Alumni, we want to hear what you’ve been doing. Mail career, wedding, birth, and death news to Class Notes, Virginia Tech Alumni Association, Holtzman Alumni Center, 901 Prices Fork Rd., Blacksburg, VA 24061; email the news to classnotes@vt.edu; or submit the news online at vtmag.vt.edu/submit-classnote.php, where photos may also be uploaded for consideration.
Alumni mailing addresses may be viewed online at alumni.vt.edu/directory by logging in with your Virginia Tech PID and password. For assistance, call 540-231-6285.
1960s
career James T. Steffens, Bradenton, Fla., was named a fellow with the Institute of Fire Engineers.
career Charles S. Blethen Jr., Marshall, N.C., published his second book, “Entertaining with Wine, Your Defense Against Wine Snobbery.”
wedding Donald E. Womeldorph Jr., Argyle, Texas, married Anne Blakesly, 11/9/19.
career John G. Danz Jr., Towson, Md., is a lecturer of American history at Notre Dame University of Maryland and serves as minister of pastoral care at Grace United Methodist Church.
career Alphonso P. Boxley III, Waynesboro, Va., retired on Jan. 31, 2020, after 43 years as a McDonald’s owner and operator.
career James A. Casada, Rock Hill, S.C., published his 18th book, “A Smoky Mountain Boyhood: Memories, Musings and More.”
1970s
career Emory Randall Wertz, Christiansburg, Va., wrote “Overworked & Underpaid, The Life of An Election Official.”
career Frederick H. Ray, Springfield, Pa., received the CRC Watersheds Environmental Volunteer Leadership Award.
career John G. Kines Jr., Disputanta, Va., was appointed to a second four-year term on the Virginia Board of Social Services by Gov. Ralph Northam.
career James A. Mize Jr., Cleveland, S.C., has published his third humor book, “Hunting with Beanpole.”
career Fredrick S. Najjar, San Francisco, Calif., was elected to a two-year term as the chair of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy.
career Harold Benjamin Short, Herndon, Va., retired from Turner Construction in January 2019.
career William F. “Rick” Hinson Jr., Riner, Va., received the 2020 Jack A. Proctor Meritorious Service Award from the Virginia Building and Code Officials Association.
career Thomas A. Carnevale, Clearfield, Pa., was elected chairman of the Board of Directors of Penn Highlands Clearfield Hospital.
1980s
career Ronnie W. Rouse, Chesapeake, Va., joined E.T. Gresham Company in Norfolk, Va., as a project manager.
career Paul J. Clarke, Sioux Falls, S.D., was named the South Dakota Municipal League’s 2020 Code Enforcement Officer of the Year.
career Sheryl Wright McLaughlin, Hampton, Va., a science teacher at Jones Magnet Middle School, received the Virginia Association of Science Teachers Science Education RISE award.
career Donald Kenneth Johnson, Portland, Ore., coauthored a book, “Reconsidering Flannery O’Connor.”
career Michael J. Mankosa, Erie, Pa., executive vice president of global technology for Eriez, received the 2021 Robert H. Richards Award for his contributions in mineral beneficiation.
career Carl W. Jackson, Charles Town, W.Va., a captain for American Airlines, was upgraded to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner in 2020 and will be flying his 34th year with the company in 2021.
career Douglas S. King, Fort Myers, Fla., is the chair of the board of directors of CFP Board.
career Jodi Ecker Detjen, Newton Highlands, Mass., wrote, “The Next Smart Step: How to Overcome Gender Stereotypes and Build a Stronger Organization.”
career Gary W. “Obie” Obermeyer, Woodbridge, Va., was awarded the Defense Intelligence Agency Directorate of Operations (DIA/DO) Colonel John Lansdale, Jr. Award recognizing him as the outstanding DIA/DO Counterintelligence Professional for 2020.
career Lawrence L. Kirchner, Chesterton, Ind., is principal and senior vice president of the Chicago office of TranSystems.
career Thomas C. Anderson, Charlotte, N.C., co-authored “Restructuring the Hold: Optimizing Private Equity and Portfolio Company Partnerships.”
career Jonathan C. Clough, Springfield, Va., was awarded the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service.
career Norman T. Hepner, Yakima, Wash., retired from the Air National Guard effective Dec. 31, 2020. Colonel Hepner’s final assignment was as the 156th Medical Group Commander for the Puerto Rico Air National Guard.
career Sang W. Hwang, Charlottesville, Va., was named COO of Enshored. He is initially based in the Philippines where he will oversee global operations.
children James C. Galonsky, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., a daughter, 9/9/20.
career Joseph W. Guthrie, Dublin, Va., was elected chair of the Pulaski County, Virginia, Board of Supervisors.
1990s
career Susan Tinsley Gooden, Richmond, Va., was elected vice president of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration.
career Samantha H. Hand, Chesapeake, Va., was a finalist in the Portrait Society of America’s Members Only Competition in the noncommissioned portrait category for her painting, “Derek.”
career Evelyn Vaughan McGill, Richmond, Va., was named immediate past president of the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions.
career Martha Cabell Peters, Bozeman, Mont., was appointed assistant provost of Montana State University.
career Nandita Rastogi Mishra, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., was named president of the Association for Learning Environments, Michigan Chapter, for 2021.
career William H. Hume, Wirtz, Va., was recognized as veteran of the year by the Virginia Small Business Development Center.
career John L. MacKay Jr., Wake Forest, N.C., was named COO of McDonough Boylard Peck, a nationally recognized construction management firm.
career Michael J. Michalowicz, Boonton, N.J., was featured in Israel’s prominent business magazine, The Epoch Times.
children Kenneth A. Long Jr., Chesterfield, Va., a daughter, 06/24/20.
career Jennifer P. Bierly, Port Matilda, Pa., was appointed vice chair of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania’s Domestic Relations Procedure Rules Committee.
career Kimberley Vandenberg Lanham, Leesburg, Va., joined the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) as the senior manager, financial strategy and analytics in IDA’s Finance Directorate.
career Jason A. Darish, Chesapeake, Va., reported to U.S. Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, Va.
career Matthew D. Reames, Winchester, Va., was awarded the Stewart Bell Jr. Excellence in Teaching Award by the Handley Board of Trustees.
career Janet R. Wojcik, Charlotte, N.C., was named professor, exercise science, Department of Physical Education, Sport, and Human Performance, Winthrop University, Rock Hill, S.C.
wedding Gregory R. Milas, Alexandria, Va., and Lacy Marie Baugher, 11/14/20
career Robin E. Rogers, Cranberry Township, Pa., published a children’s picture book, “Journey to the Neverending Sea,” published December 2020 by Brolly Books in Australia and in the U.S. in April 2021.
career Kevin Baird, Middletown, Del., was named to Delaware Today’s Top Lawyers 2020.
2000s
career Anthony P. Harris Jr., Fort Washington, Md., was named 2020 Fairfax County Public Schools Outstanding New Principal of the Year.
career Jennifer S. Parker, Spartanburg, S.C., was appointed director of child, youth, and family initiatives for The Spartanburg Academic Movement.
children Christopher S. Cassell, Roswell, Ga., a son, 8/10/20.
career Richmond T. Brittingham, Fairfax, Va., is business unit manager in Dewberry’s Leesburg, Virginia, office.
career Meredith L. McComas, Berryville, Va., purchased Wiles Mensch Corporation’s Federal Projects Division Assets, formed Sorba Engineering, and will serve as president.
career Ishraq Zraikat, Amman, Jordan, was featured in Archinect, a digital network of architects, designers, students, educators, and others with an interest in the field.
children Paul A. Carlson, Washington, D.C., a daughter, 1/19/21.
career Matthew J. Zuraw, San Diego, Calif., founded Better Brains Inc. with a mission of better brains and better lives through lifestyle products for brain health.
children M.E. Kawika Chang and Bethany Draggoo Chang ’06, FPO, AP, a daughter, 11/4/20.
children Laura King Schinkel, Colonial Heights, Va., a son, 4/15/20.
career Megan Story Gillespie, San Bruno, Calif., will oversee farm operations for Plenty, including its latest facility - the world’s first high-output, indoor vertical farm in Compton, Calif.
career Manisha Pravinchandra Patel, Danville, Va., earned the Legal Elite distinction as published by Business North Carolina. She was honored as an inductee into the North Carolina Pro Bono Honor Society and was appointed to the Legal Aid of North Carolina Board of Directors.
wedding Heidi M. Field, Fairfax, Va., and Seth Adam Field, 3/30/20.
career Shaun Bockert, Philadelphia, Pa., was elected partner in the Philadelphia office of Blank Rome.
2010s
career Laura A. Pennington Briggs, St. Paul, Minn., published two books, “How to Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business” and “Six Figure Freelancer.” She delivered two TEDx talks on the freelance economy during 2019
career David L. Silberstein, Los Angeles, Calif., was featured in RollingStone’s series, At Work.
wedding John P. Deis, Richmond, Va., and Sarah Irby, 10/19/19.
children Edward Collins Mehfoud and Kathryn M. Slaughter Mehfoud ’13, Champaign, Ill., a daughter, 11/15/20.
career Andrew T. Bowers, Poolesville, Md., was recently named to Healthcare Design’s Rising Stars.
career Danielle M. Jakubowski, Philadelphia, Pa., is a project manager at The Martin Architectural Group.
career Allison M. Jarett, Richmond, Va., is an associate in the Richmond, Va., office of Quinn Evans. Jarett has extensive expertise in the design of K-12 and higher education facilities, as well as libraries.
career Nikos M. Cox, Woodbridge, Va., wrote an illustrated children’s book, “Jurni.”
career Christina Brianne Robinson Puterbaugh, Reston, Va., earned licensure as a marriage and family therapist in Va.
career Carl Austin Jackson, Berryville, Va., received a master’s in cybersecurity from the University of Maryland and was promoted to IT Security Analyst at DMS Inc.
career Jaclyn M. Sanders, Raleigh, N.C., was featured in Milktoast, an online magazine.
children Ashley M. Nelson Dustin, Los Angeles, Calif., twin girls, 12/6/20.
career Kiruthika Balasubramanian, Falls Church, Va., an LEED green associate, has been promoted to architect in the Washington, D.C., office of Quinn Evans.
career Brett M. Huhman, Waldorf, Md., has been tasked by NAVSEA to evaluate commercial ultraviolet sources for viral disinfection on ship and shore facilities to combat COVID-19 spread in the fleet.
career Emma Powers Swanson and Sam Swanson ’18, Houston, Texas, 9/5/20.
career Alexandra Chase Jackson, Charles Town, W.Va., operations manager for Northrop Grumman, was hired by the USAF as a pilot on the Boeing C-17 in Martinsburg, W.Va., while working with the AF and NGB to change height standards for female pilots.
career Patrick A. Schulz, Charles Town, W.Va., was named project engineer following two years of rigorous training and traveling along the East Coast for Cives Steel Company.
Become a mentor
How we work and what we do is changing. Your career experience is valuable to current students and signing up to mentor makes a difference for young Hokies.
Hokie Mentorship Connect is our online platform where alumni can virtually volunteer their time and expertise by mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.
Learn more at alumni.vt.edu/careers
