Alumni News & Class Notes

Recently promoted? Found a new job or started a new business? Drop us a line and let us know what you’re up to!

Alumni News and Class Notes

You can check back here every spring and fall for updates on your friends and former classmates. Expand the tabs below to catch up on the latest news!

Fall 2024

Kevin P. Houley, M.B.A. ‘99, was appointed vice president and defense portfolio lead at Jefferson Consulting Group.
Joseph A. Pascaretta, Healthcare M.B.A. ‘13, chief operating officer at WorkWave, was interviewed on the “Future of Work Podcast” by Allwork.Space about the technological transformation taking place in the finance and service sectors.
Matthew R. Mollozzi, Esq., M.B.A. '14, J.D. '14, was named to the Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation list for his leadership in shaping the future of law.
Adriano Lima e Silva, MAccy '19, has joined McDaniel College as an assistant professor of accounting in the Economics and Business Administration department.
Robert Greenbaum, BBA ‘84, was selected to the 31st edition of Best Lawyers in America for his work in Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law, as well as Litigation-Bankruptcy (2009-2025).
Kathleen James, MBA ‘90, retired from the FDIC in 2012 and has since been serving on the boards of two banks: State Bank of India-California in Los Angeles and Liberty Bank NA in Anaheim, CA. She also serves as a trustee for Immaculata University in Pennsylvania. She has been a FDIC alumni organization board member and comes to Washington, D.C often.
Shannon Dalton, MBA '06, has acquired Quinn Fiduciary Services, a fiduciary firm based in Santa Barbara, following her licensure as a professional fiduciary in 2020 and a successful career running her own insurance company and working with Aflac.
Dianne Duva, CCAS ‘97, a founding partner of the wealth management firm Arlington Financial Advisors in Santa Barbara, has been named the company's new managing partner.
Jeanelle Johnson, BBA ‘01 Announced as Managing Partner of PwC's Washington, D.C. metro office as of August 1, 2024 leading PwC's 2,400 professionals in the D.C. market.
David Leibowitz, BBA ’92, recently started a new role in March 2024 as Vice President of Finance and CFO for the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, overseeing all financial and accounting functions for the 1 million square foot convention center in historic Philadelphia, PA.
Teodoro (Neil) Llamanzares, BBA/MSIS ’98, retired in March 2024 at the age of 54, after a distinguished career that included service in the US Air Force, consulting at Deloitte, and serving as CIO of San Miguel Corp.'s telco division.
Rudy Rodas, BBA ’08, was recently appointed to serve as State Director for Interim U.S. Senator George Helmy (D-NJ).
Andy Shapiro, BA ’75, MURP ’85, has retired after nearly 35 years as a management consultant in corporate site selection and relocation, most recently serving as principal at Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Company, LLC. Now based in Walnut Creek, CA, he enjoys volunteering, photography, and reconnecting with fellow alums.
Simoon Shiferaw, MBA ’10, has published a Meditative Adult Coloring Book in the summer of 2024 to promote mindfulness and well-being; join the coloring community and de-stress here.
Will Sparks, Ph.D. '02, has published "Actualized Teamwork: Unlocking the Culture Code for Optimal Performance" with SHRM Books (2024), which debuted as an Amazon #1 Best Seller.
Becky Whitley (BBA '02), New Hampshire State Senator, has entered the race for New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District, bringing her extensive experience in disability rights, climate policy, child health, and reproductive freedom, and she is committed to continuing her advocacy in Congress.
Stacey Young (MBA '97, MS '00), in 2023, defended her dissertation on "Student Engagement's Impact on Academic Performance for Nontraditional Students in a Community College Environment" at Marymount University, becoming the first in her program to do so, and was inducted into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi with a 4.0 GPA.

