Class Notes

'30s|'40s|'50s|'60s|'70s|'80s|'90s|'00s|'10s

'30s

Hilda Lutzke ’33 was honored by Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. at an awards ceremony at the Essex County Hospital Center in Cedar Grove. Lutzke, a retired English teacher, taught at Weequahic High School in Newark for 40 years and is one of the founders of the Newark Teachers Union.
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‌'40s

Max Sobel ’47 wrote the article “Her Car Would Only Go Backwards” published in Alzheimer's Reading Room.

Joseph C. Bradley ’48 ’52 MA met and dated Helma Richter Heard ’47 during freshman year, but they went their separate ways. Years later, he saw her picture in Carpe Diem and after searching the Internet, he discovered she lived 150 miles from his Vero Beach, Fla., home. So, after 66 years, they met for lunch in Orlando in May.

‌'50s

George Stager ’50 was honored with a flight to the war memorials on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Honor Flights of Northern Colorado flew about 100 veterans of World War II, Vietnam and Korea to visit the memorials.

Nicholas Colasanti ’53, retired as a vice principal and moved to Capitola, Calif., with his wife, Sally, in 2010. He worked for 60 years in education, 40 years as a teacher and then 16 years as a consultant.

John Dankowski ’56, ’63 MA visited Malaysia’s renowned Petronas Towers in April with a friend. Dankowski has resided in Taiwan for 40 years and continues to give occasional presentations about NASA and the space program in Asia.

John Vandenbergh ’57 received the William C. Friday Award for Distinguished Service  in Retirement from North Carolina State University. Since retiring, the biology professor has worked on policy issues to convince the FDA and the EPA that endocrine-disrupting compounds such as bisphenolA (BPA) require regulation. He consults with the National Toxicology Program of the NIH and the Food Additives Panel of the Pew Charitable Trusts. He also restored an 18th-Century gristmill in the Raleigh area that has become a popular county park.

'60s

Hal Lorne ’61 and his wife, Joan, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on June 13.

Andrew Lukac ’62 MA was proclaimed by the Woodcliff Lake mayor and council in March as the borough’s “Resident Extraordinaire” for serving on the board of governors for the Tri-Boro Ambulance Corps, the Tree Commission and as a Eucharistic minister at Our Lady Mother of the Church.‌

Cos Sciarrone ’64, ’66 MA will welcome his fifth grandchild in early October and celebrated the high school graduation of his oldest grandchild in June.

‌‌Joseph S. Weisberg ’64 MA was appointed to the County College of Morris Board of Trustees.

‌Alvin M. Holtz ’66 has lived in South Florida since 1976 and retired from the Miami-Dade school system three years ago. He and his wife spend time traveling, including an upcoming trip to China. He volunteers twice a week with their dog at assisted living facilities. Their son, Scott, an attorney, also lives in South Florida.‌

Terry Scott Boykie ’69 wrote a memoir, Autumn for a Day-Old Toad: The Journal of A. Manley Stanz. The journal details the events, philosophy and foibles of New Jersey’s most unknown success through poems, anecdotes, commentary and satire.‌

'70s

‌John Patierno ’70, ’73 MA received a doctorate from Rutgers University in 1980 and served as an administrator at Montclair State from 1970 to 1973. Since retiring, he has mentored new faculty at Bergen Community College.

Judith Walker ’70, an education/psychology librarian and professor at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, received the 2013 Association of College and Research Libraries Education and Behavioral Sciences Section Distinguished Education and Behavioral Sciences Librarian Award.

Anthony Giarmo ’71 published his second historical novel, Sweet Muse of Madness: Book One in the Song of Greece Series. The book is about the interaction between goddess worshipers and early monotheists in Copper Age Greece.
 
Michael Heaney ’71 retired from the Washingtonville Central School District (NY) after 30 years as a school psychologist. He maintains a clinical child psychology private practice.

Barbara McCarthy ’71 performed “Dreaming this Time” at The Metropolitan Room in New York City in April and “By George,” the songs of George Gershwin, at the Montclair Public Library in June.

Jim Nacknouck ’72 retired from Exxon Mobil after 35 years.

Kathy Stein-Smith ’72 published The U.S. Foreign Language Deficit and Our Economic and National Security: A Bibliographic Essay on the U.S. Language Paradox.

