John “Mark” Edgemon (1980, B.A., physical education) received the 2006 Athletic Director of the Year award for the CIF Southern Section from the California State Athletic Director’s Association in April. He is dean of athletics for Upland [Calif.] Christian Schools.
Ignacio G. Ochoa (1980, B.S., civil engineering) was recently named to the newly created position of assistant public works director/chief engineer at the County of Orange Resources and Development Management Department. Ochoa helps oversee a division with an annual operating budget of more than $200 million. He was previously manager of the department’s Road Division.
Eisai Inc., promoted Judee (Kelly) Shuler (1980, B.A., journalism) to director of corporate planning and communications from associate director. Eisai is a research-based human health care company based in Teaneck, N.J. Shuler was director of global healthcare communications at Ohmeda Inc. and editor of Pharmaceutical Executive magazine.
The Society for Technical Communication named Doreen A. Mannion (1981, B.A., journalism) as a fellow of the organization, its highest recognition of professional and organizational service. She is a quality assurance manager for Catapult Technology in Bethesda, Md., and a master of divinity student at Wesley Theological Seminary.
Gary B. Jefferson (1982, B.A., biology) served as a defensive lecturer this summer for the Five-Star Basketball Camp in Anaheim. The program includes current and former NBA and college coaches and players. Jefferson is completing a J.D. degree at Concord School of Law.
The Southern California section of the Institute of Food Technologists presented Melissa L. Calicchia (1983, B.A., microbiology) with its 2006 Distinguished Achievement Award. She is founder and senior technical director of Food Safety Solutions Inc. and Food Microbiological Laboratories Inc.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed former Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney Eleanor J. Hunter (1983, B.S., criminal justice) as a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge. The California District Attorney’s Association named her the 2004 Prosecutor of the Year for her work in several high-profile cases.
Jeff Landesman (1983, M.S., biology) has been the chief aquarist at the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro, Calif., since 1982, where he oversees development and maintenance of exhibitions, specimen collection and animal care.
Douglas D. Rose (1983, B.A., psychology) and his wife, Patti, reside in McKinleyville, Calif., where they operate Rose Communication Services to train visually impaired individuals in Braille and other communications technologies, as well as Rosepond Aquatics, a water garden design and plant company.
Carolyn Waters Broe (1984, MFA, music) is conductor of the Four Seasons Orchestra in Scottsdale, Ariz. Broe completed her doctorate in music at Arizona State University in 2001.
Charter Communications Inc. appointed Marwan Fawaz (1984, B.S., electrical engineering) as executive vice president and chief technology officer (CTO). He previously was senior vice president and CTO of Adelphia Communications.
Rob Mehl (1984, B.A., recreation and leisure studies) recently returned from Kauai, Hawaii, where he recorded his second music CD, “Could You Be More Pacific?” Accompa-nying Mehl were musicians who perform with Chicago, James Taylor and other major artists. The Vista, Calif., resident also performs as a soloist and with his own group.
Elizabeth Stoneman (1984, B.S., business administration– finance) has accepted the position of branch manager of the Farmers & Merchants State Bank’s Meridian, Idaho, office. She has more than 27 years of experience in the financial services.
1985
Craig Harvey (1985, B.S., criminal justice) is the chief coroner investigator and chief of operations for the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. He oversees a staff of 110 and a $6 million budget.
Adam Bauman (1986, B.A., radio/TV/film) rejoined IsoSpace Inc. as chief executive officer after previously serving as its CEO in 2001. In the interim, he was CEO and president of STI, a talent management firm. New York City-based IsoSpace provides secure Web-based video conferencing and shared desktop environments.
When coroners’ offices can’t identify a deceased individual, they turn to forensic artist Marilyn Droz (1986, B.A., art) to draw a portrait of how the person may have looked when alive. Droz largely assists the Los Angeles and Orange county coroners’ offices.
United States Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Robert T. Hanley (1986, B.A., journalism) recently earned an M.A. in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, R.I. Hanley was a reporter with several Southern California newspapers before taking an active-duty assignment with the Coast Guard. Since returning from duty in the Persian Gulf region in 2003, he has been assigned to Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Serving With Distinction
United States Army Col. Bill Wenger (1977, M.A., theatre arts) earned the Bronze Star for meritorious service in Iraq. He came out of military retirement to serve as chief of policy for the multinational force and later as chief of border enforcement to recruit and train Iraqi border police. He also helped re-establish the Iraq Boy Scouts and aided in charitable activities for mosques, churches and orphanages. He is vice president for the Los Angeles region for Charles Dunn Real Estate Management Service.
California Army National Guard Capt. Jeff C. Moore (1993, B.A., geography) also received the Bronze Star for meritorious service in Iraq. During his tour of duty from November 2004 to October 2005, he oversaw the Brigade Internment Facility in Kirkuk.
Martha Alpough-Marshall (1994, M.A., health care administration) is a senior clinical consultant with Kaiser Permanente in Pasadena. She returned from serving 14 months in Landstuhl, Germany, where she provided care to United States and coalition soldiers injured in the Iraq war.
Mark D. Mantel (1986, M.A., music composition) is executive director of dieforArt Productions in Petoskey, Mich. “I am working on some new commissions and interdisciplinary works; teaching composition, percussion and theory; working on a new CD in Chicago; and raising our son, Quinn,” he said. He earned a Ph.D. in music composition from the University at Buffalo, N.Y.