Spring 2024

Julia Bennett (M.T.A. '11), was named chief marketing and business development officer at the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP.
George Currall (M.B.A. ‘06), has been appointed chief financial officer of The NRP Group, a real estate developer and manager.
Suzanne Dannheim (B.B.A. ‘20) joins the NYSE opening bell with Goldman Sachs on January 11.
David DiMolfetta (B.B.A. ‘21), began a new role as a reporter covering cybersecurity for NextGov/FCW.
Sena Kwawu (B.B.A. ‘90), was named president of in-home services at Cinch Home Services, a provider of home insurance and protection plans.
Amish Patel (B.B.A. ‘04), was elected partner at the law firm Williams Mullen.
Stella Qian (M.T.A. ’11), was promoted to the role of director of global programs administration for the U.S. Grains Council (USGC).
Simoon Shiferaw (M.B.A ‘10) has written a new book, The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Parent for the Modern World: From Helping With Daily Tasks To Building Generational Wealth. Follow the link to check in out.
Tom Ulrich (M.B.A. ‘95), was appointed senior vice president and general manager for North America at LatticeFlow AI, which helps enterprises build safe and trustworthy AI systems.
Cattleya Wongkongkatap (M.B.A. ‘11), is the recipient of the Connector Award from Destination DC, which recognizes an individual “who eagerly helps DDC make connections through their existing networks” and for their support of the DDC’s Ambassador Circle program.
William Alexander (M.B.A. ‘06), former GWAA President, recently qualified for and earned his full motorsports competition license with the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). He is in the process of launching Contender Motorsports and looks forward to competing in sanctioned events in 2024.
Glenda Baskin Glover (Ph.D. ‘90), president of Tennessee State University, who is also a certified public accountant and attorney, was named one of The Tennessee Tribune’s People of the Year for 2023.
Lisa Jordan (M.T.A. ‘07), senior director of digital marketing for Red Roof Inn, was recognized among this year’s Top 25 Extraordinary Minds by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI)
Nam Nguyen (M.B.A. ‘12) is an Asset Allocation Analyst for Fayez Sarofim & Co, who recently published a children's book titled All The Delicious Food You Will Eat. It aims to encourage kids to try new foods and explore different cultures through food.
Douglas Robertson (M.B.A ‘20) was recently named CTO of the Small Business Administration.
Mitchell Schear (M.B.A ‘91) recently joined the Strategic Advisory Board of Plentific, the innovative, real-time property operations platform. The firm's global advisory board consists of real estate industry experts who share their skills, guidance, and knowledge to help Plentific continuously enhance its pioneering property operations Software as a Service (SaaS) platform. He spent more than 15 years as president of Vornado/Charles E. Smith and four years as executive partner at Camber Creek, a technology venture capital firm.
Naomi Boyd, Ph.D. ‘09, has been selected to serve as Dean of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver.
Shelby Luzzi, MTA ‘19, was nominated for the World's Leading Sustainability Leader of Tomorrow 2024 award as part of the inaugural World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards, recognizing individuals and organizations for accelerating change and making an impact in net positive tourism.
Geeta Nayyar, M.D., M.B.A. ‘11, a medical doctor and author of the book "Dead Wrong: Diagnosing and Treating Healthcare’s Misinformation Illness," was featured in a Q&A piece on the Managed Healthcare Executive news website.
Shaun M. Snyder, M.B.A. 17, is the newly elected DC Bar President as of July 2024 and has served as the CEO of the National Association of State Treasurers for over six years.
Timothy (Tim) Yost, M.S. Finance ‘97, has been named chief financial officer of BlueVoyant, a cybersecurity defense platform.
Jeffrey Donnelly, B.B.A. ‘92, has been appointed chief executive officer of the DiamondRock Hospitality Company.
Joseph Capper, M.B.A. ‘94, has been appointed to the board of directors for Anika Therapeutics, an early intervention orthopedic care company.
David Haggerty, B.B.A. '79, is a GW School of Business alum who serves as a member of the International Olympic Committee, which is preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Nada Hamadeh, M.S.F. ‘07, is currently CFO and Managing Director of the M Medical Group and Technical Advisory Group for the World Bank’s International Comparison Program. On Saturday, June 1st, Nada visited the Master of Science in Finance/Master of Science in Applied Finance (MSF/MSAF) Association at George Washington University to share her expertise and accomplishments and encourage students to start their career journey.
Thomas Lee, M.D., M.B.A. ‘07, was named executive vice president of the Medical Society of the State of New York.
Li Liang, Ph.D. ‘24, a recent graduate of the doctoral program in finance, was cited and quoted in an article from the website InvestmentNews, titled “This GameStop episode may be different.”
Kevin Mahala, B.B.A. ’18, was featured in a GW Today story, “Covering the Bases with GW Alumnus Kevin Mahala,” highlighting his journey from being on the GW baseball team, to Wall Street, and now minor league hitting coordinator for the New York Mets.
Allan Siegel, J.D. ‘ 94, B.B.A. ‘91, was named the recipient of the 2024 Trial Lawyer of the Year Award by the Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C.
Luis Ernesto Vargas, BS-Accy ‘96, was named vice president of finance, at automotive parts and technology company, CRP Industries.
John Roberts (B.B.A. ‘89), partner and senior portfolio manager at Corient and a member of the GW Investment Institute Advisory Board, was a guest speaker for the GW Phillips Student Investment Fund class, where he discussed the need for reliable data in investment decisions, having career skills and proficiencies such as Excel and being an active listener, and a dedicated professional.
Scott Garber (M.B.A. ‘14), a general partner at Early Light Ventures, spoke to students as a guest speaker in the Foundations of Venture Capital class taught by Professor Bill Collier (B.A. ‘10, M.B.A. ‘16). Garber focused on effective venture capital strategies, how networking can be an important factor in sourcing quality deal flow and other attributes and skills for a career in venture capital.
Quinton Carroll (M.B.A. '23) was named to the 2024 Native American 40 Under 40 Class by the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development. The recognition is given to Native Americans, including American Indians, Indigenous peoples of the First Nations in Canada, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians who have "demonstrated leadership, initiative, and dedication while making significant contributions in their professions and communities." Carroll is currently executive director of the Native American Contractors Association.
Justin Glasgow (M.B.A. ‘05), was named a managing director/national director at the commercial estate firm Northmarq.
Wai Ming Lau (BS-Accy ‘01), has been elected chairman of the board for Deswell Industries, Inc.
