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Class News 1960s Albert S. Armentrout ’69 (M.Ed. ’72, Ed.D. ’87) retired in June 2009 as superintendent of schools from Wythe County, Va., after working 40 1/2 years as a school superintendent, elementary and high school principal, and mathematics teacher in eight school systems. He served as a superintendent in Virginia for 31 years. 1970s Joseph L. Wiggins (M.S.Ed. ’70, C.A.S. ’78) was named director of communications for Portsmouth Public Schools last fall. Patrick Konopnicki ’71 (M.U.S. ’76), director of technical and career education for Virginia Beach City Public Schools, was one of six ODU graduates who received a Darden College Alumni Fellow Award in November for significant contributions to their professions. He has been the TCE director since 1992 and under his leadership VBCPS has become nationally recognized for the number of business and industry certifications students earn, the development of Virginia’s Workplace Readiness Skills and the quality of programs. He was on the Governor’s Task Force on Workforce Development in Construction and is chairman of the National FoolProof Workplace Skills Advisory Board. Chuck Applebach ’72 is vice president, marketing and strategic partnerships, for the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. Mike Stoneham ’73 retired from Dominion Virginia Power after 36 years. Following a 13-week RV trip out West, he accepted a position as director of Franklin (Va.) Power and Light in October 2009. Nancy Chandler (M.S.Ed. ’74, Ph.D. ’95), principal of Kempsville Elementary School in Virginia Beach since 2007, was one of six ODU graduates who received a Darden College Alumni Fellow Award in November for significant contributions to their professions. She has been in the education field for 40 years. She began her career as a teacher at Holland Elementary in Virginia Beach and has advanced within the Virginia Beach City Public Schools ever since. Nancy’s administrative experience began in 1977, when she became an assistant principal at Thalia Elementary. For the next nine years, she served as an assistant principal in five schools before becoming principal of Pembroke Elementary in 1987. Linda Shifflette ’74, who was named superintendent of Hampton City Schools in July 2009, becoming the division’s first female superintendent, was one of six ODU graduates who received a Darden College Alumni Fellow Award in November for significant contributions to their professions. She is credited with piloting the one-to-one laptop initiative at Lindsay Middle School, Jones Magnet Middle School, Phoebus High School and Hampton High School. She also implemented the division’s Performance Learning Center, a credit recovery program that is currently the top-performing PLC in Virginia. Donald F. Price ’78 has joined the Monarch Bank team as Norfolk president and is responsible for all banking activities related to the bank in the city. He has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the banking industry in Norfolk. Yvonne Wilson Boone ’79 had artwork in several shows last fall and winter, including: Small Works: Miniatures by Hampton Roads Artists, Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, Hampton; Chesapeake Bay Watercolorists Annual Winter Art Show, Virginia Beach; 25th Annual Exhibition of Miniature Art, Council for the Arts, Chambersburg, Pa.; Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers Society of Washington, D.C., Annual Exhibition; and the National Small Works Exhibition, Noyes Museum of Art, Hammonton, N.J. Capt. Pete Wikul ’79, U.S. Navy, was honored at a retirement ceremony in September at Norfolk’s Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, where he relinquished the unofficial title of “Bull Frog,” given to the longest-serving active-duty member of the Navy’s SEALs. He finished his more than four-decade career developing the Navy intelligence center. 1980s Mary-Dolph Simpson ’80 is the president of Simpson Builders, whose company designed, built, landscaped and decorated the Bright Idea House – also known as the “Chickadee House” for all of the women who were involved in it – at the 2009 Homearama in Chesapeake’s Culpepper Landing. Eleanor Hadden Brock ’81 has accepted a position at Fleet Readiness Center Southeast in Jacksonville, Fla., as quality assurance specialist. She previously was employed at Marine Corps Air Station as management analyst. “I had a lull in my life and decided to accept a job in Japan. I worked with some exceptional Japanese employees and visited many Japanese sites. I also completed a Lean Six Sigma Airspeed Blackbelt course. I only lasted 15 months there. I missed Mexican food too much (ha ha). I came home in time for the beginning of ODU football.” Carl Loveland ’81 recently retired as a lieutenant colonel from the Army Reserve after 28 years. He spent four years on active duty in the 24th Infantry Division. As a reservist, he served at Southern