Nichols Magazine Fall/Winter 2022

BISON BUILDS

The first steps of a campus renaissance

What Can Colleges Do to Unite a Polarized Country? Teach Civil Discourse

In a deeply divided America, this year marks what can be described as an inflection point for educators and students. As we approach a new year, professors and teachers must take this opportunity to engage students in the deeply important function of the democratic process, free speech and civil discourse –what can best be described as embracing intellectual diversity of thought.

Today, we see our country at its highest moral and ethical divide. According to a Pew Research poll, 90 percent of respondents believe there are conflicts between people who support different political parties and six in 10 U.S. adults find it stressful to talk about issues. If you have been at a dinner party or community event of late, you know well that discussing differences in politics, even just the economy or inflation, can be polarizing. A nation will always face differing opinions, but what makes this country distinct is we can openly discuss our opinions and work together to find solutions to prevalent problems. The past few years have shown this task to be increasingly difficult. Family members and friends argue, and some have even stopped speaking to each other because of their differing standpoints on issues.

We are better than this.

Institutes for education – from the public sector to higher education – have an obligation to teach and foster conversation that unites and is free from personal attack. Now is the time to embrace intellectual diversity and create an atmosphere that encourages civil discourse. Faculty, carrying the right tools, can begin to instruct how to actively listen to each other and formulate intelligent

responses based on facts and research. We can teach students it is okay to disagree on issues and still remain friends. Addressing difficult topics is essential, particularly in higher education, and colleges and universities need to provide appropriate forums where students can learn how to speak to each other. As educators, we must highlight the Justice Scalia-Justice Ginsburg friendship, the Tip O’Neill-Ronald Reagan collegiality, and the Ted Kennedy-George W. Bush alliance rather than focus on polarizing our nation further.

Unfortunately, social media and the age of disinformation and misinformation often dictate our opinions. In education, we can have extensive discussion about how to think critically about the masses of information spread through media. More than ever, it is imperative to distinguish fact from fiction, to ask questions and study all sides of an issue, not just one side. It is on school campuses that we can break down barriers and take time to seek truth in information, together.

At Nichols College, we intentionally teach students the value of intellectual diversity from orientation until commencement four years later. Once higher education leaders fully embrace intellectual diversity and root out indoctrination and disinformation, educators can hope to teach that civil discourse is a must in a democracy, and one that we play a key role in remedying.

President

This is an edited version of an opinion piece published in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette on October 8, 2022.

Susan Veshi

Bill Pieczynski

CONTRIBUTORS

Brent Broszeit

Rae Glispin

Kristen Malinowski-Paine

Mauri Pelto

Jillian Riches

Jeff Susla

Cathy Temple Molly Thienel

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kevin Chetwynd ’22 Ryan Hughes Cari Cyr ’21

Pat O’Connor Photography DESIGN Steve Belleville BellevilleDesigns

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 Nichols College MAGAZINE is published twice a year by Nichols College, Dudley, MA

4 Bison Builds: the first steps of a campus renaissance

Under the leadership of President Glenn Sulmasy, Nichols College is embarking on an academic and cultural renaissance in which the campus plays a leading role.

Olympic track medalist clears another hurdle: his MBA

Born in Hollywood, Tonie Campbell likes to joke, “I was destined to become a star.” Though his family moved to Carson, California, shortly after, Campbell’s fate was sealed. But instead of stage and screen, Campbell made his name in track and field, as a three-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist hurdler who enjoyed one of the longest careers in the sport’s history.

To those credentials, he can now add a Nichols College MBA, which he earned in August.

To say Campbell stumbled into hurdling would not be too far off. From an early age, he played football and baseball but wanted to take a year off from both when he reached high school.

“My dad said, ‘We don’t quit in this family. Keep yourself busy. Sports is an important part of life. It teaches you sportsmanship, hard work, ethics, teamwork,’ and he told me to choose a sport,” says Campbell.

He chose track and, because of his lanky build, was asked if he could run hurdles. He recalls, “I thought back to my childhood, being bullied and chased home from school and thought, ‘I can jump over fences and bushes pretty fast, so a hurdle can’t be much different from that.’”

But when Campbell learned he’d have to jump high hurdles as well as low ones, he balked. “Let’s just say that the team captain was a very persuasive guy in the neighborhood. He got in my face, called me a couple of expletives and gave me one seriously hard push,” he says. As Campbell tried to prevent himself from falling backward, he turned, only to encounter a hurdle. “I went over it. It was a high hurdle, and I cleared it. Oh, I can do this. It’s kind of fun…love at first flight.”

Campbell earned a full scholarship to the University of Southern California and made his first Olympic team in 1980 at age 19, one of the youngest on the team. It was unexpected for Campbell. “I thought that you needed to be mature enough and physically developed,” he says. “Luck shined on me, and I made it.”

A shadow fell, however, when the U.S. boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow to protest Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan. Believing that politics and sports should not mix, Campbell joined a movement aimed at circumventing the boycott by

“The things that I’ve learned from Nichols College have been and will continue to be applied in my administration as I move forward into the role of athletic director and dean...It’s all happening, and it’s all because of Nichols College.”

Photo: David Madison/Duomo,

USOC Archives

Tonie Campbell takes the bronze medal for 110-meter hurdles at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

by Susan Veshi

competing under the International Olympic Committee flag. The effort was ultimately thwarted. “That summer, you took a young man who was extremely naïve of politics and how the world worked and at the end of that summer you had created a man who was very worldly, who understood that sports and politics are intimately involved.” he asserts.

Campbell made it back to the Olympics in 1984 and 1988, winning the bronze medal in the 110-meter event in Seoul. In between, he won three World Athletics championships, a World Cup title, and a World Indoor championship.

A qualifying race for his fourth Olympics turned out to be Campbell’s last. He was in fourth place heading into the semi-final round of the trials, which were slated to pick the top four, when he was distracted by one of the other runners and took his eye off the hurdle. “When I turned around, there’s that hurdle again. This time I didn’t make it,” he laments. At age 32, following a career in which he was ranked in the Top 10 for 11 consecutive years by “Track and Field News,” Campbell reasoned it was time to move on.

He returned to USC and completed a bachelor’s degree in 1992 and has devoted his second career to coaching, including several Olympians.

When he decided to pursue an online MBA to ad vance his career in sports administration, he landed at Nichols. “Nichols College was the best choice for me because it offered a really diverse program that was challenging,” he says.

In December, Campbell will be leaving his post as the long-term head track and field coach at Southwestern Community College to serve as the new dean of athletics, kinesiology and health education, as well as the athletic director, at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon. “The things that I’ve learned from Nichols College have been and will continue to be applied in my administration as I move forward into the role of athletic director and dean.”

Upon reflection, he adds, “It’s all happening, and it’s all because of Nichols College.”

Nichols professor gets funding to monitor water quality at Webster Lake

Webster Lake is as complex as its original name.* With 17 miles of shoreline, the lake is the largest natural lake found in Massachusetts, Connecticut or Rhode Island, comprising three ponds, several small brooks, and underwater springs. Measuring the impact of human activities, such as climate change and land use, which have altered ecosystems and threatened water quality, especially in drinking water catchments, is a priority for health and lake management.

