ALUMNI NEWS 25 faculty members and approximately 600 students. According to an article in Delaware Online, Rhodes believes that the college should be a leader within the university to improve fundraising and alumni relations, something DSU has struggled with in the past. Previously, Rhodes was the founding dean of the Howard S. Brown School of Business and Leadership at Stevenson University in Baltimore, Maryland. Rhodes matriculated from Elizabethtown, North Carolina, and graduated from VMI with a bachelor’s degree in history. He earned master’s and doctorate degrees from Howard University and Old Dominion University, respectively. Joseph J. Santelli ’77, owner of Santelli Tempered Glass in Monessen, Pennsylvania, has been named 2011 Pennsylvania Small Business Person of the Year. After retiring in 2006 from a 29-year career in safety glass sales, Santelli started his own safety glass production business, at which time he purchased a glass oven and a former steel mill, and hired 23 employees. Over the past four years, Santelli Tempered Glass has refined its process, hired 28 more employees, increased sales by 800 percent and opened two more facilities in Florida and Indiana. Santelli matriculated from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated from VMI with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. Nicholas T. Collins ’79 and Charles L. Weatherman ’92 have started the company, Weatherman-Collins Contracting, located in Staunton, Virginia. They offer paving and concrete services from Harrisonburg to Lexington, Virginia. Weatherman-Collins currently employs 10 people. Collins matriculated from Staunton and Weatherman matriculated from Suffolk, Virginia; they both earned bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering from VMI. James V. O’Connor ’80 has written and produced the Off-Broadway play “Tea in a Tempest,” which debuted in July 2011. “Tea in a Tempest” is a comedy about love, infidelity and family. The play is running as part of the Midtown International Theater Festival in New York City, and this is O’Connor’s third consecutive 2011-Issue 4
year as a festival participant. O’Connor matriculated from Pelham Manor, New York, and graduated from VMI with a bachelor’s degree in English. He earned his master’s degree from Manhattan College. Hurbert G. Schneider ’80 received the Engineering Excellence in Leadership Quarterly Award for Systems Design and Performance from Raytheon Missile Systems on June 8, 2011. As one of only 19 recipients, Schneider received his award at the Desert Diamond Conference Center in Tucson, Arizona. Schneider matriculated from Frederick, Maryland, and graduated from VMI with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Arizona.
Hurbert G. Schneider ’80, left, accepted the Engineering Excellence in Leadership Quarterly Award for Systems Design and Performance from Raytheon Missile System on June 8, 2011.
Senator Ralph S. Northam ’81, M.D., received the Champion Award from the Virginia Brain Injury Council for his commitment and dedication to championing the needs of Virginians with brain injuries. Northam’s medical practice is based at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Virginia. He also serves as the medical director for Edmarc Children’s Hospice in Portsmouth. In 2007, Northam was elected chairman of the Behavioral Health Care Subcommittee which is part of the Virginia General Assembly Joint Commission on Health Care. As chairman, he successfully
Col. Matthew G. St. Clair ’89, USMC, left, assumed command of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit from outgoing Col. Mark Desens on June 17, 2011. St. Clair’s executive officer is Lt. Col. Michael C. Starling ’92 and assistant operations officer is Maj. Richard H. Pitchford ’95.
sponsored legislation to protect the health of young athletes who have sustained concussions. Northam matriculated from Onancock, Virginia, and graduated from VMI with distinction, earning a bachelor’s degree in biology. He earned a medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School. Matthew R. Hemenez ’90 has been named to the Warrior Protection and Readiness Coalition (WPRC) Board of Directors. The WPRC was founded to create a unified voice of advocacy for the tactical and operational equipment needs of the war fighter. The WPRC is committed to ensuring that American service members train and fight with superior gear. Hemenez matriculated from Visa, California, and graduated with distinction from VMI, earning a bachelor’s degree in modern languages. He earned a master’s degree from the University of Oklahoma. Patrick R. Baker ’98 (photo on next page) was promoted to assistant professor of law, a tenure-track faculty position, at the Appalachian School of Law. Located in Grundy, Virginia, Baker teaches legal process and Virginia procedure. His scholarship and research focus on mineral and energy, natural resource, and environmental law. Baker matriculated from Carlisle, Kentucky, and graduated from VMI with a bachelor’s degree in history. 151