Bulls in Government

J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9 

a publication by & for usf alumni association members 

Bulls in Government 

The BIG List 

State Sen. Victor Crist, `88, never imagined his 

work as a neighborhood activist would lead to a 

legislative career. He’s one of many of your former 

classmates who are now public servants, or as we 

like to call them, “Bulls in Government.” PG 18 

Quiet on the Set 

Former cheerleader Gail Carroll-Coe, `74, is a 

successful Hollywood sound engineer with a long 

list of blockbusters to her credit, including Clint 

Eastwood’s recent release, “Gran Torino.” PG 16 

Style & Substance 

Brian Lamb, `98, former Bulls basketball captain, 

talks about balancing his banking career, charitable 

endeavors and being named as one of Tampa 

Bay Illustrated’s “Perfect 10” men. PG 10

What happens when Knights, Bulls and Gators meet 

off 

the football field? 

RESEARCH 

Competitors on the Field – Industry Partners in the Laboratory 

Working Together to Discover Innovative Technologies 

These successful alumni 

found research partners: 

Antoine Khoury, UCF, ’88 

Advanced Power Electronics Corp. (APECOR) 

provides leading research and development 

services in power electronics for renewable 

energy, electric vehicles, space power 

management and other applications. 

Jim Donovan, USF, ’76 

TempTroll Inc. developed a self-heating 

washcloth that has been used by hospital 

patients, American troops in Iraq and 

hurricane victims here at home. 

Neil Euliano, UF, ’86 

Convergent Engineering created an 

“electronic pill” that communicates with an 

external monitor when the pill is consumed. 

More than 300 companies from across Florida’s High Tech Corridor 

have used Florida High Tech Corridor Council matching grants research 

dollars to partner with university faculty and graduate students on applied 

research to develop or enhance their company’s products since 1996. 

Find your partner at 

FloridaHighTech.com/research.

JANUARY 2009 

CONTENTS 

FEATURES 

10 Q&A with Brian Lamb 

Former Bulls Basketball captain Brian Lamb, `98, 

credits his time at USF, both on the court and in the 

classroom, with teaching him the leadership skills that 

have helped him build a successful career and life. 

6 

16 

16 Quiet on the Set! 

Former USF cheerleader Gail Carroll-Coe, `74 and her 

husband Bill Coe, rub shoulders with Hollywood’s 

biggest stars as they handle the sound equipment and 

camera work for some of the industry’s biggest films. 

18 Bulls in Government 

During his 16 years in the Florida legislature, Sen. 

Victor Crist has helped “Suitcase City” evolve into an 

international model of civic revitalization. He, along 

with many other USF alumni, have dedicated their 

professional lives to public service – from the federal 

level, such as U.S. Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart, 

to the state level, such as Secretary of State Kurt 

Browning, to the local level, such as Tampa Mayor 

Pam Iorio, as well as many other unsung heroes in the 

halls of government. 

26 The Little Office that Did 

Tom Kennedy, `73, and his wife Trish, built BackOffice 

Associates from its humble beginnings above a health 

food store into an international data management firm 

with more than $100 million in annual sales. 

18 

5 10 

DEPARTMENTS 

26 

24 

2 President’s Message 

3 USF Spotlight 

5 News Roundup 

6 Where’s Rocky? 

10 Q&A 

12 Chapters & Societies 

24 Blast from the Past 

25 That was Then; 

This is Now 

28 Employ-A-Bull 

29 Member Benefit 

30 Class Notes 

36 Athletics 

37 Calendar 

JANUARY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE 

1

president’s message 

Happy New Year! 

As we enter 2009, I’d like to remind you of the 

significant role your involvement has on USF. We, the 

members of the USF Alumni Association, are the only 

PERMANENT representatives of the University. Students, 

faculty, staff and administrators come and go, but we 

hold the everlasting legacy of our alma mater. 

We are more than 221,000 strong and the only grassroots 

organization that can impart lasting improvements and beneficial change to 

USF. It’s our obligation to advocate on behalf of the University’s best interests, 

and respond to the challenges facing our alma mater. As your University 

continues to grow in stature and depth, the Alumni Association will consult 

with you in important circumstances where we will need your voice and 

support. Please know that your involvement – whatever form it takes – is 

crucial to USF’s future. 

Speaking of advocacy, in this issue we’ve featured some of our “Bulls in 

Government.” We are proud of and indebted to these legislators, officials and 

staffers who are so dedicated to serving the public. State Sen. Victor Crist, 

in particular, has been a tremendous supporter of both the University and 

the Alumni Association. You may be surprised at how well the University is 

represented in the halls of government. 

Also in this issue is a Q&A with Brian Lamb, the 2008 Young Alumnus Award 

winner. His list of accomplishments, charitable contributions and service to 

USF is eclipsed only by his personal integrity and sense of style. 

You told us in a recent readership survey that the magazine’s “Where’s 

Rocky?” feature is one of your favorites – check him out in this issue as he 

visits Israel, Paris, Madrid, Vancouver and other spots around the world. 

As always, we look forward to your feedback as we work to create an alumni 

magazine that reflects your interests and issues. Thanks for your support and 

GO BULLS! 

In Bull Pride, 

Michele Norris, `79 

President, USF Alumni Association 

Alumni Voice 

USF Alumni Association 

Gibbons Alumni Center 

University of South Florida 

4202 East Fowler Avenue, ALC100 

Tampa, Florida 33620 

alumni@admin.usf.edu 

USFalumni.org 

Alumni Voice Editorial: 

Karla Jackson, kjackson@admin.usf.edu or 

Rita Kroeber, rkroeber@admin.usf.edu 

Advertising: Jim Gundry, profnet@aol.com or 

813-286-8299; Rita Kroeber, rkroeber@admin. 

usf.edu or 813-974-6312 

Design: Marilyn Stephens, University 

Communications & Marketing 

Contributing Writers in this Issue: 

Jeremy Canody 

Mia Faucher 

Arleen Spenceley 

Mary Patrick Walker 

Alumni Association Contact Information 

Executive Director: John Harper, `76 

Membership: 813-974-2100 or 800-299-BULL 

Alumni & Student Programs: 813-974-2100 

General Alumni e-mail: alumni@admin.usf.edu 

Giving/Scholarships: Ron Sherman, rsherman@admin.usf.edu 

USF Bulls License Plate: www.BullsPlate.org 

Alumni Association website: USFalumni.org 

Letters to the editor are encouraged. Please 

write to Karla Jackson at kjackson@admin. 

usf.edu or mail to the address at the top of 

the page. Views expressed in Alumni Voice do 

not necessarily reflect the opinions of the USF 

Alumni Association, the University of South 

Florida or the editorial staff. 

ALUMNI VOICE 

(USPS Alumni Voice) 

Number 7 

Alumni Voice is published quarterly in January, 

April, July, and October as a benefit of 

membership in the University of South Florida 

Alumni Association, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., 

ALC100, Tampa, FL 33620-5455. Application to 

mail at periodicals postage prices is pending 

at Tampa, FL. POSTMASTER: Send address 

changes to: University of South Florida Alumni 

Association, Communications Department, 

4202 E. Fowler Ave., ALC100, Tampa, FL 

33620-5455. 

New Address? Moving? 

Update your official USF alumni record at 

myUSFbio.org or email your information to 

alumni@admin.usf.edu. You also may remove 

the magazine label and send it with your correct 

address to Alumni Voice, USF Alumni Association, 

4202 E. Fowler Ave. ALC100, Tampa, 

FL 33620. © 2009 All rights reserved. 

2 ALUMNIVOICE | JANUARY 2009

USF 

spotlight 

Long Range Planning Committee 

The Long Range Planning Committee sets the strategic direction for the 

future of the USF Alumni Association. The purpose of the LRPC is: 

• To determine the overall direction of the Alumni Association over the 

next three to five years. 

• To develop a written plan that outlines the goals, objectives and 

priorities for the organization and can be endorsed by the University 

and the Alumni Association Board of Directors. 

• To identify current programs and services the Association should 

continue and consider new programs or services the Association may 

choose to adopt in the future. 

• To assist in appropriate resource allocation (budget and staff time) to 

support the direction of the long range plan. 

The six elements that make up the USFAA’s Long Range Plan are: Membership, 

Communication, Involvement, Leadership Development, Brand 

Recognition and Students and Young Alumni. Members of the 2008-`09 

committee are: Jim Gossett, `98; Brad Kelly, `79; Michele Norris, `79; Jeff 

Spalding, `87; and John Harper, `76. 

(Photo above) The 2008-09 USF Alumni Association Board of 

Directors show off their Bull Pride. Pictured are, front row: Christi 

Womack-Villalobos, Diana Michel, Dr. Anila Jain, Marie 

Edmonson and Angie Brewer. Middle row: Brad Kelly, Thomas 

King, Gene Haines, Gene Balter, James Gossett, Shaye Benfield, 

Lizz Harmon, Jan Ash, Pat Poff, Carla Saavedra, Michele Norris 

and Mike LaPan. Back row: Jeff Spalding, Blake Singletary, 

Derek Williams, Roger Frazee, Jim Weber and Rich Heruska. 

Photo by Rebecca Boudreaux. 

University of South Florida Alumni Association 

Board of Directors 

— PRESIDENT — 

Michele Norris, `79 Marketing 

— PRESIDENT-ELECT — 

Roger Frazee, CFP, CLU, ChFC, CPA, `71 Finance & Accounting 

— SECRETARY — 

Patrick Poff, Esq., `92 English 

— Co-TREASURERS — 

Marie Edmonson, CPA, CFE, `88 Accounting, M.A. `90 Accountancy 

Brad Kelly, CPA, `79 Accounting 

— IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT — 

Jeff Spalding, `87 Computer Science & Engineering 

— Board Members — 

Brandon Aldridge, `88 Communication 

Janice Sands Ash, P.E.,`87 Engineering Science, `89 M.S. Civil 

Engineering 

Gene Balter, P.E.`77 Engineering 

Angie Brewer, `82 Management, M.S. `84 Management 

Shaye Benfield, `97 Marketing 

Bill Eickhoff, `69 Business & MBA `73 

James Gossett, `98 Business 

Gene Haines, `97 Criminology 

Lizz Harmon, `82 Mass Communications/Advertising 

Charley Harris, Esq., `87 Business 

Richard Heruska, `99 Business 

Anila Jain, M.D., MBA `81 Biology 

Mike LaPan, CFE `81 Management 

Mark Levine, Esq.,`74 Psychology 

Victor Lucas, `85 Management 

Diana Michel, `88 Business 

Jim Ragsdale, `81 Management 

Carla Saavedra, `87 English 

Jim Weber, `77 Finance & MBA `82 

Derek Williams, CFP `00 Finance 

Christi Womack-Villalobos, `92 English 

— NON-VOTING MEMBERS OF THE BOARD — 

Judy Genshaft, University of South Florida President 

John Harper, `76 Mass Comm., Alumni Association Executive Director 

Thomas King, Student Government Vice President 

Leslie “Les” Muma, `66 Mathematics, USF Foundation Board of 

Trustees Chairman 

Elizabeth Pitts, USF Ambassadors President 

Joel D. Momberg, University Advancement Vice President 

JANUARY 2009 | ALUMNIVOICE 3

Who’s reading 

Alumni Voice? 

Meet “Billie Bull,” 

USF’s typical 

alumnus.* 

Billie is: 

Female: 58 percent 

Male: 42 percent 

over 40 years old. 

working as an executive 

or professional. 

living in Florida, with 60 percent 

in the six-county Tampa Bay area. 

a college graduate who holds 

at least one degree. 

married, with a one-in-three chance 

of living with a child in the home. 

earning an annual household income 

of more than $75,000, with 43 

percent earning more than $100,000. 

a homeowner, living in a home valued 

between $200,000-$700,000. 

spending his/her free time watching 

and attending sporting events, plays, 

movies and concerts and listening 

to music. 

getting away from it all by taking an 

airline to a leisure destination 

and staying in a hotel. 

planning to spend money on home 

improvements, computers/laptops 

and furniture in the next 12 months. 

investing in retirement funds, 

non-retirement funds and stock 

in the next 12 months. 

*Source: 

2008 Alumni Voice Readership Survey 

4 ALUMNIVOICE June-July | JANUARY 2008 2009 

To learn more about Alumni Voice and its readership, visit USFalumni.org/AlumniVoice.

news 

Now 

Accepting 

Alumni 

Award 

Nominations 

Do you know an alumnus or friend of USF who deserves to be recognized? 

The USF Alumni Association is accepting nominations for the 2009 Alumni 

Awards. Since 1976, the Association has recognized outstanding USF alumni 

and community leaders who have made significant contributions to the 

University and the community. The four awards are presented annually during 

an awards program held in the fall. The four categories are: 

Distinguished Alumnus Award – Recognizes a USF graduate who has 

reached the pinnacle of success in his/her career. 

Class of `56 Award – Recognizes a non-USF graduate who has provided 

outstanding service to the University of South Florida and the community. 

Donald A. Gifford Alumni Service Award – Recognizes a USF graduate 

who has provided countless hours of service to the University. 

Outstanding Young Alumnus Award – Recognizes a USF graduate, 

age 35 or younger, for his/her outstanding professional achievements and 

engagement to USF. 

The 2008 winners pictured above are, from left: Distinguished Alumnus 

Award winner Dr. Patrick Benz, B.A. `68 and Ph.D `76; Donald A. Gifford 

Alumni Service Award winner Steve Oscher, `77; Class of `56 Award winner 

Joe Teague and Outstanding Young Alumnus Award winner Brian Lamb, 

`98. The nomination deadline is Jan. 31. For a nomination form, visit www. 

USFalumni.org > Alumni Awards. 

roundup 

President Named to 

Hall of Fame 

USF President Judy Genshaft was named to the Tampa 

Bay Business Hall of Fame. She joins three other Tampa 

area business leaders in receiving this year’s honor and 

will be inducted at the annual Tampa Bay Business Hall 

of Fame event on Feb. 20. Members of the Tampa Bay 

Business Hall of Fame are selected based on a number of criteria including 

business successes, community contributions and a reputation for solid 

business ethics and principles. 

New College Named 

The new College of Behavioral and Community Sciences was created in July 

as part of a structural realignment of the University’s academic units. The new 

college enrolls nearly 2,200 students and includes the Departments of Aging 

and Mental Health, Child and Family Studies, Communication Sciences and 

Disorders, Criminology, Mental Health Law and Policy, and Rehabilitation and 

Mental Health Counseling as well as the School of Aging Studies and School 

of Social Work. In addition, the college includes the Louis de la Parte Florida 

Mental Health Institute, a research, knowledge dissemination, and policy 

institute with a special focus on mental health and substance abuse. 

Accounting Doctorate Lauded 

USF’s Accounting program landed its first ranking in Public Accounting 

Report’s annual assessment of the nation’s top accounting education 

programs. Making its debut at number 25, USF’s doctoral program was one 

of five doctoral programs to make the leap from unranked to ranked in the 

roster published by the independent newsletter of the accounting profession. 

Public Accounting Report compiled its rankings by surveying more than 1,500 

accounting professors and department heads and chairs who were asked 

to name Ph.D programs they had the most regard for in turning out quality 

accounting professors, said Stephanie Bryant, director of the School of 

Accountancy at USF’s College of Business. 

Spray-on Solar Cells 

A team of USF researchers have developed solar cells that are so small that 

they can be sprayed or painted on a flexible backing where they can convert 

solar energy into electrical power. Physics professors Xiaomei Jiang and Jian 

Zhang, and graduate student Jason Lewis, specialists in organic electronic 

materials, solar cells and carbon nanotubes, devised cells made of an organic 

polymer that has the same electrical properties as silicon, the material of 

which computer chips are fabricated. “These materials have a lot more 

potential than traditional silicon,” explained Jiang. “They could be sprayed on 

any surface that is exposed to sunlight, such as a uniform, a car or a house.” 

Their breakthrough was published in the inaugural issue of the Journal of 

Renewable and Sustainable Energy, published by the American Institute of 

Physics. 

Selvie Makes History 

for Bulls 

Defensive end George Selvie was named a First 

Team All-American by the American Football Coaches 

Association, becoming the first repeat All-American in 

USF history. It comes one season after being the first 

consensus All-American in program history and joining 

teammate and current Dallas Cowboy Mike Jenkins as the first, first-team 

All-America honorees in program history. “What an honor,” said Selvie. “This 

one has special meaning because it is the coaches that vote on the award. 

To gain their recognition for a second consecutive season is more than I 

ever envisioned.” The Pensacola native overcame a nagging ankle injury and 

constant double and triple teaming to collect 11 tackles for losses and five 

sacks last season. Selvie and Cincinnati punter Kevin Huber were the lone 

BIG EAST representatives on the AFCA team. 