Command, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Transportation Command, the Defense Prisoner of War and Missing Persons Office, and most recently at Special Operations Command. Carl and his family live in Fairfax, Va. lovelandc@aol.com R. Craig Baker ’82 has joined the Monarch Bank team as senior vice president and will be a business banker in Chesapeake. He has more than 25 years of leadership experience in Norfolk and Chesapeake. Ted Hand ’82 was elected to his third term as national secretary of the Society of Broadcast Engineers. Lisa Vernon ’82 graduated in May 2009 with a B.S. in nursing from Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee and is employed in the Women’s Center at Unity Health Center in Shawnee. Lisa and her husband, James Vernon ’82, list their home address as 2505 Bradford Court, Shawnee, OK 74804. Kevin Burke ’83, managing partner of Trinity Capital Investment Banking Firm, was the guest lecturer for ODU’s Landmark Executive-in-Residence Speaker Series on Sept. 17. He began his career as an investment banker in New York and later became the director and regional manager for Prudential Securities. Prior to founding Trinity Capital, he was executive vice president of Franchise Mortgage Acceptance Co. E. Wyles Johnson (M.B.A. ’83), an attorney with White & Allen, P.A., of eastern North Carolina, has received accreditation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is now an accredited attorney for the preparation, presentation and prosecution of claims for veterans benefits before the VA. Wyles’ practice is concentrated in commercial law, general civil litigation, complex business litigation, construction law, and Medicaid planning and eligibility. He practices in all of the firm’s offices in Kinston, New Bern, Goldsboro and Snow Hill. Christine Homsher ’85 and Michael McCannon were married Aug. 7, 2009, on Wrightsville Beach, N.C. John M. Lowenthal ’85 (M.S. ’90) has been named a principal with LandMark Design Group Inc. A senior associate and senior environmental project manager, he is responsible for the management of environmental services for the firm. With LandMark for 14 years, John is a licensed professional wetland scientist and professional wetland delineator, as well as a stream restoration expert. He is the past president and current treasurer of the Virginia Association of Wetland Professionals. David Couch ’86 (M.B.A. ’01) is the business development manager for the city of Virginia Beach, Department of Economic Development. Matthew Labarge ’86 has released his third CD of solo piano music, titled “October.” He wrote, played, engineered and produced the album. He writes on his Web site, http://matthewlabarge.com, “During my worst hours, [music] has been a singular candle in the darkness.” matt@matthewlabarge.com Rocky L. Rinker ’86, formerly with the law firm of Rinker Moran, has opened his own firm in St. Petersburg, Fla. His practice focuses primarily on foreclosure defense, criminal defense and general litigation. Rocky graduated from Florida Coastal School of Law with honors in 2004 and welcomes contact from former classmates and friends from the ODU community. rocky@rockyrinker.com Cmdr. Lawrence “Larry” Pemberton ’87 has retired from the U.S. Navy after 21-plus years of active-duty service. He retired while assigned to the Office of the Naval Inspector General, as the assistant for information technology/communications. Larry was recently hired as IT specialist (plans/policy) in the Office of the Department of Navy - Chief Information Officer as an information assurance policy analyst. He, his wife, Tracey, and sons, Lawrence, 5, and Christian, 2, live in southern Maryland. Rodney Odom ’88 entered Mepkin Abbey, Moncks Corner, S.C. (near Charleston) in September 2009. “I am pre-postulant till early next year,” he writes. “Mepkin is a Catholic Trappist monastery and emphasizes contemplation and prayer.” rod_odom23@yahoo.com Tom Capozzi ’89 writes that, as part of a reorganization in January 2009, his sales and marketing group moved from the Virginia Port Authority to its private operating affiliate company, Virginia International Terminals Inc. Tom is responsible for global sales/marketing of the three marine terminals in Hampton Roads and the Virginia Inland Port in Front Royal. In October 2008, he received the Commerce Builder Award from the Hampton Roads Foreign Commerce Club at the Virginia Conference on World Trade. The annual award recognizes contributions to building trade and commerce in the Port of Hampton Roads. In July 2008, Tom successfully completed his exam “with merit” and received a diploma in port management from Lloyd’s Maritime Academy and the National Sea Training Centre in London. He was selected to the 2009 class of CIVIC, a Hampton Roads organization that encourages the development of community and business leaders. Dan Milligan ’89 is an associate agent with Farmers Insurance Co. in Virginia Beach. He writes auto, home, life, business and worker’s compensation insurance. 