huffines, Michael Meyer, Chip Caravati, and Gordon Wallace.” Speaking of Robbie Huffines, he had quite a bit to share on our class: “Have couple tidbits on classmates to offer. Chip and Amanda Nisbet’s daughter Alannah is a freshman at U.Va. where she is an Echols scholar. She is loving Cville. Vivek Joshi recently visited for dinner and is running an exciting growth company and enjoying California. His kids sound great and his son loves baseball. Asli Keskinel Eksioglu and her husband Berk and daughter Daphne have visited a couple times. Our daughter Bea took Daphne around town with some NYC teens. Now that’s global generational connectivity courtesy of a Darden education.” Finally, Brian Chase writes “Another spectacular fall is upon us here in Cville where I continue my work as a Managing Broker for Roy Wheeler Realty/Wintergreen Resort Premier Properties. We’re finally starting to see buyers with a real sense that value has returned to the Cville real estate market, and market inventories are slowly on the decline. We also just finished our first annual Tough Mudder event at Wintergreen Resort. What a terrific group of people — dedicated, considerate, and respectful. Many were seeing Wintergreen for the first time (or at least for the first time without snow on the ground). It was a blast — 15,000 competitors, some from as far away as Michigan. The Tough Mudder concept was cooked up by a couple of Harvard B-school grads — come on Dardenites, let’s get with it!” Save the date — come back to Grounds 27–29 April 2012 for our 20th reunion!
1993 REBECCA KILDUFF RECEIVED THE 2011 OUTSTANDING DOMESTIC CHAPTER LEADER AWARD FOR HER EXEMPLARY ORGANIZATION OF HIGH LEVEL ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES FOR ALUMNI, STUDENTS AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS WITHIN THE WASHINGTON D.C. CHAPTER. Donna M. McAleer’s book is featured in “What to Read Now” on page 16. MAY NG NGMAY2000@YAHOO.COM REBECCA KILDUFF RKILDUFF@MADISONKILDUFF.COM
It was great to hear from Kenneth King: “I’m
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
due for an update since I have not provided one in 18 years. We live in Nashville, Tenn. I work for Community Health Systems, which is a publicly traded hospital operator. I head up acquisitions. LaDonna and I have a 10-year old-boy, 8-year old-girl and one Lab. Outside of work, our activities are fairly domestic, with PTA meetings, tennis, taking kids to their various activities, etc. We did a couple of interesting things this year: we vacationed in Wyoming and South Dakota (we learned that Yellowstone can have six feet of snow on the ground in midMay) and attended the Rose Bowl (thankfully, the right team won ...TCU 21, Wisconsin 19). I always appreciate reading the update on others and apologize for being delinquent myself.” The number of Darden ’93 classmates in health care is expanding. Gerry Sequiera reported meeting with Amar Rajasekhar at an annual health care conference (HIMSS). Gerry is still President of ICP Corporation, a consulting firm now with projects in health care. He and May Ng started a LinkedIn group for Darden alumni in health care to connect. Speaking of other alumni in health care, I caught up with Naomi Tam and Tom Klenke (MBA ’94) at the home of Christine and Christoph Heiss (MBA ’94). Naomi and Tom were visiting in the Bay Area after dropping Zoe off at swim camp. Naomi was prepping for a trip to China with her dad. We also have a few job moves and relocations to report. After more than eight years with Microsoft traveling the globe for a variety of mobile product incubations, Ken Pawlak has returned to helping start-ups on the outside and is leading a new venture. This month Ken mentored a few social entrepreneurs competing in SVP’s Social Innovation Fast Pitch (http://sifp.net/) and started customer beta tests for his new mobile tech startup, Via 121. And so glad to hear from Amy Ritz: “After a nine-year maternity leave, I’ve reentered the world of the employed. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised to find that even after so many years, my Darden MBA was highly regarded by many potential employers during my job search. After much consideration of jobs back in the toy or entertainment industry, I landed a job in business-to-business marketing (Professor Spekman would be proud!). I’m now working for Accenture, creating programs and events to develop client relationships. I like the work, but the best part about it is that I do it all from home. Great to not commute in Los Angeles and very convenient that I am here when the kids get home. Speaking of kids, Adam (10) is in fifth grade, and after one night of his science homework, I am now certain that I am not smarter than a fifth grader. Zoe (6) is in first grade — I can still manage her homework, at least. In September, I was able to get together with Gordon Cook, Ed Han and Dan Parsley, who was passing through Los Angeles. Hopefully next time we can get an even bigger group together. While it is still over a year away, I’m
looking forward to returning to C-ville for our reunion.” From across our border on the north, Denise Smith writes, “Elliott and I have moved to Calgary for his job. Elliott is running the Canadian operations for his company. It should be an interesting adventure and will certainly be a bit colder than it has been in Houston. Zachary (13) and Katherine (12) are adjusting well to their new schools. Let us know if you are in the area.” Also, Rick Jones now lives in the Big Apple — we’ll miss him at Bay Area social events. And congratulations to Ed Han! He is now a principal at Granite Investment Partners in El Segundo, Calif. Note: Michael Bennett Slone, who passed away in November 2009 was also an alumnus of Tufts University. This past year three of his Tufts classmates established a scholarship at Tufts in his memory. The scholarship will reflect Michael’s love for travel by supporting the participation of a deserving undergraduate at the Tufts European Center program in Talloires, France. If you would like to make a donation, contact Kosta Alexis at Tufts University School of Arts and Sciences, 80 George St., Room 323, Medford, MA 02155
1994 CHRIS PIORKOWSKI AND MARK RISER RECEIVED A 2011 HIGH-PERFORMANCE AWARD FOR CLASS AGENTS. ANDREW LOGAN LOGANP94@ALUM.DARDEN.EDU TAMARA DE DIOS TAMARADEDIOS@YAHOO.COM
Andrew Spreadbury: I am living in Paris with my wife Veronique and sons Thomas (10) and Julien (2). I am working on acquisitions (Director, M&A) for a French transportation and logistics company (Geodis). I was delighted to see Dean Bruner on his recent visit here. Kate McKone-Sweet: I am still at Babson College and live in Needham, MA, with my family—Mark, Maya (7) and Marcos (4). I am currently Chair of the Technology Operations and Information Management Division. This fall, my big news is that I published a new book, The New Entrepreneurial Leader: Developing Leaders Who Shape Social and Economic Opportunity (www.newleaderboook.com). This book details a new model of leadership—entrepreneurial leadership—and describes how to develop leaders who engage a different logic of business decision-making based on a fundamentally different rationale for the existence of business. The book is sold on Amazon—good reviews are always welcome! Damon Devito: Affinity Management (www.affinitymanagement.com) played an integral role in stabilizing a Poconos area country club leading to a sale on behalf of PNC Bank following a year earlier foreclosure. It was an interesting transaction with closing happening
inside 24 hours of P&S agreement execution. Affinity led a recapitalization of Stoneleigh G&CC near Leesburg, VA, and recently doubled our equity position. Also advised a South Carolina university on the feasibility of adding equestrian amenities to address Title IX compliance objectives. Had a very late Sunday night recently when David Richardson visited from Louisville with his daughter to visit U.Va. (His daughter Mary-Winston was born in Charlottesville in David’s second year at Darden, is a senior in high school and a Jefferson Scholar nominee!) David, Ian Ratcliffe, Graham Anthony, Toan Nguyen joined me for red-wine fueled discussion on guns, Tahoes, politics, Hot Browns, and the future of higher education in America. Many macro problems were solved. Unfortunately no notes were taken and no one can remember the conclusions. (Editor’s Note: Classic study group session and results!) Graham played chef and cooked burgers and sausages (from companies which he and Tom Clenke invested in, of course!) Toan Nguyen: The amazing outcome of David’s visit was that it changed the course of my life! David showed me how to structure financing terms to take C’ville Coffee, a successful “lifestyle” business, into a franchising business. We are now taking steps to open a second store, a “proof-of-concept” store, in Richmond, and then start selling franchises. David gave us the final piece of the puzzle. I think that it’s wonderful how we all affect each other in ways that we don’t even realize. Kristina Mangelsdorf: Still with PepsiCo 17 years later (am the last one left of our class — at one point there were 4 of us), and I just stepped into a new role as CMO of our foodservice division. Fascinating challenge, both on the business side as I’m working across all our food and beverage lines of business, and on the people side as my team is spread all across the U.S. All good at home, still living in Pelham just outside NYC, Charlotte is now 8, Eric almost 6. Some fun recent vacations, but we do seem to be a bit weather challenged — annual Rehoboth
Tamara and Jorge DeDios (both MBA ’94) and family at Lynna Martinez’s (MBA ’94) NYC restaurant ‘qba’ in April 2011.
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
57
CLASS NOTES
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
Toiling in the Congo: John Yeager (MBA ’95) FOR JOHN YEAGER (MBA ’95), the Democratic Republic of Congo — a country beset by violence and poverty — is the best place to apply the skills he acquired as a Darden MBA, which is why he’s spending two years working there. “Africa-wide, there is a need for strong business and financial management,” said Yeager. “Africans are very hard workers, but often lack proper management and human resource development skills. Hopefully this is what I bring to the table.” Yeager, 46, was a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon, Africa, before attending Darden. After earning his MBA, he went to work for Citibank in the Ivory Coast and Gabon. He later left Citibank to co-manage an investment fund in Bulgaria before joining ELF Capital Management, a Charlottesville-based investment fund. Yeager now works for HEAL Africa, a Congo-based enterprise whose mission is to aid the Congolese, many of whom have been brutalized by war. Yeager is helping to manage the hospital in the city of Goma under difficult conditions. “The hospital provides a range of care to children and adults,” Yeager explained. “We are one of the primary centers for fistula repair. [Enterovaginal fistula] is the severe tearing of the wall between the women’s vagina and anus during violent rape. We also are dedicated to all types of orthopedic care, especially children hobbled with club feet.” But the continent also has a beautiful side. “I love Africa,” said Yeager. “I find the Africans’ penchant for life, family, community and celebration deeply inspirational. Africans rarely bemoan their condition, though most live in abject poverty. Music and dance permeate the shanty towns while shirtless and often shoeless children kick around some substitute for a soccer ball. Africans are materially poor, but spiritually robust.” Yeager feels that his African mission is nothing unusual for a Darden MBA. “I found Dardenites to be uniquely caring and ethical persons, regardless of the profession they chose to pursue post-MBA. Darden helps cultivate a very insightful and compassionate student.” Yeager, who currently lives in a guesthouse in Goma belonging to HEAL Africa’s founders, said he is reminded daily of those in need. “Yesterday, my car was engulfed by dirt-covered street children extending their hands yelling, ‘Please, Mister, give me something to eat,’” he said. “I generally try to save half of my lunch to offer to a cluster of children or one of the crippled elders sitting on the roadside.” Beach trip was cut short by Irene, and we did our first ever Disney World visit last weekend during a tropical storm that dropped over 5 inches of rain … . Best way to reach me is by PepsiCo email, kristina.mangelsdorf@pepsico. com, always happy to hear from people! Dave Demartin: I am still working for Booz Allen Hamilton but am currently supporting the firm’s efforts to expand to the International Market. Our non-compete agreement with Booz & Co. ended in August and I am currently working as part of our Abu Dhabi office in the United Arab Emirates. Cristian G. Balbontin: Don’t have life changing events, other than we continue to 58 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
plow forward with our adventure travel company … love to share the link (www.highlandad ventures.com) with the class for those looking to travel to Machu Picchu, Galapagos or Patagonia (friends & family rate of course). Rita Schreyer: Checking in again from Mexico. After leaving my investment banking job 18 months ago, I have been focusing on building a construction company and a tequila brand. The construction company got closed this summer because I simply didn’t have the stomach for the mordidas (bribes). I continue to have global marketing representation for the permeable concrete additive but I am handling that as a sales rep only. Tequila Ekeco, a 100%
organic, 100% agave, kosher tequila (“a premium tequila at an everyday price”) will be sold in blanco (silver) and reposado in the US starting in the 4th quarter of 2011, priced at $27/bottle for blanco and $30/bottle for reposado. Since I only got my approval to sell it there a month ago, we are scrambling to line up entrance into competitions and meeting with distribution companies. We have been selling well in Mexico for 3 months now — available in 11 Liverpool department stores around Mexico City. I will be a contestant on “Last Tequila Standing” a program that can be viewed on VMas TV out of Southern CA (will send the link to my segment once it’s on their website). My personal life has been rockier — both parents have been in chemo all year and my mother died 5 weeks ago after a 7 month battle with lung cancer. My Dad is on a short chemo break for his advanced prostate cancer, so we have a small window of breathing space before we all start taking turns caring for him again. It’s amazing to me that two such educated healthy people got so sick so quickly and so young, but it’s shown me you can’t put stuff off, because you just don’t know how much time you will be given. Graham Anthony: Graham & Angela Anthony had a baby, Thomas Beckman Anthony, in March. Thomas is happy, healthy and enjoys parties—just like his Dad. Michael Luchs: All is well with the Luchs family in Williamsburg. I am still teaching at W&M and Ivonne is back in school to become a nurse. Our three boys keep us busy with afterschool soccer and piano, but mom and dad are getting to have some fun too (I am playing soccer regularly, Ivonne is playing in a field hockey league and we’re both doing the misc. local races available in Williamsburg). We do, however, get a little restless being in a small town, but have been better about getting away including Amsterdam last summer and a Disney Cruise as well (the latter doesn’t quite fit in with my research focus on “sustainable consumption,” but you have to see the other side to criticize it, I guess!). Martha White: I was married to Alf Skogh on 3 September in Enköping, Sweden. We had our reception a week later in Cioccaro di Penango, Italy. Carol Bennett Anderson and her husband, Robert, were there to help us celebrate. Tamara and Jorge de Dios: We stopped by Lynna Martinez’s restaurant, qba, back in April when the family took a trip to NY. The food was fantastic and our son wants to go back for more black beans and rice! We also were in C’ville in September and met up with Rob Cross and family. Their new house in the country is beautiful and we had a great time in the media room that shook the house during a viewing of “How to Tame Your Dragon.” We stopped by C’ville Coffee on our way out of town so the kids could get a ride on the big tortoise. We were sorry to have missed seeing Toan, but we plan to be back soon. Andrew Logan: Life and career have come
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
full-circle. This summer I got the call to return to the assisted living facility that I helped start in 1990, as my mother was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment—a nice way to say Alzheimer’s Disease. I won’t even touch the irony. On a positive note, I now have the perfect lab to test out my MBA and see if I can do a better job running this place now than I did 20 years ago. It is all very surreal, however, once I teach thirty women to communicate and treat each other as well as they treat the residents, my job here is done. Talk about job security. Ever-patient spouse Jennie Guglielmi (MBA ’03) is a finance manager in investor relations at a small consumer products company you may have heard of in Cincinnati, so I commute to Wisconsin weekly with whippet Lollie as my copilot. More as the story unfolds, I am also still dabbling in risk management/tax loopholes for anyone needing a $1.2mm IRS-approved tax shelter. See www.capitalpreservation.co for details. That wraps it up for our class for this edition, with one important outstanding item … we are still waiting to see the hair and/or heads of Trip Davis and Kent McCammon dyed orange or shaved, their choice, in honor of Section D’s 4th place finish in our section challenge earlier this year. Pay up fellas or else we will cease all contributions to the Darden Annual Fund until we see the evidence!
