Class Notes

Numerous alumni are making strides in their careers, from Shannon Nealon taking on a role at Grant Thornton in New York City to Aaron Perri's recent appointment as executive director of Downtown South Bend Inc. Notable achievements include Daniel McCormick's leadership position at Wellgroup HealthPartners and Scott Filer's new role as CEO of the National Children's Center in Washington, D.C. Others like Kimberly Swank return to Chicago after impressive journeys, including impactful work experiences and personal milestones like marathon running.

Published: January 15, 2012
Author: Peggy Bolstetter

2011

Shannon Nealon (MSA 2011)

Shannon Nealon has joined Grant Thornton International Ltd. in New York City.

2010

Aaron Perri (EMBA 2010)

Aaron Perri recently was named executive director of Downtown South Bend Inc. Prior to his appointment, Perri was the general manager of Legends of Notre Dame.

Daniel McCormick, MD (EMBA 2010)

Daniel McCormick accepted a position with the Francisean Alliance Health System as president of Wellgroup HealthPartners, a 90-physician multispecialty group in the southern suburbs of Chicago. He will oversee operations and strategic growth.

2009

Scott Filer (EMBA 2009)

Scott Filer has been named CEO of National Children's Center in Washington, D.C., and elected to the board of directors of Public Health Foundation Enterprises (PHFE) in Los Angeles. PHFE provides a wide spectrum of infrastructure and support expertise to nonprofit and government agencies.

2007

Kimberly Swank (MBA 2007)

Kimberly Swank, CPA recently moved back to Chicago after working in St. Louis at a private equity firm. She has more than 13 years of experience in financial strategy and investments. Swank recently returned from a trip to Tibet and China. She also runs marathons and completed the 39.3-mile Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge at Disney World.

Terin Cremer (BBA Marketing 2007)

Terin Barbas Cremer is an attorney at Allen, Norton & Blue. Her labor and employment law firm represents corporate management across the Southeast through the prevention and resolution of workplace issues.

2006

Eric Larson (EMBA 2006)

Eric A. Larson has been named vice president, Nuclear Support for FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co., a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. Larson is responsible for FENOC's fleet operations, security and strategic industry initiatives for the company's three nuclear power plants. He also has oversight responsibility for the BETA Laboratory, FirstEnergy's commercial and industrial testing organization located in Mayfield Village, Ohio.

Eric Papp (BBA, MGT-ENT 2006)

is a leadership trainer and speaker and owns Results-Based Seminars, LLC, in Brandon, Fla. Papp's new book, Leadership by Choice, will be published in June 2012.

2005

Thom Kenney (EMBA 2005)

Thom Kenney, Chief, Civil Military Operations, US Army, USACAPOC, has been deployed to Afghanistan.

Terry Horan (EMBA 2005)

Terry Horan has been named president and CEO of the Robert Bosch Tool Corp. Horan has led Bosch's worldwide rotary tool business for the past six years, engineering a successful turnaround for the Dremel brand resulting in sales increases over the past several years. He is a 25-year veteran of the home improvement industry.

Loren Brown (EMBA 2005)

Loren Brown (EMBA '05) has been named president and CEO of the Catholic Foundation of the Diocese of Columbus. The Catholic Foundation is an Ohio nonprofit, self-governing Catholic organization providing perpetual funding for the parishes, schools and ministries within the 23-county Diocese of Columbus.

2004

John Graber (EMBA 2004)

John Graber has been appointed president of CHC Helicopter Services. Graber, a longtime executive with American Airlines, is veteran of Operation Desert Storm.

2003

Matthew Durbin (MBA 2003)

Matthew J. Durbin has been named vice president of marketing for Brunswick Bowling-Retail. Durbin recently served as vice president of marketing for Fox and Hound Restaurant Group, where he led the marketing efforts for Fox and Hound, Bailey's and Champps Americana restaurants.

