Class Notes
'60s
Milton Bolzendahl (B.A., '60), a former CPA, has devoted his life to literature, writing and illustrating. His latest books are "Obergefreiter Walter: A Didactic Novel" and "Orth," both published through Fideli Publishing.
Professor Emeritus Jim Duggins (B.A., '61; M.A., '64) has published "The Power: A Novel of Voodoo" through Book Surge.
Jared Brown (M.A., '62) has published "Mind the Gap and Two Other Mysteries," a novel of suspense and two other stories, through Author House.
Gerald Haslam (B.A.,'63; M.A.,'65) received the Yosemite Association's Award for Distinguished Service for ten years as a trustee and leadership of its volunteer program.
Diana Hoffman (B.A., '68) is the new general director of the Nevada Opera Association, the state's oldest professional performing arts organization.
Karna Small Bodman (attended '67-'70), a former Reagan deputy press secretary and National Security Council senior director, has written three political thrillers; The Latest, "Final Finesse" (Forge Books, '09), focuses on the sabotage of natural gas pipelines in America's heartland.
'70s
Walter Benjamin Fisherow
(M.S., '71), a deputy section
chief in the Department of
Justice's Environment and
Natural Resources Division,
was named a 2009 Service
to America Medal Finalist
for coordinating Clean Air
Act enforcement actions
expected to reduce harmful
air pollutants.
Judy Gelwicks (B.A., '71;
M.S., '76) and her husband
have launched Alpine Green
Living, a magazine distributed
quarterly in the Lake Tahoe,
Northern Nevada, Sierra
Foothills and surrounding
areas. Its mission includes
inspiring, educating and
empowering its readers to
pursue a sustainable lifestyle.
Peter Busher (B.A., '72; M.A., '75), a natural science professor at Boston University, received its Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Michael Amatori (B.A., '74), the production and creative services director for KGO and KSFO Radio in San Francisco, has been elected to the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame.
Frank Zamacona (B.A., '74)
helped produce the PBS
Pledge Special "Fillmore:
The Last Days," a rock
documentary that includes
appearances by The Grateful
Dead, The Jefferson
Airplane, Hot Tuna and rock
impresario Bill Graham. The
special ran on PBS stations
over the summer.
Larry Vuckovich (B.A., '75)
completed a successful
2009 summer tour of the
Balkans where his Jazz-Latin
performance was called by
Radio Belgrade "a highlight
of the [Kotor Art] festival."
With him were bassist
Michael Zisman, guitarist
Josh Workman, and drummer
Chuck McPherson.
James Tipton's (B.A., '76;
M.A., '78) work of historical
fiction, "Annette Vallon:
A Novel of the French
Revolution" (HarperCollins,
'07), focuses on the life
of William Wordsworth's
mistress on the eve of the
French Revolution.
Nora Bacon (B.A., '77; M.A.,
'85), an associate professor
of English at the University of
Nebraska, Omaha, received
an Outstanding Teaching
Award from the university's
Alumni Association.
'80s
Vinnie Hansen's (M.A., '80) fifth murder mystery, "Death with Dessert" (Mainly Murder Publishing, '08), transports heroine Carol Sabala into the world of bounty hunting and human trafficking.
Norman Dea (B.M., '81), a music educator at Acalanes High School in Lafayette, Calif., is the incoming president of the California Association for Music Education. He was recently inducted into the John Philip Sousa Foundation Legion of Honor at the 2008 Midwest Clinic in Chicago.
John Lander (M.A., '81) works full time as a writer and photographer. His publications include 20 textbooks for Asahi Press Japan and articles and photos in Travel+Leisure and Forbes.
Kathleen Guler (B.S., '82) is the author of "A Land Beyond Ravens," the latest in her award-winning Macsen's Treasure series set in fifth-century Britain. The book was published through Bardsong Press.
Delaney Henderson (B.S., '83) has published "The Travelers" through A-Argus Better Book Publishers.
Mark Vinsel (B.A., '85), executive director of United Fishermen of Alaska was reappointed to the Alaska Board of Forestry. His past posts include chairman of both the Alaska Commemorative Coin Commission and the Alaska Fishing Industry Relief Mission.
Lawrence Diggs (attended '87-'88), a former Peace Corps volunteer, was invited back to the West African nation of Burkina Faso, to accept a medal of honor and gold star from offi cials in the community he served 30 years ago. Diggs played a key role in organizing the nation's ambulance service.
Cris Chater (M.A., '88) is
executive director of the
San Rafael-based Senior
Access, an organization
that provides programs
and services that enhance
the quality of life and
independence of older
adults.
Annette Kevranian (B.A.,
'89; B.A., '90) is the founder
of Method 42 Productions,
an award-winning event and
production company
'90s
Cal Orey (M.A., '90) has published "The Healing Powers of Olive Oil: A Complete Guide to Nature's Liquid Gold" through Kensington Publishing Corp.
Jerry Slavonia (B.A., '90) is chief executive offi cer of Campus Explorer, a Web company that assists online visitors with their search for colleges.
J.P. Allen (M.A., '91) wrote and produced "Stephanie's Image," an independent feature fi lm starring Melissa Leo. The fi lm has played at several festivals and received multiple nominations from the Milan International Film Festival Awards.
