Archive for the ‘Alumni in the News’ Category

Hong Kong-based alumnus Laurence “Larry” Lipsher ‘65 is a U.S. tax accountant who has been living in China for more than 20 years.

He was recently interviewed by Reuters for a video about changes to paperwork for U.S. citizens filing from abroad.

Lipsher is a “semi-retiring bean & rice counter; tax entertainer…. full time curmudgeon and author of  the just released epic:  Larry’s 2012 U.S. Tax Guide for Expats and Green Card Holders – In User-Friendly English!”

Learn more about Lipsher here.

Nancy Napier ’75 was recently featured in Newswise in an article called “Effective Use of Creativity and Innovation is Key.” The article provides some insight into how organizations use creativity and innovation to boost performance.

Scott Gabehart ’84 recently co-wrote an article in Collier’s magazine about the democratization of data and its relation to entrepreneurship and business valuation.

Bob Saum ’91 was recently featured in farmanddairy.com because he is a 4-H alumnus who was recently appointed country director of the World Bank for Afghanistan and Bhutan.

John Strobel ’92 was the subject of a March 2012 article in Global Trade Magazine entitled “Visionary Volk.” He is the VP Global Sales and Marketing for Volk Optical, a recipient of the 2011 U.S. President’s “E” Award presented by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke last May. The award is the highest U.S. government recognition any American entity may receive for supporting export activity.

Alejandro Erb ’98 has published an article in Cronista.com, a newspaper in Argentina that deals with the impact of the European financial crisis on the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. Erb is a professor of finance at the University of Palermo in Buenos Aires.

Richard Schmock ’05 was recently profiled in the Phoenix Business Journal in the “On the Move” section. Schmock works for Merrill Lynch and has joined the DrugFreeAz.org Board of Directors in overseeing financial and policy decisions that guide and sustain the organization.

Laura Clise ’08 was featured in GreenBiz.com in an article entitled “France vs. US: Which work culture is more sustainable.” Clise leads the sustainable development department for Areva North America and provided insight from her experience working for a French company.

Mark Paden ’67 was profiled in SC BIZ magazine for his successful timberlands and pine plantations and his effort to restore longleaf stands.

Charlotte Kennedy Takahashi ’76 was recently featured in the Hillsboro Star-Journal because she will be an Entrepreneur in Residence at Tabor College.

Pallav Acharya ’93 was recently named in The Arizona Republic because he was a panelist in an event hosted by the newspaper to provide tax advice to the public. Acharya owns Arizona-based CPA Global Tax & Accounting, which specializes in international tax issues.

Aram Chavez ’08 recently appeared on ABC 15 news in Arizona for his creation of the Gnombre, a Hispanic garden gnome that he has begun producing with funding through kickstarter.com

Virgilia Singh ’09 was featured in INDIAWEST because she won one of six fellowships awarded to young women to attend the Sandbox Global Summit in Lisbon, Portugal.

Michael Seaver ’10 was featured in the Phoenix Business Journal because he started a consulting firm that specializes in corporate searches, individual coaching and team-building following a successful career with the largest hospital system in Arizona.

Tom Coler ’67 has been featured in realallthingsrealestate.com in an article announcing that he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council, an affiliate of the National Association of Realtors. Coler has been a licensed Florida real estate broker for more than 31 years. He founded the Buyer’s Broker of Southwest Florida in 1989.

Paul Rachmanides ’79 was recently featured in the Houston Chronicle in an article about his book The Potato Peeler, which chronicles Greece-born Rachmanides’ story of overcoming obstacles and working many jobs after moving to the U.S. in 1971.

Karim Bennouna ’96 was recently published in Management Decision for his article “Improved capital budgeting decision making: Evidence from Canada.”  The article has been chosen as a Highly Commended Paper at the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence 2011.

Todd Smith’01 was recently featured in www.benzinga.com for his six-week RV Business Plan Tour to help startups jump-start their businesses and stimulate the economy. Smith is the CEO of Blue Horizon Venture Consulting and is going to move his office into an RV for a 7,000 mile journey around the U.S. Smith is also an Alumni Chapter Leader in Jacksonville, Florida.

Rush Harris ’09 was recently profiled on marshalledc.org about his decision to work for Marshall Economic Development Corporation , his experience in land leases, land sales, right-of-way agreements and surface change agreements and his passion for his community.

Aaron Bare ’95 was recently profiled by Indiana Tech for his achievements as a successful entrepreneur who has sold six companies, traveled to more than 60 countries and who was recently named to the Phoenix Business Journal’s prestigious “Forty under 40” list. Bare has been named entrepreneur in residence at Thunderbird and is currently CEO of Buzz Mouth, a social media management company founded by Bare.

Eric Heimbecker ’10 was recently named in an article in the Ahwatukee Foothills News about a group of committed Arizonans who spend their days volunteering to put up campaign signs. Heimbecker broke his collar bone – partially because of the wear and tear he suffered as one of four men putting up nearly 600 signs across Phoenix for Claude Mattox, who is running for mayor.

