News and Events
Class Notes
John Macielag '89 and wife, Patty, (pictured with Noah, 4, and Ellie, 1) purchased Long Point Farm on the Chester River in 2005. They have started a "living shoreline" shore erosion project to reestablish several acres of wetland habitat lost to erosion. They plan to begin building their home on the farm by the end of the year.
After returning home from Baghdad, Brian Bender '06 proposed to his college sweetheart, Caitlin Whittle '08; they plan to wed in October 2009. Named Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year for the State of Maryland, Brian has accepted a position working for CACI International in Washington, DC. He is also enrolled in an Information Technology graduate program at the University of Maryland.
Mary Ethel Pappas Vinje '65 is still living in the same house where she has lived since she was eight years old. "Our three daughters are married, giving us six grandchildren and one on the way. The oldest is seven."
Cindy Bliven '66 (left) and Marianne Reid '64 meet every year in New York City. 
In October, Sallie Moniot Lilienthal '70 represented Washington College at the inauguration of President Jack R. Ohle at Gustavus Adolphus College.
Two members of WC's 1,000 point club—Nick Scallion '52 and Joe Breslin '08—met at a recent Shoremen basketball game. Nick is WC's all-time leading scorer with 2,087 career points; Joe is the most recent member of the 1,000 point club. Photo: Trish McGee '81
Keith Whiteford '94 and his son, Parker, attended the alumni baseball game and Athey Park groundbreaking ceremonies last fall. Keith was inducted into WC's Athletic Hall of Fame last year.
1942
Class Rep: Bob Carter
William '42 and Betty Lohmuller '44 Nagler "Best wishes in 2009 to our remaining class members and alumni. The past year has been uneventful with no wild fires or other catastrophes in San Diego County. We are happy in a very nice retirement home with many friends. Bridge and golf are our main hobbies."
1945
Charlotte Hignutt writes: "Palenque is tropical but the tropics are not always hot. We have 'nortes'—several days of cold air and rain from the north. Poor people are ill-prepared for these times— both their homes and their clothing inadequate. This is particularly true if they live up in the hills. During one of these times I once gave a woman, walking by in a sleeveless dress, a windbreaker jacket. She thanked me and said, 'I will sleep in this— it will keep me warm.' She never wears it in the rain. People tell me she takes it off to keep it dry. One would not want to sleep in a wet jacket. Meanwhile, in the month of December, my roses and bougainvilleas are blooming and hummingbirds are drinking nectar from flowers and searching for spiders around windows—or are they enjoying their own reflections?"
1949
Joan Huber is a master gardener for Fairfax County, VA, and through her business, Patio Patch, designs and installs residential gardens. "I get to the Shore every year to meet the 'Beach Crowd,' originally with classmates Peggy Novak Bray and Jane Walther, who no longer are around to join Pat Wright Carrico and various second-generation gals and friends. I look forward to seeing my friends at our 60th reunion."
1950
Class Rep: Bill Tom
Frank Kuhn spent his entire working career in management with the late Eastern Air Lines. Since then, he has been working with a nonprofit organization, the United States Orienteering Federation (USOF), which is a sport organization with clubs throughout the United States. The Delaware Valley Orienteering Club (DVOA is one of the largest clubs. USOF is a member of the International Orienteering Federation (IOF) which has four disciplines: Foot Orienteering, Mountain Bike Orienteering, Ski Orienteering and Trail Orienteering. Frank has been a member of the Trail Orienteering Commission since it was formed in 1998. At USOF, he has been an Officer and Director on the Board for 15 years.
1961
Ralph Snyderman, chancellor emeritus of Duke University and founder of the healthcare technology company Proventys, has been awarded Frost & Sullivan's 2008 North American Healthcare Lifetime Achievement Award. The award was presented in November as part of the firm's Healthcare Innovations awards ceremony recognizing companies that have made significant contributions to the delivery and management of healthcare. "The U.S. healthcare system has focused much of its efforts on treatment of late-stage chronic disease, a costly and inefficient method that fails to take advantage of emerging technologies that enable more personalized, predictive and preventive approaches to medicine," Dr. Snyderman noted. "It is my belief that through prospective approaches to care, we have the unique opportunity to help repair and reshape an injured healthcare system, ultimately generating a natural shift toward improved quality of care and significantly lower treatment costs."
1962
Class Rep: Bob Leitch
Charles Lawson and his wife, Sharon, became grandparents for the first time on December 30, 2008, when their daughter, Jennifer Lawson Bepple M.D. and son-in-law Lt. Chad Bepple, birthed twins, Victoria Elizabeth and Scott Charles. Both are projected for the Class of 2030.
John Littlejohn and his wife, Terri, continue to enjoy Wilmington, NC, living in their new home since 2007. Both are involved in several volunteer projects; the latest for John is tutoring children at a local elementary school. Otherwise, he still works out five times per week with a jazzercise class and is filling his remaining free time with researching his family's photographs and genealogy.
Chikao Tsubaki is an associate professor of English at Baltimore City Community College.
1964
Martin '64 and Judy Coombs '69 Buinicki report that, after 34 years in Denver, CO, they purchased a small farm and have retired to Carlisle, PA. They celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in September with a party including their sheep and goats. Having moved east, they are planning to attend the class 40th Reunion this May.
John Miller and Warren Milberg '62 had their own reunion recently when John returned to the United States from his home in South Africa to visit his new grandson. John stopped off in Annandale, VA, where he and Warren had a wonderful lunch and caught each other up on what has happened in their lives since they last met over 40+ years ago.
1965
Class Rep: Karen Tucciarone Bescher
Richard Evans notes that "all of my contemporaries are retiring but I'm having too much fun. I'm well into a major estancia (ranch) and sheep raising creation in Patagonia, Argentina, and getting a new education tiptoeing through the minefields of the current American financial situation."
Mary Willis Haines serves Hagerstown Councilperson Penny M. Nigh as a volunteer aide. "Our latest project is saving from destruction The Alms House, an 18th-century building used during the Civil War as a hospital and graveyard for American soldiers from Antietam and Gettysburg."
1969
Class Rep: Linda Sheedy
Steve Amick decided, after 22 years as a member of the Delaware General Assembly, not to seek reelection as State Senator last fall. He enjoyed watching all of his fellow members scurrying as they ran for re-election and he watched from the sidelines. He and his wife, Washington College math professor Louise Masten Amick '69, took the opportunity to drive across the country along the route of a 1915 automobile trip undertaken by Steve's family, one of the first transcontinental trips by car.
Margaret Nuttle Melcher writes: "Pete and I are now Talbot County residents. It has been a huge pleasure to be involved again at WC. The Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience has program after program of great interest. Talbot County is the same, NOT. Some things are just familiar enough to fool you that you are home but I'm not the child of my childhood anymore. See you in May!"
Sharon Stumpf has been awarded membership in the National League of American Pen Women, Inc. a professional organization of women writers, artists and composers. The group promotes development of the creative talents of professional women in the arts. Sharon was awarded membership in letters after a career working for (among others) The Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC, and The Journal of the American Psychological Association. Sharon retired early due to disability and is now completing a book of poetry and short stories. She plans to attend her 40th year reunion in May.
1970
Class Rep: Chris Ely
Sylvia Millhouse Dunning reports that her son, Tyler Perry, was awarded a Ph.D. in social work from the University of Washington on December 4, 2008. He will remain in Seattle, where he is a lecturer for the School of Social Work.
Peter Herbst is an attorney in private practice.
Dean Skelos was elected majority leader for the New York State Senate on June 24, 2008.
1971
Harry Kilpatrick reports that his son Ryan is PAC Manager for the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. Ryan is also attending law school at George Washington University. Future plans include applying to the Naval JAG Corps when he finishes his law degree.
1978
Class Rep: Mike Brown
J.D. Douglass recently returned from Scotland, where he had been a post-grad student at the University of St. Andrews. After graduating with a degree in literature and philosophy, J.D. moved to Washington State, where he completed an MBA program. He spent 15 years teaching in the Pacific Northwest before going to Scotland to study the business side of golf history. There, he says, "I fell in love with a lovely Boston girl, also a post-grad student at the University of St Andrews. We returned to the States last year, and got married in Boston last fall." He is now teaching business courses at Framingham State College outside Boston.
Shelley Sharp enjoyed seeing Deborah Gitt Stoll '78 and Eric Stoll '74 who were in Tampa visiting their son, Adam. Adam recently moved to the area. They all enjoyed lunch together at a local sailing club and caught up on the news of their families and classmates.
1980
Class Rep: Tim Connor
Mary Currier DeMoss writes: "Jeff and I celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in August ... hard to believe it all began at WC! We are happily back on the Shore, in Virginia. Here to stay. I have a new children's book, The House of Do-dear, written entirely in verse about the Thanksgiving holiday. It is available on Amazon.com. Blessings to all of our friends."
1981
Jim Graham recently opened a new photographic exhibition, his fourth, at Hardcastle Gallery in Centreville, DE. The photographs in his show, "From Away," were on display through the month of February. The show was sponsored in part by Legion Paper, Moab by Legion and Rising. Legion and Moab has named Jim as a master printer to their group, "Moab Legion of Masters." (www.jimgrahamphotography.com/fromaway)
1982
Class Rep: Scott Hansen
Arlene Lee writes: "Receiving a letter from Scott [Hansen] recently reminded me that it had been a very long time since I've submitted a class note. So here goes. The boys are now 18 and 21, and Lain turned 50, so this was a big birthday year in our family! Lain is teaching at Radcliffe Creek School and still loving every minute of it. I've gone from the Child Welfare League in DC to the Governor's Office for Children and now back to DC at the Center for the Study of Social Policy (a think tank). I'm having a blast at the Center but the opportunity to serve Maryland and assist Governor Ehrlich's child policy agenda was a privilege of the highest order. As for the boys, Lee (our youngest) graduated from Gunston last year. He is home, taking classes and pondering his next steps. After spending a year in Mexico thinking about his future, Ian (our oldest) landed in Asheville and is exploring life in the Smoky Mountains. This gives us an excuse to go there every few months. We continue to travel as a family and spent Christmas in Nicaragua."
1986
Class Rep: Victor DeSantis
Peter Shafer has been named CEO of KRC Research, a research firm owned by Weber Shandwick, one of the world's largest public relations firms. He accepted the position in Washington, DC, after three years at Harris Interactive.
Tammy Tiehel got together with Karen Durm and Karin DiChiara '86 in Annapolis recently and reports that Loudon Wainwright is sounding better than ever!
1987
Class Rep: Lauren Ebaugh Halterman
Sarah Letaw Crowe started a dessert catering business called "Sarah's Sweets." She has adopted a son from Guatemala. He came home on August 15, 2008.
1988
William Jones attended his 20th class reunion last summer in Chestertown, but only two from his class were present for the evening reception. "Hello guys, we had our own dedicated bartender and wine. Oops, I forgot, we were the end of the 'me' generation. Just finished nearly five years in the spook community, an interesting and schizophrenic atmosphere punctuated by obtuse interaction with military and governmental (FOX-News) subtypes. And now I'm on 'sabbatical' in northwestern New England looking for work and volunteering for a Five Colleges oral history working group at UMass. Did I mention the autumn foliage—the leaves, the leaves, the mountains, the mountains."
1989
Class Rep: Sara Hoffman
Chad Bentley and his wife, Shelly, operate Reading NOW in Erie, PA. After living in the corporate world "for way too long," and living the life of the movie Office Space, Chad says he decided to live his entrepreneurial dream and start a business that was geared towards helping people. "We specifically focus on assessing why students (anywhere from kindergarten to 10th grade) are having difficulty reading, and then put together a customized tutoring plan based on their needs. We hope to begin franchising the business in 2009. In just six short months, we have 13 employees including ourselves, and are enjoying every minute! A special thanks to the WC business department for giving me an outstanding head start!" www.ReadingNowErie.com.
1991
Class Rep: Suzanne Hewes
Felicia Shakman Carter and her husband, Tom Creegan (son of Frank Creegan, professor of chemistry emeritus) recently opened The Hamilton Tavern, a neighborhood pub in Baltimore. They invite all alumni and faculty to stop by for a Brewer's Art beer on tap and the already renowned "cross-town burger." For location and more information, visit www.hamiltontavern.com.
1992
Class Rep: Troy Petenbrink
Jennifer Mowll Mazzola is a mother of two girls (ages 2 and 4) and is a freelance science writer managing a staff of writers for her biopharmaceutical clients. She lives with her husband, Gregory, in East Norriton, PA, and works from home part-time so she can be with the girls as much as possible.
1993
Class Rep: Lizzy O'Hara Lazo
Eleanor Shriver Magee is working toward the defense of her dissertation by August 2009. Upon completion, she will earn her doctorate in education from Wilmington University in New Castle, DE.
Melissa Harmeyer Taylor operates a stationery store in Baltimore. Simply Noted is in its sixth year of business.
1994
Class Rep: Chris Sanchez
Chandev Abhayaratne moved from London, Ontario, back to Colombo, Sri Lanka, along with his wife, Prithiva, and kids, Chetan, Sithara and Arvin. He also made a career change, moving from the financial services sector back to the telecommunications and IT services sector. He recently expanded operations to Qatar, the Middle East, and would welcome any networking contacts from alumni in the Middle East region. chandev@fentons.com
Jennifer Sendax Taubenfeld is the Director of Project Management at Hearst Magazines. Her husband, Stephen, is a physician and researcher in the field of anxiety disorders and addiction. They live in New York City.
1995
Jamie Baker works for Deloitte Consulting in their Strategy & Operations practice. He and his family live in Annapolis, MD.
Suzanne Fischer-Huettner was a member of the 25th graduating class of The Leadership, a program of the Greater Baltimore Committee designed to identify and prepare the region's emerging civic leaders. Suzanne is associate publisher and vice president of the Daily Record, a newspaper serving Maryland's business, financial and legal communities. Additionally, she serves as board chair for Community Law in Action, the board of the University of Baltimore's Entrepreneurship Program, and the marketing committee of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Lindsey Ledwin has joined the Petrizzo Strategic Group as a vice president in its Washington office, adding to the growing list of senior congressional staffers leaving for the private sector. She had spent eight years on Capitol Hill and four years lobbying for various clients at two DC consulting firms. Most recently, she was vice president of legislation at Brown and Company. On the Hill, Ledwin was as a senior aide to Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and a clerk to the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. ??Ledwin also worked for Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and former Sen. William Cohen (R-Maine) on the Senate Special Committee on Aging.
1998
Dr. Allison Tuttle passed specialty veterinary examination for zoological medicine (aquatic animal focus) and was granted membership into the American College of Zoological Medicine in October 2008. Dr. Tuttle joins the ranks of approximately 120 other veterinarians worldwide who have attained this zoological medicine specialty. Dr. Tuttle is the Staff Veterinarian and Director of Animal Care at Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut.
1999
Class Rep: Gillian Mattimore
Paul Tiberius Bayne is the manager aboard the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's 106-year-old skipjack, Stanley Norman, based in Annapolis. He also races for the Kelly Benefits Strategies Amateur Cycling Team, competing in eight mountain bike races, two road races, and one cyclocross race in 2008. His wife is Becky Greason Bayne '00. Becky managed to lead Allied Resource Management in group health insurance sales despite the economic turmoil. She took up running in 2007, starting with the Baltimore half marathon. The Baynes were expecting their first child in January.
2000
Class Rep: Marilyn McDonald
Rebecca Corbin Loree heads Corbin Perception Group, LLC, an investor relations and strategic communications consulting firm established in 2007 (www.corbinperception.com). Her husband, Jim, is EVP and COO of The Stanley Works (NYSE: SWK) and previously held the title of EVP and CFO. The newlyweds are co-founders of The Jim and Rebecca Loree Foundation, Inc., a non-profit charitable organization with the mission of giving back to the community and helping those in need. They reside in West Hartford, CT.
