Class Notes
You are shooting commercials, designing Japanese gardens, delivering babies, developing apps, conserving art, installing swimming pools, publishing novels, and practicing law….See what’s happening in the lives of CGS alums, and submit your class note here.
1950s
Don Mahon (’52, COM’54) was a communications manager for PerkinElmer Corp. in Norwalk, Conn., for 32 years, and retired to Florida where he has been receiving awards for his volunteer work. Don was named 2016 Volunteer of the Year for Rotonda West Association, Florida’s largest HOA, and for the last three years, he has been honored as “Big Brother of the Year” for the Englewood, Fla., chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters, where he has been a board member and mentor for seven years. Don’s daughter, a mom and dialysis nurse, was named 2016 Big Sister of the Year. He writes, “There are now 23 in our Mahon clan in Florida and Connecticut. One granddaughter receives her doctorate in pharmacy in May. Life is good at 85!”
George Lilly (’54, COM’56) spent 60 years in television as an engineer, salesman, sales manager, station manager, group head, and owner of television stations. He is chair of SJL Broadcast Management Corporation, with stations in New York, Pennsylvania, and Hawaii, managed by his sons, Brian (COM’56) and Kevin (Questrom’90,’97 COM’97). George is married to Denise Lilly and lives in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Ralph Fasano (’57) writes that at 87, he is a retired photographer, father of 7, grandfather of 41, and great-grandfather of 11.
Henry Hobaica (’58, Wheelock’60,’67) writes that in 1957, he was a Korean War veteran who had just been discharged and was unsure about his future. He attended CGS through his veteran status. “The education I received at CGS was outstanding.” Henry graduated from Wheelock with a degree in elementary education and earned a master’s degree at Framingham State University and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study at BU. For 26 years, he worked as a teacher, a principal, and an administrative assistant for kindergarten through eighth grade. While attending CGS, Henry became involved in the construction business, installing swimming pools; in 1960, he started Easton Pool and Spa, a multimillion-dollar company now managed by his sons. The company has received numerous design awards over the years, and in 2014 and 2015 was voted one of the top 50 companies in the country by Pool and Spa News. Henry writes, “I’m now 83 and living the good life in Naples, Fla., and Easton, Mass., and I owe it all to CGS. I don’t know where I would have ended up if BU hadn’t given me the opportunity.”
1960s
Milton T. “Sandy” Martin, Jr. (’60, COM’62) writes that in May, he completed his 11th season as director/producer of Seacoast Idol. Since 2006, Seacoast Idol has hosted five American Idol finalists from New Hampshire and two Miss New Hampshire winners (2011 and 2016). In 2017, almost 90 singers auditioned and 27 competed in the show, with singers from the Boston area to Portland, Maine; the first international contestant was a 15-year-old from Quebec. Most of Sandy’s CGS classmates never knew he was a studio musician at Ace Studios in Boston when he was a student. He remembers going to school in Copley Square and watching the “Pru” being built.
Michael Trum (’60, Wheelock’76) writes that he is retired in Palm Springs, Fla., where he “couldn’t be living better.”
Richard Michaels (’63, COM’65) writes, “Best education I ever received in my life. Thank you.”
John Macchi (’63) is retired director of internal education at TracFone Wireless in Miami, Fla, and travels extensively with his wife, Patti. In the last few years, they have embarked on cruises to Russia and the Baltics, Brazil and the Amazon basin, China and Japan, and recently Antarctica. He lives in Coral Springs, Fla.
William Harrington (’68, CAS’70) writes that he has had several careers, including social work. When the personal computer revolution began, “I just had to be a part of it,” he writes, and worked at Hayden Software, Wang, and Apple. He went on to become a teacher, followed by a protective security officer for the federal government. He writes that he “had two wonderful children and several not-so-wonderful marriages. So the moral of the story is, life gets interesting and complicated, but maybe that’s the best kind of life.”
John Murray (CGS’68, CAS’71, MET’73) sold his interest in John Murray & Associates, an international capital fundraising firm, in 2000 and retired outside Santa Fe, N.M.
Steve Robinson (’66, CFA’69) writes that after 16 years as general manager of classical music at Chicago-based radio station WFMT and the international WFMT Radio Network, he left to form a new company, New Media Productions, to focus on producing classical music programs on digital media. During his time at WFMT, Steve doubled its net income, including during the recession; forged a cooperative relationship with Chinese and American classical music radio stations; founded the daily program Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin; and produced live broadcasts from Jerusalem, Durbin (South Africa), Salzburg, Quebec City, and other places. Steve worked at WBUR from 1967 to 1970. “Those years were incredibly important to me as my career unfolded.”
Nancy Wainer (’67, Wheelock’69) graduated as a speech and hearing pathologist but changed paths a few years later to become a homebirth midwife. Nancy coined the term “vaginal birth after cesarean” (VBAC), now used internationally, and has written two books, with another on the way. She speaks internationally on the subject of birth in the US. Her first book, Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (Praeger, 1983), was awarded Best Book in the Field of Health and Medicine by the American Library Association the year it was written. Nancy trains midwives, and women travel from all over the world to have her deliver their babies.
