ALUMNI NEWS

1960s

Kae Harper Childs (‘63 business administration) just retired from teaching Shag, the state dance, a course offered in the USC physical education department. She said she taught 19 wonderful years in the Blatt PE Center, and working with outstanding students was a highlight of her life!

Phi Epsilon Pi Fraternity

In May 2022, members of the Phi Epsilon Pi Fraternity gathered in Columbia, SC, for a reunion. They traveled from all over the country to turn back the calendar and be fledgling collegians again. “We were all brothers then, we are brothers now, and we will always be brothers,” said Harry Goldberg (‘69 USC political science, ‘73 USC J.D.), one of the five organizers of the weekend. Other members of the planning group included Jeff Goldring, Ira Radin (‘69 USC biology), Bob Kurz (‘67 management) and Joe Wachter (‘69 USC history, ‘74 USC J.D.), who was credited for being the moving force behind organizing the gathering. A photo from the reunion:

Front Row (left to right): Sidney Gray (‘68 USC political science),

Arty Ruditzky (‘70 marketing), Phil Rovner (‘67 accounting), Vic Sorid (‘67 mathematics), Kenneth Rossen (‘69 marketing), Jamie Jones, David Grossman (‘69 USC biology)

Back Row (left to right): Wachter, Bruce Rothman, Goldberg, Jerry D’Ambrosi, Elizabeth West, USC archivist, Radin, Stuart Shubin (‘70 USC sociology), Miles Moss (‘70 USC energy conv.), Norman Marks, Goldring

1970s

The Honorable Charles J.L. Brooks (‘69 USC commercial education, ‘71 accounting) has been a successful real estate developer for more than 50 years for hotel chains, restaurants, offices, residential communities and country clubs. He spent his formative years working for several Fortune 500 companies in divisional accounting management. Brooks served on numerous public boards and commissions, including Richland County, the city of Columbia and the state of South Carolina. He is the current chairman of the Board of Zoning for Columbia and was recently appointed a commissioner on the South Carolina Board of Accountancy by Gov. Henry McMaster. In recognition of a lifetime of service to the state of South Carolina and to his local community, the Citadel Board awarded Brooks the honorary Doctor of Commerce degree. and when it came down in 2015 after the murders in Charleston at the Mother Emanuel AME Church. A two-hour documentary, the film has also been nominated for a Peabody Award and two Telly Awards.

Joe Calcutt (‘78 finance, ‘80 MBA) was named to the Financial Managers Hall of Fame of the Home Care and Hospice Financial Managers Association of the National Association of Home Care and Hospice in July 2022.

Thomas K Emery (‘79 MIBS) switched jobs and cities; he is now chief financial officer for Catilize Health, which is based in Sewickley, PA, a northern suburb of Pittsburgh.

Ben Henderson (‘77 finance) is so proud of his son Gray Benjamin Henderson, who has been accepted into USC’s International MBA program, which is ranked No. 1 in the U.S. Henderson said, “Here’s to legacy!”

Robert Petrocelli (‘76 management) was named as the chair of New York Life’s 2021-2022 Agent Advisory Board of Directors.

Ray Smith, Ph.D., (‘78 MIBS) of Dalton State College received a Fulbright Specialist Award from the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. With the award, he completed a project at Mykolas Romeris University in Lithuania that aims to exchange knowledge and establish partnerships benefiting participants, institutions and communities, both in the U.S. and overseas.

1980s

Candy S. Fletcher (‘74 marketing) received an Emmy nomination for a film that she produced with her partners at Strategic Films named Downing of a Flag. It is the history of the Confederate Flag in South Carolina, when it was hung at the Statehouse in 1961 shutdown of her business. She wrote the book to help other women be ready financially, physically and mentally for the next crisis they face.

Zubin Bamji (‘89 management, ‘91 USC master’s mass communications) is a manager for the World Bank in Washington, D.C. and was recently selected to lead a team supporting governments with their efforts to decarbonize oil and gas production, especially reducing gas flaring and methane emissions.

Kathy L. Bickham (‘83 accounting, ‘86 USC M.Ed.) has been selected to serve as the next Commissioner of Banking for the office of the South Carolina Treasurer. She is the first woman to serve in this capacity at the agency.

Lisa Renee Bland (‘89 accounting, ‘90 MTAX) recently accepted the position of tax instructor and audit training coordinator for the SC Department of Revenue. She came to the DOR from Midlands Technical College, where she was an adjunct Instructor teaching accounting, finance and tax courses.

