Alumni in the News - January 2009
Headliners
'85 Alum is CEO of Wall Street Journal's 2008 'Top Small Workplaces'
Grant Lundberg (B.S., AgBusiness, '85), is chief executive at Lundberg Family Farms and grandson of founders Albert and Frances Lundberg, who started rice farming after moving from Nebraska during the Great Depression. The Wall Street Journal and Winning Workplaces named Lundberg Farms among its 2008 'Top Small Workplaces.' The company shows employees that they're valued in many ways, including an employee garden where they grow fruits and vegetables, an annual bonus tied to company performance and more.
Read the WSJ story to find out what Lundberg told the Journal about the firm's success:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122347733961315417.html
The Project That Launched 1,000 Journals: Now at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The 1000 Journals Project is the brainchild of Brian Singer (B.S., College of Liberal Arts, 1995), who started the experiment in 2000. “One thousand journals are traveling from hand to hand throughout the world,” Singer said. “Those who find them add their drawings and stories before passing the journal along in an ongoing, collaborative art form.” So far, the journals have traveled through all 50 states and 40 countries. “They've come to rest in hostels, cafes and law offices; been lost and found, forgotten and remembered. They've been the subject of treasure hunts, brought to remote mountaintops, abandoned at airports and stolen at gunpoint,” Singer said. The project is on exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art until April 5.
Graphic courtesy SFMOMA
Read more on SFMOMA’s Web site at:
http://www.sfmoma.org/exhibitions/372
Alumnus Uses Hollywood Skills to Light Up Christmas - and Becomes a Web Hit
Ric Turner's (B.S. College of Engineering, 1987) house on Philbrook Avenue in Valencia is known round the world, thanks to the Internet and YouTube.com. Turner, formerly a Walt Disney audio and video effects expert, is a talented multimedia enthusiast whose holiday light show uses 64 channels of lights to bring the house, garage and shrubbery to life. The show takes about six months of planning, plus an additional month to set up. A small FM transmitter broadcasts the show for radio listeners, and speakers are set up for the people watching the show from the sidewalk. In his professional life, Turner helped build theme parks, including the Finding Nemo submarine attraction in Disneyland in Anaheim. Ric Turner's Christmas light show can be seen online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhki6IAurxg.
Read the article about Tuner in The Signal:
http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/7299/
St. Paul Pioneer Press Names Engineering Alum a ‘Mover’
Charles Garcia (College of Engineering, 1987), is the new business development manager at Minnetronix Inc. in St. Paul, Minn. He is known as a manager who bows to the professional opinion and insight of others. “Everyone, typically, has something special and unique within their background, experience and circle-of-influence,” he said. To be successful in this field, “building trust is paramount — following through on commitments, especially the small and insignificant, is a nonnegotiable in achieving success.”
Read the article in the Pioneer Press:
http://www.twincities.com/alllistings/ci_11332632?source=rs
Alumna Makes SLO Tribune’s Top 20 Under 40 List
Katie Allison (B.S., College of Science and Mathematics, 2005), fund development and outreach director at the San Luis Obispo County YMCA, was named one of the Tribune’s 2009 Top 20 under 40 Award winners. Allison, 25, will join the other award winners at a luncheon on Jan. 22.
Read more in the SLO Tribune at:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/business/story/555775.html
Salinas State Senator and Alum Jeff Denham Running For Lt. Governor
State Senator Jeff Denham (B.A., College of Liberal Arts, 1992) has announced his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of the State of California, stating that, “The unprecedented fiscal crisis we face is perhaps the greatest challenge in our state's history. But it also creates a historic opportunity to reform Sacramento, restructure state government and revitalize California's economy.”
Read more in the
Salinas Californian:
http://thecalifornian.com/article/20081211/NEWS01/81211014/1002
Mystery Writer, Horse Rider and Stay-at-Home
Mom Has Much to Write About
Santa Cruz resident Laura Crum (B.S., College of Liberal Arts, 1980) isn’t content to just write mystery novels. She also home schools her 8-year-old son, Zacharia, and tends, rides and trains horses -- things she has done most of her life, growing up as Laura Brown on Brown Ranch in Capitola. Crum writes about the Western horse world, from reined cow horses to team roping and barrel racing, and she’s just finished her 10th novel.