The Darden Report editor’s note: Here’s the evidence — Trip Davis (MBA ’94) dons Hoo Hair. We’ll catch Kent McCammon for the next issue!
1995 See John Yeager’s Alumni Spotlight on page 56. Shiro Sakamoto is pictured in “Did You Know?” on page 14. SUPRIYA DESAI SOUPYD@YAHOO.COM BARBARA HALL BARBARA.HALL1@WACHOVIA.COM
Hi, classmates! Judging by the number of updates Barbara and I receive, the Class of 1995 has dwindled in size from 240-some-odd folks to something like 12! While few in number, the updates we got this time around are chock full of new information that we hope you enjoy reading. And Barb and I will press on in our efforts to keep you all connected to each other and our collective youth. Remember to drop us an e-mail anytime throughout the year to let us know what’s going on with you, your family or
other Darden friends! We start with a couple of firsts (we suspect they’re firsts but don’t keep archived records to verify) — updates from Rob Williams and Jamie Meyerhoeffer. Coincidentally, both are in Williamsburg, Va. Rob wrote to tell us, “We have been in Williamsburg for the past 8 1/2 years. I have my own company, International Construction Equipment, where we trade construction equipment around the world. It is a very fun business that allows for a good quality of life. I probably need to do a better job looking up fellow Darden folks as I travel … I will try. Allison and I stay very busy with Margaret (13) and Matthew (9). They keep us on the go with all their swimming and lacrosse activities. I currently coach several lacrosse teams in the area. For the past couple of years we have spent a lot of time at our home in St. Croix. The whole family has really gotten into diving. Anyone heading to Williamsburg or St. Croix, let us know. We love to have people stop in.” (Editor’s note: Book flight to St. Croix. Check.) It was also exciting to get what I think is Jamie Meyerhoeffer’s first update for the Class Notes! He says, “Sorry I’ve been out of touch. I’m settled into Williamsburg, Va., now, having lived in Atlanta and Nashville since 1995. My wife, Kim, and I have a 5-month-old named Jacob (20 lbs of chunky fun) [Editor’s note: Jacob will make you pay for that one, Jamie!]. Kim’s son, Ben, is ‘4 and a half’ and a proud big brother. Kim and I both work in health care business development. It is really great to be back in Virginia near our families, and I even had a work meeting at U.Va. hospital recently.” Jamie was also nice enough to thank Supriya for her handwritten note a few months back. And while I can’t recall writing handwritten notes to this class, I am righteously indignant that Jamie was the only one to acknowledge the hard work your Class Agents put into those notes!! I mean, really... Ok, more seriously, we were also thrilled to hear from Paul Donovan, who has been living in Singapore for the past three years. That explains why we haven’t heard much from him for a while, and we’re happy to share his update: “Everyone in the Donovan clan is doing well. We’ve been loving the life experiences everyone is getting. Liam is 11, Clare 8 and Ella 7, each with their own passion. Cristin is doing a great job helping them reach their potential. We travel a bunch and spent a day with Shiro, Haruna and Hanna Sakamoto during a Christmas trip to Tokyo. I run product marketing for HP’s PC business across APJ. Work has been great and very interesting recently due to the HP Board decision to spin-off our business.” It was great to read Paul’s note, as the positive, upbeat tone reminded me why I enjoyed his company at Darden! Paul encourages anyone traveling to or through Singapore to let him know. Since Singapore tops my list of places to visit next (hope to go for 2012 Grand Prix at Marina Bay), perhaps it will be me who makes a call to Paul. And our friend David Campbell wrote in
to say he and his wife, Jennifer, celebrated the birth of their second son, Jacob Wheless Campbell, in July. Congratulations to proud parents and big sibling!! I’m sure Ms. Barb can relate to the loss of sleep David says he and Jennifer have recently endured. Hopefully their week at the beach in North Carolina helped a bit. David went on to also give us a “spotted & sighted” scoop: “I have seen Paul Salvucci several times recently, as he has been working on a project near us. Paul, Kay and their children went to Thailand for a month this summer.” Mary (Palmer) Buffinger’s name also came up in job interview Supriya had with a former Bank of America colleague of Mary’s, which was an excellent reason to get in touch and mention the small world. Mary and family are in Boston and she continues with Bank of America. Unfortunately, latest news on Mary’s front is that her mother passed away at the end of July. We send our condolences, Mary, and hope your family is staying strong. After what turned into a very difficult 2011 for me (Supriya) professionally and personally, things are settling back into a good place. I’m still living in Edgewater, N.J. (just across the Hudson from New York City), and am now director of change integration at AIG, helping them transform their global organization. It’s very exciting to be part of their comeback. Also exciting is an upcoming trip to Mexico City to celebrate Jay Mulay’s nuptials! Looking forward to seeing a few Dardenites there. Well, folks, hopefully you’ve heard Darden’s back in the top 10 rankings and continues to steadily strengthen itself under Bob Bruner’s leadership. You can follow Darden on Twitter at @DardenMBA or Bob at @Bob_Bruner. You can follow me (Supriya) at @urachangeleader, too, as I’d love to keep current with more Darden folks whilst feeding my newfound obsession! Mostly, Barb and I look forward to hearing from you, so please keep in touch!
1996 SUSAN BROWN SUSAN.BROWN@SIEMENS.COM
This edition’s notes will be a little short, given the lack of news and your Class Secretary’s ability to manage it this time around. I have been working as the head of compensation (in human resources) for Siemens Corp. for many years, and have taken on an expanded role to manage compensation for our Siemens Energy USA business in addition to my corporate role. Bob More has been working intensely over the past few years with One Revolution, a charity for the disabled. One Revolution’s mission: to change the way the world sees people with disabilities by demonstrating the common experience of challenge. They have a number of initiatives linked to this mission, and one that Bob is proud of is his award-winning movie about para-Olympian Chris Waddell’s challenge to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in a hand cycle. The film showed at 10 film festivals and won
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
59
CLASS NOTES awards for best documentary and best sports film. To learn more about the charity and see a clip from the documentary, visit www.one-revolution.com. Bob also continues in his role as general partner at Frazier Healthcare, a leading provider of venture and growth equity capital to emerging health care companies. In May, Steve Shivers launched a new company named Doxo — and we were wondering what he would do next! While Doxo was founded in 2008, its launch now allows the company to focus “on solving that gap between all those people who pay their bills electronically but still are getting paper statements,” to quote from Northwest Innovation (High Tech News for the Pacific Northwest). For those who want to read the interview with Steve and learn about his walk to the mailbox and his views on saving everyone — companies and individuals both — from paper delivery, here is the link: www. nwinnovation.com/interview_with_steve_ shivers_doxo/s-0028534.html. Our furthest reaching alum, Roman Azanza, e-mailed in from Asia. After 12 years building up and running the Asian regional treasury for CEMEX, the global building materials company, he has moved to Aboitiz Equity Ventures, one of the Philippines’ largest conglomerates to head up business development. He did manage to take a monthlong break in between jobs and spent two weeks in Thailand getting his Bareboat Skipper license (this license allows him to charter a sailboat anywhere in the world). Davis Griffin got in touch as well: after 14 years of health care investment banking, he recently moved to focus on health care services principal investing in partnership with River Cities Capital Funds in Cincinnati. His weekends are spent shuttling between soccer games and birthday parties with his wife and two children, Will (age 6) and Eloise (age 4). In his free time, he is pursing the ultimate prize on UBS 7 Hills cycling team road and cyclecross racing. They also recently adopted a rescue dog (part border terrier and part raccoon) who chases deer around. Davis mentioned that he saw Stephan Oppenheimer recently at a conference and reminisced about the old days in Cville. Also with a professional change, Gene Kim was recently promoted to CEO of his company, Nexolon, which is a wafer manufacturing company for photovoltaic (or solar), with a market cap of about $400M at the time of this article. His company is the biggest in Korea and about the fifth largest globally. As a great company milestone, Nexolon was listed on Korea’s main stock exchange, KOSPI, in mid-October 2011. Gene also has a lot of personal news — the whole family relocated back to Seattle about three years ago, mainly for school for the kids. While great for their education, it means that Gene is literally commuting every other week between the United States and Korea. His daughter, Denise, has graduated from Smith College (early) and has enrolled in the Teach for America program, to teach fifth graders in San Jose, Calif. 60 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
His son, Andrew, who was born during our first year at Darden, is now in 11th grade. Andrew plays tennis and is a member of Evergreen Orchestra, which had the honor of playing in New York City’s Carnegie Hall last year. It’s not just Gene’s children who show us just how long it’s been since graduation. Patrick O’Toole and Melissa just celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary, with Hamilton (14) starting high school. His second oldest, Kaleigh (11), started middle school, and his youngest, Katherine (5), started kindergarten. He writes us that Bobby Morris and his business partner acquired multiple Websites in the online yoga space under the names yogadirect. com and yogaaccessories.com. They are now the largest independent online retailer of yoga equipment. Patrick owns/operates the Pella window and door distributor for Virginia and West Virginia, a family company he purchased in 2003. And in addition to his “normal” job, he sends the fun news that Bobby, Patrick and one other partner own/operate one of the largest gyms/tennis facilities in Richmond, called the Midlothian Athletic Club. Neither of them have taken advantage of the facilities as much as they should! But understandable, given how much is going on from a business and personal standpoint. A quick update from Mike Brown: “I have three sons: Chase, Blake and Aiden. I have been self-employed for most of my ‘hotlanta’ years.” He is a Georgia-licensed real estate agent, property manager and general contractor. Mike does everything from buying/selling homes to renovations, additions, etc. Meme Scherr reports that she really appreciates the Darden support, even globally. She was on a business trip to Geneva to raise money for her latest fund, Sensato Investors, and happily caught up with Alex Pelizzon for drinks. She says he hasn’t changed a bit and it seems that his various enterprises working with private banks are doing well. She went on from Geneva to Zurich, where she met Chris Merlini (MBA ’95). Last he checked in with us, Paul Whyatt had convinced his wife, Teri, to get into triathlons. And they are still doing it, now going on six years of races. Last year, Paul completed his first Ironman competition and is now back in training for Ironman Couer d’Alene (June 2012). I had to look it up — Ironman Coeur d’Alene provides a breathtaking backdrop in the lakes region of northern Idaho, and it looks pretty amazing. Paul fits in Ironman trainings around his work schedule. He remains at Weyerhauser as head of finance in the Cellulose Fibers segment (pulp, newsprint and liquid packaging businesses). While we’ve written about Mike Bucci recently, he has more news to share — a busy year or two for Mike! He is now an author, and his book has been published and is available on Amazon. Start Living the American Dream is a comprehensive guide for people who are looking to transform their ideas into commercially
successful products. It combines clear, easy-tofollow guidelines with real-life cases and anecdotes that show entrepreneurs how to apply the concepts discussed. The book is available on Amazon or on Mike’s Website: www.startlivingtheamericandream.com. Kevin Stein will be our new Class Agent, taking over from Marty Speight (following up on predecessors Andrea Ayres and Bill Passer). Kevin will be responsible for annual giving campaigns for the Class of 1996, working with the team at Darden. Thanks to Kevin for taking on this role! He’ll have a great basis to work from: for Fiscal Year 2011, the Class of 1996 had a great year, with 39% participation (91 classmates gave) and $57,040 dollars raised (plus another $59,101 in committed pledges). Finally, there is often a flurry of activity on Facebook, thanks to Frank Martien as Class of 1996 Facebook extraordinaire. See “Darden96” group to connect and find the latest news from 81 members and growing.
