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| Jonathan Hefler | Myrka Dellanos | Printing Press | ||
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1940s
James W. Coker, A.B. ’47, is an author, poet,
and golfer in Florence, Oregon.
1950s
Frank Calistro, B.B.A. ’50, is a trumpet player in Charlie Salerno’s
Clam Diggers Dixie Band in New Haven, Connecticut. A World War II combat
veteran in Germany who played with the 97th Army Band, he received a
music scholarship to play in the University of Miami’s Band of
the Hour. He became a school psychologist/guidance counselor, employed
by the East Haven and Fairfield Board of Education for 34 years. He continues
to play taps for veterans in New Haven cemeteries.
Jerome Gumenick, B.B.A. ’52, and his
family have pledged $750,000 to the fundraising campaign for the First
Freedom Center, the lobby of
which will bear the Gumenick name. Jerome Gumenick is chairman of Gumenick
Properties, one of the most successful developers in Virginia and Florida.
Philip Edward Juliano, B.B.A. ’52, has been in the food industry
for nearly 20 years, serving as a chef, cooking school owner, and author
of the cookbook, Phil Juliano’s Kitchen. He also authored a book
on the Great Depression and has been involved in community theatre for
the past ten years.
Ralph Fistel, B.Ed. ’53, now retired,
is in his 48th consecutive year as a member of the board of directors
of Temple Samu-El Or Olom
in Kendall, Florida.
Royce A. Watson, B.S. ’54, B.B.A. ’67, M.B.A. ’68,
has been installed as CEO and potentate of Almas Shrine Center in Washington,
D.C.
Peter F. Harvey, A.B. ’55, a New York City theatre designer, recently
showcased his exhibition, “Other Rooms: Interiors by Peter Harvey,” at
the Hudson Guild.
Nelson Hanover, A.B. ’57, and Edward
Robin, B.S.E.E. ’57,
formed Health Care Services of America, with offices in Long Island and
New York, New York, and Health Care Services of New Jersey in Iselin,
New Jersey. These three offices provide temporary and permanent staffing
to hospitals, nursing homes, acute care surgery centers, rehabilitation
centers and medical clinics.
Paul Siegel, B.S. ’58, J.D. ’62,
wrote Florida Trial Objections, a 550-page guide for trial lawyers and
litigants.
Alvin Snyder, A.B. ’58, is senior fellow
in international broadcasting at the University of Southern California
Center on Public Diplomacy.
Back to Top
| Bonnie Reiss Has Got Arnold’s Back |
Reiss, a Democrat and longtime activist for women’s and environmental causes, had worked on Schwarzenegger’s campaign team. She never doubted he’d win—“he’s a winning machine”—but imagined her work would end when he triumphed. Then she got the call to serve as his senior advisor. The seed of their friendship was sown in 1980 in Washington. Reiss had taken a year off from Antioch Law School to work on the presidential campaign of Senator Edward Kennedy. She became friendly with many of the Kennedys who frequented the office, but “Maria [Shriver] and I had a special connection and friendship.” Shriver was dating Schwarzenegger, who at the time had acted in just one film and had earned the titles Mr. Universe, Mr. Olympia, and Mr. World. “He was extremely smart and funny with a thirst and zest for knowledge and life. Most importantly I saw how he was to Maria,” she remembers. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Reiss is the youngest of three children. At the University of Miami, her published column and radio show advocated student involvement on campus. She has since enjoyed a successful career in entertainment law and completed a stint as CEO of a nonprofit foundation. Most recently she has helped facilitate youth programs, such as “Arnold’s All-Stars,” and in 2004 she was selected to a two-year term on the California Board of Education. Now with some urging for an amendment change that would allow foreign-born citizens to run for president (Arnold in 2008?), who knows for how much longer she’ll be watching Conan’s back? -Michael R. Malone |
“I didn’t
hesitate. It’s like family; that’s how
we feel about each other,” she said, speaking poolside
from her California home. “Arnold didn’t come from
politics. He needed someone who has political sense, knows
how he likes to
work, knows his heart and mind, and can watch his back.” 