Greg Stewart (EMBA 2003)

Greg Stewartrecently was promoted to president of Gexpro Asia. Gexpro, a Rexel Group company, is a full-line, full-service electrical product distributor and supply chain solution provider.

2002

Jeffrey Masten (EMBA 2002)

Jeffrey L. Masten has been appointed vice president of quality for Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. In this newly created position, Masten will be a member of Peregrine's executive committee and will be responsible for the overall quality assurance program for the company.
Michael Molnar (EMBA)

Michael Molnar (EMBA 2002)

Michael F. Molnar has been appointed to be the first-ever chief manufacturing officer for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) .

Kellie Friery (MSA, BBA Accountancy 2002)

Kellie Friery was recently promoted to vice president of Dix & Eaton. Friery is a member of the company's investor relations practice.

2001

Bob Noll (MBA 2001)

Bob Noll has joined SageView Advisory Group as a senior investment advisor. Noll, who has more than 16 years of experience in the financial services industry, will be based out of Minneapolis.

James Gallagher (MBA 2001)

James J. ("Jay") Gallagher Jr. has been hired by FletcherBennett Group LLC as a principal to expand FletcherBennett's institutional hedge fund investor coverage. Gallagher joins the firm with 14 years of experience in the investment industry.

Bill Kehoe (MBA 2001)

William "Bill" Kehoe has been named COO and CFO at Saban Brands. Kehoe provides strategic leadership and oversees operations, finance, accounting, human resources and IT functions across all aspects of the Saban Brands businesses

Jeremy Whitaker (MSA 2001)

Jeremy Whitaker has been appointed CFO of Lantronix, a provider of smart connectivity solutions. Whitaker previously served as vice president of finance and accounting for Lantronix from August 2005 to January 2011.

1999

Sean Cantwell (BBA Finance 1999)

Sean Cantwell has been named a partner by Volition Capital, a Boston technology-focused equity and venture capital firm. Cantwell will focus on software, tech-enabled services and Internet investments.

Andrew Seng (BBA Finance 1999)

Andrew Seng has been named the managing director of Holliday Fenoglio Fowler.

James Sullivan (BBA Marketing 1999)

James P. Sullivan has been named as the director of marketing for Greeley and Hansen, a national environmental engineering and consulting firm. Sullivan most recently served as the firm's national marketing and business development strategist. His experience includes strategic business planning, lead-generating market research, strategy development for prospective project opportunities and client relationship planning and management.

Ricardo Mejia (MBA 1999)

Ricardo Mejia has been promoted to vice president of performance excellence at EGS Electrical Group. Mejia began his career at Emerson in 1999 as operations planner with the company's Hermetic Motor Division in St. Louis.

Bill Avey (MBA 1999)

Bill Avey was promoted to vice president of LaserJet & Enterprise Solutions at Printelligent (an HP company). Avey's career with HP began in the finance organization and has included positions in HP Services, the Imaging & Printing Group and Worldwide Sales & Channel Operations. Most recently, Avey served as the worldwide director of marketing for LaserJet & Enterprise Solutions.

Scott Frush (MBA 1999)

Scott Paul Frush recently published All About Exchange-Traded Funds, his fifth financial title through McGraw-Hill. Frush, a chartered financial analyst and certified financial planner, is president and chief portfolio strategist of the wealth-management firm Frush Financial Group.

1998

Burke Hayes (BBA Finance 1998)

Burke Hayes, Jr. has joined Compass Point Research & Trading LLC as managing director and head of Investment Banking. Hayes will be overseeing Compass Point's investment banking efforts and the build-out of its platform. He joins the firm from FBR Capital Markets Corp.

John Michael (MBA, JD '98, '94 1998)

John Michael has been selected as the new play-by-play announcer for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

1997

David Hennekes (MBA, BBA Accountancy 1997)

David Hennekes has been named the vice president of marketing for FirstEnergy Solutions, the competitive subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp.