1997 • Reunion 2012 MARK BRIDGERS MBRIDGERS@CONTINUUMAG.COM KAREN CASTELLON KARENCASTELLON@OPTONLINE.NET
To kick off this edition of Class Notes, we highlight classmates who have been featured in the media or have contributed to the media with published/soon-to-be-published books. John Vaccaro was a featured guest on Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!, a weekly radio quiz program aired on NPR (see npr.org). Having downloaded the podcast of the August 13 edition of the show, this editor was delighted to hear that John was spreading his entrepreneurial wings by selling iPad covers made from “a limited number of personal clothing items belonging to the notorious felon Bernie Madoff, obtained at an auction held by the U.S. Marshals Service. Certificate of authenticity available upon request.” While the covers are probably sold out as of this printing, you can learn more at frederickjames.com Lauren Taylor, founder and president of End Slavery Now, reports the launch of a new anti-slavery “Action on the Ground” interactive map — a global mapping project for all the boots-on-the-ground work fighting human trafficking around the world. It went live in September and is intended to make it easy for partner nongovernmental organizations around the world to share information about what organizations are doing to rescue, rehabilitate and reintegrate modern-day slaves, as well as stem demand. Lauren commented, “Our goal is to create the most comprehensive visualization of the movement’s true scope, and by doing so foster greater coordination, cooperation and communication amongst all the members.” Big work in the world, no? Ted Hollifield was interviewed by Emily Chang on Bloomberg Television’s Bloomberg West about efforts by hot private companies
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
to limit resales of their stock by existing shareholders. See it here: www.bloomberg.com/ video/73683630/. Ted is a partner and leads the corporate practice in Dorsey & Whitney’s Palo Alto office, where he primarily works with start-ups and venture-backed companies on public and private financings and mergers and acquisitions. Simon Constable is the co-author of The WSJ Guide to the 50 Economic Indicators That Really Matter: From Big Macs to “Zombie Banks,” The Indicators Smart Investors Watch to Beat the Market. In an October appearance on Fox Business, Simon’s advice was to sell all your stocks. You heard it here, friends! Simon has spoken. Jason Jordan wrote his first book, titled Cracking the Sales Management Code: The Secrets to Measuring and Managing Sales Performance, published by McGraw-Hill. Order your copy at www.SalesManagementCode.com. Jason says, “That was kind of fun. It’s obviously a book on sales management, and I teach some of the concepts in Darden’s Exec Ed program with Farris and Spekman, which is surreal.” Mike Skelps is under contract to write a book entitled Fearless Photographer: Sports, due for publication in the first half of 2012. He continues to work hard at growing his photography business, which started as a one-man operation (Mike) and now includes 70 photographers and four full-time employees. He is learning the challenges of hiring and leading people and making them play nice together. Not easy! You can see his work at www.capstonephoto. com. Rob Coury says, “The family is great. Son Nate is almost 4 and is a great lover of all musical instruments, so it’s loud here in sunny Portland. We see David Altman socially quite a bit, though as of December 2010 it is less, as we no longer work together. Professionally, I’m a co-founder of a Portland and New York startup in the mobile-local-social space called Perka (www.getperka.com). Perka provides a software platform that helps local merchants run custom card–less loyalty programs on their phones. We have been running our pilot program quietly in Portland for the past few months, with about 40 merchant installations and we publicly launched the company in October with press in Fast Company and Tech Crunch. Hope to visit with classmates at the 15th Reunion in April 2012.” José Maria Cazal-Ribeiro, who signs his e-mails with his usual abundant dose of Portuguese affection — “Big Kiss, Ze Maria” — says, “Everything continues well with us. Vera and the kids are in Portugal while I travel between London and Geneva on a weekly basis for Credit Suisse.” José wins the prize for being the first classmate to try to register for the reunion. (How about a Bernie Madoff iPad cover?) Registration opens in January, eager classmates. Mark Fell reports that he is hitting the twoyear mark on his role at Ocenture, a provider of subscription service products, such as iden-
tity theft protection, technical support, savings programs and more. He offers to network: “If anyone is seeking private-labeled cross sell or upsell products, feel free to reach out. We are also looking at opportunities in the residential alarm market and the merchant processing space.” Mark’s family is doing well. Mackenzie, eighth grader, was on a water polo team that won the national championship this summer. Morgan, in fourth grade, is a true artist who enjoys dance and music and has added volleyball to her extracurricular pursuits. Lisa is now working at University of California-Santa Barbara. Over the summer, Mark traveled to Charlotte, N.C., for business and visited Stephen Saunders. They enjoyed some serious BBQ and George Stagg whiskey. A family trip to Vail, Colo., and a recent trip camping trip concluded the summer. The fall brought the grape harvest scene and making some home brew wines: 2010 Cab and Merlot to bottle this winter, and a Syrah and Chardonnay for 2011. We have a few sasquatches in the class of 1997. Rachel Fein Burrows has been at CocaCola since graduation. She works a four-day week in customer marketing in the Columbia, Md., field office, which allows some flexibility to juggle work, two boys (ages 6 and 3), one husband, one dog and training for a half-marathon. Rachel is the Real Thing! David Cooper is counted as a sasquatch after 14 years with Bain, which he joined in September 1997, immediately after completing his JD/ MBA and taking the bar exam. He leads many of the large consumer goods relationships for the Boston and New York offices of Bain. Coop and his family reside in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. His oldest son, Max, is in second grade and younger son, Henry, is “simply a terror but his terror is not yet addressed against school officials (although it will be next year.)” David Pimpo is our third sasquatch: he is still in the Navy. David recently completed a stint commanding the Navy’s Fleet Logistics Center in San Diego and transferred to the headquarters for Navy logistics in lovely Mechanicsburg, Pa., where he serves as director of fleet logistics operations. That makes three jobs in three years, having begun in this crosscountry odyssey in Colorado Springs. David’s lovely bride, Margaret Ann, is a dentist and has her own practice in Coronado, Calif., so she›ll be staying home for this move and keeping the home fires burning. She visits often and they plan on being at the 15th Reunion. Hoorah! Dana Leff Niedzielska wins the prize for cool place to live, having moved to Barcelona in August. Steve Mendelsohn also lives there, and they were making plans to get together. Dana’s kids started kindergarten and second grade at an international school where they will work on their Spanish and Catalan, of course. Dana’s is telecommuting for work as her business is still based in Bulgaria. Meanwhile she is working on her language skills and her tennis game. Ben Pivar is still at Capgemini (nine years now) and running the supply chain practice for
North America. He travels quite a bit, spending time in Dallas, Houston, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. On the home front, he is in the Atlanta area and tries to travel (even more) for vacations. A recent great trip to Italy included Lucca, Florence and Camogli. Ben is also starting to get into racing cars and was headed to a track event at Road Atlanta in October. His wife, Jenn, is cautiously assessing this new interest. Dargan Coggeshall’s love of fly-fishing is responsible for his current turn as blogger and activist. He explains, “Much of my time is being consumed in a lawsuit that has major implications on Virginians’ future use of their public rivers. It will likely track to the Supreme Court. You can follow the story at www.virginiariversdefensefund.org/blog.” On the career side, Dargan has plans to open a second LearningRx center in Northern Virginia in the next few months. No news is good news for Lourenco Norton de Matos, who continues at Prudential Capital Group in Atlanta with Jay White, and Steve Collins at Prudential Capital Group in Newark. Lourenco plans to be at the reunion in April. Jospeh ‘Bug’ Ney reports that in April 2011, mysteriously around April Fool’s Day, Kevin Miller was married in the Caribbean. All four members of the Class of 1997 who work at Reingold, including Bug, Jack Benson and Amy Buckley, attended, and Bug was happy to report that he was not the first party guest into the pool. On the family front, Bug and his wife were blessed with a baby girl, Tara Evelyn Jaya Ney, just a week later. That makes a set of two children, and he says, “Only now do I really understand a very minute portion of what Sam Meyercord was going through with twins during our first year at Darden.” He ends with, “I greatly look forward to seeing everyone at the reunion and finally hearing how that George’s T-shirts case turned out.” Don’t we all? Jay Reese is president of KJR Financial Solutions, a full-service financial coaching firm. The company takes a holistic approach to financial empowerment by integrating lifestyle, business and investment strategies to achieve financial freedom. We conclude our notes with a few pearls of wisdom from Jay’s Website (www. coachjayonline.com): “Wealth is what you accumulate, not what you spend.” Come accumulate some wealth with the Class of 1997 at our 15th Reunion in April! My fellow class secretary, Mark Bridgers, and our class agents, Kari Pitkin and Deirdre McCarthy, along with all the reunion volunteers, look forward to seeing many of you in Charlottesville in the spring.
1998 BILL YOUNG WYOUNG44@GMAIL.COM
Happy holidays, I think. As I write this we’re approaching Halloween, but I have a feeling you will be celebrating something else at the time this is published. A crazy start to the school year
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
61
CLASS NOTES for my crew as we entered the fourth and fifth grade for Liza and Davis, respectively. The good news is that I am still an all-knowing genius; the kids love school and have no interest in the opposite sex. The bad news is that we have been introduced to soccer beyond the area code with some frequency, Liza broke an arm this fall and we’re still a good ways away from the kids driving themselves. Still loving Virginia Beach, and it’s hard to believe I’m approaching two years in the nonprofit world. Our new thrift store, Good Mojo, opened this summer, so I’ve become reacquainted with the wonderful world of retail. Interesting way to help homeless families directly and generate some needed unrestricted funds for ForKids. Still teaching business courses at ECPI for five hours on Friday nights, so I’m staying out of trouble, and I get to hear myself talk a lot, so I don’t need to talk so much at home. Sabra is very grateful. Jay (Schumaker) Simpson checked in with the exciting news that she is a new mom. Daughter, Tessa, was born in October 2010, and Jay and her husband are realizing the joys and challenges of parenting for the first time. Jay continues at Ryan Partnership in Connecticut, where she carries Tessa in her backpack for hikes and is already planning Tessa’s first ski trip. Gus Aray left a little bit to the imagination as he reportedly left Intel Capital in 2010 on the West Coast and moved to Shanghai, where he is working for “various companies.” Not sure what that means but it sounds very exotic. If you find yourself in Shanghai looking for a good restaurant recommendation, I’m sure Gus will be ready to help. Jason Hart, my former roommate, has taken his wife and basketball team and headed to Knoxville, Tenn. The kids are approximately 12, 10, 8, 6 and 6, though I’m sure I’ve mixed up someone’s age. His company was acquired about a year ago, and this move gets him to headquarters, where he heads up marketing. A quick career update from Cheryl Wilson! “Effective 11/14, I will be joining Unilever in New Jersey as the global brand development director of multicultural hair.” Congrats, Cheryl! Alicia English is back from overseas after a six-year stay in Germany. She and Lee are celebrating their 19th year of marriage with Nash (third grade) and Elizabeth (first grade) in Washington, D.C. After four years of full-time mom, Army volunteer, traveler, skier, antique/ crystal/pottery/art shopper and dedicated runner (3 1/2 half marathons, one full and three 10-milers), she took a job with the Army’s European logistics command in strategic planning. Sounds like she needed a break from her “nonwork,” as “work” sounds much more relaxing. Back in the states, she continues with strategic planning work for the Army and is adjusting to slower speeds on the highway, a lack of bakeries and fewer language challenges. Thanks to Julie Petty, Dan Martin, Kendall Greene and Charlie Hart for sneaking in just under the wire. Julie is preparing for another ski season with her rental ski clothing along 62 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
with boys Keegan (1) and William (3). Mountain Threads is growing quickly and is ready to serve any classmates headed west this winter; just go to www.mountainthreads.com. Dan is even further west, in San Francisco, where he continues to buy land to turn into parks for the Trust for Public Land. In his spare time, he works with several tech companies in the Internet, mobile and clean tech space. He is soaking up the local culture and jotted his update down on a recycled napkin while enjoying his fresh, local, vegan, gluten-free shake prepared by struggling youth artists. I believe Kendal wins the award for the first legacy ’Hoo from Section D, as his son Kishon is enrolled as a first year at U.Va. Hoping to major in accounting and international business. Great news, but wow, that makes me feel old. Last but not least, Charlie Hart has just taken on the job of global director for supply chain management, process innovation and quality for Dresser-Rand. Not sure what that means but it sounds quite important. I’d love to see the size of his business card. He looks to be relocating to Houston soon with his wife, Sylvia, son (13) and daughter now in the fourth grade. That’s the news for now. Keep me posted on your latest news, and I’ll send out a Class of 1998 only update before the next Darden Report, if I get some juicy nuggets.
1999 Dean Krehmeyer is featured in the News Brief article “Darden Launches New Center of Excellence: Initiative for Business in Society” on page 4. BOB LORIA BOBTHECHIEF@YAHOO. COM
Kristen (Walsh) Desmond and her husband Michael have left the East coast and have settled among family in Santa Barbara, CA. Kristen is working as chef and kitchen manager at a gourmet market while launching her own enterprise. More details to follow! Jill and Jeff Dixon still live in the Seattle area. Jill stayed home for the last 10 years, to raise their three kids, grades K, 3, and 5. During this time, she’s been an active volunteer for Junior Achievement, promoting economics and business education in the elementary schools. She’s also worked with DECA, an entrepreneurship and marketing training program for high school students and is considering a career move into business education. A year ago, Jeff began a new company, BodSix. He’s working to develop location-based social games for mobile devices. He’s enjoying the entrepreneurial aspects of launching a new product. When schedules permit, we see other local ‘99s, including Hector Arcaya, Brandt Vaughan, Roy Simperman, and Bres Longstreth. Donielle Hawley wrote in claiming that she doesn’t have anything noteworthy, but we disagree! With three kids under three years old as her full-time job she’s likely to have plenty of interesting stories.
