Alumni, we want to hear what you’ve been doing. Mail career, wedding, birth, and death news to Class Notes, Virginia Tech Alumni Association, Holtzman Alumni Center, 901 Prices Fork Rd., Blacksburg, VA 24061; email the news to classnotes@vt.edu; or submit the news online at vtmag.vt.edu/submit-classnote.php, where photos may also be uploaded for consideration.
Alumni mailing addresses may be viewed online at alumni.vt.edu/directory by logging in with your Virginia Tech PID and password. For assistance, call 540-231-6285.
1960s
career Peter R. Kurzhals, Fountain Valley, Calif., is president of the Orange County chapter of Sigma Xi.
career Robert F. Sawallesh, Valrico, Fla., is director, Operation Helping Hand.
career Rodney D. Barfield, Verona, Va., published a historical novel, “Tempest On The Outer Banks.”
1970s
career John A. Bartelloni, Fairfax, Va., earned a B.A. in English with a concentration in nonfiction writing from George Mason University.
career Kimberlee J. Benart, Lake Mary, Fla., was a medalist in The Florida Authors and Publishers Association’s 2020 President’s Book Awards for “The Venturous Tales,” which was written under the pen name, Isabella Berdyna Zysk. Benart’s epic fantasy, “Windflower Saga,” and her romance collection, “The Flowers of Penruddock” were awarded medals in previous years under the pen names Aleksandra Layland and Ronnda Eileen Henry.
career Gaver M. Nichols, Alexandria, Va., has earned nine design awards from the American Institute of Building Design.
career Richard K. Perkins, Richmond, Va., is the director of architecture for Raymond Engineering.
career Steven L. Spurlock, Washington, D.C., was appointed to the 2020 American Institute of Architects College of Fellows jury and has been selected to receive the 2020 AIA/DC Centennial Medal, the chapter’s highest honor.
career Christine Salkin Davis, Concord, N.C., co-edited a book, “The Personal is Political: Body Politics in a Trump World.”
1980s
career John R. Craynon, Morgantown, W.Va., is a teaching assistant professor in the Department of Mining Engineering, Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at West Virginia University.
career Joseph P. Parr, Tampa, Fla., designed a horticulture exhibit focused on the darker side of nature, which was set in a garden based on classic scary movie themes.
career William J. Read, North Dighton, Mass., was appointed dean of business at Bentley University.
Vernon R. “Randall” Tinsley, Summerfield, N.C., earned top ranking in the 2020 Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of the environment.
career Karen Geisinger Connors, Orlando, Fla., has been selected as the president of the Central Florida Chapter of the Gary Sinise Foundation.
career Gaynell “Gigi” Miller Kuck, Springfield, Va., has retired from Freddie Mac following more than 27 years of service.
career Joseph E. Popp, Reston, Va., is the laboratory design leader in the science and technology practice at the Washington Studio of the architecture firm, Perkins and Will.
1990s
career Charles A. Conway, Midlothian, Va., was named director, labor relations for Altria Client Services.
career Christopher J. Leahy, Corning, N.Y., published a book, “President without a Party: The Life of John Tyler."
career Andrew J. Talmadge, Crozet, Va., graduated from the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle, Pa. with a master’s degree in Strategic Studies.
career Quan “Quang-Tri” Myles Boatman, Fredericksburg, Va., was appointed to a two-year term with the Small Business Commission by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam.
career Alfred O. Taylor Jr., Arlington, Va., who received the Path Makers Leadership Award at the University of the District of Columbia’s 2020 Founders Day Ceremony, published his second book, “What an Amazing Journey: To God Be the Glory.”
career John F. Woodall, Greer, S.C., was recognized with the 2020 GE Gas Power Edison Pioneer Award for his influential work in gas turbine conceptual design.
career Sally Jewell Allain, Cabin John, Md. was selected as head of JLABS at the Washington, D.C. Johnson & Johnson Innovation site, which will be located on the new Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus and is scheduled to open later this year. She was also recognized in BioBuzz’s “People in the BioHealth Capital Region You Should Know in 2020.”