New V.P. of Advancement 

Joel D. Momberg will direct the University’s fund 

raising as USF’s Vice President of Advancement and 

Chief Executive Officer of the USF Foundation. Momberg 

recently directed a successful campaign to help build a 

new $400-million hospital at All Children’s Hospital in 

St. Petersburg. He will begin at USF on Feb. 2. During 

his 30-year tenure at ACH, Momberg worked closely with USF to raise a 

$36-million endowment for pediatric research, which built and supports 

research in the USF-ACH Children’s Research Institute. The group of gifts from 

All Children’s remains USF’s largest institutional endowment. 

Thanks for a Great 

Homecoming 

Special thanks to the Homecoming 

2008 sponsors: Florida Lottery, 

Pepin Distributors (Budweiser), Ed 

Morse Cadillac and Lifestyle Family 

Fitness, Regions Bank and to all the 

alumni, parents, friends, families, students, faculty and staff who attended 

the USF Alumni Association Parade Watch Party and Bulls Roast Tailgate. 

We’ll see you next year! 


5

ocky? 

where’s 

In this issue, a better question 

might be: Where hasn’t Rocky 

been lately! 

Take Rocky with you on your 

next trip. Send photos to: 

Karla Jackson 


Univversity of South Florida 

4202 East Fowler Ave., ALC100 

Tampa, FL 33620 

Jeffrey Neil Fox, `75, 

takes Rocky for a camel 

ride while in Israel. 

Photo by Mike Charles. 

Israel 


alaska 

Future Bull 

Alec Otano, 10, showed 

Rocky the sights in Juneau, Alaska. 

canada 

Rocky visits the Hotel Frontenac in Quebec City with USF 

Alumni Association board members: President-Elect Roger 

Frazee, `71 and Past President Dr. Anila Jain, `81. 

italy 

Diana Weinel, `77, 

Cindy Harper, `74, and Rocky check 

out a bust of conductor Arturo Toscanini in the 

museum at Teatro alla Scala, the famed La Scala 

opera house, in Milan, Italy. 


7

spain 

FRANCE 

USF Ambassador Sabsina Karimi, `09, left, and Beef 

Babe Ashleigh Johnson, `09, took Rocky to a bull fight 

while on vacation in Madrid. Sabsina said she hid him 

away so he wouldn’t fear for his life during the event. 

She also took Rocky to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower, 

which he much preferred to the bull fight. 

russia 

Rocky toured the Red 

Square in Moscow with Suzanne Parks, `07, during 

the USF Alumni Association’s tour of Russia. 

singapo 

The Merlion spit water in Rocky’s ear (at right) during his trip to 

Singapore with Jackie Rice Nelson, `91, graduate student Pavla 

Ozkul and Lorie Plyler Briggs, `88. 


Rocky checks out the view from the Capilano 

Suspension Bridge in Vancouver, B.C. while on 

vacation with Mark Hafen, `92 & Ph.D `01. 

re 

vancouver, b.c. 


9

Brian Lamb 

By Arleen Spenceley 

Class of 2007 

`98 

with 

Brian Lamb spends a lot of his time in his office on the 

first floor of a 20-story building in downtown Tampa. 

But the 32-year-old USF alumnus, vice president and 

business banking executive for Fifth Third Bank, 

still spends a lot of his time on USF’s Tampa campus, 

where he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in 

Accounting, played Bulls basketball and pulled grades 

that could only push him toward success. Now, Lamb 

is an alumni volunteer, a mentor for students in the 

College of Business and a guest speaker for student 

athletes. He is a former USF Alumni Association 

board member and a current USF Foundation 

Board of Directors member. Lamb was 

listed among Tampa Bay Business 

Journal’s “30 Under 30” in 2005, 

and named the Journal’s 2006 

Young Minority Businessperson 

of the Year. He also has been 

called one of Tampa Bay 

Illustrated’s Perfect 10 Most 

Fashionable and Charitable 

Men, and the USF Alumni 

Association named him the 

2008 Outstanding Young 

Alumnus Award Winner. 

Q: Facing the real 

world for the first time 

after college can be 

overwhelming, but it didn’t 

take you long to excel. 

How did you do it? 

Photo courtesy of 

Tampa Bay Illustrated 

A: You know, I think the 

biggest thing that allowed 

me to transition was having 

good mentors to help 

accelerate my learning 

curve. The second thing 

was confidence in my 

abilities to feel comfortable 

taking a little risk. Third, 

I had an education from 

one of the best schools in 

the country. I think after 

graduating from USF, you 

are prepared to compete with 

anyone from anywhere in the 

country. And I am a living witness 

of that. 

Q: You were captain of the USF 

Bulls Basketball team from `96-`98. 


Did being team captain prepare you to be a senior vice 

president? 

A: Short answer is yes. I think playing a leadership role in 

sports has a lot of similarities to playing a leadership role in 

a team environment at work, and specifically, making sure 

that everyone’s accountable for their own responsibilities 

and performance. A big part of sports is being disciplined, 

getting to practice on time. You have to do a lot of that 

in your work life, too. The work ethic has really paid 

dividends in my professional career as well. 

Q: How are you staying connected to your alma mater? 

A: I volunteer in terms of helping the University 

leadership team make decisions about the future of our 

University. For the last seven years, I’ve been a mentor to 

College of Business students during the school year. I’m a 

donor at our College of Business and I personally sponsor 

scholarships. Speaking to student athletes, I’ve done that 

year after year, about life after sports. 

Q: In 2003, you founded the Eugene Lamb 

Jr. Foundation in honor of your father. The 

foundation is for raising money to enhance 

Midway, Fla. – your hometown – and to 

restore a recreation facility named after your 

father. Why is the center important to you and 

your father? 

A: It was a small building, a city-owned 

recreation center for kids. But it needed a 

tremendous amount of work to improve safety, 

learning opportunities and equipment for the 

kids to play on. They named it after my father, 

and I created a foundation that would help get 

money and in-kind donations from donors. 

We probably collected a quarter of a million 

dollars over the last three years. I knew (the 

center) was going to have his name on it for 

life. He’s definitely been my best friend and 

mentor since day one and I know his life has 

revolved around giving back, helping children. 

I wanted the center to have the capacity to do that. The 

ability for kids to run and learn and play and grow is really 

what he’s about. You can’t really do that unless you’ve got 

safe, quality facilities. 

Q: What’s it like to be so young, yet honored in so many 

ways with several different awards? 

A: I am humbled by it. I don’t set out to accomplish my 

goals in order to win awards. I don’t measure my success 

5Q uestions: 

What’s the last book you 

read? 

The Peebles Principles, by 

R. Donahue Peebles 

What’s the last movie 

you saw? 

“Dark Knight” 

Where is your favorite 

place in the world? 

South Beach, Miami! 

What super power 

would you like to have? 

Fly 

What’s the best advice 

you’ve ever received? 

Dream big! 

by it, but I truly do value it. If you do the right things and 

you do right by people, you’ll have a good name. What 

sometimes is part of that is you get recognized. I’ve been 

fortunate to have been recognized, and it energizes me to 

do more. The USF Award probably meant the most to me 

because USF is truly a big part of my life, and it is the only 

reason I live in Tampa Bay. 

Q: There’s no ignoring today’s economic rough patch. The 

value of having college degrees is probably more evident 

than ever. In light of that, are you glad that you studied 

what you did when you did? 

A: I think I’m very fortunate to have an Accounting 

degree and to have had 10 years of really robust experience 

in challenging environments. Banking and finance is going 

through a very difficult cycle. USF and my mentors and 

my experience have prepared me to help us get through 

this cycle. I think this is a great city to build a career, to 

really spend your life and raise your family and build your 

own business. I think we’ve got a tremendous 

amount of opportunity in this city, even though 

there are rough times. Everyone I’ve worked 

for in Tampa Bay has been a USF grad. 

Q: You work and you serve the University and 

the community. What else are you big into? 

A: I really just enjoy being around family. I 

love having fun and cooking out and taking 

trips, entertaining, being around good people, 

going to sports games and having fun. I call 

it celebrating life. I work very hard, but I also 

play very hard. I would encourage everyone to 

have a dose of that. 


chapters 

& societies 

BULLS Outfitter 

owner Craig Brunstein (third from 

right) joins other USF alumni for USF Night at the Rays. 

Nearly 3,000 alumni attended the game and received a 

special Tampa Bay Rays hat with the Bulls logo on the side, 

pictured on Craig and friends. Don’t forget that you get a 

10% discount at BULLS Outfitter – online or in the store – 

with your USF Alumni Association membership card. 

Members of 

the New York Chapter 

get in the spirit of things during a watch 

party. Learn more on their Chapter page at www. 

USFalumni.org/newyork 

Members of the Chicago Chapter celebrate during a 

watch party at Gamekeepers after the Bulls last-minute 

win over Kansas. Visit their Chapter page at 

www.USFalumni.org/chicago 


USF Alumni Association member Joe 

Teston, M.A. `88, back row, far right, 

coached the Forest Hills PONY Youth 

Baseball League’s Mustang-Division 

Bulls. The young Bulls sported a 

winning record against teams named 

Seminoles, Gators, Hurricanes, & 

Bulldogs. Joe’s son, Worth Teston, 

10, is pictured in the front row, 

second from left. 

Terry Mascolino, `08, and 

Ashlea Hudak, `06 & M.A. `08 wave 

the Bull horns while on vacation at 

the Grand Canyon. 

More than two dozen USF alumni and friends 

from the Philadelphia/South Jersey area met up at a Camden Riversharks 

game for a little baseball and Bull Pride. The Philly/South Jersey Chapter invited some 

of the area’s incoming USF freshman to the event to get a feel for what it’s like to be a 

Bull. Pictured at right are: Scott Grauer, Caitlyn Casson and Katie Noon. Check out their 

Chapter page at www.USFalumni.org/philadelphia 


chapters 

& societies 

A new USF alumni chapter is forming in the Houston area. A Houston watch 

party in October drew 13 alumni whose class years ranged from the 60s to 

2002. If you live in the area and would like to get involved, contact Nohra 

Martinez at chemng1874@yahoo.com 

The 

D.C. Regional 

Chapter hosted a Senior Sendoff 

in the fall for incoming freshman 

from their area, including the three 

pictured above, from left to right: 

Brianna Bauer, Emily Thomas and 

Stephanie Brown. Chapter leader 

Rajiv Dembla, Electrical Engineering 

`92, talks to George Walser, Political 

Science `66, during the event. 

See their Chapter page at 

www.USFalumni.org/dc 

Henry and 

Staley McNatt, `91, took their 

Bull Pride with them to the top of Africa’s 

highest point, Uhuru Peak in Tanzania. 

Chicago Chapter chair Karla 

Stevenson, `03, and Matt 

Thomas flash the Bull horns 

during a recent visit to Mount 

Rushmore. 


No matter where you live, you’ll always be a Bull! 

The USF Alumni Association 

has alumni chapters all over 

the country. We also have 

college and special-interest 

societies for like-minded 

alumni. It’s easy to get 

involved. Just email the 

contact person of the group 

you’d like to visit. 

Societies 

Architecture Alumni 

Adam Fritz 

adam@cgharchitects.com 

Black Alumni 

Felecia Brantley 

lbtdfmu18@hotmail.com 

Brian Campbell 

bcamp10331@aol.com 

Business Alumni 

Jamie Ellison 

jamie.ellison@memberstrust.com 

Education Alumni 

Freda Abercrombie 

aber2@aol.com 

Engineering Alumni 

Gene Balter 

gene.balter@hdrinc.com 

Entrepreneurship Alumni 

Chris Kluis 

ckluis@hotmail.com 

Geology Alumni 

Mike Schackne 

mschackne@gore.net 

Honors Alumni 

Lisa Provenzano Heugel 

lproven1@tampabay.rr.com 

Jewish Alumni 

Nicky Spivak 

nsspivak@tampadsl.net 

Kosove Alumni 

Justin Geisler 

justingeisler@hotmail.com 

LGBT Alumni 

Marion Yongue 

myongue@wedu.org 

Lynne Carlson 

lcarlson@tempest.coedu.usf.edu 

Jerry L. Miller 

jerry.miller@db.faneuil.com 

Marine Science Alumni 

Bruce Barber 

bbarber@terraenv.com 

Beau Suthard 

bsuthard@coastalplanning.net 

Florida Chapters 

Tampa 

Dennis Evans 

dennis.evans@wachovia.com 

Brevard 

John Carpenter 

j-carpenter2@ti.com 

Barbara Lyn 

barbaralyn.com 

Broward 

Sara DuCuennois 

usfbrowardalumni@hotmail.com 

Fort Myers 

Sanjay Kurian 

Skurian@becker-poliakoff.com 

Hernando 

Belinda Nettles 

bnettles8@gmail.com 

Jacksonville 

Louis B. Richardson 

louinjax@comcast.net 

Ellen Rosenblum 

ellenmarkmatt3@yahoo.com 

Manatee/Sarasota 

Ross Allen 

Rva34238@yahoo.com 

Miami 

Ruben Matos 

captram02@yahoo.com 

Carlos Rodriguez 

rodvoll@aol.com 

Monroe (Key West) 

Kristen Condella 

kristnine@hotmail.com 

Ocala/Marion 

Kathleen & William Bellamy 

Icchoice-kathie@earthlink.net 

Jerald “Jerry” Grimes 

Donnajer958@embarqmail.com 

Orlando 

Kevin Krause 

kkrause2@hotmail.com 

Palm Beach 

Scott Teich 

scott.teich@raymondjames.com 

Pensacola/Spanish Fort/Mobile 

Nick Kessler 

nickess@aol.com 

Pinellas 

Audrey Gilmore 

usf1@tampabay.rr.com 

Polk 

Randy Dotson 

randy.dotson@gmail.com 

St. Lucie 

Frank Pennetti 

franker@adelphia.net 

Tallahassee 

Tara Klimek 

taraklimek@yahoo.com 

National & 

International 

Chapters 

Atlanta 

Denise Dimbath 

Denisuela@hotmail.com 

Austin 

Lisa Sortevik 

lhwalker@austin.rr.com 

Brad Heath 

bradh@virtexassembly.com 

Barbados 

Junior Browne 

junior.browne@gmail.com 

Chicago 

Karla Stevenson 

karla.stevenson@gmail.com 

Nolan Shaeer 

nshaeer@yahoo.com 

Cincinnati 

Chris Kiley 

chris.kiley@nokia.com 

Cleveland/Akron/Youngstown 

Ed Hoeppner 

ed.hoeppner@us.nestle.com 

Columbia, SC 

Doug Currier 

ColUSF@aol.com 

Camille Thompson 

Camille.E.Thompson@gmail.com 

D.C. Regional 

Rajiv Dembla 

rajiv.dembla@gmail.com 

Dallas 

Lisa Lacy 

lisa.lacy@tx.rr.com 

Denver Mile High 

Mark A. Thompson 

Brahman95@msn.com 

Houston 

Nohra Martinez 

chemng1874@yahoo.com 

Rob Smith 

Rob.Smith@atmosenergy.com 

Indiana 

Jeremy Sims 

jsims@shepherdins.com 

Los Angeles 

Catherine Clinch 

catherine@MomsDigitalWorld.com 

Troy Dunmire 

Troy_Dunmire@gap.com 

Nashville 

Jen Thompson 

JenThompson08@yahoo.com 

New York 

Valerie Berrios 

valerieberrios78@hotmail.com 

Michael Simpson 

Michael.Simpson@gs.com 

Philadelphia/South Jersey 

Brandon Aldridge 

aldridgb@toysrus.com 

Pittsburgh, PA 

Robb Myers 

rmyer@cmu.edu 

Portland, OR 

Scott Chamberlain 

sc28372@msn.com 

Raleigh, NC 

Bob Cohn 

bob.cohn@smithbarney.com 

San Francisco 

Arthur Ringness 

ak@ringness.net 

Seattle-Tacoma, WA 

Jared Capouya 

jcapouya@hotmail.com 

St. Louis 

Mark Greenspahn 

markgstl@aol.com 

Corporate 

Affinity Group 

Lockheed Martin – Oldsmar 

Barbara Julian 

barbara.julian@lmco.com 


Profile: 

Gail Carroll Coe 

Quiet on the Set! 

If you watch TNT’s “The Closer” 

with Kyra Sedgwick, or if you’ve 

ever watched the movies “8 Mile” 

or “Far and Away,” here’s something 

you might not know: the “sound 

man” is actually a woman, and she’s a 

University of South Florida alumna. 

In a successful career spanning 

many years and many movie and 

television productions, Gail Carroll-Coe 

has worked with directors like Clint 

Eastwood, Tony Scott, Robert Benton 

and Greg Hoblit. 