Prajjwal Panday, PhD, associate professor of environmental science, has received a grant from the local Janet Malser Humanities Trust to support the efforts of the Webster Lake Association (WLA) in collecting data that will en hance, preserve and protect the quality of the lake and its watershed.

WLA currently samples the lake three times a year for various water quality parameters, providing a snapshot of the conditions. In this pilot program, Panday was able to deploy a network of sensors in Webster Lake, its main tributaries, and outflow to capture real-time continuous data (15-minute intervals) for the season on two parameters, dissolved oxygen and temperature. He hopes the project can be expanded by adding other instruments to monitor other parameters in the future. The project has already generated invaluable data, and Panday is looking forward to involving students in his analytics and science courses.

Bison Builds:

Under the leadership of President Glenn Sulmasy, Nichols College is embarking on an academic and cultural renaissance in which the campus plays a leading role. In anticipation of a campus master plan scheduled to be completed this spring and a five-year strategic plan focusing the college’s efforts on “Embracing Greatness,” Nichols is already taking steps to shape a more vibrant and engaging student experience supported by modern and welcoming campus facilities.

In his inaugural year, President Sulmasy launched Bison Builds as a moniker for several capital improvements in motion. They range from the renovation (and relocation) of the Bison Den to the Dudley Hill Golf Club, the Chapel, the Davis Café in Davis Hall (now a Starbucks!), the Malt & Main snack bar and Bazzie’s in the Fels Student Center.

This year, the Board of Trustees also approved plans to build townhouses for graduating seniors.

Two of the projects completed this fall are at the heart of academic and student life: Lombard Dining Hall and the Conant Library.

Lombard Dining Hall

The dining hall was built in 1974 and underwent minor renovations in 2005 when it was dedicated to trustee emeritus, Dave Lombard ’65, and his wife, Susan. A multi-year renovation, which began in 2017, came to fruition this fall.

Inside and out, the dining hall has been transformed, from a trellised walkway to the expansive windows in the front to the vaulted ceilings to the restructuring

of food service areas. Students enjoy open and increased seating in this larger facility, as well as new flooring and furniture, and enhanced dining options. Stations dispersed throughout the dining hall — including a larger sandwich deli sandwich, expanded, dual-sided self-serve soup-and-salad bar, and the newest addition, a brick oven for gourmet pizza — minimize congestion and have completely changed the dining experience.

The annual President’s Society Dinner in October was held at the facility, where it was appropriately re-dedicated to the Lombards in recognition of their role in the evolution of dining at Nichols. The plaque reads, in part: “We gratefully

the first steps of a campus renaissance

The physical environment impacts student engagement and success as much as the learning and living activities it enables.

Faith finds a new home in the Chapel, where Mass is said on Saturday evenings.

Starbucks is being served in Davis Café.

Burgers and milkshakes are on the menu at Malt & Main.

acknowledge the enduring commitment of the Lombards and the spirit of gracious hospitality their name lends to this center of sustenance and socialization for the campus community.”

Conant Library

The library renovation focused on two areas: the main room and the north wing to the right of the main room. The main area has been transformed into a stately reading room with long tables and green-shaded bankers’ lamps. Accented by cherry wood paneling and furniture, the room provides ample space for study, research, and social

interactions, and accommodates the flexible design standards of today’s libraries.

But, rest assured, important pieces of Nichols history remain: the astronomical clock invented by Hezekiah Conant continues to occupy the corner of the main room, alongside his portrait, and the presidential gallery still overlooks the balcony, where additional space has been updated for study use.

The north wing, which previously held the bookstacks, is now a learning

The new Bazzie’s is open for kava and mocktails.

The trellised walkway offers a view into the Lombard Dining Hall.

Soaring ceilings let the light shine in.

Deli and desserts deserve a new look.

Help yourself at the fresh salad station.

Gourmet pizza is hot from the oven.

Going up! Elevator Pitch competition turns 10

By Cathy Temple

Talk about yourself for about a minute. Sounds easy, right? Add in a stage, a spotlight, a microphone, judges, and competitors. Each spring, Nichols College gives students the opportunity to encapsulate and present their best and authentic selves in a 60-second commercial to the campus community, as a dress rehearsal for the real thing.

Spring 2022 marked the 10th anniversary of the Elevator Pitch competition and, as in past years, the popular event brought together students, faculty, and staff to boisterously cheer on the 23 participants.

The elevator pitch in professional environments is used to sell your abilities via a conversational response to prompts, such as “What makes you the best fit for this job,” “Tell me a time when you overcame a weakness,” or “Why do you want this job.” The questions help future employers assess your level of confidence,

humility, and other soft skills you’ll bring to the company or organization. The responses are used to elicit a next step, whether it’s a follow-up interview, a second meeting to sell an idea or product, or even to get the job itself.

“The Elevator Pitch competition was a fundamental event that sparked my growth as a communicator both personally and professionally. I realized the power of my words and story,” says Ben Carbone ’20, who took first place in 2019. His topic was the dramatic life event his family experienced when his father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease when Carbone was 8 years old. “Winning the competition opened doors and allowed me to set my goals higher because I had a newfound confidence.”

Each year, alumni like Carbone pitch in to make the competition a success.

Fran and Dawn Carlo, 1990 graduates, have sponsored cash prizes for the winners and served as judges, along with this year’s judges, Eric Bernard ’92 MBA ’98, Cari Cyr ’21, and Kellianne Perceval ’02 MBA ’05. As in previous years, last year’s first-place winner, Olivia Antonson ’22, was the master of ceremonies, and Carbone and the 2020 winner Hannah Vangel ’21 shared advice with the participants and led a session on their post-Nichols professional lives.

“Communication is pivotal in my profession as a realtor, and thanks to Nichols, I was able to shape these skills early on,” says Carbone. “Now, a few years later, returning to campus to speak on my experience and the importance of being a great communicator with students is something I truly enjoy.”

Board of Trustees elects two alumnae

Cynthia A. Begin ’87 and Lindsey Rugg ’22 have been elected to the Nichols College Board of Trustees, beginning their terms in May and October, respectively.

Begin is a career financial regulator, having served in various roles with the Massachusetts Division of Banks for more than 25 years. She currently serves as first deputy commissioner and has held other positions during her tenure, including chief risk officer, senior deputy commissioner, and assistant general counsel. She participates in agency policy development and implementation and has over sight responsibility for agency operations and supervision programs. She holds a Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School.

commons. It houses the Academic Center for Excellence and Support (ACES), the college’s tutoring program; partitioned rooms for peer tutoring; meeting rooms for collaborative and group work; and round tables for group tutoring and discussions. In contrast to the reserved atmosphere of the main room, the vibe of the north wing is modern and eclectic, including a permanent glass and gas sculpture created by American artist Mundy Hepburn, nephew of Katherine Hepburn, who hosted an exhibition of his work in the fall.

