ORANGE CIRCLE AWARDS RECIPIENTS INCLUDE LISA Y. GORDON

Lisa Y. Gordon ’90 M.P.A., president and chief executive officer of Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, was among the University’s 2021 Orange Circle Award recipients honored at an event this past September. From generous financial support to selfless volunteerism, the Orange Circle Awards recognize students, faculty, staff and alumni who possess a deep sense of responsibility for acts that better society.

Gordon, shown with Maxwell School Dean David M. Van Slyke, serves as the district council chair of Urban Land Institute (ULI) Atlanta and is a national ULI Americas Executive Committee member. She was recently appointed to ULI’s Global Governing Trustees. She is a co-chair of the national ULI Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and a board advisor for the Terwilliger Center for Housing. Additionally, she is chair of the U.S. Council Advocacy Committee for Habitat for Humanity International. She is a member of the Maxwell School Advisory Board, the International Women’s Forum, Leadership Atlanta and Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW).

80s

Ellen Sax ’80 M.P.A. is the vice president of community engagement at MVP Healthcare and part of Berkshire Bank’s newly formed community advisory council in the Capital region of New York state.

Caral E. Spangler ’81 M.P.A. was nominated by President Joe Biden ‘68 for the role of principal deputy assistant secretary of the Army (financial management and comptroller) at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. She was approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee on July 27, and confirmed by the full Senate on Aug. 9.

Stephen Bright ’82 M.P.A. has been named vice president for finance at Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Va.

John Robert Greene ’83 Ph.D. (Hist) received the Distinguished Service Award from Cazenovia College, where he has been teaching for 40 years. His roles include director of the history program, chair of the division of social and behavioral sciences and he is the Paul J. Schupf Professor of History and Humanities.

Jeffrey Towery ’85 M.P.A. has been selected as president-elect of the International City/County Management Association, which advances professional local government through leadership, management, innovation and ethics.

John Bass ’86 B.A. (IR), former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan (201720) and Turkey (2014-17), was recently nominated by President Joe Biden ’68 to serve as undersecretary of state management. If confirmed, he will serve as primary advisor for the secretary of state and the deputy secretary of state.

Maggie Fitzpatrick ’88 B.A. (PSt) was appointed to the board of directors of VistaGen Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in San Francisco, Calif.

David Sulek ’88 B.A. (PSc) is senior vice president at Booz Allen, where he analyzes emerging policy, regulatory, market and technology trends for U.S. government clients. He currently focuses on law enforcement issues. Prior to that, he focused on issues surrounding the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

90s

Allison Patrick ’91 B.A. (PSc)/’94 M.P.A. is the vice president of programs for the Department of Homeland Security.

J. Ryan Smith ’91 B.A. (PSc) is currently an anchor for ESPN’s SportsCenter and Outside the Lines Smith has worked for ESPN as a legal analyst and a correspondent, and he has hosted ABC News shows including 20/20

Julie A. Capterton ’92 B.A. (Hist) has been appointed the head of Wells Fargo Private Bank, a division of Wealth & Investment Management. Robert Dawson ’92 M.P.A. has been named corporate counsel to the city council of Rockville, Md. Terrence Guay ’92 M.A.I.R./’96 Ph.D. (PSc), clinical professor of international business at Pennsylvania State University, has been named director of the Smeal College of Business Center for Global Business Studies.

John R. Selman ’92 M.P.A. is now the chief operating officer at Amyx, Inc., a managing and consulting firm based out of Reston, Va.

Tricia Heon ’93 M.P.A. was promoted to chief executive officer at the National Auto Auction Association, which is based in Frederick, Md.

Sanjay Pandey ’94 M.S.Sc./ ’95

Ph.D. (SSc) is professor and Shapiro Chair of Public Policy and Public Administration at the Trachtenberg School at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Cathryn Quantic Thurston ’95 M.A.I.R. recently left the federal government after 25 years working in national security in Washington, D.C., to be an associate professor at SUNY Empire State College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Thurston is heading Empire State’s new bachelor’s degree in security studies.

Rodney M. Hudson ’96 M.A. (PSc) has joined the law firm Greenberg Traurig as shareholder and litigator in its expanding pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare litigation and products liability and mass torts litigation practices.

Jason Lumia ’96 M.A. (Econ) is the new chief of staff in the Washington, D.C., office of U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville.