50s

Thomas M. Fabek of North Olmsted, ’50 AB, recently celebrated his 50-year anniversary as a member of the Kiwanis Club of North Olmsted.

Albert Yurko of Kissimee, Fla., ’52 BA, was honored by the Florida Bar Association for 50 years of dedication to the practice of law. Now retired, Yurko earned his law degree at the University of Miami in 1957 and had been a civil trial lawyer with a private law practice in Kissimee since 1958.

Carmen John Leone of Poland, ’56 BA, was named the Greater Youngstown Italian Festival 2008 Man of the Year. Leone earned his master’s degree from the University of Florida in 1958, and his Ph.D. from Kent State University in 1974. He taught at Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, retired in 1991 as associate professor of English and theater arts, then began teaching at YSU.

60s

Gary Glaze of Los Angeles, ’60 BM in voice and music literature, is a professor of vocal arts at the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California. He spends his summers as a teacher and performer at several venues: the International Vocal Institute in Hvar, Croatia; the Pacific Vocal Institute on Vancouver Island, British Columbia; and the International Lyric Academy in Rome-Viterbo, Italy. Glaze also collaborates regularly with Canadian pianist Kevin Fitz-Gerald in recitals, most recently for the 2008 California Music Teachers Convention.

Anthony Mastrangelo

James D. Hetherington of Bethany, Okla., ’66 BSBA, recently completed 33 years as an adjunct professor of marketing and management at Oklahoma City University. He retired in 1990 as a supervisory education specialist in the Federal Aviation Administration training air traffic control technical instructors. Hetherington earned an MBA from Oklahoma City U. in 1973 and an MLS in management from the University of Oklahoma in 1979.

70s

James E. “Ted” Roberts of Youngstown, ’70 BA, has been elected to serve a three-year term as District 13 representative on the Board of Governors for the Ohio State Bar Association. Roberts earned his law degree at the University of Akron School of Law. He also served as part-time in-house counsel for the Youngstown Board of Education and as first assistant law director for the city of Youngstown.

Beverly Hooper Brunker of Boardman, ’71 Associate, ’92 BS, both in nursing, was appointed manager of medical oncology for Humility of Mary Health Partners. A registered nurse and an oncology certified nurse, she previously served as clinical nurse manager and clinical research coordinator at Forum Health Cancer Care Center.

Lloyd “Buzz” Waterhouse of Park City, Utah, ’73 BS, ’80 MBA, has been named to the board of directors for AxisPointe Inc. in Salt Lake City, an asset management software and outsourced post-construction customer service firm. Waterhouse also serves on the boards of The Atlantic Mutual Companies, Digimarc Corporation, i2 Technologies, and Pennsylvania State University's Smeal College. Previously he served as president and chief executive officer of Harcourt Education, and he led a successful effort to sell the company that culminated in a $5 billion transaction. He earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from Pennsylvania State University.

William Boccia

Jan Cefalu of Canfield, ’74 BSEd, ’76 master’s degree in guidance and counseling, was named the Greater Youngstown Italian Festival’s 2008 Businesswoman of the Year. Cefalu was a guidance counselor in the West Branch School District for 13 years, taught at Indiana Girls School in Indianapolis, then joined State Farm Insurance as an agent in 1989. She’s been an Ambassador Traveler with the company for the last 17 years, has a State Farm office on Western Reserve Road in Poland and is president and owner of Classy Coach Tours.

Robert E. Dennison of Austintown, ’74 BS in marketing, recently accepted a position as a sales associate for Aven Fire Systems in New Castle, Pa.

George Shay of Newton Falls, ’75 BE, ’91 BS in computer science, has been invited by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying to become a member of its development committee, which develops and administers the Professional Engineering licensure test. Shay has also served as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Technology at YSU.

Robert A. Rostan of Boardman, ’78 BSEd, ’82 MSEd, is the new superintendent of the Struthers Local Schools. Rostan’s 30-year career in education has included a succession of teaching and administrative positions, and he most recently served as superintendent of the Leetonia Exempted Village School District.

Thomas J. Occhipinti of Nashville,’78 BA in psychology wrote a song, “Video Diary,” that has been licensed to Panasonic Corp. for an internet promotional campaign on their company Web site. Occhipinti also authored an audio-book, "Tools, A Personal Memoir," which was recently published.