Read the San Jose Mercury News story:
http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_11370759?nclick_check=1
That’s No Bull: 6-Foot-1-Inch Rodeo Rider Rises Above the Rest
Instead of competing in the recent 50th Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Cal Poly alum Ted Bert (B.S., College of Agriculture Food and Environmental Sciences, 2007) sadly watched it on TV. Bert, from Modesto, nearly won the bull riding world championship last year, but an elbow injury has sidelined him since June. Bert, 26, was one of rodeo's most amazing stories in 2007. After graduating from Cal Poly, he qualified for the NFR, won two rounds and earned nearly $70,000. He's already quite a story in the rodeo world -- a 6-foot-1-inch, rookie bull rider. He hopes to ride again Feb. 5 in San Antonio.
Read the whole story in the Modesto Bee:
ragostini@modbhttp://www.modbee.com/columnists/agostini/v-print/story/530873.htmlee.com
Senior Alumnus is Still a Force on the Basketball Court
Don Morris (College of Science and Mathematics, B.S. 1952, M.A. 1958), 78, a Cal Poly alumnus and a retired Cal Poly education professor, doesn’t plan to slow down any time soon. That just won’t do for the basketball-playing Senior Olympic gold medalist.
Morris, who competes in the 75- to 79-year old age group in the Senior Olympics, looks forward to turning 80, when he can compete as the youngster in the 80- to-84 year old group. “I hope to take advantage of those old folks,” he says.
Read the whole story in the SLO Tribune:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/546490.html
J-Alum Gets the Assist on Two Awards for Cal Poly E-Communications
PolyLink, Cal Poly's free private online community, and Cal Poly Update, the university's monthly e-newsletter, both received the Gold Award of Excellence in the annual Southwest region communications competition sponsored by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. Alum Teresa Mariani Hendrix (B.S., College of Liberal Arts, '85) is the editor for both e-communications -- which were judged against entries from public and private universities and colleges in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Hawaii and Guam. PolyLink and Update are now part of the national CASE communications awards competition. This is the second CASE award for Update, which also won a bronze medal in 2005
Read the Cal Poly News release about the awards:
http://www.calpolynews.calpoly.edu/news_releases/2008/December/gold.html
Read the SLO Tribune story on the awards
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/577427.html
On the Vine
Alumna is Fourth Generation Behind Building Foursight Vineyards
Kristy Charles (B.S., College of Liberal Arts, 2003) is the youngest of four generations to make a living in the middle of Boonville. Today the site that was once the Charles Lumber Co., started by Kristy’s grandfather and great-grandfather, is being transformed to a wine tasting room. The facility is being built from natural redwood siding and all recycled lumber from the property. Charles, who does sales and marketing for the winery, explains that all the lumber and the posts were milled from old downed redwood logs, some of which were buried on the property for 50 years.
Read the story in the Ukiah Daily Journal at:
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_11159978
SciMath Alumna Promoted to Winemaker at Freestone Vineyards
Alumnus Theresa Heredia (B.S. College of Sciences and Mathematics, 1998) was promoted to winemaker at Freestone Vineyards, a Sonoma Coast venture by the Phelps family. Heredia started with Joseph Phelps Vineyards in Napa Valley as a research chemist in 2002 and was named associate winemaker for the Freestone brand in 2005. The new label was released in 2006, and the new winery opened the following year. After graduating from Cal Poly, Heredia studied three years of doctoral chemistry, viticulture and enology at UC Davis.
Read the whole story in the North Bay Business Journal:
http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/article/20081215/BUSINESSJOURNAL/812140242/1207/BUSINESSJOURNAL02
Garage Wine-Making Venture Takes Hold
Aaron Culp (B.S., College of Liberal Arts, 2000) and Erin Culp (B.S., College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, 1999) have teamed up with Jeffrey and Kimberly Steele to open Roxo Port Cellars in Paso Robles. The idea came to the foursome while sitting around a campfire on the Fourth of July three years ago. They wanted to do something different, and a port winery fit the bill. After creating a business plan and pooling all their resources, they realized their dream and recently released the first bottles from their 2006 vintage of Roxo Port Cellars. Roxo, which means “purple” in Portugese, is a nod to their wine’s heritage and deep burgundy color.