Vadim Kapustin reports that “after 11 years I left the consulting world (too much travel, not enough seeing the family — and considering life is short, I chose what’s truly important in life), so, I left A.T. Kearney and joined Walmart International to do International Strategy. I moved with my family to Bentonville, AR, in March of this year. Right around the same time I was going through the Board of Directors election process at APICS (American Association of Operations Professionals). I was elected in June and will have my first Board session in January of next year. APICS is based in Chicago, it is a 50+ year old organization with 36,000 paying and 25,000 associated members globally with presence in 40 countries — should be an interesting experience. Some other news on my side is that I have been a lead angel investor in some tech startups in the former Soviet Union: invested in two companies about 1.5 years ago - Raketa, LLC (a mobile / SMS marketing company with offices in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and soon Russia (www.Raketa.kz), and StoSorok, LLC (www. StoSorok.ru) - which is a Twitter-like service focusing on the Russia and Kazakhstan markets. We recently closed the second round of financing for Raketa, reached a peak of 10 million tweets (mostly by SMS) during the Kazakhstan international winter Olympic games and working hard to get to cash flow positive within 5-6 months.” Silvia Ethel tells us: “In 2010, I took an almost one-year sabbatical, which was pretty much devoted to traveling and connecting with my friends. In Jan/10, Lisa Morris, Heidi Ha, Roz Harris, and Nirupama Raghavan spent a fantastic week in Park City — during the Sundance Festival. In Feb/10, while hanging out with Lisa Morris in San Francisco, I also had the chance of meeting Rick Kim. Finally, in Sep/10, I met Jeffrey Rogers in NY. The time off definitely triggered a soul-searching process, especially on the professional front. By the end of the year, I was convinced that going back to management consulting was the best alternative for me, after having spent 10 years in the industry. In Feb/11, I joined PwC’s Strategy practice within the Firm’s Advisory Group. For the past 9 months, I’ve worked on large array of engagements, from designing a strategic regulatory plan for major telecom operators, to assessing the feasibility of manufacturing a new concept of vehicle, which has been created in the UK (by the way, during my visit to London in Jun/11, I had the pleasure of meeting and spending the day with Joaquim Souza, Hilda Garcia, and their adorable kids). Right now, I am leading a project to define the growth strategic options for a major insurance company in Rio de Janeiro. I have to say that the “newness” of the themes I have been working has been both fun and rewarding; nevertheless, it becomes overwhelming at times, especially with the no-stop travelling. My opinion is that it’s almost impossible to find something you’re really passionate about without having to sac-
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
rifice certain things: at the end, it’s all about trade-offs, right? Well, everyone, I hope you’ve enjoyed the update, and that all is well with you and your families. I really look forward to seeing all of you soon, besides the usual catching up on Facebook. By the way, if you happen to be in Disneyworld in Jan/12, let me know as there’s a chance we can run into each other there.” John Kent changed jobs in September 2010 for the first time (!) since graduating from Darden; just finished his first year in Equity Capital Markets at Nomura Securities in New York as it continues to expand its US investment banking presence. John got married in early May and had a relaxing two week honeymoon in Hawaii. He turns 40 in early January 2012 and will be celebrating with a big ski trip over the holidays in Vail, Colorado. Sally Anne Hughes is happy to report that her daughter, Sophie Louise Klaiber, was born in January. Alexander Robert Grapkowski was born on May 26th to Robin (Whaley) Grapkowski and Andy Grapkowski. Everyone is doing well. It’s just hard to imagine how time has flown by and that by the time this gets published Alex will probably be 9 months old. The annual Chris Harvey United States Tour occurred in October. Chris made his perennial journey from Vietnam back to the States to see family and friends. A crowd of our classmates welcomed Chris back home at the Rooftop Restaurant in Arlington, Virginia. Celebrating Chris’ annual trip were Ed Barry, Jim Cecil, Heidi Ha, Katie Wethman and myself. It was a fun evening as Chris regaled us with tales of business and adventure in Vietnam. Nicole Lindsay has embarked on a new endeavor - writing her first book about women and business school. More to come on her new adventure Jenny Pocalyko Latz formed an independent consulting firm, JP Latz Consulting, LLC in 2010 focusing on finance, strategy and marketing. Jenny currently serves as a contract CFO for a non-profit organization, Trees Atlanta, Inc. She and her husband live in Atlanta with their three children. Jenny reports that Sonia LaRosa Hounsell and Patrick Hounsell just moved from Chicago to Rye, New York in September 2011 with their twins Grant and Justine. Also, Robin Whaley Grapkowski and Andy Grapkowski had their 3rd child, Alex, in May 2011. Robin, Andy and their children live in Short Hills, New Jersey. Finally, the last bit of news that Jenny shares with us is that Meredith Tutterow just completed her first marathon and raised a good sum for Parkinson’s research this fall. She and her husband, Sam Tutterow (MBA/JD ’97) live in Minnesota with their three children and Meredith still works at General Mills in Marketing. She connected with Terri Denning out west during training as well. That’s it for this edition. Please send me your notes whenever you have something to share about yourself or one of our classmates.
2000 KERRY DAVENPORT FITZGERALD KSD7E@YAHOO.COM
Hello, Class of 2000. Thank you all for sharing your latest news. All listed below are Darden MBA Class of 2000 unless otherwise noted. Alan Reyes will start a new job in October with the USO (www.uso.org) in Arlington, Va., as the senior vice president of operations, responsible for the strategic direction of more than 160 USO centers across the United States, Middle East, Asia and Europe. He’ll also be responsible for the development of two Wounded Warrior Family Centers adjacent to military hospitals in the D.C. area. It’s a terrific opportunity to bring both his business and military experience to an organization that supports our troops and their families. In May of this year, Greg Willis left Dell after 11 years. He is still in Austin but moved to a company called SolarWinds, which — contrary to the name’s implication — is not a green energy company. Instead, it is an IT management software company with approximately 450 employees and approximately $160 million in annual revenue. Greg is the senior vice president of global brand management and merchandising, reporting to the senior vice president of marketing. Bob Galinsky reports that he left Kimberly-Clark in March to work full-time at Geotoys, his toy company that he started five years ago. Geotoys creates and distributes educational puzzles and games, which are available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and your local independent toy store. The company is growing quickly and Bob has been having “a great ride so far!” Kerry (Hartigan) Gilmartin’s business, Bamboobies, is still going well. She was recently featured in Working Mother in the magazine’s Entrepreneur of the Month column. The company also won an award for “new natural product company of the year.” Sounds like things are going really well! Karen (Kalsi) Chapman and Jim Chapman have been in Hong Kong for nearly seven years. They arrived with a 21-month-old daughter and 3-month-old son, who are now 8 and 6, respectively. And, now they have another 21-month-old toddling about! Karen just started working again, managing annual giving for an international school. Jim is still with Barclays Capital and recently took on the role of head of industrials. Recently, they had dinner at the home of Pavini and Nikhil Nath with Cris and George Uy-Tioco. They enjoyed delicious Indian food and lots of updating on classmates near and far. The Chapmans ask that you drop a line if you are ever in Asia, or in the summer, they park themselves in Wyoming when they aren’t wandering aimlessly up and down the East Coast. Jessica (Drolet) Wadlow wrote in that she and her family moved to northern Virginia in July. Ray is working for Virginia Cancer Specialists, and she still runs a marketing strategy consulting company. Her children just started school (Emily in second grade and Colin in
kindergarten). Grace is 21 months and doing very well now — walking and talking and trying to keep up with her big siblings! Fernanda Pasquarelli moved back with her family from the south of Brazil to São Paulo in 2009. Today Laura is 7 and Lorenzo is 3. After nine years working at UBS Wealth Management, she decided to change career paths and her lifestyle. She is back at school, doing an intensive real estate education. She started her sabbatical in September 2011 and spent a week with Pablo Ciano’s family in Miami. As reported in the last issue, Jiggy Santillan was relocated to Bangkok. However her three- to six-month stint is now approaching nine months and there is at least another month ahead. She has gotten used to Thai-level spicy food and she knows that when she gets home, she’ll be adding chilies to everything. Congratulations to Jenn Finn, who is the new chair of the Darden Alumni Board of Directors. Arabella Greystoke has been stuck at home recovering from major ankle surgery, with two months down and a few more on crutches. Luckily Val (Hawrylko) Camillo and her husband provided a distraction. Val was as wonderfully inappropriate as ever; however, seeing the two girls revert back to their Darden behavior may have horrified both of their husbands. Arabella also got to catch up with Heather Heaton and Serena Matsunaga when they came to town earlier this year. Professionally, Arabella continues to teach as an adjunct at Columbia University, and her business, Greystoke Insights (which provides consumer research consulting and workshop design/facilitation), is starting to pick up speed, which is exciting. Ray Kekreja has joined Bennett Thrasher PC in Atlanta as a manager in the Valuation and Litigation Support Services practice. In wedding and baby news: Will Lyon got married to Paige Downey this past April in Carmel, Calif. Andrew Lynch, John Loverro and Littleton Glover attended. Alex Whittemore announced the birth of his daughter, Lucy, who is now 15 months old (better late than never). Alex is a partner at Summit in Boston and he plays on a squash team with Dave Zug (MBA ’01). Greg Sonzogni announced the birth of his son, Blake Gregory Sonzogni, born September 5. He weighed in at 6 lbs 10 oz and was 18.5” long. Greg reports that the baby enjoys napping and eating. News from Westport, Conn., is light. I just celebrated my six-year anniversary with Kevin in September. We enjoyed a wonderful summer, including a three-week trip to Ireland and shorter trips to East Hampton, Martha’s Vineyard and Block Island. I am now very happy to get back to the “normal” family routine with Kevin, Katie (4) and Jack (14 months). Thank you all for sending me your news and updates. Please keep them coming.
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
63
CLASS NOTES
2001 TRINA JONES JONES_TRINA@YAHOO.COM
This issue’s notes are brief but full of updates from classmates we haven’t heard from in a while, and a few travel recommendations. Enjoy! Tim Plankey is still working with MassMutual, where he is now leading the life and annuity death claims department. This is his 12th job in more than 10 years at MassMutual, which is how he likes it. Tim and his daughter Shannon, who was born during our first year, performed in a local community theater production of “Annie” last November. Shannon played Annie and Tim was Daddy Warbucks — complete with the shaved head. Tim, Tassie, Shannon (11) and Connor (8) are still living outside of Springfield, Mass., and have had the pleasure of surviving two blizzards, a tornado, an earthquake and a hurricane so far in 2011. Brandon and Jennifer Hayes are still living in Atlanta with their two children. Brandon has taken a new role within Home Depot, and Jen is still working with Bain. Grant Brown moved with his family (for the second time) from Charlottesville to Boston. They have settled in Wellesley. Carrie is still with Cambridge Associates, and Grant is working full-time with one of Axel Johnson’s portfolio companies, Sprague Energy. This spring, Lucy Alexander left Johnson & Johnson and joined a smaller pharmaceutical company. In her words, “It was a hard decision, since I very much enjoyed my 10 years there after graduation. But it was time to spread my wings.” Her new role includes broader responsibility for planning, procurement and thirdparty manufacturing and includes generics as well as branded pharmaceuticals. She is still living in New Jersey and enjoying running half marathons. Kristin Peterson Lang might feel like she’s running half marathons these days without ever leaving the house! Kristin, her husband Robert, and big brother Robert welcomed the family patriot and little brother, Catlin Peterson Lang, on July 4, 2011. I tried an experiment with this issue of Class Notes. In addition to life and work updates, I asked people to write in with a few travel recommendations. Ann Nicholson, who reported that all is well with her and the family in Corning, N.Y., was kind enough to share this recommendation: “I can totally give everyone thumbs up on Manzanillo, Mexico. It isn’t easy to get to, but what a relaxing, low-key trip we had in early April. After getting over the pleasant surprise of a nice-sized Walmart, I was shocked to find I could buy tequila there as well! The folks we met could not have been friendlier. Our rental car was delivered by Alan, who escorted my sister Jenn and I to said Walmart, and then came back to the house to make guacamole and mar64 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
garitas for us all. Of course, we went back to Walmart the next day to replenish the tequila supply. And maybe best of all is that we paid (quite reasonably) for a cook. Oh my God, I gained a pound a day on the freshest, most delicious meals. It is a good thing I couldn’t bring her back with us!!” Krishnan Srinivasan also recommended Kerala in South India, where he and his family vacationed this summer with his wife, Bharti, and son Amrit. Krishnan is consulting with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank on infrastructure projects in India. He and Bharti have started a new venture, Bharti Finetrain LLP, focused on financial analysis and soft skill development for fresh graduates in India for the burgeoning knowledge processing market. Bharti also recently became a CFA charter holder, so she can also now say she’s a graduate from Charlottesville! They also recently bought a new apartment and hope to move in by April 2012. I give high marks to three destinations from my summer travels: Boulder, Colo., where I visited Mike Ashford and Wendy Bolger; Fripp Island, S.C., where we enjoyed a great family beach vacation; and Singer Island, Fla., where I enjoyed a September celebration and reunion weekend with Wendy Bolger, Coleen (Sullivan) Curry, Elizabeth (Wells) Shumadine, Staci (Singlak) Wagenbach and Christine (Butcher) Wilson. Weekend highlights included the resort’s flag-raising drink service on the beach and a trip to Rocco’s Tacos. Thanks to everyone who wrote in, and we look forward to even more updates in the next issue.
2002 • Reunion 2012 KIRSTI GOODWIN KGOODWIN@RIVERG.COM FLIP PIDOT FLIPPIDOT@GMAIL.COM
The notes for this magazine are brief, but all the more reason for us to catch up back on Darden Grounds for our 10th Reunion. Mark your calendars for 27–29 April 2012 and stay tuned for more information! Tim Madel reports: “Some fairly big news — Donna and I have welcomed Atticus McCracken Madel into our family. He was born October 1, 2011, entering the world at 5 lbs 12 oz and 18.5 inches in length. In addition, effective November 7, I will join SMS Meer, a steel, aluminum and copper plant manufacturer, as their e-commerce manager.” Marlo Reveley is looking forward to seeing everyone in C-ville for reunions. She reports having had a great time with Davis Washburn Griffin when she drove up for a visit in Princeton. Marlo and Taylor are loving Richmond and working hard. They had big trips this year to Spain, Portugal and Canada. Kerry Feldmann reports that she is just working and navigating the kindergarten application nightmares in New York City and
thinking about moving downtown. She’s also looking forward to coming back to C-ville for the 10-year reunion. Kirsti Goodwin simply reports that their baby turns 1 around Thanksgiving and has just started walking. She’s not working (in an office…) but having fun at home, running/playing tennis and volunteering on some boards.