The north wing has also been configured to house the IT Help Desk to accommodate the technology needs of students, particularly with the launch of Nichols’ free laptop program for first-year students this fall.

Rugg is a customer relations advocate for Fidelity Investments. Her prior experience includes two internships, as a financial representative for North western Mutual and a social media communications intern for the Rian Immigrant Center in Boston. Rugg was a four-year member of the Honors Program at Nichols and was named to the inaugural Nichols Senior Advisory Council. She served as class president and as a member of the Emerging Leaders Program, women’s varsity volleyball team, and the Economics Club.

Opening night of the renovated Conant Library. Pictured are Library Director Carrie Grimshaw, President Glenn Sulmasy, VP for Operations Bob LaVigne, and First Lady Marla Sulmasy.

Cynthia A. Begin ’87 Lindsey Rugg ’22

Bison Builds Continued from page 5

This fall, the library hosted a unique art exhibit of glass and gas sculptures by Mundy Hepburn.

The vibe of the new north wing is eclectic and electric, with a permanent ceiling sculpture by Mundy Hepburn.

The main reading room is a popular spot for students.

Students create career magic in the Disney College Program

At Nichols College we leverage experiential learning opportunities to drive students out of their comfort zone and to build useful career experiences. This network of opportunities is built on a resourceful faculty and an engaged alumni body who share opportunities that our students can then pursue. In the last academic year, business students completed 329 professional internships. One important developed pathway is the Disney College Program (DCP).

The DCP provides internship experiences for students across the country to

work at a preeminent company in the hospitality industry and learn how to become part of creating that magic.

At Nichols it has become a tradition to have hospitality management students participate. The catalyst is Maryann Conrad, associate professor and chair of hospitality management at Nichols, who encourages students to overcome any fear and apply. The first student to heed that call was Nicole Gawlik ’15 MBA ’19, creating the first ripple in this pond of opportunity. Since then 16 additional students have completed the internship, and almost every student heard about the program or was encouraged to participate by Conrad and Gawlik. Students like Sarah Ward ’16, whose first thought upon hearing about the program from Gawlik was, “How do I get this chance?”

This illustrates the strength of the close-knit Nichols alumni community in their eagerness to help guide and prepare current Bison to take risks and pursue opportunities; simply, Bison helping Bison.

Despite the 20,000 DCP applicants a year for 4,000 positions, Nichols has managed a 100 percent acceptance rate. Why? Ask Disney.

Supervisor evaluations, which are rare, were shared with Professor Conrad last spring on the service of two Nichols “cast members,” which is how Disney refers to its employees. Senior Abby Karalus worked at the Grand Floridian resort, where her supervisor noted: “Abby went above and beyond her normal daily tasks. During her time, we tested a new system with no written guidelines or instructions and Abby was there to help pilot the program giving real time feedback. With her help we were able to form this system into an entire new position which she helped create from the ground up. The feedback and creative problem solving she brought to the table helped the operation run even more efficiently for years to come.”

Junior Timmy Rynearson, who worked in food and beverage at Magic Kingdom, was also commended for going above and beyond by his supervisor who elaborated that he was “constantly offering a helping hand while also extending his shifts to relieve his other cast members, and getting trained in every area of the complex of Tomorrowland while also having great success in each area. I am so sad to see him go but also so very proud of him....

by Mauri Pelto, PhD

Nicole Gawlik, a Nichols pioneer in the Disney College Program, has helped other interns find the magic within at Disney.

Regardless of their role, DCP interns note the excellent training at Disney that prepared them for many scenarios and empowered them to make decisions that would enhance the guest experience. Among them are Gawlik, Gina Petruzzi ’17 MBA ’18 MSOL ’22, graduate student Cassidy Robinson, and Ashley Littlefield ’21 who worked in one of Disney’s many resorts; Ward, who was a vacation planner at EPCOT; Nikki LaBrack ’17 MBA ’18, who worked at one of the attractions; and senior Rachel Moran, who worked in sales at Magic Kingdom.

Each looks back at the experience as life changing, including expanding their horizons. They found that the solution to making a visitor experience magic often meant the cast members had to learn to embrace the uncomfortable and this can be the key in creating a memorable experience for guests. The training emphasizes that there is no small role at Disney, but that small details matter. They also learned the value of making contacts. “Networking with fellow interns is great but it is just as important to take the opportunity to meet with leaders at Disney when an opportunity arises,” LaBrack notes. Moran followed through on this

advice, meeting Josh D’Amaro, chair of Disney Parks and Experiences, and Bob Chapek, CEO of Disney.

The skill set has empowered each in their careers. Gawlik and Petruzzi in their human resource roles at The Joseph in Nashville, Tenn., and Cornerstone Bank respectively, where they emphasize the importance of training and building community.

Gawlik finds that “role play training is often uncomfortable, but the best way to simulate challenging scenarios that require problem solving.” Ward and LaBrack in their roles providing customer service as a Disney vacation planner, and account fleet coordinator at Enterprise respectively.

Gawlik worked as guest hostess at Magic Kingdom after graduation while completing a Nichols MBA, which has allowed her hospitality career to move forward, and she currently provides internships for Nichols hospitality students in Nashville. Ward and

Littlefield continued in the hospitality industry after Disney: Ward at the Newport Hotel Group and then the Encore in Everett, Mass.; and Littlefield at the Hotel Viking in Rhode Island and now at the Sandpearl Resort and Spa in Clearwater, Fla. Seeing how the magic is made at Disney has given Nichols students a glimpse into the operations of one of the world’s leading brands and the confidence and career experience to make some of their own.

I am hopeful we will get more students from Nichols College.”

At Magic Kingdom, Nicole Gawlik and Nikki LaBrack share Bison and Disney pride.

Rachel Moran meets with Josh D’Amaro, chair of Disney Parks and Experiences.

In addition to the Disney College Program, Nichols hospitality management students participate in Disney leadership programs, which inspire some to become interns.

PROFESSOR 007 SHARES HIS PASSION FOR JAMES BOND

by Jeff Susla

Late in 2021, when I was asked if I wished to teach a course on the James Bond phenomenon, I jumped at the chance. I had been a reader of Ian Fleming’s Bond thrillers since the fifth grade, and over the years, became a modest collector of Bond paraphernalia, and even have three first edition novels. I have also written on Fleming, and those pieces have appeared in the New York Times Review of Books, the Times Literary Supplement, and most recently, Artistic Licence Renewed: The Literary James Bond magazine.

I am not alone in my interest in the British secret agent with license to kill. During the pandemic, I competed in an online trivia contest hosted by the author of The James Bond Movie Encyclopedia. Of the 50 odd contestants, I lasted halfway through the event, bowing out after failing to name Jaws’ girlfriend in the 1979 film “Moonraker” (Dolly) and the numbers of the stolen atomic bombs in 1965’s “Thunderball” (456 and 457).

