2000s

00 It’s the Little Things

As I write this, we are amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of you are experiencing the “peak” in your area, some of you are about to, and none of us knows what that will truly look like. By the time you read this, our lives will have changed forever, from day-to-day routines, to losing a family member. I will not use this column to serve up platitudes that are thick in a sugar coating, nor will I bring us down like the evening news. Instead, I will use this column to tell you about a few good things I have seen and heard during this time. In my neighborhood, people have been a lot friendlier in the past few weeks, strangers saying hello, waving from across the streets, kind chalk messages written on the sidewalks. I even find myself waving to the Amazon Prime delivery guy who I see on our streets more frequently now. I have noticed an uptick in the actual phone calls I make and answer. Friends call to say hello and see how my family and I are doing. Even with my kids, who are stuck at home and can’t participate on their teams, leagues and classes, I find myself enjoying my time with them, rather than rushing from one activity to another. It seems as if we are making more personal connections with one another now. We all have seen the drive-by birthday parties for kids who can’t have an in-person birthday party, or the family singing “Happy Birthday” to family members in quarantine. My own kids have made cards for those in nursing homes who cannot have visitors and may be lonely. I hope we can focus on these smaller day-to-day actions to lift our spirits and realize we are all in this together. (Ok, that is one sugar-coated platitude.) I have one announcement from a classmate, and it was a happy one. Christina (Kolski) and Jerry Pinilla welcomed into the world a healthy baby boy, Alexander Philip Pinilla, on Jan. 17 in Chicago. Grandfather Philip Kolski ’69 could not be prouder. Christina married Jerry at Old St. Patrick’s Church in Chicago on Aug. 10, 2019. In attendance at the wedding, were ND classmates Kara (Klaas) Khouri and Cory Wagner. Christina lives in Chicago and works for Chicago Public Schools as a social-emotional learning specialist. I hope you are doing well, washing your hands, not touching your faces and taking whatever positives you can from a challenging time. Please feel free to email me and brag about the good things you and your family have done for others during this time and fill me in on all your updates. Thanks, guys. — Laurie (Strotman) O’Malley; ndbug3@hotmail.com

 

00MBA Class Secretary — Georgette (Leonard) Stubin;

46917 Polo Drive, Canton MI 48187; mba2000@alumni.nd.edu

 

00JD Class Secretary — Brian J. Murray;

178 Cranston Court, Glen Ellyn IL 60137; res 630-881-5181; doubledomer2000@gmail.com

 

01 Welcome News

Toni (Plummer) Kirkpatrick has returned to acquisitions after a few years of freelance editing. She is a senior acquisitions editor at Crooked Lane Books in New York City, acquiring crime and book club fiction. Last year Toni won honorable mention for the Reynolds Price Prize in Fiction given by the Center for Women Writers. Christian Shelton Hawley and his wife Madeline welcomed their first child, Valerie Clélie Hawley, on July 15, 2019. Christian and Madeline are head priests at their respective parishes: St. Matthew’s and St. Christopher’s Episcopal churches in Austin TX. As a double preacher’s kid, Valerie regularly finds herself in day care detention hall. Visits by John “Junior” Lavan and Matt Altman during her formative months understandably have contributed to her delinquency. If you ever find yourself in Austin, and promise not to tell any Club 23 stories, please look them up for a taco or a trail run. — Michael Anselmi; 415-860-7130; manselmi@alumni.nd.edu

 

01MBA Class Secretary — Dominic Pang;

dpang@panglaw.com

 

01JD Happy News to Share

Mark Pasko was promoted to chief legal officer for QBE North America in November. After 15 years at Linklaters, Tessa Davis is now with Morrison & Foerster LLP, and still enjoys living and working in Singapore. Anne and Ryan Mahoney welcomed twin sons on Feb. 26. Dylan Brian (older by a minute) and Fionn Patrick stayed in the NICU for six weeks, but finally came home on April 9. They were greeted with great curiosity (and minor trepidation) by their one-year-old brother, James Cornelius. COVID-19 made hospitals challenging to visit every day. Christopher Riley underwent another brain surgery in December, from which he is recovering well while maintaining his private practice. Please keep him in your prayers. Eric Moser’s personal injury practice is still his day job, but his third interactive novel, Zip! Speedster of Valiant City was published on Feb. 20. Adrienne Franco Busby, Sarah Bassler Millar, and Janelle Tranquillo Blankenship are partners at the newly merged Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP. I hope you stay safe and healthy during these difficult times. Please remember to send me news for our column. — Jonell Lucca; cell 602-677-3266; jonelllucca@yahoo.com

 

02 Updates Galore

Mo (Whitaker) Dana married Christopher Dana on Oct. 5 at Most Holy Trinity Church in East Hampton NY. Msgr. George T. Deas was the celebrant. Mo and Chris live in NYC. Notre Dame classmates and lacrosse teammates in attendance included Natalie (Loftus) Hax, Katherine (Scarola) Stringer, Rachel (Turk) Kirchener, Maureen (Henwood) Hildbold, Kathryn (Lam) Valenti, Alyssa (Moser) Gorman, Anne Hoffmans, Susan (Murray) Frazier, Eleanor (Weille) Davidson ’03, Kristen (Gaudreau) Durkin ’04, Jimmy Stringer, Sean Gorman, and Joey Hildbold ’03. Trace Hendrick was elected chairman of the Michigan Association of General Contractors (AGC). Trace is the youngest chairman in the Michigan AGC’s 100-year history as well as the first third-generation chairman following his father Chip Hendrick ’75 and his grandfather Bill Hendrick ’44. Daniel Hoody was named the interim chief medical officer at Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis in September. In July 2019, John Cowen was elected to the city commission of Brownsville TX. He and his wife, Robin, had their third child, William Alexander, in November. Alberto Garza married Raphael Girardoni on ranchland in the West Texas town of Marfa during Memorial Day weekend in 2019. Alberto is manager of data analytics at the US Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Raphael is from Vienna, Austria, and is a managing director at American Airlines. They reside in Dallas. The wedding party included Joanna Garcia and Nancy (Wong) Kuster. Other Domers in attendance included Teresa (Becher) Down, Michael Down, James DiStefano, Jennifer Hamamoto, and Erich Stanley ’03Arch. Guests enjoyed a weekend of Texas hospitality including a welcome BBQ and a wedding reception featuring live jazz and great food. Nadir Kiyanclar provides the following update: “Imma let the rest of you finish, but Iryna Rogova and I have achieved the greatest Class of 2002 update of all time, welcoming triplets Asya, Kaya and Vera Kiyanclar on Feb. 28.” I’m thinking of you all during these trying times and hoping that you’re staying healthy and connected to each other. — Lisa (Sestile) Corcoran; lsestile@alumni.nd.edu

 

02MBA Class Secretary — Melissa Hurd;

hurdmc@yahoo.com

 

02JD Election Law in the Time of COVID-19

Greetings from socially distanced South Bend. While it is certainly unnatural to see campus devoid of students at this time of year, it does make it possible to maintain social distancing while enjoying a spring walk around the lakes, a small silver lining. As lawyers, we know that the nation’s current situation and the new normal that awaits us once social distancing orders are relaxed will lead to a myriad of novel legal issues. Our own Andrew Mayle recently had an early opportunity to become involved in one such issue when, with less than 24 hours before the polls were set to open for Ohio’s March 17 primary, the governor sought to delay the election. Shortly thereafter, a candidate retained Andy seeking to keep the primary on its established date. On behalf of his client, Andy filed a complaint in the Supreme Court of Ohio, seeking to compel the secretary of state to comply with the statutorily established primary date. Following an early morning telephone hearing on the day of the primary, the court denied the complaint. The day after the primary, several political parties asked the court to establish new election rules and deadlines. Several candidates retained Andy to file amicus briefs in this new case, arguing for judicial restraint in anticipation of the Ohio legislature crafting a statutory remedy. After the new legislation was enacted, Andy petitioned the Supreme Court to dismiss that lawsuit as moot, which the court did. When not busy making Ohio safe for democracy, Andy is in private practice and has argued several cases in front of the Supreme Court of Ohio, including a recently won case wherein the court unanimously vacated two consecutive life sentences in a case Andy argued last year. Good work all around, counselor. — Ryan D. Costantini; 414 S. Notre Dame Ave., South Bend IN 46617; mobile 574-339-8050; ryan.costantini@gmail.com

 

