Class Notes

Joseph Nalepa MBA ’22 was appointed chief financial officer of Rekor Systems; he was promoted from corporate controller as well as financial reporting manager. Before 2020, he worked at KPMG LLP in Baltimore as an audit manager. Nalepa holds B.S. degrees in accounting and information systems from Salisbury University.

Davis Straske M.S. ’21 and Owen Brannigan wed in June on the campus of Washington & Lee University, where they met. In their honor, her parents, also alumni of that institution, made a major gift to renovate the two buildings where the couple studied most. She now works as a research analyst at Mathematica.

Colleen Kaufman ’20 and Parker Meek ’18 were married June 14 at the Bay Front Club in Edgemere, Md., just outside of Baltimore. Kaufman, the daughter of Distinguished University Professor of geology Jay Kaufman, invited Testudo to the wedding, where he danced with glowsticks and took selfies with guests, including nearly 40 Terps. 

Samantha Shimer M.P.P. ’19 and Tucker Jones celebrated their marriage at a dinner with family and friends at Ambar, site of their first date, in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 23. They were married July 28 in a private ceremony at the National Gallery. The couple moved in September from Washington to Bonn, Germany, where Shimer entered the master’s program in strategy and international security at the University of Bonn. She is a graduate of West Virginia University and worked until March at the United States Institute of Peace.

Eyob Tekalign Ph.D. ’19 was appointed the governor of Ethiopia’s new central bank. He had served as a state minister of finance since 2018, and previously as minister in charge of Ethiopia's National Planning Commission.

Sarah Lee ‘18, known professionally as Rei Ami, provided the singing voice for Zoey in Netflix’s animated “KPop Demon Hunters,” the streaming service’s most-watched film of all time. The song “Golden” clinched the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 and was nominated for a Golden Globe and Grammy.

Aydin Mohtashamian MBA ’16 was named president of tech company Kagwerks and DTC North America. Mohtashamian joins from Perry Labs, where he was COO, leading operations and tech development efforts across five sites. He earned his bachelor’s degree from West Point and a master’s degree in systems engineering from Texas A&M University. 

Dijon Duenas ’14, a singer, songwriter and producer who goes by his first name, earned two Grammy nominations—for producer of the year (non-classical) and album of the year—for his work on Justin Bieber’s “SWAG.” He was “Saturday Night Live’s” musical guest on Dec. 6.

CPA Ryan Harshman ’14, ‘14 was promoted at accounting and advisory firm Brown Plus to audit principal, based in the Frederick, Md., office. He had been an audit senior manager there. He serves as treasurer for both the Grossnickle Church of the Brethren and techfrederick and as a member of the Budget and Capital Improvement Project for the Town of Myersville, Maryland, as well as a member of the Rotary Club of Carroll Creek.

A year after winning gold in the triple jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Thea LaFond-Gadson ’14 took silver at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo with a mark of 14.89 meters.

Derek Lynch MBA ’14, who had been Wells Fargo’s Maryland commercial leader, was promoted to also oversee commercial banking in Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia. He joined the company in 2016 as a senior relationship manager. Prior to Wells Fargo, Lynch spent almost seven years working locally for M&T Bank.

Grant E. Brown ’13 was promoted to shareholder at the law firm Anderson Kill. Brown represents policyholders in all types of coverage dispute matters with a focus on securing insurance for large-scale property and business interruption loss from natural and man-made disasters. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where he was an associate editor of the Maryland Law Review. 

Jeff Cheatham MBA ’13 was appointed vice president of contracts and subcontracts at V2X. He joined the company from Peraton, where he most recently served as vice president of contracts. Cheatham holds a B.S. in economics, cum laude, from George Mason University.

Melinda Nguyen ’13 was named the first head coach of the University of Texas, Arlington’s women’s flag football program. She spent three seasons as the head coach at Kansas Wesleyan, where she went 49-17, and has also been the offensive coordinator for the Philippines Women’s National Team and the assistant coach for the U.S. 15U Junior National Team that won a silver medal in the 2025 Junior International Cup. At UMD, she was the head coach and quarterback of two club football teams and helped lead them to nine total championships spanning six years.

Krystal Bailey Dixon ’12, M.S. ’14 joined BCR Cyber, a provider of comprehensive cybersecurity training and job placement services, as its controller. Her 20-plus years of accounting and financial experience includes roles at KPMG and Howard University.

Melissa Thevenot ’12, a lawyer in the Corporate and Gaming Department in the Atlantic City office of  Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck was elevated to shareholder. She earned her law degree from Washington University.

Tahir Yaqub ’12 was appointed to the board of directors of the Technology Business Management (TBM) Council, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the discipline of TBM through education, standards, and collaboration between IT leaders and business partners. He is operating partner and portfolio chief technology officer at Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock. Yaqub holds an MBA from Georgetown University.

Fox Business Network hired Darren Botelho ’11 as a Washington-based correspondent. He came from NBC 10 in Boston, where he served as a weekend evening anchor and reporter and previously anchored weekend evening newscasts in Providence, R.I. Earlier in his career, he worked in the communications department at NASDAQ on Wall Street. He holds an MBA from Clemson University.

Ryan Leeb ’11 joined the Severna Park, Md.-based KMA Law Office. A third-generation certified financial planner in his family, he focuses on the areas of estate planning, succession planning and wealth management.  Leeb graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Former Maryland House of Delegates Majority Whip Jazz Lewis ’11, M.P.P. ’14, a Democrat who represented a portion of Prince George’s County, became the University of Maryland’s director of state government relations on Jan. 5. He resigned in December during a special session of the Maryland House of Delegates.

Jay Turakhia ’11, ’11 was appointed regional president for Northeast Ohio at the Huntington National Bank. Most recently, Turakhia served as the Greater Baltimore market president at Truist. He also held various roles at PNC. 

Chris Minnich M.P.M. ’10 was named chief executive officer of MetaMetrics, which provides universal scales for reading and math. He began his career at the Oregon Department of Education, where he oversaw the state’s transition to online assessments. He later served as executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers. Minnich holds a bachelor of science in political science from the University of Washington.

Kimberly A. Sullivan MBA ’10 was recognized among the Washington Business Journal’s 2025 Women Who Mean Business. She is principal and co-managing director for Gensler, the D.C. region’s largest interior design and architecture firm. She has secured contracts for major headquarter developments for bluechip clients like CoStar, Marriott International, Sodexo, AvalonBay Communities and Hogan Lovells. She serves as a board member for the Greater Washington Board of Trade. 

Anthony Lee Gregg ’09 wed Elizabeth Katherine Thomas on Oct. 18 in front of 175 guests at the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans. He is a software engineer at Asurion. The New York Times published a story about their nuptials, focusing on her family’s painful past in enslavement. 

Jason Hofberg ’09 was a 2026 Washington Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree. Hofberg is a tax principal at BDO USA, a leading accounting, tax and advisory firm. 

Ana Schwarz ’09, a partner at Rubin Rudman, was listed among the 2026 Lawdragon 500 Leading Family Lawyers in America for her expertise in high-net worth divorce, trusts and estate planning, and probate litigation. Schwarz is a co-chair of Rubin Rudman's Women's Working Group and was named to Boston Magazine's Top Lawyers for Family Law in 2024. She received her J.D., cum laude, from the University of Miami School of Law.

Dana Hartz MBA ’08 joined United Educators as associate vice president of finance. She most recently spent nearly 10 years working for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including as head of Corporation Finance’s Knowledge Management Office. Hartz earned a B.S. in commerce, with a concentration in accounting, from the University of Virginia. She is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Delaware.

