FDU Magazine Online — Community Close-Ups




Summer/Fall 2007	News For and From FDU Alumni
	1950s \| 1960s \| 1970s \| 1980s \| 1990s \| 2000s \| In Memoriam
	1956 Matthew Labriola, a United Methodist pastor, was a guest artist at the First United Methodist Church. A chalk artist, he created a large painting with pastel chalks and special lights accompanied by readers and music. 1957 John Westerholt, BS (T), MBA’60 (T), has been married since 1940. He and his wife have three children, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. The couple lives in Wellington, Fla. A class secretary in 1942, Westerholt writes that life could not be better and thanks FDU and the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
	1960 Michael Gallo, BA (T), was named partner in the law firm Schenck, Price, Smith & King, LLP, Morristown, N.J., after its merger with the firm Gallo Geffner Fenster, P.C., of which he was founder and senior partner. 1961 Irwin Schwartz, BS (T), was elected president of the Passaic (N.J.) County Chapter of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJSCPA) for a one-year term beginning June 1, 2007. Schwartz, who is retired, joined the NJSCPA in 1968 and had previously served as the chapter’s vice president, treasurer, secretary and director. 1962 Eamon Fennessy, BA (T), is chairman of the Beverly, Mass., Republic Committee and is a member of the Republican State Committee. He was previously chief executive officer of The Copyright Group, Inc., a global intellectual property firm, in Beverly Farms, Mass. Louis Howarth, BS (T), MS’68 (T), was installed as president of The National Academy of Forensic Engineers for 2007. He is president and owner of Howarth Engineering Company, Inc. Since retiring in 1999, John Rotondo, MA (T), and his wife, Jewel, have continued their travels through Europe, which they started during their honeymoon 40 years ago. He has authored short stories based on his travels and continues his photography hobby. A licensed mortician, Rotondo continues to practice throughout New Jersey. 1966 Fran Jacoby Lucio, BA (T), writes that she was saddened by the passing of Dorothea “Dee” Hubin, retired professor of sociology (T). She writes that Hubin “was an inspiration to me, both in college and in my life.” 1968 Richard Campora, BS (T), has been semiretired from his business, R.J. Campora, Inc., for 12 years. He also has retired from his second career as a biology teacher. Mark Meyer, BA (T), was decorated with the Medal of Civic Merit by the Republic of Moldova for his work in upholding international law in regard to the Transnistrian separatist crisis. 1969 James Fiasconaro, BA (T), completed his doctorate in educational leadership management and policy at Seton Hall University, South Orange, N.J. He is an adjunct professor at Kean University in Union, N.J. Richard Heim, BS (M), is the author of Origin of Misery, which is based on a murder case in Warren (N.J.) County in 1843. The case resulted in the execution of two innocent men. In the book, Heim weaves together history, local lore, psychology, the law and detailed arguments against the death penalty.
	1970 Sung-Mo (Steve) Kang, BS (T), was appointed chancellor of the University of California, Santa Cruz. Earlier, while dean of the Baskin School of Engineering at the university, Kang received the Chang-Lin Tien Education Leadership Award. The award recognizes the professional accomplishments and leadership qualities of Asian Americans in higher education. William Sarine, BS (M), is involved in a group that mentors, guides and enables people in North Carolina to transform remote areas of North Carolina. He writes that their group has developed a way to use the Internet to accelerate the process. Those interested in helping may contact Sarine at wsarine@ican-network.com. Andrew Weber, BA (M), will be celebrating the fourth anniversary of his kidney transplant. His wife, Rita, donated the kidney. His was the first imcompatible kidney transplant in New Jersey history. Weber is lead attorney, specializing in government and legislative services, at Cooper Levenson April Niedelman & Wagenheim, P.A., Trenton, N.J. 1971 Kenneth Conte, AA’69 (T), BS (T), owns KC Financial, a mortgage brokerage company in Dallas, Texas. 