Himanshu Maheshwari (M.B.A. ‘04), has been named vice president of the corporate initiatives group at Cenlar FSB.
F. Jackson Phillips (M.B.A. ‘73), was elected chair of the board of directors for CurePSP.
Todd Ahern (M.B.A. ‘10), is chief executive officer of The Megawatt Group, which was named to the Financial Times 2024 list of Americas’ Fastest-Growing Companies.
Joseph Patrick Babits (M.B.A. ‘88, CCAS ‘85), was selected as Top Lawyer of the Year by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP).
Jordan Sheinkop, (B.B.A.‘17), vice president at Ares Management Corporation, spoke to the Applied Financial Securities Analysis class about his experiences and his career journey. Jordan is an alumnus of the class and is the GW Investment Institute Alumni Advisor.
Ivan Soto-Wright, (B.S. '12), recently visited Professor Bill Collier’s Foundations of Venture Capital class. As the Co-Founder and CEO of MoonPay, Ivan shared invaluable insights from his entrepreneurial journey, reflecting on his time at GW and how it shaped his path. His guest lecture inspired GWSB students and reinforced the profound impact that GW has on shaping future business leaders.

Fall 2023

Courtney Cacatian (MTA, ‘10), wrote a book, The Future of Destination Organizations, about how we have turned the tide after the Unite the Right Rally of 2017 and rode the choppy waters of COVID to come out better, stronger and a more welcoming community.
Thomas Kruza III, Esq. (M.B.A, ‘93), has served as Senior Counsel for The Boeing Company Defense, Space & Security (BDS) in Huntsville, Alabama for the past twelve years, leading in critical Boeing initiatives. Prior to Boeing, Tom worked as a government contracts attorney in Southern California after earning his J.D. degree from University of San Diego School of Law. Tom earned his MBA in Business Economics and Public Policy from GWUSB while working full-time at the Department of the Navy as a Procurement Contracting Officer. Tom and his wife Jeanne have fond memories of their time together at GWU where his wife earned her MA from GSEHD in 1998.
Cindy Morris (MTA ‘01), Promoted in June to Chief Advancement Officer at the American Society on Aging (www.asaging.org).
Isaiah Stanback (M.B.A. ‘19), a graduate of the STAR (Special Talent, Access and Responsibility) Executive M.B.A. program, was nominated for a Sports Emmy Award from the Lone Star Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Shamik Trivedi (B.B.A. ‘04), joined the Treasury Department's Office of Tax Policy as an Attorney-Advisor in March 2023. Previously, he was a Special Counsel with the IRS Office of Chief Counsel. At Treasury, Shamik provides legal advice on domestic tax matters, including tax procedure and practice. He was also formerly Senior Tax Counsel at the White House, and before joining the government, was a Senior Manager in Grant Thornton LLP's national tax office in Washington.
Shadi Bakour (B.B.A. ‘13), co-founder and CEO of PATH, which makes 100 percent reusable and recyclable aluminum water bottles, was featured in a recent Alumni in Focus.
Foluso Gbadamosi (MSIST ‘06), a graduate of the M.S. in Information Systems Technology program at GW Business, was featured in a profile by Allure Magazine. The magazine discussed Gbadamosi’s passion for technology and how it has shaped her educational and career journey. It also explored her leadership of Junior Achievement of Nigeria, a youth and economic empowerment organization, and how businesses and citizens within the country of Nigeria can leverage the advantages of technology.
Iram Gilani (B.B.A. ‘19), authored a book entitled Invisible Tears, a memoir that recounts her childhood and the challenges she faced throughout her upbringing. In addition to being an author, Gilani is now a speaker and advocate on behalf of those who are suffering from or have been affected by trauma.
Social Driver, a digital services agency co-founded by Anthony Shop (M.B.A. ‘11), was named “Minority Marketing and Communication Firm of the Year” by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Minority Business Development Agency during 2023 National Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week, which recognizes minority business enterprises.
Brazen Technologies, Inc., a virtual recruiting event and hiring platform led by CEO and Chairman Ed Barrientos (M.B.A. '90), announced its acquisition by Radancy, a global provider of cloud-based talent acquisition software.
Russell Falkenstein (B.B.A. ‘10), was named executive vice president, chief operating officer at The Aaron's Company, Inc.
David Haggerty (B.B.A. '79), was re-elected to a third term as president of the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
Arnar Johannsson (B.B.A. ‘04), a former member of the men’s soccer team, has been selected for induction into the GW Athletics Hall of Fame.
Christian Kaldes (M.B.A. ‘92), became vice president of business development for IT Concepts Inc.
David Luni (B.B.A ‘03), will be appointed chief financial officer of Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P., effective January 1, 2024.
Jasmine Mago (BBA ‘99, MA ‘04), authored a children's book titled Kangaroo care, please? to provide hope and education for families to help them better cope with premature birth and the NICU journey. She is part of the Preeclampsia Foundation Board of Directors.
Jerry Marty (M.B.A. ‘09), published a new, non-fiction historical (20th Century) account of the Bronx, New York City after World War II, titled Memories of Da' Bronx.
Nicole Rogers (B.B.A. ‘09), co-founder of ai12z, recently published her grandfather's memoir, Beyond the Border: A Korean's Journey Between the North and South, a journey from his childhood in North Korea during the 1930s and 1940s, to his crossings of the 38th Parallel, joining the South Korean Army, getting arrested, being suspected as a spy, and his experiences during the Korean War.
Debbie Weiss (BAccy ‘85) is proud to announce the release of her memoir, On Second Thought, Maybe I Can! In addition to becoming a writer, Debbie also fulfilled a lifelong dream of owning a store, A Sprinkle of Hearts.
Fernando Flores (MTA ‘02), vice president of consumer sales and head of Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations at Universal Destinations & Experiences, was featured in an article by Travel Weekly, in which he discussed ongoing and future developments at his company.
Jonathan Bench (J.D., M.B.A. ‘12), was named a partner at the law firm Harris Bricken Sliwoski LLP.
Wendy Lanton (B.B.A. ‘19), was re-elected as a small-firm governor of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Lanton is a founding principal and the chief operations/compliance officer of Herold & Lantern Investments, Inc.
Dr. Geeta Nayyar, (M.B.A ‘11) has a new book coming out in October on healthcare in the era of tech, AI, and social media. Learn more about Dead Wrong: Diagnosis and Treating Healthcare’s Misinformation Illness.
Nicholas Pizzulli (B.S. ‘23), joined the investment firm Carl Marks Advisors as an analyst.
Joseph Pascaretta (Healthcare M.B.A. ‘13), was appointed as chief operating officer at WorkWave, a provider of business software services.
Brandon Tasco (M.B.A. ‘13), was nominated to Chief Investment Officer Class of 2023 NextGens.