Noah Linn Hendershot ’08 is the subject of ”Extra Innings: The Linn Hendershot Story,” a documentary on YouTube created by his brother, Tom. It won Best Documentary at the Maryland International Film Festival. A polio survivor who used a wheelchair, he built a successful career in PR and marketing for the NFL and NASCAR, and became an advocate for the disabled who served on the 1996 Atlanta Olympics Committee on Disability Access. Hendershot was also an Annapolis city councilman. He died in 2008. 

Lisa Lee ’08 joined Miller Nash LLP’s litigation team in the Seattle office, focusing on complex commercial litigation. Before graduating from Seattle University School of Law, she spent two summers as a summer associate at Miller Nash. Lee previously worked as a legal assistant in the Washington State Attorney General’s office and spent 22 years in the U.S. Navy, first as an enlisted sailor and later as a human resources officer.

Alycia Marshall Ph.D. ’07 was appointed president of the Community College of Philadelphia’s Board of Trustees, where she had served as interim president since April. She had been provost and vice president for academic and student success for the previous three years. Before that, she was chair of the math department at Anne Arundel Community College. She holds a master’s degree in teaching from Bowie State University and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Mark Ritacco ’07 joined professional services firm Manatt, Phelps  and Phillips as senior adviser to the firm’s government advocacy and contracting practice. Prior to joining Manatt, Ritacco was chief government affairs officer for the National Association of Counties. 

Jonathan E. Yoffe ’07 was named to The Daily Record’s 2025 Medical Malpractice & Personal Injury Law Power List. He is a partner at Stavisky, Yoffe & Castro PA and serves as a member of the Board of Governors for the Maryland Association for Justice, where he works to advance the rights of injury victims and promote the integrity of the civil justice system. He earned a J.D. and an MBA at the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Dana Bodine ’06 was named the inaugural chief marketing officer at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Most recently, she served as vice president at the tech company Trustpilot, and previously was vice president of marketing at Mastercard. 

Albert Leshinsky ’06 joined the capital management firm Cresset as managing director, head of corporate development, based in New York.

Charles Towe M.S. ’06, Ph.D. ’08 was named interim head of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics in the University of Connecticut’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. Towe joined UConn in 2014 and currently serves as Delfavero Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics. His research focuses on environmental and resource economics, land use and economic valuation of environmental amenities. He holds degrees from Tufts University and the University of North Carolina at Asheville.

Rafael Villalona M.E. ’06 was hired by Grupo UNACEM to lead its integrated cement, ready-mix concrete and aggregate operations in Arizona and California. He holds a civil engineering degree from Ohio State University.

Christina N. Billiet ’05 was named to The Maryland Daily Record’s 2025 Medical Malpractice & Personal Injury Law Power List. She is a trial attorney and managing partner at Waranch & Brown LLC. Billiet graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law.

Geoffrey Brown ’05, president and CEO of the Illinois CPA Society, was named to Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting list for the third consecutive time. Honorees are nominated by their peers from across the country. In recognizing Brown, Accounting Today wrote: Brown holds the certified association executive credential from the American Society of Association Executives and is an active member of the society as well as of the Certified Association Executive Commission and serves on the boards of the American Accounting Association Foundation and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and HR Source. 

Paramount Skydance added AI executive Dennis K. Cinelli ’05 to its board as an independent director. He is CFO of San Francisco-based Scale AI and previously held senior leadership roles at Uber, including head of mobility for the U.S. and Canada and vice president global strategic finance, and was CFO for GE Ventures.

Shaina A. Hernandez ’05 is the new CEO and president of the Baltimore Public Markets Corp., a quasi-governmental nonprofit. She was most recently Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s deputy chief of staff. She is the first Latina to lead Baltimore’s public market system, considered the oldest in the country. 

David Quattrone MBA ’05 received the Jerome Fisher M&T Distinguished Alumni Award, which honors alumni of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology. He is co-founder and chief technology officer at Cvent, a meetings, events and hospitality technology provider. Quattrone is chairman of UMD’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship’s Board of Advisors, and he sponsors the Dingman Center’s annual Pitch Dingman Competition. In addition, Quatronne has served on Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science Technical Advisory Board since its inception in 2018.

Jeanelle J. Johnson MBA ’04 was named to Washingtonian magazine’s 2025 list of Most Powerful Women and was recognized among the Washington Business Journal’s 2025 Women Who Mean Business and its Power 100 list. As managing partner at the Washington office of PwC, she oversees 2,200-plus people. She’s also a board trustee of PwC’s charitable foundation and on the Economic Club of Washington, D.C.’s board.

Brian J. Malkin ’04 joined the Washington, D.C., office of Spencer Fane LLP as a partner in the Intellectual Property Practice Group to enhance the firm’s FDA and life sciences focus areas. His experience includes nine years as regulatory counsel at the FDA Office of the Commissioner and the Center for Drug Evaluation, and over two decades of patent experience. Malkin has served as an adjunct professor at Yeshiva University and a guest lecturer at Georgetown University Law Center since 2018, and American University’s Washington College of Law since 2020. He has bachelor’s and law degrees from The George Washington University.

Tom Sundlof ’04 joined the Washington, D.C., office of Blank Rome LLP on the Life Sciences industry team and Corporate, M&A, and Securities practice group. He came from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, where he served as associate chief counsel and assistant deputy chief counsel (acting). Prior to that, Sundlof was a litigator for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Office of General Counsel. He earned his J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.

Marguerite Weese ’04 was promoted to chief wealth strategist at Wilmington Trust. She previously served as COO of Wilmington Trust Emerald Family Office & Advisory and as national director of Family Legacy Strategies She holds a J.D. and LL.M. in taxation from Villanova University and was recognized in 2021 by the American Bankers Association as a member of the 40 Under 40 in Wealth Management. Weese is also an adjunct professor at Drexel University’s Klein School of Law.

Marie Beaudette ’03 joined CNN as vice president of business and media, overseeing the organization’s business and media coverage leading strategy and content. She previously served as the business, finance and economics coverage chief at The Wall Street Journal. Beaudette began her two-decade career at Dow Jones, the Journal’s parent company, as a reporter for its financial newswire.

Jason Kolaczkowski M.P.M. ’03 wrote a memoir coming out this spring, “Notions of Grace: A Memoir of Climbing, Cancer and Family” (Di Angelo Publications). It chronicles how after being diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, he attempted to climb a 23,000-foot peak in the Himalayas to show his twin sons that life is to be lived boldly. He soon decided he’d been foolhardy, beginning a story of transformation.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Jason LaFond ’03 to the Texas Pharmaceutical Initiative Governing Board for a two-year term. The board is tasked with developing a business plan to provide cost-effective drugs and other medical supplies for the public employee sector. LaFond is counsel at Scott Douglass & McConnico LLP and previously served as assistant solicitor general and as associate vice president for legal affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He received a B.A. in economics from UMD, an M.A. from American University, and a J.D. from the University of Michigan.

Manuel Navas ’03 joined the investment bank Piper Sandler Cos. as managing director and senior research analyst to the financial services equity research group. He is based in the New York office and covers regional and community banks. Most recently, Navas was a managing director and senior research analyst at D.A. Davidson. He earned an MBA from New York University.

Taylor Carr ’02 was promoted to president of Allied Universal Technology Services, one of the nation’s largest security systems integrators in the U.S. He previously served as the company’s executive vice president following its acquisition of Securadyne Systems. He later became president of Vision Technologies, then returned to Allied in early 2025 as senior vice president of operations. 

D. Paul Monteiro Jr. ’02 was hired as vice president for government relations and community affairs at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He served most recently as the inaugural secretary of the Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation and previously was director of the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service. He also served from 2009 to 2013 in the Obama administration as an associate director in the Office of Public Engagement, and as national director of AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America. Monteiro earned a law degree from the Howard University School of Law. 