1990s Kevin Mack ’91 and his wife, Randi, live in Annandale, Va. Kevin is a partner in the Mack Crounse Group, which works with political campaigns and communications across the country. He was a general consultant with the Creigh Deeds for Governor campaign in Virginia. Fred Rovai (M.S.Ed. ’91, Ph.D. ’96), acting associate vice president of academic affairs for Regent University in Virginia Beach, was one of six ODU graduates who received a Darden College Alumni Fellow Award in November for significant contributions to their professions. He has presented at national and international conferences on the topics of instructional technology and distance education, and has authored more than 50 publications in journals. He co-edited a 2007 book on closing the African American achievement gap in higher education, co-authored a 2008 book on distance learning in higher education and wrote a 2009 book titled “The Internet and Higher Education: Achieving Global Reach.” Sherry Lynne Nyman-Heuser ’92 in April 2009 purchased the consulting firm Capability Co., where she has worked since 2005, and continues to provide search consultation services for nonprofit organizations. Timothy Forbes ’95 (M.S.Ed. ’01), senior coordinator of health, safety and physical education for Norfolk Public Schools, was one of six ODU graduates who received a Darden College Alumni Fellow Award in November for significant contributions to their professions. Tim, who started his career teaching physical education at Rosemont Middle School in Norfolk, was assigned as an assistant principal at Norfolk’s Lake Taylor Middle School in 2005. In his current position, he works alongside his teachers to ensure that the health, driver and physical education curriculums are beneficial to the students, families and community of NPS. Kimberly Goldman Key ’95 and her husband, Michael, announce the birth of their first child, Hannah, on Oct. 20, 2009. Wendy Williams ’95 writes that she took a trip to Europe to visit a friend over summer break. She obtained a B.S. in nursing from Radford University in 2007 and is now back at ODU for her M.S. in nurse anesthesia. “I attended the first two home football games and was joined by many fellow ODU alums from the Richmond area, where I used to live.” Stuart Davis ’96 was promoted in August 2009 to chief marketing officer from vice president, business intelligence, at Quicken Loans in Livonia, Mich. According to Quicken Loans, “His experience as an analyst gives him a hard-line approach to evaluating the return on investment for a variety of marketing initiatives and his training as an educator and musician offers him a unique perspective on leadership and creativity.” Carla Perella ’96 and her husband, Neal Hess, announce the birth of their second child, Jaida Taylor Hess, in August 2009. She joins a brother, J.T. Hess. In September, Carla celebrated her five-year anniversary with JPMorgan Chase & Co. as a technical infrastructure project manager for Chase Card Services. Damien W. Lombardi ’98, CFA, announces the formation of Lombardi Capital Management, LLC. The firm is located in Virginia Beach. www.lombardicapital.com Erwin R. Sabile ’98, of Virginia Beach, was one of 40 young businesspeople in Hampton Roads recognized in 2009 by Inside Business’ Top Forty Under 40 special report, a program that highlights those who are successful in their careers and involved in the community. Erwin is an associate with Booz Allen Hamilton. His volunteer activities include serving on the ODU Alumni Association board of directors, taking part in various ODU alumni activities and helping out at charity events, such as those for Saint Gregory the Great and Prince of Peace Catholic churches. 2000s Shannon Munro Cohen (M.S.N. ’01) graduated with a Ph.D. in nursing from the University of Hawaii in December. Her dissertation is titled “Adherence, Goal Setting, and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Among the Veteran Population.” She presented her preliminary findings at a research conference in Reykjavik, Iceland, in June 2009. She wrote in September: “I will have the honor of presenting my results at the Department of Veterans Affairs this fall and the Mayo Clinic in the spring of 2010.” Rowena Erguiza Peralta ’01 and Wil Peralta Jr. ’04 announce the birth of a son, Wil III, on July 13, 2009. Satira Streeter (Psy.D. ’01) was one of 10 “extraordinary Americans” selected to receive a Community Health Leaders Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in October. She is a clinical psychologist and executive director of Ascensions Community Services (ACS) in Washington, D.C. Satira was honored for her efforts to deliver culturally relevant, family-focused psychological services to children and families living in the economically challenged Anacostia community in Washington. Ken Balbuena ’02 recently passed the Washington, D.C., tour guide exam and is now a licensed guide. He has applied for membership in the