1950s

Dorothy Douglas ’24 (seated) and Eileen Peggy Whitmore ’50 shared a lunch to celebrate Douglas’ 103rd birthday.

Frackenpohls Endow Scholarship for Honors Brass Quintet

Dr. Arthur Frackenpohl Hon. ’04 and Mary Ellen Walkley Frackenpohl ’54 of Potsdam have endowed a fund to establish The Frackenpohl Honors Brass Quintet that will provide financial and experiential support to five undergraduate brass majors.

Part of the endowment will go toward scholarships for the student members of The Frackenpohl Honors Brass Quintet. To be eligible, students must be a declared brass major and be in good academic standing with at least a 3.0 grade point average.

Experiential support includes enabling the Frackenpohl Honors Brass Quintet to travel and perform while also providing opportunities for guest artists, teachers and performers to interact with the Quintet through clinics and master classes.

Dr. Frackenpohl, professor emeritus of The Crane School of Music, taught composition, theory, piano and class piano from 1949-1985. Dr. Frackenpohl has published more than 400 instrumental and choral compositions. Mrs. Frackenpohl earned her degree in Music Education. She taught flute privately and played extensively for more than 20 years, also serving as an adjunct faculty member at The Crane School of Music and St. Lawrence University.

Gloria Baz Misnick ’55 and her husband, Bill, were featured in the international publication The Lion for their work in helping the Lviv (Ukraine) Lions Club to restore two of the city’s 751-year-old lion statues. They are the benefactors of the Gloria Baz Misnick Scholarship, designated for an education student from Corning East High School.

Alexander “Lex” Dashnaw ’56 retired after 43 years as director of choral activities and professor of music at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University. To celebrate his work with thousands of students, C.W. Post’s School of Visual and Performing Arts established the Alexander “Lex” Dashnaw Endowed Scholarship Fund to assist music students.

Ronald Farra ’57 celebrated his 50th Reunion last year by reenacting his original pinning of his sweetheart, Johanna DiCroce Farra ’56, who is now his wife. As a surprise, a dozen of Farra’s classmates sang the Sweetheart Song as he once again pinned his love. The couple recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.

1960s

Roberta Reed Hamilton ’60, Evelyn Aldrich Miller ’65, Phyllis Young Stearns ’60, Sue Fenton West ’58, Nancy Young Rinehart ’58, Freda Aseel Bradt ’60 and Barbara Abele Mack ’58 gathered in April at the Bradts’ winter home in Sarasota, FL. For a few of the women, this was their first meeting in 48 years.

Vernice Ives Church ’61 was honored with SUNY Potsdam’s 2008 St. Lawrence Academy Medal at Reunion Weekend.

Judy Comstock Liscum ’62 published her second book, Stepping Back in Time: Tales from Country Schools.

Judith Ruth Allen ’65 recently moved to Baldwinsville, NY, after teaching in Egypt for six years and traveling extensively in Asia, Africa and Europe.

Patricia Ruggiano Schmidt ’65 donated her services recently to present a workshop at SUNY Potsdam for students and faculty titled “Creating Connections: Preparing Educators to Successfully Reach Out and Connect with Families and Communities.” She was also a guest speaker in four literacy classes with Dr. Lynn Hall and instructors Carolyn Stone ’98 and Marta Albert. Recently, Dr. Schmidt was the recipient of the International Reading Association’s Elva Knight Research Award. She and her husband are the benefactors of the Thomas J. and Patricia Ruggiano Schmidt Endowment Fund in support of the Literacy Center.

William J. Amoriell ’68, dean of SUNY Potsdam’s School of Education and Professional Studies, recently visited with Gregory Geer ’76, superintendent of the Byron-Bergen Central School District in Western New York, along with Ayn Clark Gardner ’92. Gardner is a pre-school teacher at Byron-Bergen. Dr. Geer received SUNY Potsdam’s St. Lawrence Academy Medal in 2007.

Jim Barry ’68 is the co-chair of the Curriculum Committee for SOAR, Stimulating Opportunities after Retirement, which is hosted at SUNY Potsdam.

Carol “Kickie” Holloway Britt ’69 (below, far right), executive director of The Crane Institute of Music Business, is shown with a group of Crane piano majors and music business students at Steinway Hall in Manhattan. The trip was sponsored by Clark Music to introduce students to the Steinway Piano production process. The group toured the Long Island facility and the Manhattan showroom. The students are John Naveh, Ting Ting Goh, Simone Zhang, Sergio Bonsignore, Carine Kowalik, Marshall Hughes, Meg Kling, Andrea Long, Christine Benincasa, Kyle Pogemiller, Sarah Hope, Veronica Escamilla and Jonah Piali.

Jerry Grodin ’69 received the Distinguished Psychologist Award at the annual banquet of the Psychological Association of Northeast New York. He has been nominated to serve on a task force of the American Psychological Association on the future of psychology.

1970s

Alan Mullikin ’72 performed a “Concert of Original and Traditional Christian Music” at Grace United Methodist Church in Corning, NY, on Oct. 14, 2007. He returned to Corning at the request of his former high school music teacher, James Hudson ’53.

David A. Paciencia ’72, retired superintendent of Taconic Hills Central School District, served as the keynote speaker at SUNY Potsdam’s 2008 Master’s Commencement Ceremony.

Brian Pelkey ’72 is living on an Adirondack Lake while enjoying his third year of retirement. He is a member of the Saranac Lake High School Hall of Fame, the Potsdam Central High School Sports Hall of Fame and the SUNY Potsdam Sports Hall of Fame. He is president of the Lake Ozonia Campers Association.
Jane Gatta Subramanian ’72 was honored with SUNY Potsdam’s 2008 Distinguished Service Award at Reunion Weekend.

Darlene Dixon Kerr ’73 hosted a reception at her Syracuse home in May for Central New York alumni. Also attending the reception were two scholarship recipients: Amanda Fleury ’09, recipient of the Darlene Kerr – Niagara Mohawk Scholarship, and Chris Fleury ’08, recipient of the Mount Emmons Scholarship. Ms. Fleury is majoring in mathematics and secondary education, and Mr. Fleury graduated in May with a degree in politics and pre-law. Among the special guests at the reception was New York State Senator David Valesky ’88, who earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics at SUNY Potsdam.

Anne Cavolo Tedesco ’73 performed a program of 18th- and 19th-century music composed for the piano by Scarlatti, J.S. Bach, Schumann,
Liszt, Debussy and Chopin at the Montauk Library in Montauk, NY, on June 14, 2008. She is an adjunct professor of music at St. John’s University and offers private instruction at her studio.

Elaine Feigel Zelmon ’73 and Barbara Sirvetz Alushin ’73, Potsdam roommates, had a reunion in Columbia, MD, after not seeing each other for more than 30 years. Zelmon is a systems analyst for Intelligence in Cincinnati, OH, and Alushin is a French teacher and department chair at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, MD.

Glen Anderson ’74 released his first book, Classic Performances, featuring articles that describe Potsdam shows that were originally published in Vintage Guitar Magazine. He lives in Chino Hills, CA, with his wife and three children and works in Customer Service/Logistics Management while continuing to play music.

Cheryl M. Guyett ’74 was recognized by the National Association of Secondary School Principals as the Alaska Principal of the Year and advanced to be one of three finalists for National Principal of the Year for 2008.

Eileen Dolan-Heitlinger ’74 attended a performance by The United States Army Field Band at Key West High School on March 9. Colonel Thomas H. Palmatier ’75 conducted the performance, while Master Sergeant Daniel Hopkins sang as a member of the Field Band’s Soldiers’ Chorus.

Robert E. Wagner ’75 congratulates the recipients of the Bob Cerwonka Scholarship: Jason Gokey, Joshua Cameron and Alaina White. Sheila Cerwonka, wife of deceased emeritus Bob Cerwonka, and Glenn Johnson, chair of the Department of Biology, also had lunch with the recipients. Wagner established and is endowing the scholarship. He returned to Potsdam in April and spent the day visiting the campus.

Ron Bandes ’76 has been teaching Computer Network Security at The Chubb Institute for the last six years and enrolled in the fall 2008 term at Carnegie Mellon University to obtain a Master of Science degree in Information Security Policy and Management.

Patrick Corcoran ’77 is an employee at IBM, where he serves as IBM’s Global Client Solutions Executive. He is married to Patricia Perry Corcoran, who attended Potsdam from 1973 to 1976.