Mary Martha Greene (‘80 marketing) published through the University of South Carolina Press the 2021 cookbook: “The Cheese Biscuit Queen Tells All” and hosts cooking classes. Learn more by visiting thecheesebiscuitqueen.com.

Steve Hass (‘93 MIBS) was named in June 2021 CEO of Banco FINCA Ecuador, based in Quito, Ecuador. BFE is a regulated bank operating 12 full-service branches throughout the country. This new role is in addition to Hass’ existing duties as CEO of FINCA Microfinanzas Nicaragua, based in Managua, where he has served since May 2018. FINCA is a leading microfinance organization based in Washington, D.C., operating a network of 20 microfinance subsidiaries throughout five continents.

Daryl Haegley (‘87 finance and USC Naval ROTC) was promoted to Technical Director-Control Systems Cybersecurity for the Department of the Air Force. He serves as the senior executive service expert and director of critical infrastructure, control systems, cybersecurity and cyber resilience; and provides technical oversight for world-wide operations for Air Force and Space Force objectives for cybersecurity, defense and infrastructure resiliency.

Buck Jones (‘88 USC interdisciplinary studies, ‘94 MIBS) published a new novel in March 2022. Of interest to the Moore School community, the novel is set in the South of the 1960s, and it is the story of a young idealist who must choose between his promising political career or pursuing the love of his life. With much of the action taking place in Columbia (the historic Horseshoe) and Charleston, The Last Good Republican is receiving great reviews and is being considered for several literary awards.

Carolyn Hoffman (‘89 marketing) is the creator and owner of North Pole Helper; she used her business marketing degree to form this womanowned company that she runs out of her house that offers relief for families that have an Elf on the Shelf that visits for the holidays. Her upscale boutique kits come with EVERYTHING needed for all the daily antics and activities. Visit northpolehelper.com for more information or follow on social media @northpolehelper. GO GAMECOCKS!!!

Don Locke (‘86 MBA, ‘87 USC J.D.) has been named as general counsel for Covenant Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited-liability company located in Raleigh, North Carolina; he is in charge of acquiring companies in the solar-power generation space. He was previously an attorney with large firms in Houston, Texas, and Raleigh, North Carolina. He can be reached at dlocke@ covenantholdings.com and 919-264-4081.

Chris N. Lane (‘84 finance, ‘86 MBA) began a position as a mortgage loan officer with Mortgage Network, Inc.

John Pressley Jr. (‘81 marketing) opened My Mobility Medics in Greenville, SC, in 2019. The business offers repairs, services, rentals and sales of mobility equipment, no matter where the product was purchased. Having grown into a thriving business serving not only the senior industry but also anyone with limited mobility, they help people find mobility solutions that will work for them and welcome fellow alumni to learn ways they can stay mobile.

1990s

Denise Demarest Ryan (‘87 USC art history, ‘98 MBA) is a Raleigh, NC,-based motivational speaker who pulled a pandemic pivot and published a book, Pink Prep, A Woman’s Best Guide to Preparing for the Worst. Putting her MBA to good use, she was well positioned financially to weather the unexpected

Ryan Agostinelli (‘92 USC political science, ‘08 MBA) recently accepted a position with Apollon Wealth Management as the information technology manager. Apollon Wealth provides financial guidance across the country and employs more than 120.

Amy Bashor (‘97 USC international studies, ‘99 MHR) recently left corporate life to build a new, high-end RV resort and campground in Hartsville, SC, with her family. Opening in 2024, the new park will offer more than 100 campsites, hiking trails, water sports, cabins and new, familystyle bathrooms for those seeking a relaxed vacation experience. Learn more at campstandingpines.com developing and delivering innovative learning solutions for technology companies in Europe, Asia and the U.S. She’s also CEO of a startup that is an award-winning learning platform for business communication skills.

James Marshall Biddle (‘98 management, ‘01 USC J.D.) recently opened the Biddle Law Firm, LLC, which is a general practice law firm located in downtown Conway, SC. Learn more by emailing marshall@biddlelawfirm. net or visit biddlelawfirm. net.

Rodney Cullum (‘90 finance) moved to Peoples First Insurance as claims director in Rock Hill, SC.

Kristin Davis (‘94 USC mathematics, ‘97 MBA) joined the commercial banking team of Wells Fargo Bank as a relationship manager in the Columbia, SC, office.

