Class Notes: December 2018

We’re proud of how our alumni continue to represent the Saint Rose community with their amazing and impressive accomplishments. If you have any personal or professional news to report, please send an update to kimi@strose.edu.

2010s

Thomas Moore ’18, G’18 joined Wojeski & Co. CPAs, based in the Capital Region, as a staff accountant. He will work in the audit department with responsibility for attestation engagements, including audits, reviews, compilations and other agreed upon procedures. While at Saint Rose, he interned with the firm.

Melissa Ann Hope ’17 is a recruiting consultant with Frank Recruiting Group, an international IT talent provider.

Christina Romeo ’17 has been selected as a fellow for the Center for Women in Government and Civil Society’s 2019 Women and Public Policy Fellowship. “I will be working for the NYS Coalition Against Domestic Violence in January 2019 as a public policy fellow and assist in their legislative and on-the-ground work to better advocate for domestic abuse survivors. I will also be embarking in my own research to help improve services for LGBTQ+ teens and young adults who are trying to escape abusive relationships and often find themselves in homeless shelters due to not having family to depend on. Past fellows now hold high ranks in positions in public services all over New York State, the country, and the world.”

Allee von Stackelberg ’16 is anticipating to graduating with her Juris Doctorate in December from Albany Law School. “I will be taking the bar exam in February,” she says. “After that, I am off to work at an Albany law firm for a few months before I start a clerkship with a federal judge!”

Courtney Carr ’15 reports that her title has changed to marketing manager at Skyline Helicopter Tours LLC, in Las Vegas, Nevada. “Since we last talked, I am now planning events and handling our traditional marketing in addition to social,” she adds.

Jose Romero G’14 has joined Lee Premium Outlets (Lee, Mass.) as director of marketing and business development. According to real-estate firm Simon, the owner of the mall, he will be responsible for all marketing and sales initiatives for the property, and he will oversee media relations and community engagement. Romero has held leadership roles in marketing throughout New York State.

Mathew Vincent ’14, G’18 was featured in The Tangerine, the publication of Utica College. A native of Utica, Vincent talked about his new position as area coordinator of a Utica College residence hall as well as an adjunct faculty member. He also mentioned that he and another area coordinator have started a program called Daymaker, in which each employee is assigned to another employee, and challenged to make that person’s day better in some way. They also take a selfie with their assignee. The object is to get people to know one another better, Vincent added.

Sheri Fortin G’13 has joined Saratoga Center for the Family in Saratoga Springs, New York, as a licensed mental health counselor.

Sean Johnson G’13 has been appointed assistant principal at Nassau BOCES Barry Tech (Long Island). “There’s such a variety of programs here,” Johnson said of Barry Tech, based in Westbury, New York. “We’re teaching 21st-century career skills. I want to help get kids started on a path that can become a really viable career. It’s a hands-on opportunity to impact students’ lives.” Before joining Nassau BOCES, Johnson had worked as a teacher, then English department coordinator, in New York City.

Megan Thomas ’13 has joined Thomas Pest Services in Albany, New York, as director of business development. She had previously worked for the Walt Disney Company and MKTG, a marketing agency in New York City. In her new role, she will be working to develop sales, improve the customer experience, and increase employee engagement.

Lee Dixon ’11 is living in Washington, D.C., where he accepted a graphic design position at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in June. “I love living in D.C. and have been having a great time,” says Dixon. “I miss Albany, though, and plan on visiting a few times a year.”

Michael O’Brien G’11, a Germantown science and math teacher, has been named a New York State Master Teacher. O’Brien was among 275 educators from across the state to join the program, which celebrates the work of high-performing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) teachers. “The Master Teacher program will allow me to hone my skills in teaching, student engagement, and community involvement while providing the opportunity to collaborate with enthusiastic educators and future educators across New York State,” O’Brien said. O’Brien has taught in the district since 2013. He currently teaches Regents Chemistry, Columbia Greene Community College general chemistry 1, biotechnology 1, biotechnology II, and algebra I. O’Brien was designated a New York State Master Teacher after a rigorous application process, which included an exam, letters of recommendation, a group discussion, and an interview. As a Master Teacher, O’Brien will participate in statewide meetings, professional development, and workshops over four years, with the network of Master Teachers, to develop best practices in STEM education and to mentor other teachers.

Zach Bye ’10 was inducted into the Scotia-Glenville High School Hall of Fame. He was also recently featured for his coverage of trending sports news stories. The host of radio show The Fan for KKFN (104.3 FM) in Denver, Colorado, since early 2017, Bye previously had been cohost of Big Board Sports with Rodger Wyland on WTMM (104.5 FM).

Tyler Hassenpflug ’10 is working as a project specialist at Novo Nordisk in Lebanon, New Hampshire. “Things are going well.  I have spent the past few years in various roles working in the Biotech industry. I spent four years working for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals in Rensselaer, New York, before moving to Boston where I spent three years working as process engineer and started my M.S. at Tufts University in chemical and biological engineering with a focus in bioengineering. Last summer, I moved to Hanover, New Hampshire, with my fiancee while she is completing her MBA at Dartmouth. I recently applied to Dartmouth and MIT for my MBA, and I will find out if I got in by December. An education at Saint Rose set me up well for progressing both my career and education. With any luck, in two years, I will have completed my MBA from an Ivy-League school to add onto my M.S. from Tufts University and B.A. from Saint Rose. My short-term goal after completing my MBA will be to work for a top strategy consulting firm where I can develop new skill sets and be exposed to C-level leadership. My long-term goal is to return to the life science industry, where I will be able to take on a senior leadership role and help develop the company.”

2000s

Robert McGough ‘07 was recently hired as the assistant principal of Oliver W. Winch Middle School, which is part of the South Glens Falls District in Glens Falls, New York. Before being hired, he was the sixth-grade math teacher there.

Josh Colafemina ’05, Caryn Coughtry ’93, Steve Dagostino ’08, Chris Deubel ’90, and Kailey Egbert ’08 were inducted into the Saint Rose Athletics Hall of Fame for 2018.

Karen (Ruozzi) Trenosky ‘04 recently accepted a new position as an instructional technologist at The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice at Dartmouth College. “We are moving to the Upper Valley of Vermont and look forward to the winter and outdoor activities in Vermont,” she adds.

Rachel Deeb Gutierrez ’02, G’04 sent a lovely photo of Saint Rose alums who attended her wedding to Victor Gutierrez in June 2018. “Those in the photo are all connected to Saint Rose, and most have graduated from Saint Rose, and all but one are people that I met through BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in Christ), a club on campus,” she adds. “Since graduating in 2004, I have been volunteering with the group in the role of church advisor and continue to do so. I missed one year when I was away working as a speech therapist in Ecuador at an international school. Most in this picture, I have had the opportunity to mentor and continue to have close friendships with all of them.”

Natelege Turner-Hassell ‘02, G’03, G’08 was interviewed at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and unveiling of a new Community Schools wing at School 2 in Troy, New York, made possible through a $550,896 Community Schools grant. “I think the families in particular are going to be extremely excited. Our community school staff was just working out of one room before, so now to be able to actually have the opportunity to have such a larger space, to be able to break off into meeting space, to have exam rooms, I think that they will one, feel recognized and valued that we did something like this,” Turner-Hassell said of the expanded space.

1990s

Deborah Spass ’98 has joined SUNY Schenectady (formerly Schenectady County Community College) as executive secretary.

Rhonda Serre ’96 joined Greylock Federal Credit Union, based in the Berkshires, as corporate communications director, a newly created position. She most recently managed all fundraising and marketing efforts for Elder Services of Berkshire County and has led communications efforts in private, government, and nonprofit organizations throughout the region since graduating from Saint Rose in 1996.

Patricia Carmon ’96, founder and CEO of Carmon Enterprises in Columbus, Ohio, is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Ohio State University in environmental science, with a focus on water sustainability, primarily in countries lacking water for drinking and agricultural purposes. She founded Carmon Enterprises in 1999 to educate organizations on reinvestment of capital and has recently changed the firm’s direction to help organizations learn to conserve energy through use of solar, water, and electric resources. She is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Darren van Heusen G’96 and Chris Crounse G’98 have joined forces (and 9-irons) to open their own golf-inspired brewery at the Fairways of Halfmoon Golf Course in Mechanicville, New York. The friends, who are both high school teachers, had been brewing beer in the clubhouse’s basement since 2013, according to the Daily Gazette. They aim to have 8 to 12 beers on tap at any given time; the tap room is open Thursday through Sunday. Both golf aficionados, van Heusen and Crounse named their fermenters after legendary players Arnie (Palmer), Jack (Nicholson), Phil (Mickelson), and of course, Tiger.

