2000s

00 Silver Linings

Hi, classmates. I know we have felt fatigue, anger, annoyance and sadness amid this pandemic. However, I hope this column can shed some light on a few silver linings, a few good things our classmates have been up to. Rainer Schwabe PhD has been promoted to the role of principal at Cornerstone Research, where he consults on antitrust and competition cases, including matters related to allegations of price fixing, exclusionary practices and mergers and acquisitions. Another of our classmates, Laura (Antkowiak) Hussey, published her academic research book, The Pro-Life Pregnancy Help Movement: Serving Women or Saving Babies? She works as a political science professor and director of the Sondheim Public Affairs Scholars Program at the U of Maryland, Baltimore County. She also works hard as a mother to three teenage children. Erin (Stauffer) Catalina and Jeff Catalina ’96, ’97MBA welcomed daughter Rally Jane in February 2020. They would like to thank the ND football team for putting her name on the jerseys this season. Big sister Benji is looking forward to her next visit to campus. After meeting “Mr. Mike” Tirico and the leprechaun at her first home game, the bar is set high. Our class is doing some great things in work life and home life. Our classmate, Dan Irving sent me some motivational words, about our life priorities. We all could use these words during these challenging moments: “First, you need to pick a career that you are excited about. Find your passion. For me, it was saving lives. Second is optimism. Visualize yourself doing what you love. Again, saving lives. Third is work ethic. Pursue your passion with great diligence and a strong work ethic. Next is religion. Find your faith and acknowledge a power greater than yourself. With these, you will have success. Passion, optimism, work ethic, religion, success. That spells POWERS. With this formula, I became a doctor, living the dream with a wonderful wife and kids, and saving lives. COVID-19 has made me more aware of my POWERS mantra and I encourage you all to think of POWERS as I did while developing my career and still do every day.” I think Dan may have a second career as a motivational speaker. As always, I thank you for your updates and look forward to hearing from more of you. Please send me an email about the wonderful things you and your families are doing to keep going and looking toward the silver linings. — Laurie (Strotman) O’Malley; ndbug3@hotmail.com

 

00MBA Class Secretary — Georgette (Leonard) Stubin;

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

 

00JD Farewell

During the first few weeks of our law school career in the fall of 1997, I was studying with Brian Murray, the previous custodian of this column, at Fischer Graduate Residences. During our study session, I remember thinking, “He should be teaching this class.” He was that smart! Brian was also generous, kind and had a great sense of humor. We were saddened by his passing but will always cherish the times we had together. This is my first column as secretary for the class and if you want to avoid a running commentary of my lunches and happy hours with Nick Coutsos, please send me updates of what is happening with you or other classmates. Congratulations to Chris Mugica who was named to the 2021 list of Best Lawyers in America.  Chris is a partner at Jackson Walker in Austin, Texas. For those of us not on Facebook, these columns are informative and entertaining — so keep the updates coming! — Daniel W. Hardwick; 3825 24th Street North, Arlington, Virginia 22207; danhardwick@gmail.com.

 

01 New Horizons

After a decade at the private equity firm TPG, Meghan (Dunne) Reynolds has taken a new role as partner at JAZZ Venture Partners, an early stage venture capital firm focused on the intersection of technology, neuroscience and human performance. Meghan and her husband, Matt Reynolds, were inspired to make the change by their daughter, Maeve, who suffers from brain injury and epilepsy. The Reynolds reside in Spring Lake NJ with their two children. Any visitors to the New Jersey shore are welcome to come by and say hi. David and Faith Ramsour spent seven weeks on an epic western adventure this fall, driving 6,972 miles through 15 states and seven national parks with their two sons. There is not too much else to report, but we are getting close to our 20th reunion. As mentioned, T. Drew Mitchell is looking to re-open Irish Connection. At the same time, William Zac Markwell plans to rent out Lafayette Apartments (“The Blue Zoo” and renamed University Parallel Graduate Townhomes) for the week and plans to bring in Corey “DJ Hitman” Hartmann to DJ the weekend. I hope everyone is staying safe and sane. Please post to our Instagram account @nd2001alumni if you have anything to share. — Michael Anselmi; manselmi@alumni.nd.edu.