Alex S. Rothstein ’02 joined the law firm Goodell DeVries as counsel in the firm’s Employer Liability and Risk Management, Investigations, and Compliance practice groups. He defends institutions against claims brought under the Maryland Child Victims Act. Previously, he was an assistant attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and an assistant state’s attorney in Baltimore. He graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law magna cum laude.

Matt Zuckerman ’02 operates the small production company Work Hard Media, creating story-driven video content for nonprofit and corporate clients. 

Matthew Verney ’01 was appointed chief banking officer for the Philadelphia and South Jersey market at Valley National Bancorp, the holding company for Valley National Bank. He was most recently the market president for Truist Bank in New Jersey. Verney holds a master’s degree from Loyola University of Maryland.

Seema Ponda Alexander ’00 was recognized among the Washington Business Journal’s 2025 Women Who Mean Business. She is founder and CEO of Disruptive AI, a technology startup that builds AI-powered systems and funds new AI-technologies. Alexander also hosts "The AI CEO" podcast and serves as co-chair of DC Startup & Tech Week.

Koritha Mitchell M.A .’00, Ph.D. ’05, a professor of English at Boston University, was profiled in its Arts & Sciences Magazine for her scholarship on African American literature, violence throughout U.S. history and contemporary culture, and Black drama and performance. She’s a cultural critic, public speaker, podcaster and frequent contributor to mainstream media outlets.

District Court Judge David M. Porter ’00, ’00 was appointed chief judge of the Fifth Judicial District of Iowa, which comprises 16 counties. He was appointed to the district court bench in 2015 and earned his law degree from Drake University Law School in 2004. Porter serves on the Iowa Judicial Qualifications Commission and the Iowa Domestic Abuse Death Response Team and is a member of the C. Edwin Moore Inn of Court, as well as a member of the Polk County and Iowa state bar associations.

Jack Spencer ’99 joined the Pittsburg (Kan.) Fire Department as fire chief. The Kansas native has more than 30 years of firefighting experience, most recently as battalion fire chief for the District of Columbia Fire and EMS, leading Special Operations, including HazMat, fireboat and National Security Special Event responses. 

Mandy Allendorfer ’98 was named to The Baltimore Sun’s 25 Women to Watch 2025: Best in advocacy, business and health. She is the executive director of One Maryland, the name, image and likeness (NIL) entity for Terps’ athletes. 

Vonnya Pettigrew ’98 was named to The Baltimore Sun’s 25 Women to Watch 2025: Best in advocacy, business and health. She is CEO of Root Branch Productions and Film Academy, which teach youths the technical skills of filmmaking, from directing to storyboarding to editing. Her firm has also created training films for government agencies and worked with small-business owners, helping startups to market themselves. Pettigrew and her staff of 50 operate from a warehouse-sized building she purchased in 2023, making her the first Black woman to buy an entire block on the Baltimore waterfront. 

Andrea M. Vieira ’98 was named to HOLA!'s Latina Powerhouse Top 100, recognizing women whose courage, creativity and vision are reshaping the future across the United States and Latin America. She left a career in journalism in 2014 to open nailsaloon in Washington, D.C., and now her boutique concept has expanded to five locations across the DMV.

Prince George’s County Executive Aisha Braveboy ’97 was named to Washingtonian magazine’s 2025 list of Most Powerful Women. The former Prince George’s state’s attorney was sworn in on Juneteenth on the UMD campus and is focused on public safety and her county beautification effort, Project Elevate.

“Har Mar,” the debut short-story collection by Hilal Isler ’97, M.S. ’00, will be published by Northwestern University Press this summer. The collection explores women’s lives in the in-between—between countries, languages and selves—and moves from Turkey to the United States and back again, tracing migrations both physical and emotional. One of the stories takes place just off campus. 

Matt Konrad ’97 was selected to receive ApartmentBuildings.com’s first annual AB 100 Owner/Investor of the Year Award, which recognizes those who demonstrate creativity, skill and success in the multifamily industry. He is Aimco’s senior vice president, national transactions, overseeing national acquisitions and dispositions and development and construction activities in the northeastern United States.

Melissa Randall ’97 was named chief human resources officer (CHRO) and senior managing director at asset management firm Obra Capital. She joins from Waterfall Asset Management, where she served as global CHRO and formalized internal HR processes for the specialty finance-focused alternative investment manager. Prior to Waterfall, Randall was head of talent at Siris Capital Group. She holds an M.A. in organizational behavior from Fairleigh Dickinson University and an M.S.W. from Fordham University. 

Anne Hubbard ’96 was appointed the first chief public policy officer at the American Parkinson Disease Association, where she will launch and lead its Department of Public Policy and Advocacy. She served most recently as director of health policy at the American Society for Radiation Oncology and held senior leadership positions at the Maryland Hospital Association and the Maryland Department of Health.

Shara M. McCallum M.A. ’96 spent the Fall 2025 semester at Binghamton University as its Distinguished Visiting Writer. She is the author of seven books, including “Behold,” forthcoming in 2026; “No Ruined Stone,” winner of the 2022 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for Poetry; and “Madwoman,” winner of the 2018 OCM Bocas Caribbean Poetry Prize. From 2021-22, she served as the Penn State laureate and now is an Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of English there. She earned a doctorate from Binghamton in English literature. 

Brian Pertman ’96 was appointed president of Top Notch Distributors, a distributor of residential and commercial door hardware. He has three decades of leadership experience across Stanley Black & Decker, Allegion and Jeld-Wen.

Nick Tressler ’96 was appointed chief financial officer at Vistagen, a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. Most recently, he served as CFO of DYNEX Technologies, and before that, at American Gene Technologies and Senseonics Holdings. He also held senior finance roles at Sucampo Pharmaceuticals and MedImmune. Tressler holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.

Matt Calderone ’95 was appointed chief financial officer of the mobility business at S&P Global as it becomes a standalone public company. He served for 22 years at Booz Allen, including as CFO. He holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management.

Francisco Gonzalez ’95 was promoted at Gensler, the largest architecture firm in the world, to co-regional managing principal of its Southeast region. He had co-led the D.C. office of Gensler since 2018. Principal JJ Rivers ’12, M.Arch. ’14 will replace Gonzalez on April 2 as co-managing director of the D.C. office alongside Kimberly Sullivan MBA '10, who has co-led the office with Gonzalez since 2024.

Bey-Ling Sha M.A. ’95, Ph.D. ’99, dean of Texas Tech University’s College of Media & Communication, was recently installed as president of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. She has been involved in the organization since joining as a graduate student at UMD. 

Christine E. Wormuth M.P.M. ’95 joined the Nuclear Threat Initiative as president and chief executive officer. She served as secretary of the Army from 2021-25 along with other senior roles at the Department of Defense as part of her more than 30 years of experience in defense policy, strategic planning and international security. 

Elizabeth Atwood Ph.D. ’94 wrote the new book “Deadline: 200 Years of Violence Against Journalists in the United States” (University of Missouri Press). She spent nearly 30 years as a newspaper reporter and editor, including 22 at The Baltimore Sun; she was inspired to write this book by the 2018 murder of a colleague in The (Annapolis) Capital shootings. Atwood is an associate professor of journalism at Hood College in Frederick, Md., where her research focuses on the relationship between the news media and political and social revolutions. 

Barbara Martin ’94 (left) and Jayne Sandman, co-CEOs of the Brand Guild, were named to the Washington Business Journal’s Power 100, its annual list of the most influential business leaders in Greater Washington. They lead a public relations, marketing and events company based in Georgetown.

Faye Cobb ’93 was named to The Hill Notable Staffers 2025. She is the Democratic clerk for the House Appropriations Subcommittee. She arrived in Congress in 2005 to serve as the financial counseling director for the Chief Administrative Office, transitioned into the budget director role, then served as a professional staff member for the House Appropriations Committee before taking over her current position.

