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Regan Smith ’60 writes, “Just a small note of ‘hello’ from the last century (1960). I’m still breathing and kicking (slightly on the kick). Being 85 has not been particularly good to me. Enough said on that! If you feel so inclined to make contact: rgsmith12@comcast.com. Looking forward…”
David Clowers ’64 writes, “After being released from lockdown COVID times and beginning to travel again—France, around the Baltic, the Apulia part of Italy, and now making plans for Greece this fall and then Australia in February 2024 to see a new grandchild—I realized that the class of 1964’s 60th reunion year will soon be upon us. We had an intimate 55th dinner at a wonderful local restaurant, and I hope that we will be able to celebrate our 60th with an even larger group of our classmates. Check our Facebook page or email me at david.clowers@icloud.com for updates.”
John Osborn ’64 was one of five New England journalists inducted into the New England Newspaper Hall of Fame in May. The New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) recognizes the most outstanding newspaper professionals from throughout its six-state region for extraordinary contributions to their newspapers, the news industry and their communities. In its announcement, the association said, “Osborn is the rare editor who is both practical and inspirational. He gently guides his staff to create their best work and continually strive for excellence. As sole editor of The Harvard Press and with the support of the paper’s owners, John led a team of committed writers, photographers, business and layout personnel, freelancers, and volunteers. As the paper was thinly capitalized, most involved worked long and hard for the love of the story, the news and the town. Mr. Osborn led that effort by example. In an effort to bolster reporting resources and engage a variety of people in the paper, he creatively initiated a sports-writing class for high schoolers. He sought not just to teach and employ students, but to help cultivate their voices and to bring the diversity of youth and perspectives to The Press. John’s contributions to journalism are many, as a writer, reporter, editor, manager, colleague, teacher, mentor, and more.” John was editor of the Index during his time at K.
Jill Downing Carroll ’72 is a licensed professional counselor. She loves helping children ages 4-12 navigate their way through anxiety and trauma. She would love to hear from any K alums, especially near Boise, Idaho.
Brooklyn Community Foundation in Brooklyn, New York, recently announced the election of Shaheen Rushd ’77 to its board of directors. Shaheen attended New York Law School after graduating from K. For almost 30 years—20 years as a partner—Shaheen practiced at Pomerantz Haudek Block Grossman and Gross (now Pomerantz LLP), a Manhattan law firm that specializes in securities litigation. Upon retirement, she became involved in local social justice organizations and in the Democratic Party, serving as an elected member of the Kings County Democratic County Committee. She is on the board of directors of Sakhi for South Asian Women and previously served on the board of trustees of Kalamazoo College, the board of directors of New York Appleseed, the Advisory Committee of Muslims in Brooklyn Project for the Brooklyn Historical Society (now Center for Brooklyn History) and the New York Advisory Committee for Human Rights Watch. She was a member of the inaugural Spark Prize Committee.
2022 was eventful for Sheldon and Donna (MacMurray) Klein ’78, of Birmingham, Michigan. In June, their daughter, Grace, was married in Half Moon Bay, California. Classmate Michael McNamara ’78 joined in the special weekend. In October, Sheldon and Donna celebrated their 40th anniversary with a party that was also a mini reception for the newlyweds to share with Detroit-area family and friends. Sheldon is an attorney with Butzel. Donna owns an e-commerce business.
David L. Moran ’78 retired as vice president of marketing at Wolverine Mutual Insurance Co. on March 31. He worked at the Dowagiac, Michigan-based regional carrier for over 42 years, managing the company’s marketing and agency relations activities. He and his wife, Karen, plan to travel more and dote on their five grandchildren (two in the Memphis area and three in St. Joe) from their home base in Dowagiac.
The Davie Community Foundation in Davie County, North Carolina, recently welcomed Paul Mighion ’79 as a new member of its board. Paul will serve a three-year term. Paul sold his dental practice in Mocksville, North Carolina, in 2019, after more than 32 years of caring for patients. He received his undergraduate degree from Kalamazoo College and his D.D.S. from the University of Detroit. He was awarded fellowship and mastership designations from the Academy of General Dentistry. Paul and his wife, Janet, live just outside of the Mocksville city limits. They have two sons and two granddaughters. Paul is an active member of First Presbyterian Church of Mocksville, where he serves as an elder and helps with the audiovisual team. In the past, he has served on the United Way and YMCA boards.
Stephanie Teasley ’81 has been on leave from her faculty position in the School of Information at the University of Michigan to serve as a program officer for the National Science Foundation in the Directorate for STEM Education, Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings. This spring, she began her third year in this position. She is also on the board of directors for Michigan Virtual, a nonprofit corporation focused on developing and providing online courses for K-12 students and professional development for educators. Before joining the NSF, she has served as the president of the Society for Learning Analytics Research and the chair of the International Alliance for the Advancement of Learning in the Digital Era.