80s

John S. Gulas of Chagrin Falls, ’80 BA, has been named chief operating officer at Farmers National Bank. Formerly president and chief executive officer of Sky Trust Company N.A. in Cleveland, Gulas has 25 years of bank management experience. He earned a law degree from the University of Toledo College of Law in 1983.

Daryll Collins of Cincinnati, ’81 BA in commercial art, a professional cartoonist, was presented a top award by the National Cartoonists’ Society for illustrations he created for Boys’ Life magazine. Collins was known locally as the artist featured on a children’s television program called “The Barney Bean Show.” He has worked for Gibson Greeting Card Company, Sports Illustrated for Kids and Weekly Reader.

Joseph V. Warino of Canfield, ’82 BE, was chosen as president-elect of the Ohio Society of Professional Engineers. Warino is Mahoning County Sanitary Engineer, a past president of the Mahoning Valley Chapter of OSPE and the immediate past president of the Engineers Foundation of Ohio, OSPE’s educational foundation.

Lorraine Atwood of Fostoria, Ohio, ’83 BA, is director of the Kaubisch Memorial Public Library in Fostoria.The former director of the Hubbard Public Library where she was employed for 17 years, Atwood has a master’s degree in library science from Kent State University.

Philemon E. Rheins of Buffalo, N.Y., ’84 AAB in accounting technology, ’90 AB in American studies, ’99 MA in history, was presented the U.S. Dept. of Labor Secretary’s Exceptional Achievement Award for his success in investigating and negotiating racial discrimination settlements of more than $929,649 that impacted 311 victims. Rheins has been employed for six years as a compliance officer in the Dept. of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program.  

Timothy B. Cutright of Oak Harbor, Wash., ’86 AB in history, was promoted in July to commander of Marine Aviation Training Group 53, where he will oversee 150 Marines who provide administration and logistical support for the EA-6B Prowler community. Col. Cutright joined the Marine Corps in 1987 and graduated last year from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces with a master’s degree in national resource management.  

Denise R. Grace Lindheim of Naples, Fla., ’86 BSEd, has earned a doctoral degree in organizational leadership/human resource management and development from NOVA Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale. She also earned a master’s degree in educational leadership/administration from NOVA University and is employed as instructional staffing administrator with the district school board of Collier County in Naples.  

Christopher Lozier of Houston, Texas, ’87 BS in accounting, was recently promoted to principal at UHY Advisors, a tax and business consulting firm, in the enterprise risk advisory services department. Lozier joined UHY after nine years with PricewaterhouseCoopers, and he also served as director of internal controls at Reliant Energy and BMC. He is a certified public accountant, a certified internal auditor and a certified information systems auditor.

Tony Jones

Karen A. Clayton of Columbiana, ’88 MS in Education Administration, has been named coordinator of disability services for the Marion G. Resch Center for Student Progress at YSU. Clayton has a BS in special education and elementary education from Kent State University and retired from the Youngstown City Schools in July after 17 years as an elementary school principal in the Youngstown and Warren school districts.

James T. Calderone of Cleveland, ‘89 BE, was given new and expanded responsibilities as part of the newly reorganized management team for Louis Perry & Associates, an engineering and architectural firm based in Wadsworth, Ohio. Calderone is the company’s project director.

Ronda Rakes of Lawton, Okla., ‘89 BS Industrial Engineering, is a senior industrial engineer and department supervisor for Halliburton Energy Services, an oil field services company.

Karen Cohen of East Palestine, ’89 BSBA in accounting, ’90 MBA, was inducted in September to the East Palestine Hall of Fame. Cohen is a partner and accountant at Packer Thomas, a certified public accounting firm, the first woman to achieve that status at the firm.

90s

Keith Rubenstein

Dr. Lori A. Crowl of Salem, ‘91 BS, was inducted in September to the East Palestine Hall of Fame. Dr. Crowl is on staff at Salem Community Hospital and is affiliated with Prima Health Care. She completed her medical degree through the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Pharmacy through Youngstown State University and completed her medical residency in Youngstown.

Susan E. Petersen of Chardon, ’93 BA, was named to Crain’s Cleveland Business Magazine’s 2008 Class of Forty Under 40, which recognizes the 40 most influential people in Northeast Ohio under the age of 40. Petersen, an attorney with the Chardon-based law firm Petersen & Ibold, is immediate past president of the Ohio Women’s Bar Association. She earned her law degree at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

Gary Heasley of Fort Wayne, Ind., ‘93 BSBA in accounting, has been given additional responsibilities in his position as executive vice president for strategic planning and business development at Steel Dynamics Inc. Heasley, a CPA, joined the company as vice president and chief financial officer in 2005 and assumed his current position in 2007.  

Amy Sue St. John of Sahuarita, Ariz., ’93 BA in psychology, is teacher certification program advisor for Pima Community College and is pursuing a doctorate in school psychology at Capella University. She has a master's degree in educational counseling from the University of Phoenix.  

Lisa McGlamery Geene of Middlesex, N.J., ’93 Master of Music, teaches fourth and fifth grade music and choir at the School District of Chatham in Chatham, N.J. Geene earned her bachelor’s degree in music at Ohio State University in 1991, and she attained National Board Certification in Early/Middle Childhood Music in 2006.

Maria Carson of Warren, ’94 BSBA accounting, was presented the 2008 St. Louise de Marillac Award by the Catholic Charities Diocese of Youngstown, an honor presented annually to an employee who exemplifies and shows dedication to the agency’s mission. A 45-year veteran of the agency, Carson has been fiscal director for Catholic Charities Regional Agency for the past 12 years.

Kevin C. Kirk of Hubbard, ’95 BA, ’99 MA, was recently promoted to senior analyst at the Progressive Insurance Information Technology Product and Acquisition center in Mayfield Village, Ohio.

Shannon M. Kosek of Mansfield, Ohio, ’95 BS in education/elementary education, was promoted to executive director of elementary education for the Mansfield City Schools. The former director of the district’s Office of School Improvement, Kosek has a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of North Florida and is completing qualifications for her school superintendent licensure at Ashland University.  

Patrick Pacalo of Boardman, ’95 MA, has published his second non-fiction book, Cold Warfare II: Political Terror.  Pacalo also publishes The History and Politics Newsletter six times a year.  

Steven D. Shandor of Youngstown, AB ’98, MA ’02, has joined the litigation practice group of Day Ketterer Attorneys at Law in Canton. Atty. Shandor is a former Mahoning County Assistant Prosecutor and has extensive jury and bench trial experience.

Joe Pinciaro of Boardman, ’98 BSBA in industrial marketing, has joined The Brennan Financial Group’s Poland office as registered representatives with New England Securities.

Robert Carter of Fremont, Ohio, ’98 BA in organizational communication, started a family-oriented recreation business in his hometown last summer. Journey’s Family Amusement Center includes mini-golf, a game arcade, a 150-person jungle gym, concessions and party rooms. Previously employed as a recruiting director for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, Carter also operates a home-based recruiting company, Retrac Consultants LLC in Fremont.

Marla Sferra-Pieton of Hubbard, ’99 BSBA, is senior director of marketing for Quaker Steak & Lube Franchising Corp., Sharon, Pa. She is also pursuing a master’s degree in media management at Kent State University.

Matt Kaulen of Hilliard, Ohio, ’99 BSBA, was recently promoted to consultant at Nationwide Insurance International’s headquarters in Columbus. A certified public accountant, Kaulen had been a supervisor at Hill, Barth, and King LLC in Youngstown before joining Nationwide.

00s

Joe Gregory of Canfield, ’01 BSB, has been named executive vice president by the Norfolk Admirals, a professional hockey team based in Norfolk, Va. Gregory will join the Admirals July 7, and will also serve on the American Hockey League Board of Governors.

Sean Christopher Teets of Ruston, La., ’01 BA in vocal performance, earned a doctorate in vocal performance with a secondary emphasis in choral conducting and opera staging from the University of Northern Colorado. An assistant professor and director of choral activities at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, La., Teets has a master’s degree from Bowling Green State University. He conducted a performance of Handel’s Messiah with the Northwest Colorado Symphony in 2007 and traveled to Switzerland last summer where he was assistant conductor and performed at the Lucerne Choral Festival.

 JoAnn Stock of Youngstown, ’02 BSBA, ’04 MBA, has been named director of development for Akron Children’s Hospital of the Mahoning Valley. A certified fund raising executive, she had been director of marketing and resource development for United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley.