Carol Ann Dawes ’73 announced that her contemporary romance California Homecoming was published by Crimson Romance, a division of F+W Media and released in June. This is Dawes’ third contemporary romance set on the central coast of California.

Robert Rasczyk ’73 retired from teaching with the Newark Pubic Schools in July. During his career, he worked at Walling High School, Emerson High School in Union City, Orange High School and East Side High School in Newark.

Paul V. Stahlin ’74, regional president of Fulton Bank of New Jersey, was appointed chairman of Somerset Medical Center’s board of trustees. He is also a member of the Montclair State University Foundation board.

Jill A. Tekel ’74 organized the local chapter of the Adler Aphasia Center, where stroke and brain injury survivors meet to recapture lost language skills.

Patricia Mabus ’75 joined Unity Bank, expanding its commercial lending staff and loan management team.

Kathi Evans ’76 is the owner and lead planner of All the Best Weddings & Celebrations, which recently received a 2013 Best of TheKnot.com for NJ Wedding Planners Award and a 2013 Bride’s Choice Award from WeddingWire.com.

Barbara Hathaway ’76, veteran literacy tutor and volunteer, joined the professional staff as the literacy specialist of Literacy Volunteers of Union County, a 25-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to providing free tutoring for adults struggling to read, write and speak English.

Daniel Infanti ’76 was appointed senior vice president of marketing and advertising of CIT Group Inc.

Thomas Sweeney ’76 celebrated a milestone: 40 years as a Salesian of Don Bosco.

Jennifer Courlas ’77, director of continuing care of the Gardens at Seabrook, won the Leadership Award at the Erickson Living Corporate Award recognition event in Baltimore.

William Madormo ’77 was appointed vice president of operations for Rocky’s Ace Hardware.

Charlotte Mandel ’77 MA, author of a critical essay titled “Muriel Rukeyser’s Rabbi Akiba Inheritance,” was featured on Muriel Rukeyser’s Living Archive website, and her poem-novella The Marriages of Jacob was praised in a review by Rabbi Rachel Barenblat.

Rena Thorsen ’77 MA was appointed to the board of trustees of the Pi Beta Phi Foundation. Thorsen is founder, CEO and senior strategic consultant of Celeriti LLC.

Carol Blazejowski ’78 was nominated for the New Jersey Hall of Fame. The three-time All-American basketball player for Montclair State University also played in the Women’s Pro Basketball League and became president and general manager of the WNBA’s New York Liberty in 2008. Blazejowski is currently the associate vice president for University Advancement at Montclair State.

Joseph Gallick ’79 was named vice president of dedicated services of NationaLease, the North American organization of full-service truck leasing companies.

Amanda Goodman ’79 was named to Westchester Library System’s board of trustees, representing Port Chester, Rye Brook, Rye City and Rye Town, N.Y.

Kathleen Mufson ’79 was honored at the YWCA of Greenwich’s 36th annual BRAVA Awards Luncheon in February. The BRAVA Awards recognize outstanding women achievers who excel in their careers and also volunteer their time and talent.

Mona Rodriguez ’79, ’92 MA debuted her novel, Forty Years in a Day, released by Tate Publishing in February. The story begins in 1900 and details the journey of a mother and her four small children from Italy to the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, New York.

'80s

William Christoffels ’80 runs the Old Havana Courthouse Theatre, a summer theater in the Finger Lakes region of New York, where he produces original melodramas.

Barbara Bessemer ’81 was appointed a partner of DeVito Snowden & Co. LLC.

Victoria S. Kniewel ’81 MA was named the new superintendent of schools for the Edgemont (N.Y.) School District.

Elisa Kolenut ’81 joined the Kinnelon, N.J., branch of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage.
Anthony Pecci ’81 was promoted to senior vice president in Dewberry’s Bloomfield, N.J., office, after much success as vice president and branch manager for construction services in the New York/New Jersey area.

Myra Garcia ’82 was named vice president for University Advancement at University of La Verne in California.

Colleen O’Sullivan ’82 has joined Weichert Realtors’ Ramsey office as a sales associate.

Suzann Brucato ’83 worked for about 25 years in the corporate environment as a business analyst, then went back to school to receive webmaster certification. She now owns Work Smarter Now, a company that helps small businesses.

Jim Christiansen ’83 joined FlightSafety International as vice president, international business development.
Margaret Filippelli ’83 was named partner-in-charge of Marcum’s Roseland, N.J., office.