Mike Sachtleben ’93 was named to the Washington Business Journal’s Power 100 list. He is MedStar Health’s senior vice president and chief operating officer for the Washington region. He previously served as president of MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

David Fike ’91 was honored as one of The Daily Record’s Most Admired CEOs in Maryland. Fike is the president and CEO of Leadership Maryland, one of the nation’s leading professional development organizations.  

Brooke Iley '91 was appointed co-chair of Blank Rome LLP's Washington, D.C. office. She counsels and defends domestic and foreign corporations in employment and labor law compliance and litigation. Iley volunteers for the Ronald McDonald House, Linda’s Legacy, SPAN and Homeless in Need.

Mallory Pierce ’88 joined Creede Repertory Theatre as director of development. She last held that role for Mohonk Preserve in New York, and previously worked at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Ore., for 27 seasons in various leadership roles.

Mitchell Weintraub ’88 was promoted to leader of the Washington, D.C., market for the accounting and business advisory firm Cherry Bekaert. He had been a partner and head of outsourced accounting services there since 2023, when the company acquired Cordia, a Vienna accounting and staffing firm that Weintraub had co-founded. Before that, he was a partner at Beers + Cutler, which was later acquired by Baker Tilly. He is a past chairman of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce and sits on the boards of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Washington, D.C., Economic Partnership. 

Deborah L. Potter ’87 was named to The Maryland Daily Record’s 2025 Medical Malpractice & Personal Injury Law Power List. A partner at Potter Law LLC, she served as the youngest president in the Anne Arundel Bar Association’s history and the first female president of UMD's Terrapin Club. Potter also served on the university foundation's Board of Trustees from 2007-17 and on the Maryland Supreme Court’s Rules Committee for eight years.

Rauzia R. Ally ’86 was recognized among the Washington Business Journal’s 2025 Women Who Mean Business. She is vice president and managing principal of the architecture and engineering firm Leo A Daly in Washington, D.C. She oversaw all design projects for the D.C. Courts and managed the modernization of the Martin Luther King Jr. Library. Ally holds a master’s degree in architecture from the Catholic University of America and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.

Victoria S. Davis ’85 was recognized among the Washington Business Journal’s 2025 Women Who Mean Business. She is managing partner and co-founder of Urban Atlantic, a Bethesda real estate company that serves as the master developer of The Parks at Walter Reed.

R. Ramin Kamfar ’85 was selected to receive ApartmentBuildings.com’s first annual AB 100 Owner/Investor of the Year Award, which recognizes those who demonstrate creativity, skill and success in the multifamily industry. He has served as Bluerock’s founder, chief executive officer and chairman since the company was founded in 2002. To mark Bluerock’s 20th anniversary, Kamfar announced that the company would partner with the Nature Conservancy to finance the planting of 20,000 trees nationwide. Kamfar received an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

James H. VanSciver Ed.D. ’85 published his eighth book, “Hi! I’m Pinnochio. I’ve Got No Strings on Me.” It details the experiences and aspirations of an 8-week-old Sheltie, whose wisdom is a parallel dialog to Walt Disney’s timeless story about a puppet who would become a boy. Copies may be secured from XLIBRIS Publishing or by contacting VanSciver at paulamv723@gmail.com.

Rose Mince ’83, Ph.D. ’94 was named to The Baltimore Sun’s 25 Women to Watch 2025: Best in advocacy, business and health. She is president of Carroll Community College and led its new four-year strategic plan.

Mark Patterson ’83 was named chief executive officer at Skip, an AI-powered analytical workspace that improves how associations interact with their data. He most recently served as CEO of Fionta for seven years, and before that spent nearly a decade at Aptify, progressing to chief operating officer, and following its acquisition served as senior vice president of enterprise product strategy at Community Brands (now Momentive).

Carrie Towbes M.Ed. ’82 was named the 82nd Person of the Year for the Santa Barbara, Calif., area. She is a licensed psychologist specializing in child clinical psychology who has served in schools, hospitals, community mental health centers and nonprofit agencies, and has been a clinical supervisor at CALM and a member of the First 5 Santa Barbara County Advisory Board. Towbes has also been on the boards of Planned Parenthood California Central Coast, Storyteller Children’s Center and Crane County Day School. She also leads the Towbes Foundation, which has granted $25 million to over 400 organizations across Santa Barbara County.

David C. Wajsgras ’82 was appointed the independent director of Wesco International, a provider of business-to-business distribution, logistics services and supply chain solutions. He was previously CEO of Intelsat Holdings S.A. and currently serves as a director of Parsons Corp. and Martin Marietta Materials. Wajsgras also led Raytheon's Intelligence, Information and Services business and earlier served as Raytheon’s senior vice president and chief financial officer, following executive roles at Lear Corp., AlliedSignal and others. He holds an MBA from American University.

Ted Ewanciw ’81 was named the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington’s 2025-26 Distinguished Principal of the Year. He joined the St. Bernadette Parish and School community in Silver Spring, Md., in 1984 and served as a parishioner, school parent, substitute teacher, full-time teacher, vice principal and, for the last eight years, principal. He has a master of science degree in management from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Jill Hamer ’81 was appointed to the California Privacy Protection Agency Board by Gov. Gavin Newsom. She was general manager of data privacy of Logic20/20 from 2019 to 2022 and over the previous 32 years held multiple roles at Primitive Logic, including chief executive officer. She is a U.S. board member of the Human Needs Project and a member of the International Organization of Privacy Professionals and Athena Alliance. Hamer earned a J.D. degree from Georgetown University.

Andrew Palmer ’81, M.S. ’84 received CIO’s 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award as part of its annual Industry Innovation Awards. He retired June 30 after a decade as CIO of the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System.

Steve Schneider ’78 published his first novel, “The Doodles and the Legend of Tall Bear,” in July, In it, two abandoned doodle dogs are rescued from a bear’s cave and join a struggling baseball team with their puppies, bringing hope and maybe magic to save the worst team in the world. Schneider is a retired chemical engineer and former senior official with the U.S. Department of Energy. He lives with his wife, Liz ’78, and their golden retriever, Ellie.

Edward Tuvin ’77, a strategic advisor with Gideon Associates, shared the link to his most recent “TuvinTalks” interview with Ken Feinberg, master of the 9/11 Victims Fund, at the Cosmos Club. “My goal was to document his thinking, his ethics, his techniques for negotiating large settlements with the surviving family members of victims of various different disasters around the globe,” he said. 

Mark Christhilf M.A. ’73, Ph.D. ’79 wrote the forthcoming book, “The Tenant in the Mind: Consciousness and Its Imperatives” (Iff Books), which answers one of the most pressing questions of science and philosophy: What is human consciousness? He is an emeritus professor at Eastern Illinois University and the author of a book of literary criticism, a book of poetry, and essays, reviews and poems in numerous literary journals. His author's website is markchristhilf.com.

Jan Pottker M.A. ’72 published her ninth book, “Vivien Thomas: The Man Who Overcame Racism to Save Millions of Lives,” which is the first biography for adult readers about the pioneering medical researcher. She was previously named Entrepreneur of the Year Award by UMD’s College of Education.

Bob Becker ’70, at age 80, broke the record in July as the oldest finisher of the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon, a race through Death Valley, Calif., called the "toughest footrace in the world" by National Geographic magazine. The course includes 14,000 feet of elevation gain and ends on Mt. Whitney. He completed it this year in 45 hours.

U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer ’63, the longest-serving Democrat in the House of Representatives, announced that he will retire when his 23rd term ends in January 2027. He spent two decades as former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s deputy and was known for maintaining collegial relationships across the aisle. Hoyer’s career in public service extends nearly 60 years, when he was first elected to represent Prince George’s County in the state Senate in 1967. 