John Barry (’68) is about to publish a memoir, HARD: From Hardcore in the Heartland to the Heart of Hardwareland.
1970s
Karen Schiff (’72, CAS’74) earned a Master of Social Work from Boston College and worked for the Department of Mental Health. In 1980, she opened a private practice and worked part-time at first and full-time when she had the first of her two children. Karen’s husband is also in the mental health field. Karen has lived throughout Boston, including Jamaica Plain and the North End, as well as Cambridge, Arlington, and now Lexington.
Gershon Blumstein (’74, CAS’76) is a data scientist—“something I did not train for or even imagine I would be doing”—and has four children and five grandchildren. “While I was far from the best student in my class, I was the one who learned how to learn, study, and think. I only spent two years at the College of General Studies—then called the College of Basic Studies (CBS)—but the school and the professors made a very positive impact in my life,” Gershon says. “I went to many other universities and earned more than my fair share of advanced degrees, but those academic experiences do not compare to my years at CBS.” Gershon says he has finally picked a retirement date and looks forward to spending the last chapter of his life “having memorable adventures with my wife of 25 years.”
Richard Weill (’74) has lived in Oregon for 41 years, the last 30 in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area just outside of Portland. He has been practicing law for 35 years, and after many years of volunteer service, decided to take it “closer to home,” he writes. Richard joined the volunteer fire department and, after six months of academy training, is now a “probie.” Richard writes that he and his wife are home alone now that their children are employed and living in other states.
Lynn Zanchelli Tattersall (’77) of Madison, Conn., has been married for almost 34 years; her husband is a videographer for a local news station. Lynn has three grown children, and she is a library assistant at the Henry Carter Hull Library in Clinton, Conn.
Mike Thayer (’77, Questrom’79) writes that CGS was his “absolute favorite time at BU. I still remember my professors quite well. They encouraged me to reach for more detail, which helped me in the ‘big show’ (the school after CGS). Their work helped me every year I was a student at BU. Great, lasting memories.”
Gary Epstein (’79, COM’81) owns and operates Timeless Antiques, a watch and jewelry company in Brockton, Mass.
Sean Gilmore (’79) says that after years living in Hong Kong and working throughout Asia, he and his family have returned to the US and live in Lake Forest, Ill. Sean works at Engis Corporation in the semiconductor and microelectronics industries.
1980s
Albert Dore (’82, Questrom’84) is director of customer concierge and customer experience for Vantage Deluxe World Travel, where he is spearheading quality improvement and enhancing customer experience. He previously worked with FedEx and Dunkin’ Donuts in their customer service operations.
Lynne Atlin-Nahmani (’83, SAR’85) writes that after graduating from BU’s College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College and obtaining a license as an occupational therapist, she earned a JD from Temple University James E. Beasley School of Law. Lynne has been a practicing attorney since 1989; for the last 13 years, she has been the supervising shareholder of the Defense Health Care Liability group at Marshall Dennehey’s South Jersey office. Married in 1990, Lynne and her husband have three children.
Gabrielle (Garland) Aroshas (’84, Questrom’86) is a self-employed business development consultant in South Florida after 22 years as a specialty pharmaceutical sales representative.
Alys Myers (’85, COM’88) is an artist whose work is dedicated to encouraging empathy and compassion in the world. Her current project, All The Pardons, is a phone app that informs users when they are being rude with their cell phones.
Leslie (Robinson) Ridlon (’85, MET’01) is retired and living happily in Palm Harbor, Fla.
Tim Langmaid (’87, COM’89) writes, “It was great to return to campus in April, touring BU with my teenage daughters who are considering applying to the University.” Tim was recently promoted to vice president and senior editorial director at CNN.
Nicholas Hofgren (’88) lives in London and works in Guernsey and the United Arab Emirates.
1990s
Liz Fine (’91, COM’93) is senior vice president of original programming at VH1.
Philip Carey (’92, CAS’94) launched the registered investment advisor (RIA) firm Lloyd Crescendo Advisors to help families manage their global wealth through a holistic approach that incorporates individual values and unique investment opportunities. Philip formed the RIA with expertise from Lloyd Jones Capital and Crescendo Capital, two Swiss-based firms; its headquarters and the wealth management business will be located in Miami, while the asset management division will be run out of a New York office.
Peter Dulac (’93, COM’95) has been working for Enterprise Holdings since graduation. At Enterprise, “you are trained on the job how to run a business from the ground up,” writes Peter, who has worked as a management trainee, management assistant, assistant manager, branch manager, area manager of downtown Boston, director of business rental, group rental manager of 50 locations, regional vice president of Boston, vice president of rental in Arizona, and corporate vice president of Germany. Peter is a corporate vice president for Europe and EMEA business development at the world headquarters in Saint Louis, Mo. He works for Pamela Nicholson, president and CEO, who is ranked as one of Fortune’s 20 Top Female CEOs in North America. Peter travels to Europe for a week each month to assist Enterprise’s European operations.