Virginia Kennedy ’83, ’01 MA was named executive director of Otsego Land Trust.

William P. VanVeldhuisen ’84 was appointed assistant vice president of Self-Insured Group.  

Frank Migneco ’85 MA has joined the staff of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance.

Deirdre E. Moore ’86 joined Fox Rothschild LLP as an attorney. Chambers USA noted her as a leading real estate attorney in New Jersey.

Kevin Entricken ’87 was appointed chief financial officer by Wolters Kluwer and was nominated as a member of its executive board.

Steven M. Klein ’87 was promoted to president of Northfield Bancorp Inc. and its subsidiary, Northfield Bank.

Holly Akers ’88 was hired as a new business developer for Highland Associates.

Lisa Dallmeyer ’88 was appointed controller of Digital Cinema Destinations Corp.

Thomas Joseph Kosch ’88 married David Michael Husty on New Year's Day. Trent W. Blanchard, a minister ordained by the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary, officiated at the couple’s loft in Manhattan.

Michele Samarya-Timm ’88, ’01 MA received a master of the arts degree in security studies, Homeland Security and Defense, at a ceremony held at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., in March.

Karen J. Hoffman ’89 joined Terrie O’Connor Realtors in Kinnelon, N.J.

Colleen McArdle ’89 BFA, director of special events and an adjunct professor of dance at County College of Morris, was selected as an adjudicator for the Paper Mill Playhouse’s Rising Star Awards program.

'90s

Damiano Albanese ’90, ’94 MA will be the regional manager and senior project manager for the New Jersey regional office of PM Environmental Inc.

Anibal Badim ’90 was promoted to vice president, commercial loan officer at Pascack Bancorp Inc., the holding company for Pascack Community Bank.

Thomas C. Barone ’91 was recently elected to serve on the board of trustees of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association, a statewide organization for physicians holding doctor of osteopathic medicine degrees.

Paul Thompson ’92 recently published A Most Stirring and Significant Episode: Religion and the Rise and Fall of Prohibition in Black Atlanta, 1885-1887.  He is an associate professor of history and chair of the Department of History and Political Science at North Greenville University in Tigerville, S.C.

Joann Hudak ’93 MA was appointed to the Wayne Memorial Hospital/Health System board of trustees.

Jeff Davis ’95 was named vice president of finance at MediaMath, Inc. in New York City.

Paul Kulic ’95, Montville Township High School’s Teacher of the Year, was also named the District Teacher of the Year.

Michael Muller ’95 MBA was appointed senior vice president for finance of SpaFinder® Wellness, Inc., the leading spa and wellness digital marketing and media company.

Kenneth Ehrenberg ’96 was sworn in as deputy chief of the Paramus Police Department in February.

Richard Katz ’99 MA was appointed superintendent of schools for the Saddle Brook School District.

'00s

Bob Czechowicz ’00 was recently named marketing director for products and services for the Northeast Region of AT&T.

Darrell L. Tucci ’00 joined Desert AIDS Project as chief development officer. Desert AIDS Project serves those with HIV and AIDS by providing comprehensive support, including medical care, case management and social services. It also offers free and confidential HIV testing.

Rhoda Donat-Flowers ’01 was chosen as the practicing physician at the new Employee Health and Wellness Center in Columbus, Ga.

Jennifer Walkup ’01 will have her first novel, Second Verse,a young adult, romantic thriller, published in October.

Charlene Gordon ’02 was appointed assistant treasurer, branch operations manager at Lakeland Bank.

Leah Soltis Rhyne ’02 completed her first novel, Zombie Days, Campfire Nights, the first installment in her “Undead America” series.

Kevin Azevedo ’03, ’09 MA was sworn in as an officer for the Allendale Police Department in January.

Christina Gouraige ’03 was hired as the director of special services for the Midland Park School District.

Dana Lambert ’03 MA was selected by the New Jersey School Counselors Association as the Human Rights Advocate for 2013. The award recognizes her work in school counseling, particularly with students with disabilities, LGBTQ students and first generation college-bound students. Lambert, a
school counselor at West Milford Township High School, is an active member of the New Jersey Association for College Admission Counseling and the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

Cheryl Brugna ’04 of Keyes, Stange & Wooten CPA Firm LLC has earned the “enrolled agent” designation from the Internal Revenue Service.
Suzanne Fonseca ’04 was appointed to assistant treasurer, branch operations manager of Lakeland Bank.