career Christopher J. Forstner, Ellicott City, Md., was named Lawyer of the Year by The Best Lawyers in America.
wedding Christine Andrews McEntee, Boca Raton, Fla., and James McEntee III, 03/21/20.
career Michael D. Ayers, Maplewood, N.J., published a book, “One Last Song: Conversations About Life, Death, And Music.”
career Steven V. Coxon, Ballwin, Mo., received the 2020 Laura Joyner Award from the Mensa Foundation at Maryville University in St. Louis, Mo.
career Mark R. Himes, Carlisle, Pa., will assume command of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District.
career Daniel J. Palmer, Roanoke, Va., wrote a book, “Bethlehem’s Redeemer: Seeing Jesus in Ruth.”
2000s
career Marcelo R. Barbosa, Fulshear, Texas, was named vice president of finance at U.S. Silica.
career Stede J. Barnes, Chester, Va., is the director of business development for GuernseyTingle of Williamsburg, Va.
career Emily E. Martin, Quincy, Mass., is the New England sales manager at Enovation Brands, an Italian wine and spirits importer.
career Rebecca C. Obeng, Atlanta, Ga., was named to the 2020 American Society for Clinical Pathology’s 40 Under Forty list.
children Seth W. Pesek, Charlotte, N.C., a son, 4/30/19.
career Manish Verma, Frisco, Texas, was selected to be covered in the “Pathways” section of the IEE Industry Applications Society Magazine.
career Michael Timothy M. Creasy, Williamsburg, Va., is vice president and stockholder at GuernseyTingle.
career Alison P. Tugwell, Springfield, Va., launched a book, “Word Awakening,” on Amazon.
career Jacqueline K. Unger, Wilmette, Ill., has been elevated to counsel in Piliero Mazza’s government contract group.
children Meredith E. Vallee, North Hampton, N.H., a daughter, 7/17/20.
children Charles B. Meagher and Kelly Amanda Meagher, Manasquan, N.J., a son, 8/21/20.
children Megan R. Thomas and Charles “Tyler” Bray ’09, Westminster, Md., a son, 8/23/20.
wedding Kevin H. McLaughlin, Baltimore, Md., and Megan Thomas, 9/20/19.
2010s
career Jeffrey D. Morelli, Rockaway, N.J., co-founder and vice president of technology delivery at Inspiren, received a 2020 “Gold Stevie” Award from the American Business Awards in the category of Product Developer of the Year.
career Kristina M. Mueller, Columbia, Md., is a quantitative analytics manager with Fannie Mae in Washington, D.C.
children Michael J. Encinas, Midlothian, Va., a daughter, 5/15/20.
children Matt Matthew C. Arnold Jr. and Janice Ryerse Arnold ’15, Blacksburg, Va., a son, 6/16/20.
children Andrew Robert Berlin and Sarah Hale Berlin ’13, Midlothian, Va., a daughter, 2/07/20.
career Ali Reedy Olinger, Haymarket, Va., was recognized as one of the Department of the Navy’s emergent engineers, receiving the 2020 Dr. Delores M. Etter Top Scientists and Engineers of the Year Award.
children Douglas A. Lindsey, Webster, Texas, a son, 4/07/20.
career Steven E. Mach, Albany, N.Y., was recognized in the 2021 edition of Best Lawyers in America.
career Ursula R. Gerson, Falls Church, Va., was recognized in the Institute of Real Estate Management’s 30 Under 30 award program, which acknowledges the next generation of real estate management leaders.
wedding Colin Michael Deely and Lindsay Stewart Deely, Arlington, Va., 8/22/20.
career Emily K. Greear, Bristol, Va., is a petroleum pricing analyst with Flying J. She earned a master’s in agricultural and resources economics from the University of Tennessee in 2020.
Become a mentor
How we work and what we do is changing. Your career experience is valuable to current students and signing up to mentor makes a difference for young Hokies.
Hokie Mentorship Connect is our online platform where alumni can virtually volunteer their time and expertise by mentoring undergraduate and graduate students.
Learn more at alumni.vt.edu/careers