1960s
Michael “M.Z.” Brennan,
B.B.A. ’60,
a former Hurricanes baseball player and retired stockbroker who started
his own accounting
firm, was featured in the November issue of The Deltasig, the journal
of the national business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi.
Dianne Guerin Gasworth, J.D. ’61, former
attorney general for New York, now practices in Palm Beach, Florida,
doing mediation. Her three
children are attorneys.
Harvey A. Wagner, B.B.A. ’63, was appointed
president and CEO of Quovadx, a strategic software and services company
headquartered in Englewood,
Colorado.
Teresita Z. Hernandez, B.B.A. ’64, is
CEO and chairman of the board of Hernandez Engineering, which has offices
in six states and more than
450 employees. She was recently honored as a distinguished alumna of
the University of Houston-Clear Lake, where she earned a Master of Science
in educational administration.
Lois Lazarus Locker, A.B. ’65, is a professor
of AIA/CES in public relations and marketing for architects at Pratt
Institute Community Outreach
Initiative. She also is a mentor for the AIA New York chapter.
Reed Kantor, B.Ed. ’66, has retired after
30 years as a public school teacher in the Bassett Unified School District
of California.
He now lives in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
Stanley Skopit,
B.S. ’67, was named chairman
of the Department of Dermatology at Nova Southeasten University. He
was president of the
American Osteopathic College of Dermatology in 2003-2004.
Michael Blynn, B.B.A. ’69, M.B.A. ’70, J.D. ’77,
an attorney and vice mayor of North Miami, has been elected vice chair
of
the South Florida Regional Planning Council, which reviews major development
projects and county and municipal comprehensive plans for Miami-Dade,
Broward, and Monroe Counties.
Back to Top
For Ron Mann, Publishing Is Good Business
“When you’re from New York City and you have a measure of success elsewhere, you want to try duplicating it there,” he says. Within four years, Mann grew annual revenue at New York Press seven-fold. He twice tried to buy that publication, but “the numbers didn’t work.” Mann returned to Miami in 2003 and became an investor of South Florida CEO, which was founded in 1997 as Miami Business Monthly. He purchased it a year later. “Miami had grown up,” Mann says. “I could have purchased a community or lifestyle magazine, but I saw a lot of potential in a business magazine.” Under Mann’s tutelage, ad pages have doubled and subscriptions have quadrupled. The formula of focusing on the people of business is one that Mann plans to use in sister publications in Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville, with Palm Beach CEO expected to launch first. He also wants to resurrect Latin CEO, which folded in 2002. A husband and father, Mann also serves on the boards of Junior Achievement and Miami-Dade County’s School Improvement Zone Task Force. While he believes education is the foundation of success, Mann also credits much of his prosperity to investors who believed in his ideas and work ethic. He is decidedly optimistic about continued economic growth in Florida. “The wealth that will pass from one generation to another over the next 20 to 30 years is staggering,” he says. “It’s going to spur a whole new wave of entrepreneurship. As a publication, that means we’ll always have something to cover.” – Leonard Nash |
As a University of Miami student, Mann
helped found The Wave, a small alternative weekly absorbed by New
Times in 1988. “New Times was hip and trendy and coincided with the entire renaissance of South
Beach.” In his seven years at New Times, Mann helped build the
readership and prominence the publication enjoys today. In 1994 he
became publisher of New York Press, similar to New Times but with strong
competition, including The Village Voice. 
1970s
Carole Cotton, B.Ed. ’70, is owner of Happy
Balloons, a balloon decoration company in Miami, Florida. She has been
a top provider of
balloons to the University for nearly two decades.