1996

Pete Coleman (BBA Marketing 1996)

Pete Coleman has joined Point Inside™ as vice president of sales, where he will lead sales and business development. Coleman has more than 15 years of experience in sales and sales management in the information technology industry.

Meredith Siegfried (BBA Finance 1996)

Meredith Siegfried has been elected CEO of NORDAM Group by its board of directors. Siegfried previously served as the company's president.

Kurt Krebs (BBA Accountancy 1996)

Kurt Krebs has been named vice president and CFO for Cincinnati-based HORAN, a consultant in employee benefits and financial services.

John Bode (BBA Accountancy 1996)

John Bode has been appointed executive vice president and CFO of Source Interlink Companies, Inc., publishers of magazines and online content for enthusiast audiences and a distributor of magazines in the U.S. Bode most recently served as senior vice president, corporate strategy and finance, where he had day-to-day responsibility for corporate initiatives.

Joseph Cassidy (MBA 1996)

Joseph Cassidy will join Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as director of the Rensselaer Union, a student-run, self-supporting and self-governing body that organizes, manages and finances student activities. Cassidy has more than 25 years of experience in the field of student affairs.

Phil Koserowski (BBA Marketing 1996)

Phil Koserowski has been appointed to the newly created position of vice president of interactive marketing for The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. Based in the company's New York headquarters, he will be responsible for leading all online advertising, Web, eCRM, and mobile/emerging platform development.

1995

Travis Smith (BBA Marketing 1995)

Travis Smith has been promoted to CEO of Jo-Ann Stores, the fabric and craft specialty retailer. Smith joined the Jo-Ann team in July, 2006 and has served as COO, executive vice president of merchandising and marketing and president.

Ken Cervantes (BBA Marketing 1995)

Ken Cervantes has joined ID Media as vice president, account director.

1994

Michael Christin (MBA 1994)

Michael J. Christin has been appointed vice president of sales for SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals.

Robert McDowell (MBA 1994)

Robert McDowell has been named to the newly created position of senior vice president of global distribution for Choice Hotels International, Inc. McDowell will be responsible for the development and execution of Choice's growing global,
multichannel marketing and distribution strategy.

1992

John Richardson (BBA Finance 1992)

John P. Richardson has joined The PrivateBank as managing director of commercial real estate in the Minneapolis office. Richardson has more than 18 years of banking experience.

1991

Mark Mendola (MBA 1991)

Mark J. Mendola has been named PricewaterhouseCooper's U.S. tax leader and a vice chairman of the firm. He will serve as a member of the firm's U.S. leadership team and the global tax leadership team and be responsible for the network of tax practices across the Americas, including Canada, Mexico and South America.

Tomas Saavedra (BBA Marketing 1991)

Tomas Saavedra has joined Elkhart Brass as vice president of international sales. Saavedra will lead the development and growth of the company's international sales.

1990

John Baumer (BBA Finance 1990)

John M. Baumer has joined the board of directors of Rite Aid Corp. He is a partner with the private equity firm of Leonard Green & Partners.

Richard Jennings (BBA Marketing 1990)

Rich Jennings has been named regional vice president of the Mile High region for Comcast, a provider of entertainment, information and communication products and services. Jennings, who joined Comcast in 2005, previously served as vice president and general manager, overseeing the company's broadband operations in the Denver metro communities.

1989

Paul Zavolta (MBA 1989)

Paul Zavolta was appointed to the board of advisers for the Enterprise Risk Management Initiative in the North Carolina State Poole College of Management. Zavolta is director of Enterprise Risk Management for Alpha Natural Resources in Abingdon, Va.

Mitch Roob (EMBA 1989)

Mitch Roob has been appointed president and CEO of WoundVision™, a health-care industry pioneer in advanced wound detection technology and medical risk analysis. Prior to joining the company, Roob served as the Indiana Secretary of Commerce and CEO of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.

