Robert K. Gronendyke (1955, B.A.; 1960, M.A., fine arts) has been doing voluntary construction work on several projects with Habitat for Humanity's Southern Santa Barbara County chapter, which named him Hero of the Week and Volunteer of the Year for 2006 for his work in California and in other states. He is a professor emeritus of art and art history at Sonoma State University.
Alex R. Bellehumeur (1956, B.A., fine arts) was profiled as one of "The Most Innovative Minds in Long Beach" in the March issue of Long Beach Magazine. He is a real estate developer, inventor and former Long Beach Harbor commissioner.
Duane L. Getty (1963, B.A., physical education) was a coach and teacher at Huntington Beach, Calif., High School from 1965 to 1989, then became a land developer in Oregon, Nevada and Texas.
William H. Barron (1964, B.S., business administration-accountancy; 1971, MBA) retired in 1982 after 17 years as a realtor and tax accountant. "I attended CSULB as a polio quadriplegic in a power wheelchair. It was a great experience," he said. He and his wife married in 1983 and have two sons in college.
William R. Quigley (1964, MBA) retired from the Boeing Company as a manager of program planning and control. He had been with North American Aviation and was involved in the design and development phase of the Space Shuttle program.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Frank Colonna (1965, B.S., zoology) to the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy Governing Board. From 1998-2006, Colonna served on the Long Beach City Council and has been vice mayor of Long Beach.
Gerald T. Kelly (1966, B.S., mechanical engineering) is a retired aerospace engineer who designed the fuselage airframe for Northrop-Grumman's Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
Don Alper (1967, B.A.; 1969, M.A., political science) received the International Council for Canadian Studies Certificate award in May in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Alper is a professor of political science at Western Washington University and director of its Center for Canadian-American Studies.
Carole (Ortale) Curtis (1967, B.A., English) was a career counselor for 20 years and continues consulting. She is a published poet and is listed in the 2007 Marquis Who's Who of American Women. She and her husband, John Curtis, (1977, B.S., business administration-operations management) have two children.
Retired Raytheon engineer Jeffery A. Clements (1968, B.S.; 1970, M.S., mechanical engineering) draws old houses and buildings associated with early African-American communities around Los Angeles and the southeast United States, to preserve their images before the structures disappear. He started Pencil House Co. to exhibit and sell his works.
The Whittier Daily News recently recognized Victor Ledesma (1968, B.A., social work) for his work with various Southern California social services agencies and other organizations, often focusing on advancing opportunities for minority students, while dealing with his own health issues resulting from retinitis pigmentosa and polio.
Third-generation Long Beach jeweler Mark Schneider (1968, B.A., business administration- marketing) was named 2007 Designer of the Year by the Contemporary Design Group, a jewelry industry organization. He has won more than 36 jewelry design awards.
Intrada CDs selected Daniel D. Robbins (1969, B.A., music composition) to reconstruct film composer Miklos Rozsa's score to Alfred Hitchcock's film "Spellbound." The recording features the Slovak Radio Symphony and contains the complete score and music deleted from the film. Robbins previously reconstructed several Rozsa scores including "Ben Hur," "King of Kings" and "Ivanhoe."
Jim D. Thomas (1969, B.A., history) retired in 2004 from the Georgia Department of Technical and Adult Education.
Darrell Metzger (1970, B.S., business administration; 1972, MBA) is the new CEO of Ruwaad Destinations in Dubai, which is developing a new Paramount Pictures-branded theme park. Metzger previously was CEO of Singapore's Sentosa Development Corp.
Marge Bitetti (1971, B.A., radio/TV/film) saw her most recent book, Italians in Los Angeles, published in July. The third-generation Italian-American is an author and photographer and consults for businesses and individuals writing their histories. She has written histories of the cities of Santa Ana and Norco and a look at 21st century Orange County.
Alexandra (Brauch) Gilbert (1971, B.A., French) is president of Spotlight Specialties Inc.
Douglas F. Massey (1971, B.A., speech communication) spent five years with AT&T following graduation and has since spent 25 years in radio news including as a talk show host for NPR affiliate WKAR in East Lansing, Mich., and public affairs director for CBS radio stations in Detroit. He now is news bureau chief for Metro Network in Louisville, Ky.
Robert B. Warren (1971, B.S., business administration-finance) is managing director of the Special Agent Group, a Newport Beach, Calif., firm that investigates fraud and other business security matters. He previously was director of investigations for Kroll Associates Inc. and was a special agent with the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.
Larry J. Fatone (1972, B.S., business administration-finance) retired in March 2006 from the Los Angeles County Probation Department with 30 years of service as a probation officer.
Richard F. Lowy (1972, B.A., sociology) is a lecturer in ethnic studies at UC Riverside and earned a Ph.D. from UC Irvine. His book Introduction to Ethnic Studies was published in 2006.
George Price (1972, B.A., recreation) retired after nearly 40 years in municipal recreation, most recnently with the city of Moreno Valley. He now is a senior field representative for Assemblyman Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley). He was named the 2005 Moreno Valley Citizen of the Year and 2004 Outstanding Citizen by the Five Nations District, Boy Scouts of America.