Read the SLO Tribune article at:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/living/food/wine/story/556956.html
New Templeton Winery has Deep Roots, Cal Poly Style
A father and son, both Cal Poly alumni, are part of a family whose roots date back eight generations on the Central Coast. Recently they opened Pomar Junction Vineyard and Winery. The winery is intended to project a feel of Templeton during the early part of the century up into the 1920s, said owner Dana Merrill (B.S., College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, 1975). The tasting room is in a restored early-20th century farmhouse, echoing both the history of the family and of Templeton. Merrill has been growing grapes locally since the 1980s. In 1989 he founded Mesa Vineyard Management Inc., which farms about 4,000 acres of vineyards in three counties. When son Matt Merrill (B.S. College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, 2003) graduated from Cal Poly, the family began producing Pomar Junction wine.
Read the whole story in the SLO Tribune:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/living/food/wine/story/576198.html
Saving the Planet
Lib Arts Alum Paul Goldberg Founds Charity for Chilean Schoolchildren
Paul Goldberg (B.A., College of Liberal Arts, 2006) went to Chile with a mission to raise the bar for Chilean schools. Mission accomplished. He leaves behind a new public school library, a multimedia room wired for the future, and the prospects to help thousands more Chilean schoolchildren. Goldberg, 27, went to Chile as a Rotarian scholar. The Pismo Beach firefighter wants to continue to help Chilean schools with the Scholars for Schools charity he and three other young Rotarians set up during their stay in Valparaiso, a city on the central coast of Chile. The goodwill project started small, but blossomed over the months Goldberg was in Chile. He and his friends have recruited dozens of Rotarians and other volunteers, in Chile and the United States, to raise money for the new library and computer room.
Read the Napa Valley Register article:
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2009/01/05/news/local/doc4961a7c4c49b0111888172.txt
Eight Cal Poly Alumni Selected for California Ag Leadership Program
Eight Cal Poly alumni are among 25 Californians recently selected for the California Agricultural Leadership Program, a two-year fellowship providing leadership development to its
participants. The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences alumni, each working in a broad range of agriculture-related jobs, are Cara Crye (B.S., 2001) of San Luis Obispo; Erin Field (B.S., 2002) of Oxnard; Jonnalee Henderson (B.S., 2005) of Davis; Josh Huntsinger (B.S., 2000) of Grass Valley; Eric Limas B.S., 1998) of Tulare; James Rickert (B.S., 2002) of Bella Vista; John Schaap (B.S., 1995) of Visalia; Greg Wegis (B.S., 1999) of Bakersfield.
Read the SLO Tribune story at:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/555777.html
Making the World a More Beautiful Place,
One Tree at a Time
Tammara Norman (B.S., College of Architecture and Environmental Design, 1992) helped make Petaluma a more beautiful city by organizing the “150 Trees for 150 Years: Celebrating Petaluma’s Sesquicentennial” program. The project resulted in the planting of 150 new trees in celebration of the city’s 150th birthday. Norman, 40, is also a champion rowing team member -- recently winning the San Diego Crew Classic.
Read all about Norman in the Argus-Courier article at:
http://www.petaluma360.com/article/20081217/COMMUNITY/812160266/1383?Title=Making_the_world_a_beautiful_place
Farmer Bruce Fry Leading the Way for Lodi-Stockton Greenbelt
Bruce Fry (B.S., College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, 1995), vice president of operations for Mohr-Fry Ranches, knows it will take more then zoning changes to preserve the agricultural area between Lodi and Stockton. Fry has emerged as a leader for almost 170 property owners who are concerned about preserving agriculture land and maintaining property rights. Fry is credited with drafting the compromise plan that appears to be a roadmap toward creating a greenbelt, or "ag cluster zone," as he calls it. The area would preserve farmland while still allowing some development.
Read the whole article in the Lodi News-Sentinel:
http://www.lodinews.com/articles/2009/01/03/news/1_fry_090103.txt
Cal Poly Alum Markets Environmentally Friendly Shirts
When Peter Imai (B.S. Orfalea College of Business, 2004) graduated from Cal Poly, he wondered how he was going to put his new credential to work. “Like many people, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” said Imai. “I didn’t want a corporate finance job.” After dabbling in real estate, Imai and longtime friend David Whitaker -- founder of Left Coast T-Shirt Co. in San Luis Obispo -- launched Ecoprintworks.com, an online venture that markets and sells environmentally friendly screen printing for T-shirts using a water-based, solvent-free ink made by a company in Australia.