Evan Livingston Naill (Freiert) ’13 of Baltimore died on Oct. 12, 2025. Born March 18, 1990, he was the son of Mary Freiert and grandson of the late Richard and Louise Naill. Naill was a Japanese major at UMD, where he was also a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He went on to become a loan officer and mortgage advisor for 12 years, most recently with Channel Marker Mortgage. Naill was a Ravens and Orioles fan who dedicated one of his arms to a tattoo celebrating all things Baltimore; the other arm displayed a Japanese samurai. He is survived by siblings Kristen Wenger, Alison Naill, Andrew Freiert and Sam Freiert; and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

John Francis Jones MBA ’01 died on Oct. 31, 2025, at the age of 54. He grew up in Newport News, Va., and played football and participated in international science fairs at Denbigh High School. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, then served in the Navy as a surface warfare officer for seven years, achieving the rank of lieutenant. Jones then earned his MBA at the University of Maryland and spent over 25 years working at IBM in cloud security and leadership development. He and his wife, Monica, mentored other couples through Marriage Ministries, and he was the vice president of the St. Mary’s Pastoral Council and lectured regularly at liturgical Masses. Maintaining strong connections with the Naval Academy, he served as a sponsor parent for midshipmen, was an active member of the North Carolina and Annapolis alumni chapters, and served as a Blue and Gold officer, assisting in the recruitment of future midshipmen. Jones was additionally an auxiliary member of the Capital City and Arundel Bay chapters of Jack and Jill of America. He volunteered with Interfaith Hospitality and Habitat for Humanity. Most of all, Jones was a devoted father. He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Monica; his daughter, Abigail; his mother, Min Cha; his brothers, Roosevelt Jr., Cary and Robert; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He is preceded in death by his father, Roosevelt Sr.; and his son, Augustine.

Joseph Daniel Mullendore ’99 of Clear Spring, Md., died at his home on Nov. 24, 2025, at age 50. He was a graduate of Clear Spring High School and UMD, where he received a bachelor's degree in government and politics. He worked for the University of Maryland Police Department from 1997 through 2006, then shifted to the Prince George’s County Police Department, where he worked from 2006 until the time of his passing. Throughout the years, Mullendore also served as a volunteer firefighter for the county. He was an avid enthusiast of 18th-century history and loved music, especially bluegrass and Jimmy Buffett. He was a member of the St. Alban Birmingham Lodge 233 in Beltsville, Md., the Sons of the American Revolution, the Sons of the American Legion Post 222 and the Fraternal Order of Police. He attended St. Paul’s Reformed Church in Clear Spring. Mullendore is survived by his wife of 17 years, Joanna; his son, Lear; his sister, Leslie Chaney; and his mother, Deanna Jean Mullendore.

Catherine Elizabeth Nerantzis M.A. ’88 died on Nov. 2, 2025, in Washington, D.C., after battling pancreatic cancer for 18 months. She was 55. Nerantzis was raised in Lima, Ohio, and graduated from Georgetown University and UMD, where she completed a master’s degree in early childhood education. During this time, she began attending Fourth Presbyterian Church, where she met and married her husband, Jimmy, and they soon settled in Rockville, Md. Nerantzis homeschooled her four children, drove them to countless swim practices and other activities, cheered them on at every swim meet and dance/theater performance, and spent hours perfecting their favorite gluten-free bakes. She is survived by her husband; children Emmalee, Zoe, Cecelia and Jesse; her father, L.Y.; and three older brothers: Ken, Michael and Jeff. She is preceded in death by her mother, Dixie Lee Boney Soo.

Kathleen Kyne Loveland ’84 of Mount Pleasant, S.C., died on Dec. 31, 2025, after a battle with frontotemporal dementia. She was 66. Loveland grew up in Cabin John, Md., and  graduated from UMD with a degree in early childhood education. She went on to teach children with learning disabilities at Clara Barton and Bannockburn Nursery School in Maryland, and Trident Academy, in Mount Pleasant. Her proudest accomplishment was raising her two daughters, Kate and Tara, and she adored being a grandmother. She was quick to send a care package or handwritten card to anyone in need of a pick-me-up, and enjoyed making crafts and decorations, inventing games and baking homemade cakes. Loveland and her husband, David, shared a sense of adventure and love for hiking and camping. She helped run the Charleston: Hiking, Travel and Adventure Club and led trips to Ireland, Scotland, Iceland and Spain. She cared deeply about protecting the environment and advocating for women’s rights, and was strong in her religious faith. Loveland is survived by her husband, David; her two daughters, Kate and Tara; four grandchildren; and siblings Mary, Theresa, Patrick and Elizabeth.

Donald Ray Soeken Ph.D. ’78 died at his home in Ellicott City, Md., on Nov. 21, 2025. He was 80. Born in Lyons, Kan., he graduated from the Youth Leadership Training Program at Valparaiso University, where he majored in theology. He received a Master of Social Work degree from Wayne State University and completed the post-master’s degree training program in psychiatric social work at the Menninger Foundation. He also earned a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in human development. In 1967, Soeken joined the Commissioned Officer Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service and served at the Mental Health Study Center in Adelphi, Md., and the U.S. Public Health Hospital and St. Elizabeth Hospital, both in Washington, D.C. As a result of conducting psychiatric fitness-for-duty exams, Soeken found his calling working with whistleblowers. Following his retirement in 1993, he focused his private practice on whistleblowers, becoming their fierce advocate and providing counseling, support and expert witness testimony. His Whistlestop farmhouse in West Virginia was a place where whistleblowers often went for respite or stayed rent-free for months. He was a member of the National Association of Social Workers, which awarded him the Jack Otis Whistleblower Award as well as Pioneer status for his work with whistleblowers. He explored his ancestral heritage and was a life member and past president of the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia. Soeken also was active in the Ostfriesland Genealogical Society of America. He was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Laurel, where he helped to implement the Stephen Ministry Program. He loved and appreciated land, items made of wood and beautiful sunsets. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Karen Soeken; his children, Jeffrey Soeken and Elizabeth Aguilera; six grandchildren; and siblings Raymond Jr, Mark, Diane Wyatt and Donetta Birzer. He was predeceased by his brother, Richard.

Alan Gregory Hollingsworth ’77 of Charleston, S.C., died on Dec. 24, 2025, at age 77. He was born in Cheverly, Md., and graduated from the University of Maryland before serving in the U.S. Navy as an officer aboard the USS Enterprise during the Vietnam War. Following his return, he earned his MBA from George Mason University and moved to Charleston in 1988, where he worked as vice president of wealth management for Smith Barney, Morgan Stanley and UBS. In his free time, Hollingsworth enjoyed spending time with friends and family, especially being a grandfather. He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Mary Buckingham Hollingsworth; children Ashley Conlon, Andrew Hollingsworth, Meredith Hollingsworth, Clay Hollingsworth and Kate Kochel; a brother, Douglas Hollingsworth; and 12 grandchildren.

Cynthia Rae (Neitzel) Ostroff M.S. ’76 died on Oct. 30, 2025, in Branford, Conn. She was 78. Born on November 3, 1946, in Green Bay, Wisc., Ostroff earned a Bachelor of Science from George Washington University before pursuing a master’s degree in botany from UMD. At Columbia University, she completed both a Master of Library Science and an advanced degree in book preservation. Ostroff ran the science library at Wesleyan University for five years before joining the book preservation studio at Yale University’s Beinecke Library. She concluded her career in Yale’s Archives Department. A passionate bookbinder and rare book preservationist, she found joy in the tactile beauty of paper and thread. She was also an active quilter and literacy volunteer. In addition, Ostroff supported housing initiatives for individuals with special needs. She relished telling the story of how she and her husband of 55 years, Robert, knew each other for six weeks before they married. She raised her three children within the New Haven Quaker meeting community. Her home was filled with warmth, from the scent of fresh-baked goods to the quilts draped over chairs. She loved nothing more than being surrounded by family. Ostroff was predeceased by her husband and survived by her children Linnaea, Oliver and Andrew; a grandson; and her brother, Lee.

