Notes from the Cornell Class of 1991 - 2020 January/February

Class Notes, 2020 January/February

January/February 2020

It’s been a wonderful fall here in Ithaca. Though you’ll read this in January, the fall colors are starting to come alive just before the Trustee- Council Annual Meeting (TCAM) weekend as I write. Here are a few notes from our classmates.

Shawn Reeves, MAT ’97 (Cambridge, MA) writes, “I and my nonprofit have opened a workshop space, in Cambridge, MA, for teachers interested in energy and electronics. With very few of us, I took windsurfing for PE credits at Cornell. I’m still surfing on some of the same equipment as the 1980s, but I haven’t surfed Cayuga Lake since 1990—I’d like to experience those high winds and frigid waters again.” Herbert “Tripp” Burgunder (Owings Mills, MD) is a real estate lawyer in Baltimore. “My oldest child is now a sophomore at Cornell. I have been back to campus several times since he started.”

Dan Harrison (Los Angeles, CA) has met with fellow alums Michael Karangelen ’90 (Bedford Corners, NY) and Jeff Bershad ’90 (Armonk, NY) for the fifth year to go to the MLB All-Star Game. “We’ve done Cincinnati, San Diego, Miami, Washington, and now Cleveland. I’m looking forward to 2020 in Los Angeles (where I live), so my commute will be the shortest—although with L.A. traffic, it might be faster to fly to Cleveland than to drive to Dodger Stadium. Most important, it is great to share time, friendship, and baseball and catch up over a couple of days.” Caryn Cooperman Davis writes from London, UK: “Hi! I have recently moved to London after living in Atlanta, GA, for 26 years. I am still working at Coca-Cola; after working at the world headquarters, I have now moved to the Western Europe business. If there are any other Cornell alums in London, please reach out. I would love to connect.”

Allison Lakin (Waldoboro, ME) wrote, “After a career working in museums, I founded Lakin’s Gorges Cheese in 2011. In 2016, I expanded the business, relocating to our new farm and beginning to build a herd of dairy cows. In the meantime, I buy my milk from another Cornell alum, Carrie Whitcomb ’07. And if I had a day in Ithaca, I would take the time to leisurely explore the natural wonders around the campus. They provided such respite during times of stress as an undergraduate; I would like to see them through relaxed eyes.” Zina Spezakis (Tenafly, NJ) announces, “Having spent nearly two decades on Wall Street, I moved into clean energy a few years ago helping a Cornell startup, Ecolectro, that develops technology that enables clean energy production from hydrogen gas. But the big news is that I’m running as a Democrat for Congress in New Jersey’s Ninth Congressional District next year. Having read the UN’s IPCC report last fall, I realize that I need to step up and run, in order to bring the urgency, expertise, and relentless drive to address the climate emergency we are facing.” Good luck, Zina! We are rooting for you.

Stacey Slater Sacks (Summit, NJ) writes, “For the last 24 years, I have been an attorney at Nixon Peabody LLP, based in its NYC office. I was a litigation associate, litigation partner, and, for the last 14 years, firm-wide pro bono partner, helping to organize and manage its pro bono program. I recently left to start Pro Bono Strategies LLC, a pro bono consulting business, where I will use my experience and network to help mid-sized law firms in NYC and New Jersey to start and/or develop their pro bono programs in a cost-effective way, thereby increasing the pool of lawyers available to do pro bono work. See more at: www.probonostrategies.com. On a personal note, I live in Summit, NJ, with my husband, Jonathan, my son, 14, and my daughter, 12. I am in touch with many of my Cornell friends and hope to see many more of you at our next Reunion.” Send your news to: Tim Vanini, lavanooche@icloud.com; Wendy Milks Coburn, wmilkscoburn@me.com; Lori Woodring, lori.woodring@yahoo.com; Joe Marraccino, Joe.Marraccino@wfafinet.com.