Lori C Hair (‘99 accounting, ‘00 MACC) was promoted to executive vice president and chief financial officer of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina.

Russ Laraway (‘94 business administration) published the 2022 book: When They Win, You Win (Being a Great Manager is Simpler Than You Think) and is currently the chief people officer for Goodwater Capital.

Stacy S. Stokes (‘94 accounting, ‘95 MTax) joined Central Carolina Community Foundation as a member of its Board of Trustees.

Nick Annan (‘08 accounting, ‘14 MBA) was promoted to director at Elliott Davis.

Heather J. Broadwater (‘94 USC sociology, ‘96 MHR) joined Stanton Law, LLC, of Atlanta as a senior employment attorney.

Jay Hewitt (‘94 MIBS) was named CEO of Aigent.ai, an AI live-call solution that helps banks and insurers meet compliance obligations, reduce risk and identify fraud, and meet audit requirements. Aigent.ai is headquartered in New York City, with offices in Amsterdam and operations in the Philippines.

Karen R. Jenkins (‘90 management) was named incoming chair of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

Kris McVey (‘96 USC J.D. and MHR, ‘02 USC French) was recently promoted to SVP and chief administrative officer for Piedmont Lithium, a lithium-mining and specialty chemicals company based in Gaston County, NC.

Louie Nguyen (‘98 MIBS), CFA, the chief investment officer for Catalyst, was recognized as one of San Diego Business Journal’s Top 50 Asian Pacific Islander Leaders of Influence.

Joseph Brown Wallace II (‘91 marketing) was recently promoted to a principal in the MetLife Vendor Management Office and was assigned to global risk management.

2000s

Didi Caldwell (‘98 IMBA) is the founder and owner of Global Location Strategies, a site selection firm, that was named for the first time to the 2021 Inc. magazine top 5000 private companies list, which is the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.

Kim Buckner Land (‘98 USC public relations, ‘02 MBA) was recently promoted to marketing senior instructor at USC Upstate in Spartanburg, SC. She was also named the director of the Honors Program for USC Upstate.

Danielle Rowley (‘99 IMBA) was promoted to global sales enablement manager for NI, formerly National Instruments. She leads a global team transforming NI from a hardware-focused directsales organization to a software data-strategy and channel organization. She has 20+ years’ experience

Shaun Abraham (‘08 IMBA) and Christopher Scheidel (‘08 IMBA) recently celebrated three years for their startup Transaction Insights; with partner Wendy Humphrey, they provide modern market and competitive intelligence services to the likes of JPMorgan and other large financial institutions and global payments companies. As former IMBA program graduates from the global (Abraham) and Japanese (Scheidel) tracks, they are leveraging their global perspectives gained from the Moore School to build a unique technology firm.

Sean Bishop (‘04 finance and management) was promoted to the role of vice president general manager PepsiCo customer team lead for Dollar General. He will lead sales and strategy to drive accelerated growth across the $2.5 billion PepsiCo portfolio at Dollar General. He and his wife, Brooke, have four children: Everett (12), Andrew (10), Abel (7) and Caroline (6).

Selena Dennis (‘04 management science) and her husband Antavis Dennis (‘05 management) competed on the Food Network Christmas Cookie Challenge in November 2022. She is the owner of Embellished Dough, a mobile cookie company based in Columbia, SC.

Haley Holzworth (‘09 international business and marketing) recently opened her second retail location of Hermosa Jewelry in Charleston, SC. The mission at Hermosa Jewelry is to make women feel beautiful and confident through wearing unique, handcrafted jewelry. Holzworth was the first to introduce Charleston, SC, to Permanent Jewelry, which is custom-fit delicate jewelry chains that are welded together without a clasp. An entrepreneur who started her jewelry business in high school in 2002, she was a founding member of the USC Entrepreneurship Club and a graduate of the USC Technology Incubator program in 2010.

Shawn Kelley (‘09 MBA) directed and produced a Vietnam War documentary, My Father’s Brothers, that is now in distribution. Based on a June 29, 1966 event when a platoon of American soldiers stumbled upon a large enemy force in the dense jungles of Vietnam. Outnumbered 10-to-1, they faced the darkest hours of their lives. The filmmaker interviewed his father and other survivors about what happened on that fateful day and the effects it had every day since. Learn more: myfathersbrothers. com.

Samantha Smith Ostendorf (‘09 international business and marketing) was appointed as senior director of eCommerce business development at Prosentyx LLC in June 2022.