Patricia Doherty ’05 MA was selected to receive a Fulbright award to the U.S.- Germany International Education Administrators Program in fall 2012 and currently serves on the Region XI team of NAFSA (Association of International Educators) and is a member of NAFSA’s Regional Affairs Committee.

Vivienne Erk ’05 was elected to a three-year township council term in West Milford, N.J., in November 2012.

Amer Kobaslija ’05 MFA was awarded a 2013 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship. He also recently had a show at the George Adams Gallery in New York City.

Patrick Valentino ’05 had the world premiere of his work, “I Venti,” Italian for “The Winds,” performed by the Central Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
Jennifer Verdonck ’05 married William Elbert on Dec. 8, 2012, at Margate Community Church.

Jeremy Wolsten ’05 married Meredith Eule on Nov. 4, 2012, at Brooklake Country Club in Florham Park.

Jamie Adler ’06 MA married Lee Minsk on Feb. 17.

William Carroll ’06 was sworn into the Jefferson Township police department in February 2012, but will not report for active duty until he returns from deployment in Afghanistan.

Yuri Jadotte ’06 was appointed assistant professor of evidence-based practice at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences. He is also the chair of the Rutgers Interprofessional Student Congress, founding president of the Rutgers chapter of Alpha Epsilon Lambda (the National Graduate and Professional Honor Society) and editor-in-chief of THE SCOPE magazine, an interprofessional publication of Rutgers health sciences students.

Jessica Patricia Marini ’06 graduated from Columbia University with a doctorate in measurement and evaluation. In March, she returned to Montclair State as a research associate with the Center for Research and Evaluation on Education and Human Services within the College of Education and Human Services.

Debora Campanali ’07 played Cassie Cooper in the 1988 farce Rumors by Neil Simon, presented at the Studio Playhouse in Upper Montclair, N.J.

Anthony Kishko ’07 published his first book, The Decline And Fall Of The United States Of America (Part 1), in the fall of 2012.

Andrew F. Maurizio ’07 has been hired as Iselin Kennedy High School’s football coach.

Jeff Panzarella ’07 played a big part in an independent film, The North Star that was screened in front of sold-out crowds in Doylestown, Penn., in May.

Tracey Pereda ’07 married Josh Aronowitz on March 29 at the Westmount Country Club in Woodland Park, N.J.

Justyna Rybka ’07, an algebra, geometry and trigonometry teacher, was awarded the first
B.E.S.T. (Better Education for Students and Teachers) Award at Wallington High School in November 2012.

Paul West ’07 played the kithara in the Grammy-nominated classical recording Harry Partch: Bitter Music. The album was nominated in the “best classical compendium” category, which was one of three newly created categories for the 55th Grammy Awards.

Mamta Vyas ’08 MS, an Essex County College mathematics faculty member, was chosen to serve as president-elect for the Mathematics Association of Two Year Colleges of New Jersey.

Rahfeal Gordon ’09 spoke during two sessions for students of Highland High School during Black History Month. The self-made entrepreneur has also spoken at Madison Square Garden and the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Daniel Peltz ’09, ’13 MA is owner and program director of Shift Transition, a program that helps high school graduates plan their futures and live independently.

Debra Strauss ’09 MA was sworn into a new term on the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School Board of Education in January.

'10s

Douglas Spinella ’10 joined the Totowa police force as an officer in February 2012.

Nadia Elena Vynnytsky ’10 was selected to play the role of Serena in the 2010–2011 Broadway national tour of the critically acclaimed musical, Legally Blonde. When the show ended, she appeared in the 2011–2012 Broadway national tour of Shrek - The Musical, which concluded with a six-week tour in Asia.

Adam Bashian ’11 recently performed at City Center in New York in On Your Toes.

Eric Fingerman ’11 MAT is looking forward to his second year as math specialist at East Brook Middle School in Paramus.

Susan Abowizzedine ’13 received a bachelor’s degree in nutrition/dietetics from Montclair State and begins graduate school for nutrition and food science in September. She also works as a community assistant for Residential Education at the University.

Annabel Lee ’13 MAT was a tutor in the Literacy Enrichment Program and a book of her poetry, Basket, was published by Accent Editions of Chester, N.Y.

Joseph Rosario ’13 joined the national tour of A Chorus Line in December 2012. He joined Sharrod Williams ’12 and Bonnie Kelly ’11 on the tour.