Thomas Wakefield

Richard James “R.J.” Basile Jr. of Youngstown, ’02 BSBA, ’07 MS in education, is a special education teacher at Struthers High School. He is also pursuing a master’s degree in education leadership and principal certification at Edinboro University.

Brian Racz of Austintown, ’03 BA History and BSEd, ’07 MS educational administration, was selected as Teacher of the Year at Boardman High School by the graduating class of 2008. Racz is in his fifth year on the faculty, teaching advanced placement government and world history. He also coordinates the model United Nations program at Boardman, serves as debate coach for the school’s speech and debate team and sits on the Youngstown District Committee for the Ohio High School Speech League.

Katie K. Fleming Glass of Cincinnati, ’03 BE in mechanical engineering, earned a doctor of philosophy in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in May 2008. While completing her degree, Glass presented her research work at six international meetings, including events sponsored by the Society of Cryobiology and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and authored six peer-reviewed publications. She is a scientist/engineer for Procter and Gamble.

Steven Mowry of Boardman, ’03 BSBA, has completed the Chartered Retirement Plan Counselor program through Merrill Lynch and received the CRPC designation. Mowry joined Merrill Lynch’s Canfield office five years ago and has earned his Certified Financial Planner designation from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards.

Nicole Bradford of Brooklyn, N.Y., ’03 BM in education, is in her sixth year as a music teacher at The Manhattan High School in New York City. She also teaches private music lessons and has played clarinet in several off-Broadway musicals. She has master’s degrees in music and special education and in school administration, both from Mercy College.

Megan A. Kerrigan of Hubbard, ’03 BS in education, is elementary library media specialist for the West Middlesex Area School District in Pennsylvania. She earned a masters’ degree in curriculum and instruction from Gannon University in 2005, a master’s in library and information science from Kent State University in 2007 and completed a principal certification program through Gannon in 2008.

Raquel B. Pacheco of Canfield, ’04 BSBA in finance, has earned a designation as a Chartered Retirement Plan Counselor after completing a training program through Merrill Lynch. Pacheco is part of Merrill Lynch’s Canfield office and has worked in the financial services industry since 1997.

Hannah Rodabaugh of Boulder, Colo., ’05 BA, has her poetry included in A Sing Economy, a poetry anthology, and in Ludlow Garage, a Cincinnati-based poetry journal. She was also featured in a documentary about five young female poets, titled “Five Oxford Poets,” that debuted at the 2006 Cambridge (UK) Women’s Poetry Festival. Rodabaugh recently earned a master’s degree in English and creative writing from Miami University of Ohio and is pursuing an M.F.A. in poetry and poetics at Naropa University, where she serves as a writing fellow.

Katie Krichko of Scottsdale, Ariz., ’06 BA in hospitality management, is activity and volunteer coordinator for Sunrise Senior Living, an assisted-living company in Virginia.

Gina Abrams of Bladensburg, Md., ’06 BSEd, is in her second year as a kindergarten teacher at Dodge Park Elementary School in the Prince George's County Public School System.

Hayley McEwing of Boardman, ’06 BA in sociology, a children’s librarian with the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, has been selected to participate in the American Library Association’s 2009 Emerging Leaders Program. McEwing earned a master’s degree in library and information science from Kent State University.

Gabriel J. Illes III of Boardman, ’06 BSBA in accounting, ’08 MBA, and Christine R. Graygo of Cornersburg, ’06 BSBA in accounting, have joined Schroedel, Scullin & Bestic LLC, CPAs and Business Advisors, as team accountants. 

Jennifer Lynne Thomas Gerbasi of Bellefontaine, Ohio, ’06 BS in biological sciences, has earned her doctor of dental surgery degree from Ohio State University’s College of Dentistry. She is a staff member of Lima Dental Associates in Lima, Ohio.

Noelle Nackino of Tallahassee, Fla., ’07 BA in theater, played the female lead in the feature film “Fine-Tune,” which was made in Youngstown last summer by filmmaker Chris Rutushin of River and Heron Productions. Nackino is pursuing a master’s degree in scenic design at Florida State University.

Steve Raseta,

Becky Varian of East Liverpool, ’08 MSEd, has been appointed coordinator of the Marion G. Resch Center for Student Progress at YSU. Her career in education spans 19 years as a teacher at Ohio Valley Technical College and East Liverpool Christian Middle School.

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