Gary Hind ’77and Debbie Diefendorf Hind ’75 hosted an intimate gathering of alumni and friends for dinner at Bellini’s Restaurant in Clifton Park, N.Y. in February. In spite of a horrible snowstorm, the fearless Potsdam alumni ventured out into the weather to gather for a wonderful evening. Pictured are (l to r, front) Mary Anne Gormley Mangano ’72, Elizabeth O’Connor Utzig ’77, Debbie Diefendorf Hind ’75, Gary Hind ’77, Nancy Fuller, (back) President John Schwaller, Mona Ouimet Vroman ’85, Robert Wagner ’75, Bill Utzig, Tom Sansone, Cathy O’Connor ’76, Matthew Fuller ’97, Anne Schwaller, Gerald Cross ’71 and Mary Breton. Absent from the photo are Denise Aiello Bukovan ’76 and Robert Bullock ’78.

Michael Tebbano ’75 has been appointed superintendent of the Bethlehem Central School District, in Bethlehem, N.Y. He has been the district’s assistant superintendent for educational programs since 2005, and has worked at Bethlehem since 1997.

Randy Mitchell ’77 visited campus in April to speak to classes in biology and chemistry and to present an informal career discussion for students in anthropology and criminal justice on the topic of forensic dentistry. Dr. Mitchell is a dentist in private practice in Lyons, NY.

Stephen Squires ’77, conductor, and Lisa Vroman ’79, soprano, will present three performances of “Broadway Favorites” with the Elgin Symphony Orchestra in the Chicago area in October.

Cynthia Carlin Pacini ’78 was honored with SUNY Potsdam’s 2008 Helen M. Hosmer Excellence in Teaching Award at Reunion Weekend.

Donnalyn Eaton Shuster ’78 recently presented two workshops at the 2008 National Art Education Association Convention in New Orleans, LA. She was recently elected as Section 3 Representative to the New York State Art Teachers’ Association Board of Trustees for the 2008-2009 term. She is also the facilitator for “Art Circles,” a professional development workshop meeting monthly in Herkimer County for K-12 art teachers sponsored by the Mohawk Regional Teachers’ Center.

Robert E. Bullock ’78 of Saratoga Springs was named to a two-person leadership team selected to head New York State’s Hudson-Fulton-Champlain (HFC) Quadricentennial. The HFC Quadricentennial is a year-long celebration designed to highlight New York’s 400-year history and the role that New York has played in the development of our nation.

Donald Waltzer ’78 has been promoted to president of H&C Tool Supply and Hewes Fastener Division. Prior to joining H&C in 2001, Waltzer was senior vice president of operations for Horizons Solutions Corporation.

Keith Patterson ’79 met with the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church USA, Katherine Jefferts-Schori, during her visit in spring 2007 to his field education site, the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston, MA.

Richard Hayes Phillips ’79 has been the leading investigator of the 2004 presidential election in Ohio. His book, Witness to a Crime: A Citizens’ Audit of an American Election, was published by Canterbury Press this past spring.

Former and current members of the SUNY Potsdam Swim Team had a reunion on campus in April. Many of those returning were members of the 1977 team that won the SUNYAC Championships, including then-coach, Jim Kelly. Pictured are (l to r) Mike Spencer ’79, Al Rickard ’79 and Dan Wall ’77.

Lisa Vroman ’79 performed as Marian Paroo in the Bushnell-produced The Music Man – A 50th Anniversary Tribute at Connecticut’s Premier Performing Arts Center. The musical ran for eight performances in April.

Alumni Board Trustees Jeff Washburn ’79, Peter Brouwer ’79, Mike Lahendro ’77 and George Arnold ’92 (right) enjoyed a hike up Azure Mountain following the SUNY Potsdam Alumni Board of Trustees Meeting in May.

1980s

Carole Haber ’80 was honored with an Outstanding Alumni Award this past May by the New England Conservatory, where she earned a master’s degree in music and currently teaches.

Matt Halpin ’80 is an A3 Maritime Aerospace Readiness Officer at the Canadian Air Division Headquarters and is an Air Navigator holding the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He received a Master of Arts degree in defense studies from Kings College in London and currently resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Renée Fleming ’81 hosted PBS’s New Year’s Eve celebration Live from the Lincoln Center. She was recently named a winner of the 2008 Polar Music Prize, Sweden’s biggest music award.

