Class Notes - 2018 May/June, Cornell University Class of 1991

Class Notes, 2018 May/June

May/June 2018

A small but dedicated group traveled to Philly on a cold weekend in February to attend the Cornell Alumni Leadership Conference (CALC). Those in attendance included David Peck, MPA ’92, Sharon Wolfson Bader, Bob Baca, Paul Hayre, Ruby Wang Pizzini, Jeannette Perez-Rossello, Lisa Bushlow, Nicole Bisagni DelToro, and Karen Paul Zimmer, MD ’98. For three days, the group learned about new alumni programs, explored new tools to support the class, networked with other class officers, and helped run the sessions. I think it’s safe to say that the Class of ’91 is poised and ready to do great things leading up to our next Reunion. Although Meredith Clark Shachoy was unable to attend CALC, she was thrilled to announce that her daughter, Brooke, a senior at Buckingham, Browne and Nichols School in Cambridge, MA, was recruited for the Cornell women’s Division One sailing team. “Brooke’s so excited to be going to Cornell and will be a third- generation Cornellian!”

Meredith also shared a brief update on Cornell friends from coast to coast. Sabrina Strickland Fertig is a top orthopedic sports doctor, specializing in knee and shoulder surgery, at Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. She is also a mom to three daughters. Kim Rugala LaFontana lives in Melrose, MA, with her husband and two daughters. She works for a startup healthcare company in Boston. Elleke Monster Haggerty lives in Kenilworth, IL. With her two oldest daughters in college, Elleke is a fierce paddle tennis competitor and actively involved in the Kenilworth school board. Jill Weisman Pflaum, MBA’97, is living in Wayzata, MN, with four children and her husband. Jill is loving the cold weather—just like Ithaca! Ruth Ann Keene Ehm, JD ’98, is general counsel at Unity Technologies. She has two daughters that love to ski with her in Crested Butte, CO, and a husband who is an amazing cook. Heather Bracher Severs lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Charley, and three boys. Heather works in the fashion industry curating high-end jewelry and accessories for fashion companies. Hilary Morse is also living in Los Angeles and working at a startup natural hemp product company. Her son, Luka, is 9 and they both love surfing and exploring the world with her husband, bass guitarist Mike Dimkich. Elizabeth Kuo Spokes is living in San Francisco with her husband and three children. She is active in many charities and continues to be an avid runner.

For those of you who don’t get the Human Ecology magazine, James Pitaro was featured in the fall issue. James is chairman of Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media. He and his team focus on infusing technology into Disney’s physical products and leveraging digital experiences to immerse fans into their favorite stories in new ways. James pointed out that innovation often gets confused with technology, but innovation is all about mindset. “It’s not enough to be smart and talented—you have to be curious. I was inspired and challenged all the way through Cornell and there was no cruising. I bring that work ethic with me every day.”

Roxanne Malek, BArch ’94, has been promoted to vice president of the SmithGroupJJR, one of the nation’s leading integrated design firms. Her diverse project experience ranges from large-scale academic projects to complex science facilities for clients that include UC San Francisco, Berkeley, and Merced; Contra Costa Community College; and Stanford U. Roxanne, a registered architect and member of SmithGroupJJR’s board of directors, has been with the firm for 21 years. She is a native of and presently resides in San Francisco. Seth Briskin has been named Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis’s new managing partner. Seth will be the firm’s third, and youngest, managing partner and will continue to serve as chair of the labor and employment group. He joined the firm in 2006 as a partner, and his practice has spanned a myriad of labor and employment law issues involving private, public sector, and nonprofit organizations with both unionized and non-unionized workforces.

And lastly, for those looking ahead to summertime, Cornell offers a Summer College Program for high school students who have completed their sophomore, junior, or senior year. Some of the many talented high school students who attended the 2017 program were: Quinn, daughter of David, DVM ’95, and Kate Guernsey Ackerman; Katrina, daughter of David Schmier and Cindy Potter ’90; and Bradley, son of Gregory Stoller.

We love hearing from you. Please drop us a note and let us know how and what you have been doing. Online news can be sent to: http://alumni.cornell.edu/class-notes/ or feel free to contact any of us directly. Lori Woodring, lori.woodring@yahoo.com; Joe Marraccino, Joe.Marraccino@wfafinet.comTim Vanini, lavanooche@icloud.com; Wendy Milks Coburn, wmilkscoburn@me.com.

Cornell Class of 1991

Notes from the Cornell Class of 1991 - 2018 May/June

Class Notes, 2018 May/June

May/June 2018

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