Bruce P. McMoran, B.B.A. ’71, J.D. ’76, was listed in the Best
Lawyers in America publication for the third consecutive two-year
period. He is the senior partner of McMoran, O’Connor & Bramley
in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, where he represents clients in all areas
of employment law. He also has been named to the Million Dollar Advocates
Forum, consisting of attorneys who have won jury verdicts or achieved
settlements in excess of $1 million.
Myles B. Abbott, M.D. ’72, was appointed
to the editorial board of the journal Pediatrics and to the board of
directors for the American
Board of Pediatrics.
Glenn Charles Lewis, A.B. ’73, was chosen
to chair the Virginia Bar Association Board of Governors. Recipient of
the Virginia State Bar
Family Law Lifetime Achievement Award, he is chairman and founder of
The Lewis Law Firm, a national law practice based in Washington, D.C.,
specializing in family and matrimonial law. Lewis also is a chief legal
analyst and commentator for BBC World TV and is the host for Law
Weekly,
a national cable television talk show on law matters. George Mason University
School of Law has honored him with its Distinguished Achievement award.
William Frech, A.B. ’75, received his
M.B.A. from Monmouth University in 2001. He is an acquisition logistics
manager/COR/ordering officer
at the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command in Fort Monmouth,
New Jersey.
Elaine Kopecky Thompson, B.S. ’75, a
graduate of Indiana University School of Optometry, practices on a part-time
basis in Birmingham, Alabama.
She and husband Roy Thompson have two sons, ages 12 and 9.
Raymond Angelo Belliotti, M.A. ’76, Ph.D. ’77, distinguished
professor and chairperson of the philosophy department at the State University
of New York at Fredonia, has published Happiness Is Overrated (Rowman & Littlefield,
2003). The book combines a historical overview of the concept of happiness
from Plato to contemporary writers with practical advice on how to obtain
happiness. He also is the author of Justifying Law (1992), Good
Sex (1993), Seeking Identity (1995), Stalking Nietzshe (1998), and What
Is the Meaning of Human Life? (2001).
Darcy La Fountain, B.B.A. ’77, is a realtor
for Vellano Realty Group in Manalapan, Florida.
Kenneth R. Benoit, M.M. ’78, adjunct professor at Broward Community
College, premiered two compositions: “The House of the Lord” and “Sonatina
for Bassoon and Piano.”
Glenn Myles Mednick, J.D. ’79, has joined the Boca Raton, Florida
office of Hodgson Russ LLP as a partner in its Estates & Trusts Practice
Group. He also is a member of the Executive Council of The Florida Bar’s
Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section and serves on many of its
committees.
Cara Pasquale, A.B. ’79, M.B.A. ’83, has been promoted from
director of business development to senior associate at Miller Legg,
one of the largest multi-disciplined consulting firms in Florida. In
this role, she will continue to be a part of the firm’s senior
management team and participate in corporate strategic planning activities.
Pasquale also is past president of the Davie/Cooper City Chamber of Commerce
and current chair of the chamber’s Government and Economic Affairs
Committee.
George O. Rosenwasser, B.S. ’79, M.D. ’83,
performed a corneal transplant that was featured in Gift of Life, a Discovery
Health Channel
documentary series of six one-hour episodes focusing on organ and tissue
donation and transplantation. He practices at Central Pennsylvania Eye
Institute in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Back to Top
| Terry Hickey Follows His Academic Vision
Hickey, who manages a budget that exceeds $300 million, oversees all academic, research, and student services programs at UCF, a 43,000-student state university in Orlando. |
While at UAB, Hickey and his colleague, Professor Steve Hajduk, initiated BioTeach, a program funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to train Alabama high school teachers in modern DNA biology and to provide the skills and equipment for conducting desktop DNA experiments in their classrooms. Over time, Hickey served as dean of UAB’s Graduate School, associate vice president for health affairs, and associate provost for academic programs. In 1997 Hickey became dean of the College of Sciences at Old Dominion University in Virginia, and in 2000 he became senior vice president and provost at the University of Akron. After several Ohio winters, he and his wife were ready for warmer weather when UCF called in 2003. The Hickeys, who have two grown sons and one young grandson, enjoy tennis, exercising at the gym, and gardening. “The University of Central Florida reminded me a lot of UAB,” says Hickey, “in terms of being a metropolitan institution really striving to work with the community. It’s a relatively young institution working to dramatically expand its research, and that’s the type of university where I fit best.” – Leonard Nash |
An
accomplished, tenured vision scientist who spent 24 years as a
professor and researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham
(UAB), Hickey secured federal funding to establish a visual science
research center, making UAB’s optometry school the first
in the nation to receive such federal support. Much of his research
involved amblyopia, or lazy eye. Studying human autopsy material,
he completed an anatomical study of the structure and development
of the human primary visual pathway from the retina to the brain.