Marcy A. Morgan (B.S., '91) is senior manager at the Walnut Creek offi ce of Macias Gini & O'Connell LLP, a statewide certifi ed public accounting, management consulting and personnel services firm.
Tomas N. Romero (B.S., '91), a Hollywood-based screenwriter, has seen his movies come to life on screens large and small: "The American Mall," an original musical comedy he wrote for MTV, and "Not Forgotten," a theatrical motion picture he associate produced and co-wrote.
Bridget Cantrell (B.A., '92) is president and CEO of Hearts Toward Home International, a charitable nonprofi t dedicated to the recovery and reintegration of trauma survivors. During her 20-year career working with combat veterans she has written numerous books and conducted workshops for U.S. military service personnel across the globe.
Rita Chen Fujisawa (M.B.A., '92) received a Diversity Executive Leadership Program scholarship from The American Society of Association Executives and The Center for Association Leadership.
Jim Burke (M.A., '93), a teacher at Burlingame High School and a senior consultant to the Holt McDougal Literature program, has published 20 books, including "The English Teacher's Companion: A Complete Guide to Classroom, Curriculum, and the Profession" (Heinemann, '08).
Walter Cambra (M.A., '93) completed the curriculum of the Rosicrucian Order and received his Certifi cate of Completion from the Grand Master of the English Grand Lodge of the Americas.
Louise Itzler (M.A., '93), whose stage name is Lua Hadar, sings jazz infl uenced by pop, funk, Latin and international cabaret. The multilingual, Broadway-influenced performer and her band Twist have taken their latest show, "French Connection," to venues in San Francisco, New Orleans and New York.
Arnie Lopez (B.S., '93) is senior manager of technical sales for the WebEx Technology Group at Cisco Systems.
James J. Simon (M.B.A., '93) and his wife Nicole authored "Y's Up!: 85 Tips from the Trenches to Help You Succeed in Today's No-Guarantees Job Market," a book published through Book Surge that provides tips to increase Generation Y's chances of success in today's job market.
Susan Keiter (M.S., '95) co-founded East Bay College Fund, a nonprofit that has funded college for more than 100 Oakland public high school graduates.
Marie-Lorraine Mallare (B.A., '96; M.A., '98) is the host of "Asian-Am Magazine," a new bimonthly digital segment of AsianWeek.com, an English language news outlet serving the Asian/Pacific Islander American community.
Kris Putnam-Walkerly (M.S.W., '96), the owner of Putnam Community Investment Consulting, was named one of the Top 10 Women Business Owners of Northeast Ohio by the Cleveland Chapter of the National Association of Business Owners.
Michael Lynch (M.A., '98), a senior financial planner with Barnum Financial Group, MetLife's #1 firm for the fifth consecutive year, was recently named the company's Financial Planner of the Year.
Stacey Wisnia (B.A., '98) is the executive director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival.
Kelli Elaine Stanley (B.A., '99; M.A., '06) received the 2009 Bruce Alexander Memorial Historical Mystery Award for her debut novel, "Nox Dormienda: A Long Night Sleeping" (Five Star, '08).
'00s
Andrea King (M.S., '01) is helping clients achieve rewarding employment through Careerful, her Beaverton, Ore.-based career counseling practice.
Richard Mendelson (B.A., '01) published "Building Champions: A Coaches Guide to Creating Competitors and Finding Happiness" through Competitive Mindset Enhancement.
Adrienne Anderson (attended '89-'93; '03) is the founder, curator and organizer of the International Black Women's Film Festival.
David Abella (B.A., '05) is co-editor-in-chief of La Raza Law Journal at the University of California, Berkeley.
Dylan Houle (B.A.,'06) won the Academy of American Poets prize sponsored by Poets Org and Fordham University for his poem, "It is hard to be Father, it is hard to be a Son."
Ezra J. Stanley (B.A., '09) won the Best Commercial Award for Levi's "Post-Mortem" presented by actress Jo Ann Worley and actor Gary Owens at the first Annual Burbank International Film Festival.
Deaths
Agnes (Gee) Doan (B.A.,'32), Dec. 12, 2008, Placerville, Calif.
Grace Whitby Lawrence (B.A., '36), April 23, 2009, Greenbrae, Calif.
Clifford Worth (B.A., '39), Sept. 11, 2009, Greenbrae, Calif.
Anthony Alan McPherson (B.A.,'79), May 1, 2008, Chesterfield, Mich.
Births
Eva Spiegel (M.A., '96) and Terrence hunley (B.A., '88) welcomed a son, Lars Benjamin Hunley Spiegel, on Dec.15.
Weddings
Matthew Curtis Schneider (B.A., '03; M.A., '06) and hawley Prentice Morrison were wed on Sept. 20 in Washington, D.C.
Have news worth noting?
Tell us about your professional accomplishments, the name and birth date of your new bundle of joy, when and where and to whom you were married -- and keep us posted, via a published obituary, of alumni we've lost.
Send your submissions with "Class Notes" in the subject line to sfsumag@sfsu.edu or SF State Magazine, University Communications, 1600 Holloway Ave., SF, CA 94132.
Please include your full name, degree information, address and phone number.
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