Spring 2023

Christine Brown-Quinn, MBA ’92, best-selling author and founder of The Female Capitalist®, Dr. Slim Feriani, MBA '89, PhD '96, CEO of the Sovereign Fund of Djibouti, and Christophe G. de Taurines, BBA '86, senior advisor at Long Harbour LTD, joined GW Business Dean Anuj Mehrotra for George Talks Business at the Churchill War Rooms in London, hosted with the GW UK Alumni Network. The panel addressed pressing global challenges and opportunities.
Seung Bach (M.B.A. ‘98), has been named the next dean of the Mankato College of Business at Minnesota State University, which he will begin on July 1. He currently serves as interim dean of the School of Business and Public Administration at California State University, Bakersfield.
Amanda Brownfield (MBA ' 01), has been selected as the CEO of AP Worldwide Services Inc., a provider of logistics, facilities management, and other technical services.
Tony Curtis (B.B.A. ‘90, M.B.A. ‘92), senior director of global tax strategy and transfer pricing controversy leader at McDonalds, has been appointed chair of the board of directors for the Association of Latino Professionals For America (ALPFA).
Supriya Jay Doshi (MBA, Healthcare '19), has been acknowledged in as a Most Trusted Healthcare Professional for his contributions to the Medical Field by The Inner Circle.
Kara D. Freeman (M.B.A. '97), has been named the next president and chief executive officer of National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). Freeman will transition to this role from the American Council on Education (ACE), where she has served as senior vice president and chief operating officer and as vice president of administration and chief information officer.
Teresa Graham (B.B.A. '95) began serving as CEO of Roche Pharmaceuticals after being appointed to the role last month. She previously served as Head of Global Product Strategy at the company.
Shemeka Jennings (MTA '13) is the recipient of the Outstanding Social Impact Leadership Award. The alumni panel and award ceremony took place on Thursday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m. EDT.
Jason Thomas, M.S. ’08, Ph.D. ‘12, managing director and head of global research at The Carlyle Group authored a report “5 Questions for 2023."
Doug Zarkin (B.B.A. '92) has been named by Entrepreneur Magazine as one of the top “50 Franchise CMO Gamechangers" for 2023 Zarkin is currently chief marketing officer for the Pearle Vision brand of EssilorLuxottica, a vision and eyewear designer, manufacturer, and distributor.
The M.S. in Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management (MSTHEM) Outstanding Alumni Award Committee has selected the recipients of MSTHEM Outstanding Alumni Leadership awards: J. Mara DelliPriscoli (MA in Tourism, 1983) is the recipient of the Outstanding Industry Leadership Award, Maricar Donato (MTA ‘93) is the recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Leadership Award.
Ibrahim Osta (MTA ‘05), Chief of Party at USAID Developing Sustainable Tourism, visited the GW School of Business MSTHEM program and the International Institute of Tourism Studies (IITS) with The Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica Minister of Tourism, on April 12 at 11:30 a.m. in Duquès Hall, Room 357 to discuss a possible collaboration to promote the UN adoption of February 17 as Global Tourism Resilience Day, as well as the implementation of sustainable tourism development strategies in the context of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Groups (UNSDGs).
Albert Bernales (M.S. ’22) was interviewed about his experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer, including an upcoming assignment in the Republic of Fiji where he hopes to apply his business and entrepreneurial skills while working in community development.
Kevin S. Blair (M.B.A. ‘96), was featured on a list of Atlanta magazine’s “500 most powerful leaders.” Blair is president and CEO of Synovus, a commercial and retail banking firm based in Georgia.
Joseph H. Capper (M.B.A. ‘94), has been appointed as chief executive officer and director of the MiMedx Group, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company that develops and distributes placental tissue allografts.
Thomas S. Greenspon (M.B.A. '94) has been selected to serve as chair of the Board of Directors for the George C. Marshall International Center, an organization that aims to advance the values of service and leadership through educational programs.
Hallie Harenski (M.B.A ‘00) was promoted to the position of senior vice president of marketing & corporate communications at a property, casualty, accident, and health insurance company.
Denise Hyater-Lindenmuth (MBA’ 15), was named executive director of the National Women’s Health Network (NWHN), adding to her experiences as a leader at large healthcare organizations, including most recently as executive director of Brain Injury Services.
Sanjay Sardar (MBA ‘06), has been named president of the Civilian & Health operating group at ASRC Federal, which provides information technology, data analytics, and business consulting services for federal and civilian agencies.
Pamela Monaco, Ph.D. (BBA ‘'81), has been named the next president of Ocean County College, located in Ocean County, NJ. Monaco currently serves as vice president of academic and student affairs at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago, IL, and has more than three decades of experience in higher education. She will begin her new role on July 1, 2023.
Mike Morath BBA ‘98, who has held the role of Texas Commissioner of Education since 2016, has been re-appointed to the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) by Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
Three GWSB alumni — Max Kreinces, BBA ’21, Jake Salkovitz, BBA. ’17, and Allison Buck, BBA ‘15 — were recently named to the “Top Young Professionals” Class of 2022 list by the “Commercial Observer” for their success in the commercial real estate industry.
Clay Fisher, BBA ‘00 named chief marketing officer for Kinetic by Windstream.
Vanessa Cacho, BBA ‘07, co-founder of M-TEC Services, and a graduate of the third cohort of ELEVATE, was featured in a Washington Business Journal article discussing her business.
Andrew Maller, BBA ‘08, has been named co-head of SPAC Investment Banking at BTIG, a global financial services firm.
Anup Sheshadri, MBA ‘16, announced the release of his first book — Building A Career In Product Management: Is There A Logical Path To Success? The book demystifies the product management role for students and young professionals who aspire to become successful in the product management role.
Kyle Albrecht (B.B.A. '10), Major League Soccer (MLS) senior director of properties, spearheaded the launch of MLS GO, a new youth recreational soccer league created by MLS and the RCX Sports Foundation aimed at increasing participation and access to soccer at the community and local levels. The new league was announced this week.
Faisal Khan (M.B.A. ‘96), has been named executive director of the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS) at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He will lead the implementation of an NGWS grant intended to enhance the nation’s public alerting system.
Kenny Yu, Pharm.D., (Healthcare M.B.A. ‘13), has been appointed to the board of directors of NANO Nuclear Energy, Inc.
Mark Chichester (B.B.A. ’90, J.D. ’93) and Avram “Ave” Tucker (B.B.A. ‘77), members of the GW Board of Trustees, discussed the endowed scholarships they established in honor of their parents for a recent article in GW Today.
Sabrina Clebnik (GWSB ’22, '24), was featured in an article by the Boston Business Journal about the launch of her business, Clebby, which won her first-tier in the 2021 Pitch George Competition and the New Venture Track award in the 2022 New Venture Competition. Clebnik received her Bachelor of Science in Business degree with a concentration in entrepreneurship and public policy and is now a graduate student in the Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM) program.
William Suffa, MBA ‘96, recently completed the 500-mile Camino de Santiago pilgrimage walk across Spain, in 32 days.
David Appel (M.B.A. ‘98), vice president of national security at Amazon Web Services, was profiled on ExecutiveGov, a news website for the federal and government contracting industry.
Christopher Capece, Josh Drexler, Allison Nudel, Heather Rosenblum, and Marcus Sowter, members of the Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis (CREUA) Young Leaders Organization (YLO), returned to campus on Wednesday, February 8 to speak with an undergraduate student real estate club, providing words of advice about what to anticipate upon entering the industry, and ways to effectively build a network.
Doreen Devine, a graduate of the Certificate in Project Management program, was appointed executive vice president of the Alliant Insurance Services employee benefits group. She has more than 25 years of experience in human resources and employee benefits management.
Edwin Miller (M.B.A ‘98), has been appointed CEO of Marchex, Inc., an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that helps businesses with sales outcomes using AI-powered customer engagement and marketing solutions. He was most recently an executive with private equity firm Gemspring Capital.
LaJuanna Russell (MBA ‘98) will be a GWSB Commencement Speaker for 2023.
Ashley Thurow (MAccy ‘11), was named vice president of finance at St. Mary’s Medical Center.
Brian Beall (MTA ‘06) rejoins the National Travel and Tourism Office serving as director of the International Trade Administration’s Industry and Analysis division at the US Department of Commerce on May 8th.https://eturbonews.com/new-us-national-travel-and-tourism-office-direct…
Kellen Curry (M.B.A. ‘19), is a candidate in the race for New York’s 3rd congressional district.
Kathleen James, MBA '90 has recently completed a six-year term as Director at State Bank of India-California and continues as Director at Liberty Bank, NH, Irvine, CA. She is also a trustee on the board of Immaculata University in PA and on the board of the FDIC Alumni Association.
Aron Kershner (B.B.A. '05), recently delivered keynote remarks during the GW Investment Institute (GWII) Annual Conference on March 24. Now a managing director at Goldman Sachs, Kershner provided philanthropic support for the GW Quant Student Investment Fund and also supported the launch of the Quantitative Investing class.
Marlow H. Levy (M.B.A., Healthcare ‘15), vice president of operations at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, was highlighted on a list of “149 Black healthcare leaders to know” for 2023 by Becker's Hospital Review.
John McClure, MS ‘06, joined Sinclair Broadcast Group as their first Chief Information Security Officer and more recently leads in an additional role as Vice President for the enterprise infrastructure and cloud functions.
Patrick Murphy (M.B.A. ‘16), founder and CEO of aerospace technology consultancy firm Celersys Technologies, will be the graduating class convocation keynote speaker for his undergraduate alma mater, the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse University.
Mary Richardson (MBA '10), vice president at Goldman Sachs, gave a guest lecture for students in the Applied Financial Securities Analysis course taught by Professor Rodney Lake, director of the GW Investment Institute and vice dean for undergraduate programs. Ms. Richardson is currently serving as an Alumni Advisor for the GW Investment Institute and frequently contributes as a guest speaker. During this latest lecture, Ms. Richardson gave an overview of the wealth management business, provided examples of the type of work she does day to day, and answered questions from students. Students enrolled in this class manage the GW Phillips Student Investment Fund, which was established in 2008 and named after former GWSB Dean Susan Philips.