 

01MBA Fall Updates 

Kris Hamner and family visited the Notre Dame campus to give twin daughters a tour and to catch the Navy game last fall. The kids were in awe of the campus and cold temperatures. Kris also started a new position in December as VP of human resources for JSR Corporation in Sunnyvale CA. Justin Luber was promoted to north area director for Johnson Controls (JCI). He loved living in Portland for the past 12 years but will relocate to the Midwest to be closer to JCI HQ in Milwaukee. He is excited to attend Notre Dame home football games. Dan Hennessy and his family are still living in Atlanta where he recently began a new role at a new company. After 15 years in the beer business at MolsonCoors, Dan joined Serta-Simmons Bedding as the senior vice president of marketing, leading their Beautyrest brand among other things. He is excited about the new role, and staying put in Atlanta, as one of his daughters will be starting college nearby this fall, and his other daughter is a sophomore in high school. He hopes everyone from the ’01MBA is doing well and staying safe, and he looks forward to seeing everyone at our 20-year reunion next fall. Please email any updates you would like to appear in the Class Notes. — Dominic Pang; dpang@panglaw.com 

 

01JD Be Well 

JonMarc Buffa was promoted to assistant chief of the office of cooperative enforcement at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission in January. Michele Braukmann formed and is the founding member of her law firm, Meridian Law, PLLC, in Billings MT (meridianlawmt.com). She practices in the areas of civil and human rights, discrimination, wrongful discharge, employment law and child advocacy. I pray for everyone’s good health during these difficult times and hope you and your families are doing well. Please remember to send me news for our column. — Jonell Lucca; cell 602-677-3266; jonelllucca@yahoo.com

 

02 Sending Love

I received the sad news from Ryan Chasey that his wife, Angela, passed away in August after a battle with cancer. Ryan and Angie were married in October 2005 and lived in Fort Wayne IN. Angie was a graduate of Ball State, but Ryan converted her into a Notre Dame fan as they enjoyed attending football and men’s basketball games together. Angie was serving as director of leadership gifts at the Parkview Health Foundation in Fort Wayne at the time of her passing. Please keep Ryan in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Paul Zenderbaum wrote to share that his wife Lisa (Edgington) moved her residential real estate practice to Dickens Mitchener in Charlotte NC, joining the firm about one month before the pandemic shutdown. Somehow, she has continued to help her clients buy and sell their homes (even solely through Zoom) and has been recognized as one of the firm’s top selling agents. A huge congratulations to Mary (McKenna) Kennedy, whose first book, Lady of Ravensmere, was released in November. It is published under her maiden name Mary McKenna and is a historical fantasy coming-of-age novel. If anyone wants to learn more, you can find her at mary-mckenna.com. After reading about his incredible classmates for almost 20 years, Matthew “Murph” Murphy is happy to make his first update. He and his wife, Angela, welcomed their first son, Leo George Vincent Murphy, to the world on June 25. Matt and Angela were married last year at the Beverly Hills Courthouse. The church wedding was postponed due to COVID. Matt is a pilot for Delta Air Lines. Murph, Mrs. Murph and Little Murph are all doing well. Angela DeBruno and her husband Dejan Savich welcomed their third daughter, Finley Grace Savich, on May 13. Her sisters, Addison and Lyla, have been big helpers and are over the moon in love with her. They are settling in as a family of five and enjoying the extra time together during the pandemic. Emily (Hallinan) Mavridoglou recently began teaching art to children aged 2-5, at Saint Brigid Day School in Johns Creek GA. Emily and her family have been parishioners at Saint Brigid since moving to Atlanta in 2016. Emily’s son Cameron graduated from the day school last year and her daughter, Evangeline, is enrolled in the 2s program. Emily enjoys experiencing the excitement that the children express from the simplest of activities in the art studio. It makes her happy to see their faces light up as they explore their creativity and imagination in unexpected ways. The children remind her to take the time to be grateful for all of God’s blessings that make our days brighter. Kelly (Harris) Telfeyan wrote that during quarantine, she has watched almost every mainstream movie and TV series on Netflix and Amazon Prime and has now moved on to watching the random Korean equivalent of Gossip Girl, subtitles and all. Perhaps this is because she has been working on an eight-figure construction arbitration involving two Korean parties. Morley Fortier and his wife, Jessica, are expecting their fourth boy. They expect him to have the same fandom for the Irish as his brothers. Thanks to everyone for the updates. I’m thinking of you during these days and hoping everyone is staying safe and healthy. — Lisa (Sestile) Corcoran; lsestile@alumni.nd.edu