Hickey’s work, published in Science, concurred with
ophthalmologists’ hypothesis that strabismus surgery, intended
to correct lazy eye, crossed eyes, and other conditions, should
occur early for maximum efficacy. 
1980s
Mary W. Sheffield, J.D. ’80, was elected a circuit
judge for the 25th judicial circuit in Rolla, Missouri.
Daniel Adams,
M.M. ’81, chair of the faculty assembly at Texas Southern
University, delivered a presentation at a joint meeting of the European
American University Forum and the American Association of University Administrators
in Rome, Italy, in November. His presentation, “The U.S. Department
of Education Office of Civil Rights Funding Initiative and Its Implementation
at Texas Southern University,” was part of a larger session titled “Historically
Black Colleges and Universities: Connecting Diversity, Development and
Distinction.”
Bruce A. Blitman, J.D. ’81, a Pembroke
Pines attorney, was elected to the constituency board of the University
of Miami Center for Autism
and Related Disabilities (UM CARD). Constituency board members provide
advice to staff of UM CARD on policies, priorities, and activities. Blitman
also has been appointed to the advisory board of The Sterling Aventura,
an assisted-living community in Aventura.
Nan A. Markowitz, A.B. ’81, was appointed executive director of the
Citizens Independent Transportation Trust, overseeing expenditure of the
People’s Transportation Plan (half-percent surtax). She also was
recently chosen as chair of the United Way of Miami-Dade’s Women’s
Leadership.
Bruce Davis, B.B.A. ’82, is senior vice
president of investments at UBS Financial Services. He lives with his wife
and three sons in Hollywood,
Florida, where he is coach of the Nova Middle School Soccer Team, district
champions of 2004.
Maria T. Currier, M.S.N. ’83, J.D. ’88, partner at the international
law firm of Hunton & Williams, has been appointed general counsel for
the South Florida Hospital and Healthcare Association. A former critical
care nurse, she is a board-certified health care law specialist who has
extensive experience in regulatory matters, such as fraud law, privacy,
and Medicare.
Donna Burns, M.M. ’84, was selected as
a 2004 YWCA Salute to Women Achievers in Industry honoree. She is vice
president, portal plan manager
for the Cross Prime Brokerage initiative in investment bank technology
at JP Morgan Chase.
Gerald Noe Jr., B.Arch. ’84, is sole proprietor
of a Cincinnati, Ohio-based architectural firm that specializes in commercial
and residential
design. At the 11th annual Chrysalis Awards in Atlanta during the 2004
Southern Building Show, his work contributed to the award of Best Single
Family Residential Restoration Project received by Apex, Inc.
Rogg S. Rumsky, J.D. ’84, is vice president
and regional counsel for Fidelity National Title, working in the Garden
City, New Jersey office.
Michael J. Higer, J.D. ’85, has been selected,
with Judge William Van Nortwick of the First District Court of Appeal,
to chair the State
Court/Federal Court Liaison Committee of the Business Law Section of The
Florida Bar. The primary goal of this committee is to foster a closer relationship
between the judiciary and the business community.
