Class Notes

GREGORY GILOTH, M.B.A. ’72, was appointed to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Board of Trustees in September 2024.

KEITH PETERSON, M.A. ’76, published his book, “American Dreams: The Story of the Cyprus Fulbright Commission,” in March 2024.

BILL NICKLAS, M.A., Ph.D. ’83, was honored with the John C. Roberts Community Service Award in May 2024.

NINA FAIN, M.S.Ed. ’76, was honored with the 2024 John Paul Stevens Award by the Chicago Bar Foundation in September 2024.

FRANCINE PEPITONE, business development director, HH Global, announced her retirement effective October 2024. She expressed her appreciation for her partners, clients, mentors and teammates for a rewarding career.

MONA ALEXANDER was inducted into the Youngstown Press Club’s Hall of Fame in July 2024.

KIM COUGHLIN received the Illinois Grade School Music Association’s 2024 Cloyd Myers Memorial Award in September.

SARESE HRANICKA opened Arlington Heights Antiques, a multi-vendor vintage shop, in September 2024.

JERRY KURZ, J.D., was appointed as general counsel and senior advisor of player operations for the Arena Football League in June 2024.

MARIANNE HIRSCH, M.A. ’83, continues to serve as the executive policy initiatives advisor for Wisconsin’s Division of Family and Economic Security and chairs its Domestic Violence Task Force. She lives in Northbrook, Illinois, with her husband, Mitch ’82.

RALPH STROZZA launched Interpro Translation Solutions’ new website to elevate multilingual communication strategies in June 2024.

THOMAS SCHALL was appointed to Immuneering Corporation’s Board of Directors in March 2024.

TRIPTI KASAL was named senior vice president of member firm engagements of the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® in July 2024.

JIM KOSTECKI was named associate vice president of planning at the College of DuPage in July 2024.

MICHAEL AXELROOD, J.D., was named regional sales manager for Merchants Bank in June 2024.

DANIEL BARREIRO, M.A.P.A. ’88, was appointed to 1st Ward Alderman in Aurora and given the Illinois Treasurer’s Office Award for Leadership in August 2024.

BRENT BRODESKI, M.B.A. ’91, was named CEO of the Year for RIA firms with assets of $20 billion or more by WealthManagement.com in September 2024.

MARK PARCHMANN, M.A., will retire at the end of the 2024-25 academic year and will focus on completing his first novel, “American Backroads.”

CYNTHIA HOFFMAN, M.B.A. ’05, was named vice president of finance and corporate treasurer of the Evangelical Covenant Church in May 2024.

STEPHEN “STEVE” BREWER was named chief operating officer of GI Associates in March 2024.

GEOFFREY DECKER, M.S., was nominated as an “influential mainframer” by Planet Mainframe in 2024.

JOHN HIGGINSON was named chief technology officer of Curriculum Associates in June 2024.

AMY KING was appointed to the Council for Accreditation on Counseling and Related Educational Programs Board of Directors in July 2024.

VISHAL SHAH was elected to the National DCP Board of Directors in March 2024.

DANIEL SWANSON, J.D., was appointed by IL Governor JB Pritzker to serve as arbitrator of the Workers’ Compensation Commission in August 2024.

HON. MICHAEL BETAR, J.D., received the Lifetime Advocate Award from the Arab American Bar Association in May 2024.

AL CROOK was named chief human resources officer of Zurich North America in July 2024.

PATRICIA LYNOTT, M.A., was named Rockford University’s 19th president in April 2024.

BRENT SHIRES, M.M., worked with musicians in Bolivia highlighting Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” as well as a newly commissioned piece, “Fanfare for Oya” written by upstart composer Katahj Copley in June 2024.

JOE CASSIDY was named assistant provost of workforce development at the College of DuPage in July 2024.

TIM DALTON was named the 2024 South Cook Assistant Principal of the Year in July.

MELISSA FLETCHER, M.A., was recognized as Dakota County Technical College’s 2024 Outstanding Staff of the Year in April.

KEVIN HENDERSON was named executive director of BOMA/Suburban Chicago in March 2024.

DOUGLAS MAXEINER, M.P.A., was appointed to Davenport city administrator in September 2024.

DAWN PETERS, M.P.A. ’97, received the Advocacy for the Profession Award from the International City/County Management Association in July 2024.

HEIDI AGUSTSSON was appointed as Winnebago County 17th Judicial Circuit associate judge in April 2024.

STEPHANIE A. KIFOWIT, M.P.A. ’04, Illinois state representative, has been elected vice president of the Executive Board of the National Conference of State Legislators Women’s Legislative Network in August 2024.

PAMELA MCMEEN, M.B.A., was named chief marketing officer of Ideal Industries Inc. in April 2024.

MELISSA OLIVERO, J.D., was honored by the Illinois State Bar Association with its Civic Education Award in April 2024.

RICHARD BOBBY, III was named chief executive officer of Little City in March 2024.

PAUL DESRUISSEAUX is a financial advisor with Edward Jones and recently became a CFP®.

MARK TAGHAP, SR. was named chief information security officer for the City of Aurora in March 2024.

SONNI CHOI WILLIAMS, J.D., was installed as the 148th president of the Illinois State Bar Association in April 2024.

