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NEW JOB CURTAILS SUIT
Marsh & McLennan Cos., the world’s largest insurance brokerage firm, has called on Case Western Reserve University School double alumnus Michael Cherkasky to bail it out of legal trouble.
Mr. Cherkasky (ADL ’72, LAW ’75) is the firm's new chief executive officer, a role he began last October soon after Eliot Spitzer, New York attorney general sued the company. Mr. Spitzer’s suit charged the company with rigging bids for corporate insurance contracts and accepting kickbacks, or contingency fees, from insurance brokers for steering business to it. Marsh & McLennan’s board of directors subsequently fired its chairperson and chief executive officer and named Mr. Cherkasky to the post. The company has not yet named a new chair.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Mr. Cherkasky headed the investigations division of the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, where Mr. Spitzer was one of the attorneys he supervised. It was also during this time that Mr. Cherkaksy helped lead the prosecution of New York crime boss John Gotti and supervised state officials assigned to investigate the World Trade Center bombing in 1993.
In 1994, Mr. Cherkasky of Larchmont, New York, joined Marsh Kroll, a risk-management and investigations firm, where he was later named CEO. He remained as head of Kroll when Marsh & McLennan purchased it a few years later.
After Mr. Spitzer filed his suit, Mr. Cherkasky was named in quick succession to head the internal task force that looked into Mr. Spitzer’s charges, then CEO of the brokerage division, then of the entire company. After learning of Mr. Cherkasky’s appointment, Mr. Spitzer decided not pursue criminal charges against the company.
NURSING ALUMNA IS TOP HEALTH EDUCATOR
 For more than thirty-five years, Patricia A. High Gorzka has exemplified the profession of nursing and nursing education.
From nursing instructor at the SUNY School of Nursing, to her present post as associate professor and manager of the Nursing Continuing Education Program at the University of South Florida, Mrs. Gorzka (NUR ’64) has led the charge to improve the education and professionalism of nursing.
The Tampa Bay Business Journal acknowledged her years of advocacy, leadership, nursing education, and curriculum development by presenting her with its Health Educator of the Year Award. She was one of several Floridians recognized last fall with the paper's Health Care Heroes awards for their exemplary work throughout the state.
She joined USF in 1988 as a visiting assistant professor in the College of Nursing and served as the college's interim dean from 1995-97. During this time, she secured a $1 million endowed chair in nursing informatics, which involves using databases and computers to handle patient information and history. The endowment was the hallmark of her career, which has also included posts as a director of a clinic for mothers and babies and a consultant for child health care programs.
She lives with her family in Tampa.
MED SCHOOL ALUM HEADS BIOSCIENCE FIRM
Hana Biosciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in South San Francisco, named Gregory Berk its chief medical officer and vice president.
Dr. Berk (MED ’84) was recently medical director for Network of Medical Communications and Research, where he provided clinical development strategy consulting for leading global oncology companies. Among other prior positions, he was attending physician, Department of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital, and clinical assistant professor of medicine, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York. While on the faculty at Cornell, Dr. Berk was an investigator in numerous clinical trials, including the Gleevec pivotal trials, Avastin colorectal and breast trials, and other studies.
He earned his Bachelor of Science degree, summa cum laude, from Tulane University, New Orleans. He also attended Cambridge University, England. He completed his internship, residency, and fellowship training at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. He is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology.
Dr. Berk and his family live in San Francisco. 
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