 

02MBA Class Secretary — Melissa Hurd;

hurdmc@yahoo.com

 

02JD Rising to the Top

Greetings from South Bend. As I write this, fall has come to Michiana. While it is sad not to be attending games this season, it is gratifying to see the students back on campus. In August, Matthew Bozzelli was appointed deputy general counsel of Southern Company Services (SCS), a leading energy company. In this role, Matt is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day legal support of SCS’s administrative and operational clients. Matt joined SCS in September 2014 as associate general counsel where he served as practice group leader of the business development, M&A, legal operations, innovation and integration legal team, charged with advising, supporting and executing on the company’s strategic initiatives and transactions. Prior to joining SCS, Matt spent 12 years with King & Spalding in Atlanta. In his free time, Matt is chairman of the board of Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs, a community development loan fund focused on small business and entrepreneurial growth through financing and education for women, people of color and low to moderate-income business owners. He serves as a director of the Georgia Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, a public interest law center dedicated to increasing justice through law and policy reform and community engagement for children experiencing the effects of poverty, disabilities and institutional racism. Congratulations, Matt. — Ryan D. Costantini; 414 S. Notre Dame Ave., South Bend IN 46617; mobile: 574-339-8050; ryan.costantini@gmail.com

 

03 Happy News All Around

Chris Nygren was promoted to associate professor (with tenure) at the U of Pittsburgh, where he also serves as the director of Medieval and Renaissance Studies. His book, Titian’s Icons: Tradition, Charisma, and Devotion in Renaissance Italy, was published this summer with Penn State U Press. Andy Hess and his wife, Lindsay ’04, welcomed their third child, Grayson Andrew, in July. Their twins, Lauren and Steven, 6, are thrilled to have a baby brother. Andy and Lindsay live in Grand Rapids MI and work for Bissell. Andy is the finance director and Lindsay is a marketing manager. Molly (McShane) Davin ran the Grandma’s Marathon last summer. It was her first marathon and due to COVID, the race went virtual, so she ran 26.2 miles by herself. Molly lives in Minnetonka MN and is a teacher, wife and mom of three. 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 Family and Career News 

Brigitte Meyer graduated from Northeastern U School of Law in May. She has a special interest in municipality law, and will be working for Siana Law in Chester Hills PA. Robyn (Mandolini) Fardy and husband Patrick welcomed their third child, Mila Marie, on June 4. Her siblings, Aria and Cole, are excited to have another Irish fan in the house. In February, Stacy Cooper and John Middleton were married by Tom Melvin ’10JD, with many Domers in attendance. They live in Baltimore, where Stacy is a pediatric oncologist and John is a lawyer. Pat Brereton is the head of production at Liverpool U Press, an academic publisher. He lived in the UK for eight years. Four years ago, he began working remotely from his home in the old city center of Krakow, Poland, where he lives with his wife, Weronika Orszulik, and their kids, Sophie, 5, and Teddy, 2. Lindsay and Andy Hess ’03 are delighted to announce the arrival of Grayson Andrew Hess on July 21. His twin brother and sister, age 6, love him. The family is adjusting well as a party of five. Andy and Lindsay still work for Bissell in Grand Rapids MI. Lindsay offers help to anyone who needs a good vacuum recommendation. Kate Spitz and husband, Jason Kohout, welcomed their first child, Patrick John Kohout, in July. Last issue I shared an update from our Class of 2004 VP Tommy Gaeta regarding the birth of his son Jack, but this time I am happy to add some additional details. Jack was baptized in October and his godfather is Tommy’s old RA from Knott Hall, Mike Hannigan ’01, ’04JD. After time off after Jack was born, Tommy started a new job as the director of marketing at the Miller Family Wine Company in early July. He is overseeing all marketing efforts. They are based in Santa Maria CA, but the family is still living in Sonoma County while Tommy works remotely. His wife, Victoria, made the most of maternity leave during the pandemic and returned to J Vineyards to make the wine that we have all been so dearly relying on these past few months. Please send updates to share with our classmates. — Carol Martino; carolmartino10@gmail.com

 