Holly Rarick Witchey ’83, a veteran Cleveland, Ohio-based art historian, author, teacher and arts advocate, has risen from the ranks at the nonprofit ICA Art Conservation to become the organization’s new executive director. Holly joined the organization in 2018 as director of education and outreach, while also serving as executive director of Cleveland Philanthropy, a nonprofit educational association. She also has taught for 14 years at Case Western Reserve University as an adjunct professor specializing in museum studies and supervising museum internships. Before teaching at Case, she held positions at the San Diego Museum of Art and the Cleveland Museum of Art. She is the co-author, with John Vacha, of the 1994 book Fine Arts in Cleveland: An Illustrated History. Holly earned a bachelor’s degree in art history and political science at K and a master’s degree and doctorate in art history at Case.
Indaptus Therapeutics Inc., a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing transformative therapeutics for patients, recently named Robert Martell ’85 to its board of directors. Having been in the pharmaceutical industry for more than 20 years, Bob currently serves as head of research and development at Curis Inc., as well as previously serving on the board of directors for more than six years at Curis. He is also an attending physician at Tufts Medical Center in Boston. Bob received his medical training at Wayne State University School of Medicine, a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Michigan and his Bachelor of Arts in chemistry from K.
Susan Sweeney ’85 was recently appointed to the board of directors for Miller Industries Inc. Susan is a senior business executive with extensive experience leading global teams and solving complex business issues. She served as chief human resource officer for EnPro Industries, putting to use her unique ability to place talent based on business need. Before taking this position in early 2020, Susan held the position of president of GGB for seven years, with strategy and profit and loss responsibility in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. Prior to joining EnPro, she was an executive with General Motors Company, with responsibilities focused on assembly, engineering, supply chain, quality and site management at multiple locations in the U.S. and Canada. Susan holds a Doctorate of Education from Wilmington University and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Detroit.
World Potato Congress Inc. recently introduced five new international advisers to the organization, including Martin Acosta ’97. Martin is the founder and CEO of Kiwa Natural Life, which exports premium snacks to 30 countries. Kiwa has won many awards for innovation and social responsibility. Martin previously worked in private equity for Aureos Capital and as a consultant advising medium-sized companies on strategy, finance and marketing; families on investments and wealth management; and developmental organizations. Since 2001, he also has worked as an investment adviser and holds a diploma from The Wharton School in private wealth management. Martin holds an M.B.A. from INSEAD business school, an M.S. in politics of the world economy from the London School of Economics, and a B.A. from K, magna cum laude.
The National Law Journal has recognized Wade A. Thomson ’98 as a 2023 Immigration Law Trailblazer. Wade is a partner with Jenner & Block. He was recognized for his collaborative efforts with corporate clients and the National Immigrant Justice Center, the change that has resulted from this collaboration, and the bearing it will have on the future. “I just saw a clear path to expanding the amount of lawyers involved in helping others,” Wade said in his Trailblazers profile. “I want to be clear that this is really about making it easier for others to get involved; everyone who I’ve gotten involved already had the desire to help people—facilitating, encouraging, and stewarding that force for good has in turn inspired me and renewed my faith in people. The pro bono partnership model I believe has also provided a real-life education to many corporate attorneys about immigration issues—my hope is that this will help inform a better immigration system in the future.”
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta recently named Joseph Davidson ’99 senior vice president of its Supervision and Regulation Division. In this position, Joe will oversee the Atlanta Fed’s supervision of state member banks, bank and financial holding companies, and U.S. branches and agencies of foreign banking operations. He also will serve on the Federal Reserve System’s Supervision Committee. As part of the nation’s central banking system, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta participates in setting national monetary policy, supervises numerous commercial banks, and provides a variety of financial services to depository institutions and the U.S. government. Joe previously worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from K.
Security testing company Synack recently announced the hire of Alex Luttschyn ’00 as chief revenue officer. Alex will oversee the company’s sales and customer success functions, driving adoption of the Synack platform to improve customers’ security testing programs worldwide. Alex brings over two decades of experience managing sales organizations at Fortune 500 companies, scaling up startups to successful exits and leading field due diligence on complex acquisitions. Prior to joining Synack, Alex was directly responsible for over $500 million in total annual bookings and led a team of more than 250 sales professionals as vice president of sales for VMware Tanzu Americas. He also has held senior roles in EMC, big database company Greenplum, Sun Microsystems and Pivotal Software, where he led Europe and U.K. subscription software sales from 2018 to 2020. Alex holds a B.A. in economics from K and is based in Chicago.