I recently attended a virtual conference at the South Atlantic Modern Language Association in Atlanta, where several papers on James Bond were presented. In addition to independent scholars, there were several academics who also spoke on topics ranging from “Social Networking and Distancing in the Bond Films”; “James Bond: Plays Well With Others?” to “Accent as a Marker of Class Distancing in the Cinematic World of 007.” I reviewed the conference for the Literary James Bond website and have been invited to present a paper at this year’s conference in Jacksonville, Fla.

So, clearly Ian Fleming’s creation means much to his followers. Fleming wrote 12 novels and nine short stories about James Bond. And while the thrillers grew in popularity over the time they were published, Fleming never lived to see how the cinematic Bond became such a phenomenon, dying before the 1964 release of the third Bond film, “Goldfinger,” which at the time broke all box office records.

In preparing for the course, I had wondered how to discuss the ongoing relevance of a seemingly

dated cultural icon with our current generation of students who are likely unfamiliar with a character whose popularity once transcended cultures and political boundaries. Fortunately, current events greatly helped in shaping the content. The pandemic had eerie parallels to Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s thwarted biological attack on the British agricultural industry in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” Some of the content of the debunked Steele dossier was reminiscent of the SMERSH plot to humiliate the British Secret Service in “From Russia With Love.” And espionage is always in the news.

More important, however, was Fleming’s prose quality. He was quoted as saying that to write a proper thriller, one simply needed to get the reader to turn the page. If I could show students the excitement inherent in a Bond novel, I thought that I could get them hooked. The films have their

own levels of sophistication, gadgetry, humor, and action that have provided entertainment for 60 years. And then the music — the James Bond Theme with Vic Flick on electric guitar, and the Oscar winning best songs. The locations. The megalomaniac villains. Not to mention, a generation reared on the escapist fantasies of Harry Potter and video games (James Bond is popular in that genre). I was off and running.

While the Bond producers are currently looking for the next actor to play 007, the phenomenon, which reached its zenith in 1965, will go on as James Bond continues to thrill and entertain movie goers around the world. Consequently, I’ll continue instructing the course for as long as students show interest and I’ll continue toasting Ian Fleming, for I also enjoy a properly made martini (but eschew Bond’s exact specifications).

Featured in the 1962 Bond classic “Dr. No,” Laughing Waters at St. Ann Parish, Jamaica is now dubbed “Crab Key Beach.”

Jeff Susla is adjunct faculty in the English Department at Nichols College.

CLASS NOTES

GoldenBison

For more updates on alumni from the classes of 1972 and prior, watch for the next Golden Bison Bulletin.

Generations of Bison

Pride:

1967 classmates Chuck Piazza and David Jones catch up on great times.

1973

Class Champion: Jay Reese (508) 359-7862 wjay.reese@gmail.com

1978

Submitted by Bill Fraser:

A smallish herd of Bison have been gathering every Super Bowl weekend since they graduated between 1978 and 1980, which means they have been getting together for the last 42 years. This past five years, we have supplemented that outing with a mid-August get together on the Coast of Maine at Cape Neddick Country Club, the golfing home of both Mike Villanova ’79 and Pat Hoey Bill Fraser has a nephew in the lobster business and the picture will serve as an indication of what he does for us. The

Bob Keller ’69 submitted a photo of he and Ray Wentzel at their annual reunion in East Marion, NY. He reports: We played golf the first day and fished the second. Lots of fun and plenty of good old stories over some very good cocktails and food. It’s

gathered gluttons, who saw no reason for any plates or silverware are, from right, Mike Villanova ’79, Tom Loricco, Gary Guglielmello ’79, Larry Bean, Mike Nelson ’80 and Phil Robinson ’79. For those of you that are counting, that would be one film editor, one tight end, one tackle, one defensive end and a quarterback and a fullback. Other attendees included Marty Power, Andy Higgins ’80, Bill Strobel

Just as a note, this group started with 60 lobsters…end of the night count: Nichols Bison 60, Lobsters 0.

If you will notice, not a one of the lobster eaters, by the expressions on their faces, was happy to be interrupted for a photo.

Finally, every year an award is given to the most deserving

a tradition that we look forward to every year.

Art Rizy, Kent Tarrant, and Dave Fleming, Class of 1957, get together at the Publick House.

Thomas Vangel ’62 (second from left), with his son Rodney Vangel ’89, daughter-in-law Darcy Vangel MSOL ’21, and granddaughter Hannah Vangel ’21

attendee. The award is the ‘Marty Power Most Generous Man We Know Award’ and this year’s recipient was Tom Loricco. Tom had missed his first Super Bowl Reunion the previous February due to COVID concerns but had tracked us down in a steak house in Houston and, sight unseen, had sent his credit card on down to us to pay for dinner. We like to encourage attendees to pay for things for the group, so Tom was this year’s worthy award recipient. ‘Keep it up Tom!’

1981

This fall, Keith Anderson, a co-founder of BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, hosted a group of finance and economics students in New York City and shared his insights on the markets, the economy and how he carved his career path.

1985

Class Champion: John Donahue 609-257-8717 Johndonahue1234@gmail.com

Please send your Class Notes 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 alumnioffice@nichols.edu. Prints may be sent to: Nichols College, Alumni Relations Office, P.O. Box 5000, Dudley, MA 01571.

Coming full circle:

Tracy Urquhart ’99

There was a time when Tracy Urquhart ’99 didn’t know what she wanted to do, outside of playing field hockey. The sport was her first passion and more of her collegiate focus than academics. She transferred from Becker College to Nichols College, which proved to be the right choice for her to continue to play competitively while making the most of her education. Urquhart became engaged in the class room, particularly international marketing and the classes of Professor Larry Downs.

Fast forward 20 years and Urquhart is the vice president of talent operations at an international advertising agency called the community, with accounts such as Verizon, Samsung, Bank of the West, Netflix, Volkswagen, and Oreo. Working from her San Francisco location, she oversees all things operations for the award-winning agency, saying, “I identify project-specific opportunities, engage the appropriate team members to make change, understand team dependencies and limitations and proactively seek out efficiencies” to ensure project and financial success for the agency. With around 250 employees, Urquhart says the community is “right sized.” What’s more, it’s “a full-circle return from where I launched my career in advertising.”

Her journey began after graduation, when she joined Gaelyn Sibbald Hastings ’98 at a non-profit she was running in Massachusetts. At the end of the summer, she landed her first advertising job at Filene’s in Boston. The corporate initiation to the industry was good for learning within a structured environment with set hours and forecasted project timelines, a contrast to the advertising agency world she was about to commit to in her career.

Urquhart stayed in Boston continuing in advertising and modeling agency opportunities as a talent agent, project manager, and in talent management. She became an

all-hands-on-deck go-to team member, doing everything that needed to be done, from teaching models how to walk a runway, to sales to everything in between. The long hours and hard work made her indispensable and a competitive candidate, so when she was recruited to a project manager role with Crispin Porter + Bogusky, she relocated to Miami.