Read more in the San Luis Obispo New Times:
http://www.newtimesslo.com/strokes-and-plugs/1697/screen-printing-goes-green/
Architecture Alumna Patrice Anderson passes LEED exam
Patrice Anderson (College of Architecture and Environmental Design, 1979) has passed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design accreditation exam. Anderson joins 11 other Steele Associates Architects staff members who have become LEED accredited. She is currently working on several medical master planning projects, a retail center and various space plans. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Montana State University and also attended California Polytechnic State University as an architecture student.
Read the Daily Journal of Commerce story:
http://www.djcoregon.com/articleDetail.htm/2008/12/09/Anderson-passes-LEED-exam
Green Garbage: Cal Poly Alum Helps Trash Hauling Firm Get off the Grid
Atascadero-based Solarponics, a company founded by Cal Poly graduate Michael Emrich, (B.S., School of Professional Studies, 1972), worked with Paso Robles Waste Disposal Inc., to bring solar energy to the trash hauling service Paso Robles Waste Disposal spent more than $200,000 for 156 panels of rooftop solar energy, designed to fuel more than 90 percent of the company’s energy needs. The solar energy system powers most of the company’s computers, welding repair machinery, lighting and other elements that use electricity.
Read the SLO Tribune article at:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/575382.html
Alum Faces The Challenge of Corn
After graduation, Josh Pitigliano (B.S., College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, 2001) joined his father and two brothers in the family corn growing business, Pitigliano Farms in Tulare County. But instead of owning a corn field, they grow the crop for other growers. They also produce wheat, alfalfa, wine grapes, raisins, almonds and pistachios. The challenge with corn is keeping the moisture accurate, keeping it properly irrigated. About 90 percent of all corn grown in Tulare County goes to feed for cattle, and Pitigliano only works with silage corn. “We are trying to grow a better quality of corn so that maybe the dairymen have to buy less commodities from the mills,” he said.
Read the whole story in the Porterville Recorder:
http://www.recorderonline.com/articles/corn_39604___article.html/silage_industry.html
Longtime Teacher Writing Books on California Wildlife
Bob Edminster (M.S., College of Education, 1968) has worked for decades as a teacher and football coach, but found that was not enough. In 1971 he took a position as a founding faculty member at the Los Baños Campus of Merced College and moved his family to Los Baños. It was the perfect place for someone who wanted to explore the plants and streams of the southern San Joaquin Valley. In addition to teaching, Bob also served as a volunteer consultant for the local Fish and Game, Fish and Wildlife, and State Parks agencies and gave many hours to the development of the Pacheco and Grasslands State Parks. He’s even written a couple of books: "Streams of the San Joaquin” and “Foxes of the Central Valley.”
Read the whole story in the Los Baños Enterprise:
http://www.losbanosenterprise.com/home/index.html
Farm Bureau Honors Alum With Distinguished Service Awards
Michael R. Dicks (B.S. College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, 1975; B.S. College of Science and Mathematics, 1975) received the Distinguished Service to Oklahoma Agriculture award from the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. The award is designed to honor those who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture and to the Oklahoma Farm Bureau. Dicks, 55, of Stillwater, Okla., has served agriculture for more than 40 years as an educator and producer on the state, national and international levels. He has been a member of the Oklahoma State University faculty since 1989 and currently is a professor of agricultural economics. After graduating from Cal Poly, he served three years in the Peace Corps in Kenya.
Read about Dicks in the High Plains Midwest Ag Journal:
http://www.hpj.com/archives/2008/dec08/dec15/FarmBureauhonorstwowithDist.cfm?title=Farm%20Bureau%20honors%20two%20with%20Distinguished%20Service%20Awards
Alumna Named Unsung Hero of the Central Coast
Janice Fong Wolf’s (B.S., School of Professional Studies, 1981) behind-the-scenes role as director of grants and programs for the San Luis Obispo County Community Foundation, allows her to make a difference and give a voice to many. At the foundation, Wolf, 51, develops and implements grants for the foundation and its donor advisers, and provides support to nonprofit organizations and their programs. Since 2003 Wolf has helped to steadily grow the foundation’s Women’s Legacy Fund, which makes an impact on women and girls in the community. More recently, she has worked closely with Access for All, a small, grass-roots coalition of people who are passionate about improving accessibility in all its forms.