Fall 2022

Giannis Doulamis, BS ‘04, MBA ‘08, was recently promoted to Principal in Deloitte Consulting’s Banking and Capital Markets Practice.
Tyrell Charles, BBA ‘16 was recently promoted to Associate Account Executive in Disney Ad Sales at the Walt Disney Company.
Dr. Ante Dodig, BBA ‘09, MS ‘11, is an Investment Officer at International Finance Corporation and is an Assistant Professor teaching Investments, Investment Banking, and Capital Markets courses at Union University in Belgrade. His new book "Capital Markets in Southeast Europe: Origins and Efficiency in a Cross-Country Analysis of Transition Economies" with Palgrave Macmillan - Springer Nature is now available globally; to learn more follow the hyperlink.
Kathleen James, MBA '90 has recently completed a six-year term as Director at State Bank of India-California and continues as Director at Liberty Bank, NH, Irvine, CA. She is also a trustee on the board of Immaculata University in PA and on the board of the FDIC Alumni Association.
Krishan Shah, BBA ‘20, Early Intervention Systems (EIS), a GW NVC Winner of 2018, was accepted into the Techstars Chicago JP Morgan Accelerator program. Out of the 1200 applicants, EIS was 1 of the 12 selected to participate in the accelerator program. EIS creates well-being software for memory care and assisted living communities.
John McClure, MS ‘06, joined Sinclair Broadcast Group as their first Chief Information Security Officer and more recently leads in an additional role as Vice President for the enterprise infrastructure and cloud functions.
Oscar Pulido, BBA ’01, and Dan Someck, BBA ’06, from BlackRock, joined Professor Rodney Lake’s Applied Financial Securities Analysis course to share career insights and advice with students. Through their partnership, students attended five live modules with BlackRock employees and gained access to BlackRock’s Aladdin technology to analyze the GW Phillips Student Investment Fund portfolio and make informed investment decisions.
Barbie Hunley, BBA ’10, exemplifies teamwork and dedication, from her role as head manager of GW Women’s Basketball to her current position on the delivery team at Salesforce.
Giulia Genovese, BS ’20 and Fixed Income Analyst at Goldman Sachs, joined Professor Rodney Lake’s Applied Financial Security Analysis class to discuss the fixed-income markets and share career advice. Genovese, a former GW Phillips Student Investment Fund (GW PSIF) member and Ramsey Scholar, engaged with students who manage over $2 million in assets.
James Carruthers, MBA ’80, Founder & Portfolio Manager at Sophos Capital Management and Advisory Board member for the GW Investment Institute, joined the Applied Financial Security Analysis course to discuss short selling, securities market fraud, and business evaluation strategies with GW Phillips Student Investment Fund (GW PSIF) managers.
Laurie Baker, MBA ’91, Chief Operating Officer of Camden Property Trust, spoke with students in the Applied Financial Security Analysis course who manage the GW Real Estate Student Investment Fund (GW RESIF). She emphasized the importance of preparation, teamwork, and innovation in business. Established in 2017, GW RESIF partners with the Center for Real Estate and Urban Analysis (CREUA).
Deborah Fell MBA ‘12 Promoted to executive leadership board at Chief Outsiders.
Michael Katcher, BBA ‘91, Vice Chairman of Cushman & Wakefield joined students as a guest lecturer in the Applied Financial Security Analysis: Real Estate course taught by Professor Rodney Lake. Mr. Katcher shared insights about the state of the office market in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area, and offered career advice to students. Students enrolled in this class manage the GW Real Estate Student Investment Fund (GW RESIF), a diversified portfolio of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) across six sectors, including office. Mr. Katcher helped establish the fund in 2017, he continues to be a contributor to the GW RESIF, and serves as a regular guest lecturer in class. We’d like to thank Mr. Katcher for sharing a wealth of wisdom and expertise with our GWSB students.
Nicolas E. Lance, MBA ‘95 is the new chief operating officer for HORAN.
Naomi Boyd, Ph.D. ‘09, became the new Dean of Virginia Commonwealth University Business School. Read more about Naomi as she begins her tenure.
Tyler Cavanaugh, CCAS BA ‘16, MTA ‘18, the GW Men’s Basketball alumnus is representing Team USA to qualify for the FIBA 2023 World Cup.
Elana Meyers Taylor, BS ‘06, MTA ‘11, Olympic bobsled champion and GW Athletic Hall of Famer, received the 2022 Wilma Rudolph Courage Award.
Sherry Levin Wallach, BBA ‘92, was recently sworn in as president of the New York State Bar Association.

Spring 2022

Avril Sara Franchetti, BADM ’07, librarian at the Library of Congress. In honor of the occasion of the 17th wedding anniversary of Mr. Brian Micheal Franchetti and Avril Sara Franchetti(GWU class of 2007).
Whitney Dailey, BA '07, Executive Vice President, Purpose at Allison+Partners. In this new role, Whitney will help lead the agency's work with purpose-driven brands across sectors and will collaborate with global leaders to build our purpose and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) platforms.
Boyd Harrison, MTA '15, owner of Chubby Squirrel Brewing Co., was recently elected to the Board of Directors of Old Town Fairfax Business Association.
Angela Borozna, MS Finance ’97, earned a Ph.D in political science in 2020 from GC CUNY. Angela’s book, "The Sources of Russian Foreign Policy Assertiveness," was published in February 2022 by Palgrave MacMillan/Springer.
Kate Pena, BBA Marketing ’14, Senior Manager, Brand Management at Hilton. After almost 8 years in the social media space, most recently leading the social media strategy for Hilton Honors, Kate has been promoted to a new position of Senior Manager, Brand Management. In this new role, Kate will help develop the overarching brand strategy and operationalize global initiatives for the DoubleTree by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations brands.
Gabriel Braun, BBA Marketing ’97, recently sold the company, CX Team, a leading customer experience consulting company based in Mexico and Latin America, to Medallia, one of the leading CX software companies in the world.
Kristie (Gackenheimer) Helfrich, B.B.A. '97, was featured in a GW Sports interview where the former gymnast shared memories and lessons from her time competing in the buff and blue.

Fall 2021

Nam Nguyen, MBA ‘13, Analyst, Asset Allocation & Operations, Fayez Sarofim & Co., is publishing a book on the topic of IPOs, SPACs, and Direct Listings. The book explains in a digestible writing style how IPO/SPAC/Direct Listings work and how to analyze future investments.
David Gresko, MBA ‘09, self-employed real estate agent was featured in a trade magazine as one of the top real estate teams in the area. And they have a unique approach to giving as much as possible and always practicing gratitude.
Phyllis Chestang, MBA ‘77, Executive Director at Second Wind 501c3 Non-Profit, donated/gifted selections from the 80 plus books/e-books to Gelman Library, selling globally as a result of her Ph.D. research and lived professional experiences. Academic and professional career achievements led to Phyllis' nomination for an Honorary Doctorate at GW. Phyllis also provided public comments to their local City Council and Library Commission regarding library collections that appear to reflect "bias" and a lack of cultural sensitivity.
Christopher Collins, MHSA ’99, President of ECG Management Consultants, will oversee all consulting divisions and corporate operations of the firm. ECG, founded in 1973, provides strategy, operations, and financial consulting to health systems and has 9 offices nationally. Collins lives in Wellesley (15 miles west of Boston) with wife and three teenage children.
Prashanth Rajan, MBA '15, began a new role as the Director of Public Policy at Mastercard in Washington, D.C.
Lakea Chatmon, MSIST ’17, recently earned a Doctorate of Science in Cybersecurity at Marymount University.
Asha Aravindakshan, BBA '02, Vice President at Sprinklr, authored Skills: The Common Denominator (New Degree Press, 2021).

