Nichols College Magazine Spring/Summer 2019

MAGAZINE Volume 13, Issue 2 | Spring/Summer 2019

Creating a campus of inclusion

From the President M A G A Z I N E Vo l u m e 1 3 , I s s u e 2

Bison Pride We’ve all heard, or used, the expression Bison Pride when referring to Nichols College. Perhaps it stems from a spiritual connection with our namesake, the American bison, which has become a national symbol for its remarkable endurance over tens of thousands of years. Nichols has been around for a mere 200 years, but the comparison of survival in the face of environmental challenges, whether in nature or education, should not be lost.

With respect to those wonderful woolly wanderers, I think Bison Pride is something more, and I believe we had it even before we adopted the Bison mascot in 1938. It is that collective sense of pride in who we are as an institution and in what we have achieved. The sum of character-defining moments that show the world what it means to be a Bison, today and forever. It is an attitude that is difficult to explain and far easier to recognize.

When the first Nichols Academy building burned to the ground in 1816, Amasa Nichols promptly built another one. He was determined to be a part of an educational movement designed to train students for life or prepare them for college. The academy he started on this Dudley hilltop attracted the support of industrial pioneers Samuel Slater and Hezekiah Conant and gave rural students the opportunity to plow new paths. That’s Bison Pride.

Bison Pride is strongly associated with athletic spirit and success. We celebrate the skilled players and inspiring coaches who achieve greatness in the name of Nichols. But champions aren’t the only ones with Bison Pride. It lives in all student-athletes who represent the values of the green, black, and white on (and off) the courts and fields.

We saw an example of this earlier in the school year when a member of our men’s basketball team was intentionally knocked down by a player on the opposing team. The incident captured the attention of the social and news media, who focused not just on the flagrant

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foul, but on the response of the Nichols team who let the officials handle the situation, rather than escalate it. That’s Bison Pride.

EDITOR Susan Veshi

Alumni from the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s often speak of Bison Pride, infused with a deep respect for Nichols founding president Colonel James Conrad, whose dream to educate business leaders transformed the college.

These same alumni — and thousands of others — credit Nichols for giving them the opportunity to succeed. In turn, they faithfully support opportunities for today’s students.

Dozens return each year to share their expertise in the classroom and on volunteer boards, and they recruit their fellow Bison for jobs and internships. That’s Bison Pride.

VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT Bill Pieczynski CONTRIBUTORS Brent Broszeit, Eileen Deary, Pete DiVito, Jim Douglas, Rae Glispin, Lorraine Martinelle, Jillian Riches, Ron Schachter, Molly Thienel DESIGN Studio K Design, Dudley, MA PRINTING

Bison Pride is in our DNA and can manifest in surprising ways. In February, a few students — momentarily lacking Bison Pride — damaged (and ultimately took responsibility for) the beloved Bison statue on the corner of Healy and Center roads. The student body rallied around their wounded icon with an outpouring of photos taken with or on “Thunder” and calls for justice. That’s Bison Pride.

Bison Pride sparked a financial turnaround of the college in the early 2000s and has been the driving force in the ensuing years of record-breaking enrollment, climbing retention and graduation rates, and increased donations. It is behind our efforts to make Nichols a more inclusive campus and close the gender gaps in corporate leadership. It swells in our recognition in national rankings, impressive student outcomes, the prominence of our alumni, and our beautiful campus.

Puritan Capital, Hollis, NH COVER/FEATURE PHOTOS Dan Vaillancourt Patrick O’Connor Photography Shrewsbury, MA

Nichols College PO Box 5000 123 Center Road Dudley, MA 01571-5000 508-213-1560 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., M–F www.nichols.edu

Periodicals postage paid at Webster, MA, and additional mailing offices.

Nichols College MAGAZINE (UPSP 390480) is published

Like the American bison, Nichols continues to battle environmental conditions. In higher education, demographic shifts, increased competition, cost pressures, closures/mergers, and potential regulatory hurdles make for unprecedented times. We are standing tall, however, with a spirit of resilience and Bison Pride in our notable past, thriving present, and promising future.

Susan West Engelkemeyer, Ph.D. President

twice a year by Nichols College, Dudley, MA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Office of Advancement Nichols College PO Box 5000 Dudley, MA 01571-5000

CONTENTS

ON CAMPUS

2–3

Webster Five continues decades-long support of community partnership

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Niles awarded President’s Medal

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President Engelkemeyer goes to Washington

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Lombard Dining Hall raises the roof

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Rankings roll in

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From the Archives

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AT H L E T I C S

Nichols College is strengthening an institutional commitment to promote an inclusive campus that values diversity and gives underrepresented students a voice.

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The record-breaking run of Marcos Echevarria

CLASS NOTES

4-6 A seat at the table

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15–23

Working hard, playing hard: Paul Blasewitz ’87

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Driving his own path: Andrew Frydryk ’10

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A digital space odyssey: Alex Cifone ’13

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NICHOLS REMEMBERS Charlie Howe ’62: Bison Pride

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Armed for the digital age of accounting Today’s students are sharpening their IT and data skills to get ahead in a rapidly changing and complex world of accounting.

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10-11 Lessons learned Cover photo: Nichols College strives to create an environment where all students have a voice and a seat at the table.

Back row, from left, Lynn Thibault, Judeson Orvil, Karen Velasco, Noah Ingersoll; front row, from left, Millena Flor, Marshalee Johnson, Kaylin Goncalves.

Professors Jack Armstrong, Jeff Halprin, and Libba Moore reflect on their decades of service at Nichols College and preview what’s next in retirement.

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ON CAMPUS

Webster Five continues decades-long support of community partnership

by Lorraine U. Martinelle

“We are proud to work with both organizations and contribute to this program that is making a difference in the lives of youth in our community," said Webster Five President and CEO Donald F. Doyle.

The Webster Five Foundation has donated $7,500 to Nichols College to support the college's program with the Boys & Girls Club of Webster-Dudley.

This 22-year-old community partnership helps the Boys & Girls Club provide a safe, caring environment for children after school.

The Boys & Girls Club of WebsterDudley offers a variety of recreational, educational, and cultural activities for its more than 1,400 members to help them build self-esteem and grow into responsible and caring adults.

Sam Bitar, far left, executive director of the Webster Five Foundation, and Donald Doyle, far right, Webster Five president and CEO, present the big check to President Susan Engelkemeyer and Lamel Moore, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club.

“We enjoy partnering with the Boys & Girls Club of Webster-Dudley to provide a mutually beneficial opportunity to youth and young adults," said President Susan West Engelkemeyer. "And we’re grateful for Webster Five’s donation that allows us to continue offering this program.”

The partnership between the college and the Boys & Girls Club ensures that club members in the after-school and teen programs can play and learn in a safe and stimulating environment, while providing an enriching experience for Nichols student-mentors to work with area youth.

Lamel Moore, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Webster-Dudley, said: “We are very thankful to have partners like Nichols College and Webster Five, allowing us to provide additional services to our members.”

President Engelkemeyer goes to Washington

Niles awarded President’s Medal At the Board of Trustees dinner on January 24, Tom Niles ’63 received the President’s Medal for Distinguished Business Leadership, which recognizes lifetime achievement with a focus on sustained success, innovation, and leadership. Niles is only the fourth recipient of the award since its inception in 2007.

Niles was president and CEO of the family business, the Niles Co., which grew to be one of the largest real estate companies in Boston, with over 5,000 units under management at one point. He later formed the T.H. Niles Co. Throughout his career, Niles has had a reputation for having a nuts-and-bolts appreciation for running a building and running it well. His thoroughness and attention to detail became the hallmark of the Niles family.

Niles joined the Nichols Board of Advisors in 2007 and became a trustee in 2010. He has been a valuable resource and advisor to major building projects on campus and a generous donor, including two $1 million commitments in support of capital projects, leadership development and scholarships.

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Photo: Lorraine U. Martinelle

In August 2018, President Susan West Engelkemeyer, PhD, visited the newsrooms of the Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed in Washington, D.C., to raise awareness of the Nichols College brand. She met with the publications’ editors — Liz McMillen and Scott Jaschick (pictured), respectively — and spoke with them about Nichols academic programs and initiatives, and various issues related to the current climate of higher education.

The meetings resulted in interviews during the fall 2018 semester of President Engelkemeyer and Institute for Women’s Leadership Director Rachel Ferreira and Professor Jean Beaupré, by Chronicle reporters.

Lombard Dining Hall raises the roof

Rankings roll in Nichols College is ranked as the leader among central Massachusetts-based schools in U.S. News & World Report’s national “2019 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs” and “Best Online Graduate Business Programs” ratings, which were released Jan. 15, 2019.

Nichols is also the only central Massachusetts-based college — and in the top six among all Massachusetts private colleges — on the “Best Online Business Programs” rankings, which rate non-MBA graduate business programs. In addition to offering an online (and on-campus) MBA — which U.S. News & World Report also included in its “Best Online MBA Programs” rankings — Nichols features degree programs in accounting, counterterrorism studies, and organizational leadership.

Just in time for the start of the spring 2019 semester, the new street-facing addition of Lombard Dining Hall opened. Students, faculty, and staff are loving it, with some posting photos of it to social media. The new addition features big windows that let in bright light against white walls and a cathedral-style ceiling that can’t be missed. A similar ceiling is under construction on the older part of Lombard.

In December 2017, Nichols launched the multi-phase project to renovate the 44-year-old Lombard Dining Hall at 119 Center Road. Construction is expected to be complete by the fall 2021 semester. Much more is on the way for Bison diners: a brick oven for gourmet pizza; expanded deli, soup-and-salad areas; independent service stations; and enhanced décor. Already completed: relocated and easily accessible entrance and exit doors and bathrooms.

Built in 1974, the 24,860-square foot dining hall last saw minor renovations in 2005, when it was dedicated as Lombard Dining Hall in honor of David Lombard ’65, trustee emeritus, and his wife, Susan. This new project will add 1,500 square feet to the building. Its current capacity is 350 diners; the renovation project will increase it to approximately 450. The project builds on the successful design and construction of the academic building and Fels Student Center, which opened in 2015 and 2012, respectively.

The Nichols Sport Management Program was among the Top 25 Best Value Sports Management Degrees 2019, based on the rankings website Value Colleges, which features accredited colleges and universities that have proven their value across the board by combining affordability and quality for a real return on investment.

Readers of the central Massachusetts region’s definitive source for business news, Worcester Business Journal, have again chosen Nichols College as the “Best College for Business Education” in the newspaper’s sixth annual Best of Business Awards. Nichols has captured this honor for five out of the last six years.

