Notes from the Cornell Class of 1991 - 2010 May/June

Class Notes, 2010 May/June

May/June 2010

Let the countdown begin! Our 20th Reunion is only one year away. It's time to start thinking about your travel plans and lining up babysitters now. With Dorine Colabella Scher and Jeff Weintraub, MD '95, as our reunion co-chairs again, our reunion is certain to be spectacular. Stay tuned for more details and remember to keep checking our class website (http://classof91.alumni.cornell.edu) for information about class events, class dues, supporting the Class of 1991 Cornell Tradition Fellowship, and more. We can also use help finding "lost classmates." Many of us are connected with other classmates who have not updated their contact information with the university and are considered "lost." Please help us identify and reconnect with them.

Grads from the Class of '91 continue to amaze us with interesting careers and noteworthy accomplishments. Congratulations to Doug Derraugh and the women's ice hockey team on winning their first outright Ivy League title since 1996! The team finished undefeated in Ivy League play this year with a record of 8-0-2. This is Doug's fifth season as head coach after playing professionally overseas for 13 years in some of the top leagues in Norway, Germany, Austria, and Finland. Cornell is fortunate to have Doug back "on the Hill" and we wish him continued success with the women's hockey program.

Kate Rudy writes, "I am living in London and attached to the Courtauld Inst. as a fellow in medieval art history and conservation. Using a densitometer, I have invented a new method of quantifying how much medieval users handled their manuscripts. I call the project 'Dirty Books,' since I am really measuring the grime they ground into the vellum." Andrea Retzky (New York, NY) started her own business, ARC | Andrea Retzky Communications Inc., a PR consultancy, two years ago and loves being her own boss. It means she can do things like take the month of January to travel around New Zealand. Andrea also had the pleasure of returning to Cornell last September for the wedding of Lauren MacIntyre '89; the event was attended by a bunch of other Cornellians. She loved being back on campus for a gorgeous fall weekend.

Adam Seger writes, "I have launched my own spirit: Hum, a hibiscus spiced rum launched in Chicago in November, and will launch in London in March and California, Las Vegas, and New York in late spring." It is a 70-proof, sweet-yet-peppery rum liqueur made with pot-stilled rum, hibiscus flowers, coriander, ginger, and Kaffir lime. Learn more about it online at: www.humspirits.com. Adam is known for creating drinks like a chef. He's developed such innovative cocktails as roasted pineapple-grilled orange infused rum, strawberry-rhubarb-basil-balsamic mojito, and fresh fennel-watermelon-cucumber gin Gazpacho & Tonic. He has been featured in numerous publications and television programs including Cigar Aficionado, Wine Spectator, the New York Times, Sante, and GQ. He has been dubbed a "spirits guru" by Food & Wine and Fast Company and a "beverage guru" by Wine & Spirits. Adam is a certified culinary professional (CCP) and passed the advanced exam of the Court of Master Sommeliers on his first attempt. Next up, master sommelier accreditation. Good luck, Adam.

Do you have a sweet tooth? If so, you must visit SusieCakes! There are four locations in Southern California (the original opened in Brentwood in 2006) and founder Susan Sarich has opened her fifth bakery in Greenbrae, CA (Marin County). SusieCakes is known for fresh ingredients, in-house bakers, and a variety of home-style cheesecakes, brownies, layer cakes, puddings, whoopie pies, and frosting-filled cupcakes--their signature treat. A number of Cornellians joined Susan and her husband, Houston Striggow, to celebrate the grand opening of the SusieCakes in Marin including John Clarke, Lisa Munter Clarke, Jennifer Berger Schatz, Alec Berger '92, and Peter Lee '63. Check it out for yourself at: www.susiecakesla.com. Martha Stewart raves about the strawberry cupcakes. Maria Cleaveland and I think the red velvet is fabulous. Thanks to Maria, SusieCakes offers Equator Estate coffees and teas, which are roasted just a few miles away in San Rafael. It is worth noting that Equator was named "2010 Roaster of the Year" by Roast Magazine.

Through Facebook, I received news from several classmates about their 40th birthday celebrations. Liz Olshan Jenkins, Marnie Siff-Korpi, Sherry Horowitz Harnick, Beth Chartoff Spector, Rita Landman Gitlitz, and Kerri Jew Iosepovici '90 spent a weekend at Foxwoods Casino last May. According to Liz, "It was a perfect way to bring on the 40s!" I also heard from Sumaya El-Ashry Ali (Boca Raton, FL). She is a stay-at-home mom with Zane, 12, Jaden, 9, and Sofia, 3-1/2. For her 40th birthday in December, Sumaya received a surprise party thrown by her husband. Tammy Blum Ross (who lives 15 minutes away) was among those in attendance. According to Sumaya, "People here think it's so funny that we were freshman-year roommates and are still best friends. Also that we live so close to each other!" Tammy and Sumaya got together with Rob Becker '92, MS '98, when he was visiting Florida in December. They went to brunch with Rob and his wife, Minoo, and met their baby, Roya.

Do you miss Hot Truck? Joel Stevens has been making his own version since we graduated. The Facebook pictures looked spectacular. Wes Atamian '89 and Mishtu Mukherjee '90 enjoyed some of Joel's Hot Truck during a recent Florida visit. Joel is SVP/senior managing director with Bernstein Global Wealth Management and is responsible for the Southeast including Miami, West Palm Beach, Tampa, Atlanta, and Charlotte. Joel and Jennifer have been married 15 years and enjoy living in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. They are proud parents of Jacob, 14, Jane, 11, and Bentley and Belle, a pair of Boston terriers. Jacob is a multi-sport athlete and plays baseball on a national travel team. Jane competes nationally in equestrian and also enjoys piano and visual art. This past year, Joel gathered with Sigma Nus for wine tasting in Napa (to celebrate his 40th) and a weekend in Las Vegas. He also met up with Jack Gonzalez, MBA '97, Marc Rosenthal, Michael Gaffney, Roman Casciano, ME '92, Lance Rosen, Doug Rorech, Pete Crosby, Rich Owens, MBA '92, Mike Kelly '92, Ted von Hoene '92, Robert Cohen '93, Andy Hite '93, Jeff Woodring '93, and Ed Estrada '94 in NYC in December. That's an impressive showing!

Facebook is a great way to reconnect with Cornell friends, but I am also fortunate to have an opportunity to connect with classmates during my work travels. In recent months, I have seen Maria Cleaveland, Charles Wu, Jennifer Berger Schatz, Sara Weaver Palladino, Linda Shih, and Amy Schmerl in the Bay Area. Linda and husband Dan Clifford welcomed their first child, Zack, in May '09. Amy Schmerl always has great stories about her travels, including a trip to Argentina in fall '09. While in Argentina, Amy spent time in Buenos Aires, toured the wine country in Mendoza, went hiking and rafting in the Andes Mountains, and visited Iguazu Falls, which she described as "the waterfall that puts Niagara Falls to shame."

Thanks for sharing your news--please keep it coming! You can provide updates about work, travels, family, visits to campus, classmates you've seen or contacted, favorite memories, or anything Cornell related (other than engagements and pregnancies; please wait till the weddings and births). Contact us via e-mail, through the link on our class website, http://classof91.alumni.cornell.edu, or on the news form in our class mailings! Kathryn Kraus Bolks, klk22@cornell.edu; Sharlyn Carter Heslam, sheslam@berkshirepartners.com; Ariane Schreiber Horn, ams14@cornell.edu.