Spring 2021

Shadi Bakour, BBA '13, co-founder and CEO of Pathwater, was named on the Forbes 30 under 30 list and participated in a “Campfire Stories” discussion at the GW Winter Innovation Camp.
Todd Yasui, BBA '86, is currently serving as showrunner and executive producer on Cardi B’s web series “Cardi Tries ___.”
Mitch Blaser, BBA '73, chair of the GWSB board of advisors, has launched new global specialty insurer Mosaic.
Dana Sleeper, BBA '12, has started The Sleeper Group consulting firm building upon her extensive experience in the non-profit sector and her certification as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion professional.
Rudy Rodas, BBA '08, Associate Counsel at the Office of NJ Governor Phil Murphy was recently selected by the Hispanic National Bar Association as one of the recipients of their "Top Lawyers Under 40" Award.
Toya Evans, BBA ‘85, Entrepreneur, was recently featured in the March issue of Entrepreneur Magazine for my franchising businesses.
Moting Bao, Master of Science in Finance ‘21 got an offer from PWC HK as Risk Assurance and is going to start his career in June.
Hal Nesbitt, MBA ‘09, was promoted to Senior Vice President for Information and Outreach at the American Society of Nephrology and will oversee all of the society's marketing, communications, business intelligence, and information technology initiatives.

Fall 2020

Karima M. Woods, MBA ’11, on being confirmed by the Washington, D.C., Council as commissioner of the D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB): "I am fully committed to ensuring that I fulfill DISB’s charge to cultivate a regulatory environment that protects consumers, empower and educate residents on financial matters and provide financing for District small businesses," Commissioner Woods said.
Ethan Chazin, MBA ’95, a NY-based motivational speaker, organizational culture transformer, executive coach, and author of The Compassionate Organization, hosted a GWebinar this month to discuss building and strengthening meaningful relationships.
Zhen Wang, BBA ’19, began a new role as an Asset Allocation Intern at Bosera Asset Management Co.
Xavier Wu, MS ’17, was recently appointed as the Deputy Manager of the Investment Banking Department for Fubon Securities Co. Ltd.
Rebecca Sin-Ting Fricke, MBA ’12, was named CEO of San Diego Imaging Medical Group, one of the largest service providers in greater San Diego County. Recently, Rebecca was also appointed vice chair of the board of directors for San Diego Imaging – Chula Vista.
Evan Weisman, MBA ’07, was recently named president of Donohoe Development Company after joining them in 2018. Evan has led the development of over 3,500,000 square feet of both public and private commercial development projects during his career.
Denis Sternberg, MBA ’84, vice president of sales for getAbstract, recently had his role expanded to include the entire US and Canadian markets.
Yijun Li, MAccy ’15, spent 2020 completing his doctoral studies, moved to the Netherlands, and started his new job as an assistant professor of accounting at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Christine Healy, BBA ’13, founder and CEO of Craft’d Company, took over our Instagram account for Women’s Entrepreneurship Day on November 19. Learn more about her journey from GW to business owner, including navigating 2020!
Christie Dougherty, BAccy ’15, MAccy ’16, spent 2020 completing her law degree and just joined Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.'s data privacy team. As a manager of Privacy and Ethics & Compliance, Christie manages global data privacy and protection issues that affect the company in Europe, Latin America, Japan and California.

Spring 2020

Lee Hurwitz, GMBA ’82, recently discussed his D.C.-based murder mystery "Capital City" on WCBM Baltimore’s “Casey and Elliott Show.”
Ken Chaletzky, BBA ’71, president and CEO of Copy General, and co-owner of Salt Cay Divers, partnered with GWSB on a Salt Cay Island tourism research study.

Fall 2019

Toya L. (Atkinson) Evans, BBA '85, is launching her first Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise. She and her partners (who are also her daughters) are working to bring multiple units to Prince George’s County, MD. The first will open late summer/early fall at the new Bowie Marketplace shopping center.

March of Dimes recently named Cindy Rahman, MBA '12, its senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Cindy, who has 15 years of integrated communications experience, joins the organization from BRG Communication, where she served as senior vice president.

In a recent PCMA video, Jenny Abreau, MTA '09, discussed the ways in which businesses can better incorporate diversity and inclusion in their event planning.

Paul Ried, MBA '78, was named one of Forbes' Top Wealth Advisors for 2018. Paul is the president and CEO of Paul R. Ried Financial Group, LLC, in Bellvue, Washington.

Jessica Brown, BBA '08, founded advertising agency Joy Riot in 2017 and was recently named one of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce's 40 Under 40 Honorees.

Auburn University hired Frank Cilluffo, ESIA '93, to lead its cybersecurity institute. Frank is a former Homeland Security official who directed GW's Center for Cyber and Homeland Security and worked with GWSB to launch the World Executive MBA in cybersecurity.

Karen Kline, GWSB '04, LAW '08, was one of 22 attorneys that the Florida Bar honored for pro bono work. Karen is a partner at Duane Morris in Boca Raton, FL, where she has increased participation on the company’s Pro Bono Committee from 46 to 100 percent, takes on pro bono clients, and volunteers with the Girls Educational & Mentoring Services organization.

Sabrina Ashjian, BBA ’01, was recently appointed by Governor Brown of California to serve on the Cannabis Control Appeals Panel and has been elected as chair of this panel.

A tech CEO by day, Chris Formant, MBA '79, just published his second book, Saving Washington: The Forgotten Story of the Maryland 400 and the Battle of Brooklyn, a historical novel told from the perspective of two teenagers.

Anthony Shop, MBA '11, was featured in the Washington Business Journal's "new guard" list of influential leaders in the region in honor of his work with Social Driver, for which he serves as chief strategy officer.

Spring 2019

The Forte Foundation recently recognized Titilola Harley, BBA '07, MBA '09, as an MBA on the move. Titlola and her husband Kiyon welcomed their son Caleb into the world in January 2017, who was joined by daughter Chloe in October 2018.

Kenny Emson, BAccy '89, was named COO of the National Multifamily Housing Council, a D.C.-based trade association representing the apartment industry.

Professor Lisa Delpy Neirotti teamed up with Chris Kang, MTA ’99, to host the second World Sport Event and Tourism (WEST) conference in Yangzhou, China, with Shizhou You, MTA '18, and current student Cheng Xue, MTA '20, providing support. David Cipullo, MTA '03, and head of MMCC for Infront Sports & Media, spoke at the conference. While in Shanghai, Dr. Neirotti also dined with alums Jonathan Chuck, CCAS BA '09, Mike Ding, MTA '17, YJ Jiang, MTA '18, and Yiran Guo.

Graham Quinn, MBA '09, was named Philly311's executive director this past fall. Graham has worked for Philly311 since 2012 and has been instrumental in launching the organization's first mobile app and working with Philly311's Customer Relationship Management system.

Inesh Singh, MBA '17, became the first Chief Sustainability Officer of Sula Vineyards in India. Inesh previously interned with PepsiCo's North America unit.

Bridget Dooling, BBA '01, recently returned to GW as a research professor with the GW Regulatory Studies Center and is thrilled to be back.

Thomas Sherman, MBA '81, received the Five Star Wealth Manager award for the 7th consecutive year. Of the 3,000-plus advisers in Westchester County considered for the award, fewer than 100 receive this honor. Thomas also received the 2018 Top Wealth Adviser award by Westfair Communications, publisher of the business journals for Westchester and Fairfield counties. The award was given to 40 individuals among all advisers who live or work in the two counties.

Kathy Warden, MBA '99, was named chief executive of Fortune 500 company Northrop Grumman, having previously served as the company’s president and chief operating officer.