Gary McCloskey, Ph.D. ’85, has been appointed
the first-ever Chair in Augustinian Pedagogy at Merrimack College in North
Andover, Massachusetts.
In this role, Reverend McCloskey leads the new St. Augustine Institute
for Learning and Teaching. He also continues his responsibilities as dean
of the college.
Blake R. Nestock, M.D. ’85, is a Master
of Science candidate at the Harvard School of Public Health, Department
of Health Policy and Management.
Gary S. Salzman, B.B.A. ’85, J.D. ’88,
a shareholder in the Orlando office of law firm GrayRobinson, P.A., was
named Best of the Bar
by the Orlando Business Journal. He has been board certified since 1997
by The Florida Bar in business litigation, practicing in the areas of business
litigation, arbitration, and mediation.
J. Alex Villalobos, A.B. ’85, Republican
senator for District 38, is the Florida Senate majority leader.
Henry J. Weiss, M.S.I.E. ’85, M.B.A. ’87,
is a team leader for the environment, health, and safety team at the Integrated
Utilities
group of AES Corporation, based in San Salvador. He received the Best in
Class Presidential Public Service Health and Safety Award.
Kimberly Kolback, J.D. ’86, moderated the
panel Sports Licensing 2004 in November during the 16th Annual Southern
Regional Entertainment
and Sports Law Seminar in Los Cabos, Mexico. The seminar featured sports
attorneys from across the country, including counsel for NASCAR, Collegiate
Licensing Company, Major League Baseball Players Association, and Coca-Cola.
Hilda M. Fernandez, A.B. ’87, was promoted
to director of communications for the Miami-Dade County government.
Stephen R. Garcia-Vidal, A.B. ’88, has
partnered with his father, Raoul, to create the Coral Gables, Florida law
firm of Garcia-Vidal and
Garcia-Vidal, LLP. The firm specializes in real estate law, wills and trusts,
corporate law, probate and guardianship, estate planning, and foreclosures.
Dorothy Hindman, B.M. ’88, D.M.A. ’94,
assistant music professor at Birmingham-Southern College, received a special
commendation in the
2004 Nancy Van de Vate International Composition Prize for Opera for her
work, Louise: The Story of Magdalen. Her opera, on a libretto by Sally
M. Gall, was commissioned by Alabama Operaworks. Hindman, a founding member
of the Birmingham Art Music Alliance, also is a 2005 Almquist Choral Composition
Competition winner and recipient of the 2004 International Society of Bassists
Composition Prize.
Mark D. Fussell, M.P.A. ’89, has marked his 15th year with the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A public health advisor, he
presently manages the agency’s HIV/AIDS regional assistance program
for Central America. He is based in Guatemala City, Guatemala, following
previous assignments in Geneva, Switzerland, and Harare, Zimbabwe.
Adelle A. McIlroy, B.S. ’89, was promoted
to managing director at International Network Services, a specialized consulting
firm operating
from 32 offices in the United States, Europe, and Asia. She is responsible
for all security consulting services delivered globally by the Ethical
Hacking Center of Excellence in Washington, D.C.
Johnny C. Taylor Jr., B.S.C. ’89, has been appointed chairman of
the board of directors for the Society for Human Resource Management, a
global group representing human resource students and professionals. Taylor
is president of McGuireWoods HR Strategies, a wholly owned subsidiary of
the McGuireWoods LLP law firm, which provides solutions on human resource
issues. He also is a member of the University’s President’s
Council.