The agency grew from 400 to over 1,000 employees while she was there. Urquhart found the continued hard work intense but fun in a new climate and international setting, even if it meant she was working long hours. She was given the opportunity to run project management of the Microsoft account. The catch? Relocating to the more time-zone-centralized Boulder, Colo. Two years later, she continued west to California, gaining and leveraging more experience to the role she has today. The current president U.S. at the community had worked with Urquhart previously, which leads to what she calls a good reminder to current students, that every job matters, and your reputation follows you. “I worked my butt off at that job, loved it, and did whatever was needed to get the job done,” she shares. “She remembered all of this and told me, ‘We need you at the community.’”

Outside of work, Urquhart enjoys running, especially the beautiful mountain trails where she lives near San Francisco and runs a few cross-country races each year. She is an assistant field hockey coach for middle schoolers and really loves being involved in the girls’ development in a sport she has always loved. Her eight-year-old son, Teddy, has a stick and joins her at the field for practices, while also keeping her busy with soccer and other activities. “I actually still have my stick from Nichols,” she says. “My grandmother sent it to me when I started coaching.” Another full-circle moment for Urquhart, from where she started to where she is today.

— Molly Thienel

1988

1993

Pictured, from left, Jay Accorsi ’85, Scott Johnson, Marc Klaiman

Jay was an RA in Goodell when Marc and Scott were freshmen. Also, Jay and Marc were team mates in football. The picture was taken on September 10 after Springfield v. Rowan football game in Springfield. Marc’s son is a student manager on the Springfield team and Scott and Melissa (Allessi) Johnson’s son is a graduate assistant for Springfield football. Jay is the head coach at Rowan.

1991

Class Champion: Donna Small 336-692-5157 dsmall9242000@yahoo.com

1992

Class Champion: Keith Hofbeck khofbeck@comcast.net

Chrissy (Savastano) Manzi ’92 has joined the alumni relations and advancement staff at Nichols College as the director of alumni and family engage ment. She brings a diverse range of skills and experience to the role, including event and operational management, relationship building, leadership, teaching, and fundraising. She served in a similar position at the college in the late ‘90s. Prior to rejoining the staff,

Glen Gautieri was appointed director of manufacturing operations for Conval, Inc., which designs and manufactures high-performance severe service valves for industries around the world. He has over 20 years of experience in manufacturing management at Triumph Group and Magnatech, two global, high-precision manufacturing firms based in the Hartford area.

Denis Poirier CPA was promoted to chief financial officer at Mack Group, a leading supplier of con tract manufacturing services and injection molded plastic parts in Arlington, VT. He has served as controller at Mack for more than 16 years and, previously, was president of finance of the industrial products division at Precision Castparts.

1994

Class Champion: Danielle Troiano Sprague thedwoman@yahoo.com

1995

Jennifer (Richardson) Kopcinski was featured in The Valley Patriot

for winning an open seat on the Dracut Board of Selectmen as a first-time candidate in a five-way race. She is an attorney in Boston at a firm specializing in workers’ compensation, employment law and general liability.

Ellen (Campbell) McGovern MBA, senior vice president/chief marketing officer at Clinton Savings Bank, where she has worked for over 22 years, has been named chair of the United Way of Tri-County board in Framingham, MA.

1997

Dan Hughes MBA was appointed national sales director, K–12, at FACTS, a division of Nelnet Inc., which offers a comprehensive suite of services including tuition management, payment processing, financial needs assessment, online application and enrollment, online payment forms, development and advancement tools, student administration software, and a learning management system. He previously served as national sales director at Tuition Manage ment Systems for nine years before joining FACTS in 2011.

2002

Class Champion: Rev. John Larochelle john.larochelle1@gmail.com

2003

Class Champion: Jillian (Hayes) Smerage Jnhayes80@gmail.com

Mike Shamon MBA was hired as stable value sales director at The Standard, responsible for growth through new investment-only stable value sales in the eastern region. He has almost 30 years of experience in the retirement plans and benefits industry, previously serving as relationship manager at J.P. Morgan Asset Management and national 401(k) sales desk manager at Putnam Investments and Empower Retirement.

2004

Class Champion: Justin Shepard shep@therevivalfarm.com

Chrissy was director of development and operations for the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts and a lead teacher for the Montessori School in Shrewsbury, Mass., where she resides with her husband and two daughters.

Stacie (Perron) Moulton was promoted to vice president and compliance manager at Cornerstone Bank. She began her banking career at Spencer Bank (now Cornerstone), where she held multiple operational posi tions, and served as compliance officer at Baystate Savings before returning to Spencer Bank.

2000

Class Champion: Andrea Sacco Andrea.j.Sacco@gmail.com

2001

Class Champion: David Twiss 978-979-7658 David.twiss14@gmail.com

Brett Urban was named CFO for BrightView, a national commercial landscaping company. He joined BrightView in 2016 as vice president of finance and was promoted to senior vice president of finance in 2017. Previously, he held senior finance positions at Aramark.

2005

Class Champion: Melissa Jackson msmeljackson@gmail.com

David DeCosta was promoted to assistant chief probation officer with the Massachusetts Probation Service.

James M. Thompson provides an update: He spent nine years in the private sector in various roles while he pursued his life-long goal of becoming a police

Submitted by Marc Klaiman:

officer. In May 2014, he graduated from the Massachusetts State Police Academy’s 81st Recruit Training Troop and was appointed as a Massachusetts state trooper. Since March 2018, he has been assigned to a specialty unit under the Department of Home land Security Investigations Fraud Identification Unit, where his responsibilities include investigating identity fraud, document fraud, and benefit fraud at the state and local level. He was appointed to Homeland

Security’s Investigations Document and Benefit Fraud

Task Force and works with various local, state, and federal agencies to detect, deter and disrupt organizations and individuals involved in document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes. The task force focuses on Massachusetts and works with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston on prosecuting the criminal activity.

He has been a Certified Fraud

A recipe for change:

Danielle Sprague ’94

As a marketing major with a minor in psychology, Danielle (Troiano) Sprague found the perfect fit for her Nichols College education: advertising. She worked in creative/ print production departments at agencies in and around Boston before landing a job that offered a bump in salary but much less creative freedom.

“I quickly came to realize it was a big mistake but wasn’t prepared to make another job change so fast,” Sprague recalls. The decision was made for her. After a month on the job, the agency lost its largest client, triggering layoffs of top executives and newest hires like her. “At first it was very upsetting. I was seriously concerned over being unemployed,” she says. “I did some professional soul searching and realized this situation was actually a gift, an opportunity, a fresh chance to start over doing something I truly loved.”

Meet Chef Sprague.

Occupation: Food service manager at a non-profit private school; previously worked for a caterer, Relais & Chateaux

Examiner (CFE) since 2009 and received the American Association of Motor Vehicles Regional and International Award for Security Fraud Prevention and Detection, for a law enforcement individual, in 2020.

“Nichols College was and always will be a big part of my life/jour ney,” he writes in an inquiry on exchanging his State Police Fraud Identification Unit Challenge Coin for the newly minted Colonel James L. Conrad Sr.’s Challenge

Coin. “I would love to be able to honor and praise Colonel Conrad for his role in both the U.S. Army and Nichols College while also exchanging and giving back a piece of the success I have received which would not have been possible without my time on the Hill.”