03 Happy News

Priscilla Ro married Theodore Harkness over Veteran’s Day weekend, Nov. 9, at Rixey Manor in Rixeyville VA. Angela (Chiappetta) and Brendan Fitzpatrick welcomed their fifth child, Cora Magdalene, on Nov. 11. She is doted on by her two sisters and two brothers. They are enjoying life in St. Louis where Brendan practices emergency medicine and Angela works in a private dental office. Chris Zimmerman was named vice chair of The Children’s Guild Alliance Board of Directors this year. The Children’s Guild Alliance is a nonprofit organization serving children, families, and child-serving organizations and is dedicated to transforming how America educates and cares for its children through education, behavioral health, and national training and consultation services. Katherine M. Hance has been promoted to partner at Shipman & Goodwin LLP in the firm’s Washington DC office. Katherine represents insurers on a wide range of coverage and insurance issues, bankruptcy-related matters, and claims of bad faith. She obtained her JD in 2006 from Georgetown U Law Center. Congratulations to everyone on their wonderful news. Go Irish. — Joshua Gentine; jgentine@alumni.nd.edu

 

03MBA Class Secretary — Rosemary Guillette;

9 Messenger St., Unit 7, Plainville MA 02762; rguillette@alumni.nd.edu

 

03JD Class Secretary — Lawrence A. Ward;

206-903-8817; ward.lawrence@dorcey.com 

 

04 Career Accomplishments

Dr. David Yeager ’04, ’06MEd, an associate professor of developmental psychology at the U of Texas at Austin, was honored with the American Psychological Association’s Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology in the area of developmental psychology. This award recognizes psychologists who are at early stages of their research careers. Schiff Hardin LLP announced in March that Christopher Roman has joined the firm’s growing private clients, trusts and estates practice group as counsel in their Chicago office. Several members of our class were featured in the Alumni Association’s “Be The Light,” which shared stories of members of the ND family fighting on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among them were Nicole (Wykoff) Condrey, the mayor of Middletown OH; Donald Zimmer MD, an ER physician and the director of medical education at Memorial Hospital in South Bend; and Keri (Oxley) Brenner MD, a palliative care physician helping to care for those who are approaching the end of life with coronavirus. I hope you and your families have remained healthy and safe in these challenging times. — Carol Martino; carolmartino10@gmail.com

 

04MBA Let’s Beat this Together

Jeff Stewart, retired Brigadier Gen. Keith W. Gallagher and Keith Robinson MD wrote a white paper and recorded a podcast that explains to physicians how to deliver invasive BiPAP to patients so that healthcare providers can learn about additional ventilator capacity that already exists within their hospitals. Claire Hill, her husband, Luca, and their daughter Lily welcomed Vivian to their family in February. Everyone is healthy and doing well. Michelle and I and our daughter, Elizabeth, and son Luke welcomed Joseph William to our family at the end of February. While no March Madness takes place on the basketball court, zone defense is being learned and tweaked in Chesterton. Stay safe, stay healthy and keep the updates coming. — Harry Howisen; hhowisen@gmail.com

 

04JD Class Secretary — Elizabeth Miceli;

emicelilaw@gmail.com

 

05 Class Secretary — Kristin Boyd;

Credit Suisse, 11 Madison Ave., New York NY 10010; 317-523-1195; kristin.boyd@gmail.com

 

05MBA Class Secretary — Himanshu Gosar;

hgosar@alumni.nd.edu

 