Fall 2018

Lee Hurwitz, MBA '82

Lee Hurwitz, MBA '82, was recently interviewed on WPFW radio’s “On The Margin,” where he discussed his novel Capital City.

Roger Staiger, MBA ’96, MS ’01

Roger Staiger, MBA ’96, MS ’01, has published the second edition of his book, Foundations of Real Estate Financial Modelling.

Brian Katz, MBA ’06

Brian Katz, MBA ’06, formed Tampa-based Katz Capital in 2011 and has since seen his portfolio’s enterprise value reach over $40 million. In addition to his role as Katz’s CEO, Brian serves on the boards of Resource Bank NA and Anchor Specialty Insurance Company.

Erica Thomas, BBA '04

Erica Thomas, BBA '04, works at Tradeweb Markets and recently won the 2018 Markets Media Markets Rising Star award.

Brett Berman, BBA '03

Brett Berman, BBA '03, was named one of The Legal Intelligencer’s “Lawyers on the Fast Track” earlier this month. Brett is a partner at Fox Rothschild, specializing in commercial and business litigation.

Barry Grossman, BBA '81

After 25 years at WorldStage, Barry Grossman, BBA '81, moved over to Clark Media, a company specializing in broadcast remote production services. Barry writes that his primary role is system design and engineering, and additional roles include corporate strategy and marketing, allowing him to dust off his GWU BBA!

Marj Press, MURP '90

Marj Press, MURP '90, was elected director at-large of the American Planning Association. She will serve a four-year term.

Tyrell Charles, BBA '16

Tyrell Charles, BBA '16, has a new job as a sales assistant at Disney ABC Television Group in New York City.

Daniel Bernstein, CCAS BA '09, GWSB MBA '11

Daniel Bernstein, CCAS BA '09 & GWSB MBA '11, joined Hancock Capital Management as an Associate Director based in New York City. In this new role, he is focused on sourcing, executing, and managing mezzanine debt and equity investments in middle market companies.

Jhaymee Wilson Heinlein, MSPM '09

Jhaymee Wilson Heinlein, MSPM '09, was selected as a 2018 ACHE Thomas C. Dolan Executive Diversity Program Scholar. This year-long program will help further prepare mid and senior level careerists to advance to higher leadership roles in healthcare.

Rachel Schopler, MBA’17

Rachel Schopler, MBA’17, joined Amazon.com's human resources leadership development program, a three year rotational program designed to prepare high potential candidates for accelerated careers in HR at the organization. Her first role brings her to Phoenix, AZ, where she works as a Human Resources Business Partner at one of the company's fulfillment centers.

Justin Bakewell, MBA’09

Justin Bakewell, MBA’09, Executive Director of J.P. Morgan Private Bank, was included in Washington Business Journal’s list of 40 under 40. Read More.

Brett Ciarelli, BBA’05

Brett Ciarelli, BBA’05, was recently included in Forbes’ inaugural listing of America’s Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisors. Read More.

Xavier Manrique, BBA’05

Xavier Manrique, BBA’05, following graduation went into film production and has been working on film sets ever since. He recently completed directing his first feature film, Chronically Metropolitan, which was released in theaters and on iTunes Friday, August 4. The film has a stellar cast including Mary-Louise Parker, Chris Noth, Ashley Benson and Shiloh Fernandez.

Kate Waterson, MBA’09

Kate Waterson, MBA’09, co-founder of insight and innovation consultancy WatersonGarner, was profiled in BusinessBecause.

Kate Pena, BBA’14

Kate Pena, BBA’14, has recently accepted a new position as Global Strategy Manager at McCann Worldgroup. In her new role, she will help develop and manage the processes and projects related to digital strategy development that impact the global network, including social, innovation, analytics and digital thought leadership. She previously was a social strategist at McCann New York, one of the McCann Worldgroup agencies.

John Sakakini, MBA’17

John Sakakini, MBA’17, was the first GWSB MBA student to be selected for a summer associate role at Delta Air Lines. Following time spent as a summer associate at Delta Air Lines, John will be joining the Atlanta-based airline’s MBA rotation program in a full-time role from July this year.

Jeffrey Libman, BBA ’77

Wells Fargo Advisors of Short Hills, New Jersey has, for the 7^th consecutive year, designated Jeffrey Libman, BBA ’77, Senior Vice President of Investments, as a member of the firm’s Premier Advisor Program.

Hal Nesbitt, MBA’09

Hal Nesbitt, MBA’09, promoted to Vice President of Information Technology at the American Society of Nephrology

Timothy Derdenger, BBA’02

Timothy Derdenger, BBA’02, was promoted to Associate Professor of Marketing and Strategy at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business.

Janice Heinold BBA’91

Janice Heinold BBA’91 joined the law firm of Raymond Coleman Heinold LLP as a Partner on April 1, 2017.

Joe Donohue MBA ’90

Joe Donohue MBA ’90 was appointed chief financial officer of DLT Solutions, an award-winning technology partner to the public sector. As CFO, Mr. Donohue will oversee accounting, finance and order management.

Tia Loftin MS ’12

Tia Loftin MS ’12 was honored as a recipient of the 2016 Federal Computer Week Rising Star Award.

Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos MBA ’85

Daphne Palmer Geanacopoulos MBA ’85 historical non-fiction book, The Pirate Next Door: The Untold Story of Eighteenth Century Pirates’ Wives, Families and Communities (Carolina Academic Press, 2017 ISBN: 978-1-61163-875-2). Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and many other publications.

Rahul Nagar MS ’02

Rahul Nagar MS ’02 co-founded a new venture, Str8bat: wearable technology that enables passionate baseball players the ability to develop and gain insight regarding the enhancement of their batting skills.

Dana Sleeper BBA’12

Dana Sleeper BBA’12 recently hired as the Director of External Affairs at SEIA, the national trade association for the solar industry and HQd in DC.

Anthony Shop MBA ’12

Anthony Shop MBA ’12 and his company social driver were honored with LearnServe’s Civic Champion award at the LearnServe “Gala” — on Tuesday, March 7 at the Howard Theater.

Nicole and John Samuel MBA’14

Nicole and John Samuel MBA’14 welcomed a baby boy on Tuesday, February 7 – Elias Isaac Samuel. Nicole and Eli are both doing well.

Tyrell Charles’16

Tyrell Charles’16 landed my first full-time position w/ Mediaplanet this past January to start off the New Year!

Jason Juranek MBA ’07

Jason Juranek MBA ’07 joined Globecomm as the CFO in 2015 and was promoted to CEO in 2016.

Din Merican MBA ’70

Din Merican MBA ’70 was recently awarded a doctorate in International Relations (honoris causa) by The University of Cambodia at the 12th Commencement.

Dan Kessler BBA ’12

Dan Kessler BBA ’12 was accepted and will be attending MIT Sloan for an MBA starting in August of 2017.

Spring 2018

Crystal Kinzel, ’78

Crystal Kinzel, ’78 promoted to Chief Deputy Clerk in Southwest Florida. The Chief Deputy Clerk serves as Accountant, Auditor and Custodian of funds for a 2,025 sq. mile, billion dollar county.