2003 ZHIYUAN (JERRY) PENG RECEIVED THE 2011 OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL CHAPTER LEADER AWARD FOR HIS EFFORTS TO REVITALIZE THE CHINA (BEIJING) CHAPTER ACTIVITIES, WELCOME STUDENT TREKS AND INTERNS, AND PROMOTE DARDEN TO PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS. Sean Carr is featured in “Jefferson Innovation Summit” on pages 10–11. GRAHAM BEATTY GRAHAM.BEATTY@RUSSELLREYNOLDS.COM LAUREN MACLEOD LMACLEOD@ALUMNI.VIRGINIA.EDU
Wendy Liu writes: “I’ve been at Medtronic since graduation, spent half of my time in California and the other half in China. I recently finished my 4.5-year assignment in China, certainly aged a lot with the 80+ hour week/70% travel schedules that seem to be the norm in China. I moved back to the Bay Area in June and now am heading product development program office for one of our businesses. On the homefront, Jimmy and I have two boys now. Our older son, Dennis, who used to run on Darden Grounds as a toddler, is now in junior high and as tall as me. Our younger son, Thomas, is a first grader and loves all sorts of sports, whether real or on Wii. Jimmy and I continue to maintain our lives across the Pacific Ocean, work and live on both sides from time to time. I’ve also been serving as the Class Agent since 2005 and hope I get in closer touch now that I’ve moved back to the States.” Bre and Eric Gregg “are doing well. My business has grown quickly the past two years with all of the good and bad that go along with quick growth, but it has been a great couple of years. Bre’s singing career (bregregg.com) continues to thrive and grow. The highlight of the year was a monthlong sabbatical to Belize and the Galapagos Islands. We miss and love our friends from Darden, though!” Ralph and Carey Douglas Delia welcomed their second son, Bowden Douglas Delia, on June 15. Marion McGowan just finished her “first year as country director for GOAL Sierra Leone (a Nongovernment organization based in Ireland).” Sean Carr has had an accomplished fall! He reports, “I led the effort behind an event here last week, called the Jefferson Innovation Summit. This was a two-day event at various locations in Charlottesville (Rotunda, Monticello, Darden) which we hosted in collaboration with CNBC. We convened more than 60 CEOs, White House officials, policymakers, company
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
founders, artists, journalists, scientists and others for a wide-ranging conversation about entrepreneurship and innovation in America, beginning with a case-based discussion in the Dome Room. It was in many ways a classic Darden event.” For more information and details, check out the Website at www.jeffersoninnovationsummit.org. Juan Gorricho shared: “In the past year, or maybe better, since our last update, we now have an addition to our family: Daniel, who just turned 1. He is quite a character and loves his sister, Camila, who will be 5 in January. We still enjoy life in Orlando (getting actually very spoiled by the 10-minute commute, the weather, etc). We attended a mini reunion in Atlanta to celebrate Karim Ahmad’s 40th birthday, or KXL, how the magnanimous event was called (I think he is actually younger than that but wants to look older, hence the moustache). During that weekend, we saw Paco Contreras and Alejandra Guzman, Sebastien de Liedekerke, Tato Tagtachian and Ashley (she was pregnant with a beautiful baby girl), and Nirav Desai and his wife, who had moved to Atlanta just before KXL. Orlando, being Orlando, has also allowed us to see other Darden friends who have come to contribute to Disney’s cause (aka Evil Empire, as I believe Karim called it once in class, or so they told me). In January, we saw Gusi Frers and Sofia and their three children. And last year we also met with Eduardo Sanchez and Virginia and their kids. Other than that, life is great, both of us are still working for Disney and having a lot of fun with watching the kids grow.” Todd Lakes shares, “We are happy to report that the Lakes family can officially field a full basketball team. Kellen joined brothers Finn (4) and Riley (2) this spring. Life is returning to ‘normal’ — Heather is back to her wedding planning business, and I recently wrapped up my largest acquisition to date. We are still in Atlanta and would love to catch up with anyone coming through town.” Jeremy Shinewald married fiancée Samantha in the midst of Hurricane Irene in Vermont in September. Ralph and Carey Douglas Delia and Matt Seligman were there to celebrate. For anyone who wants to see what Jeremy is up to workwise, check out a video that is posted on the Wall Street Journal’s site, where he talks about his MBA consulting firm, mbaMission: http://on.wsj.com/recaMt Also on the wedding front, Keri Dole was married to Mo Renganathan near Lake Winnipesaukee, N.H. There was an enthusiastic Darden contingent — Marion McGowan (who flew over from Sierra Leone to attend), Scott and Christie March, Mimi Nishioka Bulfin, Kevin and Meg Nesbitt Brennan, Michael Olsen and Julie Graves (who arrived with their beautiful 12-week-old daughter Sophie), Jennifer Dresback and Lauren Macleod and Gustavo Rodriguez (who have just returned to the United States — after four years in rainy London, a change to sunny Miami was in order).
2004 ABBY RUIZ DE GAMBOA RECEIVED THE 2011 OUTSTANDING DOMESTIC CHAPTER LEADER AWARD FOR HER EXEMPLARY ORGANIZATION OF HIGH-LEVEL ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES FOR ALUMNI, STUDENTS AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS WITHIN THE WASHINGTON D.C. CHAPTER. DENNIS ORTIZ KATIE BISBEE DARDEN2004@GMAIL.COM
This edition of our Class Notes will prioritize our most loyal contributors: Kazu Izumiya, Shu-wei Wu, and Shantel Moses! In exciting news, Kazu and Shu-wei welcomed a baby girl, Sumika, on July 4. The happy couple and daughter are now living together in Taiwan. Shu-wei’s parents are making their best attempt to make Sumika trilingual by speaking to her in Japanese, Chinese and English. In addition to learning three languages, Sumika also got her Japanese passport, so she’ll be well prepared for an upcoming trip to Tokyo! Shantel continues be a mover and shaker in the CPG world. She’s still in New York City working on The Laughing Cow and Mini Babybel Cheese businesses in marketing and business development. Her latest professional adventure is that she’s transitioned from working on established countries (United States, Canada) to developing emerging economies (namely, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela). Sounds like Shantel has several localized LASA parties to attend … please invite the rest of us! Shantel should connect with Daniel Gonzalez for tips on the Venezuelan market or perhaps seek some marketing partnerships with Hershey’s, where Daniel is working! Daniel, his wife, Maria, and daughter Andrea have been living for over a year now in the sweetest place on earth, with all the Hershey’s, Reese’s and Jolly Ranchers imaginable. In addition to enjoying his new workplace and home, he also finally had the opportunity to visit Rio de Janeiro, which he describes as “beautiful, amazing, and extraordinary!” Unfortunately, Shantel will not be able to
Justin Jed and Cindy Kozu (both MBA ’04) and daugher Lillian welcomed Lucy Jed to the family on April 28.
rely on Markus Kritzler to host a LASA party in her honor in Mexico City. Markus and family moved across a great pond and over some hills to Switzerland. How neutral. He is working in strategy and acquisitions for Holcim, a global cement company. Thus far, the family is adjusting well — Patrick (10), Ximena (7) and Erin (3) are realizing that Swiss German is very different from the few German words they learned growing up. Maite and Markus welcome any fellow Dardenites, as they’re anxious to try out their new fondue with tequila recipe on unsuspecting and adventurous Darden friends. In other career moves, Rebecca Gordon left Gerson Lehrman Group after more than five years and has moved on to a new job at Axiom, a new model law firm. In addition to staying focused on her career, Rebecca has been slowly chipping away at her goal of running a half marathon in every state before she turns 50! Dropping out of the race for staying in the same job since graduating from Darden is Mike Bachman. After seven years at Wyeth/Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, Dedle, the boys and Mike moved back to Charlottesville in August. Mike accepted a job as director of toddler foods and liquids within the nutritional division of Perrigo. They couldn’t be happier with the new job and relocation. Mike may soon be getting an influx of sample requests from our classmates who recently had new additions to their families. Mike’s fellow Section C classmate Michelle Blacksberg and her husband Jonathan welcomed their son Ryan Joel Perr on August 31. Jason Uner is proud to announce baby number two (and proclaimed that this is the last one he and his wife will be having). Dylan Robert Uner was born on July 28. David Briggs and wife, Katie, also had their second son, Calvin, born at 9 lbs. 11oz on June 20. Finally, Cindy Kozu and Justin Jed welcomed Lucy Jed on April 28. Big sister Lillian couldn’t be prouder. Cindy also reported that during a recent visit to San Francisco, they were able to visit with Villi Iltchev, Jen Faenza (MBA ’01), and Pete Ackerson. Clint Jackson and his wife, Lauryl, had their second child, McClinton William Jackson, on
Classmates from ’04 Kaylan Bartholomew, Tawana Murphy-Burnett, Jenn Hill, Janine Lyons, and children and friends had a reunion in New York City.
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
65
CLASS NOTES December 29, 2010. William weighed 8 lbs 3 oz and measured 20 inches. His big sister Morgan has been very excited to have a little brother to boss around. Clint is also making headlines in the real estate industry. Clint was also elected to the board of directors of the Real Estate Associate Program (REAP). REAP is a national not-for-profit that provides professional education programs and career development support. Outside of home and work, Clint has seen some of our Darden classmates — he saw Willard McCloud at a party in Baltimore in July and ran into Lindsay Wilbur Guthrie in downtown D.C. in September. Receiving the award for first Class Notes submission ever is Keith Zanders. According to Keith, it took Syracuse University leaving the Big East and joining the ACC for him to write in. No longer torn between those two conferences, KZ sends big Kung Fu Panda love with his son Alan. Keith is the chief compliance officer and a financial advisor at Pinnacle Investments, LLC, in Syracuse, N.Y., where he resides with his son. You can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll get a Facebook shout out from him as John Sterling crowned him “the champion birthday wisher!” We can now add a Google employee to our impressive roster of classmates. Dan Entin now technically works for Google as they recently purchased Zagat. This summer, Dan and family moved further into the suburbs and bought a house in Scotch Plains, N.J. Apparently, 2011 has also been a year of change for Jeff St. Denis. On June 25, Jeff married the lovely and wonderful Hilty Hazzard (a 2002 U.Va. graduate). Travis Massey served as one of Jeff’s groomsmen, and Dennis Ortiz was in attendance. Shortly after (i.e., one week), Jeff and Hilty moved from C-ville to Coconut Grove, Fla., right outside of Miami. Jeff is opening the Florida office for a boutique investment consulting firm, BHK Investment Advisors, in Coral Gables. Our favorite bachelor, Travis Massey, continues to live life to the fullest. In August, Travis celebrated his birthday with a weekend of tubing on the James, a wig themed party and fireworks (always pushing the limits of his neigh-
Class of 2005 classmates Tim Brown, Cherbury Hunt, Katie Cunningham, Alyssa Franklin and Duncan Cross in Atlanta, Ga., in June.
66 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
To update your contact information call +1-434.924.4874
bors). Katherine Neebe and Dennis were able to participate in the festivities. Later that month, Travis made an impromptu visit to New York City when Pedro Monteiro visited from Portugal. Pedro’s visit brought together the likes of Leo Biagini, Onur Aydas, Aman Gupta and Dennis Ortiz for dinner in SoHo. Also in New York City this summer was Kaylan Bartholomew, Tawana Murphy-Burnett, Jenn Hill and Janine Lyons. All were joyous about their weekend together. The reunion included a trip to the Central Park Zoo with Kaylan, Tawana and Janine’s children. Having survived the pomp and circumstance of the wedding of the century, Alex Ranson wrote in from London saying that having spent six years strenuously avoiding using anything she learned in OB, it’s now all caught up with her. She’s now managing director of Specialmoves, a digital production company in London. In her first two weeks, she generated material for at least seven case studies: everything from budgeting (we need to spend more money on training and milk for the office fridge!) and organizational structure (get the developers to design how they want to be managed) to ethics (no, we can’t hire illegal workers, no matter how hot their skills or temporary their illegality). If you need any brilliant interactive experiences built, do get in touch with Alex. She also reports that she was able to practice her ’Hoos cheers when she saw the U.Va. varsity men row in the semis of the Henley Royal Regatta. Alex generously invites any fellow Dardenites to contact her if visiting London! As for updates from your Class Secretaries, Dennis’s updates can be seen in the paragraphs earlier in this entry, while Katie Bisbee continues to do extremely well professionally. So well, Katie can be added to our growing list of C-level classmates — she was recently named chief marketing officer at DonorsChoose.org. What an accomplishment! (Katie will most likely get back at Dennis for including this in the Class Notes!) Before we sign off, your class secretaries would like to give a shout out to Pam Taylor for the shortest update ever. Pam writes, “Un-
fortunately, no news from me. Life is good.” We appreciate her conciseness, but we look forward to a more comprehensive update in the next edition, Pam!
2005 TOTRAN NGUYEN TOTRAN05@GMAIL.COM
Adam Healey and Christin Long got married on September 10 in a good ‘ole C-ville wedding at Castle Hill Cider estate. In attendance at the wedding were Charles Seilheimer, Rachel and Matt Bine, Katie and Ben Monson, Lisa and Joe Miller, Carsten Lebeck, ToTran Nguyen and recently married Piya and Joel Selzer. David Khtikian and Kristan Fletcher tied the knot on September 24 on Cape Cod in Harwichport at Wychmere Beach Club and headed off to Thailand for their honeymoon. Darden classmates in attendance were Ken Lavine, Brendan Ryan, Charles Cox, Steve Majocha, Joe Burkhart, Ben Ensminger-Law and Jonathan Right. Erin and Joel Lanik welcomed their third child, Dylan Juliet Lanik, on September 8, 2011. Neal Hoffman and his family recently moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, after wife Erin was promoted at P&G. Neal will continue making toys and has signed on as director of marketing at Silverlit Toys. Neal admits that his son, Jacob, “continues to be spoiled rotten and has more toys than he could ever use.” Ryan Walsh recently relocated to Baltimore to join Algeco Scotsman as director of business development, supporting their acquisition growth and strategic initiatives. Says Ryan, “After more than 15 years of Chicago urban living, it’s quite a lifestyle and geographic change, but a good one, since we have a growing family (two daughters who are 1 and 3 years old). Plus, it’s nice to be closer to so many Darden alum hubs on the East Coast.” Cherbury Hunt, based in Norfolk, Va., with Smithfield Foods, Inc., was able to catch up with a Darden crew over the summer for a Hotlanta Festival. Cherbury also went to London this summer for Wimbledon and survived the Hurricane Irene flooding. In April, Katie Cunningham transitioned to a new role as director of financial planning at WellStar Health System and is loving not traveling and actually enjoying life in Atlanta. Alyssa Franklin, on a new project with Deloitte, is having fun in Seattle. Tim Brown and Duncan Cross are working together on the executive team at Renmatix, a Kleiner Perkins portfolio company in the clean tech From the Class of 2005: Groom Adam Healey and bride Christin Long, and from space. With new corporate left to right, Katie and Ben Monson, Lisa and Joe Miller, Carsten Lebeck, ToTran offices opening in PhilaNguyen, Rachel and Matt Bine, Charles Seilheimer and Piya and Joel Selzer.