Sarah Jarrell Contos and her husband, Chris, live in Baltimore where Sarah is a Registered Nurse working in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
2002
Class Rep: Jordan Yelinek
Kate Dowling has made a few big changes recently: she moved to Vermont, got married to longtime boyfriend Lit Tyler (a UVM grad), and accepted a new job as an internship coordinator at Vermont Technical College. "Vermont is as beautiful as the postcards make it out to be. New hobbies include cross-country skiing, although I'm still working on the finer points, like how to stop without falling over."
Scott Gartlan plans to graduate from Teachers College, Columbia University in May '09 with an Ed.M. in Education Leadership. He is studying in the Klingenstein Center's Private School Leadership program. For Scott's thesis project, he will study how the financial crisis has impacted independent schools around the country. His particular area of interest in non-profit leadership is the relationship between economic sustainability and environmental stewardship. On a personal note, Scott is engaged to be married to Molly Herr '02 on June 13, 2009 in Chestertown. They live in sunny Charlotte, NC.
Kyra Kolbe Vocci is a budget analyst in the Chemistry Department at Johns Hopkins University. Her husband, Chris, is a chef at the Baltimore Country Club. They live in Towson, MD.
2003
Class Rep: Wayles Wilson
Christie Allebach is working for Doylestown Hospital in PA, where she is a float nurse on various ICU and med-surg floors. "I've been living in Harleysville, PA, with my boyfriend of five years, Derek, and our dog Skutter. We like to spend our time snowboarding in Wyoming in the winter and mountain biking in the summer. I'm hoping to move out west in the next year to pursue travel nursing."
Courtney Busch has graduated with a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Maryland in College Park. She accepted a postdoctoral research position at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. "I am very excited about starting a new phase in my career."
Heather Reader Benson is the aquatic director at the YMCA of Greater Nashua. Her husband, Levi, is an air traffic controller for the FAA. They bought a house in Hudson, NH, last summer. Their first child was born in January (see births).
Wayles Wilson will be graduating from the University of Pennsylvania with a master's in government administration and a certificate in non-profit administration in May. If you are in Philadelphia, please contact the new alumni chapter at wcphillyclub@gmail.com.
Dean Zang is an associate vice president at Marcus & Millichap, a commercial real estate firm in Philadelphia. Dean, who started selling real estate as a student at WC, was recently featured in the Philadelphia Business Journal as one of the firm's top brokers. In his four years with the company, Dean has helped move more than two million square feet of property, valued at more than $570 million. He ranks among the top 30 performers in the company's national retail group.
2004
Class Rep: Allison LaMarca
Heather Evans is excited to let everyone know that she received the position of assistant general manager of the Jersey Shore Burberry. "I started at the beginning of November and I'm LOVING it. The experience has been wonderful and I can't wait to see where this leads."
Tyler Loomis Feane graduated from Albany Law School in 2007, was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2008, and is working as an attorney for the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance in Albany, NY.
Jaclyn Smith is working in New York City as an associate manager in the Business Development Department of Alloy Marketing and Promotions. Jackie develops creative concepts and writes proposals for large-scale brand promotions and events. Most recently, her work included a heavily publicized promotion for Lifetime Television called "Every Woman Counts," encouraging women across the country to vote. She would love to get together with any alumni in the NY or NJ area.
Tara Wagner has been working on her doctorate in clinical psychology at Loyola College in Maryland. "Finally, on May 16, 2009, I will be graduating with my Psy.D! I completed my coursework in May 2008 and successfully defended my dissertation on August 4, 2008. I am living in Tallahassee, FL, completing my fifth year internship at Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee, FL. I will soon be looking for post-doctoral positions and studying for my licensure exam. All in all, life is good!"
2005
Class Rep: Jennifer Burke
Andrea Neighbors graduated with a master's in anthropology from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in December 2008. Her thesis was about complexities in the Russian-American adoption system. "December was an exciting month," she writes. "Not only was it graduation, the holidays and my birthday, but I got engaged! My fiancé, Kevin, and I are happy to announce that we got engaged December 23rd. We are making plans to move back to the East Coast in May after he graduates from UAF. We will miss Alaska; it has been a wonderful home for us for the last few years. I was lucky to have my close friend Rachel Synnott '05 visit in the summer of 2006. We had a wonderful visit exploring this beautiful state. The summers are quite a treat after such long winters!"
Adrienne Nash received a master's degree in leadership development from Penn State University in December 2008. Adrienne is employed as a program coordinator at the Department of Community Development in Chester County, PA, where she manages federal, state and county grants for homeless assistance programs. In February, she participated in a Peace is Possible study tour to Colombia with Lutheran World Relief.
2006
Class Rep: Becky Binns
Kelly Alston is engaged to Michael Gach; they plan to marry in Fall 2009. They recently moved to New York where Michael is an attorney and Kelly is a social worker.
Megan and Ashley Crisler both returned to the UK for another year abroad. They are working in different locations; Megan is in Reading just outside of London and Ashley is in Casterton about four hours northwest of London. They are coaching girls' lacrosse at various private schools. "Who knew they had lacrosse over there? Oh well." They also are enjoying local sightseeing opportunities and spent the holidays in Germany.
Ryan Dean serves as a demand planner for McCormick and Company. His wife, Lacey, is the Media Relations Specialist at the American Urological Association. They live in Millersville, MD, with their two dogs.
Danielle Trucano received a master of arts degree in holocaust and genocide studies from the Richard Stockton College of NJ in December 2008. The former history major/art minor is employed in the Human Resources department of the Vineland Board of Education.
2007
Class Rep: Chelsea Prior
Sean Ferri is working for Deutsche Bank in New York City, where he is a records center operator. "The Waldorf Astoria Hotel is right across from my office, so anyone willing to visit has a place to stay." He plans to get an apartment in the city this summer, and then start an MBA program in the fall.
Erin Koster received her master's degree in history, with a focus on the Irish diaspora, in December 2008 from University College Cork in Ireland. Her thesis was a comparison of Irish domestic servants in the United States and Great Britain from 1870 to 1960. "I've enjoyed living in Ireland for the last year and a half and will be moving back to the USA in March 2009."
Kyle Murray recently graduated from the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy and is now a full-time police officer in Ocean City, MD. Kyle received top honors in physical fitness, firearms and academics and was chosen as his class speaker. His 98.18% final grade is the highest ever recorded in the 30-year history of the academy.
Christine Schott completed a master's degree in school counseling from Loyola College in December 2008. She also became engaged to Brian Pickeral in December. The two plan to marry in November 2009.
2008
Class Rep: Katherine Honold
Shelley Holtmann writes: "In my first year out of Washington, I find myself still 'in' Washington. I am an admissions representative and interviewer of prospective applicants by day and a master's student in psychology by night. I am looking at medical schools, as I think I will be going the psychiatry route. Right now what I miss most is rowing. I see the members of the women's team gather in front of Goldstein to ride down to the boathouse, and I wish I could be with them. I do end up making it to the gym every evening after work, but the crisp autumn chill on the Chester River at sunset is one thing I miss."
Jacqueline Olt is enrolled in a one-year master's program through Christie's Education. "At the end of this year I'll receive my M.Litt from the University of Glasgow in Modern and Contemporary Art and Connoisseurship. I'm living in London until my studies are complete."
Brian Taylor is working toward a master's degree in history at Villanova University. He is enrolled as a full-time student and works as a graduate assistant within Villanova's history department.
We Want To Know
Send your Class Notes to: classnotes@washcoll.edu. Because of space limitations we cannot publish every photo we receive, but you improve your chances if your digital photos are of good quality and at least 300 dpi at a canvas size of 3x5. For more photo guidelines, visit magazine.washcoll.edu. To appear in the Summer 2009 issue, please submit by April 15, 2009.