Read the SLO Tribune article at:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/opinion/story/568706.html
Rebel Alum, Family Named Unsung Heroes by SLO Tribune
The San Luis Obispo Tribune usually honors one individual as an Unsung Hero. But in a recent edition, the paper made an exception saluted the Rebel family of San Luis Obispo. Trisha Rebel, 42, and her husband, Trevor, 44 (B.S., College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, 1997), were honored for “lending a hand to those in need — and for raising their sons Joshua to do the same.” Trisha and Trevor volunteer in the classroom every week, participate in beach and creek cleanups, and help with the Nature Corps, a nonprofit group that works on conservation in national parks.
Read the SLO Tribune article at:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/opinion/story/570991.html
Moving Up
Pentadyne Promotes Alumnus to CTO
Pentadyne Power Corp., a leader in flywheel energy storage systems, promoted Claude Kalev to the new position of chief technical officer. Although officially joining the company in 2002, Kalev was one of the founders of Pentadyne in 1998. He was also a co-founder and vice president of engineering at Quadradyne, a company established to provide testing services for high-speed rotating machinery, state-of-the-art magnetic bearing development, high-vacuum system and molecular drag sleeve design. While working at Infrared Industries Inc., Kalev led the development of a compact, portable 5-gas automotive analyzer.
Read the MarketWatch story:
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Pentadyne-Promotes-Kalev-CTO/story.aspx?guid={BF11CDE3-D38F-47FC-9C42-8B8E30E23C67}
Architecture Alum Peter Mason chosen mayor of Woodside
Woodside Councilman Peter Mason (B.AR. College of Architecture and Environmental Design, 1972) was recently elected mayor in a unanimous vote of the Town Council. The mayor serves as president of the council, a largely ceremonial position that includes setting council agendas and chairing the meetings. Mason, 58, is a licensed architect with a career that spans than 30 years. He is vice president at the Palo Alto architectural firm HKS Hill Glazier Studio. The company specializes in five-star hotels and resorts, including the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay Resort and the Four Seasons Hotel in East Palo Alto.
Read the story in The Almanac:
http://www.almanacnews.com/story.php?story_id=7381
Ag Alum Michael Keitz Appointed Madera County District Attorney
Michael Keitz (B.S., College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, 1978) was appointed Madera County District Attorney by the Board of Supervisors. Keitz, 54, had been a Madera County Deputy District Attorney since 1992. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the San Joaquin College of Law in Fresno in 1991. He lives in Madera with his wife, Mary (Waters) Keitz, (Ag Management 1981) and son, Thomas.
Read the story in the Madera Tribune:
http://www.maderatribune.com/news/newsview.asp?c=248948
Engineering Alumnus Bill Bonnar Appointed Senior V.P. at Illumina Inc.
Bill Bonnar (B.S. College of Engineering) was appointed senior vice president of operations at Illumina Inc. In this newly created role, Bonnar is responsible for overseeing Illumina’s global manufacturing and supply chain efforts. Bill joins Illumina from KLA-Tencor, a leading semiconductor equipment provider, where he served in several senior operations management positions. Bonnar has more than 20 years’ experience overseeing operations, manufacturing and management for some of the most complex equipment in the semiconductor industry. He earned an MBA from Santa Clara University.
Read the entire story on Reuters Web site:
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS82835+05-Jan-2009+BW20090105
Prof Studies Alum Promoted to President of Ranger Rotorcraft Group
Edward Bolden (B.S., School of Professional Studies, 1970), previously vice president-operations development at Ranger Rotorcraft Group, has been promoted to company president. Bolden will be responsible for guiding all operations for civilian helicopter completions, military helicopter retrofits, engineering services, parts sales, helicopter subsystems manufacturing, all supporting shops and services, plus the customer service, marketing, financial, facilities, and administrative teams of this growing multi-company rotorcraft enterprise. Bolden earned an MBA from Southern Methodist University and is a licensed CPA in Texas, with over 30 years of financial and aerospace experience.
