1960s
Bob Beisgen ’66 recently retired as telecommunications manager for the U.S. Department of State. He lives in Northern Virginia.

Albert S. Armentrout ’69, superintendent of Wythe County (Va.) Public Schools, recently completed his 28th year as a superintendent in Virginia and his 36th year in public education in the state. In 2004-05, he was recognized by the Southwest Virginia chapter of Phi Delta Kappa as its Educator of the Year. He was named Regional Superintendent of the Year for Southwest Virginia by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents. Dr. Armentrout was also named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Wythe-ville Rotary Club for his extensive community service.

1970s
Helen E. Spore ’73 works full time as a freelance writer and editor. www.helenspore.net

Anne K. Starbuck ’73, ’87 has signed a freelance contract with Learning Through History magazine (for children ages 7-14). Her first articles were scheduled to appear in the September 2005 issue, which features stories on the French Revolution. She recently wrote two articles for the World War I issue of the magazine. Anne also writes travel articles and is completing a mystery-thriller screenplay, titled “Untouched.” She and her husband, Bill, are delighted that their daughter, Vanessa, 14, has published several poems on Poetry.com. Anne is an international speaker on public affairs and historical subjects, and publishes on TheHistoryNet and Globalpolitician.com. She also gives online courses in writing and travel.

Mike Dunlow ’74 writes that, after retiring from 25 years as a criminal investigator with the Treasury Department, he was called back to work for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Since 2001 he has been an instructor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Ga.

Michael L. Barnes ’75 retired with the rank of colonel June 1, 2005, after 30 years in the U.S. Army Reserve. He is currently the branch manager of Mortgage Capital.

Denny Cobb ’75 spent six days in August 2004 on a white-water rafting, hiking and fly fishing trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in Idaho’s Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness area. He was scheduled to leave in September to photograph the Badlands National Park in South Dakota and Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. He plans to visit and shoot Alaska’s Denali National Park next spring. denny.cobb@suntrust.com
(Editor’s note: See his letter on The Mailbag Web page.)

Maura McHugh ’75 was named this spring as the head women’s basketball coach at Stony Brook (N.Y.) Uni-versity. She served as the school’s interim coach in 2004-05.

Donald Fithian ’76 has transferred to Tampa, Fla., and works as an Air Force civil servant (supervisory program analyst) for U.S. Central Command. He completed a six-month tour with Coalition Provisional Authority as the chief financial officer in the program management office, where he was responsible for executing $18.4 billion in Iraqi reconstruction funds. He will deploy to Afghanistan in November. Donald and his wife, Pamela, celebrated their 26th anniversary in February.

Steven Givens ’76 was recently appointed marketing director for Patrick Henry Mall in Newport News.

Mary G. Commander ’77, an attorney with Commander & Carlson in Norfolk, was awarded the 2005 Women of Distinction in Law by the YWCA.

Yvonne Wilson Boone ’79 had paintings accepted for two international juried shows last spring: the International Miniature Art Show at Seaside Gallery in Nags Head, N.C., and the Louisiana Watercolor Society’s 35th International Exhibition in New Orleans.

Steven Ralston ’79 recently accepted a dual appointment as chair of communication and assistant director of the Popular Culture Program at Northern Illinois University. His area of expertise is folk and Americana. He continues to compose and play original music, and his latest collection of original tunes should be out this fall.

Debbie Creef Robertson ’79 is currently director of centralized admissions for Alternative Behavioral Services, where she has worked 19 years. She lives on the waterfront in the Ocean View section of Norfolk with her husband, Freddie, who works for Norfolk Fire and Rescue Services, youngest son, Hunter, and chocolate lab, Bailey. Debbie’s older son, Kyle, is a junior at VCU. (“We don’t get along during basketball season!”) She would like to hear from former classmates, roommates and TKE little sisters.