“It’s hard work, but I love the 

people I work with. There’s a lot of 

camaraderie,” said Carroll-Coe. “I have 

to be there the entire day of shooting, 

and they can be long days. Clint 

Eastwood, for example, averages eight 

hours a day and Tony Scott about 16 

hours in a day.” 

16 ALUMNIVOICE | JANUARY 2009 

Carroll-Coe’s actual job description 

is “boom operator,” meaning just that: 

she handles the boom microphone, 

a demanding job on a movie set. But 

she’s also done sound effects (such as 

in “Far and Away,” the movie starring 

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman) and 

sound mixing. 

Interestingly, her journey started 

about as far from Hollywood as you 

can get, in North Palm Beach. And the 

first step was a trip to USF followed by 

some detours into teaching and raising 

a family. 

Carroll-Coe considered other 

schools to attend, but chose USF partly 

because of the proximity to her home. 

She wanted to be close because her 

father had died just as she prepared 

to go to college. It ended up being a 

great choice for her. 

Above: The Coe family (and famous friend) on the set of “Gran Torino,” from left: Bill Coe, 

first assistant cameraman; Gail Carroll-Coe, sound engineer; Clint Eastwood, producer, 

director and star of the movie; Bill and Gail’s sons Bryce and Trevor, who was second assistant 

cameraman/loader, and his pal, the garden gnome. 

5Q uestions: 

What’s the last book you read? 

Sweetsmoke by David Fuller ... loved it! 

What’s the last movie you saw? 

“Atonement” ... I love old movies and 

always wished there was a director that 

could direct a movie that fashioned it in that 

sense. When I was watching it, there was 

a scene where the two lovers were parting 

ways and I went “That’s it”. Of course, I 

am sure it had to do with the director of 

photography as well. 

Where is your favorite place in the 

world? 

At home with my family. Besides that, 

Buenos Aires. It is such a beautiful city filled 

with wonderful carefree people. 

What super power would you like to 

have? 

To be able to give each and every child a life 

without strife. 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever 

received? 

From my father: “If you are going to do 

something, do not do it half-assed.”

Sound engineers Gail Carroll-Coe and Andy Schmetterling on the set of “8 Mile.” 

“I loved USF,” said Carroll-Coe, 

who attended from 1969-74 and 

earned a Bachelor’s degree in special 

education. “I was even a cheerleader 

there, one of the first ever. I was on 

the cover of the inaugural basketball 

program.” 

She cheered for USF’s basketball 

team for two years. She also lived in 

DeSoto Hall and made her way around 

by bicycle, only getting a car in her 

last couple of years. She held down 

waitressing jobs to help pay for school, 

but most importantly switched from 

a major in Art to a major in Special 

Education. 

After graduation, she worked as 

a special education teacher in Florida 

and Georgia, but by the early 1980s 

she was experiencing burn out. She 

left the teaching field and decided to 

go in a completely different direction. 

Her first stop was doing background 

vocals on recordings (she had 

been involved with her high school 

music program). This led to her learning 

sound engineering. She met her 

husband, William Coe, while delivering 

master sound tapes to a set where he 

was first assistant cameraman. 

She and her husband have the 

philosophy to “put family first,” so she 

didn’t start “booming in L.A.” with any 

regularity until her two sons had both 

graduated high school in 2000. The 

family still maintains a home in Grosse 

Pointe Farms, Mich., where the boys 

grew up, but also have an apartment in 

L.A. They are on the road eight to 10 

months a year. Her oldest son, Bryce, 

29, is a musician, and Trevor, 25, is his 

father’s camera loader. 

She and her husband worked 

together on the films “Million Dollar 

Baby” and “Everybody Wins,” but she 

goes wherever the work takes her. She 

spent four months in New Orleans for 

the film “Déjà Vu” and also traveled to 

Italy to work on the remake of “The 

Italian Job.” 

She said she’s had to prove herself 

in a field populated with the opposite 

sex. 

“It’s a male dominated field,” she 

said. “I know women who want to get 

into it, but in all my years doing this, 

I’ve spent two days in my entire career 

working with other female boom operators.” 

A typical day involves going to the 

set, getting the microphones on the 

actors and setting up the sound equipment 

and production mixer equipment. 

She sometimes gets to build 

special sound rigs, like the one used 

in a car for the famous chase scene in 

“The Italian Job.” One of her favorite 

jobs was for a horse scene in “Far and 

Away,” when she had to ride a horse 

and record the sound. Some of her 

favorite actors she’s worked with are 

Diane Lane, Diane Keaton and Clint 

Eastwood. 

It all seems far away from teaching 

and cheerleading, but Carroll-Coe has 

never looked back. 

“This is what I love doing,” she 

said. “I wouldn’t trade this job for any 

other.” 

Gail Carroll (before she was a Coe) on the 

cover of USF’s inaugural basketball program, 

representing the USF cheerleaders. 


Bulls in 

Government 

Luck of the Draw 

By Mary Patrick Walker 

Florida State Senator Victor 

Crist began his foray into 

politics with a sense of obligation 

instilled in him by 

his family to take “action 

through advocacy.” But it was a slip of 

paper pulled from a hat that sealed his 

fate. 

A 1983 USF graduate in Communications 

and Business Administration, 

Crist has worked tirelessly with the 

organization that he founded while still 

a student at USF over 25 years ago: the 

Off Campus Housing Association. This 

group worked to improve the community 

surrounding USF’s Tampa campus. 

In 1989 it merged into the USF Area 

Community Civic Association, of which 

Crist is still president. To sustain a 

more professional effort of revitalization, 

in 1998, Crist spearheaded the 

startup of the University Area Community 

Development Corporation, of 

which he is volunteer CEO and chairman. 

Learn more about it at www. 

uacdconline.org. 

Back in the early 

days, the association 

had drive and vision, 

but they kept hitting a 

wall. The crime rate in 

the area surrounding 

USF was among the 

highest in the nation – a 

whopping 750 percent 

higher than the rest of 

the Tampa Bay area. 

Students and the unemployed 

moved in and 

out with the change 

of the seasons. Neighborhood 

businesses 

struggled to make ends 

meet. The association 

couldn’t get serious 

attention from public 

officials to make any 

real difference, even on 

5Q uestions: 

What’s the last book you read? 

Anything about history and the 

people who make it. 

What’s the last movie you 

saw? 

The James Bond movie, 

“Quantum of Solace.” 

Where is your favorite place 

in the world? 

The good old USA. 

What superpower would you 

like to have? 

To cure poverty. 

What’s the best advice you’ve 

ever received? 

To love. 

basic needs such as street lighting. 

“It was difficult to get the attention 

of politicians, because this was a 

transient area with low voter turnout 

and no political influence,” said Crist, 

an intense man with a soft spot for 

the underprivileged. 

So the association members 

came up with a plan: One of them 

would run for office – if not to win, 

then at least to draw public attention 

to the problems plaguing the area. 

Eighteen names went into a hat. 

Crist’s name came out. 

To everyone’s surprise, including 

his own, he won a House district race 

that experts said he could not win. The 

victory launched a career that has, so 

far, included eight years in the state 

House of Representatives and eight 

years as a state senator serving District 

12, which covers northern Hillsborough 

County and two-thirds of Pasco 

County. 

And to think that back in 1992, 

Crist had “just wanted to 

lose gracefully and raise 

awareness of the issues 

in the University area; 

to shame the politicians 

that allowed the blight 

to happen.” 

Crist’s road to public 

service started in New 

Orleans, La., where he 

was born in 1957. In 

1960, he lost his father, 

who died from wounds 

received in World War 

II. His mother remarried 

a U.S. Army officer 

who adopted Victor and 

his sisters, and the family 

moved to Florida in 

1968. His mother and 

stepfather modeled a 

way of life for Crist that 

emphasized helping 

State Sen. Victor Crist 

those in need. 

“My mom got her degree in nursing 

and helped to provide free healthcare 

around the world. My stepfather 

was a military leader, and after retirement, 

helped to start civic groups 

along the Pinellas County coastline to 

protect the environment and preserve 

small-town community appeal,” Crist 

recalled. “I do it the way I learned it.” 

By the time Crist reached USF, the 

University was growing, but small, relative 

to today. Crist remembers “how 

far we had to walk to go to classes and 

how few trees there were. You could 

stand on one end of campus and see 

all the way to the other end.” 

Crist also remembers frequenting 

the Empty Keg in the Marshall Center, 

where both students and faculty hung 

out. The drinking age at the time was 

18. “It was a great way to get to know 

people and build relationships. You 

would have intellectual conversations 

that helped with the educational experience. 

The focus was on good conversation.” 

It was during this time that he got 

involved with the issue that would define 

his public life. Housing was scarce 

around the University, and what could 

be found was generally in poor condition. 

On June 2, 1980, Crist started the 

Off Campus Housing Association, set 


up to collectively bargain on behalf of 

tenants with landlords in the area to 

improve the quality of housing conditions. 

In 1982, Crist became the Student 

Government director of the newly expanded 

Off-Campus Housing Agency. 

Also in that year, Crist started a publication 

that provided data on all the 

rental properties surrounding the USF 

campus. Its circulation eventually rose 

to 100,000 and became the Apartment 

Source magazine. Crist also founded 

Metropolitan Communications, Inc., 

a full-service advertising, marketing, 

public relations and advocacy agency. 

Despite his personal successes, 

Crist never lost sight of the deteriorating 

conditions around the USF area 

– which led him to that fateful meeting 

when his name came out of the hat. 

Crist decided to run for an open 

state House seat in District 60 because 

it seemed to be the only – if remote 

– chance for success. Democrats Bob 

Buckhorn and Carol Palomino were 

seeking the seat, so Crist ran as a Republican. 

He felt that at least he would 

have the nine months of the campaign 

to “get our issues out and get to the 

general election, and then I would 

have a chance.” 

About 32 percent of voters in the 

district called themselves Republicans. 

Forty-six percent were non-Caucasian 

and 70 percent 

were 

women. 

Their average 

age was 

42. 

“Let’s just say that as a young, longhaired, 

creative-type white male running 

as a Republican, I didn’t fit the 

majority of the demographics,” Crist 

said. He cut off his ponytail and took 

out his earring to use as a tie tac while 

on the campaign trail. 

He won the election, helped by 

the efforts of more than 400 bipartisan 

volunteers who blanketed the area. A 

key factor was that Crist branded his issue 

by coining the term “Suitcase City” 

to describe the transient, suburban 

ghetto around USF. Another helpful 

thing, Crist says, was that now-Florida 

Gov. Charlie Crist was running for a 

state senate seat at the same time. Having 

two individuals sharing the same 

name, running in the same market, at 

the same time, didn’t hurt. The two 

Crists are not related. 

All these years later, Crist still 

keeps his list of goals from those days, 

which he uses as a blueprint while 

spearheading efforts to make changes 

in the University area. Some of those 

changes have made the former “Suitcase 

City” an international model for 

civic revitalization, acting as a laboratory 

for programs and policies that 

have been adopted elsewhere, such 

as the “10-20-Life; three-strikes-you’reout,” 

anti-crime policies, and Prodigy, 

a cultural arts 

prevention and 

intervention 

program. 

Along 

with 3,800 new 

streetlights, the 

neighborhood 

surrounding the USF campus now 

benefits from thousands of renovated 

apartments, improved infrastructure, 

a 30-acre park and recreation center, 

an award-winning 60,000-square-foot, 

state-of-the-art developmental center, 

a health center shared with USF, a human 

services center, two new magnet 

schools, the Junior Achievement headquarters, 

the Hillsborough Sheriff’s District 

1 Command headquarters, a new 

mass-transit hub and system, dozens of 

new businesses and a Main Street currently 

under construction on North 22 nd 

Street. Crist is also working on establishing 

a new library and senior center 

that he hopes to finalize before leaving 

office in 2010. 

“Action through advocacy,” Crist 

said. “Believing and achieving … It’s 

about the cause, it’s about people, it’s 

about love.” 

Crist said he hopes to stay involved 

in the years to come with 

public policy, but he also has personal 

goals. He and his wife of three years, 

Angela, director of the Florida Institute 

of Government at USF, “have a distinctive 

commonality: Love. I want to 

come home, start a family, have lots of 

children.” 

As for current students, Crist offers 

this advice: “Intern, intern, intern. Experience 

is invaluable. It puts 

book learning to use.” 

And to alumni, Crist says: “Get 

involved and give back. The 

legacy we leave behind is our 

greatest gift.” 




and integrate into my work the wise 

principle of connectedness reflected in 

John Muir’s statement that “When we 

try to pick out anything by itself, we 

find it hitched to everything else in the 

universe.” 

Advice for USF students: The education 

you have received at USF has prepared 

you to approach the opportunities 

and challenges of the marketplace. Be 

confident in your abilities and strive to 

make a difference in your community 

and beyond. Do not let adversity 

conquer you and never, ever give up. 

Advice for USF students: It is a very 

competitive world. Prepare yourself 

through your studies to be ready 

to compete and to be innovative in 

your thinking. Think outside the box! 

Understand the world in which you 

live and be flexible enough to change 

without sacrificing your core values. 

Diana Sawaya-Crane 

B.A. Geography `75 

Post: Deputy Director of Cabinet 

Affairs for Gov. Charlie Crist. 

Previously, she worked as a cabinet 

aide in the state Attorney General’s 

office; as legislative affairs director for 

the state Attorney General’s office and 

as chief of the Bureau of Resource 

Management for the Division of 

Resource Planning and Management at 

the Department of Community Affairs. 

Memories: It was a time of social 

unrest due to the Vietnam War, the 

struggle for equal rights and the oil 

embargo by OPEC. Information about 

the adverse effects of pollution on 

human health and the environment 

was reaching the general public. I 

remember that in the face of all the 

turmoil, the students at USF were 

idealistic and determined to take action 

to improve the human condition. I 

remember with great appreciation 

the professors, student assistants and 

staff of the Geography and Biology 

departments. They were willing to 

take the time to discuss the issues of 

the day woven through class material 

not only during class sessions but also 

at impromptu teaching opportunities 

(“rap sessions”) in their offices, at the 

old Student Union, or on any patch 

of dry grass between buildings. The 

education I received at USF helped 

me develop critical thinking skills 

Kurt Browning 

B.A. Political Science `82 & MPA `94 

Post: Named Florida’s Secretary of State 

by Gov. Charlie Crist in December 

2006. Prior to that appointment, 

Browning spent 26 years as the 

Supervisor of Elections for Pasco 

County. 

Memories: Basketball was king! There 

was no football at USF. Additionally, 

the campus was nothing like it is today 

– really no central hub on campus 

for students to gather. The library 

was the spot. My fondest memories, 

believe it or not, were the friendships 

that I made during study groups … 

particularly at the library. 

Pam Iorio 

M.A. History `01 

Post: Currently serving her second 

four-year term as Mayor of Tampa. For 

a decade before her successful run 

for mayor, she served as Supervisor 

of Elections for Hillsborough County. 

In 1985, at the age of 26, she became 

the youngest person ever elected to 

the Hillsborough County Commission, 

where she served two terms. 

Memories: I recall how much I learned 

with each graduate course I took – 

each professor left an impression on 

me. I enjoyed getting to know my 

fellow graduate students. They were 

all younger than me, and I appreciated 

their freshness and perspective. 

Advice for USF students: Only major in 

something you truly enjoy. If you don’t 

pick up a book in your major area of 

study for pleasure, then it is probably 

not for you. Your career has to be a 

true interest. 


to work on a political campaign. 

Then I worked on the Kerry/ 

Edwards campaign. Always look for 

opportunities to challenge yourself. It’s 

great to take chances, test the waters, 

find out what you like and what you 

don’t like. Trust in yourself. Next, I’m 

thinking about enrolling in law school. 

My work experience has made me so 

much more prepared and confident. 

Tara Klimek 

B.A. Political Science `01 

Post: Communications director for 

the state’s Chief Financial Officer, 

Alex Sink. Previously, she served as 

communications director for the House 

Democratic Caucus in the Florida 

Legislature; communications officer for 

Alex Sink’s campaign for chief financial 

officer; press secretary for the Kerry/ 

Edwards Victory 2004 campaign and 

issues director for the Bill McBride for 

Governor campaign. 

Memories: I attended USF from 1995 to 

2001. I saw it grow from a commuter 

school to one of the top universities in 

the state. It grew so fast within a few 

short years, with new buildings and the 

new football team. I still have my ticket 

from the inaugural football game. I was 

student body vice president, a member 

of Kappa Delta sorority and a USF 

Ambassador. Every time I go back to 

USF, it’s growing. I was there Election 

Day and saw hundreds of students 

voting. The new student union has so 

much energy. 

Advice for USF students: Be on the 

lookout for opportunities. They will 

always come, and you have to be 

ready for them. For me, it was my first 

political campaign – Bill McBride for 

Governor in 2001. I originally planned 

to go to law school after college, 

but instead I took the opportunity 

Ron Reagan 

B.A. Business `77 

Post: Serves, since 2002, as State 

Representative for District 67, 

which includes parts of Manatee, 

Hillsborough and Sarasota counties. 