D.C. Guild of Professional Tour Guides. Ken can be found leading Segway tours of Washington as well as Alexandria, Va. You can contact Ken at 703-851-8505 or kenbalbuena@gmail.com. Stephanie Clair ’02, a contemporary cubist painter, was the subject of a feature story in the San Diego Uptown News in September. She is described in the story as “one of San Diego’s best up-and-coming artists.” Stephen Murphy ’02 is a project manager with Spacemakers Inc., a general contractor in Norfolk. Spacemakers builds commercial and government buildings. Joanne Steen (M.S.Ed. ’02), president of Grief Solutions LLC, was one of six ODU graduates who received a Darden College Alumni Fellow Award in November for significant contributions to their professions. The widow of a naval aviator who was killed in the line of duty, Joanne co-authored “Military Widow: A Survival Guide,” a first-of-its-kind book on military loss. With her co-author, she was honored as 2007 Author of the Year by the U.S. Naval Institute Press. She is the founder of Grief Solutions, a company dedicated to teaching America how to respond to all forms of military loss, and a nationally certified counselor with a focus on traumatic grief. Amber Woodard Caudell ’03 and her husband, Mark, who attended ODU, announce the birth of a son, Jackson Mark, on March 31, 2009. Lt. William R. Hurd ’03, U.S. Navy, received his master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, Calif. Jeanelle Carol Moreau (M.S.Ed. ’03) and Shawn Michael Paden were married Aug. 22, 2009. Lt. Monica D. Ormeno ’03, U.S. Navy, participated in the Walk to Prevent Suicide on Sept. 12 with a team composed of Navy psychiatry residents from Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. The team raised more than $1,400, making it the third-largest contributor for the walk. A story was published on www.navy.mil and in the Flagship newspaper. Charles “Chas” M. Wright (M.B.A. ’03) has joined the Monarch Bank team as senior vice president. He is a business banker located in Virginia Beach and director for Monarch Capital in Norfolk. Chas has seven years of banking and investment banking experience. He has served on the board of directors of the ODU Alumni Association, Hampton Roads Technology Council and Sertoma Club of Norfolk. Jason Bryant ’04 moved to Colorado Springs, Colo., in December after being named to the new position of coordinator of grass-roots and social media for USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the country. He previously served as production manager for Media Sports Productions in Minneapolis. Jason is a regular columnist for W.I.N. Magazine. jason@bryantwrestling.com Chase Hill ’04 and his firm, Heritage Wealth Advisors, of Richmond, Va., won the 2009 Charles Schwab Pacesetter IMPACT Award. Chase is the firm’s chief operating officer. Established by Charles Schwab & Co. Inc., the award recognizes an independent investment advisory firm in business for 10 years or less that has realized accelerated growth through strategic management, innovative practices and ongoing investments in business capabilities. Heritage Wealth Advisors was selected from among more than 7,000 independent financial advisory firms for the honor. The award includes a $10,000 donation from Schwab to the winner’s charity of choice – the 2009 Safety Net Fund at The Community Foundation (serving Richmond and central Virginia). Mike Barnum ’05 and his wife, Lindsey, recently purchased a home in Chesapeake. Mike is working for Richard Divers ’86, a fellow Zeta Pi chapter member of Theta Chi fraternity, at Savage & McPherson Insurance Agency in Chesapeake. He works with small to mid-size businesses on reducing the cost of their liability and worker’s compensation insurance programs as well as improving their risk management. Mike also serves as president of the Theta Chi Alumni Association at ODU. Xerxes L. Nabong ’05, of Virginia Beach, was one of 40 young businesspeople in Hampton Roads recognized in 2009 by Inside Business’ Top Forty Under 40 special report, a program that highlights those who are successful in their careers and involved in the community. He is a certified financial planner with Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. His volunteer activities include serving as president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce – Oceanfront Jaycees chapter; instructor with Junior Achievement of Greater Hampton Roads – Green Run High School; member of the American Diabetes Association Golf Tournament Committee; treasurer of the Young Filipino-American Professionals of Hampton Roads; and chairman of the Golf Tournament Committee – Virginia Beach Optimist Club. Lara Sepanski ’05 has been appointed as a program associate with the Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties Inc., a philanthropic organization. She recently spent three years in the Dominican Republic with the Peace Corps, where she taught English, was a community economic adviser to a women’s artisan