Morris Steen, MS ’77

Morris Steen, MS ’77 is enjoying his eighth year of retirement following his service as president of North Florida Community College in Madison, FL from 2001 to 2008. Prior to the college, Morris Steen was an aviator with the U. S. Navy for 27 years. He served his last Navy tour of duty as Commanding Officer of Naval Air Station Mayport, FL.

Marko Okoye, BBA ‘08

Marko Okoye, BBA ‘08 was awarded as Africa’s Young Person of the Year by The Future Awards Africa.

Jeff Blake, MBA ’07

Jeff Blake, MBA ’07 was recently published in the American Journal of Managed Care. The piece, “Drivers of Patient Experience in Medicaid Managed Care“, outlines best practices in patient satisfaction for health plans serving the complex needs of Medicaid enrollees.

Based on his interviews with top industry executives and a review of current literature, Jeff presents the business case for making patient experience a key strategic priority and offers real-world examples of Medicaid plans improving customer loyalty – and profitability – by focusing on patient experience.

John Pavlovsky, MS ’80

John Pavlovsky MS ’80, was recognized by the American Volkssport Association (AVA) for completing 10 Kilometer walks in all of the fifty State Capitols plus Washington DC.

Catherine Hogan EMBA’03

Catherine Hogan EMBA’03 left Verizon last year, after more than 30 years in the telecommunications industry and joined the Greater Washington Urban League as Chief Program Officer in early 2016.

Ahmad Ishaq MSIST ’07

Ahmad Ishaq MSIST ’07 founder of ByteCubed celebrates a spectacular year of growth.

Usha Chaudhary WEMBA ‘12

Usha Chaudhary WEMBA ‘12 lands Chief Operating Officer position at Kettler

Jade Ademiluyi MSPM ’16

Jade Ademiluyi MSPM ’16 is working fulltime with TxDOT

Ruth J. Person MSA ‘74

Ruth J. Person MSA ‘74, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Indiana University in May. She currently holds the position of Professor of Management at the University of Michigan-Flint.

Gerald L. Patterson MBA ‘82

Gerald L. Patterson MBA ‘82 has retired as Director of Training for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after 41 years of serving the federal government. He currently serves as an advisor to Oratorio Media and Presentation Training regarding its government contracts.

Irwin D. Nathanson MS ‘74

Irwin D. Nathanson MS ‘74 is currently focusing on pursuing large, multi-year opportunities with the Air Navigation Service Providers (i.e. FAAS) of Germany and France.

Roberta Miller BA ‘04 MS ‘05

Roberta Miller BA ‘04 MS ‘05 promoted to Senior Internal Auditor for the University System of Maryland.

Kristin and Nick Messina, both MBA ’15

Kristin and Nick Messina, both MBA ’15 just launched YonderWork an international travel experience for remote workers which combines travel, coworking, and professional development.

Ovie Mughelli, EMBA ’14

Ovie Mughelli, EMBA ’14 is working with the White House and various Fortune 500 companies to advocate environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

Fall 2017

Thabani Mthiyane, WEMBA ’13

Thabani Mthiyane, WEMBA ’13 is the first African elected to the helm of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO

Toya L. (Atkinson) Evans BBA ’85

Toya L. (Atkinson) Evans BBA ’85 is launching her first Tropical Smoothie Cafe franchise.

Tony Dokoupil BBA ’03

Tony Dokoupil BBA ’03 has been named a correspondent for CBS News based in New York. Dokoupil will report for all CBS News broadcasts and platforms beginning in August.

Aaron Leong BBA ’08, MTA ’09

Aaron Leong BBA ’08, MTA ’09 was recently promoted to Senior Revenue Manager for the Crystal Gateway Marriott and the Courtyard Arlington Crystal City.

Jeff Blake MBA ’07

Jeff Blake MBA ’07 was published in Becker’s Hospital Review for his article, Applying Restaurant Customer Service Principles to Healthcare.

Spring 2017

Michael A. Brown BBA ’98

Michael A. Brown BBA ’98 was selected as the 2015-2016 Department of Homeland Security Fellow at the RAND Corporation.

Solomon Kassa MBA ‘11

Solomon Kassa MBA ’11, producer and host of Tech Talk with Solomon recently filmed an episode at GW in January 2016.

Kristen Gaerlan BBA ’11

Kristen Gaerlan BBA ’11 was a speaker at BinderCon NYC – A conference for female and gender nonconforming writers.

Matt Scott BBA ’14

Matt Scott BBA ’14 after two years with the GWSB-alum operated digital marketing agency Social Driver, Matt Scott has accepted a position at SecondMuse.

Greg Vallarino MBA ’15

Greg Vallarino MBA ’15 “I started a goal to visit all 30 ballparks shortly after I committed to GWSB in 2013. Just over three years later, I have visited 23 parks”.

Rebecca Peress, BBA ’14

Rebecca Peress, BBA ’14 has launched a unique food-product line, Swapples, an all-vegetable alternative to traditional waffles.

Ari Astles, MBA ’10

Ari Astles, MBA ’10 married First Lt. Erin Elizabeth Bevacqua February 22, 2016.

Peter A. Korbel MBA ‘12

Peter A. Korbel MBA ‘12 is a Co-Founder of BLENDER WORKSPACE opening this spring in New York’s NoMad neighborhood located at 135 Madison Avenue.

Aditi Anand BBA ’14

Aditi Anand BBA ’14 has recently accepted a position and has begun to work at Invest India.

Joshua Pavano MBA ’14

Joshua Pavano MBA ’14 is a co-founder of an umbrella enterprise, Jonas Umbrellas of which 40% of the profits fund clean-water wells.

Mike Morath BBA ’98

Mike Morath BBA ’98, Dallas Independent School District Trustee was appointed as Texas’ new education commissioner by Texas Governor, Greg Abbott.

Natalie Hunter, MBA ’10

Natalie Hunter, MBA ’10, launches consulting start-up, Sherhunt solutions following US Army service.

John Pavlovsky MS ’80

John Pavlovsky MS ’80, completed accumulation of 5500 Kilometers walking in events sponsored by the American Volkssport Association(AVA).

Ben Trajtenberg BBA ’06 and Ariel Wade BA ’06 JD ‘10

Ben Trajtenberg BBA ’06 and Ariel Wade BA ’06 JD ’10, married on September 6, 2015.

Haiyi Chen MA ’15

Haiyi Chen MA ’15, as of September has been working as an Accounting Assistant for Environmental Investigation Agency.

GWSB Sweethearts

Expand the tab below to see which GWSB alums went from colleagues to couples!

GWSB Sweethearts

Jonathan Read BBA ’12 and Aria (Morris) Read BBA’12 married on August 21, 2015 in Bristol RI.

Zach Parharm GMBA ’10 and Cassie Durkin Parham GMBA ’10 married on September 19, 2015.

Karli Kasonik Susi GMBA ’11 and Alan Susi GMBA ’10 married on September 15, 2012.

Nicole Samuel MBA ’14 and Johnny Samuel MBA ’14 married on August 22, 2015.

Brandie Kalinowski GMBA ’10 and Paul Kalinowski GMBA ’10 married on November 16, 2013.