Read the whole story in Aero News.net:
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=9f64e03a-a55f-4a62-83f6-cb1c029cb703
Ag Alum Appointed Acting CFO of Avistar Communications
Avistar Communications Corp., a leader in desktop video communications, appointed Elias Murray Metzger (B.S. College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, 1997) acting chief financial officer of Avistar. Murray Metzger, 38, has been Avistar's worldwide corporate controller since January 2006. He is responsible for the company's worldwide finance and facilities organizations. Avistar CEO Simon Moss credits Murray Metzger with helping turn around Avistar.
Read PR Newswire story at:
http://www.ibtimes.com/prnews/20090105/ca-avistar-comm-cfo.htm
Dwight Kroll Named Director of Planning Development for Clovis
Dwight Kroll (College of Architecture and Environmental Design, 1980), has been named director of planning and development services for the city of Clovis. Kroll, 51, has served as a member of the city's planning staff for 28 years. He will lead the city's land-use department and administer the city's future growth program. Kroll is credited with keeping the historical themes of Clovis intact, working “to maintain the architectural standards of Old Town Clovis.”
Read the Fresno Bee story at:
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1095311.html
Placer County Names Alumnus Community Development Resource Agency Director
Michael J. Johnson (B.S., College of Architecture and Environmental Design, 1984) has been named community development resource agency director for Placer County. In his new position, he will be responsible for handling environmental review of projects and for coordinating review of the largest, most complex development proposals facing the county. “This is a critical time for the county as its deals with a wide array of land use issues, from urban development and land conservation in the western county area to complex environmental issues in the Tahoe Basin,” Johnson said.
Read the Rocklin and Roseville Today article:
http://www.rocklintoday.com/news/templates/community_news.asp?articleid=6872&zoneid=
Political Journalist Kevin Riggs Has Got it Covered
As KCRA's political reporter, Kevin Riggs (B.S., College of Liberal Arts, 1978) has traveled from Washington, D.C., to Little Rock, to New Hampshire and Florida to report on primary elections, presidential campaigns and national political conventions. Riggs has also covered every state election since 1978 and every governor since Jerry Brown. His assignments include California's ongoing budget crises and statewide races. Riggs covered the historic 2003 recall that led to Arnold Schwarzenegger's election as governor, and traveled with Schwarzenegger on his first overseas trip to Israel. Riggs has also covered the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, the 1999 massacre at Columbine, and the 2000 presidential ballot standoff in Florida.
Photo courtesy KCRA
Read more about Riggs:
http://www.kcra.com/station/293281/detail.html
Smile: You’re Reading ‘Candid Cam’
Cam Inman (B.S., College of Liberal Arts, 1993) is reporting on what's happened, what's about to happen and what should happen in the Bay Area sports scene for the Contra Costa Times. Look for Cam Inman’s web-only "Candid Cam" on the newspaper's Web site. Inman served as the 49ers beat writer for five seasons and as an NFL columnist for two years before becoming a general sports columnist. The Bay Area native has worked at the San Luis Obispo Tribune and Santa Maria Times before joining the Contra Costa Times chain. His first book, "The Best Bay Area Sports Arguments," was recently released.
Read the story in the Contra Costa Times:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/sports/ci_11167214?nclick_check=1
California Progress Report Names Lib Arts Alum New Editor
David M. Greenwald (B.A., B.S, College of Liberal Arts, 1996) has been selected as the new editor of the online California Progress Report. Greenwald is known as a “prolific writer, keen observer, and participant in politics in the Sacramento area.” After graduating from Cal Poly, he earned a master’s degree in political science from UC Davis. Greenwald created “The People’s Vanguard of Davis,” which has developed over the years into a widely read local blogsite that investigates and reports stories often overlooked by mainstream media.
Read the story in the California Progress Report:
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2008/12/introducing_dav.html
Cal Poly Alum to Oversee New Mission Community Bank in Santa Maria
Brooks Wise (B.S., College of Science and Mathematics, 1986), president of Mission Community Bank since 2007, will oversee the new branch in Santa Maria branch, the first branch in Santa Barbara County. Wise, with more than 25 years of experience in business banking and business development, is past president of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce and a board member of the Santa Maria Valley Boys & Girls Club. Wise is a Mustang football booster team member and past president and current board member of the Cal Poly Mustang Athletic Fund.
