Notes from the Cornell Class of 1991 - 2010 March/April

Class Notes, 2010 March/April

March/April 2010

Thanks to all the '91ers who continue to send us glimpses into their lives after Cornell. No matter where life's journey has taken you since your days in Ithaca, it's likely that by now you've seen the last traces of snow for the year. Seems like snow becomes much less fun as the years go by; however, in looking back on his days at Cornell, Akim Ben Hansen (Redmond, WA) remembers most fondly those chilly afternoons spent "traying" down Libe Slope on "borrowed" cafeteria trays. Nowadays Ben, the director of Mactus Group by profession, spends his free time mentoring children through a nonprofit called GenerationBIG, which expands upon the school-based mentoring program of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound.

As of November 2009, we can name another politician among our ranks. Steven Sanders is happy to report that he was elected to the town council in Amherst, NY (http://www.erieelectionresults.com/Amherst.aspx). David Zaslow, a partner and member of the healthcare and general litigation practice groups, has been named managing partner in the Berwyn, PA, office of White and Williams LLP. David has also been serving his community as a member of the Volunteer Medical Service Corps in his part of Pennsylvania. He is president and assistant chief of the organization, but that doesn't stop David from regularly responding to 911 calls for paramedic services.

Our class had much to celebrate last fall. Jennifer Berger Schatz and husband Brad welcomed daughter Maeryn Grace on Sept. 1, '09. Baby Maeryn has already met quite a few members of the Class of '91 including Susan Sarich, Lisa Munter Clarke, Nicole Halpern Murphy, and Kathy Kraus Bolks. Also celebrating, Michael Vargas married Nicole Seretis last October in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Michael looked young enough to be a recent grad, judging by the photos. Many of Michael's Phi Delta Theta fraternity brothers were in attendance, including Rob Last '92, ME '93, Jamie Meagher '93, Peter Ahn '92, Joe Hanlon '92, Andrew Hage, Michael Smalyga, and Chris Conyers.

Beth Chartoff and husband Jason Spector live in New York City with sons Josh, 7, and Sam, 4. Beth runs fundraising and investor relations at GSO Capital, which is the credit investment arm of the Blackstone Group. GSO Capital manages $25 billion of distressed, mezzanine, and hedge fund assets. Jason is a plastic surgeon at Weill Cornell Medical College at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and also runs a research lab, which is in close collaboration with the Bioengineering Program in Ithaca. His work has been featured in the Cornell Daily Sun and by the Associated Press. He frequently gets back to Ithaca to serve as a guest lecturer on topics like tissue engineering. Beth and Jason have seen Rita Landman and husband Michael, Chris and Marnie Siff Korpi, Sherry Horowitz Harnick and husband Joel, Kerri Jew '90 and husband Zamir, and Evan Kanew and wife Jo, who have had a baby girl. Even though we have lost touch with friends as the years have passed, Cornellian connections live on. I was so happy to see Jana Pompadur Kierstead, director of MBA career services at Harvard Business School, at my firm's holiday party last December. We had a great time catching up after 18 years, and Jana is still the same rock star she's always been.

Please continue to share news with us via e-mail, through the link on our class website, http://classof91.alumni.cornell.edu, or on the news form in our annual class mailing, coming soon. We love to hear from you! Sharlyn Carter Heslam, sheslam@berkshirepartners.com; Kathryn Kraus Bolks, klk22@cornell.edu; Ariane Schreiber Horn, ams14@cornell.edu.