The Long Beach City Council named Nick Sramek (1972, B.S.; 1979, M.S., electrical engineering) to the Long Beach Harbor Commission. He joins commission president Mario Cordero (1974, B.A., political science) and vice president Mike Walter, former College of Business Administration dean.
Jo-Michael Scheibe (1972, B.A.; 1976, M.A., music) is the new director of USC's Choral and Sacred Music Department. He was director of choral studies at the University of Miami's Frost School of Music.
Dennis M. Grady (1973, B.A., public administration) writes: "After graduation from CSULB, I worked as a labor relations specialist for the city of San Diego for nine years and after law school, became a practicing employment law attorney for the last 20 years." His firm, Grady and Associates, has 15 employees and three offices.
Sharon (Mushkin) Wappler (1973, B.A., history) was a substitute schoolteacher for 13 years and later taught sixth and seventh grade classes full time. "I am at present teaching a wonderful group of first and second grade students in San Diego. I have also attended state and national teacher conventions, both for Washington state and for California."
Glenn Bianchi (1974, B.S., business administration-human resources management) is managing general partner of Modern Development Co., which operates the Paramount Swap Meet and Bianchi Theaters in Paramount, Calif., as well as the Bianchi Winery in Paso Robles.
Michele A. Gregoire (1974, M.A., music) earned a Ph.D. in special education from the University of Florida. "I joined the faculty at Flagler College, St. Augustine, Fla., in 1988 to teach and coordinate the special education program. Since 2004 I have been the Education Department chair and in that capacity I manage undergraduate degree programs in seven certification areas."
Dennis J. Pezzato (1974, B.A., sociology) holds a Ph.D. in psychology and is a behavioral strategist. He is the author of five self-help books and conducts programs for the public and non-profit organizations on a pro bono basis.
Cal State Fresno named Kenneth Santarelli (1974, B.A., ocean engineering) as director of engineering programs at its Lancaster, Calif., University Center. He previously was the International Space Station manufacturing and test coordinator at Hamilton Sundstrand Space, Land & Sea.
Kay (Cooperman) Jue (1975, B.A., journalism), a Los Angeles public relations consultant, was honored as Woman of the Year for the 54th Assembly District by the Los Angeles County Democratic Party at the party's annual Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt dinner in July.
Donald G. Manley (1975, M.A., biology) retired in June after 29 years as a professor of entomology at Clemson University. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona.
Lucia Mar Unified School District, near Santa Maria, Calif., named Robert A. Montano (1975, B.A., sociology) as its 2007 Teacher of the Year. He teaches fifth grade at Oceano Elementary School. His wife, Ruth Montano (1975, B.A., sociology), retired from the district this year after 31 years of teaching.
Pacific Life Insurance Co. promoted Frank J. Goetz (1976, B.S., business administration-manage_ment) to assistant vice president of underwriting. He has been with the firm since 1996 and is a fellow of the Life Management Institute and the Academy of Life Underwriting.
Douglas R. Spohn (1977, B.S., health science) joined the Association of Washington Cities last November, where he is responsible for health care cost-containment programming for 275 cities. A former manager with the Washington State Human Resources Office, he lives in Olympia, Wash., plays in a rock band and has three grown children. He recently encountered two CSULB alums in Olympia, schoolteacher Jennifer (Wyman) Varano (1976, B.A., psychology) and Thurston County Auditor Kim Wyman (1985, B.A., communicative disorders).
Terri (Gutsch) Hands (1978, B.A., social work) is in private practice as a licensed marriage, family and child therapist in Minnesota and is earning a credential in peacemaking, a Biblical reconciliation method. Her husband, George, is a Northwest Airlines pilot and the couple has two sons.
Mike Machat (1978, B.F.A.-illustration) is an aviation artist who has created artwork for aircraft manufacturers and airlines as well as private clients.
Pacific Title & Art Studio, a digital special effects facility in Hollywood, Calif., promoted Wayne Powell (1978, B.S., business administration- accountancy) to senior vice president of finance.
Mary Catherine Rupp (1978, B.A.; 1981, M.A., communicative disorders) wrote that, "In between practicing speech and language pathology and teaching special day classes throughout the '80s, I traveled extensively in Europe and North Africa. I started my second career as a lawyer in 1990. I have had my own family law practice for 14 years and live in San Francisco."
Julia Sylva (1978, B.A., political science) was the youngest and first woman elected to the Hawaiian Gardens, Calif., city council and became the nation's first Latina mayor. With a 1983 degree from Loyola Law School, she practices public, real estate, business and public finance law and is active in many civic organizations. She and her husband have two children.
Pacific Life Insurance Co. promoted Naomi D. Wheeler (1978, MBA) to assistant vice president of financial analysis. She joined the firm in 1980 and most recently was director of financial analysis.
Robin (Thomas) Clark (1979, B.A., social work) was hired as a serving coordinator in 2006 by Alta California Regional Center, where she works with people ages 13-25 with developmental disabilities. The non-profit corporation operates 21 centers in Northern California.
Illinois Wesleyan University Professor of English Daniel P. Terkla (1979, B.S., comparative literature; 1986, M.A., special major-medieval studies) was named to the Council of the Society for the History of Discovery. Terkla has a doctorate from USC and joined IWU in 1995.