1980s
Dennis J. Creech ’80 has been named president and CEO of Terrain Technology. A subsidiary of Aera Energy LLC, it manufactures and markets oil-sand for farming and oil-field roadway applications, and recycles non-hazardous oil-field waste materials. Dennis is also purchasing manager for Aera and provides executive leadership for supply-chain processes and associated organizations. He lives in Bakersfield, Calif., with his wife, Nora, two teenage sons and a daughter.

Michael Conley ’81 received the Distinguished Leadership Award last spring from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., the company’s most prestigious sales honor. He is executive director, Trade Account Management and Customer Service. Michael, who lives in Mendham, N.J., joined Novartis 18 years ago. He and his wife, Mary Jo, are the parents of 7-year-old twins, Hayden and Jolie.

Vic Sands ’81, CPA, moved to the Internal Revenue Service in May. After a brief stay in Washington, D.C., he will work at the Beckley Finance Center. vic_sands@charter.net

William B. Fraser (M.S. ’82), a geophysicist who has been a leader in oil and gas exploration worldwide since 1982, currently leads the third seismology teams at TXCO, “a mid-sized independent” in San Antonio. He serves as vice president of the Central Texas Geophysicists Society. William and his wife, Melanie Mason Fraser (M.S.Ed. ’82), live in Austin. She has taught in three school districts in Texas. Their daughter, Virginia, 21, was captain of the Trinity University women’s tennis team and plans to pursue a master’s in marketing at the University of Texas, Austin. Their son, Stuart, 16, attends LBJ Academy in Austin.

Jon Garvin ’82 has passed the exams for licensure as a professional land surveyor in Washington state. He has worked at the engineering and surveying firm of Harmsen & Associates Inc. for 10 years and lives in Lake Stevens, Wash., with his wife, Nancy, and children, Emily and Andrew.

Daniel Perkins ’82 is director of human resources at American General Financial Services in Evansville, Ind. His wife, Ann Schneider Perkins ’81, is a physical therapist. Their oldest son, Alex, is a freshman at Purdue. They also have a daughter, 16, and son, 12. perkman123@sigecom.net

James Vernon ’82, associate professor of music at Oklahoma Baptist University, received the Distinguished Teaching Award at May commencement. He also serves as chair of the music division.

G. Richard Jackson (M.P.A. ’84) is director of Behavioral Medicine Services at Bon Secours DePaul Medical Center in Norfolk, which provides counseling for seniors who suffer from depression and/or anxiety. He lives in Williamsburg with his wife, Dr. Donna Haygood-Jackson, a counseling psychologist at the College of William and Mary. Richard_Jackson@bshsi.com

Jim Johnson ’84 is one of six original owners of Compass Energy Services Inc. “In three years we have taken a small initial investment and turned it into a multimillion-dollar company with sales approaching $50 million annually and continued growth projected.” Compass Energy was ranked third among the Top 100 fastest-growing companies in America by Entrepreneur Magazine (June 2005).

David C. Sullivan ’84 recently retired from the city of Virginia Beach after a 32-year career. For the past six years he served as the chief information officer and was named in 2004 by Government Technology Magazine as one of the nation’s Top 25 “Doers, Dreamers and Drivers.” David was a leader in Virginia Beach’s technology efforts for more than 20 years, resulting in it being named the nation’s top “Digital City” last year by Oracle and the Center for Digital Government. In July 2005, David accepted a new position as chief information officer for Hampton Roads Transit. He lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, Cindy.

Hilary Daniel ’86 and her company were featured in a May 14 St. Louis Post-Dispatch story, “Ranch redo: A Ladue couple patiently converts their landscape from plain suburban to cottage-garden lush.” Hilary is the owner of Gardens by Hilary Inc. She and Steven B. Engelhardt were planning a Sept. 3 wedding in St. Louis. www.gardensbyhilary.com

Jeff LaRocque ’86 was recently named director of development at Healthcare Provider Solutions in Nashville. The company offers consulting and educational services to the home health care industry. Jeff and his wife, Kelley, live with their daughters, Emily and Carli, in Franklin, Tenn.

