April 2012 - Alumni News - Williams College

1976 classmates Sandy and Kristi Bragg (far left and fourth from right,
respectively) celebrated their son’s October wedding in Vermont with
Ephs from the Classes of 1969 through 2012.
Academy teaching biology and
chemistry. Jack ’15 lives in Sage
D and is studying Arabic and
economics while rowing for the
JV crew team and serving on the
Williamstown fire brigade. John
is U.S. CEO for Export Now
Inc., a startup based in Akron,
Ohio. The company helps U.S.
consumer product manufacturers
export and sell items in China
on Taobao Mall, the largest B2C
e-commerce site. Deb is president
of the Burton D. Morgan
Foundation, which supports
entrepreneurship in Northeastern
Ohio. She also is on the advisory
board for the Norman Rockwell
Museum in Stockbridge, Mass.,
and is taking classes toward
her PhD in art history at Case
Western University. John and
Deb planned to spend Masters
weekend in Georgia with Barney
Ireland ’77, Bill Goodell ’77 and
Chris Vogelsang ’77 and their
significant others.
Deb Nelson was looking
forward to a weekend in Boston
of “Frozen Fenway hockey,
Prince Pizza, Lenny Clarke
comedy and Patriots football!
Vinny McLoughlin will be in town
along with Gus Nilson, his son
Matt and wife Cheryl. Other
participants will include Paul
Nelson, Steve Castraberti, Patti
and Mike Capone ’75, and rumor
has it there may be an Al Skene
’77 sighting as well! Should be a
great time!”
“In mid-October 2011 I elected
to retire early at the ripe old
age of 58 from People’s United
Bank after almost 22 1 ⁄2 years as a
portfolio manager in their wealth
management and trust department,”
writes Alex Rosten. “Of
course my wife Susana gave me
her blessing, albeit with some
reservations. I am now a ‘stayat-home’
investor, glued to the
computer screen watching the
stock market and CNBC and
Bloomberg TV. Dark suits and
business casual attire have been
replaced with sweat pants and
Williams sweatshirts. It’s been
wonderful thus far.”
Alex, Susana and daughter
Amy, a high school junior, went
to Williamstown in January for a
basketball game and dinner with
Alex’s twin brother Mike Rosten
’75, his wife Margie, Sunny and
Steve Piltch ’77, and Pat and Tom
Carey ’77. Alex’s oldest daughter
Jessica ’08 and boyfriend Tyler
Auer ’07 drove over from Boston
and were joined by Jamie Rosten
’13 and Matt ’12 and Ali Piltch
’14. The weekend included a surprise
visit from Harry and Connie
Sheehy, both Class of ’75, who
drove down from Dartmouth
College. “Seventeen people representing
nine different Williams
classes broke bread that night at
Hobson’s Choice,” writes Alex.
“It was a lovely evening and a
testament to long-term college
friendships. I hope my kids will
do the same with some of their
Williams friends when they are
old and wrinkled.”
“After two years living in
South Bend, Ind., Rick ’77 and
I have returned to the Boston
area,” writes Chris Woodring
Siegrist. “We are happy to be
‘home’ on the East Coast near
family and friends. Rick is back
to doing what he loves, teaching
and working on two startup
companies. As I have in the past,
I am working with him on the
n 1976
startups as director of finance
and all-around detail person. I
am very lucky to be able to manage
my work schedule so that I
can also play lots of tennis! Rick
is teaching at Harvard School of
Public Health and working part
time as chief innovation officer
for Press Ganey Associates, a
patient satisfaction survey and
performance improvement
company. So we are very busy
but also have lots of flexibility
in our schedules. Our children
are grown. Tracey, 28, is living
nearby and working as a senior
data analyst for Press Ganey (no,
Rick did not get her the job).
Ryan, 25, is back in school doing
an MBA at UNC.” Chris and
Rick missed our reunion due to a
flight cancellation in South Bend,
but they plan to attend Rick’s
reunion this year.
“2011 was a year chock full of
wonderful Williams connections,
and that beat went on right into
the New Year for our family!”
writes Ellin Goetz, who visited
with Cappy Hill and Kent Kildahl
at Vassar last spring and “really,
really loved sleeping in those
presidential digs.” Ellin and husband
Mike Watkins ’75 “finagled”
a Vermont summer dinner with
Theresa and Paul Shiels ’76,
who are proud new grandparents,
and the “always elusive”
Mark Sinclair ’75, his wife Boo
and their two sons. Ellin and
Mike’s three kids, two of whom
attend Williams and the third,
Hamilton, also joined them. Also
during the summer, Ellin and
Mike celebrated the Cornell hotel
school graduation of Marcia and
Bruce Humphrey’s ’75 youngest
daughter Emily at their home in
Norwell, Mass. They also barbecued
on Labor Day with Harry
and Connie Sheehey, both ’75, at
their “splendid new spread” in
Hanover, N.H. “I am stunned by
how quickly green has overtaken
purple in their world!” writes
Ellin.
The end of the year brought
a reunion with Mark and Jan
Goldman Carter, who joined Ellin
and Mike for “a sunset beer or
two together at the newly renovated
Beach Bar” at Mike’s business,
the Naples Beach Hotel.
“That Beach Bar scene continued
to rock on into the New Year,
with Vin McLoughlin ’76 sporting
soft pastel cashmere sweaters in
his attempt to fit into the local
scene, along with Andy ‘the Bear’
and Suzanne Peterson, both ’75,
from Colorado, and their savvy
daughters Betsy and Katie ’08.
Some stories were told during
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