Read the Summer 2012 issue - the University of Maine Alumni ...

College of Engineering’s Francis Crowe Society
in December. Vaughn is vice president of sales
and technology at JohnsonFoils/Paperchine
and has spent his career in the papermaking
industry.
Last September, baseball player Ron
Coombs and his brother, Steve ’96, were
inducted into the Lee Academy Hall of Fame.
They were members of the inaugural class
inducted, which was part of the school’s
homecoming celebrations. Lee Academy
selected Ron for his performance as a guard
in basketball and as a pitcher and a catcher in
baseball, as well as his follow-on success in
baseball at the University of Maine.
Thank you to our classmates who are
dedicating themselves to public service!
In October, the Maine State Board of
Education appointed Marilyn Temple Tardy as
an initial member of the State Charter School
Commission. The seven-member commission
will help shape public charter schools in the
State of Maine, which can authorize 10 public
charter schools over the next 10 years. Last
November, Susan Tortello ’99G was re-elected
to the town council in Houlton. She received
more votes than any other candidate running
for the three open seats. The position is for a
three-year term.
Some of our classmates have recently
started their own ventures. In December, Scott
Labby co-founded the New York and Bostonbased
boutique law firm Greenfield Labby LLP.
The firm specializes in individual client services,
including matrimonial and family law, crisis
management, and family office matters. Scott
previously served as vice president and special
counsel in the office of the chairman of D.D.
Shaw & Co., L.P. He is a member of several bar
associations, including the family law sections
of both the New York State and Massachusetts
bar associations. He earned his J.D. from Yale
Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale
Law and Policy Review and Yale Journal of
Health Policy, Law, and Ethics.
Jason Syversen recently founded Siege
Technologies in New Hampshire. The company
focuses on research and development in
offensive and defensive computer security. He
previously worked in the engineering leadership
program at Sanders/Lockheed Martin and at the
Defense Advanced Research Program Agency.
He received his M.S. in electrical engineering
from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 2001.
He lives with his wife, Bethanee, and their four
children in Dunbarton, NH.
I hope you all have a great summer! Thank
you for your updates and keep sending them in!
Mark Your Calendar for
Homecoming 2012
October 19-21.
1999
Andrea Downs Quenneville
18 Four Winds Road
Merrimack, NH 03054
aldq75@netscape.net
Hello, Class of 1999! I hope you are having a
wonderful summer. We were treated to a mild
winter and early spring in New England. Let’s
get straight to the news!
Scott Morelli has been the city manager
in Gardiner for two years and his contract was
recently extended for another three years.
Prior to Gardiner, Scott worked for the towns
of Waterboro and Framingham, MA. Beverly
Coursey (G) is the principal at Ocean Avenue
Elementary in Portland. Pat Spekhardt is a
prominent reporter for drive time sports talk
radio in the Bangor area. He has experience on
both local television and radio sports programs,
including live play-by-play reporting.
Nate Leaman is the head coach for the
Providence College men’s hockey team. In
2010, he won the Spencer Penrose Award while
coaching at Union College, an honor that is
given to the top men’s Division I coach. Nate
got his coaching start as a graduate assistant
under Shawn Walsh during the 1998-1999
championship season. Ben Potenziano (G) is
the assistant athletic trainer for the Pittsburgh
Pirates.
Mary Forbush Chabot and husband, Bob,
welcomed twins this fall: a girl Lily and a boy
Ronin. The family lives in Austin, TX, where
Mary works for the Texas Department of Family
and Protective Services. Congratulations! Mark
Morrison of Windham helped his parents
celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary at the
Black Bear Inn in October. Congratulations to
the elder Mr. and Mrs. Morrison!
Don’t forget to mark Homecoming on your
calendar for October 19-21! Drop me a note and
your news will be featured in a future column.
2000
Heidi Dombrock Weaver
1730 Trappe Church Road
Darlington, MD 21034
weaverfamily@me.com
Summer has arrived and with that is often
a much-needed summer vacation. To many
classmates that means a trip back to Maine
or Orono to visit. This is a great reminder
of the ALUMNI FUND, which is the Alumni
Association’s annual fundraising campaign.
Donating annually to the ALUMNI FUND ensures
you will receive MAINE Alumni Magazine twice a
year. All alumni are considered members of the
Alumni Association and annual contributions
will keep you connected to your alma mater,
aware of events, and involved. Check out the
website site: www.umainealumni.com for more
information.
Two classmates have made big strides in
their respected careers. Sarah MacKenzie (Ph.
D.) of Brunswick, ME, an associate professor
of educational leadership in the College of
Education and Human Development at the
University of Maine, was awarded a Fulbright
Scholar grant at the Vietnam National University
(VNU) in Hanoi for the spring 2012 semester.
She taught at the VNU College of Education’s
Department of Research and International
Relations and also consulted with government
officials and others throughout Vietnam on
school reform, teacher preparation, and
leadership development. Sarah is a widely
published author on educational leadership and
has worked extensively with school leaders in
Maine and nationally. She is one of about 1,100
U.S. faculty and professionals who traveled
abroad through the Fulbright Scholar Program
in 2011-2012. Classmate Steven Blackett (G)
of Bar Harbor, ME, has been promoted to vice
president of credit administration of Bar Harbor
Bank & Trust. He is responsible for managing the
bank’s commercial loan underwriting function,
supervising a staff of two, and coordinating
workflow with other departments. Steven
volunteers regularly at the Bar Harbor food
pantry and enjoys spending free time with his
wife and daughters.
Wedding bells are ringing for classmates this
summer. Gerald Brown III of Windham, ME,
married Breanna Bardwell ’06 on June 12th.
Gerald is employed by Proctor and Gamble in
Auburn as a senior research and development
engineer. Karl Gifford plans on marrying Emily
Graham in August on Emily’s family farm in
North Baldwin, ME, where the couple is making
their home. The farm has been in her family for
six generations. Karl is the owner of Sebago
Stonework. We wish these couples the best!
Stay in touch and feel free to drop me a line
with any happenings in your life to share with
your classmates. Enjoy your summer.
2001
Bonnie Joy Richards Dewkett
82 Revere Drive
Ridgefield, CT 06877
(203) 794-1165
blkbear19@yahoo.com
Once again summer is upon us and it’s time
to catch up with your fellow alumni. Remember,
we want to know what’s going on with you so
please don’t forget to call or email us so we can
share your great information!
Aaron Zurek was recently honored for five
years of service with the Ellsworth Wastewater
Department.
Christine Thibodeau, who is currently
working as an area operations manager in
the greater Boston area for Lowe’s Home
Improvement, will marry Andrew Sangalang in
the fall of 2012.
Matt Dewkett has opened Matt Dewkett
Summer 2012 53