04MBA Stuffed SpongeBobs in Transit

Kate and Ben Bauman and their daughter Ellie welcomed twin boys William Gregory and Henry Thomas Bauman to their family in October. Mom and the baby boys are doing well. Two stuffed SpongeBobs arrived the beginning of November from Indiana and several more are rumored to be in transit from California, Utah, North Carolina, Guatemala and Illinois. Keep the updates coming. — Harry Howisen; hhowisen@gmail.com

 

4JD 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 Sharing Thoughts

Patrick Kilbane, general counsel for Ullmann Wealth Partners in Jacksonville Beach FL, was featured this fall in several news articles, including in the Wall Street Journal. He shared his thoughts on Judge Amy Coney BarrettV’97JD, including our time as students, in the days leading up to her confirmation hearing. Pat also became the chair of the board of directors for the Jacksonville Aviation Authority for the 2020-2021 term. There are several relocations to announce. In April 2020, Jason Prince joined the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of the General Counsel in its enforcement and intelligence section, then later became the acting chief counsel for the Office of the Chief Counsel dealing with foreign assets control. The move came after nearly seven years with Holland & Hart LLP in Boise ID and Washington DC. Ashley (Graf) and Michael Federer moved back to Dallas after several years away. Ashley remains vice president and senior counsel at Comerica Bank, while Mike also moved into the financial services industry. He joined J.P. Morgan Chase as vice president and assistant general counsel. He is a colleague of Mark Carryl, who works in their Chicago office. In Cincinnati, Ryan Dwyer made the move in-house a year ago and serves as senior claims counsel at Great American Insurance Group. After spending the last several years as in-house general counsel for Wycliffe Bible Translators in Orlando, Josh Heidelman and his family returned to the Chicago area. For Josh, that meant a return to private practice. His new firm, Heidelman Law Firm PC, will focus on representing businesses and nonprofits in a wide variety of matters including employment, board governance and litigation. Finally, our families continue to grow. Stephanie and Paul Harris welcomed a baby girl, Penelope Grace Harris, into the world on August 24. She joins brothers Anderson and Ozzie. Paul reports that all are doing great. Wishing you health and happiness this winter. Go Irish. — Adam J. Russ; Houston TX; adamjruss@gmail.com

 

06 Wishing You Well

There are no submissions for this issue, but I did not want our class entry to be blank. So, to all my 2006 classmates, I wish you well and hope that you and your families will find some peace in 2021. — 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 Winter News

Clare Duncan married Stephen Boulet on February 29th in Houston, TX. Alumni in attendance at the beautiful and fun Leap Day ceremony included Ann (Flies) Johnson, Teresa de Vries, Angela (Chapman) Grabosky, Jessica (Miller) Stachecki, Kendra (Morlok) Rauber and Noel Carson. Hillary (Thornton) Eckardt and Dave Eckardt (Naval Academy, Class of 2007) welcomed Grayson Wesley and Kennedy May on November 16, 2019.  The timing was perfect with the twins arriving on the day of the Notre Dame/Navy game. Hillary’s hopeful that given the score of the game, they will both be Irish fans! Marin (Amato) and Jim Wilkie ’05 welcomed their third child, Neve Bridget, on March 28, 2020. Anne (Moretti) Langford was recently recognition by The 27th edition of The Best Lawyers in America as one of the “Best Lawyers - One to Watch” for her work in leveraged buyouts and private equity law; mergers and acquisitions law. The Best Lawyers in America covers all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Yours truly, Stephanie (Pelligra), and Blaine Doyle recently welcomed their first child, Luke Fitzpatrick, on March 11, 2020. Kelsey (Miller) and Matthew Born welcomed their first child, Isabel Rose, on June 16, 2020. Kelly (Files) and Ben Snyder welcomed their second child, Bode James, on August 14, 2020. Katie (Murphy) and Mark DeSplinter ’05 welcomed their first child, Jack Joseph, on October 7, 2020. Luke, Belle, Bode, and Jack look forward to cheering on the Irish in the ND class of 2042. Please send all news and updates. God Bless and Go Irish! — Stephanie (Pelligra) Doyle; ndclassnotes2007@gmail.com

 

07MBA Class Secretary — Tom Ponisciak;

tponisci@nd.edu

 

07JD Class Secretary — 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 Babies, Boxing, International Moves