Nancy Carter Simmons Duggan ’75, a principal in the Imperial Half Bushel silver shop on Baltimore’s Antique Row for more than four decades, died at her retirement home residence in Solomons, Md., on July 2, 2025. She was 91. Duggan married U.S. Navy Lt. J.G. Frederick F. Duggan Jr. in 1953, and during his tours of duty they lived in Memphis, Tenn.; Monterey, Calif.; Kodiak, Alaska; and Norfolk, Va. She was a member of the P.E.O. (now known publicly as the Philanthropic Educational Organization International) and served at every level of office, including twice as president. During her husband’s last tour of duty, in Washington, D.C., they moved to Bowie, Md.; after his retirement in 1970 he started buying at auction and consignment shops in the Washington and Baltimore areas and converted his interest in antiques into a business by selling silverware at similar venues. In 1976, the couple opened their shop, which stayed open until 2019. She is survived by her husband and four children: Patrick M., Colleen F., Sharon A. and F. David; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and siblings Mary, Chris, Ingrid and Anne.

Susanne Bohrer ’73 died on Nov. 4, 2025, after a lengthy illness. Born on Oct. 11, 1951, she was raised on a small farm in Carroll County, where she developed a love of the outdoors and horses. She majored in animal science at UMD, then worked for the Maryland Department of Agriculture. She later worked for several years in real estate, then returned to school and graduated with a nursing degree. Bohrer was employed at Western Maryland Hospital until her retirement. She and her husband, Shannon, built Winterbilt, a small farm in Frederick County, where she made her own apple butter, V-8-style juice, hummus, wine, venison jerky and venison bologna. She loved Broadway plays and music, and was an avid reader of a variety of topics, including historical events involving lesser-known people and incidents. Bohrer’s first love was horses, and she loved her dogs and barn cats. She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Shannon; her brother, John Smith; two sisters, Cheryle Heyman and JoAnn Bostian; and numerous nieces and nephews, including her goddaughter, Morgan Barr.

Joel Allen Carlson M.S. ’73 of Linthicum, Md., died on Nov. 22, 2025, at MedStar Harbor Hospital in Baltimore. He was 88. Carlson was born in Muskegon, Mich., where he was valedictorian at Muskegon Central Catholic High School. An accomplished pianist and organist, he graduated from Sherwood Music School, and earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in computer science from UMD. Carlson worked as a software engineer at Westinghouse Electric Corporation/Northrop Grumman Corp. for 32 years before retiring in 2003. He and his wife, Brigitte, were longtime parishioners of St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, where he served as a lector and participated in the church’s bible study and money ministry. The couple moved from Linthicum to the Charlestown Retirement Community in 2023. Carlson voraciously studied Latin and Greek and closely followed University of Michigan athletics. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Brigitte; children, Peter Carlson, Lisa Ferraro and Paul Carlson; two grandchildren; and three nephews. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Edward and Tom.

James Jude Kaney ’73 died on Aug. 24, 2025, at the age of 80. A proud graduate of the University of Maryland, Kaney was an ardent supporter of its programs. He honorably served in the U.S. Navy, where he had the distinguished role of serving on the honor guard detail for President Kennedy’s gravesite and the dinner detail for President Lyndon B. Johnson. Kaney was a member of SS Joachim & Anne Parish in Varysburg, N.Y., for many years. He was a longtime Buffalo Bills season-ticket holder, traveling to all four Bills Super Bowls as well as many away games. Kaney also found joy and fulfillment in local community theater as an actor and director for numerous productions. He and his wife, Susan M. Mucha Kaney, traveled extensively; he enjoyed sailing, scuba diving and horseback riding, and he was an exceptional cook with a love for grilling. Kaney is survived by his wife of 57 years, Susan; his daughter, Mary Catherine Geller; his son, Michael Q. Kaney; and many nieces and nephews. Kaney was preceded in death by his brother, Jude.

Juris Terauds Ph.D. ’72 died on Sept. 30, 2025. Born in Latvia, he was a boy when his family was forced to flee encroaching Russian troops. After they arrived in Canada, Terauds took to sports, particularly the javelin. He still holds the record at the University of Dubuque, where he met and married fellow undergraduate Shirley Jean Henry. He received his Master of Science from UCLA and LASU, then returned to Canada to start a family while teaching at Chateauguay Valley Regional High School in Quebec. As a student and teaching assistant at UMD, Terauds’ research included conceptualizing a tennis racquet designed to combat tennis elbow, awakening the inventor in him. While an associate professor at University of Texas, Odessa, he developed a pneumatic javelin launcher, arriving at a design that remains in use. Then as a professor at the University of Alberta, Terauds began work on his most lucrative achievement, the Xiser stepping machine, which sparked the development of every stepping machine around the world. He used it in training to compete for the USA in javelin at the 2009 World Masters Games in Australia, where he won the gold medal. In his professional career, Terauds was founder and president of the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports, director of biomechanics research at the Olympic Games, and president of the International Photo Optical Instrumentation Engineers High Speed Cinematography Society; he also developed the first biomechanics Ph.D. program in Canada. Terauds was a sought-out consultant who wrote 17 books on biomechanics, published 34 research articles in national and international journals, and presented 68 research papers at national and international conferences. One of his last achievements was convincing Latvia’s president to allow the offspring of those forced out during the Russian occupation to obtain Latvian citizenship by descent. Terauds is survived by his three children; 10 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; three of his seven siblings; nieces and nephews; and 27 grandnieces and -nephews.

Theresa “Terry” Ann Mannion ’71 died on Nov. 24, 2025, at the age of 77 in Silver Spring, Md. After graduating from Dunmore (Pa.) High School, she earned a bachelor’s degree in education at UMD, where she was a member of Alpha Xi Delta Sorority and tended bar at the Rendezvous. Mannion and her husband Jim made their home in the North Woodside neighborhood of Silver Spring, where she loved decorating for every holiday. While she worked in administrative roles throughout the D.C. and Maryland area, including Metro Graphics, Adoptions Together and REMAX Excellence, she found her calling in motherhood. Mannion devoted herself to being present—at school, church and home—for Mary and became a “bonus mom” to Mary’s friends. She leaves behind her husband of 47 years, James Mannion; her daughter, Mary Mannion; her sister, Marie Lombardi Pitoniak; and extended family. She was predeceased by her sister, Catherine Lombardi McGoldrick.

Anne-Marie Buckley ’70 died on Oct. 29, 2025, in Frederick, Md., at age 76. She grew up in Mt. Airy, where she stayed until she went to college at University of Maryland. She was an avid reader and enjoyed watching football and golf. Her days were often brightened by lunches with her sister and friends, and she especially looked forward to bus trips in Rocky Gap with the Mt. Airy Senior Center community. She is survived by her mother, Anna Rose Buckley; her brother, Francis C. Buckley Jr.; her sister, Jane Buckley Standifer; and a longtime friend, Diann Linton, who provided enduring companionship and care. 