1973 Paul Alexander, BA (R), was appointed associate vice president for human resources of Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. He previously was vice president of human resources at Pitney Bowes, Inc. George Blank, BS (T), MBA’82 (T), was named chief financial officer of Equity Broadcasting Corporation. James Smith, BS (M), regional director for the Centenary College Small Business Development Center, Hackettstown, N.J., holds individual business counseling sessions three days a month at the college’s learning center. 1974 Glen Aylward, MA (T), professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, was appointed president of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Clarence Fullard, BS (M), was named assistant regional director at the Rutgers-Camden Small Business Development Center. He directs consulting services for Southern New Jersey entrepreneurs in areas such as launching a business, cash-flow planning and marketing. Christine Huber Pawlowicz, BA (R), works for Sodexho at Montclair State University after working for eight years in admissions at Bloomfield College. She and her husband celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary in November 2006. Their son, Michael, a college graduate, worked for five years at Paine Webber and is now pursuing a teaching certificate in Pennsylvania. Pawlowicz writes that she and her husband look forward to working a few more years before retiring. 1975 Ann Frommer, MA (M), had a photography exhibit titled “Scenes of Countrysides, Villas, Villages and Cities of Central Europe” at the Madison (N.J.) Public Library. 1976 Richard Levenson, Jr., BA (T), MA’78 (T), was appointed editor of the International Journal of Emergency Mental Health, a peer-reviewed scholarly publication which is the premier journal in crisis intervention. Steve Louie, MBA (M), and Jim Bowers, MBA’78 (M), are the president and college relations chair, respectively, of the Christopher Wren Association, which coordinates lifelong learning at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va. Thomas Mallaney, BS (T), first vice president at CB Richard Ellis, was appointed chairperson of the Morris County Economic Development Corporation for a one-year term. 1977 Marcella LoCastro, MBA (R), managing director of the New Jersey office of SolomonEdwardsGroup, LLC, was named “Woman of the Year” for professional services by Garden State Woman magazine. She is president of the Executive Women of New Jersey. David Roth, MBA (R), president and broker of Roth Property Services, moved to the west coast of Florida. He previously worked with various retail stores such as Bamberger’s, Macy’s, Gimbels, S. Klein and Jordan Marsh for 27 years and managed the facilities of the Boston Children’s Museum for 17 years. Jim Sandham, BS (T), was appointed chief financial officer of Pictorial Offset Corp., a commercial printing operation in Carlstadt, N.J., that serves Fortune 1000 companies. Sandham also was elected to the Montville (N.J.) Township Committee. 1978 Barry Gartenberg, BS (M), is celebrating his 10th anniversary in the practice of law. A solo practitioner, he is an adjunct professor at FDU, where he teaches Advanced Employment Law, Corporate Law, Advanced Contract Law, Employment Law and Legal Research and Writing. Gartenberg can be reached at 788 Morris Turnpike, Short Hills, N.J. 07078; and at (973) 921-0600. Linda Lentini, MA (R), a resource center special education teacher for grades four through eight at Union School in Rutherford, N.J., was featured in a teacher profile in the Herald & News. Barbara Primich, BS (T), is a paralegal and medical clerical assistant. 1979 Ann Moskowitz Frisch, BS (R), was named executive director of the home-health-care division of New York City Health and Hospitals Corp., the largest public home-care system in the country. She had served as deputy executive director since 1999. Frisch previously held home-care management positions with Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y., and with Holy Name Hospital, Teaneck, N.J. Jim Violante, MBA (R), joined the brokerage firm Muriel Speer, Montvale, N.J., as sales representative.