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers selected Kent W. Peterson (1986, B.S., mechanical engineering) as president-elect. He is vice president, principal and chief engineer of P2S Engineering, a Long Beach firm that serves large commercial clients including CSULB.
The city of Barstow named Hector Rodriguez (1986, B.S., business administration–management) as its new finance director. He has more than 20 years of experience in corporate and government finance.
Aliyu Modibbo Umar (1986, B.A., journalism) was selected in June by the president of Nigeria to become that nation’s new minister of commerce. He is chairman of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Ltd., and is a former minister of state for power and steel.
The Gannett Co. Inc. selected Sherri (Forsberg) Maurer (1987, B.S., business administration– accountancy) to receive the President’s Ring for outstanding financial performance and leadership. She is controller of the Desert Sun newspaper in Palm Springs, Calif.
William F. Cornett (1989, B.A., industrial arts) is an instructor of medium/heavy truck technology and coordinator of the Isuzu Corporate Program at Citrus College in Glendora, Calif. He has been recognized as a California Lottery “exceptional educator” and received a National Hot Rod Association honor for service with its Youth and Education Services division.
Stephen M. Nichols (1989, B.A., political science) is serving as athletics director at Cal State San Marcos. He also is an associate professor of political science at the northern San Diego County campus. He earned his Ph.D. from Ohio State University.
The Indiana University Board of Trustees appointed Roger J. Thompson (1989, B.A., radio/ TV/film) as vice provost for enrollment management. He had been associate vice president for enrollment management at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa.
1990
Gayle Fenton (1990, B.A., psychology; 1993, M.S., education–counseling; 2006, Ed.D.) is the first graduate to receive all three degrees from CSULB. Her Ed.D. was through a joint doctoral program with UC Irvine. CSULB now offers its own independent Ed.D. Fenton is director of the Bickerstaff Center for Student-Athlete Academic Services and special assistant to the vice provost for student success.
Stacy (Lowe) Madison (1990, MSW) is the co-founder and co-owner of Stacy’s Pita Chip Co., based in Randolph, Mass. The firm distributes its healthy baked snack foods throughout the United States and the United Kingdom.
Joseph M. Murphy (1990, Bachelor of Vocational Education) is director of the Machining Technology program at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, Colo. He also is a secondary school tutor and enjoys hiking, biking, landscaping and auto building.
Entrepreneur magazine named TeamQuest Staffing Services in Irvine, Calif., as No. 44 on its 12th Annual Hot 100 list of fastest growing new companies in the United States. The list, developed in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers, includes firms no more than five years old with sales greater than $1 million. Co-founder Walter Reece (1990, B.A., speech communication) credits the skills he gained as a student at CSULB for a big portion of his success. “In my business you cannot succeed without strong communication skills. My education at CSULB has helped tremendously in our success.”
Edward N. Kamlan (1991, B.A., journalism) was appointed as a public affairs specialist for another CSULB alumnus, Long Beach City Manager Gerald R. Miller. Kamlan is a former city editor at the Long Beach Press-Telegram.
Micail L. Samiere (1991, MBA) is the chief operating officer for the physicians’ group Urology Associates in Nashville, Tenn. She has an extensive career in health care management.
Laura Wilson Doud (1993, B.S., business administration–accountancy) was elected as the new Long Beach city auditor in June. She formerly was controller for the Water Replenishment District of Southern California.
The California Healthcare Institute named Elizabeth Goode (1993, B.A., art) as director of corporate development for the nonprofit public research organization.
Brent Hilliard (1993, B.A., political science) is the interim head coach for women’s volleyball at the University of San Diego. He has been the team’s assistant coach for four seasons. As a 49er, he was the NCAA’s 1991 men’s volleyball player of the year and an Olympic bronze medalist in 1992.
Cal Poly Pomona named Douglas R. Freer (1994, MBA) as the new vice president for student affairs. He earned a doctorate in educational leadership at UCLA and has been with Cal Poly for 16 years in several administrative capacities.
1995
Sabrina A. Aris-Guentz (1995, B.S., business administration–management) is director of catering with Radisson Hotels and Resorts. She obtained her MBA in entrepreneurial ventures from Loyola Marymount University in 2001 and is a board member for the Long Beach Rowing Association.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Hector L. Ramirez (1994, B.A., psychology; 1996, MSW) as chair of the California Children and Families First Commission. Ramirez is chief strategic officer for Para Los Niños, a Los Angeles-based children’s services agency. Also known as the “First 5 California” commission, the group develops and promotes programs to improve the social and educational development of children from prenatal through age five.
Warner Bros. Entertainment promoted Marc Brandon (1998, B.A., creative writing) to vice president of Anti-Piracy Internet Operations. He is responsible for coordinating the studio’s anti-piracy efforts in the areas of digital piracy and illegal Internet auctions.
Melissa M. (Collins) Garcia (1998, B.A., English literature) recently published her first mystery novel, Falling Angels, through iUniverse. She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, and also writes short stories and children’s picture books.
This year started well for Sean Ponso (1998, B.A., recreation). His daughter, Sierra, was born in January and the city of Lancaster, Calif., named him its 2005 employee of the year. He is recreation supervisor for the Parks, Recreation and Arts Department.
Va’Nechia Rayford (1999, B.A., liberal studies–special major) received a master’s of divinity degree in May from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. Candler is an official seminary of the United Methodist Church.
© California State University, Long Beach :
Feedback
Print this page