Back to Top
From Hollywood to Politics, Jonathan Hefler Aims High
At the University of Miami, Hefler and surgeon Ronald F. DeMeo, M.B.A. ’01, grew Radiation Shield Technologies into a successful “homeland security company” that develops and markets radiation and nuclear protection garments for civilian and military applications. Today Hefler is vice president of marketing for TSG Reporting, a Manhattan firm that provides personnel and logistics support for law firms holding depositions, arbitrations, and hearings nationwide. He manages key elements of business development and expansion. A history buff, Hefler left TSG for several months to serve on the 2004 presidential campaign trail. “It was a 24/7 job,” he reflects, noting that people on the advance staff are lucky to sleep three hours nightly. “I was in a different city every few days.” Along the way, he organized a John Kerry rally attended by thousands at the University of Miami Coral Gables campus, coordinated a Wesley Clark event at an overcrowded Arizona VA hall that the local fire marshal nearly cancelled, and got lost in an Iowa snowstorm with Richard Gephardt. “It was a challenging and rewarding experience,” Hefler says of campaign work, “between coordinating with the Secret Service, the crowds, and the hordes of news folks, making sure the candidate delivered a rousing speech.” Hefler, 29, who would like to get married and have a family some day, credits recreational basketball for keeping him focused amid his 100-hour workweeks. Raised in a liberal family, he says he will eventually pursue politics himself. He cites his grandfather, Sidney Steinberg, a World War II veteran, as a key role model. “There will always be a part of me that wants to leave this world a little better than I found it. It’s how I was raised.” – Leonard Nash |
While
Hefler quit acting because of the industry’s “seedy
underbelly,” he may dabble again some day. But if history
is an accurate predictor of his future endeavors, there are many
other mountains awaiting his ascent. 
1990s
Chris DeRosa, B.M. ’90, is the drummer for the blues band Paul
Mark and the Van Dorens, which has been touring in preparation to record
its fifth album. DeRosa also is in residency at New York University’s
Tisch School of the Arts, where he is a guest lecturer and works with
the dance department as a rhythmic liaison.
Michael R. Holub, A.B. ’90, has been
named the national executive director of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity
and executive vice president
of the Alpha Epsilon Pi Foundation, both headquartered in Indianapolis.
L. Fernando Becerra, B.B.A. ’91, is president
of Twin Real Estate Group in Miami, Florida.
Manuel Occhiogrosso, B.Arch. ’91, M.Arch. ’92, launched the
architectural firm, Gestalt Design Studio. He recently received a master’s
degree in psychology, which he applies to design homes that promote mental
health and well-being.
Scott J. Brook, J.D. ’92, city commissioner
of Coral Springs, Florida, cofounder of Premier Networking Alliance,
and vice chair of the Broward
County Planning Council, has announced his candidacy for the Florida
Senate District 32.
Janelle K. Christensen, J.D. ’93, is a partner in the Lincolnshire,
Illinois law office of Tressler, Soderstrom, Maloney & Priess. She
practices in the area of general civil litigation, with an emphasis on
insurance and personal injury defense.
Mark R. Dylewski, M.D. ’93, former associate
director and assistant professor of thoracic surgery at Georgetown University
Hospital and the
Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C., has moved back to Miami
to establish a private practice in noncardiac thoracic surgery, specializing
in thoracic surgical oncology.
James M. Kunick, J.D. ’93, is of counsel for the Mayer, Brown,
Rowe & Maw law offices in Frankfurt, Germany. He assists multinational
clients with information technology licensing and outsourcing transactions.
Virgil M. Napier, B.B.A. ’93, has transferred
from The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, to The Ritz-Carlton, Coconut Grove,
where he serves as director
of sales. In this role, he oversees a sales team responsible for $20
million in total revenues. Last year he married Barbara Essig.
John Olea, A.B. ’93, formerly a shareholder
at Lubin, Volker and Olea, P.A., has opened his own practice, John Olea,
P.A. He focuses exclusively
on criminal defense in both state and federal courts.
Kevin J. Wheeler, B.S.C. ’94, is a talk show host for the national
radio network, The Sporting News. He also writes columns for The
Sporting News magazine. He is married to Susan M. Wheeler, A.B. ’94.