	1980 Frank Ameo, BS (T), MBA’03 (T), was appointed vice president-engineering and operations support of PSE&G Power, a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group. Theron Hinton, BS (T), is a public health representative at the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services in Newark, N.J. John Joyce, MBA (T), managing director at Silver Lake, N.Y.C., a private equity-investment firm, was elected to the board of directors of Hewlett-Packard. Edward Thomas, MBA (R), was appointed deputy to the commanding general, the top civilian position in the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Lifecycle Management Command at Fort Monmouth, N.J. 1981 Ruth Bihuniak, BS (R), is an inpatient diabetes educator at Centrastate Medical Center in Freehold, N.J. Carol Diesner, MBA (R), was promoted to first senior vice president at Valley National Bank, Wayne, N.J. She had been human resources director since joining the bank in 1998. Gordon Ward, BA (M), presented an illustrated lecture on “Ghosts at Our Doorsteps” at a meeting of the Teaneck (N.J.) Library Friday Morning Group. 1982 David Eichenholtz, BS (T), is superintendent/business administrator of Haworth (N.J.) Public School. Glenn Mechanick, BS (R), was elected to the board of trustees of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants for a two-year term effective June 1, 2007. He is a senior tax manager at Rosenberg Rich Baker Berman & Company in Bridgewater, N.J. Joseph Orgiefsky, BS (M), was appointed manager of business development at First Due Emergency Supply Co. in Sewell, N.J. He has more than 20 years of experience in sales and management in the automotive industry. Paul Santucci, BS (M), a member of the FDU Board of Trustees, was appointed to the Morris Museum Board of Trustees. Santucci is managing director and North Atlantic region manager for UBS. Sue Urda, BS (M), is co-founder and chief executive officer of Powerful You! Women’s Network in Wayne, N.J. Powerful You is committed to empowering and supporting women in their business and personal lives. Local chapters nationwide and national Tele-Network™ meetings serve to connect and assist women. For more information visit www.powerfulyou.com. 1983 Charles Casser, MBA (T), was promoted to senior vice president of Valley National Bank. Thomas Devine, MBA (R), was appointed assistant dean in the School of Applied Science and Technology of Thomas Edison State College, Trenton, N.J. He was on the college’s academic council for two years, where he served as chair of the Applied Science and Technology Curriculum Committee. Devine has more than 30 years of experience with PSE&G. Claude Gagna, MS (T), associate professor of life sciences at the New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, N.Y., was inducted into the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame for his invention of novel technology to immobilize unaltered DNA or RNA molecules onto specially modified microscope slides used in basic biological research and drug-efficacy testing. The technology will “help pharmaceutical companies produce new classes of drugs that target genes with fewer side effects,” he said. Joni Hamilton, BS (R), and James Porter were married on October 15, 2005. Bruce Schilder, BS (R), was named director of food and beverage at Hidden Creek Golf Club in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. 1984 Tim Comerford, MBA (M), president of PSE&G Area Development, received the 2006 Outstanding Business Person (large-company category) and Economic Vitality Awards from the Somerset County (N.J.) Business Partnership. 1985 James Hughes, BS (T), was promoted to vice president of ABD Insurance and Financial Services in Redwood City, Calif. He and his wife, Lynn, live in the San Francisco Bay Area. Kristeen Kohrs, BS (T), MS’87 (T), rejoined the health-care team of Oracle Corp. in Iselin, N.J., as solution architect. Mark Krane, MPA (R), Warren (N.J.) Township administrator, was recognized for 20 years of professional and dedicated service to the township in February. Kip Vreeland, BS (R), received his MBA from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia in April 2006. 1986 John Genz, BS (M), tax officer at Amper, Politziner & Mattia, was elected to the board of trustees of the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants, effective June 1. Joseph Mahady, MBA (T), was promoted to president, global business, of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and senior vice president of Wyeth. 1987 Cornelius Gathers, BS (T), was named roads and bridges director for Berkeley County, N.J. John Legere, MBA (M), chief executive officer of Global Crossing, was named director of the USA Track and Field Foundation Board. 1988 William Mistretta, MBA (T), is director of Interstate Bakeries Corp., a wholesale baker and distributor of bread and sweet goods under the Wonder, Hostess and Drake’s brand names. 1989 Carlos Cruz, BS (R), was recently promoted to liability claims manager at GAINSCO, Inc., Dallas, Texas. He will manage the liability unit of the claims department for the southeast region and will oversee a staff of 28 adjusters and supervisors. New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine appointed John Rhodes, BS (T), first director of energy savings. The job, which was created by an executive order signed in April 2006, has a mandate to find ways to maximize the state’s energy purchasing power, promote efficiencies and increase the use of renewable sources.