MICHAEL KRUK was named deputy director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Technology Partnerships Office in March 2024.

HEATHER BLAND, J.D. ’04, joined Stewart Title as senior vice president, Chief Underwriting Counsel for Direct Operations in September 2024.

MICHAEL LILLY was named president of TwinSpires Horse Racing in June 2024.

ETHAN NETTERSTROM was named chief of schools for Network 6 in March 2024.

TIFFANY VICTOR-CASTLEBERRY was named one of “The Great 100 Nurses” for North Carolina in August 2024.

ERIC BARSEMA was named vice president of philanthropic impact at Morton Plant Mease Health Care Foundation in 2024.

AMY CHAMOUN, M.S.T. ’04, received the Illinois CPA Society Outstanding Leadership Award in May 2024.

MARLON FELTON was named principal of Niles North High School in May 2024.

EDDIE PHILLIPS, M.A. ’06, Ed.D. ’21, was selected to join the Leadership Greater Chicago Signature Fellows Program in July 2024.

LAURA CONLEE was named deputy director of resource management for the Missouri Department of Conservation in June 2024.

NUHEMI “EMI” MORALES, J.D., was appointed as a trustee of the Fox River Water Reclamation District in June 2024.

MONICA SCHROEDER, M.S.Ed., Ed.S. ’07, Ed.D. ’12, was named deputy superintendent of North Shore District 112 in May 2024.

DAVID GISCH, M.S., was named associate academic dean of sciences at Des Moines Area Community College in March 2024.

JOHN CLAIBORNE, M.B.A., was named vice president of digital transformation and data intelligence at Porsche Financial Services, Inc. in April 2024.

JESSICA ESTRADA, M.A.S., was named Grant Thornton’s market managing principal for Phoenix, Arizona, in August 2024.

HEATHER SMITH was named assistant principal at Conrady Junior High School in Hickory Hills, Illinois, in June 2024.

NICHOLAS M. STROZZA launched Interpro Translation Solutions’ new website to elevate multilingual communication strategies in June 2024.

JOSHUA BOLDT, M.P.A. ’18, was named IaCMA Emerging Leader in July 2024.

KATHLEEN “KAT” MARTIN, M.S.Ed., was named director of development for Saluki Athletics in March 2024.

TYLER WEDELL was named to the 2024 Forbes “Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” list in August 2024.

ERIC JOHANSON was named captain of The University of Texas Police Department in September 2024.

TAMARA MITCHELL, M.S.Ed., was named chief financial officer of Evanston/Skokie School District 65 in June 2024.

NINA VETTER, M.P.A., was named city manager of Newport, Oregon, in June 2024.

JENNY SHAFFER, M.A.S., was named chief financial officer of the National Sporting Goods Association in June 2024.

PATIENCE BERTANA, M.S.Ed., was named associate principal at Sherwood Elementary School in March 2024. HON. RUSSELL A. CRULL, J.D., appointed to associate judge for the Illinois 15th Judicial Circuit in September 2024.

MARK D. HESPEN was named morning anchor of News Channel 20 Springfield in August 2024.

ERIC WITTE, M.B.A., was named chief operating officer of Genesis Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in March 2024.

SHAWN COLLINS, M.P.A., was named deputy fire chief of the Buffalo Grove Fire Department in July 2024.

MOLLY KETTELHUT received the Golden Apple Award from the Golden Apple Foundation in March 2024.

MAURICE MCDAVID, M.S.Ed., Ed.S. ’23, was named principal of Dr. Leroy A. Mitchell School in May 2024.

ALEXANDER MILLER, Ed.D., was named vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Washington and Lee University in March 2024.

KRISTEN STOICESCU joined Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard as an associate attorney in September 2024.

TERRY LUSBY, JR., M.S.Ed., M.P.A ’21, was named public works director of the City of Champaign, Illinois, in July 2024.

RACHAEL MAHMOOD, Ed.D., was named Illinois Teacher of the Year by the Illinois State Board of Education in April 2024.

JUSTYCE DIXON, was elected to GRAEF associate in June 2024.

JULIE LAM, Ed.S., Ed.D. ’21, was named the next principal of East Leyden High School in April 2024.

RAYMOND MUNCH, M.P.A., was named director of finance for the City of Naperville in April 2024.

ADAM PARISI, Ed.S., E.d.D. ’22, was appointed as board commissioner for Carol Stream Park District in June 2024.

C.J. BOUDREAU was appointed to the Manteno Village Board in July 2024.

ALEXA MAHONEY was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Alumni Hall of Honor in April 2024.

EDUARDO PEREZ, M.S.Ed., was named director of the Western Illinois University-Quad Cities Spanish Bilingual Early Learning and Family Empowerment Lab Site in July 2024.

ANDREW VONDRAN, Ed.S., Ed.D. ’23, was named the next principal of Carl Sandburg Middle School in March 2024.

NICOLE LACOGNATA, Ed.D., was named senior director of student financial assistance, veteran services and scholarships at the College of DuPage in April 2024.

LADY AILEEN A. ORSAL, M.A., was honored with the Excellence Award in the Teaching Profession from the United Federation of Fil-Am Educators Inc. in May 2024.