Stefania Bologna, J.D. ’95, LL.M. ’98, is a partner at Finley & Bologna
International in the Miami office, where she practices corporate, immigration,
real estate, and intellectual property law and international business
transactions.
Richard Celler, B.S.C. ’96 and Emily (Zeller) Celler, A.B. ’96,
announce the birth of their daughter, Chloe Erin, who joins big brother
Noah, age 2.
Cynthia Fletcher, Ph.D. ’96, is assistant
professor in the School of Nursing at Florida International University.
Her research expertise
is sickle cell disease in adolescents.
Davana Marie Lehman, A.B. ’96, received
a Ph.D. in exercise science from Auburn University.
Matthew J. Polli, B.B.A. ’96, and Kenneth G. Rolston, A.B. ’97,
have formed PR Investment Group, an Atlanta, Georgia-based firm that
invests in vacation rental properties in the mountains of North Georgia.
Polli and Rolston met as roommates in Pearson Residential College.
Yesenia Arias Collazo, B.B.A. ’97, has
been promoted from assistant vice president to vice president in the
International Banking Division
at Union Planters Bank in Miami. Her responsibilities include international
business development in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, and Costa Rica.
Lisa A. Keese-Hathaway, A.B. ’97, M.P.A. ’99,
has given birth to her second child. She lives in Waxhaw, North Carolina,
and recently
received a promotion in sales.
Renee C. Kreutzer, B.S.Ed. ’97, M.S.Ed. ’98, has earned a
doctorate in curriculum, instruction, and educational leadership. Her
dissertation was titled “Teachers’ Perceptions of the Usefulness
of Individual Education Plans.” She resides in Miami with her son,
Jordan.
Alex Rey, B.B.A. ’97, M.B.A. ’98,
is manager of capital planning for Royal Caribbean Cruises in Miami,
Florida.
Alisha Binds,
B.F.A. ’98, costars
in a major role with Laurence Fishburne, Ethan Hawke, and an all-star
cast in the action-thriller,
Assault on Precinct 13.
Lauren Camner,
M.B.A. ’98, was promoted from vice president of
Web services to senior vice president of alternative delivery channels
at BankUnited, where she also is a member of the board of directors.
She will oversee management of the call center and continue to serve
as the company’s Webmaster and director of investor relations.
James J. Deane,
B.B.A. ’98, formerly a senior financial analyst
for Seaboard Marine Ltd., has joined accounting firm Berkowitz, Dick,
Pollack & Brant as an audit senior.
Elizabeth E. Thomas,
LL.M. ’98, has been selected, along with 29
other Mississippi residents, to participate in the 2005-06 Leadership
Mississippi program, sponsored by the Mississippi Economic Council’s
M.B. Swayze Educational Foundation, which identifies emerging young
leaders and helps them develop leadership skills.
Sarah A. Karns,
A.B. ’99, J.D. ’03, practices with her father
and brother, Joshua Karns, J.D. ’00, at Karns Law Associates,
a personal injury law firm with offices in Middletown and Providence,
Rhode
Island.
Paige Provenzano,
B.S. ’99, received
her Juris Doctorate, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida
College of Law.