Read the whole story in the SLO Tribune:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/business/story/570478.html
Cancer Survivor, Author, Alumna Leads French Hospital Cancer Center
Beverly Kirkhart (B.S., Orfalea College of Business, 1973), breast cancer survivor, author and Cal Poly graduate, has been appointed to lead French Hospital Medical Center’s Hearst Cancer Resource Center. The center is designed to provide cancer patients and their families with services such as counseling, cancer education and lectures, access to health databases, resource materials, support programs, nutritional coaching and referrals to other services. Kirkhart is the author of “My Healing Companion,” a self-guided journal that looks at the personal issues people with cancer have to deal with. She also co-authored “Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul” with well-known author Jack Canfield.
Read the whole story in the SLO Tribune at:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/business/story/553579.html
Ag Alumna Named to Columbia College Foundation Board
The Columbia College Foundation named Cal Poly alumna Stephanie Suess (B.S., College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, 1985) a member of the board of directors and chair of the foundation’s fundraising committee. Suess is one of four new members named to the board. She has been active in a number of local organizations, and she co-chaired the Children’s Park Project in 1999, which created the Heaven for Kids Park through the combined efforts of volunteers and donations of money, materials and tools. Suess was named Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year in 2000.
Read the whole story in The Pine Tree:
http://thepinetree.net/index.php?module=announce&ANN_user_op=view&ANN_id=9610
Mildenhall Named Senior Associate at HGA
HGA Architects and Engineers has hired Robert C. Mildenhall (B.S. College of Architecture and Environmental Design, 1994), as a senior associate in HGA’s Sacramento office. HGA is a full-service architecture, engineering and planning firm with offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento. In announcing the appointment, Mildenhall was cited for his extensive engineering, construction and business management background, with structural experience in concrete, steel, masonry and wood. Before joining HGA, Mildenhall was principal and president of MSM Engineering, which he founded in Loomis, Calif.
Read more in the company’s online news release:
http://www.hga.com/artman/uploads/mildenhall_powell_121108.pdf
Lassen High School Names Ed Alum Micah Freeman Counselor
Micah Freeman (M.A., College of Education, 2008) was named a counselor at Lassen High School in Susanville. Freeman earned his bachelor's degree from Western Baptist College in Salem, Ore., and his master's degree from California Polytechnic State University.
Read about it in The Daily Triplicate:
http://www.triplicate.com/news/story.cfm?story_no=11044
Ag Alum Toller Joins by Napa Real Estate firm
Longtime St. Helena resident Joel Toller (B.S. College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, 1994) became a Realtor in 2000 and is one of the valley’s top-producing agents. Heritage Sotheby recently welcomed Toller to the company, saying “he has the necessary insider’s understanding of the local area and its residents to help people buy or sell at the right time, for the right price.”
Read the Napa Valley Register story:
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2008/12/18/business/doc4949f49f3703c569975847.txt
Entrepreneurs
Cal Poly Grad Starts Hungry Student Catering
Jessica Gibbons (B.S., Orfalea College of Business, 2008) has created a new niche in the catering business. Instead of preparing the dishes herself, she brings food made by local San Luis Obispo restaurants to local parties and events. Gibbons, 23, honed her business idea by making it her senior project. She provides full-service catering with attention to what foods to order and how much the group needs. Hungry Student Catering employs about 10 Cal Poly and Cuesta College students, who start our earning $12 per hour. “My goal in starting my business was to be able to pay students what I think they deserve.” Check out the business’s Web site at www.hungry studentcatering.com.
Read the SLO Tribune article at:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/story/569844.html
Alumna is Jazz Artist and Celtic Musician
Cal Poly alumna and local jazz singer Inga Swearingen (B.A., College of Liberal Arts, 2002) joined Molly’s Revenge, a Santa Cruz-based band that returned to the Central Coast in December for two nights of holiday cheer. Now in its fourth year, the annual Celtic Christmas Celebration features familiar Christmas carols, Old Country classics and toe-tapping dance music. “I’m kind of the halftime show,” Swearingen joked. The longtime San Luis Obispo resident won the vocal jazz portion of the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival in 2003. She’s a local favorite and a regular guest on the popular radio show “A Prairie Home Companion.”
Read the SLO Tribune story at:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/ticket/story/555538.html
Alum's Non-impact Exercise Makes an Impact in Aptos
Jim Tucker (School of Professional Studies, 1989), owner of the Seascape Physical Therapy & Fitness Studio, recently expanded his business. After completing advanced training in physical therapy at CSU Fresno in 1994, he worked in hospitals, nursing homes and outpatient clinics. Through continuing education, he completed a yearlong course in Orthopedic Manual Therapy, passing the American Physical Therapy Association’s Clinical Specialist Examination to become one of only 3,000 orthopedic specialists in the United States.