2006

Class Champion: Erica Boulay erica.boulay@hotmail.com

property, country club, farm, and several unique restaurants.

Additional training: Attended New England Culinary Institute, graduating with distinction with an associate degree in culinary arts; currently pursuing a certificate in food and nutrition to increase knowledge of providing healthy foods for children.

Inspiration for the career change: “I grew up in an Italian family, always a full table of family recipes, traditional foods, only the freshest ingredients and all made from scratch. We rarely dined out, no need when you are surrounded by a family full of passionate people who loved to cook and loved to eat. So, I didn’t under stand restaurant culture and diversity until after college. Working in adver tising agencies, you dined out with clients and vendors quite frequently. I was fascinated by restaurants, loved reading menus and peeking into open kitchens.”

Nichols preparation: “One thing that struck me was the significant number of business and development skills I learned from my schooling at Nichols

College that easily transferred to a career in food service. For example, how to connect and communicate with prospective employers or how to work together on a team of peers to reach a solution to problems or how to manage a staff in pressure situations to meet client expectations or how to calculate business costs to plan a proper budget to reach a financial goal.”

Food for thought: “I am proud of both of my careers. Nichols College set me up to not only succeed in my originally chosen career but to succeed in life, no matter how many different paths I take on the road of my professional career.”

This is the first in a series of profiles on alumni changing careers. To be featured in an upcoming edition, contact susan.veshi@nichols.edu

Putting the pieces together:

Ted Wroblewski ’68

Opportunity is often a product of hard work, but sometimes, it comes as an unexpected coincidence. That’s how Ted Wroblewski ’68 went from making unique posters to creating a booming puzzle business.

If you’ve ever been to a tourist town like Aspen, Colo., Mt. Washington Valley, N.H., Killington, Vt. or even Key West, Fla. you are probably familiar with the caricature-type resort maps that illustrate the area’s streets and the locations of restaurants, muse ums and main attractions. The maps were colorful depictions dotted with graphics such as dolphins popping out of the ocean or skiers flying down a mountain. These posters originated in the early ’80s, when Wroblewski and his good friend and business partner, Cronan Minton, created White Mountain Graphics.

When the country later entered a recession, the sale of resort maps declined. While Wroblewski was at a trade show wondering what to do with the printed overstock, a gentleman in an adjacent booth offered the perfect suggestion. “He looked me right in the eye and said, ‘You should make jigsaw puzzles,’” he recalls. Not knowing

anything about the puzzle business, Wroblewski initially ignored the idea, until he discovered that the company had the same exact die size to cut the resort posters into puzzles. “It was an absolute coincidence he could cut my exact size posters,” says Wroblewski.

The puzzles were eventually rolled out to all the existing resort towns (over 100 by the end) with great success. “We then added more generic puzzles featuring beach scenes, skiing, light houses, dogs and cats, you name it, we did it,” he says. With these additional styles the business thrived, and the name was changed to White Mountain Puzzles, Inc. Wroblewski and Minton traveled to many annual trade shows throughout the country, hiring sales reps and artists and building the brand in markets spanning North America and even to some countries abroad.

Today, White Mountain Puzzles, Inc. offers hundreds of selections, for puzzle lovers of all ages and skills. They produce them in 1,000-, 500- and 300-piece counts, as well as many children’s selections. The themes run an impressive gamut — from landscapes to U.S. states/regions to animals to famous art to autos to lots of iconic Americana and pop culture pieces like vintage television shows, cereal boxes, postage stamps, and nostalgic foods and games.

The puzzles are entirely American made, a decision that is important to the company. Half of the puzzles are produced in Massachusetts and half in Indiana. Unlike some of their foreign counterparts, the company replaces the steel rule die (that cuts out the pieces) frequently to ensure better

To keep puzzlers organized, White Mountain introduced a puzzle sorter, which Wroblewski displays at a gift show in Atlanta.

quality. Each puzzle piece snaps into place and fits tightly.

Wroblewski traces his business roots to his father, who owned a bowling alley and A&W restaurant franchises on Cape Cod. As a teen, Wroblewski cooked burgers, hot dogs and fried clams for tourists — and met his future wife, Sharon, who worked as a car hop at the Yarmouth location.

The first in the family to attend college, he applied to Nichols because a friend was enrolled in the forestry program and pursued a degree in finance and marketing. “The Nichols education focused me on business,” asserts Wroblewski. “When I first arrived at Nichols, I wasn’t totally committed to business. Yet, my dad’s urging and the Nichols experience both just reinforced my decision.” Upon graduating, he looked at many things as potential business opportunities, a curiosity he attributes to his Nichols education.

The degree initially brought him to the corporate side of Dunkin’ Donuts of America, where he began as training supervisor. (“Dunkin’ Donuts University,” as they called it.) “I totally related to the franchise owners that were required to attend the school because my dad was one with A&W.” Dunkin’

Ted Wroblewski, co-founder of White Mountain Puzzles, and his son Colin, who joined the company full time in 2013.

transferred him to the metro New York market, and he and Sharon settled on Long Island for a time. With the birth of their first child, the couple realized that a quieter, slower region of New England would better suit their plans for growing a family.

They bought the historic Bavarian-style Bernerhof Inn in Glen, N.H. “Here’s this Polish guy and his wife and their sixmonth old daughter taking over this Swiss restaurant and inn,” he chuckles. Over the course of the ’80s and ’90s, they totally renovated the inn and created a successful high-end restaurant, cooking school and B&B and purchased the motel next door. But, as their family grew, Wroblewski had concerns about the ability to finance a college education for his four children, so he and Minton started the graphics company.

In 2003, after 26 years, the Wroblewskis sold the inn, motel and the Taste of the Mountains Cooking School. Then, around 2013, both Wroblewski’s and Minton’s sons joined the puzzle company full time. After several years working with their dads, they negotiated the purchase of the remaining shares of the company. “Our sons were well qualified and able to take the company to the next level in the digital world,” Wroblewski says, adding, “Check out their website at Whitemoun tainpuzzles.com.”

Even though he and Sharon are tech nically retired, Wroblewski remains on the sons’ Executive Board. He enjoys his family and home in New Hampshire, and reflects on a successful career, “Though many have said it, you’ve got to be hungry and, importantly, do what you love.”

— Kristen Malinowski-Paine

2007

Class Champion: Meaghan Larkin meaglark@gmail.com 2008

Class Champion: Nicole Curley nsc3129@gmail.com

2010

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

2012

Ryan Cramer was promoted from detective to sergeant in the East Bridgewater Police Department in July. He has been with the department since 2013, starting as a civilian dispatcher. In addition to his Nichols degree, he earned a master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 2020. He is currently assigned to the Massachusetts State Police CINRET Narcotics Task Force.

2013

Class Champion: Ryan Flavin rtflavin@gmail.com

2014

Jennifer Millian MBA was appointed vice president of U.S. operations for the Cambridge, England-based Adrestia Therapeutics, a leader in synthetic rescue therapies for genetic diseases. She has 20 years of experience in genetic disease drug development, most recently serving as vice president of program and alliance management at Boston-based gene therapy developer Affinia Therapeutics. She held similar roles at uniQure and Sanofi Genzyme.

2015

Class Champion: Andrew Haas & Mike Ricci andrewhaas3@gmail.com michaeljamesricci@gmail.com

Kyle Shapiro has joined the hockey staff of the Community First Igloo, the home of the Jacksonville Icemen, where he was a former defenseman. He will be involved

in all programming at the arena. While a senior at Nichols College, he signed his first professional contract with the Evansville Icemen of the ECHL He then played five professional seasons, three of those seasons with the Jacksonville Icemen.

2016

Class Champion: Stacie Converse converse.stacielee@gmail.com

2017

Class Champions: Nicole LaBrack & Gina Petruzzi njlabrack13@verizon.net gmp0626@aol.com

2019

Class Champion: Brian O’Riodan boriordan78@gmailcom

Andre Foster MBA ’20 was hired as an assistant volleyball coach at Xavier University in Ohio in August, coming from a one-year stint at Purdue Fort Wayne as a graduate assistant. A native of Davis, CA, he was also volunteer assistant coach at UC Davis from 2020-21.

2020

Michael Grey MBA was named New England market president for FirstService Residential in Canton, MA. He will lead all business efforts and oversee executive leadership and strategic direction of the residential management company. Previously, he served as North American vice president of Sodexo in its K-12 school services segment. He is an adjunct professor at Nichols.

Michael Hansen MBA ’22 was named esports coach at Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland.

2021

Sam Curry MSC has joined the advisory board of Sternum, a provider of a universal IoT platform for security and observability. He is the chief security officer at Cybereason, a leading end-to-end cybersecurity platform.

Reported as of October 21, 2022

Robert F. Sim Jr. ’48, of Danvers, MA, August 9, 2021: He served in the U.S. Army in World War II and worked for more than 20 years at the First National Bank of Boston where he specialized in computer systems and retired as vice president.

Warren W. Jewell ’49, of Yarmouth Port, MA, August 4, 2022: He was a retired draftsman, avid birdwatcher, and a lover of nature. He was a member of “4,000-Footer Club,” having hiked all 48 of the tallest mountains in New Hampshire.

James B. Slimmon Jr. ’49, of Bloomfield, CT, August 10, 2021: He served in the U.S. Army in World War II and owned the James B. Slimmon Jr. Insurance Agency in Hartford, which merged in 1972 with R.C. Knox & Co, where he was a senior vice president before retiring in 1987.

Walter T. Peters ’50

Walter T. Peters ’50, one of Nichols’ most prolific and dynamic class champions and a beloved Mayor of the Hill, died on September 23, 2022. For decades, Peters was responsible for rallying his classmates to attend reunions and support the college through his engaging letters and class scribe columns for Nichols College Magazine. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and worked for Allstate Insurance in New York City. In 1970, he moved to Salisbury, MD, where he managed The Embers restaurant and owned two Pappy’s restaurants. He is predeceased by his wife of 61 years, Joanne. Among his survivors are two daughters, their husbands, and three grandsons.

Wesley A. “Wes” Armstrong ’51, of Southport, NC, June 1, 2022: He served in the U.S. Army Occupation Forces during World War II. Following work with Travelers Insurance Co. and Sylvania Electric, he became director of risk management at General Dynamics and finished his career with Fairchild Industries.

Gaywood “Woody” Hartshorne ’52, of Norwalk, CT, May 18, 2022: He began as an insurance claims adjuster but served most of his career as a banker at the Union Trust Co., retiring in 1990. He later volunteered at

the Maritime Center (now Aquarium), serving more than 10,000 hours over 25 years.

William H. Spring ’53, of West Springfield, MA, July 18, 2022: A Naval Air veteran of the Korean War, he was owner and operator of Spring Real Estate and a member of the Rental Housing Authority in Springfield.

G. Carl Kayser ’56, of Montclair, NJ, May 13, 2021: He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fairleigh Dickinson University and pursued a career in accounting, working for multiple companies over the years.

Robert E. Salisbury ’56, of Geneva, NY, August 15, 2022: He was a medic in the U.S. Army and was employed for more than 35 years as an insurance underwriter by Aetna Life and Casualty.

Cameron S. Ellis ’57, of Woburn, MA, January 8, 2022: He worked for many years in accounting for State Street Bank and Trust.

John F. “Jack” Halley ’57, of Merritt Island, FL, March 30, 2022: A member of the U.S. Army Reserves, he earned degrees in civil engineering from Indiana Institute of Technol ogy and Yale University. He worked in military aviation at Sikorsky Aircraft and Lockheed Martin Corp. in Marietta. He co-founded a commercial chemical company, Bonco Manufacturing Corp.

John T. “Jack” Kelly Sr. ’57, of Webster, MA, April 20, 2022: He was employed by the U.S. Postal Service in Webster for 32 years, and served as a basketball coach at St. Louis high school and grammar school for many years.

Fred C. Tobey III ’57, of Hampton, NH, May 2, 2022: He had a long career in the newspaper business serving as circulation manager/ director for the Lawrence Eagle Tribune for 25 years, the Merrimac News Company, and the Lewiston Sun Journal, from which he retired after 12 years of service.

Richard T. “Sig” Messineo ’58, of Spring Hill, FL, February 12, 2021: He was a builder by trade, with a passion for restoring boats, and president of Egret Homes Inc.

Paul S. Friedlander ’60, of Boynton Beach, FL, July 23, 2022: He was a tax attorney for Phillips Electronics North America Corp. for more than 30 years and a loyal supporter of Nichols College.

Joseph V. Giomblanco ’60, of Mystic, CT, April 9, 2022: He earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Connecticut and was an executive at AT&T for 32 years, retiring in 1994.

Frank W. Potas Jr. ‘60, of Clinton, MA, May 19, 2022: He was a U.S. Army Veteran of the Vietnam War, stationed at Fort Dix and Fort Drum, and owned and operated Clinton Sheet Metal and Empire Equipment.

Herbert B. “Bry” Beeson ’63, of Oxford, NH, on September 15, 2022. He was owner and president of Bry Beeson Real Estate and Appraisal Co. in Rowayton, CT. He was a loyal supporter of the Class of ’63 Endowed Scholarship.

Ross H. Chambers ’63, of Seattle, WA, May 25, 2022: After his active duty in the National Guard, he joined ABEX Corp. in New York City, and then Chicago. In 1970, he and his family moved to Seattle where he became a commercial real estate broker and a member of the President’s Club of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce. He was an active donor to Nichols College for more than 30 years and a champion of the Class of ’63 Endowed Scholarship.

Rufus S. Frost III ’64, of Keene, NH, June 7, 2022: He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve during the Vietnam War and was a real estate broker and owner of RE/MAX Advantage 1 in Worcester, MA, retiring in 2001. He was an active donor to Nichols Col lege for more than 30 years.