Jennifer Gilhool (BBA Finance 1989)

Jennifer Gilhool was promoted to director of sustainability, environment & safety engineering of the Asia Pacific and Africa region for Ford Motor Co. Gilhool is responsible for organizational development, process integration, strategic planning and creation of the organizational team in Asia Pacific and Africa, to support growing business operations in the region.

1988

Rohit Bammi (MBA 1988)

Rohitt Bammi and family have relocated to Mumbai from London. Bammi has joined KPMG is heading the Financial Risk Management practice.

Mercy Caprara (BBA Accountancy 1988)

Mercy Caprara has been named CFO for HyTrust, Inc. with responsiblity for driving and overseeing financial strategy and planning.

Bubba Cunningham (MBA, BBA Accountancy 1988)

Bubba Cunningham has joined the University of North Carolina as the school's athletic director. Cunningham spent 15 years working in various roles at Notre Dame before serving as the athletic director at Ball State and the University of Tulsa.

1987

James Seitz (EMBA 1987)

Jim Seitz was promoted to executive vice president of community banking at 1st Source Bank.

Michael O'Grady (BBA Accountancy 1987)

Michael G. O'Grady has been named the CFO for Northern Trust Corp.

Emmet Murphy (BBA Management 1987)

Emmet M. Murphy has joined Great American Insurance Group's Corporate Claims division as a divisional vice president responsible for the environmental claims unit. Murphy joins Great American from The Hartford and its Complex Claims Group, where he most recently served as assistant vice president and senior counsel.

1986

Scott Malpass (MBA, '84 1986)

Scott C. Malpass was recently elected to the board of The Investment Fund for Foundations (TIFF). Malpass is vice president and chief investment officer at the University of Notre Dame.

1985

Rebecca Brenton (BBA Marketing 1985)

Rebecca E. "Beci" Brenton has been named corporate director of public affairs for Huntington Ingalls Industries with responsibility for the planning and development of public affairs campaigns in support of the company's new and existing programs.

Robert Lopes (BBA Management 1985)

Bob Lopes is the CEO of Acclaris, a consumer-driven health-care financial technology and integrated-services company. Lopes, a 25-year benefits-industry veteran, will lead the company's continued growth and expansion.

1984

Kevin Shaw (MNA 1984)

Kevin Shaw has been named the new president of St. Mary's Springs Academy, the Catholic parochial school system of Fond du Lac, Wisc.

Martin Riegel (BBA Accountancy 1984)

Martin Riegel has been appointed chief executive for Crop Solutions 2009. The appointment strengthens the New Zealand company's global profile as it prepares for overseas growth.

David Garcia (MNA 1984)

Rev. David Garcia was presented the Rev. John J. Cavanaugh, C.S.C., Award by the Notre Dame Alumni Association for his exemplary commitment to Catholic values and his outstanding contributions in the field of public service. Garcia is the senior adviser for Clergy Outreach for Catholic Relief Services, the archdiocesan director of the Old Spanish Missions, and pastor of St. Agnes Church in San Antonio, Tex. Garcia has produced the bilingual Mass, "La Santa Misa," shown throughout North and South America.

Gary "Joe" Sweeney (MBA 1984)

Joe Sweeney has launched the Winning Game Plan™, a networking program and community to help professionals turn online connections into relationships. Sweeney is the New York Times best-selling author of Networking is a Contact Sport.

1983

Jerome Nichols (MBA 1983)

Jerome Nichols has been promoted to director of investor relations and corporate communications of Black Hills Corp.

1982

Theresa Grace (BBA Accountancy 1982)

Theresa Grace has joined Greeley and Hansen as executive vice president and CFO. Grace has more than 25 years of broad financial management and accounting experience. Greeley and Hansen is an environmental engineering and consulting firm specializing in water, wastewater and related infrastructure.

Sherilyn Mullin (BBA Management 1982)

Sheri Briesch Mullin earned a master's in human resources development from the George Washington University. Mullin received the Leonard Nadler Leadership Award for leadership and academic achievement. She is the vice president of Human Resources and Training for Online Resources Corporation in the Washington, D.C., area.