Larry Ham ’82 and Tom Melito ’78 returned to Potsdam with the Larry Ham Trio that performed at Crane as part of their New York State Tour. They also worked with students in a jazz master class and did some reminiscing about their days at Crane.

Mary Helander ’83 and Christine Moore won the National Tennis Rating Program Women’s 3.0 Doubles Tennis Tournament in the Premier National Tennis Rating Program Championships.

Manuel Martinez ’83 was honored with SUNY Potsdam’s 2008 Minerva Award at Reunion Weekend.

Rhea Lennox Leggiero ’86 and her husband, Joe ’85, celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in June 2007 with a 10-day trip to Paris. They have two children: 16-year-old Ben and 13-year-old AlexKate.

Jill Smith Brock ’87 and her 10-year-old daughter, Sadie, were cast in a production of “The Sound of Music” by the Jay County Civic Theatre in Portland, IN.

Frieda Toth Carlesen ’87 presented The Hero, The Princess, and the Really Wicked Witch at Crandall Public Library. Derek Stannard ’08 is the accompanist and Glen Carlsen ’84 designed the set.

M. Nicholas Coppola ’87 was recently elected “Regent for the Army” by his professional peers in the American College of Healthcare Executives. ACHE is a 30,000-member professional organization, and only one Army Regent is elected every three years.

Stacey C. Friends ’88 is a shareholder in the firm Ruberto, Israel & Weiner, P.C. and is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property, Corporate and Retail, Food & Hospitality Groups. Her practice focuses on intellectual property rights. She also instructs a course on copyright law as a member of the adjunct faculty at Suffolk University Law School, where she received her Juris Doctor summa cum laude.

Barbara Greenwood ’88 and her family recently moved back to Ethiopia for a two- to three-year stint with Save the Children. This is their second post in Ethiopia, during which they will head an education project focusing on community school partnerships.

Darren Mott ’88 was promoted to acting unit chief in the Computer Intrusion Unit at FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC.

Michael Struzik ’88, a music teacher at Brighton High School, was recently flattered and impressed by his students who wrote and performed a musical inspired by him, titled Stroozical the Musical, with an original score, script and choreography.

Katie Klossner ’89 (second from left) won an Emmy Award for her work as executive producer of the public service announcement Discover Your Library.

1990s

Stephen Brien ’91 took a new job with a growing private physical therapy group as a staff therapist and relocated with his family to New Bern, NC, this year.

Alex Herzog ’91 lives in Las Vegas, NV, with his wife, Shawn, and their two children. He has worked at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas as the director of Campus Card Services for the past five years.

Michael Chapman ’92 was recently appointed the first principal of the new Richmond County Ninth Grade Academy and received the Assistant Principal of the Year award for Richmond County Schools in North Carolina.

Shawneladee Cole ’92 is a doctoral candidate at Smith College School for social work.

Kimberly Brown Cabrera ’92 graduated with her Master of Divinity degree on May 20, 2007, and continues to work full time as a coordinator of Children’s Ministry at a Presbyterian church in Louisville, KY.

Kristi Posch Lindsey ’92 and her husband, Steve, have two children, ages 13 and 11. She has been the director of a library district for nine years.
Lucienne Diver Wheeler ’92 sold her young adult vampire novel VAMPED to Flux. It will be coming out in trade paperback form in May 2009.

Jeremy Grant ’93 was recently promoted to a senior hydrogeologist I level at the Columbia, SC, office of Fuss and O’Neill. Outside work, he developed and implemented a recycling program for the St. Patrick’s Day Festival in Columbia that prevented approximately 1.5 tons of recyclable materials from ending up in the county landfill.

Aaron Gore ’93 is a cultural education specialist with the New York State Museum in Albany and is the project manager for the New York State Museum Archaeological Search for Fort La Presentation in Ogdensburg, NY.

Kristin Bourdage Reninger ’93 won “Teacher of the Year” at Otterbein College, where she teaches in the Education Department. She obtained her B.A. and then her M.A. in Education in 1995 at SUNY Potsdam. She earned a Ph.D. last summer at Ohio State.

Christopher Still ’93 joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2007.

Erin Johnson Hogan ’96 and her husband, Scott ’96, celebrated their five-year wedding anniversary in July 2007. Living just outside Saratoga Springs, NY, Ms. Hogan is a school counselor, and Mr. Hogan owns an organic lawn, garden and landscape company.