Matthew Frank Guilbault ’93, Esq., began working with Novartis in Averill Park, New York, as associate director of state government affairs. “I handle state-level government affairs in the states of New York, Maine, and Vermont!” he says.

Garlyn MaGinnis ’93 was featured for her artwork, which she showed at the Mohawk Valley Center for the Arts in Little Falls, New York, in a joint exhibit, scheduled to run through November 10, 2018, with Julie Takacs. Although she majored in graphic design, MaGinnis told her interviewer that she had always been especially attracted to fine art.

Ron Marzitelli ’90 is the chief information officer at SUNY Schenectady (formerly Schenectady County Community College in Schenectady, New York), where he is responsible for directing operations of the information technology department including planning, coordinating, and initiating the activities of the office to ensure efficient and effective operations.

1980s

Mike Barcomb ’87 helped launch IBM Security’s Security Operations Center to help organizations train, prepare, and respond to cyberattacks. The IBM X-Force Command Cyber Tactical Operations Center (C-TOC) is housed in a tractor trailer that accommodates as many as two dozen participants and has everything it needs to run incident response drills from any location. The C-TOC began its journey in Brooklyn, New York, and made its way to Washington, D.C., for Cyber Week, before heading overseas for an extended European tour.

Michael Brophy ’84, G’90 has been named the president of Hilbert College in Hamburg, New York, and will take office on January 15, 2019. According to the college, he is the first male president in the school’s 61-year history. He had most recently served as president at Benedictine University (near Chicago, Illinois). Previous to that appointment, he was president of Marymount California University (Rancho Palos Verdes, California).

1970s

Elizabeth Miller ’76 was honored as one of six awardees at the Women Who Mean Business luncheon sponsored by the Albany Business Review. She is president and owner of Miller Mechanical, Doty Machine Works, and Park Theater of Glens Falls, New York.

Several alums, one honor

Several Saint Rose alums were honored by the YWCA of the Greater Capital Region at its Resourceful Women’s Awards Luncheon on November 19. They are: Kathleen Skeals ’88 of the North Colonie Central Schools; Tamara Thorpe-Odom G’08 of the Schenectady City School District’s Central Park Middle School; Mary Darcy ‘88 of Uptown/Downtown Media and All Over Albany; Jordan Glindmyer ‘09 of Pinup Jordan’s Mermaid Lounge; and Michaelle Mugisha G’15 of United Way of the Greater Capital Region.

In memoriam
Brio Burgess G’00
Michael Guntlow ‘98
Rae Marie Hutchinson Knoebel ‘98
Elizabeth Anne Van Deusen Varney ‘96
Michael Sheehan ‘96
Mary Femia ‘94
James R. Gordon ’83, G’86
Lorraine Ann Collins Hedrick ‘85
Diane Kaplan Isenberg G’84
Susan Jean Kelley ’80, G’82
Beverly Maszdzen ’79, G’81
Susan Helenek St. John ‘78
Stanya S. Jimenez ‘76
Georgeen Ingersoll Peebles G’75
Sister Valerie Paccone, C.R. G’75
Sally Jovell ’74, G’79
William Houlton, Jr., ’69, G’71
Sister Joyce Gadoua, CSJ ‘68
Sister Jane McCullough ‘64
Edward G. Devine G’63
Patricia Tierney ’63 (formerly Sister James Marian, CSJ)
Eleanor Cundiff MacFarland ‘59
Elizabeth “Betty” Rutnik ‘58
Irene Kelley Murray ‘56
Suzanne Metzger Oster ‘56
Sister Janice Elizabeth O’Neil ’51, G’61
Claire Ver’Schneider Hayes ‘50
Kathleen Van Den Houten England ‘49
Marguerite Wathier Marsh ‘49
Sister Maria Rosario Daley ‘45
Janet DeMeyer Mulrooney ‘43
Monica M. Delorey ‘42

Friends of Saint Rose
George Pfaff
Kevin Kees