Tamim Atayee ’87 recently received the following honors: Outstanding Engineer of Merit Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers, Orange County (Calif.) branch, and the 2005 Outstanding Engineering Merit Award from the Orange County Engineering Council. For the past seven years, Tamim has been a co-owner of Rivertech Inc., a small civil engineering consulting business specializing in hydrologic and hydraulic engineering.

Maj. Ross Bryant ’87 has retired from active duty with the U.S. Army after 24 years. He is now the chief of training for the Institute of Security Studies (homeland security) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 702-939-4644 or 702-321-2605

Mike Herman Jr. ’87 recently completed his first year as a project engineer with the Office of Facility Planning at George Mason Univer-sity. Mike lives in Locust Grove, Va., with his wife, Kimberly, and 3-year-old daughter Katelyn, who has Down syndrome. She was chosen to be in the kickoff video for Down syndrome Awareness Month last October. The family went to New York for the debut of the video on the large screen at Times Square, and participated in the Buddy Walk in Central Park to raise awareness of Down Syndrome and support research. Mike remains an avid golfer and enjoys surf fishing at Hatteras.

Carlyle Bland (M.A. ’88) has owned and operated Marker 20, a restaurant in downtown Hampton, since 2002. carlyle@marker20.com

Frank March ’88 announces the birth of a daughter, Millie JoAnn, on May 6, 2005.

James Dykes ’89 has been assigned to PEO STRI in Orlando, Fla., and is currently the project director of Deployable Urban Operations Training Systems for the U.S. Army.

Twanitta Martin Harris ’89 is an assistant principal at Sweetwater Middle School and lives in Lawrenceville, Ga. She recently received an Ed.S. degree in educational leadership and supervision from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn. twanitta_harris@ gwinnett.k12.ga.us

Patricia Gluchowski Melise ’89 (M.S.Ed. ’95), previously an administrator for Norfolk Public Schools, was named principal of Larchmont Elementary School in Norfolk.

Donna Pierce-Lucca ’89 of Williamsburg received a master’s in Christian education in May from Richmond’s Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education.

Cmdr. Jim Raimondo ’89, U.S. Navy, was promoted to his current rank on June 1 and assumed duties as executive and commanding officer of Helicopter Maritime Strike Weapons School in Mayport, Fla.

Colette Shaw ’89 has stepped down from her college dean position at Franklin & Marshall College in order to promote her new novel, “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” full time (see In Print page). She will maintain her home in Lancaster, Pa., as her base of operations. www.ColetteShaw.com

Douglas Thompson ’89 recently accepted a position as assistant professor in the College of Liberal Arts at Mercer University. “We have lived in Macon [Ga.] for several years while I worked under a fellowship at Mercer, but it became permanent this summer.” thompson_d@mercer.edu

1990s
Donna Moskow Grant ’90 (M.B.A. ’96) and David M. Grant ’90 announce the birth of a son, Aaron Kenneth, on Nov. 24, 2004.

Lt. Cmdr. Jimmie L. Miller ’90

1990s
Donna Moskow Grant ’90 (M.B.A. ’96) and David M. Grant ’90 announce the birth of a son, Aaron Kenneth, on Nov. 24, 2004.

Lt. Cmdr. Jimmie L. Miller ’90 received the Frederick B. Warder award for outstanding achievement from the Naval Submarine League. He was honored for his actions as executive officer aboard the ballistic missile submarine USS Rhode Island. He is currently assigned to N811 Assessment on the staff of Commander, Naval Submarine Forces, U.S. Atlantic Fleet in Norfolk.

Robert Mulkeen ’90 writes that, after living in the Southwest for six years, he is “back in the frozen North, where I belong. Northern Vermont is beautiful.” He retired from the Naval Reserve in 2000.

Kristen Kassees Basilice ’91 and her husband, John, announce the birth of a son, Aidan Philip, on Jan. 20, 2005. He joins brothers Dylan, Logan and Trevor.

