CLASS NOTES 1950-1959 Jerald Hage, BBA ’55, spent six weeks in 2012 consulting for the Australian Business School at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. The invitation came in response to his recently published book, Restoring the Innovative Edge: Driving the Evolution of Science and Technology. In January, he spent four weeks in Santiago, Chile consulting on a Fulbright grant. His focus was on how to do research idea innovation networks and how they can stimulate economic development in the country. Richard Gervais, BBA ’56, is still in high gear at the age of 85. His greatest achievement has been earning four gold medals in world competitions for figure skating. He skated for 24 years and retired in 2011. With 61 gold medals at $1,600 per ounce, he says he must be very rich. Duane Hendrickson, BBA ’56, has invested in real estate for more than 50 years and decided to give something back to the community. He recently donated 10 individual Sherman Terrace Condominiums—free and clear— to Porchlight, Inc., a Madison charity that works with homeless and poor families, as well as individuals looking for shortterm or permanent housing.
1960-1969 Frank Dirnbauer, MBA ’67, is excited about his new business, McLight Solutions LLC, which helps companies improve their operating margins, increase employee engagement, and improve overall wellness. John Henderson, BBA ’68, enjoyed a great University of WisconsinMadison alumni tour to French Polynesia with 35 or so fellow Badgers in April. He said the
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cruise was a wonderful way to see the islands, and the group was definitely the most noticeable of the many alumni parties on board. Jon L. Pierce, MS ’68, Ph.D. ’78, was one of three finalists for the prestigious 2012 George R. Terry Book Award. Jon, a professor of organization and management in the Department of Management Studies at the University of Minnesota, was nominated for his book, Psychological Ownership and the Organizational Context: Theory, Research and Application, which he co-authored with Iiro Jussila, a professor from the Lappeenranta University of Technology in Finland. William Longbrake, MBA ’69, teaches MBA courses at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland as an executive in residence. He retired in 2008 after serving for many years as a CFO, CRO, and elder statesman for Washington Mutual. John Wright, BBA ’69, passed away November 1, 2012 at the age of 67 after a courageous battle with cancer.
1970-1979 John Kertesz, MBA ’71, took the pilgrimage of a lifetime. He spent five months on the road in Canada, four of which were during the winter on Vancouver Island. Glen Schumann, BBA ’72, founded Glen’s Workshop in 2012. The company offers handmade pens, pencils, and wood crafts for the discriminating shopper. Ken Vander Weele, BBA ’75, returned to Chicago after living overseas for almost 20 years and became a partner in Creation Investments, an emerging-market private-equity firm that invests in financial services for under-served markets.
David Beam, BBA ’76, began working as a project director for the health innovation program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. He’s fortunate to be giving back to a great institution. Lifelong learning continues! Tim Duncan, BBA ’77, in 2012 co-founded Goodlyhome.com, which strives to make getting a mortgage online easier while helping to create a fair and sustainable mortgage market. Until the end of 2011, he worked with Elizabeth Warren in the Obama Administration on the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act and the launch of the new U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Mary Beth Roberts Ellis, MS ’79, accepted a new position in 2012 as the assistant dean for budget, planning, and finance in the College of Letters and Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
1980-1989 Jeffrey Hammes, BBA ’80, was recently featured for his entrepreneurial spirit in Crain’s Chicago Business as partner of Kirkland & Ellis, one of the largest law firms in Chicago. As secondterm chairman of Kirkland & Ellis, he stresses the urgency for law firms to implement top-down strategic management. Colleagues say he is focused on the entrepreneurial spirit and empowerment of younger lawyers. Bill Metzdorff, BBA ’80, MBA ’81, completed the backcountry ski trek called the Haute Route from Zermatt Switzerland to Chamonix France with fellow Badgers Laurence Levi (BA ‘91) and Chris Foreman (BA ‘88) in April. The group is pictured on day one in front of the famous Matterhorn. From left to right: Chris, Laurence, and Bill.