Nichols is the only school in Massachusetts to achieve the Gold Military Friendly® distinction by publisher VIQTORY Media. Schools with this distinction “are setting the example with their programs and initiatives” toward the educational pursuits of active military service members, veterans, spouses, and their children as students.

Nichols College is an official Bloomberg Experiential Learning Partner, joining an exclusive group of 35 educational institutions from around the world. In June 2018, Nichols established its Bloomberg Finance Lab, and is already in the top 5 percent of that group in terms of the number of students earning Bloomberg Market Concepts certification.

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A seat at the table Creating a campus of inclusion

by Ron Schachter

T

he Nichols campus does not look like it did 10 years ago. That’s not just because of the Fels Student Center and the new academic building fronting Center Road, or the massive renovation underway at the Lombard Dining Hall. Nor is it because several new academic majors, graduate programs, and athletic teams have sprung up over the past decade.

What might be the most significant change over that time is the increase in the diversity of students — racially, ethnically, internationally, and even nationally — and the concerted effort to include such students more fully in the larger community. Along the way, Nichols students, faculty, and administrators are recognizing their differences and concerns and aiming to

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continue the movement that has brought the percentage of students of color to almost a quarter of the school population.

The mandate to increase diversity and inclusion at Nichols has made it into the school’s latest strategic plan, published last fall, and the recent opening of the Nichols Office of Diversity and Inclusion has provided a powerful vehicle.

“Being an inclusive campus means that people who bring any measure of diversity to campus are not only physically present, but they can be themselves and feel that they belong here in the first place,” explains Dean of Students P.J. Boggio, who points out that a greater emphasis on inclusion has become a key part of that mission.

“We want to be more intentional in

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measuring what we do to make that happen and actively improve on it.”

That approach already has begun to gain momentum, according to Karol Gil-Vazquez, assistant professor of economics. “I’ve not only seen the transition of more of these students coming into the college, but they are secure enough to voice their opinions,” she observes. “This semester for the first time, I have 10 students considered minority in one class, and I sense them super engaged.

They have a lot to share and teach us.

“It’s important that these students be heard and supported. These students need a family,” she continues, adding that a number of them seek out her classes, and frequently come to her office just to chat.

Senior Richard Vazquez, Jr., who is Puerto Rican, also has noticed the changes since he arrived less than four years ago. “I’ve seen [the number of fellow minority students] grow steeply,” he says. “It’s more comfortable.

I’m seeing more familiar faces who probably had the same life as me growing up. I speak Spanish here. It’s okay to be who I am.”

Ensuring an inclusive outcome takes multiple approaches, Boggio insists, from providing support for individual students to addressing the mindset of the larger Nichols community. Her office’s one-on-one efforts have ranged from dealing with the negative experiences of LGBTQ students over the way they dress to issues of acceptance for students with physical disabilities to the financial hardships that can accompany incoming freshmen.

“We’re also trying to make sure that when one campus office or department recognizes a need, it’s communicated to other parts of the school,” Boggio offers. For instance, if a coach recruits a minority athlete or one from another country, the dean’s office wants to hear about any extra needs early on with an eye to helping that athlete fit in and feel prepared from the get-go.

Retaining minority students also has become a priority. The college dedicated aid — starting with an extra $120,000 in 2011 and growing every year since — to minority students in need, a key to letting qualified applicants enroll. Together with steadily increasing its admission standards, Nichols has been able to attract minority students better able to stay the course. In less than ten years, the retention rate for this cohort has nearly quadrupled.

Inclusion is a different matter and a step in a steeper process, which aims to

make academic, employment, and social opportunities more available and more representative of the student population. “We have to try to be more intentional in everything we do, from hiring student workers and making sure that more students have leadership opportunities around campus,” Boggio emphasizes, admitting that “intentional” has to become more prominent in the vocabulary of herself and others if the college is going to continue to move from a more diverse campus to an inclusive one.

The new inclusion initiative also means engaging the larger community of students and faculty and staff alike. This past fall, the Nichols Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) opened its doors with the mission of advocating for students from underserved populations.

Among the responsibilities of ODI Director and admissions counselor Tahkeya Blake ’15 is creating events and other initiatives “that promote awareness as well as the celebration of diversity and overall inclusion.”

Blake offers another definition: “Everybody has a seat at the table, their voices are heard, and their concerns have been met.”

As the larger student body learns more about the identities and of peers from other races, ethnicities, and countries, they will be able to validate those peers, administrators like Boggio and Blake emphasize. They will also better prepare themselves for an increasingly diverse society and a still growing global economy.

To that end, the 4th Annual Leadership Summit this March focused on increasing awareness around issues of diversity, and better understanding the perceptions of different students and faculty around

these issues. The gathering featured interactive exercises, and even a game that allowed participants to examine their thoughts and ideas, as well as their unconscious biases.

The efforts over the past decade of making Nichols more inclusive to its female population can serve as a road map to the current inclusion process, Boggio says. Six years ago, Nichols launched its Institute for Women’s Leadership, which provides everything from counseling to support services to role models.

“The IWL is a visible commitment that’s shown the community that we value women,” Boggio insists. “It’s helped create strong female leadership on campus.”

“Everybody has a seat at the table, their voices are heard, and their concerns have been met.”

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Tahkeya Blake ’15 Director, Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Not all of the school’s efforts to increase retention and inclusion has come from the top down.

After his freshman year playing for the Nichols football team, senior James Singletary saw that most of his fellow black teammates did not return for sophomore year. “It left me asking, ‘Why are they leaving? And why are they more successful at other institutions?’” he recalls.

The answers that Singletary discovered prompted him to organize the largely African American support group Men of Distinction, which is now in its third year

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Men of Distinction

“It’s not just ethnic and racial,” he reasons, “It’s geographical.”

One notable program supporting diversity at Nichols has grown from the grass roots. Senior James Singletary from Marlborough, Mass., moved there from Boston. “I’ve always been kind of a city kid used to a lot of diversity around me, and I knew that going to Nichols was going to be a little bit different,” he admits.

For years, Brower has seen even that geographical influence close up on the men’s and women’s tennis teams he coaches. Usually those squads count players from a dozen different countries. “You look at the wealth of cultures represented,” he explains.

“They just bring a different perspective that gives them the opportunity to enhance the experience of other students.”

Although the football team featured a number of black athletes during Singletary’s freshman year, most of them did not return for sophomore year. “I’d hear about diversity issues in colleges, but this was the first time I had seen it happen,” recalls Singletary, who witnessed more than changes to the football roster.

“A lot of the minority population here were not motivated to achieve academically. They had a fire for other things — the creative arts, music, sports.

When it came to academics, there was a huge gap.”

“There was not a central office my sophomore year, where students of color could come and talk openly,” Singletary continues. The void prompted him to found the organization Men of Distinction, which started with three members three years ago, grew to seven in the first week, and nowadays claims better than 50 mostly African American and Hispanic Nichols students. The group has even established its own board of advisors.“The idea was to focus on issues of diversity and come up with our own initiatives,” Singletary says, from expecting the group’s members to develop a more committed attitude towards their studies; to having juniors tutor first-year students; to practicing etiquette that projects success.

Every Monday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Men of Distinction wear business attire to class and around campus. “Mondays set the tone for the rest of the week,” Singletary explains. “They’re fired up because they are holding themselves to a higher standard. And they’ll be lifelong members.”

“As a group, we hold ourselves accountable to be better men,” Singletary sums up. Singletary who has majored in management and minored in accounting, sees to that by keeping the books — or at least the Excel spreadsheet that measures the members’ progress. He notes improvement in both GPA and retention.

Singletary is taking the program beyond Nichols, most recently to a demonstration for Brown University in Providence, R.I. “With the help of our board of advisors, we’ve been able to take what we’re doing to the next level,” he reveals. “We want to become a hub for other institutions.”

and has greatly improved the retention rate of its more than 50 members. (See sidebar above.)

The ODI is taking a more institutional approach to the same problems. Blake serves as part educational resource, advocate, event producer, and host for the students who come by. Her office, she emphasizes, is “on the beaten path,” on the main floor of the Fels Student Center.

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“I want diversity, equity, and inclusion training for the faculty and staff as well,” Blake states. To that end she is aiming to develop activities for the Professional Development Seminars required for all Nichols students.

Without minimizing the importance of increasing the admissions and retention of minority students, Director of Admissions Paul Brower promotes a larger meaning to diversity at Nichols.

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Those differences extend to the different regions of the United States that the college has tapped into, Brower adds — from Florida for the football team to Oregon for the men’s volleyball squad. “A kid from Texas has very different views than students from New England,” Brower emphasizes. “And that’s better for the college.”

Despite the gains in student diversity and the addition of nearly half a dozen professors from other countries, Nichols still faces the challenge of adding minorities to the faculty, staff, and administrators.

“Dudley, Massachusetts, is primarily an old school New England area, and that creates a unique set of challenges when building a staff. Fortunately, over the last few years we have made progress as an institution, but it’s certainly not easy,” Brower concedes. “But if you look at the trends, for example, in the Hispanic population over the next 10 to 15 years, we need to prepare our faculty and staff from that perspective.”

Brower isn’t alone in his perceptions.

“The more diverse the college becomes, the more professors need to respond to them,” Gil Vazquez insists. “[More minority professors] would allow for a greater pool of students to reach out to Nichols,” senior Richard Vazquez notes. “Seeing that diversity would open the floodgates.”

From the Archives a

Contributed by Jim Douglas

The Nichols-Cuba Connection, 1931–1959 From 1931 to 1959, men from 36 states and 33 foreign countries took advantage of the many opportunities offered by Nichols Junior College.

Nichols became a familiar name to many secondary schools in the eastern and mid-western United States as well as numerous south and central American countries and the Caribbean.

Of all the countries represented at Nichols, however, students from Cuba numbered the most by far.

A total of 55 Cuban students attended Nichols Junior College between the years of 1931 and 1959. While never large in numbers for any given year (usually between four to six), many of these students made significant contributions to the school. This was particularly true during the mid-1930s when Cuban students held leadership positions in various organizations (including editor of the student newspaper, and president and officers of student government), and were valuable players in various sports, especially soccer. (A “Cuban Trophy” for the most outstanding soccer player was first awarded in 1937 and was still being given in 1958.)