Felecia Lewis (’94, SAR’98) writes that CGS prepared her for challenges as a teacher, forensic scientist, and philanthropist. “I dedicated my service to identify victims from 9/11 and various mass disasters using cutting-edge advances in DNA.” Felecia also helped build two schools in Liberia and recently earned a PhD.
David Siroky (’95, UNI’97), a Boston native, lives in Phoenix, Ariz., where he is associate professor of political science at Arizona State University.
2000s
Kendrick Watson (’02, COM’04) is the academic programs director at the University of Southern California Dornsife Spatial Sciences Institute. He is responsible for recruiting and admissions, academic advisement and degree progress, curriculum coordination, alumni outreach, and development across 10 academic programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. In 2012, he earned his master’s in educational administration from California State University, Northridge, and lives in San Marino, Calif., with his wife, Kelly, and sons, Thomas, Christopher, and Jonathan.
Puru Trivedi (’04, Questrom’06) was recently featured in the Washington Diplomat for his work with the US-India Bilateral Relationship.
Jessica Weis (’04, CAS’06) is the program director of the Petey Greene Program, which supplements education in correctional institutions by preparing volunteers, primarily college students, to bring quality tutoring and related programming to incarcerated people. The tutors and teaching assistants provide adult basic education, high school, high school equivalency, and college classes at no charge to the students or to the correctional facilities. Petey Greene is a small but growing national organization with more than 20 employees in 8 states (Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Rhode Island, and an office in Washington, D.C). It partners with the Boston University Prison Education Program, which provides college classes to incarcerated people at two Massachusetts correctional facilities.
Griffin Nash (’06, COM’08) has been working in the film and television industry since graduation and owns Nash Pictures LLC with his twin brother, Clifford Nash (COM’08), in Boston. Nash Pictures produces commercials for brands, businesses, and agencies.
Amanda Curtis (’07, COM’09) (center) is the CEO and cofounder of the fashion tech platform Nineteenth Amendment, which she started four years ago after working as a fashion designer in New York City. Nineteenth Amendment helps designers launch while growing domestic manufacturing through technology and data. Since launching, the startup has worked with more than 500 brands globally and has partnered with companies like Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, and Microsoft. In 2016, Amanda was named to 30 Under 30 lists in both Forbes and Apparel Magazine. She is passionate about female entrepreneurship, fashion tech, and advocating for women in technology, and mentors with AOL’s Built by Girls to help high school girls learn about the creative side of the tech space. Amanda writes, “This picture was taken at Macy’s Herald Square during New York Fashion Week. We are the first startup to partner with Macy’s and got our designers—pictured in the background of this photo—into their store. Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren and my cofounder Gemma Sole are in the front with me.” Photo courtesy of Amanda Curtis
Adanta Ahanonu (’08, Questrom’10) of Tucson, Ariz., is the site director of Higher Education Programs at Year Up Bay Area. Year Up is a national nonprofit that empowers urban young adults to launch professional careers in a single year after completing a free, one-year intensive career-readiness training program.
Gabe Amzallag (’08, Questrom’10) lives outside Philadelphia, Pa., with his wife, Ariel Goldstein (’07, CAS’09), and daughters, Ava and Maya. Gabe does retail leasing brokerage for MSC Retail in the Philly region.
Molly Ford (’10, COM’12) and Sarah Jesup (’10, SHA’13) launched The Food Lens, a website that enables the culinarily curious to discover Boston’s best dining scenes. With its rigorously vetted reviews and beautiful food photography, The Food Lens is an alternative to crowd-sourced restaurant reviewing. The team visits each featured restaurant multiple times for different meals to produce a holistic impression of the dining experience. As Sarah says, “All of our content is curated, it’s authentic, and it’s really written and developed by local people who truly know the ins and outs of the Boston food and drink scene.” Molly and Sarah met during their freshman year at CGS and reconnected in Boston years later. A mutual love of food and travel—along with their individual skills in hospitality and content creation—help the two create a unique and authentic dining guide.
2010s
Laura Brown (’11, CAS’13) writes that she is back at BU working on an MFA in film and television studies at the College of Communication.
Helen Lee (’12, SAR’14) served two AmeriCorps years with City Year Boston, through which she had the opportunity to coach, mentor, and tutor students at a Boston public school in Dorchester. She is back at BU as a library coordinator at Wheelock’s Pickering Educational Resources Library. She writes, “I’m happy to be back! #Proud2BU.”
Maria Henning (’14, CAS’16) walked the Camino de Santiago, saw the Pope during World Youth Day in Poland, and visited the Taj Mahal, all while working with her mother at their family-founded nonprofit, Saludos Connection. The organization sends medicine and medical aid to Venezuelans in need during the current humanitarian crisis. Maria writes, “In addition to all this, I am continuing my yoga teaching and pursuing more education in yoga instruction. Recently, I had the pleasure of being able to participate in BU’s first Latin American Summit in Miami, and I am looking forward to the next one. Thank you, BU and CGS, for all that you’ve done for me!”