Sharon Theresa Dunn ’70 of Westmoreland, N.H., died on Nov. 22, 2025, from complications of Alzheimer’s disease. She was 79 years old. Born and raised in Silver Spring, Md., Dunn attended the University of Maryland and the Washington Montessori Institute. She helped found and was one of the first teachers at the Keene Montessori School. For a time, Dunn was a rural mail carrier in West Brattleboro, and later became "the passport lady" at the Brattleboro Post Office. Dunn was also a businesswoman, founding and operating the Elliott Street consignment shop Twice Upon a Time. She was deeply involved with Brattleboro Area Hospice, both as a trained caregiver and as one of the "Sortin' Sisters," a group of friends who helped run things at Experienced Goods. She also served on the board of Brattleboro Affordable Housing, and was an avid gardener and talented cook. Above all, Dunn was a loving mother to her children, Forrest Bencivenga and Dylan Pierpont of Harrisville; a devoted partner to her husband of nearly 40 years, Paul Berch; and a proud grandmother of three. She is also survived by her brother, John Dunn. 

Mario Louis Camardo MBA ’68, of Dearborn Heights, Mich., known as “M. Louis” professionally, “Lou” by friends, and “Skip” or “Skipper” by family, died on Oct. 30, 2025, at the age of 81. Camardo grew up in Riverton, N.J., graduated from Villanova University and earned his MBA from UMD. He began his career with the Ford Motor Co., where he worked in human resources for 33 years; he was just as comfortable on the plant floor as he was in the executive conference rooms at World Headquarters. Camardo’s Catholic faith was a guiding force throughout his life. He loved to hunt and fish with good friends, often saying his rosary by the water's edge. He equally relished the time with friends in the evening telling stories and playing cards. He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Sara; his children, Betsy, Louis and JP; and his 10 grandchildren.

Kenneth Bate ’66 died on April 13, 2025, at his Lusby, Md., residence. He was 85. Bate was raised in Washington, D.C., graduated from McKinley Technical High School and served in the U.S. Air Force from 1958-64, including 21 months in the Weather Detachment Unit in Tripoli, Libya. He earned an electrical engineering degree at UMD and was a systems engineer for Maritime Surveillance Aircraft, PMA290 at Patuxent River Naval Air Station for 35 years, retiring in 2005. “Poppa Kenny,” as he was fondly called by his grandchildren, had a comedic wit and the ability to make everyone laugh. He enjoyed studying world and religious history and numismatology, and was an avid horse racing fan. He loved singing, wildlife, gardening and anything to do with electronics. Bate is survived by his wife of nearly 28 years, Mary H. Bate; his children, Charles W. Magez Jr. and Julie E. Magez; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Mary Magez Sylvester.

Dorothy J. “Dottie” Long ’66, of Martinsburg, W.Va., died on Dec. 28, 2025, at Homewood Living Martinsburg at age 81. She graduated from Allegany High School in Cumberland, Md., and earned a master’s degree in chemistry from University of Maryland. She joined Teach for America, spending two years teaching chemistry in Washington, D.C. Long relocated to Williamsburg, where she was a home economics and life sciences teacher until her retirement. Long was an active member of her community, and was fondly remembered for the greeting cards she sent to many friends and family. Long was preceded in death by her three siblings: Barbara Craig, Nancy Stouffer and Donald Long.

John Albert "Jack" Heagy ’65 died on Nov. 22, 2025, in Columbia, Md., at age 83. He spent his early years in University Park, Md., and graduated from UMD, where he was the lacrosse team manager and backup goalie under his father, head coach Al Heagy. He was a proud member of the M Club for Maryland varsity letter winners. Heagy worked from 1965 until 1994 for the Defense Intelligence Agency, serving as an analyst and later as section chief. Before and after that, he held positions keeping him close to people and to sports: evening manager of the Sporting Life store in Beltway Plaza, managing the school bookstore at DeMatha Catholic High School and in the Maryland Athletics ticket office and similar positions at the Bowie Baysox and Frederick Keys stadiums, and finally, after moving to Westminster, managing the front desk of the gym in the early mornings at McDaniel College. Outside of work and family, his passions were teaching, coaching and growing the game of lacrosse in the region. Heagy was a coach, organizer and commissioner of the Prince George’s County Lacrosse Club from 1975 through the early 1980s. He helped to establish youth and high school teams with kids from Hyattsville, Lanham and the surrounding areas, along with the lacrosse program at DeMatha; he served as the school’s first club program coach, later moving to coach the JV team and then ultimately the freshman team. In 1981, he helped found and served as commissioner of the Washington Area Lacrosse League. Heagy received the Mark Krieger Award from the Lacrosse Foundation in 1988. Heagy was a fixture with his wife and kids at Green Acres Swim Club in Lanham every summer throughout the 1980s, helping to manage the snack bar named “Jack's Shack" and assisting with the swim team; he was also a pool operator for several summers. He enjoyed spending time with his grandsons and playing with his grand-dogs. He always had at least one mystery book he was reading (keeping a detailed binder with every book he read), and during football season he had to watch RedZone on Sundays. Heagy was preceded in death by his wife of 57 years, Elizabeth, and his oldest daughter, Vivian Ganey, in 2020. He is survived by his daughter, Melinda Peters; son, John Heagy; five grandsons; a sister, Ann McCauley; as well as nieces and a nephew.

Hugo Gary Santora ’65 died at his Annandale, Va., home on Nov. 21, 2025, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease and Parkinson’s dementia. He grew up in Greenbelt, Md., and graduated from UMD and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law. He and his first wife had two children, Allen and Karen. Santora worked as a tax attorney for three decades with the Internal Revenue Service, spanning a range of positions with increasing responsibilities. His tax work brought him to Capitol Hill hearings and consideration of legislation where he met Kathleen Curry, who became his wife in 1990. Santora retired early, so he could be a stay-at-home dad to the couple’s adopted daughter, Emily. He enjoyed flying his Mooney and taking regular visits to the dog park. Santora is survived by his wife, Kathleen Curry Santora; three children, Allen Santora, Karen Santora Gude and Emily Santora; a grandson; and nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother, Frank.

Barry Allan Richards ’63 of Havre de Grace, Md., died at age 85 on Nov. 23, 2025, at the VA Hospital in Perryville. He graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic High School and UMD, where he majored in mechanical engineering. Richards served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam era, exemplifying courage and dedication to his country. He became a successful business owner in the electrical sales industry. In addition, he founded the Alcohol and Drug Addiction Ministry at Oak Grove Baptist Church, where he became a beacon of hope for many struggling individuals and families. His faith was a central part of his life, and he was a devoted member of Oak Grove Baptist Church. An avid lover of bluegrass music, Richards found joy in playing guitar and listening to the melodies that filled his heart. He is survived by his two sons, John and Matthew; six grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Margaret "Peggy" Richards; his daughter, Alison McDonough; and his brother, Dennis Brooke Richards.

David James Beatty ’60, a devoted LGBTQ+ advocate, educator, psychotherapist and naturalist, died on Oct. 19, 2025, in Seattle at age 87. Beatty was the first in his family to finish high school, graduating from Monroe Woodbury in New York. He earned a psychology degree from UMD, an MSW from Indiana University and a doctorate in social welfare from the University of California, Berkeley. He was drafted into the U.S. Army, and while stationed in Sioux Falls, S.D., he met his partner, Harvey Rosenthal, now deceased. Beatty was honorably discharged in 1962. His career included working as a psychiatric social worker in California, professor at the University of Washington’s School of Social Work, private practice psychotherapist in Seattle, and practitioner then executive director of the Olympic Area Agency on Aging. In retirement he lived in Silver City, N.M., and Port Townsend and Seattle, Wash. Beatty was an avid birder with a life list of 605 North American species; his records are permanently chronicled in the Audubon Society’s research archive. He loved his dogs, playing hearts or bridge, listening to classical music, moderating book club discussions and delving into who we are as humans. He is survived by brother-in-law Richard Bopp, niece Barbara Bopp Brabetz, nephew Timothy Bopp; and four grandnieces and -nephews. He considered his many close friends as family, most notably Howard Leonard, father to his godchildren; and Sara and Csea Leonard.