Nichols, in turn, was a warm and welcoming place for students living far

from home. With six Cubans attending Nichols in 1937, for example, the campus celebrated the 35th anniversary of the inauguration of the Republic of Cuba.

The Cuban students spent weeks preparing special talks on different aspects of their homeland and held a special dinner, complete with songs and Cuban cuisine. The student newspaper issued a “Souvenir Issue Dedicated to Cuba” that printed the talks and included an editorial praising the authors for their planning and execution of the events. “We cannot emphasize too much,” wrote the editor, “how happy we are to know and have such fine fellows as our friends and classmates….Viva Cuba! Viva los Estados Unidos!”

How did Nichols attract students from Cuba and other parts of the world? For one thing, in the 1930s Nichols was one of only two New England junior colleges for men. It was also the only New England junior college focused on business administration, and it offered courses that were considered upper level and transferable to four-year institutions. Some heard about the college through friends, family, or other relatives who attended Nichols or knew someone who had. There was also an official “clearinghouse” in Havana that

maintained a list of recommended business administration schools, including Nichols. Some American companies doing business in Cuba, such as the Bank of Boston, would also suggest Nichols as a great place to study and learn American business and culture.

Upon graduation, most Cuban students returned to their homeland to work in family businesses, start their own, or take a position in a government department. Some continued their education in America or Cuba before returning to Cuba or settling here. Some maintained the friendships they formed while at Nichols. When relations between the two countries dramatically worsened after Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, a number of prior students fled Cuba, leaving all their worldly possessions behind, and, with the help of former classmates in some cases, made their way to America and rebuilt their lives.

Such was the Nichols-Cuba connection.

Note: Special thanks to Mrs. Marianne Gruskin, wife of the late Matthew P. Gruskin ’54, and Enrique Lopez-Balboa ’54 for their assistance with this article.

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Armed for the digital age of accounting

by Ron Schachter

On a cold January morning, the juniors in a Professional Development Seminar have gathered for their first class of the term.

What’s notable is that all 20 are majoring in accounting, are focused on the course instructor — PricewaterhouseCoopers Director Scott Robb — and are wide awake.

PwC isn’t far from the minds of the class. On their desks sits the handout, “How We Teach Digital Skills at PwC,” and Robb invites them for a class trip to his office there. It does not take long for this initial PDS class to convey what the accounting major at Nichols has become.

traditional study of financial accounting and analysis.

“Most schools have built around the CPA vision, and we’re awesome at that,” says Accounting Program Chair Bryant Richards. “But the accounting world is much more complex.”

Gone are the days of a solitary figure bent over a ledger and wearing a green eyeshade, starting with the explosion in forensic accounting — tracking data and transactions to detect fraud such as money laundering and embezzlement.

“Back when I was an undergraduate, the courses were plain vanilla,” usually leading to a career as a CPA or as a financial auditor for private companies, recalls Martin Shanahan ’91, adding that when it came to the field of fraud, “People would fall into it and get experience over time.”

The digital imperative that Robb lays out for these soon-to-be-grads highlights a new accounting world for which Nichols is preparing them. The ageless major has recently added tracks in IT and data, as well as in fraud, to the

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Senior Bethany Faford has run full speed down the forensic avenue available at Nichols. That includes being able to mesh what she has learned with her experience in a part-time job at which her boss is being investigated for fraud. “It’s been an ‘aha’ moment for me,” she says.

It’s also proved an impressive resume item at job interviews. “The fact that I researched fraud at work blew their minds,” Faford says. She’s since been hired by AAFCPAs, which has a forensic accounting team in Boston. She has also had the chance to publish an article in Accounting Today.

This class is one of the few PDS sections dedicated to students in a single major.

“They hone in on what accounting firms are looking for,” explains Liz Horgan, director of the Career and Professional Development Center who heads the college’s PDS program. “In their four weeks of mock interviewing, Scott brings in people from the field who also do the hiring.”

This year, six seniors have found jobs at the venerable Big Four accounting firms, including PwC, not to mention several regionally prominent firms, AAFCPAs, Marcum and RSM among them. Others are headed to elite jobs at corporations such as Raytheon, Aetna, and National Grid.

foundation: he serves on the board of advisors for the accounting major, with a focus on fraud and forensic accounting, and he also teaches at Nichols. “The curriculum is bold and puts Nichols in a very good position going forward,” Shanahan says. “Even if you are becoming a traditional CPA, an expertise in forensic accounting gives you a leg up.”

After graduating Nichols, Shanahan became a CPA and added a law degree.

He joined several Fortune 500 companies before going into the public sector, where he has worked for the past 20 years at the U.S. Dept. of Labor as a supervisory investigator and a senior advisor and special assistant to the secretary of labor.

“If you discover someone who stole $1 million, that’s exciting,” he observes.

Shanahan is ensuring that the college’s accounting majors have a different

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On the IT and data accounting front, Nichols is rolling out courses including Accounting for Information Systems and Advanced Analytics for Accountants.

“You’re auditing to make sure that the data has integrity,” Richards says, adding, “When it comes to IT and data, the industry can’t get enough. They’ll hire our students in a heartbeat and want 10 more.”

The advanced Analytics for Accountants serves as a capstone for the IT and data track. Among the takeaways: learning to create a software “bot” that follows the instructions of the accountant and can perform better than 50 percent of the work previously done by humans.

Robb describes a world of opportunity.

“We have to change to meet our clients’ needs,” he points out. Fifty-five thousand of my colleagues at PwC are being asked to learn digital technologies.

We’re being purposely disrupted to become digitally fit.

“PwC surveys state that 73 percent of all internal processes can be automated.

This has a profound impact on our business as we are shifting the work of our associates to be focused on analysis and less on data collection and manipulation,” Robb continues.

Their advanced digital training will give graduates more than a leg up, Robb predicts. “It will give them real-world experience that will let them leapfrog students from other accounting and finance programs at local colleges and universities.”

The standard equipment that now comes with the accounting major also includes mentorships and training in communications. While all students do internships — often finding their first jobs at the companies for which they are interning — they have the new option of mentorships with professionals in the accounting field.

That arrangement lets the students follow a mentor through the day and talk less formally about the profession.

Richards notes that about 120 Nichols students — evenly split between men and women — are majoring in accounting at Nichols, and that each will come away with extensive writing and presentation experience, a prerequisite nowadays for communicating the complexities of fraud and an almost unlimited amount of data.

All of which, says Robb, has turbocharged the Nichols accounting program. “We got four students hired at PwC this year, so Nichols is on the map,” he emphasizes.

That’s one reason he wants his students in PDS to visit PwC later in term. “I need them to understand where the trend lines are going,” he says. “It’s changing so rapidly.”

“Most schools have built around the CPA vision, and we’re awesome at that, but the accounting world is much more complex.”

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Bryant Richards Program Chair, Accounting

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Lessons learned Nichols bids farewell to three veteran faculty members

by Susan Veshi

This spring Nichols College will see three of its longest tenured faculty — Jack Armstrong, Jeff Halprin and Libba Moore — retire. The sum of their service to Nichols — a combined 89 years — could be measured by the impressive array of courses delivered, committees chaired, research conducted, administrative posts held, and teaching awards garnered.

But they prefer to focus on what really counts — their impact on students.

Moore, who is finishing her 27th year at Nichols, says that being surrounded by a steady stream of 18 to 22 year-olds is always “fresh and energetic.” “Our whole purpose is to open their minds, help them think and develop perspective on their personal and professional lives,” she says. “We are engaged in a noble and important mission.”

Prior to teaching, Moore worked in human resources for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for seven years. She was asked to develop the human resources specialization at Nichols, which she did in 2001 with assistance from Mary Trottier, associate professor of management, and has been chair of the program ever since. While Moore admits that many students stumble into HR accidentally, she finds the subject matter engaging, dynamic, and relevant. “It gives me the opportunity to challenge and inspire students, discussing issues so important today, such as immigration, sexual

harassment, religious freedom,” she says. “The job of the HR professional is to ensure a work climate that is open and inspirational and to find and develop good talent. We cover all of these issues through the lens of academics.”

What is unique about the Nichols program, says Moore, is its strong and dedicated network of alumni, who frequently return to campus to help current students. Alumni, like Jennifer (Clark) Carabba ’03, are chiefly motivated to help out of their respect and admiration for Moore. “She was not only my academic advisor and professor, but has continued to be a lifelong trusted mentor,” offers Carabba, assistant vice president and employee relations manager at Middlesex Savings Bank. “She truly cares about her students from the time they enter her classroom and exposes them to real life business examples. She has coached me throughout my career and has been there for me every step of the way, whether discussing current HR events or a job change. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her guidance and inspiration.”

Sentiments shared by Kevin Leary ’18, HR administrator for the Kraft Group & Affiliates: “Professor Moore created an interactive HR curriculum centered on relationship building and knowledge of the field.

Her efforts prepared me for the professional world and contributed to what made my Nichols experience so rewarding.”

“Our whole purpose is to open their minds, help them think and develop perspective on their personal and professional lives.”

– Professor Libba Moore

Like Moore, Armstrong began his career as a practitioner and sought to combine it with teaching.

A CPA, he plied his trade at Arthur Young, one of the big 8 accounting firms

(now EY), and as an auditor for New York City Agencies and Authorities.

Before Nichols, he served part-time posts at Fairleigh Dickenson University and Morris County Community College before signing on full time at Suffolk University. During his seven years at Suffolk, Armstrong taught part time at Nichols and joined the faculty full time in 1986.

Armstrong’s educational philosophy — that learning is a lifelong endeavor — has actually shaped his own career.

Throughout his tenure, he has kept a steady finger on the pulse of the accounting field. He is widely known for the more than 400 continuing professional education seminars he conducted, the consultation he provided for numerous CPA firms, the presentations he made in ten states and three countries, and the journal articles he authored, including an award-winning “How Auditors Get into Trouble and How to Avoid It.” Through these professional encounters, Armstrong estimates that he has assisted or directly placed more than 200 students in CPA firms and was able to organize 50 student field trips to business concerns and more than 40 professional dinners. His connections also allow him to keep tabs on many of his former students. “I get to see them again, maybe five years later, maybe 10, and I see how they are doing,” says Armstrong, who chaired the Accounting Program for 19 years.

“I see some of them moving up the ladders and becoming partners at firms. It’s interesting to see them blossom from what they were when they were here to what they have become.” Students commend him for his guidance and support, even long after they leave Nichols.

“I was privileged to work with Professor Armstrong both in and out of the classroom,” says Cynthia (Harmon) Ickes

books and being involved in the discussions.”

“With everything I do — watch TV, go to a movie, listen to music — some part of me thinks, ‘maybe this is something I’ll apply in class.’”

– Professor Jeff Halprin CPA ’87, a financial manager. “He brought his professional experiences into the classroom giving students a chance to see the application of the theory he taught. In the professional world, his door was always open and he gave generously of his time.” Kevin Johnson CPA ’02 MBA ’04, who was recently named partner at O’Connor Maloney & Company, is impressed with Armstrong’s dedication to his students.

“He has always been a valuable resource to me even long after I graduated,” he says, “and I have always looked forward to when he would invite me back to talk with the Accounting Club.”

As an English professor at a business school, Halprin found an unlikely home at Nichols. Coming to the unknown Nichols in 1990 from the massive Michigan State, he proceeded with caution. “I assumed I wouldn’t be here long and would move on to some other school,” he says. “It turned out that Nichols fit really well with the kind of professor I wanted to be.”

When he arrived, Nichols did not have an English major, and even when it did, the small numbers in the program meant his courses were still filled mostly with business students. “I really like working with students for whom the material was not the central focus of their life or career planning,” says Halprin, who chaired the department. “For these students, literature was something exciting, but they had no plan of going further in it. They just liked reading

At Nichols, Halprin also found fertile ground to explore teaching approaches and to grow in his understanding of pedagogy — a passion he shared not only with his Nichols colleagues, but also as president of the New England Faculty Development Consortium. As for his own teaching style, Halprin says that he regrets not being a better lecturer. “The few professors that I had as a student who were most memorable to me were great lecturers. I wish I could do that.”

Caroline (Monroe) Teves ’12 disagrees with that assessment. “Jeff Halprin is one of the greatest instructors — so engaging, motivating and inspiring.

He made a major impact on the teacher I became. I often tried to mimic the tone he was able to set in his classroom to motivate and inspire my own students the way he did for me,” says Teves, currently acting director of the Academic Resource Center at Nichols.

Others remember Halprin for encouraging and empowering students. Chrissy (Savastano) Manzi ’92 was editor of the Bison newspaper when Halprin took over as advisor. “He had a way of supporting smart decisions while gently guiding us through less favorable ones,” recalls Manzi.

“While I never felt he would let me undertake a risk too large, I always felt he gave me the freedom to explore my options enough to make my own conclusions.”

— his only immediate plans are to spend more time with his grandchildren and to be open to what’s next, whether it’s dabbling in carpentry for the needy or polishing a memoir on teaching that he began while on sabbatical three years ago.

As for second — or is it third? — acts for his fellow retirees, Moore plans to return to her statehouse roots, perhaps to conduct tours as a way of promoting the “important foundational values of our country that are enshrined in the structure of our government: the ideas of democracy and open government, freedom and tolerance, and equality and justice for all.” She also hopes to reignite her love for figure and portrait drawing, which began in college.

Armstrong, who has cut back on the number of professional seminars he gives to 12 to 15 a year, will continue to consult.

He is also on the board of Unibank and an avid golfer who has marshalled at 15 PGA tournaments.

“It’s interesting to see [students] blossom from what they were when they were here to what they have become.”

– Professor Jack Armstrong

In retirement, Halprin fears he may miss the mental stimulation of teaching.

“With everything I do — watch TV, go to a movie, listen to music — some part of me thinks, ‘Maybe this is something I’ll apply in class.’ I wonder what I am going to do with that brain space,” he muses.

He’ll have some time to figure that out

Whatever is next on the horizon for professors Moore, Armstrong, and Halprin, they will go with the gratitude of Nichols and the thousands of students they’ve inspired to expand their own.

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AT H L E T I C S

The record-breaking run of Marcos Echevarria

by Pete DiVito

The calendar denotes February 14 as Valentine’s Day, but for Nichols senior Marcos Echevarria, it’s the day after one of the most important wins of his basketball career, a 107-93 thumping of Gordon College that secured the No. 1 seed in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Tournament for the men’s basketball team for the sixthconsecutive season.

On the surface, it may appear that Echevarria has it all — the looks, the grades, the game — but not long after the program’s all-time leading scorer arrived on campus in August 2015, he began to wonder if he could play for one of the elite programs in the Northeast.

“I called my dad after one of our first pickup games and said, ‘I’m not sure I

can play on this team. There are so many good players!’” he recalls. “When preseason started, I was on the second team doing everything I could to crack the rotation. Then, Gustave [Koumare] injured his knee and Coach [Tom] Glynn called my name. I was very surprised.

Here I was, this quiet kid who didn’t talk and worked hard, stepping into the starting lineup. I scored 33 points in my first game, which was so surreal to me!”

Now, more than 2,000 points later, Echevarria is leaving his mark as one of the best student-athletes — if not, the best — in school history. The son of Marcos, Sr. and Shirell Echevarria grew up idolizing the game of former NBA All-Star Latrell Sprewell, who was known for his cornrows, strong takes, and pull-up jumper. Today, Echevarria models his game after one of the most

“As far back as I can remember, I was always going to my dad’s practices. I would run on the sidelines and try to shoot with the guys.

I owe all of my success to him.”

prolific scorers in NBA history, James Harden. “I really like his game, all the step-backs and crazy isolation moves.”

Echevarria explains where his passion for the game of basketball developed: “My dad put the ball in my hands. He coached high school basketball at Lynn Classical. As far back as I can remember, I was always going to my dad’s practices. I would run on the sidelines and try to shoot with the guys.

I owe all of my success to him.”

Playing against the likes of future Detroit Piston Bruce Brown, UConn guard and American Athletic Conference POY candidate Jalen Brown, and Creighton student-athletes Kaleb Joseph and Jordan Scurry made Echevarria feel he could “play anywhere with anyone.” He grew four inches during his junior year in high school and, while he never ruled out playing at the Division I level, he felt confident that his skill set, combined with his grades, could earn him a partial scholarship at a Division II institution.

“The recruiting process wasn’t what I hoped. Coaches always thought I was too small, which put a damper on my confidence,” says Echevarria. “I didn’t lift weights. My workouts were push-ups and pull-ups. I learned to use my speed to my advantage, to get into the paint and dish the ball to help my teammates get easy points.”

Archrival Endicott was the first school that Echevarria visited, followed by stops at Wheaton and Clark. Then, Nichols came into the picture. “My dad suggested doing an overnight visit.

Nichols was an up-and-coming program, and their win-loss record spoke for itself. He left it in my hands to decide and I felt Nichols was the best place for me.”

Then-coach Glynn, now head coach at Rhode Island College, reflects on his recruitment of Echevarria: “As an

Photo: Brian Foley

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Nichols College Magazine

l Spring/Summer 2019

Photo: Brian Foley

assistant coach at UMass Lowell and MIT while Marcos was in high school, I was very much aware of his talent. I was able to watch him play numerous times in both high school and on the AAU circuit. He had the ability to really shoot the ball, pressure the ball on defense, and he was extremely competitive.”

Coming off a devastating loss to Gordon in the conference championship game in 2014 and a stunning first-round exit at the hands of No. 8 seed University of New England the following year, Glynn felt Echevarria was the final piece to get the Bison over the playoff hump…and he did not disappoint.

Echevarria led a veteran-laden squad in scoring as a freshman (18.9 ppg) and was named CCC Rookie of the Week five times. After scoring 33 in his collegiate debut against Becker College, he reached the 20-point mark 11 more times during the 2015-16 campaign, as the Bison rolled into the playoffs seeking to capture the championship

that had eluded them the previous two seasons.

Facing the Endicott Gulls at Nichols in the CCC Semifinals on February 25, 2016, the Bison trailed by 19 points with 10:49 remaining in the contest. Facing a third-straight playoff failure, the Bison ripped off a 22-3 run over the next six minutes and knotted the game at 74.

Then, trailing by three with one second remaining, Echevarria was fouled attempting a three-pointer, sending him to the line with the chance to send the game to overtime.

“With the game on the line, I had a chance to make free throws that I usually hit,” says Echevarria. “I made the first, but when the second one went in and out, it broke my heart. I knew that I had to miss the next one, and we’d have to get the rebound and put it back up. Endicott tapped it out and I felt like I let everyone down. I took it to heart. Over the summer, that was my

motivation. Whenever I was tired, I thought back to how that season ended and that’s what got me through every workout. I kept telling myself, ‘Don’t let it happen again.’”

Echevarria left the court that night with his jersey pulled over his face, tears streaming down his cheeks. The Bison, meanwhile, experienced a dramatic roster shift following that contest as three senior starters — Christian Horton, Gustave Koumare, and Irving Eggleston — passed the torch to a trio of talented freshman — DeAnte Bruton, Jerome Cunningham, and Tyler Dion. Suddenly, Echevarria was thrust into the role of team captain. “To get back to where we were and to get to where we wanted to be, I told the guys that no one was going to outwork us.”

What followed was the most memorable season in program history.

A sophomore, Echevarria was tabbed CCC Player of the Year after averaging a

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l Nichols College Magazine

13

AT H L E T I C S

career-best 23.4 ppg. Playoff wins over UNE and Wentworth sent the Bison back to the championship game and set up a rematch with the Gulls. The Bison rallied from a seven-point deficit in the final 101 seconds to defeat Endicott and capture their first-ever CCC Championship. At the forefront of the comeback was Echevarria, who canned a pair of three-pointers, including the go-ahead basket with 13 seconds left.

“I remember being at the free throw line, hanging my hands on my knees and looking up at the scoreboard thinking, ‘Down seven with one minute left….how are we going to do this?’” says Echevarria. “Jerome made two free throws, we got a stop, I made a three, and we called timeout. Now I’m thinking, ‘We have to get another stop!’

We went into our 2-2-1 press and the ball went out of bounds off me.

Endicott called a timeout, and then we got a five-second call on the inbound pass. Suddenly, my mindset changed.

We had done everything we could to get to within two [points], and now down two with the ball, there was no doubt in my mind that we were going to win.”

Echevarria continues, “The first thing I did when the game ended was weave through the crowd and find my family.

To be able to share that moment with them was surreal. I get goosebumps talking about it because I carried such a burden my back with the way my freshman year ended. When they handed me the trophy, the tears just came. When we cut the nets down, it felt like we’d won the national championship. It was the perfect ending to a perfect story for Nichols College.”

What could Echevarria do for an encore in his junior year? His response: a second-straight CCC Player of the Year Award and another conference championship. “I didn’t work as hard as I wanted to after that first championship,” explains Echevarria. “I was in the gym when I could be, but I had an internship in Boston. I was a little bit satisfied.

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When I came back to campus, I just focused on being consistent both on and off the court. To be able to go back-toback and get back to the NCAA Tournament was a product of that consistency.”

The 2018-19 campaign has seen a litany of records fall. On December 1, he became just the third student-athlete in program history to reach the 2,000point mark for his career. Less than one month later, he became the college’s alltime leading scorer. Echevarria scored the first basket of the game at Salve Regina on January 26 — a three-pointer — that gave him at least one triple in an NCAA-record 94 consecutive games spanning Divisions I, II, and III. Entering the conference tournament, Echevarria was poised to become the CCC’s alltime leading scorer and to finish in the Top five in Division III history in threepointers. He will also graduate as one of the Top 25 scorers in Division III history.

guided the Bison to the best start in program history this season (10-0).

“He’s very driven and wants to win.

When the lights are on, he’s going to show up. He’s a high-level shot maker at this level and will go down as one of the best shooters ever. He has a great feel for the game. He makes the right basketball play every time and makes his teammates better.”

Editor’s Note: After clinching its third straight CCC Championship with a win over Gordon College, the Bison advanced through the first round of the NCAA with a win over Middlebury College and to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history with a win over Rowan University.

They defeated no. 7 Amherst College to advance to the Elite 8 but suffered a loss to no. 6 Swarthmore College, 69-65.

When asked about his record-breaking feats, Echevarria is stymied, saying, “When I came to Nichols, I never, ever dreamed that I would be in this position.

I didn’t think I would play. I hoped that by my sophomore year, I’d have a chance to show what I have. To be able to hold these records and break new ones…all I can say is, ‘Thank you’ to Nichols College, and ‘Thank you’ to all of the coaches that have helped me get to this point.”

Echevarria is currently enrolled in the 4+1 program at Nichols and is interested in pursuing his Masters of Science in Accounting, his undergraduate major.

“Basketball is in my head and I definitely want to see where that takes me after graduation,” he states. “But, I also really want to be a graduate assistant. I want to be able to help give kids the experience that coaches gave me. I want to pass my knowledge along.”

“He’s an absolute gamer,” sums up Head Coach Scott Faucher, who took over for Glynn this past summer and

l Spring/Summer 2019

Photo: Mark Seliger

CLASS NOTES

1954 > 65th Reunion

1958

Marianne Gruskin, widow of Matt

Class Champion: Paul Price

Gruskin, would like to remind the

937-631-7649

class to send in their donations

pprice@woh.rr.com

for the Class of ’54 Scholarship

Florida, we attended a Nichols

I am still working diligently to get

gathering in Punta Gorda (a first)

a current roster of the Class of

and had an opportunity to meet

’63. Thanks to those who have

some wonderful alumni. On

responded to my emails, calls and

February 5th, we were able to

postcards. I still have a number

William Bolean says he is living

spend some special time with

of classmates to pursue. I will

Fund, which benefits a Nichols

in Atlantic Shores Retirement

then publish a list of folks that I

College student each year. She

President Susan Engelkemeyer

Community, “doing the best I can

and her husband Dave. It was nice

couldn’t find and, hopefully,

hopes everyone will participate,

to be able to meet with Dick and

someone out there will have a

so the scholarship will continue

with old used parts.”

Pam Makin, Hugo and Carol,

connection.

Duke MacNair ’66, Ken Beyer ’60,

I was finally able to get in touch

to benefit Nichols students in the future. This year’s scholarship recipient, Brooke Schlosser, is a

1959 > 60th Reunion

freshman who is studying sport

1962

management at Nichols and is

Class Champion: Charlie Howe

involved with the Campus

charleskatehowe@gmail.com

Activities Board.

609-494-5450

who sends a hello to his Conant

with Denny Kuvalanka. He has

buddies, and a host of other

lived in Tarpon Springs, FL, for

friends that we have made over

the past ten years. He stays busy

the years. President Engelkemeyer

playing senior softball four days a

gave us a State of the College

week and plays in tournaments

update. Bill Pieczynski and John

once a month. He works out

McClutchy Jr. ’72 filled us in on

twice a week with a personal

From John J. McCabe: “This year

I thought that I might start out by

I finally retired after working 54

clearing up some administrative

events and trustees, and Molly

trainer and does some traveling.

years as an attorney with the

matters. In our advanced years,

Thienel did a great job ensuring

In July, he’ll be off on a cruise

Treasury Department. It feels a

we seem to be regressing a bit

that everything ran smoothly.

that starts in Copenhagen and

little strange not to have a daily

when it comes to following

Add to all of this correspondence

tours the Baltic Sea with stops in

routine, but the upside is now I

through in our support of the

from Paul Zimmerman, Dick

Germany, Russia, Finland, Estonia

have time to smell the flowers

college. Not a good thing!

Knoener, John Turro, Bart

and Sweden. Stay healthy, Denny,

and do things normal retirees do.

When it came down to class

Henkle, and Rene Langevin,

and have a great time on your

My wife and I extend our best

participation, we have always

as well as Dave ’65 and Susan

cruise.

wishes to the entire Nichols

been in the top five. I am hoping

Lombard. The real bonus was a

family and wish you health and

that we can and will reverse what

call from my roommate Pete

happiness.”

appears to be an oversight, and

Whitney. Keep in touch….That’s

again take a leadership role,

what family is all about. Best to all!

1956 Art Fries is retiring from the role of class champion (formerly, class scribe). We thank him for the time and dedication he devoted to this volunteer role for many years!

whether you support the Nichols Fund, Conrad Society (bequest

Note: A warm welcome to Danny Tomassetti '64 as class

(athletics) Club. There was a time

champion. Would you believe

(long ago) when the college was

that the champions for the

If you are interested in serving as

College. During the past six

the class champion for the Class

months, I must say that I've never

of ’56, please contact Jillian

felt closer to Nichols.

Riches, alumni engagement manager, at 866-622-4766.

Wayne “Tom” Keith reports: “Barbara and I celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary on July 13 by taking our son’s family on a

problems lately but, as usual, Ross has blown right through the college contacted him to let

scholarships, or the Bison

to be supportive of Nichols

experiencing some medical

them and is doing well. Recently,

Charlie

through your estate), endowed

there for us; now it is time for us

Ross Chambers has been

classes of ’62, ’63, and ’64 all played on the same lacrosse team together! Bison Pride!

1963

Kate and I, following a visit

Class Champion: Art Tozzi

with Hugo ’63 and Carol Pagliccia

3710 Marion Court N

on Nantucket, attended

Wilson, NC 27896

Homecoming on the Hill, and

252-291-7020

along the way visited with Henri

toz1369@earthlink.net

Ross Chambers enjoys an outing with the women’s basketball team in Washington state.

David ’64. When we returned to

Caribbean Christmas cruise out of Port Everglades, FL.”

1957 Class Champion: Kent Tarrant (413) 566-5130 kent100@charter.net

Please send your news directly to your class champion. If you do not have a class champion, news may be forwarded to classnotes@nichols.edu. Digital images are preferred, but please do not crop them! The higher the resolution the better — 300 dpi (dots per inch) is best. Digital images may be sent directly to the Alumni Relations Office classnotes@nichols.edu. Prints may be sent to: Nichols College, Alumni Relations Office, P.O. Box 5000, Dudley, MA 01571.

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l Nichols College Magazine

15

CLASS NOTES

Ted Shephard is wintering

Just found out this week that Bill

in Florida for a couple of

Wurtz passed away in September

months and then will be

2018. Our prayers are with the

returning home to

Wurtz family.

Newburyport, MA. After Nichols, Ted got into the Alumni gather in Myrtle Beach, including Art Tozzi ’63, Chris Barroso ’08, Lauren McGinn ’05, David Doe ’64, Warren ’64 and Lila Bender, and Bruce ’63 and Connie Siegal.

insurance business in his hometown, got married, and later started working in real estate with Hunneman & Co. He rose

him know that the women’s

to senior VP and a part owner of

Tom Niles had knee surgery a year ago and is still experiencing difficulty moving around. On top of that he had two more surgeries for other problems and is still recuperating. Please keep Tom in your prayers and,

Don Kraft, Art Tozzi and Bry Beeson in Munich, circa 1962.

hopefully, 2019 will be a better

basketball team would be playing

the company, retiring about 10

Seattle Pacific and Pacific

years ago. Ted said he still “tickles

Lutheran in Tacoma, WA. Ross

the ivories” like he used to at

Spoke to Bob Therrien. Sadly,

year. Get well quick, Tom.

Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and France. That was followed by an ocean voyage aboard a

beat feet over there wearing his

Nichols and has been a Rotarian

Bob’s wife of 50 years passed

Nichols soccer hat and carrying

for the past 35 years. Up until

away in 2012. He now winters in

his ’63 Ledger yearbook. He

recently, he was a skier and

Myrtle Beach and spends his

joined the girls for dinner at the

power boater and, when not

summers at his cottage in Wells,

Seattle Center. The kids loved it

involved in those endeavors,

Maine. Bob is very active, playing

and Ross had his picture taken

loves to spend time with his son

tennis and golf two and three

with the team. The photo made

and daughter and four grandkids.

times a week. He said he has

the girls’ day, but Ross said it

Good talking to you, Ted, and

recently been playing golf once a

really made his day. His comment

glad all is well.

year with Bob Sanford ’65 and

Gene couldn’t make the Naples

Paul Zimmerman ’62 at a course

reunion this year because he was

was that they are all wonderful

Bob Sharp has moved from

women and they’re all Bison!

Connecticut to the Palm Beach

February. I was the overnight

the racing business but is still

guest of Bruce and Connie Siegal.

involved in a teenager driver

Thank you for your hospitality

safety program. Bob mentioned

and it was great catching up with

that his son Scott, who most will

you. (As I was driving south on I-

remember was an Indy car driver

95, I called Bruce and reported

for many years, has now retired

that “Bitchin Betty” says I’ll be

from active racing. All will

Gene Cenci sent me a picture,

there at 12:30. Bruce said, “Oh,

remember sitting on the hairpin

which he had gotten from Pete

even more snow, but he and Millie

Some live in Wells so he gets to

escaped it for a while by visiting

see them often. The remainder of

the grandkids in San Diego. Since

the family lives in Kenosha, WI,

being back, he’s been doing

and he gets to see them for a

some skiing and snow biking.

week or so during Christmas.

Pete said they’re not as fast as

Great to hear from you, Bob.

they used to be, but still trying.

Bry Beeson said they got the

you’re bringing your wife?” I

turn at Thompson Raceway on a

Smith, of Don Kraft, Bry Beeson

beautiful spring day watching

and me at the Haufbrau Haus in

was my GPS.) We gathered at

Bob race his Bug-Eyed Sprite and

Munich, circa 1962, on Dr. Nath’s

Tupelo Honey in Myrtle Beach for

his Lotus. As I remember, there

first European study tour. It’s

cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and

was always a big cooler, probably

obvious how studious we look.

dinner.

filled with Gatorade or Mountain

We traveled England, Belgium,

Dew, to combat the heat and

Holland, Denmark, Germany,

more about Nichols’ past, present

most snow and he was out with his tractor plowing. He said he is feeling much better; he’s finished all his treatments and is on maintenance. Bry, you’re in our prayers. Finally, I spoke to Peter Brusman, who is much farther south in Virginia but then, it doesn’t take much snow to bury

dust. There were also the Camel

Buddha. He’s been very helpful in

cigarette ads, “The Exciting Life

trying to locate and provide

of Bob Sharp, Race Car Driver”

current information on some of

on the back covers of Post and

our classmates. Thanks, Buddha.

Life magazines. Bob, thanks for the great weekends at the track.

and future than did our beloved

gotten a master’s degree.

grandkids keep him on the run.

explained that “Bitchin Betty”

reach their goals. She knows

weeks and we could at least have

Five grandkids and five great-

weather down there. He’s out of

how it is helping young adults to

ocean crossing took, but it wasn’t long enough. A couple more

buried up to his hindquarters in

evening in Myrtle Beach in

college — where it’s going and

remember exactly how long the

snow. Pete Smith said they got

area and is enjoying the warm

As usual, Molly Thienel provided

were studying so hard, I can’t

around Lake Winnipesaukee.

We had a fantastic Nichols

her exceptional brief on the

French liner, The Flandre. We

Talked with Bob Donovan recently, who, you will remember

Col. Conrad. Thanks so much,

Bob was recently interviewed for

was the first Mayor of Dudley Hill.

Molly, for your professionalism

an upcoming Nichols College

He now resides in Sarasota, FL.

and dedication to Nichols. Also,

podcast episode at his new

Bob said that in his junior year he

thanks for the golf balls. If I lose

home, and is pictured at right

conducted a project with human

one (highly unlikely), it could be

with his wife Carol.

resources at American Optical

found by a future Nichols student.

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Nichols College Magazine

l Spring/Summer 2019

that he turned in to Dean Leach

Working hard, playing hard Paul Blasewitz ’87

Whether he’s attending a Nichols

MSP was established in 2000 and is

reunion in Florida or attending a

the leading manufacturer for self-

Nichols home basketball game, Paul

fusing silicon tape and other specialty

Blasewitz ’87 stands out in a crowd

products. Silicon tape is a versatile

of Bison. His 6’5” height advantage

product used in aerospace, telecom,

didn’t hurt his athletic career on the

and electrical utilities. MSP supplies

Hill either.

the product to top retailers, such as

Blasewitz came to Nichols from

Home Depot.

Wallingford, Conn., with an interest in

He says what he enjoys most about the

studying business but a desire to

job is “working with our customers to

continue playing basketball. He was a

achieve their goals, our team, and

scoring leader for his team and

having the freedom to work from

became the college’s ninth 1,000-point

wherever I want to live.” For Blasewitz,

scorer during his senior season.

that means splitting his time between

This past November, Blasewitz came back to campus for the first time in almost ten years. He watched the conference champion men’s basketball team play in his old gym in the renovated athletics center and couldn’t help but marvel at the improvements

his home in the Old Oakland area of Indianapolis and a condo in Estero, Fla. Both residences are on golf courses, which suits him just fine, as he traded in his basketball sneakers for golf cleats years ago. He recently enjoyed playing the links in Ireland.

and changes. “We had a few different

In his free time, Blasewitz also enjoys

coaches, played only half the games

cooking, live music, boating and travel

that are played today. There was no

with friends, whom he hosts at both of

conference, no championship, and NO

his homes throughout the year. He has

weight room!” he says. But, the

invested time in real estate and

prominent reminder of his proud

renovations, recently in his newest

accomplishments — his name on the

property in Indy. “I’d like to retire in the

staying in line academically and

1,000-point scorer banner — remains

next ten years,” says Blasewitz, and

socially,” Blasewitz asserts.

the same.

plans to maintain his split-year lifestyle

In an article written about Blaze at the

eye on me and made sure I was

in the two states.

time of his 1,000-point record-

sales position with Starter, a premium

“Blaze,” as he is known to his Nichols

breaking achievement in 1987, the

athletic brand, after graduation. In

classmates and friends, counts Bison

author describes him as, “the type of

1992, he was relocated to Indianapolis,

from the classes of ’86 and ’87 among

person who will give you everything he

Ind., a place he has called his home

his close friends for over 30 years.

has got, on court and off.” Blasewitz

ever since. His career took him from

From his days on the Hill, he fondly

still embodies that Bison spirit today,

Starter, Reebok, and Under Armor to

remembers Professor John Katori and

as someone who works hard, plays

an opportunity to work for a friend’s

the campus jobs he held, as a public

hard, and supports his alma mater.

business.

safety dispatcher and in the dining

A management major, Blasewitz took a

Today, Blasewitz is the senior director at that company, Midsun Specialty Products, Inc. Located in Berlin, Conn.,

hall. Herb Durfee, the beloved public

– Molly Thienel

safety director at Nichols for 23 years, was also very influential. “Herb kept an

alumni.nichols.edu

l Nichols College Magazine

17

CLASS NOTES

for credit. American Optical liked his work and hired him after

Driving his own path

graduation. Vietnam was in full

Andrew Frydryk ’10

swing so Bob joined the Army Reserves. After training at Fort Dix, he spent his active duty time at Fort Jay on Governor’s Island.

After completing his active duty time, AO sent him to Cincinnati for a management training program. He was assigned to sales for Cincinnati and eastern Kentucky and in his spare time enrolled in the MBA program at Xavier University. Promotions moved him to Atlanta and put the MBA program on hold. While there, he was approached by Wesley Jessen, contact lens manufacturer, to move to Miami and become manager for the state of Florida. Bob, still single, said, “Oh, don’t throw me in that briar patch” and beat feet for Miami. Later he decided to return to Georgia and pursue his MBA at the U of GA. He met Lisa, the girl of his dreams and, two weeks later, they were engaged. Two years later their son Matt was born. On June 7th they will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary.

While in graduate school, Bob got a job working as the administrative assistant to the Mayor of Greenville, SC. He thinks it was because his resume indicated he was the Mayor of Dudley Hill. He was later recruited

by Metropolitan Life and was fast tracked up through the insurance business ranks. Later, a friend who was VP of the number two Fraternal Life Insurance Company hired him to be their director of recruiting for the U.S. That led to his promotion to be in charge of insurance sales for the U.S. and Canada. Bob retired from business in 1998 and wrote a book, “Whatever Happened to Dick and Jane.” Four years ago, he and Lisa returned to her home of Sarasota, which he said is paradise.

18

Nichols College Magazine

For over six years, Andrew Frydryk ’10 has pursued a career in program and project management for a global consulting firm.

His latest endeavor, focused around cybersecurity, has allowed him to develop a foundation of skills critical to the rapidly evolving technology sector. Based in Washington, D.C., Frydryk works with his clients daily to minimize risk and issues and helps monitor threats and system vulnerabilities within their networks and infrastructure. “What I like best in my current role is that I’m always learning. My workforce is considered an ‘emerging market’ and with that, comes unchartered territory. I get to be part of a group that drives a path of setting cyber policy and standards that is such an important topic in today’s day and age.”

As an undergraduate, Frydryk was an active member of student life, working as an admissions ambassador, a tutor for the Academic Resource Center, and even had the opportunity to work with the school’s marketing department, helping to produce some promotional videos. “I liked the idea of a smaller school where you could get to know your peers and professors,” he says.

“Even if it meant during 8 a.m. Friday morning accounting classes (Hi, Professor Behrens).”

After graduating as a Nichols marketing major in 2010, he gained some early professional experience as an admissions counselor at the college, where he was able to meet with students interested in attending Nichols.

Traveling and recruiting prospective students in and around the mid-Atlantic was a beneficial step in the next stage of his professional career. He took an opportunity in Washington, D.C., at a recruiting company, staffing recent college graduates within various consulting firms.

His observations of the high demand of young professionals within a growing city encouraged Frydryk to apply for a role as a technical analyst.

l Spring/Summer 2019

Frydryk started as a technical writer documenting system operating procedures.

As time progressed, he started working with his management team to create plans that overviewed system design, security, incident response, risk, contingency and configuration, which allowed for a basic road map on project management and how systems are designed and deployed.

Outside of work, Frydryk enjoys visiting all of the sites, museums and up-and-coming neighborhoods D.C. has to offer. “D.C. really is a great place for starting your career.

There are people from all over the world here who come from completely different backgrounds and have their own stories.”

As time allows, Frydryk enjoys travel.

Though Frydryk is transitioning into his recent promotion to manager and new residence in the Eckington neighborhood of D.C., he has plans to continue his education through professional certifications in system security and project management in the near future. “Although D.C. is a transient place, the connections you make are sustained, just like Nichols.” So, no matter where the road takes him, he will always have company.

– Molly Thienel

Bob said he would like to

times the size as I recall. However,

1965

whiskey, unfortunately, is not

thank all his classmates at Nichols for giving him the

Class Champion: Jack MacPhail

opportunity to be Mayor of

503-227-2761

stayed only to finish our drinks;

Dudley Hill. That, and the

jackmacphail1@gmail.com

15 minutes later we were off to

Justinian Council, helped

Rick Blankley shared a memory

him acquire a degree of

of Sneaky Pete’s, the bar at the

social mobility that one cannot pick up by just reading a book or going

Rick also notes that another old frequently visited spot during the

spot around for bourbon on the

’60s, Main Lunch, no longer exists

rocks, about 50 cents a pop.

in Webster. “Progress sucks!”

Richard Zarzecki lives in

For the remainder of my career

old (about our age now) and

Port St. Lucie, FL. After

I was in school supply sales and

either fast asleep or drunk as

graduation, he worked for PMM in

did national new product shows

skunks. One night, Dave Bates

New York City and then for

with manufacturers of various art

and I, feeling sorry for ourselves

Certainly not fancy; most of the few customers at the bar were

several companies as assistant

supplies, early childhood

being without dates, decided

controller. In 1973, he bought a

products etc. to all of the major

to drown our misery as

bakery in Worcester, MA, and ran

school supply distributors and

economically as possible at

it for about 20 years. He now

their retail outlets along the East

Sneaky Pete's. We were still

works as a business broker, listing

Coast and eastern Canada.

nursing our first when, low and

and selling businesses in Florida.

1964 > 55th Reunion

the booze is actually cheaper.”

at Nichols that was the cheapest

“Y’all come see us, here!”

as they say in the South,

our hotel in Southbridge, where

bottom of the Hill: “I recall while A group of 1963 classmates reunited at the President’s Society Dinner in October: from left, Tom Niles, Art Tozzi, Al Rock and Peter Brusman.

to class. Thanks again and

50 cents a pop but now $6. We

behold, a large bus pulls up in the I am lucky to have an incredible

parking lot and who walks in but

family. My son Dan Jr., his wife

The Brothers Four with their

Rick enjoyed a lunch with Geof Meyer. He and his wife Lynn live in Amelia Island, FL, where Rick and Mary Ellen spend the majority of their winters. He is retired from Dow Jones. “Geof looks great (still sports his full red hair, actually a few grey strands here and there),” reports Rick.

“We spoke of the old college days and the Nichols of today. He is in good health, and enjoys his children and grandchildren who visit Amelia often.”

Jane and my 15 year-old

Class Champion: Daniel Tomassetti

entourage. They stayed about

granddaughter live in Minnesota. I

413-567-0085

15 minutes. Each had a beer and

get to see them two to three

Dave Lombard, and Henry St.

papa.wadur@gmail.com

picked up several six packs for

times a year. I am a charter

the road. They talked with us and,

Cyr ’66 (photo below) were

member of the local chapter of

for a short moment, Dave and I

spotted at a Nichols College

UNICO, the largest Italian service

formed new friends.”

men’s basketball tournament in

My name is Dan Tomassetti, and I’d like to introduce myself as your new class scribe, or class champion as they are now calling it! First, I’d like to thank Warren Bender for an incredible job keeping us all connected and informed of each other’s lives. I have enjoyed reading his class note submissions. Tough job to follow Warren, but I’d love to keep the momentum alive that he created with us!

I’ll start…a brief update on what I’ve been up to since 1964: After Nichols College, I was off to the

organization in the U.S. I love After the homecoming football

enjoying our place in R.I. at Dunes

game this fall, Rick and his wife

Park Beach. I also keep myself

Mary Ellen visited Sneaky Pete’s

busy with all my hobbies! I love

for old time sake. “What a

outside gardening; I have 35

difference 50 some odd years

potted plants out in the

make! It is now known as

spring/back to sunroom in the

Yummy’s, a Chinese restaurant

fall. I started and still make wine

that still has a bar. On this

After being contacted by friends

after 12 years.

Saturday night, the place was

Dwight Gessewein ’67 and Bill

I keep in contact with former

pecollins10@aol.com

packed, mostly couples of all

Fredericks ’67, George Preisner

ages. The joint is probably four

sent in the following: “After

and roommate Bill “Buff” Bufalino.

updates; I can’t wait to read

Co., in the order and customer

them!

I then left to be the marketing

Class Champion: Phil Collins 703-627-9924

David, Phil “Meatball” Donnelly,

I encourage you to send along

department assistant manager.

1966

classmates, Henri “Frenchman”

late ’70s, I was at Milton Bradley

supervisor/educational sales

Springfield during winter break.

clamming, fishing, relaxing,

workforce. From the ’60s to the

service department, as a

Lew Gelman, Jim Robinson,

Wishing you all the best! I hope to see you this fall for our 55th reunion!

manager at Riverside Park in Agawam, MA.

alumni.nichols.edu

l Nichols College Magazine

19

CLASS NOTES

graduation, I went to work at my

1973

father and uncle’s pewter and

anniversary. Also, on March 10 we

High Hall of Fame. He serves as

were blessed with our fifth

chief operating officer and chief

silver holloware company. I then

Class Champion: Jay Reese

found a job at Travelers Insurance

(508) 359-7862

Co. in Hartford, in group

Jay.reese@verizon.net

1981

Gregory Pogue received the

Bryan Morrissey

underwriting, which wasn’t for me. I worked at Lux Box Green & Stevens Jewelers (now Lux Bond & Green) and started my own small jewelry store in 1969.

1988

Honorary Doctorate of Humane

notes: “We

Class Champion:

recently hired a

Diane Golas

230th commencement exercises

former Nichols

spongedicat@aol.com

on May 5, 2018.

athlete, Chris

1974 > 45th Reunion

factory. I became closer in touch with Dwight Gesswein, whose

financial officer at the Shepard Group in South Windsor.

Letters from Becker College at its

I eventually opened another store and my own pewter holloware

granddaughter (no grandsons).”

1975

family owned Gesswein Co.,

Silvia ’18. His parents and Nichols College did a great job raising him up.

supplying tools and equipment to

He and I are separated by 35

the metal-working and jewelry

years, but we both have great

industry. I also had the pleasure

memories of our time on the Hill!”

of working with fellow classmate

Chuck DeCoste won reelection as a selectman in Littleton, MA.

1989 > 30th Reunion 1991 Class Champion: Donna Small 336-692-5157

Brad Babb, who was a giftware

1983

representative for the Peisner Silver Co. and Connecticut House

Class Champion: Michael Donehey

of Pewter and then the George S.

mdonehey@live.com

Preisner Co. It is so much fun and

Marc Emmi met with Development

brings back memories of how my

Director Brent Broszeit in Fort

experience at Nichols would

Lauderdale, FL, where he lives

influence my life. I am now in the

when not in Maine. Marc is the

Rosario “Ross” Bacarella,

semi-retirement phase and take

senior vice president of sales at

president and CEO of BTX Global

care of my personal customers at

Starbrite. He looks forward to

Logistics, won this year’s Top

reconnecting with Nichols

Leadership award for small

both factory and store. Feel free to

dsmall9242000@yahoo.com

1992 Class Champion: Keith Hofbeck

1984 > 35th Reunion

contact me at gspreisner@aol.com

classmates and former lacrosse

employers in Hearst Connecticut

or 203-376-1534 (cell).”

teammates.

Media’s Top Workplaces. BTX now

khofbeck@comcast.net

has 28 regional offices throughout

1976

1969 > 50th Reunion Class Champion: Robert “Kuppy” Kuppenheimer rkuppy@gmail.com

the country and employs 350 people with about 100 based at

Mike Ehlers and his daughter

Peter Coyle was inducted into

the Shelton, CT, headquarters,

Samantha, and Cliff and Donna

the Massachusetts Baseball

providing air, ground and sea

Whynott and their daughter

Coaches Association Hall of

services, warehouse fulfillment,

Lauryn, met up for dinner in

Fame. At his time at St. Peter-

and e-commerce services.

Ipswich, MA. They've stayed

Gil Rochon reports: “My wife and

Marian High School, he has

I recently completed a trip to

amassed 270 victories and a

South Africa. It was the best trip

70 percent winning ratio over

yet! We will also spend the winter

19 seasons; team winning records;

Class Champion: John Donahue

in Florida this year.”

MIAA Division I Tournament in

609-257-8717

18 seasons; Central Massachusetts

Johndonahue1234@gmail.com

1972

Conference title seven times;

friends since their Nichols days

1985

1986

Class Champion: Mark Alexander

appearances and championships.

mark1alex12@gmail.com

Class Champion: Susan Zimonis

He was a three-sport career

561-707-8781

Mark Alexander reports: “I have

coach for 27 years.

susanzimonis@bellsouth.net

Care.com, the world’s largest online platform for finding and managing family care, as senior vice president of sales for Care@Work, the company’s

five grandsons. On December 31, we got a granddaughter. Finally a

1979 > 40th Reunion

1987

enterprise arm. He most recently served as senior vice president

princess!”

1980

Nichols College Magazine

1993 Matthew B. O’Connor has joined

and District E Division finals

20

and often get together with former classmates.

Tom Kirby, a 1996-inductee in the

and general manager at Monster

Nichols College Athletic Hall of

Worldwide. During the course of

Jim Lyons reports: “Lori and I just

Fame for baseball, was recently

his 17-year tenure at Monster, he

celebrated our 40th wedding

inducted in the Rockville (CT)

held a variety of executive

l Spring/Summer 2019

positions across multiple business

2003

areas, including enterprise, staffing, healthcare, SMB sales,

Class Champion:

software and e-commerce.

Jillian (Hayes) Smerage

2012

Jnhayes80@gmail.com

1994

> 25th Reunion

Richard Burke Jr.

Jenn Pepe reports: “In October,

Class Champion:

after eight years of working for

Danielle (Troiano) Sprague

the Webster Public Schools, I

thedwoman@yahoo.com

Jennifer Hess and were married on August 8, 2018, surrounded by

began a new position with the

Bison friends and

Central Massachusetts

1998

family.

Collaborative as a special

Class Champion: Emily (Seiferman) Alves Millie.176@hotmail.com

education creative reading and writing teacher at Central Mass Academy in Worcester. I am working with students who have

Anthony Osimo MBA was named

social/emotional disabilities, and I

director of operations at Quality

am currently pursuing a master's

Beverage LP, Taunton division.

degree in special education

He previously worked at National

at American International

DCP, where he served as director

College.

of operations for its northeast distribution center based in

2004 > 15th Reunion

1999 > 20th Reunion 2000 Class Champion: Andrea Sacco Andrea.j.Sacco@gmail.com

2001

every day so much so that I convinced the Alumni Relations

2010

Office to give me a volunteer role! I will be helping as the class

Class Champion: Katelyn Vella katelyn.vella@yahoo.com

champion for 2013. Be on the lookout for some outreach emails from me in the near future! I can't

2011

wait to hear all about where you

Class Champion:

are in life!

Alexandria Hallam

Bellingham, serving 2,600 Dunkin’ Donuts locations.

2009 > 10th Reunion

2005 Class Champion:

aliemchal@gmail.com

Melissa Jackson

2012

msmeljackson@gmail.com

Bryan Riley was named

2006

2014 > 5th Reunion

basketball coach at Nashoba Regional.

Class Champion: Erica Boulay

Previously, he was the

erica.boulay@hotmail.com

basketball coach at Marlborough High School

2007

Class Champion: David Twiss Class Champion: Meaghan Larkin

978-979-7658 David.twiss14@gmail.com Michael Farina was re-elected as a city councilman in Cranston, RI.

meaglark@gmail.com Matthew Burke MBA was named athletic director at Fitchburg

and an assistant coach Ryan Finnegan and Hayley

at WPI.

Cunningham were married on

2013

October 12, 2018. Joining in the

Class Champion: Ryan Flavin

Michela Purdon ’16, Brian Girard,

celebration were, from left, rtflavin@gmail.com

Ryan Finnegan, Chris Giacalone,

served as the athletic director at

Hello, Fellow 2013 Bison! Things

Tom Haggerty ’13, Chelsea

Mount Ida College for eight years.

are going well in the Flavin

Rafferty, Matt McGue.

Kevin Johnson MBA ’04 was

At FSU, he will be responsible for

household. All three children are

named partner at O’Connor,

administering 17 varsity sports,

married and making awesome

Maloney & Co., a Worcester area

350 athletes and over 50 staff

memories! Sabrina Palanza

Class Champions:

members.

and I were

Andrew Haas and Mike Ricci

State University. He previously

2002

certified public accounting firm.

He joined the firm

married on

2008

andrewhaas3@gmail.com

October 6,

michaeljamesricci@gmail.com

Class Champion: Nicole Curley

2018. We

nsc3129@gmail.com

just bought

in 2014 after more than 10 years in public accounting, and has spent his career

2015

2017

a house in John Curley was

Class Champion: Nicole Labrack

Mansfield

njlabrack13@verizon.net

providing tax, accounting and

named head coach

and are

consulting services to a variety of

for the Medford

currently in the middle of a home

industries.

Mustangs football

renovation project so if you are

team at Medford

living nearby give me a shout! I

High School.

miss the time we had on the Hill

alumni.nichols.edu

l Nichols College Magazine

21

CLASS NOTES

A digital space odyssey Alex Cifone ’13

When Alex Cifone graduated from Nichols College in 2013, she packed her things and moved to New York City. Now, she’s on the move again, this time to Sydney. In the interim, Cifone has become no stranger to packing. As project manager for Tigerspike, a global digital services organization, she has embarked on a travel odyssey that has taken her to three continents, including her newly adopted homeland of Australia.

Her first job in New York City was a recruiting coordinator for Align, an IT company, working with applicants and new hires. When her team adopted a new recruiting software, Cifone was put in charge of system setup and company training. That led to her next gig at Tigerspike, and “the start of my career in the digital space,” she states.

The opportunity to travel soon followed when Tigerspike, which utilizes a global resourcing model, placed Cifone with an office in Singapore. She spent two and a half months there during which she enjoyed travel on the weekends to Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, exclaiming, “It was an amazing experience, and I’m so glad I accepted it!”

Last May, she flew to Dubai for five weeks, for a website redesign project for Emirates Airlines. Beyond the work, the trip offered a unique cultural perspective for Cifone, who was there during the Muslim observance of Ramadan, a monthlong period of fasting. “Restaurants were either closed or eating in public was extremely limited out of respect for those who were fasting,” she relates. “Work days were shortened and families spent their time at home

22

Nichols College Magazine

until breaking fast.” A highlight for Cifone was a visit to Abu Dhabi and the Grand Mosque. “During the tour, I was told that many mosques only welcome Muslims, so this was one of the few I was able to step foot in, and it was absolutely stunning!” she says.

This past September, Cifone was sent to Sydney for six weeks, outsourced as project manager for GrainCorp, one of Tigerspike’s biggest clients there.

She returned in mid-November for another project with GrainCorp. That’s when she decided to move to Sydney for a year or two. The why? “Well, why not?” she poses. The experience will give her access to interesting projects and strategic partnerships with companies such as Apple and SAP Software. “It is a big move that I definitely was not planning, but I say now is the time to do it and I would be silly to not take advantage of this opportunity.” In April, Cifone was scheduled to pack up her Brooklyn apartment, awaiting a visa approval and “a one-way ticket back to my future home.”

Despite her recent globetrotting, Cifone is still rooted to Nichols and in touch with a few of her professors for advice and career support.

She praises the Professional Development Seminar, the four-year course that enhances career readiness. “I still remember my first interview when I brought my portfolio…and my interviewer telling me how impressive it was to see samples of work and my internship experience,” she says. “Made me feel so proud to be a Bison.” She also credits her marketing seminar with Professor Len Harmon for the experience of working with real

l Spring/Summer 2019

clients to deliver a business improvement plan.

Cifone, who played singles and doubles for the women’s tennis team and served as a student ambassador and office assistant in Graduate and Professional Studies, urges current students to take full advantage of every opportunity Nichols has to offer, especially internships and any type of job experience. “Sometimes you may not get the job you want when you first graduate, but that is okay,” she advises. “Build your resume and take in all the learnings you can, because it may present a career you would have never considered!”

– Susan Veshi

NICHOLS REMEMBERS

­❖ John

E. Bent ’48, of Watertown, MA, October 16, 2018.

❖ Robert

B. David Sr. ’49, of Webster, MA, and Melbourne, FL,

December 28, 2018. ❖ Gilbert

W. Parks ’52, of Clearwater, FL, December 11, 2018.

Kenneth A. Cantley ’57, of Ozark, AL, January 16, 2019. ❖ Rene

L. Fontaine ’58, of Gardner, MA, October 26, 2018.

W.K. Read Dickinson ’60, of Yarmouth, ME, December 4, 2018. ❖ William

C. Watson ’61, of Fort Lauderdale, FL, November 19, 2018.

O’Neil T. Mills ’61, of West Paris, ME, December 7, 2018.

William S. Edmunds ’62, of Burlington, VT, January 1, 2019.

Stanley Urban ’63, of Lauderdale Hill, FL, April 7, 2018. ❖

William S. Cleary ’63, of San Antonio, TX, September 17, 2018.

William W. Wurtz ’63, of Cutchogue, NY, September 7, 2018. ❖

David Anderson ’65, of Scarborough, ME, October 8, 2018.

Barry B. Segal ’65, of Lake Grove, NY, April 2018.

John “Jay” F. Sayers ’68, of Conshohocken, PA, September 7, 2018. ❖

Robert H. Burns ’69, of Largo, FL, November 9, 2018.

Steven W. Macdonald ’69, of Agawam, MA, November 4, 2018.

Stephen V. Roy ’72, of East Falmouth, MA, January 9, 2019.

Roland D. Lamothe ’76, of Middletown, CT, October 7, 2018.

Robin B. Menard ’82, of Lowell, MA, September 24, 2018.

Athas Tsongalis MBA ’85, of Worcester, MA, December 20, 2018.

Jeffery J. Pizzetti ’86, of El Cajon, CA, July 8, 2017.

Kevin R. O’Neill MBA ’01, of Franklin, MA, September 16, 2018. ❖­Arthur

J. Remillard Jr. DBA (Hon.) ’14, of Boca Raton, FL,

November 28, 2018.

Faculty/Staff ❖

Frederick Bacon, of Worcester, MA, former maintenance superintendent, January 18, 2019.

Katherine Condos, of Dudley, MA, former dining services staff, January 8, 2019.

Albert H. Grudzinskas Jr., of Charlton, MA, former soccer coach, September 15, 2018.

Jeffrey G. Hunter, of Jamestown, RI, former faculty member, December 28, 2018.

John R. Suroviak, of Forest Grove, OR, former accounting professor, December 31, 2018. ❖

Denotes service in the United States military

k­Nichols College volunteer

alumni.nichols.edu

l Nichols College Magazine

23

Charlie Howe ’62: Bison Pride

Charlie Howe is pictured front and center with the N Club.

Some of you may know Charlie Howe for his folksy and fraternal prose as the Class of ’62 scribe for Nichols College Magazine. In his columns, Howe reports on the happenings of his classmates, providing lively, caring, and informative updates that are infused with his immense pride for his alma mater and its accomplishments. (He often signs off with “Bison Pride.”) He also never misses an opportunity to needle his readers about showing their love for Nichols in the form of financial contributions.

As a donor for more than 50 years — since graduating in 1962 — Howe has been a model of support. It was no surprise, then, when he took his giving to the next level by joining the Colonel Conrad Society, individuals who have documented a bequest to Nichols through their estate plans.

then had “two great years” in Budleigh Hall. ”It was here that I made lifelong friendships,” he reflects. “Many, like myself, had something to prove, others to rekindle their educational experiences. We all were determined to make the most of the challenges and opportunities that college had to offer.”

Howe played football and lacrosse, and was a proud member of the N Club, comprising lettered athletes who rallied behind all Bison teams and encouraged the participation of all students in both social and intramural activities on campus. He has been a devoted alumnus and volunteer ever since.

“As we slide down the banister of life,” he says, “we will at some point reflect on our Nichols experience, and more

Like many of his classmates, Howe enjoyed navigating the business world for over 20 years following college, then made the move to the Jersey Shore, where, until he retired, sold real estate and managed the Surf City Yacht Club.

He and his wife Kate still reside on the Jersey Shore for half of the year (the other half in Punta Gorda, Fla.). He fondly recalls his days at Nichols, which started, he says, “where many good stories start.” He lived in Conant Hall

24

Nichols College Magazine

l Spring/Summer 2019

than likely, end up with a smile on our face. I know I do!”

Howe’s commitment to Nichols, however, is not just rooted in nostalgia, and his decision to initiate a planned gift is proof. A frequent homecoming attendee and a regular at the Naples alumni reception, he has witnessed or kept apprised of campus renovations, academic initiatives, and Bison athletics.

Seeing today’s and tomorrow’s students flourish in a dynamic and state-of-art learning environment, as well as make meaningful connections like he did, motivated Howe to link his legacy to Nichols. He’s asking others to join him: “Be part of the future and dedicate what you feel is a suitable gift and tribute to the college through the Colonel Conrad Society.”

If, like Charlie Howe ’62, you have included Nichols College in your estate plans, please notify the Advancement Office so that we can appropriately thank and welcome you to the Colonel Conrad Society.

For more information on planned giving opportunities, such as charitable bequests, charitable remainder trusts or gifts of life insurance, please contact Jillian Riches at 508-213-2211 or at plannedgiving@nichols.edu.

Additional resources on planned giving and helpful information on the tax advantages offered by planned giving can be found at www.nicholsgiving.org.

S TAY C O N N E C T E D

Class of ’69: Do you remember when?

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