The Love of Journalism Motivates Myrka Dellanos
Dellanos started her career reporting, then anchoring the news on the local affiliate for top Spanish-language network Univision. She helped launch the Primer Impacto news-magazine show, for which she provided live coverage of such historic events as Princess Diana’s funeral services in London, the O.J. Simpson verdict in Los Angeles, the World Cup soccer championships in Paris and Seoul, Korea, and the unfolding standoff between federal agents and Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. Ten years at Primer Impacto and two Emmys later, Dellanos left the show in 2003 to pursue special projects, including a “Barbara Walters-type” show she is developing with Univision. This September Dellanos hosted the annual Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff at the White House, followed by a visit to U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Kuwait in November as part of the USO Tour with performer Wayne Newton. Next up is a book about her career in television and possibly a clothing line. “The love of journalism, of telling a good story, of informing my audience, will always be my number-one goal and motivator,” says Dellanos, who was conducting an interview even as she went into labor. Daughter Alexa, now 10, appeared with mom two years ago beneath the famous milk moustache in the “Got Milk?” campaign ads. “These shared life experiences are what make your audience love you and get to know you better.” Nevertheless, Dellanos prefers to keep her life private. “The only reason I am a public person is because I am a journalist and have chosen to work in television,” she says. “As long as that is the primary focus, I will have done my job correctly.” – Annette Herrera |
An accomplished pianist and ballet
dancer, Dellanos attributes her love of writing and inquisitive
nature to her Cuban-born
parents, both of whom were Spanish literature professors. She
earned a scholarship to study music at the University of Miami,
but “the practical teenager in me decided on communications
and journalism,” a decision that has helped her become
one of the most accomplished and internationally recognized Hispanic
television journalists.
Charles Buscemi, M.S.N. ’01, a doctoral candidate at the University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies, was selected a 2004 Grantmakers in Aging Fellow.
Robert T. Datorre, J.D. ’01, assistant city attorney for the City of Miami Beach, and Elizabeth C. Stephens, D.P.T. ’03, recently were married in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Jason Pasquale, B.S.C. ’01, made his television debut in Sci-Fi Channel’s Chupacabra: Dark Seas, the tale of a smuggled monster that gets loose on a cruise ship. He resides in Burbank, California.
Stacey Elias, B.S.N. ’02, was named Mrs. Hollywood and will compete in the Mrs. Florida pageant in July. She is director of nursing for Medical Staffing Network’s home health care division in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.
Johis Ortega, B.S.N. ’02, is working in the emergency room at South Miami Hospital and pursuing a master’s degree in adult acute care.
Michael Criscitiello, Ph.D. ’03, is completing his postdoctoral work with Martin Flajnik, professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Criscitiello’s wife, Pam, gave birth in October to daughter Sofia Marie. Older sister Sydney turned 3.
Carolyn Waszkiewicz, M.B.A. ’03, was named office manager for Faster-Form Corporation, the parent company to multiple divisions serving the wholesale and retail floral industry. She is responsible for human relations, ERISA and affirmative action compliance, accounting, payroll, and purchasing for ten Faster-Form divisions.
Jorge Arauz, A.B. ’04, former managing editor of The Hurricane newspaper, is managing editor of several magazines at Miami-based publishing house Perfect Vision Media. His titles include LRM, Las Olas Magazine, International Yachtsman, SPACES, and Florida Classic Home.
Angie Pérez, M.A. ’04, has been hired as the national morning news anchor for Televen, one of the three largest television networks in Venezuela.
Heather Seiler, B.S.C. ’04, is a financial advisor at American Express Financial Advisors in Miami Lakes, Florida.
Brian Cavallaro, M.F.A. ’05, is associate producer for My Crazy Life, a show that is premiering this year on E! Network. He also has won a Regional Emmy award for a commercial he directed in Philadelphia, and his thesis film, In Plain Sight, is presently showing on Pay-Per-View.
Diana Peña, B.B.A. ’05, has joined accounting firm Berkowitz, Dick, Pollack & Brant as a tax staff accountant. Previously she owned a business that provided individual income tax return services.
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Have You Made the Headlines Lately?
Enjoy reading about your classmates in Class Notes? Share some news about yourself in a future issues of Miami magazine. You can e-mail your information to us at alumni.classnotes@miami.edu. Please include your name; address (indicate if it is a new address); address (including city, state, and zip); home and work telephone numbers; e-mail address; your place of employment and title; your degree, year graduated, and school/college; and your latest news (career changes, accomplishments, promotions, honors, etc.). Or, you can submit your information online at www.miamialumni.net. We will print your news in the first available issue.