	1990 Brian Silverman, DMD (T), is director of the dental center at Overlook Hospital in Summit, N.J. He is a recipient of the American College of Dentists Award for Excellence and Professionalism. Lou Ann Visotcky, MS (T), received the 2007 Woman of the Year Award from the Garfield (N.J.) Boys and Girls Club. She is director of laboratory services at St. Mary’s Hospital in Passaic, N.J., and is on her second term as trustee of the Garfield Board of Education. 1991 Angela Calzone, MA (M), is president of Change & Response Strategies, LLC, which assists private, public and not-for-profit organizations meet their business objectives by clarifying their vision and mission, developing staff and improving business processes. In March 2007, Calzone was named by NJBIZ as one of “The Best 50 Women in Business.” 1992 Roland Fernandez, AA’89 (T), BS (R), is assistant vice president and residential mortgage lender at Bank of America in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Beverly Lubit, MBA (T), joined the multipractice law firm of Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen, N.Y.C., as a partner in its intellectual property practice group. Marcia Martinho, BS (R), and her husband, Wesley James, announce the birth of their daughter, Emily Nicole James, on October 28, 2006. Married in October 2004, the couple bought their first home in April 2006. Dawn Mrozak Mueller, MBA (M), announces the birth of her daughter, Nicole Monica, on September 1, 2005. Mueller was accepted to the marketing and management doctoral program of Pace University in New York. The collages, textile wall hangings, watercolors and rag dolls of artist Shirley Ruggiero, BA (R), MAT’98 (T), were on exhibit at the Nutley (N.J.) Public Library in December 2006. 1993 Jerome Graham III, MBA (M), and Carla Dicenzo-Flynn were married at Assumption Church in Morristown, N.J., on December 16, 2006. Michele Matarrese-Sanders, BS (R), MBA’94 (R), owner of EvaMat Consulting in Dunedin, Fla., opened a new and “green” eco-office. She also started a new division called AFMC (Automotive Financial Management Consultants), which specializes in audit, forecasting and forensic accounting. Gail and Frank Pisarcik donated a K-9 bulletproof vest to a member of the Riverdale (N.J.) Police Department in memory of their daughter, Kimberly Pisarcik, BA (M), who was killed in an automobile accident in Colorado in 2003. 1994 Richard Ramos, BS (R), MBA’99 (T), is the general manager of Copeland Restaurant at the Westin Governor Morris Hotel in Morristown, N.J. 1995 Edna Santos Koprowski, BA (T), completed an MA in educational administration and supervision at St. Peter’s College, Jersey City, N.J. She gave birth to twin boys, George Thomas and Andrew David, on October 21, 2006. Koprowski and her husband, George, are celebrating 10 years of marriage. Evelyn Pezzolla, BA (T), was inducted to the Lyndhurst (N.J.) High School Academic Hall of Fame for excellence in scholarship, leadership, character and service to the community. She served on the township commission off and on for 20 years as public works, parks and recreation and building and grounds commissioner. Pezzolla writes that she and her husband of 50 years, Frank, of Franks Pontiac GMC, are both semiretired from the family business and are spending their time traveling and enjoying some relaxation. Pezzolla was involved in the Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurial Studies’ Family Business Forum at the College at Florham for six years. George Vlahos, BS (T), and his brothers Demetrios and Athan run The Gusto Grill, located on Route 18 in East Brunswick, N.J. They had previously run their father’s restaurant, the Olympia Diner, in Elizabeth, N.J. 1996 Scott Baach, MBA (T), an attorney at Norris McLaughlin & Morris, P.A., was selected for inclusion in the business/corporate section of New Jersey Super Lawyers Rising Stars 2007. Stars are chosen based on peer recognition, professional achievement, civic service and pro bono activities. Baach was a guest speaker in a seminar titled “Selling Your Business: Prepare Now for What Lies Ahead,” co-hosted by Norris McLaughlin & Morris, P.A. and Coady Diemar Partners, an invesment bank in Peapack, N.J. Ryan Greene, BA (M), spent a year in South Africa, as a visiting scholar and lecturer at the University of Pretoria. Greene, who is director of multicultural and international student programs at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y., also spent time in Swaziland and Mozambique. He is pursuing a doctoral degree in international