Prior to his political career, he worked 

as an insurance agent in Bradenton. 

Memories: It was so different back 

then because the campus was so small 

and there weren’t that many people 

around. It enabled us to get to know 

each other better. I have lifelong 

friendships with many people I went 

to school with. To this day, I still see 

and talk with many people that I first 

met on campus. 

Advice for USF students: Learn 

everything you can – in school, on the 

job and in life. Things I didn’t think 

would be useful when I was in school, 

turns out I use daily. Keep learning. 

Sterling Ivey 

B.A. Mass Communications `97 

Post: Press Secretary for Gov. Charlie 

Crist. Before joining Crist’s staff, 

Ivey worked as the press contact at 

the Department of State. Previously, 

he worked for the Pinellas County 

School Board, the state Department of 

Corrections and as public information 

officer for the Polk County Sheriff’s 

Office. 

Memories: When I attended USF, it was 

widely considered a commuter school. 

Like me, two of my closest friends 

commuted over one hour, each way, 

to attend classes two days a week. The 

University has grown since in student 

housing accommodations, academic 

offerings and on the athletic field. But 

as much as things have changed, they 

really haven’t. The sense of a closeknit 

family and a warm community 

environment remains. 

Advice for USF students: I would 

tell graduating students that they 

should work in fields they love. Don’t 

pick a job because it may bring you 

wealth alone, because wealth is not 

the key to happiness. I would also 

say the post-academic world is a fastpaced 

environment that requires us 

to process enormous amounts of 

information in a limited time. Be 

open to and willing to accept change 

because the world around us continues 

to evolve at a frantic pace. 





Council of 100 

The Alumni Council of 100 is composed of appointed 

members who assist the University of South Florida in 

governmental relations activities designed to advance the 

purposes and priorities of the University and the USF Alumni 

Association. 

Among the activities the Council helps to facilitate are: 

USF Day at the Capitol; President’s Dinner with Council 

members; Public Policy & Policy Makers Class; Law & Legal 

Careers Class; Legislative Intern Program; Legislative Directed 

Study Program; Tallahassee Intern Program; and Capitol 

Legislative Intern Program at the Washington Center. 

Gail Albritton, Gail Albritton & Associates 

Steve Anderson, Ruden, McClosky 

John Beck, Beck, Barrios, Malaney & Henderson 

Sam Bell, Pennington, Moore, Wilkinson, Bell & Dunbar 

Carol Berkowitz, Florida Association of Homes for the Aging 

Ron Brower, Brower Commications 

Kurt Browning, Florida Department of State 

Tony Carvalho, Capitol Hill Group 

Jim Cordero, Asphalt Contractors Association of Florida 

David Corry, Jim Walter Homes, Inc. 

Mike Cusick, Michael Cusick & Associates, Inc. 

Allison DeFoor, Earth Balance 

Chris Dudley, Southern Strategy Group 

Fred Dudley, Holland & Knight 

Raymond Gross, Judge, Sixth Circuit Court – Pinellas County 

Chris Hart IV, Workforce Florida 

Tom Herndon, State of Florida (retired) 

Gary Herndon, City of Tallahassee 

Barrett Johnson, Johnson & Associates 

Mark Levine, Levine & Stivers 

Jim Magill, Fowler, White, Boggs & Banker 

Tom McGurk, Indigo Key, Inc. 

Bob McKee, Florida Department of Revenue 

Frank Meiners, Capitol Hill Group 

Terry Nealy, U.S. Air Force – Global Counter-Terrorism 

Frank Nocera, VISIT Florida 

Marshall Ogletree, Florida Teaching Profession-National 

Education Association 

Rick Rumrell, Rumrell, Wagner & Costabel 

Diana Sawaya-Crane, Office of Gov. Charlie Crist 

Robert Sechen, Blank, Meenan & Dunphy 

Doug Sessions, Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida 

Dick Shapiro, Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers 

Wayne Sprague, Attorney 

Glenn Sutphin, Jr., Florida Department of Military Affairs 

John Thomas, The Governor’s Office, Florida League of Cities 

Keevin Williams, The Governor’s Office, Florida Black 

Business Investment, Inc. 


Legislators 

Culp 

Kelly 

Legg 

Nehr 

Schultz 

Vasilinda 

Justice 

Storms 

Diaz-Balart 

Rep. Faye Culp, M.A. `93, District 57, 

Republican. Elected to the Florida House 

of Representatives, 1994-1998; re-elected 

to the House in 2002; Hillsborough County 

School Board Member, 1988-1992. 

Rep. Kurt Kelly, M.A. `88, District 24, 

Republican. Elected to the Florida House 

of Representatives in 2007, subsequently 

re-elected; Florida House of Representatives 

Legislative Aide; Florida Legislature Intern; 

Marion County School Board, 2001-2006. 

Rep. John Legg, `96, District 46, 

Republican. Elected to the Florida House of 

Representatives in 2004, subsequently reelected. 

Deputy Majority Whip, 2006-2008. 

Rep. Peter Nehr, `00, District 48, 

Republican. Elected to the Florida House of 

Representatives in 2006, subsequently reelected; 

Tarpon Springs City Commissioner, 

2002-2006. 

Rep. Ron Schultz, `65 & M.A. `67, 

District 43, Republican. Elected to the 

Florida House of Representatives in 2007, 

subsequently re-elected; Citrus County 

Property Appraiser, 1990-2005; Pinellas 

County Property Appraiser, 1976-1988. 

Rep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, 

`82, District 9, Democrat. Elected to the 

Florida House of Representatives in 2008. 

Sen. Charlie Justice, `93, District 16, 

Democrat. Elected to the Florida Senate in 

2006; Minority (Democratic) Leader Pro 

Tempore, 2008-2010; Florida House of 

Representatives, 2000-2006; Democratic 

Whip. 

Sen. Ronda Storms, `88, District 10, 

Republican. Elected to the Florida Senate 

in 2006; Hillsborough County Board of 

County Commissioners, 1998-2006. 

U.S. Congressman Lincoln Diaz- 

Balart, `76, District 21, Republican. 

Elected to the U.S. House of 

Representatives in 1992, subsequently reelected. 

Elected to the Florida House of 

Representatives in 1986; Florida Senate, 

1989-1992.

The BIG List 

So many USF alumni currently work in all aspects of local, state and federal government. We’ve compiled this 

“Bulls in Government” list of those alumni we know about. If your name should be on the BIG list, please let 

us know and we’ll be sure to add it. Alumni previously mentioned are not listed here. 

A 

Eva Andujar, `00, City Clerk, City of St. 

Petersburg; Charles Aguirre, `08, Legislative 

Assistant, U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez; 

Otis Anthony, `73, Director of Diversity, 

Polk County Schools 

B 

Tricia Barrentine Guay, `82, Senior Vice 

President, Petrizzo Strategic Group, Inc.; 

John Barrios, `78, Construction Services 

Manager, City of Tampa; Pat Bean, `86, 

County Administrator, Hillsborough 

County; Doug Belden, `77, Tax Collector, 

Hillsborough County; Dean Beutler, `83, 

Program Administrator, Florida Department 

of Children and Families; Brandon 

Biederman, `96, Director of Government 

Affairs, Builders Association of South 

Florida Broward County 

Beverley Billiris, `87, Mayor, City of 

Tarpon Springs; Kenneth Blocker, `87, 

Director of Business Services, Citrus 

County Schools; Tom Bonfield, MBA 

`81, City Manager, Durham, NC; Janet 

Borchers, `92, Vice President, Teachers 

Association of Lee County; Eric Bost, 

M.A. `85, Ambassador to the Republic 

of South Africa; Judith Breuggerman, 

`70, Board Member, Tampa Firefighters 

Museum; Glenn Brown, M.A. `98, 

Applied Anthropologist, Children’s Board 

of Hillsborough; Carla Bruning, M.Ed `93, 

Principal, King High; 

Lewis Brinson, M.A. `86, Assistant 

Superintendent for Administration, 

Hillsborough County Schools 

C 

John Carassas, `87, Judge, Pinellas 

County, Sixth Circuit Court; Beverly 

Carbaugh, M.A. `89 & Ph.D `96, Principal, 

Tomlin Middle School; Michael 

Carlson, `90, Director, Legislative Affairs, 

Florida Chief Financial Officer’s Office; 

Howie Carroll, `00, Director, Hillsborough 

County Affordable Housing Office; Dan 

Cassesday, MPA `93, Mental Health Advocate, 

Children’s Board of Hillsborough; 

Danielle Chadonnet, `01, Marketing & 

Business Development Director, City 

of Mount Dora; Jennifer E. Closshey, 

`76, Board Treasurer, Southwest Florida 

Water Management District; Braulio 

Colon, `03, Assistant Director, ENLACE 

Florida; Brian Corley, `92 & MPA `07, 

Supervisor of Elections, Pasco County; 

Gary G. Cornwell, M.A. `79 & Ph.D `83, 

Human Resources Director, City of St. 

Petersburg; Amanda Corsentino, `05 

& MPA `07, Aide, Hillsborough County 

Commission; Slake Counts, M.A. `92, 

Community Services Program Manager, 

Children’s Board of Hillsborough; Nick 

Cox, `85, Regional Director, Florida 

Department of Children and Families; 

Scott Cunningham, `97, Police Chief, 

Winston-Salem, NC 

D 

Bobbi Davis, `79, M.A. `86 & Ph.D 

`97, Resource Development Manager, 

Children’s Board of Hillsborough; Goliath 

Davis, III, M.A. `77, Deputy Mayor, City 

of St. Petersburg; Caryl E. Delano, `76, 

Judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Middle 

District, Florida; Tim Ducker, M.Ed `90, 

Principal, Mulrennan Middle School; 

Kevin Dunn, `90, Managing Director, 

Development Coordination, City of St. 

Petersburg 

E 

Carolyn Eastman, `83, Communications 

Director, Children’s Board of Hillsborough 

F 

William Featheringill, `85, Financial 

Investigator, Florida Attorney General’s 

Office; Gow B. Fields, `85, Commissioner, 

City of Lakeland; Heather Fiorentino, `84, 

Superintendent, Pasco County Schools; 

Shawn Foster, `99, District Director, 

Office of U.S. Congressman Gus Bilirakis; 

M. Rony Francois, `94, MPH `98 & Ph.D 

`03, Assistant Secretary, Louisiana 

Department of Health & Hospitals; Amy 

Haile, `87, `89 & M.A. `00, Community 

Services Program Manager/Planning Director, 

Children’s Board of Hillsborough; 

Jacqueline Haynes, `87, Principal, Blake 

High; Tony Horrnik, `83, Senior Engineer, 

Pinellas County; Deanna Hurley, `07, 

Legislative Assistant, Hillsborough Commissioner 

Al Higginbotham 

G 

Ruby Gadson, `82, Police Fiscal Manager, 

City of Tampa; Robin Gomez, MPA `00, 

City Auditor, City of Clearwater; Margarita 

Gonzalez, `85, Hispanic Advisory 

Council, City of Tampa; Raymond Gross, 

`69, Judge, Sixth Judicial Circuit Court, 

Pasco & Pinellas 

H 

Kenneth Haddad, `82, Executive Director, 

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation 

Commission; Rod Hall, M.A. `75, M.A. 

`82 & Ph.D `86, Director, Mental Health 

Program Office, Florida Department of 

Children and Families; Stephen Hegarty, 

`83, Communications Officer, Hillsborough 

County Schools; Gary Herndon, 

`76, Treasurer-Clerk, City of Tallahassee; 

Nancy High, M.Ed `81, Principal, Nolan 

Middle School; Mike Hogan, `72, Tax 

Collector, Duval County; Stephen Hogue, 

`73, Police Chief, City of Tampa; Julianne 

Holt, `77, Public Defender, Hillsborough 

County 13th Judicial Circuit; Richard 

Howard, `75, Judge, Fifth Judicial Circuit 

Court – Citrus County; Jeffrey Huggins, 

`04, Legislative Assistant, State Sen. 

Victor Crist; Deborah Hummer Stevenson, 

`88, Manager, Office of Intergovernmental 

Relations, City of Tampa 

I-J 

Kevin Jackson, `85, Chief Investigator, 

Hillsborough County Department of 

Consumer Services; Julie M. Janssen, 

`70 & Ed.D `01, Superintendent, Pinellas 

County Schools; Rodrigo Jurado, `80 & 

`81, Vice Chair, Hillsborough Community 

College Board of Trustees 

K 

Chuck Kiker, `76, Lobbyist, Florida 

Classroom Teachers Association; Jessica 

Kline, `04, Special Assistant, St. 

Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker; Joseph 

Kubicki, `73, Director of Transportation 

Planning & Parking Management, City of 

St. Petersburg 

L 

Julie Lacy, `81, Principal, Brooker 

Elementary; Jeanette LaRussa Fenton, 

`75, Drew Park/West Tampa Development 

Manager, City of Tampa; Mark 

LeCouris, `77, Interim City Manager, City 

of Tarpon Springs; Delilah Libby, `81, 

Administrative Chief, Solid Waste, City 

of Tampa; Liana Lopez, `96, Director of 

Public Affairs, City of Tampa 

M 

Lori Matway, `87 & M.Ed `90, School 

Programs Administrator, City of St. Petersburg; 

Roy Mazur, `97, Planning Director, 

Southwest Florida Water Management 

District; Bob McKee, `90, Deputy 

Executive Director - Legislative, Florida 

Department of Revenue; Amy Merrill, 

`96, Public Information Liaison, Manatee 

County Utilities; Ralph Metcalf, `67, 

Director, Wastewater Department, City 

of Tampa; David Metz, `81 & MPA `89, 

Deputy Mayor, City of St. Petersburg; 

Connie Milito, `81, Chief Government 

Relations Officer, Hillsborough County 

Schools; Stanley Mills, `69, Judge, Sixth 

Judicial Circuit Court, Pasco & Pinellas; 

Mary Pat Moore, `77, Policy Chief, 

Health & Human Services, Executive 

Office of the Governor of Florida; James 

Mosteller, `98, State Advocacy Director, 

American Heart Association 

N 

Terry Nealy, `87, Officer, U.S. Air Force 

Global Counter Terrorism Unit 

O 

Candy Olson, MBA `76, Director, Hillsborough 

County School Board; William 

Orr, `72, Principal, Hillsborough High; 

Ken Otero, `75, Deputy Superintendent, 

Hillsborough County Schools; Roy Otto, 

MPA `91, City Manager, City of Greeley, 

CO 

P 

Luanne Panacek, `78, M.A. `85 & Ed.D 

`94, CEO, Children’s Board of Hillsborough; 

Vince Pardo, `71, Manager, Ybor 

City Development Corp.; Catherine Peek 

McEwen, `79, Judge, U.S. Bankruptcy 

Court, Middle District, Florida 

Q-R 

Phil Rice, `77, Administrative & Fiscal 

Manager, Wastewater Department, 

City of Tampa; Joshua Richards, `03, 

Legislative Assistant, State Sen. Victor 

Crist; Adam M. Robinson, Jr., MBA `94, 

Surgeon General, U.S. Navy; Stephen 

Roggenbaum, M.A. `91, Board Member, 

Governor’s Suicide Prevention Council 

S 

Brad Scott, `82, City Auditor, City of St. 

Petersburg; Mark Sharpe, `90, Commissioner, 

Hillsborough County; Leslie 

Smith Granich, `85 & M.Ed `94, Principal 

Brandon High; Joan L. Spainhower, `87, 

Regional Manager, Florida Department 

of Health, Bureau of Immunization; Steve 

Spina, `75 & MPA `98, City Manager, 

City of Zephyrhills; David Steele, Ph.D 

`90, Chief Information & Technology 

Officer, Hillsborough County Schools; 

Pam Stewart, `75, Deputy Chancellor, 

K-12 Education, Florida Department of 

Education; David Summers, `84 & MBA 

`88, Chief Legislative Analyst, Florida 

Office of Program Policy Analysis and 

Government Accountability 

T 

James Terry, `00, Administrative Analyst/Customer 

Relations Manager, NYC 

Department of Information Technology & 

Telecommunications; Justin Troller, `03, 

Commissioner, City of Lakeland 

U-V 

Dan Valdez, `68 & M.A. `74, Deputy 

Superintendent/Chief Human Resources 

Officer, Hillsborough County Schools 

W 

Brandon Wagner, `97, Manager, Intergovernmental 

Relations, Hillsborough 

County; Nancy Watkins, `82, Board 

Member, Hillsborough Community College 

Board of Trustees; Julie Weston, 

MPA `90, Director, Development 

Services, City of St. Petersburg; Keevin 

Williams, `93, President, Florida Black 

Business Investment Board; Luke C. Williams, 

`96 & M.A. `08, Assistant Chief 

of Police, City of St. Petersburg; Tonjua 

Williams, `96, Provost, Tarpon Springs 

Campus, St. Petersburg College; Jennifer 

Wilson, `07, Legislative Assistant, State 

Sen. Victor Crist 

X-Y 

Lisa Yost, M.A. `85, Principal, McKitrick 

Elementary; Todd Yost, `93, Director of 

Codes Compliance Assistance, City of St. 

Petersburg 

Z 

David C. Zaparach, `90, Director, Department 

of Enforcement, Financial Industry 

Regulatory Authority; Joseph Zeoli, `83 

& MBA `94, Managing Director, City 

Development, City of St. Petersburg 

With grateful acknowledgement of the 

USF alumni who are teachers, police, 

firefighters, EMTs, librarians, assistants, 

clerks and all of the other dedicated 

public servants, too numerous to list. 


1968 

A Blast from the Past ! 

U.S.PRESIDENT: Lyndon B. Johnson 

VICE PRESIDENT: Hubert H. Humphrey 

AVERAGE INCOME: $7,743 

UNEMPLOYMENT: 3.8% 

FIRST CLASS STAMP: 6 cents 

IN SCIENCE: 

Apollo 8 astronauts 

Frank 

Borman, James Lovell and 

William Anders are the first 

people to orbit the moon. 

Intel is cofounded by silicon 

microchip co-inventors Robert 

Noyce and Gordon E. Moore. 

Theoretical physicist Richard 

P. Feynman comes up with a 

theory that will lead to a better 

understanding of quarks. 

IN THE NEWS: The 

Rev. Martin Luther 

King, Jr. is slain in 

Memphis on April 4. 

Sen. Robert F. Kennedy 

is shot and 

critically wounded in 

Los Angeles on June 5. He dies on June 6. 

During the Summer Olympics in Mexico City, 

American runners Tommie Smith and John 

Carlos give the Black Power salute during 

the national anthem as a protest against racism. 

They are thrown off the team. 

IN THE ARTS: The motion 

picture rating system debuts with G, 

PG, R and X. The rock musical “Hair” opens on 

Broadway. The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts 

Club Band” wins the Album of the Year Grammy. 


At USF: Graphicstudio 

is founded in the 

Department of Fine 

Arts. Students vote 

to establish the USF 

basketball program. 

USF is admitted to the 

NCAA. The first credit 

courses are offered at 

the Sarasota-Manatee 

campus.

By Marguerite Faucher 

Class of 2010 

Now that we have a new President 

in the White House, we must end our 

partisan squabbles and focus on fixing 

the problems that plague our country. 

That’s the common opinion of USF 

students, no matter who they supported 

last fall. 

As Political Science major Kyle Beamsderfer puts it: 

Regardless of who won, the new President must certainly 

bring about change. 

But what kind of change – and how and when – is the 

crux of the issue. 

First on the list of President Barack Obama’s priorities, 

according to Beamsderfer and alumna Vanessa Tate, `07, 

must be the tanking economy. 

“It sucks,” Tate says succinctly. “We have high gas 

prices, high interest rates on credit cards and we’re in 

the midst of a mortgage crisis.” Forget about the age-old 

tradition of getting a job and buying a car or a starter home 

after college graduation with the economy like it is. 

Beamsderfer also worries about the long-term effects 

on his financial future. “I guess what I’m concerned about is 

whether I will still be able to get a job and retire comfortably 

if I can’t rely on Social Security, and how new policies will 

affect my kids and grandkids,” he says, sounding more like a 

Baby Boomer than a member of the Millennial Generation. 

Fresh out of college, Tate says that President Obama 

should focus on getting American troops out of Iraq and 

fixing our long-standing issues with Afghanistan. National 

security is crucial. “If we don’t address our issues abroad 

they can lead to serious crises,” she says. 

Tate and Beamsderfer both feel that the face of politics 

has changed with the course of this election. “In addition to 

[Barack] Obama’s success in this election, we’ve seen more 

minorities running for federal office, as well as women, with 

vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s and Hillary Clinton’s 

campaigns,” Beamsderfer says. 

As a student, Beamsderfer also is concerned about 

tuition costs and whether Obama has any plans similar to 

John Kerry’s in 2004 of reducing tuition in exchange for 

meeting specific criteria for volunteer work in the university 

community. 

“Ultimately, I do think there will be change,” he says. “I 

know what Obama promised won’t be done in four years, 

or even eight years, but I think he will lay the framework 

for how the country should be running afterwards. After the 

way it’s been going for the past few years, it’s impossible to 

expect one man to fix everything in such a short amount of 

time.” 

The American people have just as much responsibility as the 

president for what can and will be done over the next four 

years, Tate says. 

“No matter who you voted for individually, we need to 

come together as a whole, put aside our differences, and 

act in the common good,” she says. “We need to fix our 

problems.” 

Tate’s “ask-not-what-your-country-can-do-for-you” 

sentiment, made famous by President John F. Kennedy, 

seems appropriate considering some of his parallels to 

President Obama. Kennedy was young and charismatic 

and many experts-of-the-day back then wondered whether 

voters would elect the country’s first Catholic president. 

Hopefully the futures of the two men will be vastly 

different. 

“The only long-lasting changes will be due to how 

Obama governs and how America reacts,” Tate says. 

SHARE A Memory 

Excerpts of memories from 

members of the USF Alumni Association. 

I was a charter student at USF. We had so many opportunities to 

originate firsts. I starred in the first play. … Students were anxious 

for intercollegiate sports, but the administration was adamantly 

opposed. We never thought there’d be a parking problem – there 

were few buildings and no one got lost. I loved playing bridge in 

the University Center. 

Judy Harkness Groleau, `63 & Ed.S `84 

Annual Member 

I’ll never forget going off that 3-meter diving board into the Andros 

pool … on my bike. What a splash! What a crazy bet! But I 

collected. 

Ken Kralick, `86 

Life Member 

USF brought us together. From the moment we met in Epsilon 

Hall, we were inseperable. We have nothing but good memories 

of movies on the lawn, football and basketball games and 

Homecoming. USF helped our education and our love grow and for 

that, we will be Bulls fans for the rest of our lives. 

Josh and Amy Schechter, `05 

Joint Annual Members 

Share your USF memory with us. E-mail alumni@admin.usf.edu 

and write “Memory” in the subject line. 


Profile in 

Leadership 

BackOffice 

Brainchild of Tom and Trish Kennedy 

By Jeremy Canody 

The drive along Route 

28 toward Harwich, 

Massachusetts, is leisurely, 

and the surroundings are 

best described as quaint and 

traditional. This picturesque seaside 

village along the southern coast of 

Cape Cod is one of the last places you 

would expect to find a data migration 

company with a Silicon Valley vibe 

and a client list that reads like a Who’s 

Who of the world’s top corporate 

names. 

Enter BackOffice Associates, the 

brainchild of USF Class of `73 alumnus 

Tom Kennedy and his wife Trish. 

This is the little office that could. 

Technically, this little office could 

not stay little for long once word got 

out that BackOffice, which originally 

operated out of small confines above 

a Whole Foods Market, was providing 

seamless data migration and data 

governance solutions for corporations 

like Lucent and ExxonMobil. 

A decade later, the company 

employs almost 400, with offices in 

the U.S., Europe, Australia and India. 

As one of the largest employers on 

the Cape, BackOffice today is housed 

in a former lobster processing plant 

that looks nothing like its former shell. 

This impressive building stays true to 

its Cape Cod roots on the exterior and 

transforms into a sophisticated and hip 

corporate headquarters detailed with 

trendy furnishing, a gym, a cappuccino 

bar and a world-class art collection 

that speaks to all who enter, “We have 

arrived!” The attitude is anything but 

pretentious, yet the dedicated staff is 

among the highest paid in the region, 

and includes some of the most highly 

regarded and sought-after professionals 

in their industry. 

What is it about Tom Kennedy’s 

company that has made it such a 

success – topping $100 million in sales 

annually – in an area that employs 

more fisherman than developers 

of high technology for the global 

marketplace? Tom attributes his 

success to good timing, his strong 

entrepreneurial spirit and his wife, 

who possesses the business savvy 

to contract with the most successful 

companies on earth – who in turn 

endorse BackOffice’s services and 

products. 

To understand Kennedy’s formula 

for success it helps to understand the 

service his company provides and why 

they do it better than the 

competition. BackOffice 

Associates provides 

products and services 

for data governance and 

migration. In layman’s 

terms, Kennedy and 

his team assist many 

of the world’s largest 

corporations who operate 

using large and complex 

global data systems, to 

function as a fluid data 

enterprise. Specifically, 

BackOffice built the 

foundation of its business 

using SAP software – the 

world’s largest business 

software company. 

“I discovered early 

on that there was a 

demand for good data 

migration solutions,” says 

Kennedy. “Simply put, it 

5Q uestions: 

What’s the last book you 

read? Conspiracy of Fools by 

Kurt Eichenwald; Wall Street 

Journal, daily. 

What’s the last movie you 

saw? “W” 

Where is your favorite place 

in the world? Current location; 

Traveled the U.S. and the world 

and I love it all. 

What superpower would 

you like to have? See in to 

the future. 

What’s the best advice 

you’ve ever received? While 

duck hunting, my friend said, 

“You cannot shoot at a flock of 

ducks, you need to aim at one 

and pull the trigger. Best sales 

advice I ever got! 

wasn’t being done up to par and no 

one really liked doing it. I developed 

a strategy to provide data migration 

that was successful. It was something 

I could do well based on my 

background with SAP, and I realized if 

I could pull it off, there wouldn’t be a 

lot of competition.” 

Kennedy also attributes his success 

to being able to understand complex 

computer problems and coming up 

with strategies to deal with them. He 

first realized this talent (as it relates 

to computer systems) as a student 

at USF after taking two classes in 

software development while working 

toward degrees in Economics and 

Mathematics. “A light bulb went off 

in my head,” he said about the first 

time he was introduced 

to computer systems at 

USF. “At that time, you 

could not get a degree 

in computer science; 

we didn’t even know 

what a computer looked 

like. It was then that I 

realized the potential 

of computer science 

simply because it was 

so new with limitless 

possibilities. That was 

very intriguing to me.” 

Kennedy said that 

USF gave him a lot of 

opportunities to gain 

hands-on educational 

experience as an 

undergraduate, and 

he credits his college 

years as the time that 

influenced his future 

path in life. 


Photo by Joseph Gamble 

Kennedy got his first taste of his 

new career in computer programming 

in the mid-1970s. “My first semester 

of graduate school I was offered a 

job as a computer programmer, and 

realized that the classroom could wait, 

and I would rather being doing what I 

loved,” he said. “I was just blown away 

that I could do computer programming 

and they would actually pay me for it.” 

Twenty years later, Kennedy and 

his wife sold their first entrepreneurial 

venture, a successful technology 

company in Virginia, and used 

the proceeds to create BackOffice 

Associates. Massachusetts-born and 

raised in Tampa, Kennedy returned to 

his roots via Cape Cod, where he and 

his wife had a summer home. “Every 

summer Trish and I would ask each 

other, ‘Why are we leaving?’ Finally, 

we decided we weren’t going to leave 

and we relocated to the Cape to start a 

small technology company.” 

BackOffice got its start in 

400-square-feet of space with 10 

employees. While telling themselves 

they weren’t going to grow the 

company, the staff grew six-fold. 

“When only our third client was 

ExxonMobil, we knew then that we 

would have to grow – and that we 

were onto something special.” 

Just 12 years after its founding, 

BackOffice Associates today lists 

among its clients some of the most 

recognizable corporate brands in the 

world, including Johnson & Johnson, 

Bristol-Myers Squibb, Grainger, Pepsi 

and the U.S. Postal Service. Kennedy 

beams with pride when he shares 

that the company has grown 100 

percent annually for the past several 

years. Perhaps the true measure of his 

company’s success, to date, occurred 

earlier this year when Goldman Sachs 

invested $30 million in BackOffice 

Associates. “When Goldman Sachs, 

a premier investment company, is 

confident enough in our company to 

want to invest in us to position us as a 

potential public offering that tells me 

we are doing our job very well.” 

Kennedy said that their plan is 

to take the company public in 2010 

based on its growth and profitability. 

However, he says, he and Trish have 

no plans for slowing down anytime 

soon. “I love running the company. 

Working side by side with my wife for 

the past 25 years has been wonderful, 

and to see our hard work materialize 

into what we have today is very 

rewarding.” 

The self-professed workaholics do 

find time away from the office. Tom 

and Trish enjoy sharing the fruits of 

their labor with family and friends. 

Aside from the traditional Sunday 

dinner the couple shares with their 

four sons (all in high school), they 

enjoy spending time fishing on their 

boat and attending the kids’ football 

games. 

“Very seldom do we take time 

to slow down and look back to 

what brought us to the point we 

are at today,” Kennedy said. “Since 

graduating from USF, I never could 

have imagined that I would be where 

I am today. It’s been a great ride and I 

look forward to seeing what the future 

will hold.” 


Employ-A-Bull 

Employ-a-Bull 

Get ahead of the pack 

with these tips from 

executive recruiter 

Jim Weber. 

Class of `77 & MBA `82 

By now, everyone knows that the 

business cycle is in a recession and the 

unemployment rate is increasing. It has 

been a difficult couple of months, with projections 

of further economic contraction for the next two 

quarters. 

Everyone I know is apprehensive. You may 

know someone who has just lost their job: a 

relative, maybe a neighbor, or a friend. You may be 

aware of co-workers who have been discharged; 

maybe you’re a little concerned about keeping 

your job. 

Whether you are currently looking for 

another job or you just want to be prepared in the 

event the unthinkable happens, there are some 

fundamental actions you can take to ensure that 

your time between jobs is kept to a minimum. 

Here are my Top 10 tips for a successful job 

search: 

n Make a plan. Clearly define what you seek 

in a job with respect to industry, job function, 

responsibility, location, compensation, etc. 

that you can communicate easily. Multiple 

employment strategies will help improve your 

potential for success. Set goals and objectives 

to support your strategies and monitor your 

progress. 

n Craft an “elevator speech.” You should be 

able to summarize your background and career 

interests into a 30-second presentation – the 

time it takes to ride in an elevator. Time is 

valuable, attention, even more so. 

n Build a team. Did you know that upwards 

of 80% of job openings are filled through 

person-to-person networking? That’s where 

you must put your time and energy. Enlist 

friends, neighbors, family, fellow church-goers, 

Your Top 10 Job 

Search Tips 

USF Alumni Association resources and your 

extended network to help spread the word of 

your availability and abilities. These folks can 

serve as your own personal sales force. 

n Create a resume, cover letter and business 

cards. During a job search, think of yourself as 

a product. You need tools to market a product 

effectively. An error-free resume, with an 

introductory cover letter and simple business 

cards with your personal contact information 

are critical to your success. 

n Build a website. Every Internet service 

provider gives its subscribers the potential 

to build a one-to-three page website. Create 

one – it doesn’t have to be fancy – and use 

it to passively sell your capabilities. Be sure 

to include keywords in your industry that will 

come up in an online search. 

n Use business and social networking 

sites. LinkedIn, Plaxo Pulse, 

and Facebook, to name a few, 

will keep your network updated 

on your progress and help 

you connect with potential 

employers. Obviously, you’ll 

want these pages to be strictly 

professional, so you may want 

to create separate pages during 

your job search and make your 

personal social networking 

pages private. 

n Launch an e-mail campaign. 

Keep your network and 

prospective employers updated 

on your progress so that you 

will be top-of-mind as these people learn of 

opportunities that may work for you. Reinforce 

your job goals and aspirations. 

n Consider executive recruiters. Build a 

relationship with two to three recruiters who 

are in a position to bring opportunities to you. 

And remember, that this relationship is a twoway 

street. If you came across an interesting 

job opportunity on your own that wasn’t right 

for you, tell them about it so they can shop it to 

other clients. 

n Use job boards in moderation. They are 

a good source of potential job opportunities, 

but have a low probability of landing that next 

great job opportunity. Don’t spend all day at the 

computer. Get out of the house to meet with 

people who can help you. 

n Have some kind of telephone answering 

service. Be ready for that long-awaited call 

from a prospective employer. Make sure the 

message on your machine is professional, 

appropriate and recorded in your voice. A cell 

phone contact number may be ideal, especially 

if you have children at home who answer 

the phone. Or consider contracting with a 

professional answering service. 

Looking for a job is a full time job. Having 

said that, be careful not to put too much overtime 

into it. Rejection, a natural byproduct of a job 

search, can lead to stress and frustration, which 

can create a very negative attitude. Employers will 

pick up on that. 