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
delphia, the fellows bid farewell to Atlanta but aspire to return for all major “Yacht Rock” performances. Elad Mardix, with wife, Yael, and their two girls, Gili (3 years old) and Roni (1 year old), recently moved from New York to Hong Kong. Elad accepted a new opportunity to drive J.P. Morgan’s technology investment banking business from Asia, traveling and covering technology companies mostly in China, India, Japan, Korea and Singapore. Says Elad, “Darden classmates, please ping me if you’re available to catch up in one of those areas.” Jack and Montana Garside welcomed twins into the world on Friday, 23 September. They have themselves a handful with boy, Cameron Rushforth Garside, and girl, Lydia Harper Garside. Says Jack, “Babies and mom are doing well and resting. Wish me luck!”
2006 JERALD GAINES, ALAN HOWZE AND MAC LING RECEIVED A 2011 HIGH-PERFORMANCE AWARD FOR CLASS AGENTS. ELLIE OFF ELLIE.OFF@GMAIL.COM
Greetings, Class of 2006!! I write this from San Francisco, where we are starting to have a pretty solid 2006 contingent. I recently caught up with Mac Ling, Amber Grey, Kallie Speller (in town visiting) and Raymond Chung at an event for Darden prospective students. Joe Wallace is also new to the Bay Area. Joe recently joined the clean tech group at Jefferies & Co. in San Francisco as a vice president. Joe, Vicky and Olivia (9 months) relocated to San Francisco from New York City at the beginning of August. They are enjoying all that the Bay Area has to offer and look forward to friends visiting us on their way to Napa! Joe can be reached at joewallace77@yahoo.com. Tyronne Jolly has a reunion story to remember! He writes, “Katherine (formerly Bush) and I got engaged at the Darden reunion back in April. I proposed in that little courtyard outside of the Career Services office. We got married on August 14 in Seattle and honeymooned in Maui. Trevor Brown and Jerald Gaines attended the ceremony, and we actually met up with Joel Selzer (MBA ’05) and his new wife, Piya, in Maui during the honeymoon.” In Washington, D.C., Jann and Ryan Elliott welcomed the birth of their daughter, Stella, in August. Mom and baby are happy and healthy. Ryan has been able to see them every night since he has been travelling much less with his new job, doing business development and client management as an associate partner at Satory, a D.C.-based IT consulting company. Please keep the news coming! ellie.off@ gmail.com.
2007 • Reunion 2012 BRAD AKARD, CORINNE KURUCZA, ELIZABETH MOORE, DION NICELY AND MAC RUSSELL RECEIVED A 2011 HIGH-PERFORMANCE AWARD FOR CLASS AGENTS. RYAN DAVIS RYANDAVIS07@GMAIL.COM HEATHER DANFORTH HILL HEATHERRAEDANFORTH@GMAIL.COM ALICE GANIER ROLLI ALICEANNA@GMAIL.COM
On September 17, Michael Finnegan married Jennifer Knowles in his hometown of Louisville, Ky. Several Darden classmates attended (and enjoyed a great party). Jason Kilpela served as the best man, and Jay Mackerer and Ryan Davis were groomsmen. The couple resides in Alexandria, Va. From the Washington, D.C., area, Rich Ellis and his wife, Kim, report that they welcomed their second child on August 23. Rich writes, “It is definitely an adjustment having to go from the zone defense at home to man-to-man, but it’s been great so far.” Just one day earlier, Rick Ramsey and his wife, Libby, had their second child. Margaret Thayer (Margot) joins their son, Scott. Rick continues to work for Danaher as a product manager in Nashville, Tenn. On August 17, Rob Jones and his wife, Ashley, welcomed their first child, Ruby Elizabeth. Rob continues to enjoy working at Family Dollar in Charlotte, N.C., where he was recently nominated to join the company’s Emerging Leader Class of 2012. Anne Eckhoff and her husband, Ryan, are proud to announce the birth of their first child — a daughter named Kayla May — who was born on July 26. The couple lives in Connecticut. On May 20, Mike Pozzi and his wife, Nikki, had their first child, Samantha Brooke. She weighed 6 lbs., 5 oz. and was 18.5 inches long. The family resides in Silver Spring, Md. Elizabeth Close Thibodeau and her husband, Tony, are now the parents of two. Anthony Alan Thibodeau II, was born April 17. He was 7 lbs. 3 oz. and 20.5 inches long. Big sister, Addison Rose, who is 2 years old (going on 18), loves her little brother, and everyone is doing well. Elizabeth continues to work in Minneapolis at Target and is currently a group manager on the Business Partnerships & Negotiations team. Katherine Horney Neuenfeldt writes from the San Francisco Bay area that she’s now the director of marketing for Medtronic’s Endovascular Business, managing products for abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms. She and her husband, Mike, are still enjoying the outdoor activities of the Bay Area, especially Stanford football. Ashley Elicker reports that she recently accepted a position as senior finance manager at Panera Bread in Boston, Mass. Jeff and Hagan Kappler, with daughter, Kiernan, joined George Wisecarver; his wife, Katie; and their son, William, in Stuart, Fla.,
Aquiles Flores and Miguel Bou (both MBA ’07) competed in the AVOA Austin Triathlon.
Jeff and Hagan Kappler (both MBA ’07), with daughter, Kiernan, joined George (MBA ’07) and Katie Wisecarver; and their son, William, in Stuart, Fla., for spring break.
for spring break. In the accompanying photo, Kiernan Kappler is 7 months, and William Wisecarver is 10 months. Over Labor Day weekend, Aquiles Flores and Miguel Bou met in Austin, Texas, to compete in the AVIA Austin Triathlon. Miguel beat Aquiles by a few minutes — which he attributes to his strategy of hitching his bike so that Aquiles did all the pedaling. Miguel is a financial senior consultant in treasury at Dell in Austin, and Aquiles is the vice president of sales at Woodcrafters Home Products, living in Mission, Texas. Both hope that other Darden alumni near central Texas join them next year in the fun. Got News? Please send contributions to the Class of 2007 notes anytime to HeatherRaeDanforth@gmail.com, RyanDavis07@gmail. com or aliceanna@gmail.com.
2008 JAYSON LIPSEY JAYSON.LIPSEY@GMAIL.COM
Gail Ballantyne relocated to DC two years ago and works at Monster.com in the government business strategy group. When not at work, she plays in a bunch of sports leagues, including a co-ed floor hockey team. Nelson Erickson and his wife, Betsy, welcomed their daughter, Nevers Singer Erickson, on December 14, 2010. In addition he started a new job as VP, Corporate Development & Strategy for Mercury Computer Systems. Nel-
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
67
CLASS NOTES son reports, “We’re still living on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and loving parenthood.” Katherine Martini Miles and husband Scott are wrapping up a year-long assignment working and living in London, England. While there, they were able to participate in several U.Va. Club activities, including a Virginia wine tasting party that reminded them of all the fun Darden events at Charlottesville-area vineyards. They are looking forward to settling back into their home in Malvern, Pennsylvania in the new year. Nick Walker attended the wedding of Brian Matthews in Jackson, WY, in August with classmates Joe Rioff, Jamie Devine, Mark McAfee, Nick Hobbs, Henry Hager, Maureen Singer, Chaz Littlefield, Eric Swanson, and Eugene Miles. Jenaro Cardona-Fox married Mallory Cardona-Fox on 2 July 2011 in Amsterdam and the wedding was attended by Nick Walker, Greg Faulkner (Darden ‘06), Edward Duggan, Robert Birdsey, Marc McAfee, Marion Guill, Maureen Singer, John David Massengill, Julia Massengill (U.Va. ’03) After welcoming Annie Hutton into the world in June 2010 in Washington, DC, George and Liz Hutton are preparing for the arrival of her little brother in early 2012. What little free time they have is spent on YouTube watching clips of Mike Mussio – the now frequent economic commentator on Fox News! Jenn Chick has recently moved from her role as Principal at MarketBridge to be the Senior Director of the Project Management Center of Excellence for the Hilton Worldwide Customer Marketing organization. Tyler and Emily Umbdenstock joyously announce the birth of their son, Luke Wise, on April 1st, 2011. Luke weighed in at 6lbs, 14oz and measured 20 inches long. Mike Rabinovitz left his role at General Mills to become the brand manager of Lacrosse at Warrior Sports, a subsidiary of New Balance. His family will relocate from Minneapolis to Detroit in January.
Jenaro Cardona-Fox (MBA ’08) and his wife, Mallory, at their 2 July 2011 wedding in Amsterdam.
68 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
Craig Heilman and his wife Ann are proud to announce the birth of their first child Elsa Ann Heilman-Dahl, born 11:37 am May 31, 2011 in Washington, D.C. at 6 lbs. 2oz. and 19 in. Elsa is growing, smiling, and adding lots of excitement to the Heilman household. In work news, Craig recently graduated from DuPont’s marketing leadership development program and was promoted to North American marketing and program manager for military ballistic protection — a large segment within the DuPont Protection Technologies business unit focused on the Kevlar® family of fibers used to manufacture body armor and other protective equipment for military personnel. “This job is a great fit for me. My application essays for Darden spoke of starting a company to improve the tactical equipment I used while flying for the Navy. Today, I’m able to do that for a company that’s been innovating for the U.S. military since E.I. du Pont sold his first shipment of black powder to Thomas Jefferson 209 years ago. It’s great to be able to combine my pre-Darden military experience with my postDarden career opportunities in a way only my MBA experience could facilitate.” Craig splits his time between the DuPont D.C. office and the DuPont Richmond manufacturing site and enjoys catching up with Darden alums in both cities. He’s also lucky to have a great reason to return to C’ville every year as the lead for DuPont recruiting efforts. He sends his well wishes to the class of ’08 and Section E. Jim Hughey remains tethered to the east coast as Senior Vice President (and recent new partner!) at NEXA Capital Partners, a boutique advisory firm in DC, where he spends his days keeping the aerospace industry well-incubated. He writes, “I can’t believe it’s been so long since Darden, and encourage all of my classmates to reach out to say hi, as I am finally getting my wisdom teeth out in January and need some support. Best wishes to everyone.” Andrea Fuller celebrated a year with her new heart in July 2010 and encourages all of you to become organ donors. She is a brand manager at Johnson & Johnson and lives in Princeton, NJ with her dog Piper. Bob Jordan writes in with a business update: “In 2010, I co-founded AsianOps Limited, a Hong Kong registered consulting practice that focuses on assisting clients with product supply operations in China. In Q1 2011, AsianOps Limited partnered with D2M-Inc., a design engineering consulting firm with offices in Mountain View and Hong Kong, and we have been busy this year delivering electromechanical project work for customers such as Fluidmaster, Rubbermaid, Polaroid, and Zuvo Water. Also, in October 2011, AsianOps Limited received Chinese business license approval to operate a wholly foreign owned enterprise (WFOE) in China and I’ve just completed opening our new WFOE office in Shenzhen. Busy year in China!” Brian Eachus and his wife Caroline were thrilled to welcome their first child, Virginia
Carroll, into the world on April 12, 2011. All is well in Minneapolis where Brian continues to work for Target Corp as part of its Pharmacy division. If anybody is passing through the Twin Cities this winter and needs an ice fishing buddy, just let him know. Kevin Kosefeski reports: “This past summer we saw another crop of Darden interns rotate through Danaher, with two of them (Bill Wellman and Yi Yang) coming to Hach Company in Loveland, Colorado. We had a great time enjoying the many summer festivals and drinking more than our share of Fat Tire, which is brewed right here in Fort Collins. Not sure if either one is coming back here, but Darden is already pretty well represented here at Hach, with myself and Nick Moran (MBA ’08), Seth Vance (MBA ’09), Jason Clifton (’07), Jason Lund (’06) and Keith Hetherington (’11). Several other Dardenites live up and down the front range and occasionally we’ll get together in Denver to watch the Broncos lose or meet up in the high country for ski trips. The snow came early this year with several inches blanketing the foothills in late October. Looking forward to another fun filled winter on the slopes. If any of you make it out to the Rockies this winter please do drop me a line. We’ve got season passes and a full size Suburban, so we’re up there almost every weekend. CheersKevin K” Holden Lee writes in: “Hello from London! I just relocated from Brooklyn in October, and it’s been a hectic process, to say the least. Like many couples from our class, Taantee Karmakar and I got married soon after graduation, where many Darden classmates were present to celebrate with us. Currently, I am managing an exciting change in how Unilever delivers insights through deep analytics and data convergence, where I get to use every piece of the Darden curriculum from DA to LO. I miss the campus (and Birdwood, of course), and I hope to be able to visit soon, though when specifically remains a mystery. ‘Til then, H. (m) +44 (0) 7785-450271” Finally, please mark your calendars for our 5th Darden reunion — 26-28 April 2013; this is the same weekend as Foxfields!