Lee Koch ’91 was recently appointed as principal of Ibraham Elementary School in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Daniel Shull ’91 was recently promoted to finance director of the German-based multinational Celesio AG’s Irish subsidiary. He and his wife have moved from Stuttgart, Germany, to Dublin.

James Christopher Akers ’92 and Kelly M. Sanchez were married in the Bahamas on Dec. 5, 2004. They live in Raleigh, N.C.

Bob ’92 (M.S. ’93) and Lisa Jennings Brinker ’91 recently began publishing a monthly investment newsletter, Brinker Fixed Income Advi$or.
www.brinkeradvisor.com

David J. Fleck ’92, a chiropractor, has been serving as a corpsman with the 2nd Marine Division surgeon’s office in Iraq.

Grace Russo Kleinhans ’92 and her husband, Rob, announce the birth of their first son, Aidan Robert, on March 28, 2005. Grace works part time as a payroll administrator for a telecommunications company in Reston, Va. They live in Ashburn, Va.

Jack ’92 and Laura Downes Piscetta ’94 announce the birth of their first child, Grace Kathryn, on March 23, 2005, in Atlanta.

Ron Ranay ’92 and his wife, Denise, announce the birth of a son on May 15, 2005. They live in Suffolk. Ron is a masterfighter/paramedic with the Virginia Beach Fire Department.

Ben Robinette ’92 (M.B.A. ’98) reports that his first tour as a foreign service officer/vice consul began last spring in Mexico City.

Dwayne Dunevant ’93 has been named a partner in the Timmons Group, a Richmond engineering firm. A licensed land surveyor, he currently is a survey manager, overseeing a team of 16 professionals.

Allison Kaitlyn Durr ’93 wrote in July that she and Colin James Porter were planning to be married on Aug. 13, 2005. Allie lived and worked in the advertising industry in New York City for eight years and now lives in Westchester, N.Y., where she is vice president of investor relations for a real estate investment trust. alliedurr@hotmail.com

Laura Maxey ’93 and Chad Moultray were married April 12, 2004. They announce the birth of a daughter, Charlotte Olivia, on March 10, 2005.

Reesa Gilbert Moore ’93 and her husband, David, have two daughters, Ashely and Amanda. Reesa has accepted a job as area coordinator for Virginia with ASSE International Student Exchange Program.

Kevin Douglas Lille ’94 received a master of physician assistant studies degree from the University of Florida College of Medicine in 2000 and continues to work in emergency medicine as a physician assistant. Kevin and his wife, Angela Lille (M.S.Ed. ’94), live in southwest Florida with their sons, Jake, 3 1/2, and Chase, 1.

Jenn Santella ’94 is an RN at Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute.

Jay W. Familant (M.S.Ed. ’95) and Jennifer E. Scharf were married Nov. 27, 2004, in Baltimore. They honeymooned in Oahu and Kaui, Hawaii. Jay has a Ph.D. and is a science teacher with Frederick County Public Schools.

Nicole Meese ’95 is an animal keeper at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., where she provides daily care for the giant pandas and great apes. meesen@nzp.si.edu

Chris Feaster ’96 (M.S.Ed. ’99) has been named men’s swimming head coach at James Madison University. He previously served six seasons as the top assistant coach at East Carolina.

Terri Light ’96 was recently named assistant director of publications and public relations at University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. She has been at the school for two years and also is the yearbook adviser. This year she was awarded a “1,000 achievement pin” for volunteering, and in 2001 was named Master Gardener of the Year for Wayne County, including the city of Detroit.

Robert T. Soper Sr. (M.S.Ed. ’96) is the middle school assistant principal at Atlantic Shores Christian School. He also teaches pre-algebra and algebra. Robert and his wife of 44 years, Judy, live in Chesapeake.

Antonio C. Bassett ’97, PE, recently passed the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation Professional Engineers exam. He has been with MMM Design Group in Norfolk since 2000.