education policy studies at the University of Maryland and conducted his dissertation at the South African university. Brian Lewis, MA (T), an adjunct professor at FDU, is executive vice president, corporate communications, for FOX Television Stations. Matthew Tucci, MA (T), and Melinda Hessert were married on September 23, 2006, at St. James Catholic Church, Red Bank, N.J. 1997 Alberto Casasus, Jr., MA (M), joined the Israeli Discount Bank of New York as vice president of corporate lending, specifically in middle-market and asset-based lending in New Jersey. He may be reached at acasasus@idbny.com. Cassie Pisarek Cooper, BS (T), and her husband, Joshua, announce the birth of their daughter, Natalie Grace, on January 8. Elizabeth Nissim Matheis, BA, MA’99, PhD’03 (T), and her husband, Robert Matheis, PhD’04 (T), announce the birth of their son, Jake, on May 21, 2006. Joseph Stampe, MA (T), was appointed vice president of development at Princeton Healthcare System. He was previously vice president of development at the foundation of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
	2001 Roberta Galluccio Richardson, MA (T), PhD’03 (T), was appointed clinical instructor of psychology in psychiatry at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, N.Y.C., and assistant attending psychiatrist at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Pamela Roman, AA’98 (T), BA (T), and Dorian Kit Demski, BA’98 (T), were married on July 22, 2006, at The Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel in Passaic, N.J. 2002 Lucy Jarrell, BA (M), and Brent Fuchs were married on September 16, 2006. Robert Pasqua, MAT (M), and Jaclyn Anne James, were married on October 24, 2006, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Chatham, N.J. As the top loan officer of 2006, Mary Shannon Williams, BA (M), received the Infantino Award for funding $12 million in one year. Williams, who also belongs to the President’s Club 2006, was promoted to sales manager at Castle Point Mortgage, Parsippany, N.J. 2003 Michael Barnhard, BA (M), and Jennifer Rosenson were married on July 2, 2006, at Temple Beth Ahm in Springfield, N.J. Stephanie Cecchini, MAT (M), and her husband, Stephen, have three children: Dylan, Cole and Ellie. They live in Watchung, N.J. Cecchini is a doctoral candidate in the arts and letters program of Drew University, Madison, N.J. 2004 Anthony Jannicelli, MAS (T), is chief of police at Woodcliff Lake (N.J.) Police Department. Joseph Juliano, MAS (T), a physician, moved to a new office in 80 Wall Street, Suite 200, N.Y.C. Scott Wood, BS (M), and Jessica Lee were married on August 12, 2006, at David’s Country Inn in Hackettstown, N.J. 2005 David Neckritz, MBA (T), is chairman of emergency medicine and medical director of emergency services at Ocean Medical Center, Neptune, N.J. Heather Watson-Perez, PhD (T), discussed eating disorders in the Cresskill (N.J.) High School library. Watson-Perez is part of the clinical staff of the Koch Center, Englewood, N.J., a center for the treatment of psychological and emotional issues with a specialty in eating disorders. 2006 Rachel Reither, MA (T), a special educator at Albert E. Grice Middle School in Trenton, N.J., was honored at the REAL (Recognizing Educational Achievement and Leadership) Awards ceremony in December. She was Hamilton Township’s Teacher of the Year and the 2006 Mercer County Teacher of the Year.
	1948 Walter Jones, Jr., AA (R) 1949 Nancy Beam Funderburk Wells, BS (R), MAT’67 (R) 1952 Mario De Luca, BS (R) 1953 Joseph Catanzaro, BS (R) 1956 Donald Ehrle, BS (R) 1958 Arthur Becker, BS (T) 1959 Henry Buschmann, BS (T) Henry Cerullo, Jr. BS (R) 1961 Laurence Barchi, BS (R) 1962 Joel Silverstein, BS (T) 1966 Joseph McCabe, MA (M) 1969 Phyllis Bertha, MA (M) Lloyd Hollenbeck, Jr., BS (M), MS’77 (R) 1972 John Doll, Jr. BS (M) William Eaton, Jr. BS (M) Howard Eberle, Jr., BS (T) Gil Finkel, MBA (M) 1973 John Lauer, MBA (T) 1974 Barbara McCarty, BA (R) Julius Napoles, MBA (M) 1975 William “Bill” Gill, MS (T) Stuart Ostrow, BS (T) 1976 Lawrence Pajak, MBA (M) 1979 Helen Duda Knight, BS (R) Frances Mineo, AA (T) 1980 Edward Finkle, MA (M) 1981 Audrey Mohan Boisvert, AS (T) Linda Ragland, BA (M) Howard Stietz, MBA (R) Gary Strack, BS (T) 2000 Sharon Asphall-Barnett, AA’91 (T), BA (T)

FDU Magazine Home \| Table of Contents \| FDU Home \| Alumni Home \| Comments ©Copyright 2007 Fairleigh Dickinson University. All rights reserved. For a print copy of FDU Magazine, featuring this and other stories, contact Rebecca Maxon, editor, 201-692-7024 or maxon@fdu.edu.