Hey, folks. It has been a difficult time for many this year. We are praying for you and sending the most positive vibes your way. Remember that your Class of 2008 friends and family are here for you. And many thanks to ’08 graduates on the frontlines of COVID-19. Here are some exciting updates to make you smile. Meghan (Sweeney) ’08, ’11JD and Brett Bean ’11JD welcomed their beautiful daughter, Georgia Grace, in August. Little Georgia’s smile already lights up the room. Mike Reilly spent a few October weeks working remotely in Brazil for his company, Site Data Resources. He practiced his non-existent Portuguese language skills and showed the country that he, too, knows how to dance. Alison (Currie) ’09 and Bradley Duffy welcomed their sixth child, George Louis Duffy, on July 25. Mom and dad are overjoyed to welcome another child the month after their 10th wedding anniversary. Kerry Renz, his wife, Karlee (Jeske) Renz ’09SMC, and their two little ones are headed to Singapore for Kerry’s job in January 2021. Givaudan Fragrances Corp. promoted Kerry to regional account manager for Asia Pacific. If you are interested in a vacation to a distant locale, call Kerry. Jesse Brawer is not allowed to visit. Speaking of promotions, Mary Claire (Sullivan) Mandeville ’08, ’12MBA was promoted to CEO of South-Bend based Vennli, a cutting-edge market research firm that collects and delivers customer insights to its clients. Mary Claire is also CEO of the Mandeville household and keeps Garrett Mandeville in check. John Biddle ’08, ’10MEd joined Holy Cross College as an assistant professor of physics this summer. He holds a PhD in physics from the U of Maryland. John and his wife, Katie Biddle ’10 MEd are excited to return to their old stomping grounds. Megan and Nolan Kane welcomed their first child, Chloe Diane Kane, on July 2 in Clovis CA. Michael O’Connor ’08, ’10MEd and his wife, Alexandra, welcomed Rosalie Ann in August. With Rosalie joining Maeve, 2, Michael is proudly wearing the badge of #girldad. On the other hand, Emily (Rickert) Fitzgerald is living in what appears to be a fraternity house with her husband, Tom, and two young and rambunctious boys, Nolan, 3, and Rory, 1. The younger boys love mischief and hate pants. #boymom. Sarah Runger married Aaron Burgess in late September in Naperville IL. Jesse Brawer and yours truly, Patrick O’Brien, recently reunited and boxed four rounds. It was ugly. The two live-streamed the event and Lawrence Sullivan, Hunter Land, Patrick Ryan, Mike Lee ’09 and Chris Cugliari ’10 witnessed the ugliness and thanked the two for the comedy. Josef Pappas is excited that Francisco Castillo-Fierro ’10MEd was promoted to assistant principal at Holy Trinity Catholic School in San Jose CA in July. The students are lucky to have you, Francisco. Hang in there, everyone. The Class of 2008 is no stranger to adversity (cough, Recession). If you need anything, we are here for you. — Patrick O’Brien; 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

In continuing our gratitude for our healthcare heroes, we would like to mention Chris Esber, Linda Lee, Ashley Serrette and Kat Kennifer. Alison (Currie) and Bradley Duffy ’08 welcomed their sixth child, George Louis Duffy, on July 25. They are overjoyed to welcome another child the month after their 10th wedding anniversary. Mark and Heidi (Rocha) Witte have been producing Children’s Liturgy of the Word episodes during the pandemic so that the youngest members of our church can continue to grow in faith. Episodes air on their YouTube Channel and CatholicTV every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. ET. To learn more and to help support or spread the word about the ministry, visit patreon.com/kidsliturgy. Elizbeth Kouloup Hall was named to The Daily Record’s VIP list recognizing Maryland leaders aged 40 and younger for their professional accomplishments, community service and commitment to inspiring change. Craig Wiborg and Andrew Matasic spear fished off the coast of Puerto Vallarta and brought in record-setting numbers of fish. Natassia Kwan welcomed a baby girl in June 2019 and in 2020 was appointed as a deputy city attorney for San Francisco. Mandy Gonzales married Craig Thompson in an intimate wedding at Christ the King Catholic Church in Denver on Oct.10. The couple celebrated with Megan Black and Jeff Gonzales ’07. Mandy and Craig are planning a larger celebration in August 2021 with additional ND alumni in attendance. Please visit the Notre Dame Class of 2009 Facebook page to reconnect with members of the class. If you have any additional 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