Michael Stead ’96 recently published his first book, titled Fishing with a Fork: Secrets the Fishing Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know. He is a fourth-grade teacher in Chatham, NY.

Makaylia Roberts Binkley ’97 received her J.D. from Villanova University School of Law in May 2003 and is licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She has worked with Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP in Philadelphia since 2006.
Brian Goldman ’97 began a two-year position as president of the Nassau Music Educators Association in July 2008. He also conducted the Long Island Choral Festival Youth Choir for the third summer.

Jason Tramm ’97 is the new music director of the New Jersey State Opera.

Brian Shay ’98 was recently awarded a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship to travel to India over the summer. He worked with a group of 15 math and science teachers from across America to learn more about the education systems of India.

Amy Knussman ’99 recently became partner at her law firm, now known as Donnellan & Knussman PLLC, in Ballston Spa, NY, where she practices matrimonial and family law.
Dimitri Pittas ’99 was honored with SUNY Potsdam’s 2008 Rising Star Award.

2000s

Craig Garaas-Johnson ’00 recently relocated to Grand Forks, ND, with his wife, Kristin, for new careers in writing. He is an editor at a leading biofuels industry magazine.

Katherine McKenna ’00 is the communications and public relations manager at Tops Markets and is a member of Tops’ leadership team. She joined Tops Markets as a communication specialist in 2004, after obtaining a master’s degree from SUNY Buffalo.

Rebecca Elliston Goren ’01 and Rebecca Robins ’01 were ordained as cantors May 4, 2008 in New York City. After five years of seminary, both women are overjoyed and honored to now hold the title of cantor. Elliston-Goren will begin her work at North Country Reform Temple in Glen Cove, NY, and Robins at Congregation Sinai in Milwaukee, WI.

Matthew Smith ’03 completed his M.A. in anthropology at SUNY Buffalo, and after teaching for a year at SUNY Potsdam, he was selected for the Jeffrey Campbell Graduate Fellowship for predoctoral work at St. Lawrence University. There he is preparing his dissertation, titled Wired Life in the Wired Community: Globalization and Civil Society, and teaches courses in the Performance and Communication Arts Department.

Melissa Wegner ’03 was the narrator in the world premiere of A Bird in Your Ear by English composer David Bruce, with libretto by Alasdair Middleton at the Bard College Conservatory of Music. Wegner is a second-year student in Bard’s Vocal Arts program, where she studies with Potsdam faculty emerita Patricia Misslin and internationally acclaimed soprano Dawn Upshaw.

Maureen Colson ’04 is a middle school music teacher in New York and working on her master’s degree at Columbia University Teachers College in New York City. She is the 2007 recipient of the Music Education Scholarship for Graduate Students sponsored by Oak Park Alumnae Chapter in memory of Mabel Biever.

Captain Ryan P. Hunt ’04 is currently finishing his second combat tour in Iraq as part of a military transition team advising the Iraqi Army.

Steven King ’06 was accepted into New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development to begin work on his Master of Arts degree in Higher Education/Student Personnel Administration. Since December 2006, he has been employed at New York University’s Wasserman Center for Career Development.

Megan Preston ’07 graduated from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University with a master’s degree in magazine, newspaper and online journalism.

Lucas Manning ’08 received the U.S. Small Business Administration 2008 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He was nominated by the New York State Small Business Development Corporation in Canton, NY. He and his wife, Sarah Rounds Manning ’06, own the Partridge Cafe in Canton, NY.

Andrew Minnery ’08 was recently awarded the Ceramics Fellowship from the Handweaving Museum and Art Center of Clayton, NY. Each year, HMAC will review applications from SUNY Potsdam for this newly established fellowship, providing a stipend, free art materials, the use of kilns and the opportunity to teach classes and display artwork in the HMAC gallery.

Felicia Neahr ’08 was recently hired as the administrative assistant for SUNY Potsdam’s Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program.

Nancy Griffin Hon. ’08 of SUNY Potsdam’s Office of Advancement was selected by the Alumni Association to receive Honorary Lifetime Membership in the Alumni Association.

Millard Harmon Hon. ’08 was selected by the Alumni Association to receive Honorary Lifetime Membership in the Alumni Association.