Alumni in the News - June 2010
Alumni in the News - June 2010
Lisa J. Haines Named Vice President of Public Affairs for Disneyland Resort
Lisa J. Haines (B.S., Political Science, 1989) has been promoted to vice president of public affairs for the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif. She will oversee external communications, internal communications, government relations and community relations for the resort.
Read more at StitchKingdom.com
Journalism Alumna Named to Head California Department of Education Legislative Affairs Division
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell has appointed Cathy Boyce McBride (B.S., Journalism, 2001) as the Director of the Department of Education's Legislative Affairs Division, where she has been serving as Acting Director.
Read the release from the Department of Education
Alumna is Glamour.com Columnist and Part of New MTV Reality Show
Shallon Lester (B.S., Speech Communications, 2003) is a writer for Glamour.com and one of a handful of women who are the subject of "City Girls," a new MTV reality show. It follows the professional and personal lives of five 20-something women living in New York City.
Read about Lester in the Orange County Register
Tractor Team Time Leads to 'HydroDynamicBuggy' Design
Alum Jeff Friesen was profiled in "Four Wheeler" for his off road vehicle, which he's named a "HydroDynamic Buggy." Friesen told the magazine his inspiration was time spent at Cal Poly working on the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers quarter-scale tractor design team.
Read the story in 'Four Wheeler'
Career Moves
Biological Sciences Alum Heading Research at University of Wyoming
Walt Cook (B.S., Biological Sciences, 1989) has been hired to coordinate brucellosis research at the University of Wyoming and among several universities across the country where research is being conducted. His research priorities are vaccine development (for both cattle and wildlife) and improved diagnostic tests for the bacterial disease. Cook worked as assistant state veterinarian and state veterinarian for the Wyoming Livestock Board before coming to UW. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, Cook earned his doctorate of veterinary medicine degree in 1994 from UC Davis and his doctorate in zoology and physiology from UW in 1999.
Read about Cook on the University of Wyoming web site
Alum Named VP of Sales at American Legal Net
Los Angeles-based American LegalNet, specializing in workflow technologies to reduce risk and minimize cost, has named Gregory Spicer (B.S., Economics, 1990) as the new Senior Vice President of Sales. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, Spicer holds an MBA from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business.
More on Spicer
Bain Named to Board of CyberDefender Corporation
CyberDefender Corporation, an award-winning provider of PC security, Antispyware/Antivirus Software, PC Optimization, PC Support, and Identity Theft Prevention solutions, has appointed Howard Bain III (B.S., Business Administration, 1971) to its board of directors. He is the former CFO of Symantec and Portal Software.
Read about Bain on MarketWatch
Coulomb Technologies Names Alum VP of Operations
Coulomb Technologies, a leader in electric vehicle infrastructure, has named Greg Podshadley (B.S., Engineering Technology, 1980) vice president of operations. Podshadley joins Coulomb from Nokia where he was vice president and general manager responsible for their enterprise class security firewall products and services. Prior to Nokia, Podshadley worked for SGI, Ciena and ShoreTel.
Read about Podshadley on AutoModi.com
Engineering Alum is New County Roads Chief in Ventura
David Fleisch (B.S., Architectural Engineering, 1982), is the new county roads chief in Ventura. He formerly served as chief staff officer at Naval Base Ventura County. As second in command, Fleisch was responsible for one of the Navy’s largest bases with two airports, a deep-water port and 17,000 employees. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, the 50-year-old manager holds degrees in engineering from UC Berkeley.
Read more in the Ventura County Star
Journalism Alumna On the Air in Spokane
Danielle Grant (B.S., Journalism, 2007) is a weekend weather anchor and reporter for KREM 2 News in Spokane and is working on her meteorology certification.
Read about her on KREM
Alumna Named Assistant Schools Superintendent in Orcutt
Holly Edds (M.A., Education, 1997), principal at Joe Nightingale School, has been promoted to assistant superintendent for educational services for the Orcutt Union School District.
Read about Edds in the Santa Maria Times
Alum is New Principal at Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek
Matt Campbell (B.S., History, 1990), 43, vice principal at Hart Middle School in Pleasanton, has been hired as the new principal at Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, he holds a master's degree from Lesley College and is working on his doctorate at St. Mary's College.