05JD On the Move

A few of our classmates were on the move in 2020, a year that we will not soon forget. Jack Barber joined the Chicago office of Latham & Watkins LLP in its litigation and trial department and as a member of its securities litigation and professional liability practice. Jack previously served as assistant general counsel for accounting firm Crowe LLP. Jack, who is also a certified public accountant, has expertise in managing litigation, white-collar defense and investigations, government regulatory matters, transactional and employment-related diligence matters and conducting internal investigations, including broad experience representing clients before the US Securities and Exchange Commission and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board. Jack is joined in the office by Nick Siciliano, whose practice focuses on securities and professional liability litigation, as well as complex commercial disputes. In San Francisco, Rob Crea joined Vedder Price as a shareholder in its investment services group in the San Francisco office. Prior to joining Vedder Price, Rob served as counsel at K&L Gates. He counsels investment advisers, private fund managers and broker-dealers on a variety of fund formation, product structuring, regulatory and compliance, performance presentation and securities law matters. Crea regularly works with clients to structure and document US and offshore private investment funds and assists clients with a variety of state and federal regulatory and compliance issues. He represents pension plans and other institutional investors in connection with their investments in hedge funds, private equity, venture capital and real estate funds. Out in Southern California, Mike Torres launched Newport Pacific Law, PC. Mike spent nearly a decade working as a city attorney with the City of Newport Beach, where he specialized in government and land use law serving as the staff attorney to the Newport Beach Planning Commission. He specializes in planning and land use (helping private and public parties develop, redevelop, and modify their property), government relations (helping private and public parties work with the government to obtain permits, approvals and process applications), real estate, and all areas of coastal development/tidelands (working with the California Coastal Commission, State Lands Commission, and local jurisdictions).In Boston, Meghan (Rhatigan) Holmes was honored as a 2020 Leader in the Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly at its annual reception and award dinner, which took place on March 5 in Boston. She also was a member of the 2019 leadership council on Legal Diversity Fellows Program. Meghan serves as associate general counsel, litigation, for Thermo Fisher Scientific. While in Phoenix for a February work conference, I took a couple hours to stop by and see Nicolle (Sielle) Hood, Sean Hood ’03JD and their three wonderful children. Nicolle serves as general counsel of Camelback Partners Group, a private equity group that operates portfolio companies in several states. Sean is a partner at Fennemore Craig PC where he chairs the firm’s business litigation practice group. Finally, while coping with the COVID-19 pandemic, several classmates made use of technology to reconnect. Becky (Parrott) Waldren put together a long-overdue “happy hour” via Zoom, and was joined by Anne (Egan) Wagstaff, Jack Palma, Anna (Smith) Helton, Devin Schultz, Pat Kilbane, and me. It was wonderful catching up with everyone. Let’s not make it another 15 years. — Adam J. Russ; Houston TX; adamjruss@gmail.com

 

06 Congrats Coach Duff

After turning around the Miami OH women’s basketball program, Megan Duffy was named head coach at Marquette U in Milwaukee. Despite an abrupt end to the season, Megan’s team finished second in the Big East, she was named Big East Coach of the Year, and would’ve had her first NCAA berth as a coach. Justin Brophy successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in the Notre Dame Political Science Dept. and will be joining the faculty at Providence College in the fall. Caitlin Diffley and her husband Chris Crump welcomed their fourth child this year. Saoirse Ruairí Skye joins siblings Liam, Corbett, and Magdalene (Molly). This past year Caitlin finished a master’s in National Security Affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey CA and left for her next assignment in Germany this spring. Chris will continue his job as an operations engineer for his commercial satellite company as well as his career in the Air Force Reserve. Mary and John Slonkosky welcomed a son, Henry Charles, on March 13. Jacqueline and Lee Regner welcomed their first child, Charles Robert, on Oct. 4. — Anna (Skoien) Lall; annagracelall@gmail.com

 

06MBA Class Secretary — Andrew Sama;

276 Mendoza College of Business, Notre Dame IN 46556; cell 574-339-6115; bus 574-631-5206; nd.mba.classof2006@gmail.com

 

06JD Class Secretary — Amir Hassan Sadaghiani;

sadaghiani@alumni.nd.edu

 

07 Class Secretary — Stephanie Pelligra;

ndclassnotes2007@gmail.com

 

07MBA Class Secretary — Tom Ponisciak;

tponisci@nd.edu

 