2008 MBA for Executives PACE LOCHTE PACE308@GMAIL.COM
Fall 2011 brings good news from our classmates! Ajeya Tatake and his wife welcomed a second son to their family. Vikrant Tatake was born March 2011 and is reportedly keeping everyone on their toes. Joe Willis has spent the last three years working for Chevron’s finance group in San Ramon, CA (San Francisco bay area) for about 3 years. While he was in California he enjoyed the beautiful California weather, the occasional earthquake, and the opportunity to work with Brian Sutton (MBA ’07), a former full-time Darden MBA. Joe recently moved to Luanda,
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu
well. Arup and Tania Bhattacharjee were blessed with a daughter, Rishika, on September 30. Mom and dad are very excited. Stacey and Ben Flood welcomed Benjamin Mark Flood on June 11. Baby Ben was 8 lbs, 10 oz and 20 inches. Looks like Chrissa Pagitsas (MBA ’09), married sweetheart Lee on September 24 in Santorini, there’s another Greece, surrounded by family and friends, including many Darden classmates and Profesdouble ‘Hoo in the sor Yiorgos Allayannis! making. In other exciting Flood famAngola to be accounting manager for Chevron’s ily news, Big Ben threw out the first pitch at an Angolan operations. “I expect to be here in Lu- Orioles game this summer…dressed as a can anda looking out of my office into the Atlantic of Old Bay seasoning! Working at McCormick Ocean for 3 years. Angola is a major investment sure has perks. On August 5, Baijnath Ramraika and wife for Chevron with numerous billion dollar projects so this will be a great opportunity to see the Radhika Apte Ramraika were blessed with operational side of the business, help mentor daughter Poulomi, a name meaning rays of the some of our bright Angolan employees and pos- sun. Speaking of sun, Meghan Morris and hussibly learn a little Portuguese. Angela Ross has accepted a job at Stellar- band Dan moved to sunny San Diego, where One, one of the largest independent, commer- Meghan continues to work for IBM. On July 18, cial banks headquartered in Virginia. As Chief the couple also welcomed their little cadet Robranding officer, Angela will be responsible man Nicholas to the family. July 18 was a busy day for Darden new momfor leading the development and execution of brand positioning and strategy across all busi- mies, as Patty Foglesong and husband Todd ness lines as the bank positions itself for con- Clare were blessed with the birth of baby girl tinued growth. Her primary office will be in Sylvie Adeline Clare, who weighed 7 lbs, 12 oz Richmond along with a secondary office in and measured 19.5 inches. Ryan and Joanne Inman introduced daughCharlottesville. She is “very, very excited about the role!” We are excited about having Angela ter Carter Marie Inman to the world on July 7. They are doing great in Virginia Beach and based in Virginia again! Matt Fisher appears to be a committed expa- look forward to their first family trip to Charlottriate. He just started his third year in Malaysia tesville soon. Vika Osipenko and husband Rafe Tushman at YTL Communications and recently became VP of Device and Product Development. Daugh- (Class of 2008) had an Ides of March baby, ter Katie is enjoying fifth grade at the Interna- Fiona Osipenko Tushman. Vika and Rafe report tional School of Kuala Lumpur, and Rachel is that Fiona is already running the show. David Durr and wife Jane-Lauren welcomed enjoying “pretty much everything,” including planning the family’s travel schedule, which Claire Jane Durr into the world on February 25. has so far included Hong Kong, Cambodia, Sin- In June, the Durr family moved to Richmond, gapore, India, Indonesia (Bali), Thailand, and where David is an operations analyst manager Melbourne, AUS -- with New Year’s Eve in Syd- for Capital One. David is enjoying Capitol One so much that he recruited Darden classmates ney coming up. Mark your calendars now for our 5th reunion Ben Chen and Rob Stone to join him there. Rob’s wife and classmate Lindsay Hutter Stone on 26-28 April 2013! is working in marketing for CarMax. WEDDING BELLS ARE RINGING 2009 What started as a brief flirtation over case NEAL PAVLIC studies or erudite conversation at Coupes PAVLIC16@GMAIL.COM turned to marriage! Marjorie Webb and Ryan BRIGITTE DONNER Childress were married on a sunny Saturday in BRIGITTEDONNER@GMAIL.COM May at Farmington Country Club, overlooking the Blue Ridge. Senator Mark Warner officiated IT’S A BABY BOOM! Scott Butler and wife Kate welcomed Mad- at the ceremony, and many Darden classmates elyn (Maddie) Marie Butler into the world on were in attendance. The wedding party includOctober 14, weighing 6 pounds, 11 oz and mea- ed Kit Bradley, Sara Diedrich Brohl, Jarrett suring 19 inches. Mom, baby and Dad are doing Martin and David Bowlin. The Childresses
still live in Atlanta and enjoy spending time with neighboring classmates David Bowlin, Dean and Melissa Hanlon, and Trammell Summers. The fearless lead of Section C, Chrissa Pagitsas, married sweetheart Lee on September 24 in Santorini, Greece, surrounded by family and friends, including many Darden classmates and Professor Yiorgos! Jordan Ste. Marie married Bonnie Creech on Saturday, September 17 at Sweely Estate Winery in Madison, VA. Jordan’s groomsmen included classmates Andy Jamison, Mike Ferraro, Bradley Kipp, Jackson Castleberry, Andy Shipley and Michael Snyder. Michael Canale got married in September, and is living in Brooklyn. LIFE AS WE KNOW IT Alexander Boyatt is living the California dream in San Diego, working for enXco. As program manager, he is building a 10MWac solar power plant. Boyatt has joined a rugby team and is “trying hard to get his broken down jock self back in something that resembles being in shape.” Mountain Man Boyatt is enjoying all the west coast has to offer, spending as much time as possible hiking in the high Sierras, Lagunas, and San Jacinto mountains. Brigitte Donner has been bitten by California’s tech bug. She left MarketBridge to join Salesforce as product marketing manager for Radian6, a social media monitoring and engagement platform. Brigitte is enjoying the new gig at the culture-rich, high-energy, growing tech company and encourages friends to connect with her via Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Katie Tower, still at Navigant Consulting in Chicago, is bracing for another winter. Spoken like a true Californian, Katie says “they are predicting way too many inches of snow!” But she did enjoy summer sun and the company of good friends at Chrissa Pagitsas’ wedding in Santorini. Semih Nihmet enjoyed a great summer in Istanbul, cruising the Princess Islands in his new speed boat and improving his water-skiing. Semih recently left his senior financial analyst role for Eli Lilly and is becoming a physical commodity trader at Ion Carbon, part of AMCI Capital group. Semih encourages any classmates coming to Turkey to drop him a note… he may even take you for a spin in the new speed boat! CLASS OF 2009 REUNIONS AROUND THE GLOBE Tricia Crider and Shannon Hogan took a break from the crazy pace of New York City and headed for Maui. Brigitte Donner met them there, where the trio snorkeled, swam with sea turtles, drove the road to Hana and danced at a luau. Pete Dempsey serendipitously bumped into classmate Neal Pavlic in the lobby of Shanghai’s Pecksniff Inn! After a day full of combing the local markets for illegal counterfeit merchandise, the pair stiffed a cabbie and
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
69
CLASS NOTES
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874 MEREDITH VALENTINE VALENTINE.MEREDITH@GMAIL.COM
Anuj Mathur joined Ernst & Young as a senior manager in McLean, Va. Omar Khawaja has been promoted to lead all global product marketing for Verizon’s Security Solutions Business. Omar is responsible for the product marketing for services provided in more than 30 countries and to the majority of the Global 2000 companies.
Brent Iredale and his wife, Genie, welcomed their first child, William Thomas Iredale, on June 4. Thomas was 9 lbs and 21½ inches at birth but has grown quite a bit since then. Everyone is doing well, and Thomas already had his first photo session with Jessica Rayborn (and Ryan Rayborn) here in Atlanta. Mike Sutton confirms that he is surviving nicely after over a year living in Colombia. Catherine Sproul, Brian Rainey, Patrick Ryan, Jonny Hiler, Nicki Allen and Hilary Hall have all dropped in for a visit, and Ben Mackovak (MBA ’07) and Mike Di Felice are on the short list for future trips. Gokul Chandrasekaran left McKinsey and New York in August and is now in Delhi trying to sell burritos to hungry Indians with Akshay Mittal (MBA ’11). Sam Bond and his wife, Margaret, welcomed their daughter, Elizabeth Ivy, in February. As they celebrate their first daughter, Ellie, turning 7 months old, they are having a fantastic time in Atlanta and enjoying all the little things that go along with being new parents. Oscar Rodriguez and James FreedmanAponte have been selected to participate in the Start-up Chile program with their company, TusTrabajitos.com — an online services marketplace currently operating in five countries in Latin America. The company will receive an equity-free investment of $40K and office space in Santiago, Chile. Jacqueline Grace, who works for gaming company Caesars Entertainment, was promoted to director of marketing at Showboat Atlantic City Hotel & Casino. Jeff Parkinson and his wife, Christy, welcomed daughter Emma Grace Parkinson on September 2 in Long Branch, N.J. She weighed 6 lbs 13 oz. Sven Iversen now works at Edwards Lifesciences as a manager on the Strategic Market Growth team, focusing on Surgical Heart Valve Repair products in the United States and emerging markets. Ishank Jain and his wife, Lakeri, welcomed dear baby Anika on July 14. On her birth, Ishank said, “She is the best 8 1/2 pounds that I’ve ever lifted!! What an experience!!” Camden and Michael Goff welcomed their daughter, Lacey Kathryn Goff, into the world on July 12. The Goff family is living happily in Reston, Va.
Class of 2010
2010 MBA for Executives
Ishank Jain (MBA ’10) and his wife, Lakeri, welcomed baby Anika on July 14.
Michael (MBA ’10) and Camden Goff welcomed their daughter, Lacey Kathryn Goff, into the world on July 12.
spent the evening on the run from Shanghai’s finest. Small world, good times! Calling all Darden friends in Europe! Davide Ambrosini and Alasdair MacFarlane are planning a reunion on May 18, 2012 at a French destination yet to be determined. Contact Davide or Alasdair for more details…and start looking for flights! Until next time, au revoir!
2009 MBA for Executives DALE GILLAM DALE.E.GILLAM@SAIC.COM
JACKI FRITZ, ADRIANO MAESANO, IRENE MASTELLI AND ROB WALSH RECEIVED A 2011 HIGH-PERFORMANCE AWARD FOR CLASS AGENTS AND THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF DARDEN SOCIETY MEMBERS AWARD (40). KYLE POWER KRPOWER11@YAHOO.COM JACKIE GRACE JACQUELINE.GRACE@GMAIL.COM 70 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
Eric Brune welcomed the birth of his son, Wyatt Alexander Brune, on May 6, 2011. He weighed in at 8 pounds 5 ounces and measured 20.5 inches (sounds like he might be looking eye to eye with daddy pretty soon!). Tamica Goode welcomed her little girl, Jada Alise Goode into the world on August 22, 2011. Emily McMahan finally has some news for homeroom… her son, John Hayes McMahan, was born on September 26, 2011. He weighed 7 pounds 12 ounces and measured 21.5 inches. The final addition comes from Tom Sweatman. He celebrated Cinco de Mayo with birth of his daughter, Kate Dempsey Sweatman, and she weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce. All households are busy and experiencing flashbacks of long nights of studying and the resulting sleep deprivation. Tom Sweatman was also activated by the Marine Corps this past summer. He is on orders and has been standing by in Virginia Beach during the work weeks since July. Rachel Decker is joining HP’s Enterprise Services business as Marketing Director for the US Public Sector. She will be responsible for developing vital market-facing programs throughout the region. Rachel joined HP immediately after graduation as head of global public affairs within HP Corporate Communications. Steve Starnes has purchased a significant stake in The Monitor Group, the wealth management and financial planning firm where he has been working. And finally, earlier this year, Lorri Webber transitioned her career from sales to marketing with Medtronic and made a move to Minneapolis. She took time in between positions to visit family in various parts of the country and zip-line in the rainforests of Costa Rica. She is enjoying the job and doing quite a bit of international travel. She is gradually embracing mid-western life and is preparing her survival strategy for the long cold winter!
2011 First Year Reunion 2012 Joe Chard is featured in “Did You Know?” on page 14. DORON FELMAN DORONFELMAN@GMAIL.COM STEPHANIE HORVATH STEPHANIEMARIEHORVATH@GMAIL.COM SARAH SIMNOWITZ
DAVID BONENFANT DAVID.BONENFANT.GMRG@STATEFARM.COM MEGHAN WELCH MEGHAN.WELCH@COMCAST.NET
So as promised from our last edition of class notes, we have a lot of baby news to report… and we would like to welcome these future Darden students to the class of 2038!
Kate Orseth, Meagan Welch and Kristin Imbalzano (all MBA ’11) traveled through Vietnam this summer.
CLASS NOTES
E-mail your updates to pricen@darden.virginia.edu SARAH.SIMNOWITZ@GMAIL.COM
Jess Mantooth Pounds was married to Drew Pounds in Charlottesville, Va., at Ash LawnHighland on September 4. The happy couple resides in Arlington, Va. Kyle Hawke and wife, Krystal, welcomed their first child, Brady William Hawke, on May 31. He was born at 8 lbs. 12 oz. Hitomi and Phillip Green welcomed to the world Phillip Masaki Green on August 10 at 1:43 pm. He weighed in at 8 lbs and 4 oz with a length of 21.5 inches. Carmen and Pedro Miguel Rodriguez welcomed baby Martina, who was born on October 3, weighed 7 lbs 2.5 oz and was 19.5 inches tall. Both Carmen and baby are doing well, and we are so happy with the news. Andrew Crowley has been working for Markel Ventures, a private equity group in Richmond, for the past few months with fellow Darden alum Mike Heaton (MBA ’07). Since joining in July, Andrew has been tasked with both acquisition due diligence and portfolio company management. Although his tenure has been short, Andrew has gained tremendous buy-side experience that he hopes to use at some point in the future. In December, Andrew will finally move to Atlanta and begin his career with Bain & Company.