Read the story in the Pleasanton Weekly
Alumna is New Children's Museum Director
Creston resident Michelle Jenkins (B.S., Political Science, 1992) has been appointed executive director of the San Luis Obispo Children’s Museum. Before joining the museum, Jenkins served as director of corporate relations for the Cal Poly College of Engineering.
Read the story in the Times Press Recorder
Alumna Heads Public Relations at Penn State Campus
Kristie Fry (B.S., Journalism, 1994) is the director of public relations and marketing for Penn State Mont Alto. She's the campus spokeswoman and handles all media relations. She started her career with the Golden State Warriors.
Read the profile of Fry in East Ender
Griggs Retires from Army a Lieutenant Colonel
Lt. Col. Bruce E. Griggs (B.S., Ornamental Horticulture, 1989) has retired from the U.S. Army after 23 years. Griggs enlisted in the California Army National Guard while attending college and the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Cal Poly.
Read about Griggs in La Canada Online
Honors
Graphics Alum Receives Leadership Award
Robert "Bob" Leveque (B.S., Graphic Communication, 1977) has received the Chancellor's Award for Leadership in Philanthropy from Central Virginia Community College. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, Leveque earned his MBA from Pepperdine University. He's active in the community of Lynchburg, Virginia. He's served on CVCC Educational Foundation, Inc., board for three years and helped establish an important electronics classroom in the college’s AREVA Technology Center. Leveque is a former Chairman of Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department Advisory Board. In 2002 he was named Distinguished Printer of the Year by Printing Industries of the Midlands. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Region 2000, Printing Industries of Virginia, and The Lynchburg City School’s Education Foundation.
"Hoot" Gibson Gives Keynote Address
Retired NASA Astronaut Robert "Hoot" Gibson (B.S., Aero Engineering, 1969) delivered the keynote address at Suffolk County Community College. Gibson spent 18 years as an astronaut, flying five space missions, four of them as the mission commander.
Read the story on Hamptons.com
Food & Wine
Alum Takes Sonoma Spot from Turkey Farm to Winery
Andrew Mariani (B.S., Ag Business, 2004) has launched a new winery east of Sonoma at the site of an old turkey farm. Andrew and brother Adam are turning it into a gourmet food hangout with weekend dinner parties.
Read the full story in the San Francisco Chronicle
Nutrition Alumna is New Research & Development Director at Mann Packing
Mann Packing hired Rachael Hackbarth as director of research and development. Hackbarth will work on new product development, a role she had at Fresh Express, Salinas, for 15 years.
Read about it in The Packer
Philosophy Alum Making Wine, Selling it on the Central Coast
Jacob Toft (B.A., Philosophy, 2005) is the direct sales manager for L'Aventure winery. But he's also making his own Jacob Toft wines -- 600 cases a year. He sold out his last vintage in a day after getting over 90-point scores from respected critic Robert Parker.
Read about Toft in the SLO Tribune
IT Alum is Winemaker at Ancient Peaks
Mike Sinor (Industrial Technology, 1994) was the winemaker for Domaine Alfred Winery from 2000 was there until 2006. He is currently the winemaker at Ancient Peaks Winery and has his own winery, Sinor-LaVallee Wine Co.. He and his wife, Cheri, produce about 400 cases a year and focus on high-quality pinot noirs.
Read the Ventura Star profile of Sinor
Passings
Steve See
Music promoter Steve See (Graphic Communication, 1975), died May 5 after a brief illness.
Read the obituary in the SLO Tribune
Rodney Wayne Shippee
U.S. Air Force Veteran Rodney Wayne Shippee (B.S., Ornamental Horticulture, 1974) died April 29 in Friday Harbor, Washington.
Read the obituary in the San Juan Journal
Gerard Story 'Bud' Burkhart
Gerard Story "Bud" Burkhart (Animal Husbandry, 1956), 82, a longtime Bozeman-area rancher and World War II Navy veteran, died of natural causes near Bozeman, Mont., May 13.
Read the obituary in the Great Falls Tribune