1981

Thomas Shilen (BBA Accountancy 1981)

Thomas S. Shilen, Jr., has been named chief financial and administrative officer of CBS News. Shilen previously served as the senior vice president, controller and chief accounting officer since joining CBS in March 2010. Prior to joining CBS, Shilen held senior management positions at Sara Lee Corp., American Express Co., Citigroup Private Bank and Citi Home Equity.

1979

Susan Georgen-Saad (BBA Accountancy 1979)

Susan M. Georgen-Saad has been appointed CFO of Cenoplex. Georgan-Saad will play a key role in solidifying the company's ongoing financial strength while working closely with the executive team and board of directors to facilitate a strategic growth plan.

Ted Carnevale (BBA Accountancy 1979)

Carnevale's accounting firm, Gramkow, Carnevale, Seifert & Co., was named to INSIDE Public Accounting'sBest of the Best Firms list for 2011.

1977

J. Michael Sweigart (BBA Accountancy 1977)

Mike Sweigart is the new chief deputy tax commissioner for Gwinnett County (Georgia).

1976

James Ghiglieri (BBA Finance 1976)

James "Jim" Ghiglieri has been promoted to senior vice president, corporate communications of SHAZAM, a single-source provider for ATM processing, national debit products and merchant processing. Ghiglieri has worked with the EFT network for nearly four years as vice president, corporate
communications.

Daniel Cofall (BBA Accountancy 1976)

Daniel Cofall has been appointed to the board of directors of Sun River Energy. Cofall will serve on the audit, nominations and governance and compensation committees.

Jack Walsh (BBA Finance 1976)

Jack Walsh has been named CFO of SRS, a provider of productivity-enhancing Electronic Health Records (EHR) technology and services for
high-performance specialty physicians. Walsh has more than 30 years of experience in senior-level management roles.

1974

John Powers (BBA Finance 1974)

John Powers is the executive director of the Kitsap Economic Development Alliance. Powers, the former mayor of Spokane, Wash., most recently was CEO of Seattle's Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County.

Anthony Fiorentino (BBA Marketing 1974)

Anthony D. (Don) Fiorentino has joined VERGO Interactive as CEO with responsibility for strategic business planning and executive oversight of its sales force. VERGO Interactive is a digital marketing company that connects institutions of higher learning with students exploring options for post-secondary education. Prior to joining VERGO, Fiorentino was vice president of sales for government solutions at NECAM Enterprise Solutions Group.

1973

Richard Bard (BBA Management 1973)

Bard's debut thriller, Brainrush, rocketed to the Amazon Action/Adventure Bestseller List in two days. Book two in the series was released in December 2011.

1969

John Jordan II (BBA Finance 1969)

John "Jay" W. Jordan II is the 2012 recipient of the Association for Corporate Growth's Lifetime Achievement Award. ACG is a global professional organization focused on middle-market growth, private investment, and mergers and acquisitions. Jordan is the chairman and managing principal of The Jordan Company.

John Sturm (BBA Accountancy 1969)

John F. Sturm retired from his position as president and CEO of the Newspaper Association of America in September 2011. Sturm was named president and CEO in 1995 and led NAA through one of the newspaper industry's most dramatic periods of change. He refocused and reorganized the association to better align its mission and goals with new marketplace realities, including its members' continued transition toward robust digital platforms.

Dennis Manning (BBA Finance 1969)

Dennis J. Manning, received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Round Table of New York. The Round Table of New York presents this award for significant contributions to the insurance and financial services industry. The award recognizes individuals for their accomplishments in the areas of professional ethics, education and industry leadership. Manning is the executive chairman of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, a chartered life underwriter and a chartered financial consultant.

1956

Don Costello (BS Commerce 1956)

Don Costello recently participated in a 5K run, finishing first in his age bracket—70-99 years. Disregarding that there were only two entrants in the bracket, Costello commented that he runs the races, rather than races in them. "My aortic valve made of pig is working and it's great fun just to be out there," Costello says.