Dickinson Wright, a general practice business law firm, recently announced that Scott A. Petz ’03 has been named to the Global Advisory Council 2023-24 by the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM). EDRM Global Advisory Council is composed of contributors, lawyers, judges, in-house counsel and other legal professionals who help guide the organization’s ongoing projects and planning. EDRM creates global practical resources to improve e-discovery, privacy, security and information governance. Scott is a member in the firm’s Troy, Michigan office, where he focuses his practice in the areas of commercial and business litigation, class and collective actions, labor litigation, consumer protection, and condemnation and land use. After K, Scott received his J.D. from The John Marshall Law School, magna cum laude.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) recently promoted chief counsel Andrew Rogers ’05 to deputy administrator. Serving as chief counsel since January 2021, Andrew has provided expert leadership and guidance to staff and leaders during implementation of the bipartisan infrastructure law. At FHWA, he has coordinated all legal services at the 2,700-person agency and management of its $73 billion annual budget. His work also involved providing legal advice and guidance on grant and program administration, federal legislation, regulatory affairs, environmental compliance and all related litigation. He played a key role in crafting FHWA’s implementation of federal funds for electric vehicle stations and launching the $12.5 billion Bridge Investment Program. Before joining FHWA, he was chief counsel to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. He also served as legislative affairs director for the American Association for Justice. Andrew, who began his legal career as a private practice litigator in Michigan, has a bachelor’s degree in economics, business and political science from K and a law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Plunkett Cooney partner Patrick C. Lannen ’06 was recently named to the 2023 Class of Go To Lawyers for Business Litigation by Michigan Lawyers Weekly (MiLW). Michigan’s Go To Lawyers is a nomination-based program that recognizes the top lawyers across the state in given areas of practice based on experience, expertise and track records of success. A partner in the Plunkett Cooney Bloomfield Hills office, Patrick is widely recognized for complex commercial and financial services litigation, banking and creditors’ rights matters, and class, mass and multi-district actions. He has successfully tried a number of cases on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, as well as experienced business owners throughout the country. Patrick earned his law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in 2009. He has been named a Michigan Rising Star in Banking by Michigan Super Lawyers for more than a decade straight.
Taylor Hartley ’14 is now a Ph.D. candidate in art history at The Graduate Center, City University of New York. The center is one of the top art history programs in the country and she feels honored to be a part of its community. Taylor recently passed her candidacy exam, earned a Master of Philosophy degree, and is shifting focus to her dissertation research on Carrara marble. Her research is inspired by classics and art history courses she took at K, including during study abroad. It started with her Senior Integrated Project on modern Italian sculpture. In summer 2022, she traveled to Carrara, Italy, with a research grant to learn the techniques of quarrying and sculpting. This picture is from the sculpture class she attended in the Apuan Alps. Her academic career started at K and she is forever grateful for her professors, friends and colleagues there.
Janet (McClelland) Bolin ’68 is celebrating the publication of Double Grudge Donuts, the eighth book in the Deputy Donut mystery series, which she writes as Ginger Bolton. Two more Deputy Donut mysteries are in the works. As Janet Bolin, Janet wrote the five-book Threadville mystery series about murder and mayhem in a village of crafty shops. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, Bruce Bolin ’68, and a dramatic rescue dog. For more information, visit gingerbolton.
Nathan Michon ’03 edited the volume Refuge in the Storm: Buddhist Voices in Crisis Care, released by North Atlantic Books on June 6. Written by experienced chaplains, spiritual teachers, psychotherapists, pastoral counselors, medical providers and scholars, the essays in this timely anthology explore a spectrum of personal and global crises: climate chaos, COVID, natural disasters, racism, social inequity, illness and dying. Drawing on Buddhist principles and practices, these essays offer a wealth of insights for supporting individuals and communities in crisis as well as preventing fatigue and burnout in care providers. The 24 essays in this anthology show readers how to: provide spiritual companionship to ill, aging and dying clients; infuse crisis care with mindfulness, compassion, prayer and even playfulness; prevent burnout with self-care practices rooted in Buddhist principles; develop self-awareness and self-knowledge as a care provider; and pursue the path of Buddhist chaplaincy. Nathan is a Buddhist priest, chaplain, meditation teacher and editor of A Thousand Hands: A Guidebook to Caring for Your Buddhist Community.
Rebecca (Karnosky) Frost ’07 had her second novel published in August 2023. Blood Sisters is a Gothic thriller about an identical twin haunted by her sister’s supposed murder by a serial killer 10 years ago. Clinging desperately to her theory that her twin faked her own death, and grappling with who she is without her better half, the left-behind sister takes her theory to the sister of the man who is behind bars for the murder. Rebecca’s first novel, Not Your Mary Sue, was published in June 2022. The not-so-classic girl-meets-boy story begins when Marcy, the adult daughter of a televangelist, travels to a secluded island resort only to find herself a captive of the handsome, charming, notorious Fresh Coast Killer, who wants her to write his autobiography. Prior to branching into fiction, Rebecca published five nonfiction books about the writings, rhetoric and celebrity of serial killers, including Jack the Ripper and H.H. Holmes, and about Stephen King’s writing.
Mary Brigid (Corcoran) Becktell ’11 collaborated with Kalamazoo researcher and author Nancy Moore Hamilton to bring A. A. Fischer’s St. Louis Streetscapes, a coffee table book published by the Missouri Historical Society Press in April 2023 and distributed by the University of Chicago Press, from zip disks to hardcover. This is the first book Mary has worked on beyond the realm of family history. Between 1894 and 1929, builder A. A. Fischer was responsible for constructing more than 300 houses and apartment buildings in St. Louis and nearby University City, Missouri. His trademark was the broken frieze, wreaths and swags that descend into the spaces between upper-story windows, rather than extending straight across the façade below the cornice, as is traditional. Today, scores of homes and commercial buildings across the St. Louis area bear Fischer’s striking trademark. A. A. Fischer’s St. Louis Streetscapes is the first biography of this unsung urban builder.
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