07JD It’s Baaaaaaack

Whether you listen to T.I. or Eminem, whether you like J.K. Rowling or Michael Jordan, or whether you understand the reference to Trading Places in Coming to America, everyone loves a comeback story. Welcome back to Notre Dame Magazine ’07JD. Last October, Sarah Wake and her husband, Casey Troyer, welcomed their first child, Augustine Benjamin Troyer. Little Gus was baptized in the Basilica, of course. Copious numbers of pictures were taken at the Grotto and other Notre Dame staples. Lou Holtz was unavailable for the christening, even though Digger Phelps gave a pre-domination “Beat SC” shout out at their wedding. Congratulations Sarah and Casey. May 2019, David Mathues and his wife, Lauren, welcomed their second child, Isaiah Sebastian Walker Mathues. More good news, David was promoted to partner at Hervas, Condon, and Bersani, located in the northwest Chicago suburbs, where he represents local government entities and their employees. Congratulations David and Lauren. Last October, Susan (Brunka) Logan and Nathan Logan ’06JD had their fourth child, Thomas Lee Logan. Congratulations to this Notre Dame couple. Little Thomas already knows the Notre Dame Victory March and Alma Mater. Whether he develops the unhealthy obsession with Notre Dame football that my son has, only time will tell. All the best to the Logans. Please send me news to keep folks up to date. Or use Facebook. Thank you. — Patrick A. Salvi II; Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., 161 N. Clark St., Suite 4700, Chicago IL 60601; 312-372-1227; psalvi2@salvilaw.com

 

08 Updates

Rachel (Brandon) Hendricks and Todd Hendricks welcomed a beautiful baby girl on Aug. 23, 2019. Sadie has brought so much joy and love into their lives already. They can’t wait to introduce her to the ND family. Steph (Lewis) Shambo and her Illini husband Jason welcomed their second child, James Robert, on Oct. 4. Life is crazy but wonderful, and big sister Clare adores her brother despite always trying to touch his face. Steph serves as the president of the Notre Dame Club of Chicago. Emily Rickert Fitzgerald has been named partner at Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP. She concentrates her practice on commercial litigation and business disputes, class action defence and product liability. Nicholas Houpt has also been promoted to partner at Akin Gump. He concentrates on mergers and acquisitions for private equity funds and companies, with a core focus on clients in the special situations practice. Plunkett Cooney insurance coverage attorney, Nicole C. Ruggirello, was named to the 2019 Class of “Up & Coming Lawyers” by Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Nicole represents several major property and casualty insurance companies in coverage cases throughout the Midwest. Her coverage work includes handling environmental contamination, construction defect and high-exposure product liability claims. Daniel Mannion was selected as an Upstate New York Super Lawyer – Rising Star for 2019. Dan is a partner in the real estate and corporate practices at Hancock Estabrook, LLP. Please keep the updates coming. We love hearing from you and so do our classmates. — Bridget Keating; classof2008@alumni.nd.edu

 

08MBA Class Secretary — Megan Ulrich;

meganlouisefitzgibbons@gmail.com

 

08JD Class Secretary — Marie-Therese Mansfield;

mt.mansfield1@gmail.com

 

09 Doing Better Than Fine

Our heartfelt thoughts go out to all the graduates of the Class of 2020. Please know the quarantine and social distancing are temporary and the Notre Dame family bond lasts far beyond campus. We grieve your loss and send our collective love during this time. We would like to thank our classmates for their courage and resolution to remain strong. We especially thank those in healthcare and on the front lines whose sacrifices and bravery inspire us daily, but particularly now. Over the next several submissions, we will name our classmate healthcare heroes, but we need your help in doing so. If your name (or the name of someone you know) is not mentioned, please reach out to be named in the next edition. Tommy Gruffi, Jillian Brems, Katie (Keegan) Anderson, Allison Fullenkamp, Maura Caufield, Jennifer (Hunt) Murray, Becki (Dorner) Sadowski, Caroline Green, Christina Sensabaugh, Adebola Giwa, Megan Savage, Tara Brito, Katie Rose Flannery, Mark Gorsche, Mark Hug, Erin (Wash) Cleary, Jess Lee, Claire Sevov, Christo Sevov, Hannah Duffey, Scott Hurley, Mark Langhans, Mark Sullivan, Annie Porter, Sean Gaffney, Kaitlen Jensen, Casey Chern, Michelle Byrne, and Joey Leary. Even in quarantine, Craig Wiborg and Andrew Matasic continued their adventures remotely by riding virtual elephants on Zoom. Please visit the Notre Dame Class of 2009 Facebook Page to reconnect with members of the class. If you have news or announcements, please contact me. Go Irish. — Megan Flynn; megflynn7@gmail.com

 

09MBA Class Secretary — Shawn Pulscher;

801-336-7344; spulscher@alumni.nd.edu

 

09JD Class Secretary — Josh Rinschler;

josh.rinschler@gmail.com