Martha Elise Blankenship M.Ed. ’58 died on Nov. 29, 2025, at age 92. She was born in Baton Rogue, La., and went on to earn a B.S. in elementary education at Centenary College, a master’s in child growth and development at UMD, a CAS in brain-injured children (learning disabilities) at Syracuse University and an Ed.D. in special education at the University of Houston. One of her greatest contributions to education was in 1972 when she and her colleague, the late Jean Lokerson Ph.D.’70, developed the Simulations of Learning Disabilities, a creative educational program still used today with prospective teachers as an in-service teaching activity at the beginning of the school year. She and Lokerson also created, developed and produced two films featuring appropriate educational services for preschool handicapped children, “A Place to Learn” and “A Place to Grow,” the latter of which was shown at the American Film Festival in New York. Blankenship was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, an honorary education society; the Council for Exceptional Children-Learning Disabilities; and the Learning Disabilities Association of America LDA. She served on many national professional boards as president, committee chair and other offices, and she and Lokerson made presentations at national and international conferences throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Blankenship enjoyed classical music, theater and the opera. After retirement, she traveled throughout the world with friends and colleagues. Blankenship also had a deep and abiding love for the Methodist Church, where she taught the youth group at her church for many years. Blankenship is survived by her sister, Ella Aimee Walton, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother, Macon Blankenship Jr.

Frederick Helme Rogers Jr. ’58 died on Nov. 9, 2025, in his home at the Inn at University Village in Vancouver, Wash., seven weeks shy of his 92nd birthday. Rogers grew up in Catonsville, Md., attended Mercersburg Academy for a year and received a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Maryland. He enlisted in the Army Reserve, where he served honorably for eight years, then went to work for the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads as a civil engineer, eventually retiring from the Federal Highway Administration. When called up by FEMA, he helped people recover from hurricanes and other major disasters. He also coached and refereed youth soccer and was a scoutmaster. He loved hiking, camping, backpacking, birding and exploring nature. He spent many volunteer hours helping to build and maintain trails for the Chinook Trails Association and the Washington Trails Association. Rogers is survived by his children, Steve Rogers, Mary Ann Hansen and Sandy Rogers; stepchildren Rick Westre, Suzanne Seaberg, Nathan Westre, Carmen Dawkins, Julie Huffman, Michael Andrews and Chris Andrews; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; a sister, Ann Ridenour; and his first wife, Linda Marsh. He was preceded in death by his brothers, John and David; his second wife, Neva; and his third wife, Gayle.

Carl Andrew Winfield Jr. ’57 of Mechanicsburg, Md., died on Nov. 9, 2025, at the age of 90. Winfield was a graduate of La Salle High School and earned his B.S. in dairy science from UMD. Upon graduation, he returned to work at his father’s business, Speelman’s Ice Cream of Cumberland. Winfield then worked in sales for Swift & Co. in Hampton, Va., and later as manager in Houston. He became the general manager of Lenkerbrook Farms Dairy in Camp Hill in 1976 and retired in 1999. In retirement, Winfield and his wife, Barbara, enjoyed spending time with family and friends, as well as traveling. For more than 45 years, Winfield was an active member of the Lions Club International, serving as a president in both the Hampden Township and later the Camp Hill clubs. He was also a longtime member of Trinity Lutheran Church. Winfield is survived by his wife of 69 years, Barbara; four children, Mark Winfield, Janet Valentine, Sharon Pastucka and John Winfield; nine grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and extended family. He is preceded in death by his siblings, Doris L. Hansrote and Walter W. Winfield Sr. 

Dr. Frank Verde ’55 died on Oct. 25, 2025, at the age of 92. He grew up in Baltimore’s close-knit Little Italy neighborhood before his family moved to a home built by his grandfather in Hamilton. A graduate of City College High School, Verde went on to earn his B.S. from UMD and D.D.S. from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry. He served three years in the U.S. Air Force, stationed in Savannah, Ga., before earning a postgraduate degree in orthodontics from Columbia University. He opened his first private practice in 1963, was active in numerous professional organizations, and continued to serve as a consultant until the age of 80. In 1956, Verde married Barbara J. Messick, with whom he raised four children. In 1982, he married Patricia (Orr) Smith and welcomed his fifth child. Family was at the heart of Verde’s life. He was proud to have reclaimed the ancestral family home in Italy, and his love of travel took him and his family around the world. He delighted in his convertible sports cars, music, art, bocce and thought-provoking conversations. He is survived by four of his five children: Ann Marie, Mike, Mary Jo and Jill Skokan; three stepchildren, Debbie Gray, Jim and Steve; 17 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Verde was predeceased by his wife, Patricia Verde; his brother; Joseph Verdecchia; his son, Steven Verde; and a grandson, Kelsey Skokan.

Dorothy Louise Krimm ’54 died on Oct. 22, 2025, at age 93. She grew up in Brooklyn Park, Md., and graduated summa cum laude from UMD with a major in history and education. She taught middle school history and English for several years. In 1963, she moved to Colorado Springs when her husband, Hans, accepted a faculty position at Colorado College. She left teaching to care for her two children, Hans and Myra. Krimm was a lifelong learner and avid reader, with curiosity leading her to the World Book Encyclopedia at almost every mealtime. She enjoyed scrapbooking, coloring and gardening. Her passion was the outdoors and its wildlife. She loved all animals, wild and domestic, especially her dogs. She was also a member of First Congregational Church and of the Democratic Party. Krimm was predeceased by her husband of 65 years, Hans. She is survived by her children, Mryra Hansen and Hans Krimm; and four grandchildren.

Frederick William Stephens ’54 died on Dec. 26, 2025, in his home in Manchester, Md., at age 93. He grew up on the family farm in Brookeville, Md. At Sherwood High School in Montgomery County, he was quarterback of the football team. He then attended Montgomery College before earning a degree in civil engineering from the University of Maryland. Stephens enlisted in the Navy, and served in the Seabee Corps, achieving the rank of lieutenant. He was stationed in Kodiak, Alaska, then at the Naval Shipyards in Washington, D.C.. He spent his career at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda until his retirement. He also bought farmland in Mt. Airy, where he lived with his first wife, Sondra, and his parents, and continued the family’s hunting dog tradition under the name Triggaland Kennels. He was a gifted artist, a devoted genealogist and a civil rights supporter who stood among the crowd at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 to hear the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech. Stephens is survived by his wife of 31 years, Yoon Sook Lee Stephens; his son, Clifton Curtis Stephens II; his daughter, Victoria Louise Stephens; a granddaughter; his brother, Irving Ernest Stephens; and many extended family members. 

Gerald Brody ’50, of Bethesda, Md., died on Dec. 29, 2025. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., he showed an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age, delivering newspapers by bicycle, selling hot dogs at Griffith Stadium, driving a taxi, and working alongside his father in the family push-cart peddler business selling health and beauty aids to supermarkets and neighborhood drug stores. Brody graduated from Roosevelt High School, where he was captain of the varsity basketball team, and went on to attend the University of Maryland and Georgetown University Law School. He worked with his brother, the late Norman Brody, and his late sister, Beverly Baker, continuing to grow Brody Bros Distributors. Brody was a lifelong fan of the Washington Redskins and an avid tennis player. He was a devoted member of Congregation Beth El in Bethesda, where he attended daily minyan for many years. He took dozens of trips around the world and often traveled without reservations, embracing spontaneity and discovery. His most cherished moments were spent with his family, especially at the family beach house. Brody is survived by his wife of 67 years, Caryl Kirschbaum Brody; three children, Joanne Brody Spielman, Andrea Brody Gillman and Scott Brody; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandgrandchildren.