ACCENT ON ALUMNI
Alumni Class Notes
Mandel Center alumni are up to some exciting things and want to share them with you. If you are a Mandel Center alum and would like to have an announcement featured in this portion of Nonprofit E-Notes, email Nicole Ross Rothstein at nicole.ross@case.edu - be sure to send your name, degree and graduation year, as well as the information you would like to have included in the next issue.
Nicole Crawford, CNM '02, after working with Lakota Sioux youth in a small town in South Dakota, accepted a position as Executive Director at Dacotah Tipis, a Habitat for Humanity affiliate, in 2005. Located on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation in South Dakota, Dacotah Tipis has been a great opportunity for Nicole in many ways. She's learning how great, yet diverse, cultures can be integrated with the mission of a major nonprofit such as HFHI. It's been a great experience.
Jerome Davies, MNO '94, in February 2005, was named Senior Vice President for Development with the KU Endowment Association, which he joined in August 2000. The Endowment Association is the fundraising arm of the University of Kansas and is charged with encouraging, investing, and managing private gifts for KU. In 2004, the Association completed its KU First: Invest in Excellence campaign with $653 million in gifts. Jerome continues to reside in Lawrence, Kansas with his wife, Melanie, and their three boys ranging in age from three to 10.
Gretchen Skok DiSanto, MNO '02, accepted a new position with Lakeland Community College in March 2005 where she is the Manager for the EnterpriseOhio Network Professional Development Resource Center. She develops and delivers professional development training programs for the EnterpriseOhio Network members, who are the workforce development folks at the 53 community colleges in the state of Ohio. Gretchen is also scheduled to receiver her Master's in Urban Studies - Economic Development from Cleveland State University in December 2005.
Lisa Foster, MNO '02, has been with the Cleveland Zoological Society for several months and acts as their Corporate Giving Coordinator securing operating gifts and event sponsorships. She is enjoying her new position and loves working at the Zoo. It's a great environment!
Elizabeth W. Garcia, MNO/MSSA '00, was promoted to Foster Care Supervisor at Bellefaire Jewish Children's Bureau.
Michael Garcia, MNO '00, was promoted to Director of Major Gifts for the College of Arts and Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.
Cathy Hougan, MNO '92, along with three other moms and all of their children, have founded a group called 4Benefit. 4Benefit raises money and seeks donations for full-supplied backpacks distributed by The May Dugan Multi-Service Center on Cleveland's near Westside. These moms wanted to provide their children with a tangible, meaningful service project. Children assist in fundraising, shopping, assembly, and distribution of the backpacks. In 2004, the group was able to deliver 65 fully-supplied backpacks. This year, over 230 fully-supplied backpacks were distributed to children in over 40 schools throughout the area.
Brett Katz, MNO '98, married Andy Resnick on October 22, 2005. Andy is a Physicist and instructor at the Case School of Medicine's Department of Biophysics and Physiology.
Christine Kohls-Hunder, CNM '04, and Steve Hunder, Case BSE '87, are happy to announce the birth of their daughter, Lauren Hope, on June 22, 2005. Lauren joins brother Niklas, 4, who is already planning to follow in the footsteps of his parents and attend Case when he's older. Christine is currently back at work as the Grants/Strategic Alliances Manager for the AIDS Taskforce of Greater Cleveland.
Lucinda Lavelli, MNO '91 and MFA '77, Provost at North Carolina School of the Arts, was this year's recipient for the OhioDance Award for advancement of dance as an art form. OhioDance is the state service organization for dance.
Martha Loughridge, MNO '99, married Piet van Lier on October 22nd. The couple is expecting a new baby due on December 26, 2005. Martha left the Atma Center at the end of November. She will be looking for interesting nonprofit work in the spring. Specifically, she is looking for part-time or contract work that she can do on a flexible schedule and/or out of her home. Martha can be reached at martha@igc.org or 216.281.0712.
Betsie Norris, CNM '96, was recently named an Angel in Adoption by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute in Washington, D.C. She was nominated by Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones. Betsie was also named Woman of Note by Crain's Cleveland Business and an article about her work with Adoption Network Cleveland appeared during the last week in October. Betsie's role as executive director of Adoption Network Cleveland has expanded tremendously in the past two years as the organization has taken on the Adopt Cuyahoga's Kids Initiative, which was developed by the Community Vision Council. Adopt Cuyahoga's Kids is a collaborative project aimed at finding safe, nurturing, permanent homes for the over 700 youth in permanent custody of Cuyahoga County who are waiting without an identified adoptive family. The initiative has, so far, produced outstanding results. For example, it has helped Adoption Network Cleveland to expand from 4 to 24 staff members and its budget has grown from under $250,000 annually to over $2.5 million annually in the last two years.
Leslie (Swegart) Price, MNO '93, has been a board member for Cope Family Center in Napa, California for four years and recently resigned as the president in order to pursue an acting career. She's been in six theatre productions in the past two years and is putting together a CD of voiceovers for commercials to send to casting companies. In the process of meeting people in the theatre industry in the Bay area, Leslie has been approached by three small, new theatre companies that need help with their board development and strategic planning. Starting in 2006, she will be doing nonprofit management consulting work with startups or young companies. She is very excited and finds it to be personally rewarding to finally be using her talents in an area for which she has always had a passion. For those of you who know Leslie's sons, Justin is living in Tokyo, Japan and Lance is a senior at UCLA. Leslie is celebrating five years of marriage to the man she originally married when she was 21. They had no contact for 25 years and then he found her again. Life is good!
Valerie Raines, MNO '99, is teaching a seminar entitled "Understanding Nonprofit Boards" in the continuing education division of Case/MSASS. Valerie developed the seminar drawing upon her education at the Mandel Center and experience managing and serving on nonprofit governing boards. As vice president at the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Foundation, she manages board relations, plans the meetings and retreats for the Foundation's governing board, advisory boards and their committees. The seminar uses practical tools, research, nonprofit laws, and experience to help participants understand and improve the effectiveness of boards they serve on and work with. The seminar will be offered again in 2006.
Jean Schultz, MNO '92, is still working as Assistant to Dean of Business with Math and Technology at Cuyahoga Community College and enjoys attending the Mandel Center's new student receptions at Gwinn Estate each year. She has 3-year-old twin great grandchildren, a boy and a girl.
Sheila Slemp, MNO/MSSA '01, was promoted to Senior Program Officer and moved to New York City to work with the national office of Local Initiatives Support Corporation, where she is responsible for supporting leadership and management development for their 33 offices across the country and the more than 700 community development organizations they serve.
J. William Tincup, CNM '99, Principal of the Jet Powered Group, has been elected President of Texchange, the Technology Entrepreneur's Exchange, by its statewide board of directors. Texchange is a Texas based nonprofit networking organization for emerging technology entrepreneurs, VS and angel investors, experienced mentors and related professionals. Mr. Tincup has previously served as President of the local DFW chapter and currently serves as director for both the local DFW chapter and the statewide organization. His presidential term started July 1st, 2005 and will end June 30th, 2006.
Debra (Strekal) Wiener, MNO '92, has opened her own company, Wordsmithing Services, specializing in grantwriting, fundraising and strategic planning. She is also a real estate investor. Through her nonprofit, ESTEEM, Inc., Debra is engaged in developing affordable housing in Cleveland for people in "transition" from being homeless and/or incarcerated. She is re-building her board and will gladly speak to anyone interested in helping this population. Debra would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. John Yankey, whose "gospel" was always a welcome support. Debra can be reached at 216.571.6752.