2011 MBA for Executives First Year Reunion 2012 See “4 Ways to Save the World” on page 26, which spotlights the 2011 Capstone Leadership Residency. BETSY MARKUS BETSYMO@GMAIL.COM
It has been a busy few months since we graduated in May, and everyone in the cohort has been busy transitioning from work-life-school balance to work-life balance without going into withdrawals from fun weekends together in Charlottesville over the past two years. The infrastructure we put in place during LR4 has really helped us stay in touch with each other, continuing to build on the learning environment fostered by Darden. Once a month, class members get together for the General Management Book Club, and have enjoyed in-depth discussions on books such as The Most Important Lesson No One Ever Taught Me; The Dragonfly Effect: Quick, Effective, and Powerful Ways To Use Social Media to Drive Social Change; and Lift: Becoming a Positive Force in Any Situation. We’re also keeping things light and lively through Fantasy Football Leagues and in-person gatherings. Most recently, a group went to Virginia Beach to participate in the Rock ’n Roll Half Marathon in support of the Navy SEAL Foundation. Everyone enjoyed time on the beach, catching up and practicing a little trap shooting. Here are some notable summer accomplishments by individuals in the cohort: Matt Bradley took on a new role, joining GE Capital, while relocating from Vermont to Nor-
walk, Conn. John Dowd won a contract to develop an iPad app to assist highly technical Navy SEAL training in close-quarters combat. Fred Geoffrion joined UTC in July and is currently in the World Headquarters Field Operations at UTC Fire & Security. He relocated from the D.C. area to Farmington, Conn., for the opportunity. Reggie Jones started a new job at Capgemini Consulting in June, moved from the D.C. area to New York and then married Wintye Goitom on September 10. Dennis Monahan and two business partners have formed an LLC to develop and provide secure communications and information systems to nongovernmental organizations. Todd Pearson hasn’t stopped for a minute since graduation. He moved from the boonies of the suburban northern Virginia to D.C. in June and received a promotion from AVP, director of internal audit, to vice president of acquisition and development at B.F. Saul Company. He and Sarah also welcomed beautiful baby Eleni into the world in September. Eleni is their third child, their first daughter. Kevin Schaar is enjoying his new office location on the Georgetown waterfront, as he became the vice president of development and construction for MRP Realty in August. Shareef Tahboub and his partners launched the NextGame iPhone/iPad app, receiving rave reviews from sites such as UrbanDaddy.com. They are in the process of organizing the launch of the app for the Droid. Kumar Thiagarajan took on a new role, carrying out business development for Prazas, which produces e-learning collaborative software. He happily provided a demonstration of the software capabilities to Darden for potential future use. Tom Tichenor and his family relocated from Culpeper to Richmond, with Tom taking on a new vice president role at Wells Fargo Insurance Services. He is now the regional business development officer for the MidAtlantic, cover-
ing Commercial Bank. The cohort proudly read about Tom’s new position in the Wall Street Journal and quickly distributed the article throughout the group. Mike Vaudrey’s company, Aegisound, won a contract to deliver 7,000 hearing protection units to the Navy in the next 10 months. This is the part of a BOA that they won for $25M, with a five-year open contract for specific delivery orders. Brian Venuti relocated his family to Chicago to run the Craftsman Club for Sears Holding Company. As you can see, we haven’t slowed down since graduation, and we look forward to reporting our continued successes in the future!
Mr. and Mrs. Eric Brune (EMBA ’11) welcomed the birth of their son, Wyatt Alexander Brune, on May 6, 2011.
John Hayes McMahan was born on September 26, 2011 to Emily McMahan (EMBA ’11).
EMBA Class of 2011 classmates participate in the Rock ’n Roll Half Marathon in support of the Navy SEAL Foundation. Left to Right: Matt Bradley, Matt Griffin, Elyta Koh, Jorge Conde-Berrocal, Shonyel Lyons, John Dowd, Bill Phelps, Matt Dowd, Kevin Schaar and Manoj Upreti.
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
71
CLASS NOTES
To update your contact information call +1-434-924-4874
A New Chapter in Our History Book A revitalized guest room experience beginning Spring 2012. Learn more at TheBoarsHeadRenovation.com
800.476.1988 www.boarsheadinn.com
72 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
dining | lodging | golf | tennis | spa | meetings | weddings
Information Center ALUMNI WEBSITE http://alumportal.darden.virginia.edu Locate former classmates, catch up on chapter events or update personal information. If you need your username or have password questions, please contact Alumni Relations, dardenalum@darden.virginia.edu or call +1-800-327-3363. ALUMNI CAREER SERVICES www.darden.virginia.edu/acs The Armstrong Center for Alumni Career Services office can assist you in managing your career and making transitions. E-mail AlumniCareerServices@darden.virginia.edu or call +1-434-924-4876. GIVE TO DARDEN www.darden.virginia.edu/givenow To make a gift to Darden or to receive information about planned giving, visit our website, contact the Development Office at development@ darden.virginia.edu or call +1-800-327-3363. FULL-TIME MBA www.darden.virginia.edu/admissions For information about Darden’s Full-Time MBA program and admissions process, e-mail darden@virginia.edu or call +1-800-UVA-MBA1. MBA FOR EXECUTIVES www.darden.virginia.edu/MBAexec For information about Darden’s MBA for Executives Program, e-mail MBAExec@darden.virginia.edu or call +1-434-243-3622.
GLOBAL MBA FOR EXECUTIVES www.darden.virginia.edu/GEMBA For information about Darden’s new Global MBA for Executives Program, e-mail GEMBA@darden.virginia.edu or call +1-434-243-3622. EXECUTIVE EDUCATION www.darden.virginia.edu/exed Develop your executives and grow your business through Darden Executive Education. For information, e-mail darden_exed@darden. virginia.edu or call +1-434-924-3000. CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER Interested in recruiting MBA students at Darden? Contact the Career Development Center at +1-434-9247283 or e-mail careerdevelopment@darden.virginia.edu to schedule a company briefing or student interviews, or visit us at the “Recruiters & Companies” link at www.darden.virginia.edu. DARDEN MERCHANDISE To order Darden merchandise, contact the Darden Exchange at dx@darden.virginia.edu. or call +1-434-243-5515. DARDEN BUSINESS PUBLISHING www.dardenbusinesspublishing.com Representing a broad range of industries and companies, Darden Business Publishing provides faculty instructors, corporate trainers and individuals with an extensive selection of case-based educational tools for business. For information about Darden alumni access to the case collection or to purchase materials, call +1-800-246-3367.
Alumni Leadership DARDEN SCHOOL FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIRMAN Peter D. Kiernan (MBA ’79) Kiernan Ventures VICE CHAIRMAN Philip W. Knisely (MBA ’78) Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Thomas J. Baltimore Jr. (MBA ’91) RLJ Lodging Trust W.L. Lyons Brown III (MBA ’87) Altamar Brands, LLC Robert F. Bruner Dean, University of Virginia Darden School of Business G. David Cheek (MBA ’79) The Meridian Group James Su-Ting Cheng (MBA ’87) Commonwealth of Virginia James A. Cooper (MBA ’84) Thompson Street Capital Partners VN Dalmia (MBA ’84) Dalmia Continental Pvt. Ltd. Trip Davis (MBA ’94) President, Darden School Foundation, Senior Associate Dean for External Relations Michael A. DeCola (MBA ’77) Mississippi Lime Company Kenneth M. Eades (Faculty) Professor of Business Administration Karen K. Edwards (MBA ’84)) Kosiba Edwards Associates Louis G. Elson (MBA ’90) Palamon Capital Partners, LLP John M. Farrell Jr. (MBA ’80) The Coca-Cola Company Jennifer McEnery Finn (MBA ’00) Capital One Financial
Donald W. Goodman (MBA ’84) The Walt Disney Company Robert J. Hugin (MBA ’85) Celgene Corporation Martina Hund-Mejean (MBA ’88) MasterCard Worldwide William I. Huyett (MBA ’82) McKinsey & Company Luann Lynch (Faculty) Professor of Business Administration John G. Macfarlane III (MBA ’79) Zafferano Capital Carolyn S. Miles (MBA ’88) Save the Children Marshall N. Morton (MBA ’72) Media General Inc. Honorable Lewis F. Payne McGuireWoods Consulting, LLC Scott A. Price (MBA/MA ’90) Wal-Mart Asia Harry T. Rein (MBA ’73) Foundation Medical Partners Frank M. Sands Sr. (MBA ’63) Sands Capital Management Walter E. Shill III (MBA ’86) Accenture Bryan H. Simms (MBA ’94) Lazard Wealth Management, LLC Henry F. Skelsey (MBA ’84) PRC Venture Partners, LLC E. Follin Smith (MBA ’85) Ryder Systems, Inc. (Board) Discover Financial Services (Board) John R. Strangfeld Jr. (MBA ’77) Prudential Financial, Inc. Michael Strine University of Virginia
Teresa A. Sullivan President, University of Virginia Warren M. Thompson (MBA ’83) Thompson Hospitality Corp. Roger L. Werner Jr. (MBA ’77) Outdoor Channel Holdings, Inc. Elizabeth K. Weymouth (MBA ’94) Riverstone Holdings, LLC Vanessa A. Wittman (MBA ’93) Marsh & McLennan Company ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR Jennifer McEnery Finn (MBA ’00) Capital One Financial Services PRESIDENT Karen K. Edwards (MBA ’84) Kosiba Edwards Associates George (Yiorgos) Allayannis Faculty Adviser Keith Bachman (MBA ’89) Bank of Montreal Mark Danzenbaker (MBA ’08) GridPoint Christian Duffus (MBA ’00) Spectrum Bridge, Inc. Warren F. Estey (MBA ’98) Deutsche Bank Securities Michael Ganey (MBA ’78) Howard, Merrell & Partners Kirsti W. Goodwin (MBA ’02) Gordon Grand III (MBA ’75) Russell Reynolds Associates, Inc. Owen D. Griffin Jr. (MBA ’99) MinorityMBAS.com Lisa O. Jones (MBA ’85) Pavilion Properties
Harry N. Lewis (MBA ’57) Nicole McKinney Lindsay (MBA/JD ’00) Michael K. Ling (MBA ’06) iCrossing Richard K. Loh (MBA ’96) Ploh Group Pte. Ltd. Elizabeth H. Lynch (MBA ’84) EHLynch Consulting Dar Maanavi (MBA/JD ’94) Merrill Lynch & Co. Jay McDonald (MBA ’71) Middleton McDonald Group, Inc. Jeanne L. Mockard (MBA ’90) Melissa Monk (EMBA ’08) Acxiom Corp. Douglas T. Moore (MBA ’80) First Street Consulting, LLC L. Paul Nelson II (MBA ’77) OFIC North America, Inc. Chrissa Pagitsas (MBA ’09) Fannie Mae Zhiyuan (Jerry) Peng (MBA ’03) Goldman Sachs Kari E. Pitkin (MBA ’97) Bank of America Merrill Lynch Mark A. Riser (MBA ’94) Morningside Private Investors Elvis Rodriguez (MBA ’10) Barclays Capital Abby A. Ruiz de Gamboa (MBA ’04) Deloitte Consulting Shelley Reese (MBA ’08) Booz Allen Hamilton Evan Smith (Class of 2012) Student Representative
DARDEN.VIRGINIA.EDU/DARDENREPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
73
20 Questions Rhonda M. Smith (MBA ’88)
RHONDA M. SMITH is the founder of Breast Cancer Partner, an organization that uses health, wellness and a holistic view of recovery to help breast cancer survivors recover, restore and reenergize themselves after treatment.
What was your first job?
Staff engineer for the city of Charlotte.
Which living person do you most admire?
What’s the best advice you have ever received? Your reputation is everything.
Unfortunately, he just passed away, but Steve Jobs changed how we communicate and access information, and our lifestyle. He had a vision, and he didn’t let anyone interfere with it. I really admire people who do that.
What motivates you?
How do you deal with conflict?
My ability to help make a difference in people’s lives. Helping others have an ‘aha’ moment about their health and wellness.
In which social networks do you engage?
Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. I blog and have a website: www.breastcancerpartner.org.
What technology can you not live without?
Well, I guess a smartphone, much as I resisted. The other day, I started a post, “Do smartphones make people not so smart?”
What’s your favorite business book of all time?
Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference and Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking.
What’s your motto?
Never expect anything from anyone that they’re not willing or capable of giving you, and you’ll never be disappointed.
I meditate or I go for a walk on the beach.
What characteristics do you look for in people?
MELANIE ACEVEDO
In October 2010, More magazine named Smith a First-Place Prize winner in the publication’s Beauty Search Contest based on her essay “Why This Is the Most Fabulous Time in My Life.” The essay chronicled her journey through breast cancer and her emergence from the experience with a new sense of passion and purpose. The publication’s “Reinvent Yourself With More Magazine” television program will profile Smith this fall as a woman who stands and delivers. Smith earned a degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech and her MBA from the Darden School of Business in 1988. After graduating from Darden, she worked in marketing management and sales for Eli Lilly and DuPont before joining StratX International as a senior consultant. In 1998, she launched her own consultancy business in Miami, Florida, where she still lives. Smith served as board chair of the Women’s Fund of Miami-Dade. In 2006, Success South Florida magazine named her one of South Florida’s “25 Most Prominent and Influential African-American Women.”
Who’s your favorite action hero? I like Lara Croft.
What’s your favorite food and beverage?
I love Thai food. I love anything spicy. And my favorite beverage depends on my mood and the time of day, but champagne, wine and margaritas all make the list.
Which class at Darden impacted you the most?
Authenticity and integrity.
“Communications and Analysis,” which was all about speech and writing.
Which natural talent would you most like to have?
Which Darden professor influenced you the most?
My bike.
I don’t want to answer this one because I would have to leave someone out. There were a few: Professors John Colley, Bob Landel and Sherwood Frey. And Professor John Snook, who’s long gone but was a gem.
What have you recently uploaded onto your iPod?
Describe a moment when you realized the true value of your Darden education.
I’d like to be able to sing or have some sort of musical talent.
What is your most treasured possession?
I’m really digging Adele right now.
If you could live anywhere, where would it be? I’m already there: Miami. If not here, then Costa Rica.
When I heard that The Economist ranked Darden the number three business school in North America, ahead of Harvard, I thought to myself, “Wow, now that’s great.”
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I’d like to think I haven’t gotten there yet. 74 THE DARDEN REPORT • Fall/Winter 2011
Ensure Darden’s Legacy Among the World’s Most Forward-Thinking Business Schools. Darden students, faculty, staff and alumni join in an atmosphere of collaboration and community not often found at top business schools. Our commitment, camaraderie and connection are
50
globally recognized. Last year, 42 percent of Darden alumni made a gift to
Forward to
the Darden Annual Fund and 87 percent of Darden faculty made a gift to the School, all-time highs. This year, by moving Forward to 50 percent Annual Fund alumni participation, we will send a clear message to the world that Darden is a high-engagement, transformational learning experience that keeps giving to its students, long after they have graduated. Step forward with a first-time gift or consider increasing your gift to the Darden Annual Fund. Your support will ensure Darden’s legacy of excellence, elevate the School’s position among the world’s premier business schools and share Darden’s values with the next generation of leaders.
Percent
Now that’s
forward thinking.
www.darden.virginia.edu/givenow
University of Virginia Darden School Foundation P.O. Box 7726 Charlottesville, VA 22906-7726
NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE
PAID PPCO
Address Service Requested
FAL L / W IN TE R 2011
Reunion
2012
DARDEN REUNION WEEKEND
27-29 April Class of 1957 1962 1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 F i r s t Ye a r R e u n i o n • M B A f o r E x e c u t i v e s • T h e A b b o t t S o c i e t y ( 1 9 57 - 1 9 61 )