Alumni Class Notes

1940s

Truman Stacey ’46, ’54, has been honored by the U.S.A. Council of Serra International with the 2007 Saint Andrew Award in recognition of his contributions to the council’s programs for promoting religious vocations in the Catholic Church in the United States.

Frank D. Stella ’41, was named as an Honorary Affiliate Member of the Detroit Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The award was established to recognize non-architects who have made an important contribution to the area’s quality of life.

1950s

William J. Giovan ‘58, has been appointed by the Michigan Supreme Court as chief judge of the Wayne County Circuit Court. The 63-judge court is the largest in Michigan. 

Canice Johnson, RSM ’56, received a 2007 Everyday Hero Award from the RARE Foundation in recognition of her inspiring work in founding the Mercy Education Project and the new Detroit Cristo Rey High School. 

D. Jerry Watters ’54, a shareholder at Plunkett Cooney, has been selected to be included in the 2008 Woodward/White The Best Lawyers in America.  

1960s

William D. Booth ’62, a shareholder and personal injury litigator at Plunkett Cooney, has been selected to be included in the 2008 Woodward/White The Best Lawyers in America. Booth has been included in the list for more than 20 years. 

Margaret Farley, RSM ’60, a member of the UDM Board of Trustees, received the 2007 St. Elizabeth Seton Medal from the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinatti, Ohio. The medal is presented annually to recognize distinguished women in theology. Following the award presentation, Sr. Margaret delivered a lecture titled, “Gender, Faith and Response to HIV/AIDS in Africa.” She has also been awarded the 2008 Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Religion for the ideas set forth in her book, Just Love: A Framework for Christian Sexual Ethics.

Yvonne Gellise, RSM ’60, was honored by the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, Mich. for her efforts to end homelessness through her role in the design and implementation of the county’s Blueprint to End Homelessness, a center that provides shelter and other crucial services for the homeless in that area.

James R. Geroux ’64, a shareholder at Plunkett Cooney, has been selected to be included in the 2008 Woodward/White The Best Lawyers in America. 

Steve Poissant '69, has self-published (Pairadime Publications) his second book, Motor City Boomer, a whimsical memoir of growing up on the east side of Detroit. 

Ron Santo '62, an executive board member and former leader of Dykema's employment practice group, has been included in the 2008 Woodward/White Best Lawyers in America guide. 

William T. Shearer, M.D. ’60, has been elected to the board of trustees at Washington University in St. Louis. Dr. Shearer is a professor of pediatrics and immunology at Baylor College of Medicine and chief of the allergy and immunology service at Texas Children’s Hospital. 

Paul E. Tartaglia '67, '70, former dean of Engineering at Norwich University in Northfield, Vt., is currently serving there as professor of Mechanical Engineering. 

1970s

Susan Artinian '77, an attorney in the litigation practice group of Dykema, has been included in the 2008 Woodward/White Best Lawyers in America guide. 

Barry M. Bywalec '72, WilsonMiller's regional manager of Development Design (Tampa Bay, Fla.), has been elected a fellow member of the Florida Engineering Society. Bywalec was also recently named Tampa Bay Engineer of the Year. 

Douglas L. Callander '74,  who leads the  litigation section of Kreis, Enderle, Callander & Hudgins, PC has been named a "Super Lawyer" by Michigan Super Lawyers Magazine.

Warren C. Evans '79, '87, Wayne County Sheriff, has been recently appointed to several boards: Michigan Citizen Community Emergency Response Coordinating Council, Madonna University Foundation Board of Directors, Eastern Michigan University, School of Staff & Command Advisory Board, Huron Clinton Metro Park Authority Board,  and the Michigan Auto Theft Prevention Authority Board.

Robert J. Franzinger '71, '75, an attorney in the litigation practice group of Dykema, has been included in the 2008 Woodward/White Best Lawyers in America guide.

Lisa (Sommers) Gretchko '78, an attorney with Howard & Howard Attorneys, PC, has been named a "Michigan Super Lawyer" through a survey of her peers by Law & Politics. Gretchko practices bankruptcy and creditors/debtors rights. 

Michael J. Hagerty '78, has joined the title insurance practice group of Plunkett Cooney. 

Evelyn H. Hirt ’75, was  elected  member-at-large to the Eta Kappa Nu Electrical and Computer Engineering Honor Society Board of Governors for a three-year term beginning July 2007. Hirt is an ESH&Q principal professional and engineer in the Operational Systems Directorate of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy.

Christine D. Oldani ’75, a shareholder at Plunkett Cooney, has been selected to be included in the 2008 Woodward/White The Best Lawyers in America.

Gerald Sabatini '75, a financial analyst with Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, was re-elected for a second consecutive term to the City Commission in Plymouth. Prior to this role, Sabatini served 15 years on the Zoning Board of Appleals for Plymouth. 

Brian Murphy ’75, a fisheries and wildlife science professor at Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources, has received the 2007 Edward S. Diggs Teaching Scholar Award, which honors outstanding teachers who make exceptional contributions that mutually benefit the classroom environment and the department’s academic mission. 

Rex E. Schlaybaugh, Jr. '73, chairman and chief executive officer of Dykema, has been included in the 2008 Woodward/White Best Lawyers in America guide.

Garie Thomas-Bass ’79, has published her first book (with the help of her sister Kertia Thomas-Black, M.D. and brother Kirtis Thomas III), entitled Purposeful (Not Random) Acts of Kindness (AKA Beginning Steps for Overcoming Spoiled Brat-aholism). The book focuses on the rules of common sense. 

Brian Walby ‘72, has been named a principal in the Detroit office of Sullivan, Cotter and Associates, Inc., a human resources consulting firm.

1980s 

Catherine (Klimchalk) Adamkiewicz '86, has published her first book, Broken and Blessed: A Life Story, the real-life story of her daughter, Celeste, who was born with a heart defect and died at four months of age. Broken is a glimpse into a mother's heart—first broken, as she suffers with her daughter, then blessed as she learns a profound lesson: each life has a unique, amazing purpose.

William Bishop '80, '81, was elected to a four-year term on the Jacksonville, Fla. City Council and was appointed chair of the Jacksonville Waterways Commission. 

Michael S. Bogren ’82, a shareholder at Plunkett Cooney and the regional office department leader and secretary-treasurer of the firm’s Board of Directors, has been selected to be included in the 2008 Woodward/White The Best Lawyers in America. 

John Dzarnowski ’88, has joined FGM Architects Planners Inc. as the Municipal Market Sector leader.

Jennifer  Goulah ’87, ’06, has joined the Detroit office of Bodman LLP. She practices in the areas of real estate and banking law.

Rick Harrell '85, has been named the new executive director of the Oregon Heart & Vascular Institute at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene, Ore.

Robert G. Kamenec ’82, a shareholder at Plunkett Cooney and the firm’s insurance/professional liability department leader, has been selected to be included in the 2008 Woodward/White The Best Lawyers in America.

Jeanne Lanese Riek ’89, has been named clinical adjunct professor of law and interim deputy director of the Writing and Learning Resources Center at the University of North Carolina School of Law, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Pat McKanic '80, has established Pat McKanic & Associates, a public and media relations and marketing firm based in Sarasota, Fla. The former Wall Street Journal writer also won a Gold Addy Award for a college publication entitled Art Grows the World. 

Sharon R. Newlon '85, an attorney at Dickinson Wright PLLC, has been  named a "2007 Michigan Super Lawyer" through a survey of her peers by Law & Politics. Newlon practices environmental law.

Robert P. Soulliere '85, has been named president and CEO of ThyssenKrupp Steel USA, LLC. He previously served as president and CEO of ThyssenKrupp Budd Company.

John Stanton '80, has published Talking Politics with God & the Devil in Washington, D.C., which explores current American politics and foreign affairs.

Thomas Szczepanski ‘85, managing director at Collaboration, LLC, was elected chairman of the Metropolitan Detroit Division of March of Dimes.

Robin Tener '85, '87, clinical director and executive director of Northeast Ohio Behavioral Health, Ltd, Multi-county Juvenile Attention System, and the Taylor ISD, was recently honored (on behalf of her agency) by The National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Childen as one of The National Trauma and Loss Agencies of the Year 2007.

Antonio Trujillo '82, who with his wife Lucinda own Guadalupe Vineyards of San Fidel, N.M., was recently awarded two bronze medals for the vineyard's Riesling. 

Mark Vilaboy ’82, has joined Quarles & Brady in the firm’s tax practice. He practices in all areas of state and local taxation and also assists clients with a variety of federal tax issues.

Michael Yenshaw '83, a Michigan State Police trooper in Brighton, Mich., has been named to the Howell Public Schools Board of Education.

1990s

Michael Beale '90, was recently appointed the Midland County 42nd Circuit Court judge by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. 

Sonja Bultynck ’94, has been named director of Marketing and Public Relations at Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit.

Michael R. Dorfman '99, has joined the litigation practice in the Birmingham, Mich. office of the Demorest Law Firm, PLLC.

Matthew Haran '93, has been elected vice-chairman of the board of directors for Crossroads for Youth, a non-profit agency in Oxford that services at-risk youth. 

Tina (Sheets) Horn '90, has accepted the position of vice president, Membership and Marketing for DMAA: The Care Continuum Alliance, Washington, D.C. 

Jason W. Johnson '94, was recently promoted to senior corporate counsel by Capitol Bancorp Limited (NYSE: CBC), Lansing, Mich. He directs all litigation for Capital's 57 nationwide affiliate community banks, including Michigan litigation handled by in-house attorneys, and he manages the activities of all retained outside counsel.  

Choya  Jordan ’90, former general sales manager of WGPR-FM, is the new marketing manager at the Observer & Eccentric/Mirror Newspapers.

Stephen T. Portell ‘91, and attorney at Quarles & Brady LLP, was appointed to a four-year term on the Arizona Supreme Court Commission for Judicial Performance Review. 

Meghan Kennedy Riordan '90, recently started a new litigation unit in Kennedy Riordan & Associates PC, a law firm for which she is managing partner.

2000s

Christopher J. Barbat ’05, has joined Howard & Howard Attorneys, PC in the business and corporate practice group. He concentrates his practice on business and real estate transactions and corporate law.

William Hilliker ’01, has joined the faculty at Monroe County Community College as assistant professor of computer information systems. 

Christopher G. Johnson ‘02, received his MBA from Wayne State University in December 2007.

N. Maxine Kennebrew '01, who works at Chrysler's Mack Engine Plant, has written a mystery novel under the pen name, Kennebrew Surant. The novel is titled Life on the Line.

Leslie Morgan ’01, has been selected to receive the Indiana Library Federation Outstanding New Librarian award for 2007. She is currently the Reference/First Year Experience/Education librarian at the University of Notre Dame Libraries.

Lisa Tehlirian ’04, has joined Kennedy Riordan & Associates, P.C. as an associate to lead the firm’s new Family & Litigation Department.