| 1976Alice Wolf, D.V.M., chief medical consultant for the Veterinary Information Network and professor emeritus at Texas A&M University, received a 2007 Alumni Achievement Award from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. She was honored for her dedication to improving education for veterinary students, postgraduates and practicing veterinarians. |
| 1979Steve Pogue is the chief operating officer of CompWest Insurance Co., an insurance carrier based in San Francisco that focuses on workers’ compensation. |
| 1980Eli Simon, professor of acting and chair of the drama department at UC Irvine, is also director of Clownzilla, a professional clown troupe that performed in Orange County and at the International Theatre Festival in Arezzo, Italy, this summer. The troupe, whose mission is to spread laughter and reflect important social issues, was praised by the Los Angeles Times, which designated its performance as a “Critics Choice.” |
| 1981Mark Swinney was elected president of The First Church of Christ, Scientist. He has served as a teacher of Christian Science; managing editor of Journal, the Christian Science Sentinel and The Herald of Christian Science; the original editor of the organization’s Web site; and a member of the Christian Science Board of Lectureship. Swinney and his wife, Renée, live in Bradenton, Fla., and have two children. Swinney practices and teaches in both Florida and Albuquerque, N.M. |
| 1982Marta Peluso is the executive director of ARTS Obispo, the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council, an organization whose mission is to advance the arts. She also teaches photography in the art department at Cuesta College and formerly directed the Cuesta College Art Gallery for 16 years. She lives in San Luis Obispo with her husband, Cal Poly history professor George Cotkin, and their dog, Roma. • James Reynolds, D.V.M., received an Animal Welfare Award from the American Veterinary Medical Association in July. Reynolds is chief of clinical services, dairy production medicine, at the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center in Tulare. • Debra Yerike received an M.D. degree in December from St. Matthew’s University School of Medicine. |
| 1983James MacLachlan, Ph.D., UC Davis professor of pathology, microbiology and immunology, received a 2007 Alumni Achievement Award from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in recognition of his scholarly dedication and accomplishments as a professor and researcher. |
| 1985Margaret D’Arrigo-Martin, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Salinas grower-shipper D’Arrigo Bros. Co., was named Ag Woman of the Year by Ag Against Hunger. D’Arrigo-Martin, who also chairs the board of directors for United Way of Monterey County, was honored for her leadership in the ag industry and her work on behalf of children and low-income members of the community.
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| 1986Stacie Strong has written several articles on tap dance for Dance Spirit magazine and edited the book Top Tap Tips, which pairs photographs of internationally renowned Chicago Tap Theatre performers with instructional and inspirational quotes from the masters of tap dance, both past and present. The book is available through www.chicagotaptheatre.com. • Gary Woods was selected as superintendent of schools for the San Marino Unified School District in Los Angeles County. The district was recently ranked as one of the top in the state. Woods and his wife, Blanca, have four children. |
| 1987Conrad Davis, a Sacramento forensic accountant, was elected president of the Sacramento chapter of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants for 2007–08. Davis is a partner in the Sacramento firm Ueltzen & Co. • Anne McMillin joined the University of Nevada School of Medicine as a public relations specialist. She works out of the Northern Nevada office on the campus of University of Nevada, Reno. She had been a reporter with the weekly newspaper Fallon Star Press in Nevada.
• Chris Scheuring, J.D. ’00, was named managing counsel of the California Farm Bureau Federation Natural Resources and Environmental Division. Scheuring joined the Farm Bureau in 2006, working most recently as director of water resources in its Government Affairs Division. |
| 1988Rocio Abundis-Rodriguez was named one of the 100 most influential Latinos/as in Silicon Valley and one of 10 in the field of education. Currently, she is one of 11 regional leads in the state providing training and support to after-school programs in over 200 schools in Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. • Christine (Reuter) Beckman, M.A., completed a doctorate in educational leadership at Northern Arizona University in May. She is a faculty member at Mesa Community College in the speech communication department. • Gregg Foster, former executive director of the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission in Eureka, has become director of business development of Lost Coast Communications, owner of radio stations KHUM, KSLG and KWPT, based in Ferndale. Foster and his wife, Beth Holcomb Foster ’87, who is a school teacher, have two children, Riley and Will. • Dan Saxon, J.D., has written To Save Her Life: Disappearance, Deliverance, and the United States in Guatemala (University of California Press). The story chronicles the disappearance and rescue of Maritza Urrutia in 1992. Saxon was in Guatemala working for the Catholic Church’s Human Rights Office when she was abducted. • Cartoon artist Emilio Soltero, Ph.D. ’04, gave a drawing demonstration at the California Museum in Sacramento in August as part of the museum’s family fun day. |
| 1989Kevin Madden works as a magician—as alter ego Ashkenazi the Pretty Good—and as a musician—the pianist in a trio—for corporate clients and parties in the San Francisco area. Information about his group can be found at MusicandMagic.com. |