Do yourself a favor: find some balance. 

Spend time with family and friends. Catch up on 

industry-related reading. It’ll make you sound 

sharp during interviews. Focus on your health. 

Exercise makes you look and feel better, which 

can only help during a job search. Stay upbeat, 

motivated and energized – that next 

great job is out there – you just 

have to find it. 

USF Alumni Association Board 

Member Jim Weber is the founder 

of New Century Dynamics, Inc., an 

executive search firm for the food 

service industry. If you have career 

questions for Jim, e-mail them to 

us at alumni@admin.usf.edu and 

put “Employ-A-Bull” in the subject 

line. 

Career Calendar 

Jan. 29 – USF St. Petersburg Career Fair, 

11 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit www.stpt.edu/career/ for 

details. 

Feb. 5 - USF Tampa Career Networking Fair 

for Alumni and Students, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sun 

Dome. Visit www.career.usf.edu/ for details. 

Feb 26 - USF Tampa Public Service Career 

Fair for Alumni and Students, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., 

Marshall Center Ballroom. Visit www.career.usf. 

edu/ for details. 

March 13 – BIG EAST Career Fair in NYC, 10 

a.m. – 3 p.m. Madison Square Garden. Call (813) 

974-2171 for details. 

April 1-3 - BIG EAST Virtual Career Fair. Call 

(813) 974-2171 for details. 


featured 

member benefit 

MOSI Discounts 

Tampa’s Museum of Science & Industry, where USF 

Alumni Association members receive a 20 percent 

discount on museum and IMAX ® memberships, is 

ready to unveil an exhibition unlike anything you’ve 

ever seen before! 

Body Worlds 

The Anatomical Exhibition of 

Real Human Bodies 

& The Story of the Heart 

is on display at MOSI from 

Jan. 22 to June 28 

The 17,000-square-foot exhibit takes up MOSI’s entire first floor. It 

features 200 real human bodies and organs that were acquired through a 

donation program. The specimens are displayed in a manner that offers a fascinating 

perspective on the intricacies and inner workings of the human body. 

The bodies were prepared for display using plastination, a preservation technique 

invented by German anatomist and exhibit developer Dr. Gunther von Hagens. 

More than 26 million people worldwide have been both educated and amazed 

by the exhibit and the very real-life lessons it teaches on the importance of living 

a healthy lifestyle. MOSI’s installment is the exhibition’s debut in Florida. 

In addition to discounts on MOSI and IMAX memberships, USF Alumni Association 

members also receive a $3 discount on admission to the Body Worlds & The Story 

of the Heart exhibit. Visit www.USFalumni.org, click on Join Today, select Member 

Benefits and log in to the Members Only section of the website to download your 

discount coupon. 

MOSI is located at 4801 E. Fowler Avenue in Tampa. Learn more about the Body Worlds 

& The Story of the Heart exhibition and the museum’s other fascinating offerings, 

such as the hurricane and jet fighter simulators, at www.MOSI.org. 

MOSI 

Summer is coming soon. MOSI Summer Science Camp, 

now in its 29th year, creates enriching experiences that 

are exciting and fun. It also offers extended care from 7-9 

a.m. and 4-6 p.m. daily, as well as a lunch option (fees 

apply). MOSI members receive an exclusive discounted 

rate on all camps! Register at www.campfun.org. 


29

classnotes 

60s 

Dr. A. Nicholas Gutierrez, Zoology `65, is a 

fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and 

Gynecologists and has been affiliated with the St. 

Joseph’s Hospital since 1976. 

70s 

Dr. Frank Gibbs, `70, M.A. School Counseling 

`73 & Ed.D `95, executive director of the Heartland 

Educational Consortium, received the Lamp of 

Knowledge Award from the Florida Association of 

School Administrators at their annual conference 

held in Naples last August. The award is given to 

one person annually who has made outstanding 

contributions to the field of public education. 

Gibbs began his career as a mathematics teacher 

at Hardee Senior High in 1970. He served as a 

guidance counselor at Hardee, then as principal 

of the south campus of Hardee Junior High and 

later, interim principal of Hardee High. He moved 

to district headquarters as director of Personnel 

and Staff Development, and later became assistant 

superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, then 

assistant superintendent of Business Management. 

He became executive director of the Heartland 

Educational Consortium in 1996. During his 

tenure, the district secured more than $33 million 

in grants. He also coordinated the annual HEC 

Leadership Conference, which features national and 

international education experts. He is past board 

chairman of the West Central Regional Development 

Network and currently serves as president of the 

Florida Learning Alliance. He also serves on the 

board of the Florida Grant Developers Network and 

the Florida Department of Education’s State Advisory 

Committee for School Improvement. He plans to 

retire in February. 

Rex Ledo, Management `70, is 

director of Corporate Recruitment/H.R 

for GoSolutions, Inc., a VillageEDOCS 

Company located in St. Petersburg, FL. 

In addition to his responsibilities at 

GoSolutions, Ledo also supports other business units 

of VillageEDOCS, with offices located in Georgia and 

California. Prior to joining the VillageEDOCS Group, 

Ledo was director of Client Development for Sterling 

Management Resources in Tampa. 

Roger Palmer, Art `70 & MFA `73, earned Best 

in Drawing honors in Creative Loafing magazine’s 

“2008 Best of the Bay” issue for his solo show, “War 

Dogs,” at the USF Contemporary Art Museum. 

Jeffrey Neil Fox, Psychology `75, owner 

of Bucs and Bulls Heaven, has authored a 

children’s book, Hello, Rocky! In the story, 

USF mascot Rocky D. Bull is born to Mr. 

and Mrs. Bull, both USF alumni. Each page 

features a snapshot of Rocky’s life as a USF Bull, 

from cheering on the Bulls from the stands, his first 


day of college at USF and graduation. The 

book’s illustrations were drawn from hundreds 

of photographs Fox has taken of fans, campus 

landmarks and games. A hardback copy of Hello, 

Rocky! is available for $15.99 at Bucs and Bulls 

Heaven on North Florida Ave. in Tampa or online at 

www.BullsHeaven.com. 

Bill Barnes, Biology `77, was elected 

as president of the Eastern Region of 

the International Plant Propagators’ 

Society. Barnes owns Lorax Farms in 

Warrington, PA, where he offers a 

variety of services from plant production research, 

consulting, wholesale seed production and plant 

finding for commercial landscapers, botanic gardens 

and arboretums. The International Plant Propagators’ 

Society is a nonprofit organization of over 2,100 

members organized into eight separate regions 

around the world. 

Lisa Berman Shaw, English `77, magna cum 

laude, received her MFA in Writing from Brooklyn 

College in 1981. She is an English professor and 

two-time Endowed Teaching Chair at Miami Dade 

College. AXIS, the college creative arts magazine 

she co-advises, won nine awards including best 

cover at the Florida Community College Press 

Association Conference in October. She is advising 

an Honors College student delegation to The 

Washington Center for Internships and Academic 

Seminars this month to study the inaugural process 

and attend inaugural events. She is currently 

pursuing an additional Masters degree in practical 

theology at St. Thomas University. Visit her blog at 

www.reikidogs.blogspot.com. 

Ron Reagan, Business Administration `77, is 

serving his fourth term in Florida House District 67. 

He was first elected in 2002. He is an insurance 

agent at MGA Insurance Group in Lakewood 

Ranch. He is married, lives in Bradenton and has 

three grown children and two grandchildren. He 

has volunteered at youth recreation programs, the 

Salvation Army and on fundraisers for the Lakewood 

Ranch High School. 

Nancy Canner, Management `78, is a 

principal partner in Lewis B. Freeman & 

Partners, Forensic Accountants. She also 

is Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) 

from the American Institute of Certified 

Public Accountants (AICPA) Council. 

Dr. Dave McGrew, Biology & Interdisciplinary 

Natural Science `79 & M.D. `82, has been the 

medical director for Hernando-Pasco Hospice for 

nearly 30 years. He was the 2008 recipient of the 

Josefina B. Mango Distinguished Hospice Physician 

Award, a national lifetime achievement award given 

by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative 

Medicine. 

80s 

Sandra S. Williams, Accounting `80 & MHA `93, 

was appointed chief financial officer for Cape Fear 

Valley Health System. Williams, a CPA and a native 

of St. Petersburg, FL, has more than 28 years of 

professional finance experience. She was previously 

executive vice president and chief financial officer 

for Christus Spohn Health System in Corpus Christi, 

Texas. 

James P. Jacoby, Mass Communications, `81, 

was named vice principal at San Diego’s School for 

the Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA). Recognized 

by the State of California as a Distinguished School, 

SCPA is the preeminent creative and performing 

arts school in Southern California. Jacoby brings 

his academic enrichment program, “Teaching 

Communication Skills Through the Use of Video” 

(TCTV) to SCPA. Jacoby’s TCTV program has been 

implemented by the California State University (CSU) 

Migrant Scholars Program, Language Immersion 

Project and Upward Bound programs. Jacoby holds 

an M.A. in Mass Communications from California 

State University-Fresno, and an M.S. in Special 

Education. He is credentialed in Administrative 

Services, Special Education, Vocational Education 

(Multimedia Productions & Telecommunications), 

Health Sciences and also is a highly qualified 

teacher in Chemistry and Biology. Jacoby, his wife 

Carla and son Derek reside in the community of Mira 

Mesa, a suburb of San Diego, California. 

Thomas A. Williams, Economics `81, was named 

senior vice president and chief financial officer 

of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. (RDA). 

Williams joined RDA from Affinion Group, Inc., of 

Norwalk, CT., where he served as executive vice 

president & CFO for the past two years. Before that, 

he spent more than 20 years with AT&T, ultimately 

becoming CFO for AT&T’s Network, Customer 

Service & Merger Synergies Division. Before joining 

Affinion Group in 2006, Williams held a progression 

of senior financial positions at AT&T Networks, 

including: CFO, Customer Service & Merger 

Synergy, 2005 to 2006; CFO, Global Networking 

Technology Services, 2004 to 2005; and V.P. of 

Customer Experience & Chief Process Officer, 2002 

to 2004. In the latter capacity, he led re-engineering 

of all customer-facing processes. He began his 

career with AT&T in 1985 as a financial analyst in 

Investor Relations and a project manager in the Bell 

Laboratories. Williams completed the Executive 

Education Program at Duke University, Fuqua 

School of Business. Charitable boards on which he 

has served include the New Jersey Occupational 

Training Center, Morris Country and the Yogi Berra 

Museum. 

Glenn Magner, American Studies `82 received 

the National Order of the Legion of Honor, France’s 

highest award. He was honored with the rank of 

Knight at a private ceremony in Beverly Hills, CA

Don’t be shy Alumni! We’d like to include your news 

and photos in Class Notes. Send in your information 

to: kjackson@admin.usf.edu or you can mail your 

information & photo to: 

Karla Jackson 




4202 E. Fowler Ave., ALC100 

Tampa, FL 33620-5455 

on Dec. 5. The presentation was made by visiting 

French Ambassador Pierre Vimont, in recognition 

of Magner’s distinguished service in France during 

World War II. Magner is retired from his career 

as an air traffic controller for the Federal Aviation 

Authority in Tampa and now lives in Pueblo, CO. 

Anastasia Arena, Speech `83, is a self-employed 

food and liquor distributor living in Coral Springs, 

FL. She is divorced and has three children: Christine, 

who attends FSU, Nicholas, who plays football, 

baseball and soccer at St. Thomas Aquinas High and 

Joseph, who is a freshman at St. Thomas Aquinas. 

She likes to travel, work out and enjoys photography. 

Katie Dumala, Accounting `83, magna cum 

laude, was one of VARBusiness magazine’s 2008 

Most Powerful Women of the Channel. She is 

vice president, marketing services, at Tech Data 

Corporation. Dumala oversees the development 

and implementation of Tech Data’s channel 

marketing initiatives. She joined Tech Data in 1998 

as director of budgeting. Since then, she has held 

several leadership positions, including director of 

Sales Operations and vice president of Sales and 

Marketing Operations, before being named to her 

current role in 2006. She has more than 20 years 

experience as a senior operations and finance 

executive in both retail and high-tech companies. 

Dumala also is a board member for Centre for 

Women, a nonprofit organization in the Tampa 

Bay area dedicated to providing individuals of all 

ages and gender a wide range of support services, 

including substance abuse assistance, family 

counseling, mentoring and job placement. Prior 

to Tech Data, Dumala was manager of business 

analysis and an internal auditor with Publix 

Supermarkets. She also was a senior accountant 

with KPMG Peat Marwick. She is a certified public 

accountant. 

Maria Saraceno, M.S. Audiology `83, Art `99 & 

MFA `05, along with Yoko Nogami, MFA Studio Arts 

`06, opened their video installation project, “Dreams: 

Untitled,” at the Dunedin Fine Art Center last fall. 

The exhibit is an interactive video project, directing 

viewers’ participation to share their dreams as part 

of the installation. The artists were interviewed by 

WMNF 88.5 “Art in Your Ear” program on Sept. 12. 

Saraceno also debuted her “Blooms” exhibition at 

the Art Center of Manatee in October. 

Dr. Scott Simonet, Natural Sciences 

`83 & Ph.D Medical Sciences `88, 

executive director of research and 

interim head of the Metabolic 

Therapeutic Area at Amgen, spoke at 

USF Health in October on “From Genomics Discovery 

of OPG and RANKL to Development of Denosumab: 

The Future of Targeting the Osteoclast for Bone 

Therapy.” Simonet’s research was featured in the 

August issue of The Scientist. 

Lisa Annaheim, Accounting `84, is director of 

Lowe Enterprises Shared Accounting Services. She 

works with the accounting teams in the Brentwood, 

CA, office of Lowe Enterprises. 

Donald Lott, Sociology `84, has been elevated in 

his personal ministry to the office of Apostle and 

his church has found a parcel of land for purchase. 

Lott and his wife Tiffany will celebrate their 11th 

anniversary this month. They have three children: 

Deminick, DaVejon and Adonna. 

Liz Menendez, Finance `84, is a sales 

associate with Coldwell Banker. She 

recently earned the Certified Commercial 

Investment Member (CCIM) designation 

after two years of comprehensive 

preparation for the exam. Menendez was one 

of only 400 realtors taking the exam and one of 

seven women to earn the designation in Florida. 

She is now a recognized expert in the disciplines 

of commercial and investment real estate and 

among only six percent of the estimated 150,000 

commercial real estate practitioners nationwide to 

hold a CCIM designation. 

Robert E. (Bob) Senton, Political Science `84, 

earned a Juris Doctorate from Capital University 

Law School in Columbus, Ohio in 1987. He is 

president of Universal Endeavors, Inc. in Melbourne, 

FL, and was recently appointed as an adjunct 

professor in the College of Business at Florida 

Institute of Technology in Melbourne. He teaches 

Advanced Business Law. 

Sharon Everidge, Mass Communications `85, 

helps manage Jackie’s Dance Theatre and Gym 

in Plant City, where she has worked since 1984 

with her mother, longtime dance instructor, “Miss 

Jackie,” and her father, Buddy Everidge. Miss 

Jackie’s studio has been a fixture in Plant City 

since 1958. In September, they were honored as 

Champions of the Arts by the Plant City Arts Council. 

David Puckett, Management `85, was nominated 

as a CNN Hero for founding PIPO Missions, which 

brings ongoing prosthetic and orthotic care to those 

in need. Since November 2000, he has helped more 

than 420 people in southeastern Mexico, free of 

charge. 

Leslie Smith Granich, Special Ed. `85 & M.Ed 

`94, was profiled in the Sept. 3rd issue of the 

Brandon News. She is principal of Brandon High, 

having served previously as teacher, department 

head, ESE exceptional student education specialist, 

assistant principal for student affairs and assistant 

principal for curriculum since arriving at the school 

in 1990. 

Domenic Meffe, Finance `86, heads 

Triad Isotopes, a nuclear pharmaceutical 

company. In its first year, the Orlandobased 

corporation brought in $120 

million, and now has grown from 

approximately 25 employees to over 300, and has 

acquired or opened 32 facilities. Triad Isotopes 

provides nuclear medicines that help diagnose and 

treat cardiac and cancer conditions. As president 

and CEO, Meffe’s key role is to help develop and 

execute the company’s strategic plan. Previously, 

Meffe owned several Chuck E. Cheese franchises 

and ran the Weight-Rite golf shoe company. In 

the 1990’s, he started his own pharmacy benefits 

management (PBM) company, sold it, and started 

another. He sold the second company to Columbia/ 

HCA, a large hospital chain and ran the division for 

them for a couple of years. In 1997, Meffe moved 

to Nebraska to run Coram Prescription Services, 

Inc., a small home infusion branch. It was then that 

he recognized the need for easier access to special 

medicines, because his sister, who was dealing 

with cancer, had difficulty finding a pharmacy that 

stocked the medicines she needed. He bought out 

Coram Prescription Services, Inc. and renamed it 

Curascript. Meffe moved Curascript to Orlando, and 

the firm grew to become one of the nation’s largest 

specialty pharmacy companies. He sold Curascript in 

2004 to Express Scripts, and in 2006, Meffe retired 

from Curascript, which led him to where he is today 

at Triad. 