group and founded a library. She lives in Whitesboro, N.Y., with her husband. Jonathan Ely ’06 has created a simple, no-nonsense, vehicle-buying Web site, Car-Be-Ezy, with the experience he gained as a car salesman. www.carbeezy.com Justin Holloman ’06 attended an economic summit in Chicago, Nov. 17-20, hosted by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation and Mobilize.org. He was one of 150 millennials (ages 18-34) nationwide selected to convene to discuss the topics of taxation, social security, health care and personal financial responsibility as they pertain to the millennials generation. Justin maintained a blog throughout the summit. www.justinholloman.com Randall Spain (M.S. ’06, Ph.D. ’09), working together with James Bliss, ODU associate professor of psychology, conducted award-winning research on confidence and trust behaviors among soldiers during the use of automation expertise for weapons systems. Their paper, which revealed their research findings, was judged last summer to be third best in the nation by the Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making Technical Group of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. Randall works for the Army Research Institute in Orlando, Fla. Joanna Eleftheriou (M.F.A. ’07) will have an essay, “Moonlight,” published in the 2010 issue of Chautauqua, a literary journal. Scott Guirlinger (M.S. ’07), of Norfolk, was one of 40 young businesspeople in Hampton Roads recognized in 2009 by Inside Business’ Top Forty Under 40 special report, a program that highlights those who are successful in their careers and involved in the community. He is a support engineer for Intergraph Corp. Scott’s volunteer activities include serving as founder, president and event coordinator for Ghent Bar Tours; commissioner of the Kickball League of Hampton Roads; and volunteer for Camp Trinity Adventurer’s Week and the Penn State admissions office. David Mackovjak (M.E.M. ’07) retired in 2005 as a commander in the Navy from the submarine community after 21-plus years of service. Last summer, he and his identical twin sons, age 16, cycled from Silverdale, Wash., to Virginia Beach to raise funds and awareness for the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound and the Wounded Warrior Project. “The Riding4Hope cycling team (John, James, myself and Skip, our SAG driver) departed Silverdale on June 28 and arrived in Virginia Beach on Aug. 9. We averaged 100 miles a day over the course of our journey across America.” The team raised more than $12,000 for the organizations. They do presentations to civic and community groups to continue to raise awareness and funds for these charities. Their arrival story can be found at the Flagship and Central Kitsap Reporter Web sites. .org Daniel S. Matthews ’07, a U.S. Navy ensign, along www.riding4hope with sailors and Marines from the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (BATARG), Norfolk, and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, Camp Lejeune, N.C., in November departed the 5th Fleet and entered 6th Fleet’s area of operations after traveling through the Suez Canal and entering the Mediterranean Sea. The BATARG was preparing to return to the U.S. as it neared the end of a six-month deployment, according to a Nov. 25 Navy news release. Ross Morland ’07 and his wife announce the birth of their first child, Kylie Elizabeth, on Sept. 20, 2009. Kathryn “Kate” Reeves Cross (M.A. ’08), of Suffolk, was one of 40 young businesspeople in Hampton Roads recognized in 2009 by Inside Business’ Top Forty Under 40 special report, a program that highlights those who are successful in their careers and involved in the community. She is a teacher and coach at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy. Her volunteer activities include: Suffolk 60 Care board member, projects chair/volunteer coordinator; Lake Prince Woods Assisted Living volunteer; ForKids Suffolk House; Adopt-a-Highway; St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Sunday school teacher. M. Timothy MacVittie ’08 recently earned certifications through the Pipeline Assessment and Certification Program and the Manhole Assessment and Certification Program with the National Association for Sewer Service Companies. A Virginia Beach resident, he began working with MSA, P.C., an environmental sciences, planning, surveying, civil and environmental engineering, and landscape architecture firm with offices in Hampton Roads and Virginia’s Eastern Shore, in February 2007 as an intern. After completing his degree, he was promoted to project engineer I. He is pursuing a master’s in civil engineering at ODU. Andrea Nolan (M.F.A. ’09) had her essay, “Edges,” listed as one of the top 100 notable essays in Best American Essays 2009, edited by Mary Oliver. “Edges” was previously published in The Potomac Review. Mandy Schuchhardt (M.S.Ed. ’09) and her husband, Eddie, announce the birth of a daughter, Shelby Lynn, on Aug. 11, 2009, in Norfolk. |