Maggie Lee Charlton (M.S.Ed. ’97) and her husband, Bill, announce the birth of a daughter, Katherine Grace, on April 29, 2005. She joins a sister, Emily.

Mary “Betsy” McAllister (M.S.Ed. ’97) was named Teacher of the Year for Hampton schools. She teaches fifth-grade science at Mary Peake Gifted Center.

Karen Phelan-Watts ’97 and Gabe Watts ’96 announce the birth of a daughter, Leah Paige, on March 18, 2005. She joins a brother, Steven, age 3. They live in Northern Virginia, where Gabe is a forensic examiner for the FBI and Karen is the head dental hygienist for Daniel Carson D.D.S. and Associates.

Wayne A. Sutton III ’97, a professional engineer, has been promoted to associate with MMM Design Group in Norfolk.

Matt Althoff ’98, who is beginning his second year as director of equipment room operations at the University of Virginia, has been elected the District 2 director for the Athletic Equipment Managers Association.

Teresa Lou Powell Hudson (M.S.Ed. ’98) and her husband, Curt, announce the birth of a son, Curtis Gilbert Grayer IV, on Feb. 9, 2005.

Maurice L. Mitchell ’99 lives in Baltimore County, Md., after a short teaching career in the Baltimore City Schools system and simultaneously completing his master’s in information technology at Towson University. He works for Verizon Wireless at regional headquarters as regional coordinator of special events/quality assurance. Maurice and his wife, Ginna, were married in 2002 and have a son, Miles Maurice, age 2. The family also includes Aaron, 10, and Jessica, 14.

Kristine Harrison Pierce ’99 received her doctor of medicine degree in May from Uniformed Sciences University of the Health Sciences and is now doing her residency in ophthalmology at Willford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio.

Jinnifer Smith ’99 was named 2005 Teacher of the Year for the autistic, educational and behavioral intervention programs at Southeastern Cooperative Educational Programs.

Jenn St. Sauveur ’99 and Justin Hearon were married June 11, 2005. Following a two-week honeymoon to three Greek islands, they are back home in South Boston, Mass.

Lt. Christine Beberdick Tysor ’99 is a helicopter pilot and currently stationed at Virginia Tech, where she is an NROTC instructor. Christine and her husband announce the birth of a son, Chase Edward, on March 25, 2005. ctysor@hotmail.com

Rev. Dr. Rainer Meadows Windsong (M.U.S. ’99) studied at Oxford University, England, in the summer 2004 Programme in Theology. She was ordained in September 2004 and earned her doctorate of ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend, Ind., in May 2005.

2000s
Nicole Bellinghausen ’00 has a new album, “Noelle,” featuring her first single, “All About Me.” To hear songs from the album, go to www.myspace.com/noelle.

Lenore Hart (M.F.A. ’00) was recently appointed writer in residence at The New College of Florida. (See the In Print page for her latest books.)

Amy McGrath ’00 and Larry K. Miller Jr. were married April 16, 2005, in Norfolk. Amy works as a GIS manager for JEA in Jacksonville, Fla., and is pursuing an M.B.A. from the University of North Florida. Larry is an environmental engineer for the St. Johns County, Fla., utility department. They live in St. Augustine, Fla.

Jason “J (Jay)” Reeves ’00 moved into an apartment with his wife and her two children after they were married in January. They have been looking for a home of their own somewhere on the Peninsula.

Robert P. Stenzhorn (M.B.A. ’00) earned a juris doctorate from Regent University School of Law and was planning to sit for the Virginia Bar in July. He is a CPA and was CFO of Mayfair Enterprises in Carrollton, Va., prior to law school. Bob and his wife, Judy, recently celebrated their 19th anniversary. They live in Hampton.

Lt. Cmdr. Julian Wyatt (M.S.Ed. ’00), U.S. Navy, and his brother, Jason, have been serving together at the Mine Warfare Center of Excellence in Ingleside, Texas, since 2003.