Donnie Mills, Marketing `87, executive vice 

president and general manager of Busch Gardens 

and Adventure Island in Tampa, was named to the 

key leadership position for Worlds of Discovery 

Dubai. In his new role as executive vice president 

and managing director, Mills is responsible for all 

aspects of the staging and operation of Worlds 

of Discovery Dubai – SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, 

Discovery Cove and Aquatica – parks developed 

in partnership with Nakheel PJSC, a Dubai World 

company and one of the world’s largest and most 

innovative real estate developers. Mills will 

maintain all his current responsibilities at Busch 

Gardens and Adventure Island into 2009 and will 

transition fully into the new role in 2010. Mills 

has worked at five of the 10 Worlds of Discovery 

parks over the course of his 35 years with Busch 

Entertainment Corp. He started at Busch Gardens 

Tampa Bay as a seasonal employee in 1974 while 

still in high school. Prior to returning to Tampa, 

Mills was executive vice president and general 

manager of Busch Gardens and Water Country 

USA in Williamsburg, Va. He also has served as 

Park Operations vice president at Busch Gardens 

Europe, SeaWorld in San Diego and Busch Gardens 

in Tampa. 


31

classnotes 

Jim Atchison, Marketing `88, is chief 

operating officer of Busch Entertainment 

Corp., the family entertainment 

subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch. He’s 

been with Busch for more than 20 years, 

starting out parking cars and greeting guests. He 

spoke to students and faculty as part of the College 

of Business’ Distinguished Speaker Series last 

September. 

Sloane Golden, M.A. English `88, has 

written Fish On! Secrets of the Snook 

Whisperer, published by Authorhouse. 

An existential guide to landing the 

wiley snook, the book’s forward was 

written by former Tampa Bay Lightning Coach John 

Tortorella. The book is available at Amazon.com, 

BarnesandNoble.com and authorhouse.com. 

Rick Cheesman, Managment `89, worked at 

Tampa’s Bern’s Steakhouse while attending USF, 

and became general manager after graduation. He 

was Bern’s G.M. for 10 years before leaving to help 

start the Sullivan’s steakhouse chain. After that, 

Cheesman, his wife Lori and son Justin, settled 

in Charlotte, NC, where he became G.M. of Del 

Frisco’s, an upscale restaurant in the Southpark area. 

Kathy Cook, Instrumental Music 

Education `89, was presented with one 

of the first Music Educator of the Year 

Awards presented by the Sarasota 

Orchestra. Cook teaches at Braden River 

High in East Manatee. She has taught orchestra in 

Manatee County for 20 years, and is the Orchestra 

Director, AP Music Theory teacher and Tri-M Music 

Honor Society Chapter Adviser at Braden River High. 

A Sarasota native who now lives in Ruskin, she 

is a graduate of Riverview High School, Manatee 

Community College, the University of South Florida, 

National-Louis University and is a National Board 

Certified Teacher. 

Shane Gunderson, Communications `89, was 

published in Resistance Studies magazine, which is 

affiliated with the University of Göteborg in Sweden. 

In his article, “Social Movement, Spectacle, 

and Momentum,” he discusses how resistance 

movements may gain momentum, as popular 

intellectuals facilitate and combine ideological work 

with political initiative. Last October, he presented 

the article at Syracuse University at the Visible 

Memories Conference. 

90s 

Michael A.G. Burton, `90 and MBA 

`03, a WilsonMiller vice president, 

has been named corporate leader of 

Ecological & Water Resources. He is 

now responsible for the business 

unit’s operations throughout the firm’s 11 offices. 

Additionally, he will continue to serve as vice 

president and manager of Environmental Aquatic 

Control (EAC), a wholly owned WilsonMiller 

subsidiary that provides ecological restoration 

services statewide. Previously, Burton was chief 

operating officer, vice president, principal scientist, 

and co-owner of the EAC Group of companies, which 

WilsonMiller acquired in May 2007. 

Brenda S. Fulmer, Finance `90, has joined 

the South Florida law firm of Searcy Denney 

Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A. as a shareholder. 

Her practice primarily focuses in the areas of 

pharmaceutical and medical device mass torts 

litigation on behalf of claimants in state and federal 

courts. Fulmer has complex experience with personal 

injury and mass tort cases. Prior to joining Searcy 

Denney, she served as shareholder and managing 

partner in the Tampa firm of Alley, Clark, Greiwe & 

Fulmer and represented thousands of claimants in 

state and federal courts. After graduating from USF 

with a B.S. in Finance in 1990, she received her J.D. 

degree, cum laude, from Stetson College of Law. 

She is a volunteer with Bay Area Legal Services and 

Trial Lawyers Care, an organization providing pro 

bono legal services to victims of 9/11. 

Jade Dellinger, Art `91, and a CVPA Distinguished 

Alumnus and independent curator, was interviewed 

last fall for a story that appeared on Channel 10 in 

Tampa on the MashUp exhibition, which he curated, 

at the USF Contemporary Art Museum. 

Kathi Hamilton Gaston, Marketing `92, and her 

husband Steve, launched Digitalphotomats.com in 

October. The couple resides in Sarasota, FL. 

Andy MacMillin, Marketing `92, 

was promoted to associate creative 

director of Push, an Orlando advertising 

agency. MacMillin, a Push team member 

for more than seven years, guides 

the direction and conceptual strategy of creative 

projects for a number of clients, including Orlando 

Health, Tavistock Group, Tijuana Flats and K. 

Hovnanian Cambridge Homes. 

Robert G. Turner, Business `92, was named 

president and publisher of the Bradenton Herald 

in September. Turner, a 29-year Bradenton Herald 

employee, has served as the newspaper’s vice 

president of operations since 1996. Turner, 56, 

first joined the Bradenton Herald in 1979 as retail 

advertising manager. He was advertising director 

from 1983 to 1988 and general manager from 1988 

to 1996. Turner has worked with the Manatee 

Chamber of Commerce for the past 14 years. He 

served on the board of directors from 1990 to 1995 

and was chairman of the board in 1994. Since 

2000, he has served on the chamber’s Economic 

Development Council board of directors and was the 

council’s chairman-elect in 2008. 

Faye Culp, M.A. Art Education `93, fulfilled the 

requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education 

in Educational Leadership from Argosy University/ 

Sarasota. Culp has been a teacher, a member of the 

Hillsborough County School Board, and served on 

several Education Committees as a member of the 

Florida House of Representatives. She is serving 

her fourth term as representative for Florida House 

District 57. 

Pat Utter, MBA `93, Collier Enterprises’ vice 

president of commercial real estate, is part 

of Leadership Florida’s 27th class. Leadership 

Florida’s mission is to build a statewide network of 

leaders with a shared commitment to connecting 

communities and bettering Florida living. Utter is a 

graduate of the 1996 Leadership Collier program. 

Kathy Iwanowski, Studio Arts `94, 

taught two mask-making workshops in 

October at the Dunedin Fine Arts Center. 

One of the workshops was designed 

for people who have challenges doing 

visual art such as poor eyesight/blindness, fatigue/ 

weakness, or other disabilities. She is a nurse, 

painter and sculptor, experimental sound designer, 

writer and professional speaker on creativity and 

wellness. Since 2005, she has been an artist-inresidence 

with VSA Arts of Florida. Visit her website 

at http://kathyiwanowski.com/. 

Jeff Orloff, Professional Technical Writing `94, has 

written his first book, How to Do Everything with 

Ubuntu, published by McGraw-Hill Professional. He 

works for the Department of Dropout Prevention/ 

Alternative Education for the Palm Beach school 

district. 

Marcy Theobald, Creative Writing- 

Fiction `94, is an account director for 

Carabiner Communications. She has 

more than 12 years of experience 

developing corporate key messaging 

and marketing, media, investor, employee, partner 

and analyst communications programs. Theobald 

has developed communications programs for public, 

private and start-up technology companies, for 

merger and acquisitions, executive transitions, 

product and services launches, and investor-related 

announcements. Prior to joining Carabiner, she 

worked for Vigilar, an information security consulting 

company, where she was responsible for the 

company’s corporate communications program. 

Theobald was also responsible for launching the 

company’s custom magazine and its corresponding 

online magazine and blog. She gained marketing 

communications expertise while working at 

iMedeon, a mobile workforce management start- 

32 






Karla Jackson 





Tampa, FL 33620-5455 

up, where she developed marketing messages and 

collateral materials. Additionally, she held public 

and investor relations positions at S1 Corporation, 

a provider of banking software solutions. She 

also served in public relations positions at Hayes 

Corporation and Boca Research, both publicly-held 

computer hardware manufacturers. During her 

career Marcy’s media relations strategies have 

generated coverage from BusinessWeek, CIO 

Magazine, Information Security Magazine, SC 

Magazine, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, 

The Atlanta Journal Constitution, NPR, CNN and 

ABC News, amongst others. 

Frances Vaughn Wilder, MSPH `94 

& Ph.D Public Health `98, executive 

director of the Arthritis Research 

Institute of America (ARIA), and Paul 

E. Leaverton, Ph.D, former chairman 

of the University of South Florida’s Department 

of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, wrote the 

“On Biostatistics” chapter in the International 

Encyclopedia of Public Health, published by Elsevier. 

Dr. Wilder is an affiliate assistant professor in USF’s 

Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She 

is a member of the Orthopedic Research Society, 

the British Society of Rheumatology, the Association 

of Rheumatology Health Professionals and the 

Osteoarthritis Research Society International. ARIA 

is a nonprofit organization whose research has been 

published in prestigious medical journals such as 

Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, Rheumatology and The 

American Journal of Physical Therapy. 

Colleen Fitzgerald, Esq., Political 

Science `95, has joined the Tampa office 

of the Carlton Fields law firm. She has 

experience in the areas of judicial and 

administrative litigation, appellate 

practice, land use law and property rights litigation. 

She is a member of the firm’s Government Law & 

Consulting and Real Property Litigation practice 

groups. Prior to joining Carlton Fields, Fitzgerald 

practiced as an associate with GrayRobinson, P.A. 

She received her J.D. with honors from U.F. in 1999. 

David Jenkins, Theatre Performance `95, was 

named Best Artistic Director in Creative Loafing 

magazine’s “2008 Best of the Bay” issue. Jenkins 

earned an MFA at UF and is in his 10th year as 

artistic director of Jobsite Theatre. 

Gene Haines, Criminology `97, and his wife 

Holly, are the proud grandparents of new baby Bull 

Wyatt Michael Harms, born Oct. 3, 2008. Wyatt 

was 8 lbs, 4 oz., and approx. 19” long. Mother and 

father are Jill and Lance Harms. Gene is a member 

of the Alumni Association board of directors, past 

president of the USF Pinellas County Alumni Chapter 

and co-founder of the Bullbackers. 

Daron Hawkins, Theatre Education `97, is a 

drama teacher at Riverview High and earned 

a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from New York 

University. He has built the high school’s drama 

department into a respected program with more 

than 160 students. 

Nancy Reiter, International Studies & Economics 

`97 & M.A. Economics `98, spoke at USF on Sept. 4 

about her book Unplugged: How to Disconnect from 

the Rat Race, Have an Existential Crisis, and Find 

Meaning and Fulfillment. For more details about the 

book, visit www.UnplugYourHead.com. 

Andrew Bokan, History `98, was 

recently elected as a member-at-large 

to the 2009 Executive Council of the 

Lee County Bar Association. As part of 

his five-year commitment, Bokan will 

progress to become president of the Lee County Bar 

Association in his fifth year of service. He was also 

elected to the Lee County YMCA board of directors 

last fall. Bokan, an associate in the Family Law 

division of Henderson, Franklin, Starnes & Holt, P.A. 

in Fort Myers, has served as president of the Young 

Lawyers division of the Lee County Bar Association 

and chair of the Law in the Mall program. He is a 

member of the Young Professionals of Lee County 

and a volunteer mentor and judge for the Teen Court 

of Lee County. After earning his undergraduate 

degree at USF, Bokan earned his J.D. at University 

of Maryland. 

Gregory L. Dawkins, Civil 

Engineering `98, was promoted to 

City Traffic Engineer for the City of 

Birmingham, Alabama. He oversees 

a staff of 81, a budget of over $9 

million and is responsible for maintaining over 700 

signalized intersections. 

Cheryl A. Kassed, MSPH `98, MSMS `00 & 

Ph.D Medical Sciences `02, and her colleagues at 

Thomson Reuters in Washington, D.C., published 

a report in Health Affairs last fall predicting 

that spending on the nation’s mental health and 

substance abuse treatment will increase to $239 

billion by 2014, with the public sector bearing the 

burden of most of this spending. The article is : Levit 

K.R., Kassed C.A., Coffey R.M., Mark T.L., Stranges 

E.M., Buck J.A., Vandivort-Warren R. (2008) 

“Future Funding For Mental Health And Substance 

Abuse: Increasing Burdens For The Public Sector.” 

Additional findings are available in their report for 

the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 

Administration (SAMHSA) report, “Projections of 

National Expenditures For Mental Health Services 

and Substance Abuse Treatment 2004–2014,” 

(DHHS Publication No. SMA 08-4326). Other 

recent publications include: Mark T.L, Kassed C.A., 

Vandivort-Warren R., Levit K.R, Kranzler H.R. (2008) 

“Alcohol and Opioid Dependence Medications: 

Prescription Trends, Overall and by Physician 

Specialty,” and also: Kassed C., Lewandowski D., 

MacCracken L., Pickens G., Ray G., Ray L. (2008) 

“Delayed Arrival: The Domestic Healthcare Traveler,” 

Thomson Reuters White Paper, September 2008. 

David Audet, Art `99, was named as Best 

Curator of a Local Film Festival in Creative Loafing 

magazine’s “2008 Best of the Bay” issue. He was 

recognized for the Ybor Festival of the Moving 

Image. 

Casanova Nurse, Geography `99, 

returned to Florida Oct. 6 to accept the 

position of chief meteorologist at WTXL- 

TV in Tallahassee. This is his second 

employment at the station and the first 

opportunity in his career as chief meteorologist. 

Following graduation from USF, Nurse earned 

his certificate of broadcast meteorology from 

Mississippi State University in 2003. He served as 

an intern at Tampa TV stations WTVT and WFLA 

before initially working at WTXL in 2003, where he 

eventually manned the weekday morning weather 

position for three years before joining KIAH-TV in 

Houston, Texas, in 2006, as weekend meteorologist. 

While in Houston, Nurse earned the coveted 

Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) designation 

from the American Meteorological Society and 

became the first television meteorologist in 

Tallahassee to hold the CBM Seal. 

00s 

Matthew Buckmaster, M.M. `01 & Ph.D Music 

`06, has published a book based on his dissertation 

completed at USF in 2006. The book, titled 

Successful Teaching Strategies of American College 

Trombone Professors, was published by VDM Verlag 

in Saarbrücken, Germany, in 2008. It is available 

via multiple international distributors, including 

Amazon.com. Dr. Buckmaster is currently a tenuretrack 

faculty member serving as coordinator of music 

education at Elon University in North Carolina. 

Maria Colaco, Dance `01, is founder of 

MariaColacoDance, a New York City-based dance/ 

theatre company comprised entirely of USF alumni. 

The company was awarded the prestigious Dance 

Theater Workshop Outer/Space residency for 2008- 

2009. The award will allow Maria and company to 

develop their latest endeavor, India Project. All 11 

members of MariaColacoDance are USF alumni, 

who are professional actors and/or dancers living 

and working in New York City. Colaco’s production, 

“Eye Candy,” was selected for the 10th annual New 

York International Fringe Festival last fall. Visit their 

website at http://www.mariacolaco.com/. 

Brandon Dunlap, Art `01, and his collaborator, 

tied with another entry for “Best in Wearable Art” in 


33

classnotes 

Creative Loafing magazine’s “2008 Best of the Bay” 

issue. They were noted for creating dresses paired 

with Dunlap’s distinctive, multi-layered silkscreens. 

Tonya Monique Spatcher 

Brinkley, Special Education `01, was 

the 2008 recipient of the Ida S. Baker 

Diversity Educator of the Year Award, 

named in honor of the first African 

American to be named deputy superintendent by the 

Florida Department of Education. The award is given 

to educators who go above and beyond the call to 

meet the needs of the county’s diverse student body. 