Ben Cardella (BS Commerce 1956)

Ben Cardella was honored for more than 30 years of service as the field announcer for all of the events at Camarillo (Calif.) High School. The school unveiled the Ben Cardella Press Box. Cardella turned over the Camarillo microphone to his son a decade ago—and picked up another one in Indio, Calif., where he continues to share his expertise as the field announcer for Shadow Hills High School.

Jim Hlavin and Bob Richard (BS Commerce 1956)

Jim Hlavin and Bob Richard, recently visited the Navy Museum in Washington, D.C. As a retired naval officer, Hlavin found the museum to be quite interesting. Richard, a retired army officer, left wondering how anyone could go out on those little boats!

1942

Robert Miller, Sr. (BS Commerce, JD '47 1942)

Robert L. Miller Sr. was presented the Rev. William Corby, C.S.C., Award by the Notre Dame Alumni Association for his distinguished military service and dedication to serving his country. A former Superior Court judge, Miller received the Purple Heart for wounds received in the Battle of Okinawa. In 2009, he founded Miller's Vets to assist impoverished veterans, giving them housing, military uniforms, "boot camp" refreshers and the opportunity to participate in parades and
community events.

In Memoriam

Bishop Paul Duffy (MNA 1982)

Bishop Paul Francis Duffy passed away on Aug. 23, 2011. Bishop Duffy, who lived in Zambia for 27 years, was known throughout the country for fearlessly advocating for the rights and freedoms of people in the country's poorest areas. He is survived by a brother, sister-in-law and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

Father Hugh Keefer, OSB (MBA 1969)

Father Hugh Keefer, O.S.B. passed away on June 1, 2011. Fr. Hugh was a member of the first MBA class at the University of Notre Dame. He is survived by his brothers in the monastic life, a brother and several nieces and nephews.

John Lentz (BBA Accountancy 1966)

John T. Lentz passed away on June 15, 2011. Lentz, who was a statistician for the Notre Dame football team for many years, retired from the St. Joseph County Auditor's Office in 2007. He is survived by his sister, aunt, step-brothers and step-sisters.

Harry Steele (BBA Finance 1965)

Harry G. Steele passed away on June 30, 2011. Steele, who began his 31-year career at Philip Morris U.S.A. in New York City as director of financial controls and planning, was appointed senior vice-president of finance in 1990. He is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.

Robert Kesteloot (BSCommerce 1956)

Captain Robert W. Kesteloot, of Potomac Falls, Va,, passed away on Sept. 23, 2011. Kesteloot served as commanding officer of the USS Catawba, executive officer of the USS Mansfield, commanding officer of the USS Lockwood and commanding officer of the U.S. Naval Base, Subic Bay, Philippines. Kestleoot is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.

John McCullough (BS Commerce 1955)

John McCullough passed away on July 20, 2011. McCullough, the legendary Milwaukee television anchor, began his career in 1955 with South Bend's WNDU-TV, became an anchor with WTMJ in 1967 and was a fixture on Milwaukee television until his retirement in 1988.

James Hosty (BS Commerce 1948)

James P. Hosty passed away on June 10, 2011. Hosty, a special agent for the FBI in the Dallas office during the early 1960s, was assigned to investigate a suspected communist agitator and possible spy—Lee Harvey Oswald. Hosty published his memoir in 1995, Assignment: Oswald. He is survived by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Future Domers

Nan Schoenleber (BBA Marketing 2004)

Nan (Casari) Schoenleber and Todd Schoenleber welcomed a daughter, Sophia Ann Schoenleber, on May 17, 2011.

Paul Kim (MBA 2010)

Soo Jin and Paul Kim welcomed a daughter, Addison Yena, Feb. 3, 2011.

Weddings

Nicole Brown (EMBA 2009)

Nicole Payne and Dave Brown were married on Sept. 5, 2009 in Buffalo Point, Manitoba, Canada.