Stanley G. Matthews ’64, of Worcester, MA, June 1, 2022: He worked many years for the Worcester Redevelopment Authority, followed by the Worcester Housing Authority, including programs to help rehabilitate the three-decker housing stock in Worcester. He later worked for the Boston office of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for 13 years, retiring in 2004. He was an active donor to Nichols College for more than 30 years.

Peter M. LeClair ’66, of Putnam, CT, May 23, 2022: He served in the U.S. Army as an MP during the Vietnam War. After his return, he took over the family grocery business, LeClair’s Market, which he and his wife expanded to include catering and prepared takeout food.

Peter G. McGivney ’66, of Hayward, CA, September 3, 2022: He had a successful career at financial firms A.G. Becker in New York and Hambrecht & Quist in the Bay Area. A member of the former NICON Club at Nichols College, he traveled the country participating in lumberjack competitions, winning many awards in cross-cut sawing, including first place in hand-bucking at the 1972 World Championship Timber Carnival

in Albany, Oregon. He was an active donor to Nichols for more than 30 years, including support of the Forestry Fund.

Richard F. “Dick” Nugent ’66, of National Park, NJ, August 27, 2022: He earned a master’s degree in wildlife management at the University of Connecticut and worked with the Department of Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for 35 years, retiring in 2003 as refuge manager of the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum in Philadelphia.

John P. Grenier ’67, of Shrewsbury, MA, June 30, 2022: He had been a self-employed public insurance adjuster since 1973, with his son joining the family business in the latter part of his career.

Mark Rosengard ’68, of Chelmsford, MA, May 21, 2022: He was the retired treasurer for the City of Lowell and an active member of his synagogue and chair of the Montefiore Cemetery in Pelham, N.H.

Paul E. Day ’69, of Plymouth, MA, June 22, 2022: He worked at Burry Biscuit Co. for several years and spent the remainder of his professional career at Kimberly Clark Corp., where he served for 40 years.

Jeffrey A. Wingate ’71, of Phippsburg, ME, August 5, 2022: He was the owner of Jeff Wingate Plumbing and Heating Co., and an avid fisherman.

Victor M. Berthold ’72, of Broad Creek, NC, April 3, 2022: He has worked in real estate, owned a hotel in downtown Indianapolis and in 2001, after moving to North Carolina, became a cab driver and owner and operator of Designated Driver LLC.

Arthur P. “ Butch” Carilo Jr. ’72, of Dennis, MA, August 9, 2022: He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and as a claims manager for the City of Worcester until his retirement.

Philip B. Davis ’72, of Sarasota, FL, September 4, 2022: He worked for the family

William R. Scott ’66

business, Burton Saw and Supply, and was a member of the Young Businessman’s Association in his native Worcester, MA.

John O’Neil ’72, of Sherborn, MA, April 5, 2022: He had an extended career in sales and management with Gibson Greeting Cards and later was co-founder of a non-profit to support the American Heart Association.

Timothy F. Pagnam ’72, of North Haven, CT, July 25, 2022: After graduating from Nichols College, he joined his father in growing and running many businesses in Hamden.

Paul L. Howie ’73, of Hopkinton, MA, March 15, 2022: He enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving from 1972 to 1974, and was a co-owner of Howie Oil.

Lisa H. (Paprocki) Anders ’78, of Webster, MA, September 22, 2022: She worked many years as an administrative assistant for Rampco Construction in Dudley. Among her survivors are husband Robert J. Anders ’69 and sister Virginia M. Carmignani ’90 MBA ’96.

Melanie A. (Pusateri) Hoey ’79, of Charlton, MA, August 25, 2022: She worked for a top 8 accounting firm before serving as budget di rector and acting controller of UMass Medical School. She also served as CFO of her family company, Pat Hoey Productions. Among her survivors are her husband Patrick Hoey ’78, brother-in-law Robert Hoey ’84 MBA ’01, nephews Patrick ’15 and Sean Hoey ’16 and niece Catherine Hoey ’18.

Paul T. Larkin MBA ’85, of Sturbridge, MA, May 20, 2022: He was an IT director at the American Optical Co. in Southbridge for 20 years and worked in IT for Hartford Insurance from 1987 to his retirement in 2003.

Paul G. Antkowiak ’86, of Londonderry, NH, September 24, 2022: He worked in the insurance industry, most recently as a claims supervisor with Corvel Corp.

Douglas W. Gardner ’87, of Harwich Port, MA, September 10, 2022: He was a utility rate

consultant and president of Pioneer Consult ing Group in Woodbury, CT.

Douglas L. Kimball ’90, of Holden, MA, August 11, 2022: He had a career in sales for numerous paper and hydraulics companies, and in 2010, invented and patented a new type of ice skate guard, Skaboots. He sold the company in 2019 and founded Res Serv Co., which provided residential construction services to the local community.

Patricia A. Noon MBA ’90, of Bloomfield Hills, MI, December 31, 2021: She worked in cytotechnology and laboratory management for many years in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Utah.

Vitold C. Zenkus ’93, of Charlton, MA, April 29, 2022: He previously worked at David Clark Co, Digital Equipment Corp, Intel Corp., and, prior to retirement, at several banking institutions as a mortgage loan officer.

Rajeev Ramaswamy ’94, of Hopkinton, MA, May 5, 2022: He had a career in sales, moving to Atlanta, South Florida, and Newton, MA.

Alicia Shambo MBA ’96, of Franconia, NH, June 25, 2022: She was a corpsman in the U.S. Navy, serving four years active duty and eight years in the reserves. She worked for Banyan Systems before starting her own sewing and interior design businesses, The Curtain Lady/Designs by Alicia, in 2000.

Jessica A. Watson ’18, of Uxbridge, MA, April 6, 2022: She worked as a licensing specialist for Dell EMC from 2012 to 2021.

Faculty/Staff

Bernice Sheldon, of Greenville, RI, formerly of Webster and Dudley, June 27, 2022: She worked at Nichols College from 1968 to 1984, retiring as alumni secretary, and becoming the first honorary alumna of the college, “adopted” by the Class of 1939. She was predeceased by her husband Raymond W. “Shelly” Sheldon ’48 in 2000.

William R. Scott ’66, former owner and president of Scott Volkswagen in East Providence, RI, a dealership started by his father, Charles H. Scott ’37, in 1948, died on May 30, 2022. Scott served in that role for 40 years, growing the business, which is still family-owned, to one of the largest dealerships in New England. Though a transfer student to Nichols, he maintained lifelong friendships with classmates and contributed to several efforts, including the creation of an endowed scholarship in memory of his son, Christopher. Survivors include his wife of 33 years, Alice H. Scott, two children, two stepchildren, and ten grandchildren.

Katherine T. Nicoletti RN, of Dudley, MA, September 16, 2022: She was the campus nurse and director of the health center from 2011 until her retirement in 2021.

Evelyn Nieszczezewski, of Dudley, MA, September 20, 2022: She was a member of the library staff for more than 30 years, retiring in 2016. She was predeceased by her husband Bernard L. Nieszczezewski and her twin sister Pauline M. Sroczynski, who were also long-term employees of Nichols.

Moments in Time