Brinkley set up a teacher/mentor program for 

students who were underachieving, started 

groups for boys and girls that provide coaching 

on academics and social skills, and serves as 

team leader for teachers of students with various 

disabilities. She also started a “Biggest Loser” 

competition for 50 staff members in 2007 that 

helped them lose a collective 200 pounds. Brinkley 

won a cruise for two, college scholarships, $1,000 

cash, tickets to local attractions and a limousine ride 

to school. 

Rob Carpenter III, Management 

`02 & MBA `04, was promoted to 

human resources manager for the 

Target Import warehouse located in 

Savannah, GA. He is responsible for the 

day-to-day activities of the entire human resources 

team as well as driving companywide change and 

development within the building. He previously 

worked for Target as a senior human resources 

business partner at their Chambersburg, PA, 

distribution center. 

Katie Giglio, M.Ed `02, was nominated for 

the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce 

Young Professionals Tomorrow’s Leaders Today 

program. The St. Petersburg Young Professional 

engages young leaders, ages 22-40, by providing 

opportunities to expand professional and personal 

horizons and help members get involved in the St. 

Pete business and cultural scene to impact the 

current and future marketplace. Giglio is director of 

alumni programs for the USF Alumni Association. 

Michael Heilman, Mechanical 

Engineering `02, magna cum laude, has 

joined CRS Engineering and Design 

Consultants, Inc., headquartered in 

Birmingham, AL. Heilman worked with 

a Florida engineering firm prior to joining CRS. CRS 

Engineering and Design Consultants is a 32-year 

old firm based in Birmingham that specializes in 

commercial, healthcare, institutional and religious 

buildings. 

Brant Barthle, Music and Microbiology `03, is 

a vocalist and an alumnus of the Heritage Arts 

Center Association’s (HACA) Spotlight on Talent 

competition, participating from 1995 through 1998 

in the program that showcases young performers. 

Since earning dual Bachelor’s degrees from USF, 

as well as a doctorate of pharmacy at U.F., he now 

works at Shands HealthCare in Gainesville. He 

returns to his hometown of Dade City several times 

a year to participate in the association’s Moonlight 

and Ivory concerts and continues to study voice. 

Kimberley Chandler Berger, `03 & M.A. 

Accounting `05, was promoted to audit supervisor 

with Hill, Barth & King LLC located in Naples, FL. 

Her primary focuses are audits of healthcare, HUD 

and employee benefit plans. She also performs tax 

services for individuals, corporations, LLC’s, LP’s, 

foundations, estates and trusts. 

Allen Clary, MBA `03, launched Jibidee.com, a 

“free personal, secure place to write down, organize 

and keep track of all the little stuff in your life 

and share if you want!” Jibidee.com went public 

in September from the Demo Pit at TechCrunch50 

Conference in San Francisco, CA. Jibidee was 

selected as a semi-finalist for TechCrunch50 

from over 1,000 applicants. Follow Clary’s startup 

experience at his blog, Jiblish. 

Cosme Herrera, Fine Arts `03, was included in the 

exhibition “How Soon Is Now” at the Bronx Museum 

of Art last summer. A review by Roberta Smith in 

The New York Times singled out Herrera’s work and 

printed an image of one of his paintings. 

Sarah Semon, M.A. 

Special Education `03, a 

doctoral student in the 

College of Education’s 

Department of Special 

Education, completed a six-week internship last 

summer at the U.S. Department of Education, 

Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The 

internship was sponsored by the federally funded 

Leadership in Teacher Education for Special 

Education. Semon is pictured on the right with 

U.S. Department of Education Secretary Margaret 

Spellings. 

Chris Pearson, `04 & MBA `08, is the new 

director of engineering for the Engineering Division 

of Central Maintenance and Welding, Inc. (CMW) 

of Lithia. Housed in a former bank building on 

County Road 39 South, CMW totally renovated and 

remodeled the structure to house Pearson’s new 

staff of 15, which includes a team of engineers, 

designers and estimators. 

Marie Yoho Dorsey, MFA `05, was in a twoperson 

exhibition at the Asian American Arts Centre 

in New York City last summer. The daughter of 

a Japanese mother and American father, Dorsey 

practices Ikebana, the Japanese art of floral 

arrangement, in which nature and humanity are 

brought together via shape, line and form. 

Scott Leasure, MBA `05, is senior project 

manager at Advanced Technology Institute, an 

affiliate of the South Carolina Research Authority. 

He has a Bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering 

from Ohio University, as well as an MBA from USF. 

Amanda Schneider, Psychology `05, married 

Christopher Beam on July 25, 2008, at St. Thomas 

Aquinas Catholic Church in Charlotte, NC. The 

wedding was performed by Deacon Mark Nash, 

Special Education `84. 

Sheila Calistri, MBA `06, has joined Keller 

Williams as a real estate specialist. She previously 

worked as a real estate developer for a large home 

builder in the Tampa Bay area. Visit her blog at 

http://scalistri.activerain.com/. 

Steven M. DeMatteo, MBA `06, was named to 

Smith Barney’s Blue Chip Council, a recognition 

program for financial advisors who, within their first 

five years, demonstrate the highest professional 

standards in addition to excellence in client service. 

As a financial advisor in the Rancho Bernardo 

branch, DeMatteo is a partner in the Benter 

Group and focuses his practice on private wealth 

management and corporate financial services, 

including an award-winning national 401k retirement 

plan service model. DeMatteo is a graduate of 

Tulane University and USF’s MBA program. He is the 

vice president of the Rancho Bernardo Community 

Council and active in the Rancho Bernardo Kiwanis 

Club and Spirit of the Fourth Committee. He and his 

wife Kristine live in Rancho Bernardo, CA with their 

two boys, Nicholas and Dylan. 

Keri M. Guilbault, M.A. Gifted 

Education `06, earned an Ed.S and 

is currently a doctoral candidate in 

Educational Leadership at the University 

of Central Florida. Guilbault was the 

2005 National Association for Gifted Children’s 

non-doctoral graduate student award recipient. 

She holds leadership positions in the field of 

gifted education at the state and national level, 

currently serving as a board member for the Florida 

Association for the Gifted and as the National 

Gifted Children’s Program Chair of American Mensa. 

Her article, “Bullying and Gifted Learners” was 

published in the Summer 2008 issue of The Gifted 

Education Communicator. 

Angela Mucci, M.A. Special Education `06, 

a doctoral student in the College of Education’s 

Department of Special Education, completed a sixweek 

internship last summer at the U.S. Department 

of Education, Office of Special Education Programs 

34 






Karla Jackson 





Tampa, FL 33620-5455 

(OSEP). The internship was sponsored by the 

federally funded Leadership in Teacher Education for 

Special Education. 

Yoko Nogami, MFA Studio Arts `06, and Maria 

Saraceno, M.S. Audiology `83, Art `99 & MFA `05, 

opened their video installation project, “Dreams: 

Untitled,” at the Dunedin Fine Art Center last fall. 

The exhibit is an interactive video project, directing 

viewers’ participation to share their dreams as part 

of the installation. The artists were interviewed by 

WMNF 88.5 “Art in Your Ear” program on Sept. 12. 

Nogami’s works also were exhibited in November 

in a Faculty Exhibition at the University of Tampa’s 

Scarfone/Hartley Gallery, and in “Edge of Invisible: 

Alternative Drawing Show” at the NOVA 535 Art 

Lounge in St. Petersburg, and also in “Good Folks 

and Fine Figures” at Eckerd College’s Elliot Gallery. 

Georgina Rivera-Singletary, Ed.S 

`06, was recognized as the Migrant 

Success Story of the Year at the annual 

Migrant Education Conference held 

last fall in Naples, Florida. Singletary 

earned her Education Specialist degree from USF in 

December 2006 in Educational Leadership. She is 

currently a doctoral student in Special Education and 

an assistant principal at Pasco High School. 

Leanna Baylis, Communications & Gerontology 

`07, graduated magna cum laude and joined USF 

Health Development and Alumni Relations as 

the assistant director of Alumni Relations. She is 

responsible for communication with the alumni 

of the University’s colleges of Medicine, Nursing 

and Public Health, as well as planning events 

and implementing programs to foster USF Health 

involvement by alumni, students and the community. 

Jose Coll, Ph.D Curriculum & 

Instruction `07, heads a new military 

social work & veteran services program 

at University of Southern California that 

trains social workers to deal with the 

unique issues facing veterans. 

Jack Holloway, Theatre `07, was named Best 

Director in Creative Loafing magazine’s “2008 Best 

of the Bay” issue. Best known as an actor, he earned 

the honor for his work with Hat Trick Theatre, a 

Tampa-based theatre production group. 

Matt Reynell, Accounting `07, was promoted 

from in-charge accountant to senior accountant at 

Kerkering, Barberio & Co., P.A., a certified public 

accounting firm based in Sarasota. His primary area 

of practice is in individual and business taxation. 

Jennifer Ford, M.A. 

Mass Communications `08, 

and Tim Stamps, M.M. 

Music `05, were married 

in Nashville, IL, on June 

7, 2008. Their two best men were also USF grads. 

Tim’s brother Dave Stamps and his best friend Jon 

Spindler both received Master’s degrees in the Music 

program. Jennifer is associate director of Donor 

Relations for the University of Missouri – St. Louis. 

Tim is a professional musician and also a dealer 

relations representative for Jim’s Formal Wear. 

Dr. Aline Harrison, Adult Education 

`08, is now an assistant professor at 

New Mexico Highlands University. 

Lindsay MacKay, `08, a graduate of the USF 

Honors College, exhibited the artwork from her 

honors thesis project , “America, The Beautifully 

Forgotten,” at the 930 Gallery in Louisville, KY last 

fall. 

Aileen T. Ruffino, Psychology & 

Biology `08, summa cum laude, has 

entered her first year of studies at the 

West Virginia School of Osteopathic 

Medicine (WVSOM) in Lewisburg, WV. 

WVSOM has been ranked by U.S. News & World 

Report as one of the nation’s best medical schools 

for 10 years. 

In Memoriam 

Scott A. Ansel, `90, 10/30/2008 

Steven Cuervo, `97, 9/21/2008 

Richard Vincent Durazzo, `01, 6/8/2006 

Dorothy June Grimes, `84, 10/31/2008 

Linda Sue Haines, `69, 9/14/2008 

Eileen Harden, `96, 10/1/2008 

Scott Taylor Hartzell, `98, 8/20/2008 

Jim Krog, `70, 9/4/2008 

Mike McMurrer, `64 & M.A. `84, 11/14/2008 

George Welch, `76, 6/29/2008 

Barbara Weckerly Clonts, `72, 9/8/2008 

In the Bulls Eye… Shari Wilson, Biomedical Sciences, `04, Tampa, FL 

Shari Wilson, 27, is the reigning Miss Wheelchair 

Florida 2008 and a full-time student who is pursuing 

a Master’s degree in Curriculum & Instruction. 

Diagnosed in childhood with dermatomyositis, a rare autoimmune 

disorder that causes extreme muscle weakness 

and skin rashes, Wilson eventually became bedridden and 

was not expected to live past age 21. But with the right 

combinations of medication, physical therapy and prayer, 

she has not only persevered, she thrived. Wilson now lives 

independently and drives a modified van wherever she 

needs to go, including to her volunteer job as a children’s 

ministry teacher at her church. 

“The great thing about being Miss Wheelchair Florida 

is that I get to travel all over Florida with my message 

about how people with disabilities can contribute to their 

communities. The pageant has been around since the 

70s, but not a lot of people know about it. We don’t have 

Donald Trump sponsoring us,” Wilson says. 

“It’s not a beauty pageant. We’re judged on our interviews. 

Judges want to see how you articulate your views 

because, as Miss Wheelchair Florida, you’re supposed to 

speak to policy makers and the public. Each contestant had 

to come up with a platform statement. Mine was about 

educational inclusion for people with disabilities. 

“When I was in school there was a policy of isolation. 

Students with disabilities were always separate and 

apart from everyone else. You were in different classrooms; 

you went to lunch at a different time; you were outside at 

a different time. There was an “us-versus-them” mentality. 

So I developed a PowerPoint presentation for new teachers. 

It’s a new-teacher training presentation, but it can be 

adapted for businesses, organizations and a lot of different 

uses. Basically, it’s about showing appreciation and acceptance 

and letting people know that people with disabilities 

can be productive, contributing citizens. 

“It doesn’t take thousands of dollars of equipment 

or anything like that. It can be as simple as laying down a 

two-by-four over a curb or lowering a counter. The key is 

to make the public aware of those invisible barriers. There 

are 54 million Americans living with disabilities in the U.S. 

I may not be able to speak for all of them, but I can start by 

advocating for change in my own state and community.” 


35

athletics 

Photos by Joseph Gamble 

Making Magic at the Trop 

What Bull wants to freeze his tail off at a bowl game outside of sunny 

Florida? While the rest of the country faced snow storms and sub-freezing 

temperatures, your USF Bulls tamed the Memphis Tigers 41-14 inside 

sunny St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field. 

The inaugural magicJack St. Petersburg Bowl was the first meeting between 

the former Conference USA rivals since USF left that league for the 

Big East in 2005. The Trop, home of the MLB Tampa Bay Rays, is a mere 32 

miles from the Bulls’ practice fields, close enough that coach Jim Leavitt bused 

his players from the team hotel back to campus for practice all week. 

USF (8-5) scored on four of its first five possessions to build a 24-14 halftime 

lead, forcing Memphis (6-7) to play catch-up and essentially taking 1,000-yard 

rusher Curtis Steele out of the Tigers’ game plan. 

Quarterback Matt Grothe rushed for 82 yards on 15 carries and threw for 236 

yards, resulting in three touchdowns. He finished the night with 10,214 

yards in 39 games, moving ahead of West Virginia senior Pat White 

as the Big East’s career total offense leader. Grothe was the game 

MVP. Junior George Selvie had one tackle for two lost yards, increasing 

his career total to 61, which leads the NCAA. 

Coach Jim Leavitt is now 87-52 overall in his 12th season at USF. 


calendaryour 

membership 

in action 

January 

24 Los Angeles Alumni Chapter 

Bowling, noon, Lucky Strike 

Lanes, Hollywood Boulevard. 

Contact heatherhegeman@ 

yahoo.com for details. 

24 Pinellas County Alumni Chapter 

Basketball Social, 4:30 

p.m., Gibbons Alumni Center 

board room, Tampa campus. 

Contact ahubbard75@hotmail. 

com for details. 

26 Orlando Alumni Social at 

Seasons 52, 5 p.m., 463 East 

Altamonte Drive. Contact 

kkrause2@hotmail.com for 

details. 

29 USF St. Petersburg Career 

Fair, 11 a.m., Campus Activities 

Center, USF St. Petersburg. 

Visit www.stpt.usf.edu/ 

career/ for details. 

February 

5 USF Tampa Career Networking 

Fair for Alumni and 

Students , 10 a.m., Sun Dome, 

Tampa campus. Visit www. 

career.usf.edu for details. 

21 USF Alumni Association 

Board of Directors and Annual 

Meeting of Members, 

1:30-4:30 p.m., USF Lakeland 

campus. Contact jcater@ 

admin.usf.edu for details. 

26 USF Tampa Public Service 

Career Fair for Alumni and 

Students, 11 a.m., Marshall 

Center Ballroom, Tampa 

campus. Visit www.career.usf. 

edu for details. 

March 

5 Business Etiquette Dinner: 

A Partnership with the USF 

Career Center, 5:30 p.m. Gibbons 

Alumni Center, Tampa 

campus. Visit www.career.usf. 

edu for details. 

5 Return to Learn for USF 

Alumni & Friends, 5:30 p.m., 

USF Downtown Center, Port 

Authority, 1101 Channelside 

Drive. Visit www.usf4you.org 

for details. 

10 New York Alumni Chapter 

Happy Hour, 5:30 p.m. Visit 

www.USFalumni.org > Events 

> Calendar for details as they 

develop. 

12 Big East Fan Extravaganza in 

NYC, 11 a.m., Visit www.USFalumni.org 

> Events > Calendar 

for details as they develop. 

13 Big East Career Fair in NYC, 

10 a.m., Visit www.USFalumni. 

org > Events > Calendar for 

details as they develop. 

24 LGBT 5th Annual Spring 

GALA, 6 p.m., Gibbons Alumni 

Center, Tampa campus. Visit 

www.USFalumni.org > Events 

> Calendar for details as they 

develop. 

April 

1-30 Bulls Connect Globally: 

Big East Virtual Career Fair, 

Visit www.career.usf.edu for 

details as they develop. 

October 5-14, 2009 

Space is limited! 

Find out more by calling Heather Galterio at 813.974.6099 

or visiting www.USFalumni.org 

(click on BullsMall in the left-hand column, then select Travel)




4202 E. Fowler Ave. ALC 100 

Tampa, FL. 33620-5455 

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TAMPA FL 

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