Read the whole article in Pilates and Rehabilitation:
http://www.tpgonlinedaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=346:pilates-and-rehabilitation&catid=28:business-profiles&Itemid=137
Professional Studies Alumna is a Jewelry Designer
Jayne Devencenzi (B.A., School of Professional Studies, 1975), recently launched a Web site that showcases Jayne Cairn Designs, a line of freshwater pearl jewelry named after her grandmother and inspired by materials from Beijing. The pieces can be seen at www.jcdjewelry.com.
Read the story in the SLO Tribune:
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/business/story/560591.html
Passings
Darlene Haws, 1941-2008
Darlene Haws (B.S., College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, 1963) was born in August 1941 in San Luis Obispo. She died after a battle with lung disease Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008. Her father owned one of the largest farms in the county. Haws attended elementary and high school in Atascadero, went to Cal Poly, and earned her master's degree from Pepperdine. She taught school for 42 years with the Kern High School District, retiring in November 2007.
Read the obituary in the SLO Tribune:
http://www.legacy.com/sanluisobispo/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=121450317
Joel Robert Schnackenberg, 1960-2008
Joel Robert Schnackenberg (B.S. College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences, 1981) was born August 4, 1960, in Santa Barbara. He died December 10, 2008, leaving behind his wife, Karin; a son, Joel Remington, 20, and daughters Katherine Ann, 17, and Kristen Claire, 14. Schnackenberg attended Cal Poly before moving to Chicago in 1981 for a summer internship at the Chicago Board of Trade. He quickly rose through the ranks at Merrill Lynch before founding SSS Commodities Limited. Remembering the natural beauty of San Luis Obispo, he moved his family there from Chicago in 2003 when he chose to retire.
Read the obituary in Newshawk.com at:
http://www.noozhawk.com/local_news/article/1216_joel_robert_schnackenberg_1960_2008/
Marilyn Pepple
Marilyn Pepple (M.A., School of Professional Studies, 1978) was born in Yakima, Wash., in 1947. She passed away peacefully Dec. 11, 2008. In high school, she was voted "Most Likely to Succeed," and graduated in 1965. She studied history at UC Davis and graduated with honors in 1969. She went on to earn a reading credential and a master's degree at Cal Poly and then a Ph.D. at UC Santa Barbara in educational administration. Pepple was an instructor at Cal Poly, then principal at Winifred Pifer Elementary in Paso Robles. She finished her career as a reading specialist at Bauer-Speck Elementary.
Read the obituary in the SLO Tribune at:
http://www.legacy.com/sanluisobispo/DeathNotices.asp?Page=LifeStory&PersonID=121752401
Robert Magness, 90
Robert Magness (B.S. College of Engineering, 1939), a voracious reader and dedicated advocate of San Diego's public libraries, died Dec. 5 in La Mesa. Magness, a founder of Citizens for the Library, later served as a library commissioner and came up with the idea of a matching book fund that has added millions of dollars to library coffers. Magness had early success as an engineer at Solar Aircraft in San Diego, which he joined in 1939 after graduating from Cal Poly. In an article he co-wrote for the fall 2000 issue of an alumni newsletter, Magness described a young, talented engineering staff that included seven Cal Poly graduates who “significantly expanded Solar's engineering capability.”
Read the obituary in the San Diego Union-Tribune:
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2008/dec/26/1m26magness23942-aircraft-engineer-crusaded-behalf/?zIndex=27931
Norbert Grasser
Norbert “Charlie” Grasser (B.A., College of Liberal Arts, 1972) was born in March 1947 in Weiden, Germany, and died on Nov. 30, 2008. He moved to the United States at the age of 10 with his mother, Betty Blackwell. Grasser graduated from Paso Robles High School and then earned a bachelor’s degree and teaching credential from Cal Poly. He was a teacher for more than 26 years. He taught English and yearbook at Paso Robles High School and English at the California Youth Authority. He retired from teaching in 2001.
Read the obituary in the Paso Robles Press:
http://www.pasoroblespress.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=3004&page=77