Class Notes Archive 1931-2014
Class Notes are searchable back to our spring 2000 issue. You can browse the notes by decade (click on a decade to view its class notes):
Class notes from the 1990s
| 1993Leamon Crooms III was made chief strategy officer of the Providence Service Corporation in February. He has been a strategic planner for 15 years, advising such companies as Federal Express, General Electric and Hewlett Packard. His most recent job was president of Strategic Growth Advisors, a firm he founded. (appeared in the Spring 2010 issue) • Jiyon Choe Yun became a partner at Archer Norris law firm, in Walnut Creek in January. In October, she spoke at the International Association of Korean Lawyers’ Conference in Seoul, South Korea, and moderated a panel of three other female speakers on the topic of women in the legal profession. She lives in American Canyon with her husband, Peter, and their sons, Ethan, 3, and Ryan, 1. (appeared in the Spring 2010 issue) • Kevin O’Connor, a wildlife specialist, died in January in a helicopter crash in Madera County while tracking deer. Two colleagues and the pilot also died in the accident. Mr. O’Connor was 40. As a senior wildlife biologist for the Fresno office of the California Department of Fish and Game, he was responsible for wildlife management in nine counties. He joined the department in 1997, and previously worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Central and Northern California, where he conducted field studies of animals such as pine martens, spotted owls and fishers. He is remembered for his enthusiasm for his work and his love of nature—he once saved a bear’s life by giving it mouth-to-snout resuscitation. He is survived by his wife, Keri of Clovis, and children, Kayleigh, 11, Michelle, 11, McKenna, 8, and Aidan, 5. (appeared in the Spring 2010 issue) • Laura (Masner) Rasmussen was made partner at the law firm of Farr, Kaufman, Sullivan, Jensen, Olds, Kaufman, Rasmussen & Nichols, the oldest and largest law firm in Ogden, Utah. (appeared in the Summer 2010 issue) • Tad Ravazzini and his wife, Robin, welcomed their daughter, Brynn Noelle, in December. Brynn joins big sisters Katie, 5, and Annie, 3. The family lives in Mill Valley. Tad is an associate general counsel at Facebook in Palo Alto. (appeared in the Summer 2010 issue) • Joseph Unger ’93 died suddenly of heart failure in his Augusta, Ga., home in February. He was 41. At UC Davis, he majored in mechanical engineering, contributed to the Hybrid Electric Vehicle Project and played offensive guard for the football team. During his professional career, he worked as a product design engineer for Taylor-Dunn, E-Z-Go and most recently John Deere. He is remembered for his loyalty and love for his family and friends, patriotism, love of nature, quest for adventure, infectious smile and caring heart. He is survived by his wife, Shannon; children Isabelle, Tess, Hallie and Jack; stepson Jaron; mother, Virginia; and brother, Charles. (appeared in the Summer 2010 issue) • Alicia Ybarbo By Elizabeth Stitt Occupation: Emmy Awarding winning producer, currently working for The Today Show and author of Today’s Moms: Essentials For Surviving Baby’s First Years. From Davis to New York: Alicia Ybarbo ’93 may be a producer at one of the most successful TV morning shows in the history of television, but she didn’t start out that way. The Woodland native and daughter of a UC Davis staff electrician got her start in television as an intern at Sacramento’s KCRA while attending UC Davis. Her boss, Special Projects Producer Ed Chapuis, encouraged her to pursue a quarter-long internship at NBC in New York City, which gave Ybarbo her first exposure to the major television network. “Growing up in small-town California, going to college in small-town California and then moving to the Big Apple was quite frightening, but once a few days were under my belt I grew to love it.” Climbing the ladder: Shortly after graduation Ybarbo moved to New York City to try her hand at a television career. She started as a page at NBC, which led to a job in their sports department. “I have NBC in my blood now,” she said. “I feel like part of the family here.” Four producing jobs and two Emmy Awards later, Ybarbo is currently a producer of the Today Show, a position she has held for the past nine years. “It’s kind of like a continuing education course,” said Ybarbo, who does research and conducts background interviews for east story. “I love to stand in the control room and watch the segment come alive.” Mother and author: Ybarbo wrote her first book with another Today producer, Mary Ann Zoellner. Today’s Moms: Essentials For Surviving Baby’s First Years, which was released this past April, contains advice and anecdotes from all of Today’s anchors, as well other contributors to the show, like nutrition expert Joy Bauer and finance editor, Jean Chatzky. “It is our way of making a connection between the women who watch the show and the women who make the show,” said, Ybarbo, who was inspired to co-author this book while she was pregnant with her second child. “We're hoping to make a series out of Today’s Moms. Next book: The Toddler Years.” Ybarbo lives in New York City with her husband, Mark Zimmerman, and their two children, Jack, 6, and Lucy, 4. “Everything about Davis and Northern California shaped who I am…. It’s a great, great place. I’ve been to many campuses to do