Lt. j.g. John Fallon ’01, U.S. Navy, was recently promoted to his current rank and is assigned to the USS Wasp, homeported in Norfolk.

Amber D. Kennedy ’01 recently graduated from Indiana University with a double master’s in computational linguistics and TESOL and applied linguistics. While attending IU, she taught adult ESL classes and worked for the Adaptive Technology Center as the lead alternate media specialist.

Jennifer Atkins Lanz (M.S.Ed. ’01) and her husband, Robert, announce the birth of their first child, Ian Michael, on Feb. 2, 2005.

Latisha Tyler Martinez ’01 and her husband, Rodney, announce the birth of a son, Roderic, on July 6, 2005.

Naomi Gaskill Mathis ’01 is an educator in a Denver-area public middle school and recently earned her master’s in educational counseling. She and her husband, Adam, announce the birth of their first child, Adam Paul Jr., on May 30, 2005.

Marcus Peanort ’01 received a master’s in counseling and personnel services, with a concentration in college student personnel, from the University of Maryland in May.

Ryan W. VanAmburgh ’01 was appointed in May as an officer with the Schodack Police Department in New York state. Since 2003 he has been an investigator with the Albany County Department of Social Services.

Christine Larkin Black ’02 and her husband, James, announce the birth of a son, Jude Isaac, on Jan. 17, 2005.

Darren Defendeifer (M.B.A. ’02) was among the first group of 30 volunteers sent by the Peace Corps in June to help the people of Sri Lanka recover from last year’s tsunami. From 2002-04, Darren was a business extension volunteer with the corps, teaching organizational development, management and marketing techniques to social welfare organizations in Nepal.

Dianna Di Toro ’02 wrote last spring that she and Capt. Thomas Budrejko, U.S. Marines, were planning to be married in Philadelphia on May 7, 2005.

Amber Green ’02 and Ensign Casey D. Scameheorn, U.S. Navy, were married Dec. 31, 2004, and live in Pensacola, Fla.

Amy Jones ’02 completed her master’s degree in computer science at Illinois State University in December 2004 and was hired in January as a computer programmer/analyst with the Boeing Co. in St. Louis.

Bethanie Mickles ’02 received her juris doctorate in May from North Carolina Central University School of Law in Durham. She also earned a master of library science degree, summa cum laude, from NCCU. Bethanie is currently employed in the Durham office of Lanier Law Group.

Joseph F. Shipes (Ph.D. ’02) has been appointed as member of the Thomas Nelson Community College board.

Vickie Renea Williams (M.P.A. ’02), coordinator of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act for Virginia’s State Board of Elections, was accepted as a fellow into the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, a nonpartisan organization based at the University of Virginia.

Tanya Hrycuna (M.S.Ed. ’03) and Drew Miller were married July 15, 2005, and have moved to Gainesville, Fla.

Catherine Jo Mosbach ’03 received a master’s in liberal studies at Hollins University, in Roanoke, in May.

Corine Willie ’03 is in her second year of the clinical master’s program at Norfolk State’s Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work.

Jason “Twinkie” Bryant ’04 in June took over operations of the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s InterMat Web site. His duties include event coverage, in-depth feature stories and rankings, in addition to daily operations of the site. He previously operated his own Web site in Virginia, Mat Talk On-Line, since 1997.

Allison Fryar ’04 and Josh Douglewicz ’04 were married May 28, 2005. Following a honeymoon cruise to the Bahamas, they live in Chesterfield County, Va.

2nd Lt. Derek R. George ’04, U.S. Marine Corps, graduated last spring from the Combat Engineer Officer Course at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Nessa Manalang ’04 and David Pullen of Peoria, Ill., were married Sept. 18, 2004.

LaTisha Reese Robertson ’04 and her husband, Raymond, announce the birth of their first child, Rayshaun, on Dec. 22, 2004. They live in Richmond.