stories and nothing compares.” (appeared in the Summer 2009 issue) • Tareq Salahi ’93 by Erin Loury Occupation: Owner and president of Oasis Winery, Hume, Va. Grape expectations: A third-generation wine maker, Salahi finds that Mother Nature is his greatest challenge (Hurricane Isabella wiped out his crop in 2004) but that enjoying a glass of fine wine always helps him stay positive. Oasis is the fist American winery to be rated among the top 10 in the world by the Wine Enthusiast Magazine for its sparkling wines and champagnes, and Salahi’s regular clients include celebrities Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner and Jerry Seinfeld. Sparkling success: Salahi considers winemaking a perfect blend with his love of polo. Salahi currently serves as captain of the United States Polo Team and counts Prince Charles and Prince William among his international opponents. In July 2005, he represented the Commonwealth’s “Virginia is for Lovers” Virginia Polo Team in Prince Charles’ last official polo match. Cup of kindness: Salahi firmly believes in giving back to the community and sits on the boards of numerous charities and foundations. After raising a record amount of money in a two-month period, he was named “National Man of the Year” by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “I love best the diversity of people you meet, the smiles you put on people’s faces when they taste your wine.” (appeared in the Summer 2006 issue) • Jody (Meyerson) Amos married Steve Amos, a controller for Marin Community Clinics, in July. She is a data analysis and configuration manager for Adecco Solutions. They live in the San Francisco Bay Area. (appeared in the Winter 2011 issue) • MICHAEL EDWARDS and his wife, Hayley, welcomed twins Grant and Luke to their family in February. They join brother, Reid, 3. Edwards is a radiologist with Pinehurst Radiology Associates in Pinehurst, N.C. (appeared in the Summer 2011 issue) • Kristie Callahan Gill, Jennifer Miller ’04 and Marie Masson ’05 are attending the Boston School of Fashion Design. Miller was awarded a scholarship for her dedication to the school, and Masson received a scholarship for her efforts in this year’s fashion show. (appeared in the Fall 2011 issue) • Jody Gookin, D.V.M., received a 2011 Excellence in Feline Research Award this summer from the American Veterinary Medical Foundation and the Winn Feline Foundation for her studies of intestinal infections in cats. She is an associate professor at North Carolina College of Veterinary Medicine. (appeared in the Fall 2011 issue) • Curt Yagi is a featured musical artist on San Francisco radio station KFOG Local Scene 8 CD. His second album, Close My Eyes, has received praise from rock journalist Ben Fong-Torres and the San Francisco Chronicle. Yagi’s day job is working as executive director of the San Francisco-based nonprofit Real Options for City Kids, a position he has held for eight years. His website is www.curtyagi.com (appeared in the Fall 2011 issue) • Nia (Aileen) Camaclang of Fairfield died in August at age 38. After graduating, she worked for the San Francisco Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and other companies. She also obtained a certificate in graphic design at the UC Berkeley Extension and was becoming proficient in currency trading. Ms. Camaclang did volunteer work for Creativity Explored of San Francisco, Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano counties, Habitat for Humanity of Solano County and Fairfield Civic Center Library’s adult reading room. She is survived by her parents, Sonny and Eileen of Fairfield. (appeared in the Winter 2012 issue) • The Heart’s History, a second novel by Lewis DeSimone, M.A., was published by Lethe Press in May. The book follows a close circle of friends grappling with personal and political change. It drew praise from author Paul Lisicky as a “a novel of trouble and wonder.” (appeared in the Summer 2012 issue) • A novel by Melissa Clark, M.A., Imperfect, is now available as an e-book on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com. It is her second novel. Her first, Swimming Upstream, Slowly, was recently optioned for film. (appeared in the Summer 2012 issue) • When she is not kayaking above or diving below the coastal waters, Alexandra Howard works at the Bedford, Mass. Veteran’s Hospital as a mental health researcher in the fields of recovery and post-traumatic stress disorder. (appeared in the Winter 2013 issue) • Innosanto Nagara is founder of Design Action Collective, a worker-owned cooperative design and communications studio. He recently released a children’s ABC board book, A is for Activist. Nagara is housemates with fellow activist Gopal Dayaneni ’92. (appeared in the Winter 2013 issue) • A tongue-in-cheek look at motherhood by Alicia Ybarbo, Sh*tty Mom: the Parenting Guide for the Rest of Us (Abrams Image), made the New York Times bestsellers’ list and rose to Amazon’s top-selling motherhood book soon after its release in September. The book is a second co-authored by Ybarbo, an NBC Today Show producer. (appeared in the Winter 2013 issue) • Video game attorney Dave Anderson joined the Los Angeles office of the Edwards Wildman Palmer law firm in March. He is a founding board member of the Videogame Bar Association and former vice president of business and legal affairs for video game company THQ. (appeared in the Summer 2013 issue) |