Sue Della Maddalena ’84 was recently profiled in the Phoenix Business Journal. The article discusses Maddalena’s lifelong love for animals, her battle against cancer and her “dream job” as Vice President and Executive Director of PetSmart Charities.

Rene von Rautenkranz ’88 was recently featured in Trenchless Australasia in an article announcing that he would be speaking at a conference on the topic of pipe thruster applications for the pipeline industry.

 Mark Byrne-Quinn ’88 was recently named in The Arizona Republic as one of three engineers who have left their jobs as engineers to become Arizona high school math teachers. Byrne-Quinn said he is fulfilled, challenged and enjoys the fact that he makes a difference in children’s lives.

Lin-Dai Kendall ’91 was recently profiled in the Chantilly Patch as a candidate running for an at-large seat on the Fairfax County School Board in Virginia.

Frederick Andresen ’58 was recently published in RussiaProfile.Org The article is called “Musings of a Russophile: Russia and China – Next Generation or Today?” and explores the past and present  relationship between Russia and China.

Salah Tarraf ’73 was profiled in the Minneapolis Star Tribune for being named the Metropolitan Economic Development Association’s 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year. Tarraf is the CEO of Tarraf Construction and was born in Senegal to a Lebanese father and Colombian mother. He came to the United States in 1968 to attend college. Before starting his company, Tarraf held senior positions with Xerox in Canada and AIG in west Africa as well as American Express in the Twin Cities.

Sonya Varea-Hammond ’81 was recently profiled in Western Farm Press upon her retirement as the leader of the UC Cooperative Extension office serving Monterey County, Calif. During her time in the role, Varea-Hammond addressed agricultural economic development, biotechnology education and the ag-urban interface in Monterey County. Another focus of her work was advocacy and marketing for Cooperative Extension.

Dennis Diokno ’91 was recently featured in the Budapest Business Journal – Online in an article called “Better know a CEO: Dennis A. Diokno, managing director of First Med Centers.” The article profiles Diokno and also includes a fun Q&A section about a variety of his life experiences.

Kimberly Bishop-Yanke ’92 was recently featured in the Michigan newspaper, the News-Herald for her anti-bullying presentation she gave to 300 students in second and third grade at a local school. Bishop-Yanke is an expert in anti-bullying and has spoken at schools around the country and has appeared on numerous television and radio networks.

Allison Evanow ’92 was recently featured on the cover of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and was profiled in an article about how she built her million-dollar organic spirits business. Evanow is CEO of Square One Organic Spirits, which was founded in 2006 to capitalize on the alumna’s idea for a niche business. Evanow’s company makes organic vodka and other spirits. Evanow is currently releasing sprits with unusual flavors, such as cucumber vodka and is about to release Square One Basil.

Paul Hussey ’95 was recently featured in the Irish Times in an article called “Keeping on the boil from Hong Kong to Isle of Man and back.” Hussey is CEO of the Isle of Man-based company Strix, which is the largest maker of electric kettle controls in the world. He is a big believer in innovation and protecting intellectual property as the route to success.

Hollie Castro ’96 was featured in womenworthwatching.com for winning the 2011 Profiles in Diversity Journal’s Company and Executive Women Worth Watching Awards. Castro was also recently recognized by the HR Symposium of Northern California, when she won the 2011 Human Resource Excellence Award for HR Leadership.

Mark Zafra ’98 was recently named in the California newspaper The Sacramento Bee for winning the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Man of the Year award. Zafra raised $105,521.00 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society during a 10-week fundraising competition to raise funds for blood cancer research and patient services. Zafra is a leukemia survivor himself and is a global sourcing manager at McKesson Corporation.

Denise Farinos ’04 was recently featured in a Q&A article in the Latin American Business Chronicle. Farinos is the CFO of General Motors in South America. In her role, Farinos manages what some executives describe as the company’s most valuable asset in terms of growth and return on investment. Especially important is Brazil, in which General Motors sold nearly 700,000 vehicles last year.

 Aaron Bare ’09 was recently selected to the Phoenix Business Journal’s “Forty under 40” list. Bare is an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Walker Center for Entrepreneurship and CEO of Buzz Mouth.

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars of the Smithsonian Institution will present the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship to CH2M HILL’s Lee McIntire, at a dinner to be held on June 21, 2011 at The Grand Seawell Ballroom at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. The event is being co-chaired by Steven Farber and David McReynolds who will be joined by Special Guest, Sam Donaldson, ABC News veteran and president of the Wilson Council.

Lee McIntire is the Chairman and CEO of CH2M HILL, which with 23,000 employees is a global leader in consulting, design, design-build, operations and program management for private and public clients. Mr. McIntire has more than 35 years of industry experience and has overseen projects including the 2012 London Olympics, Panama Canal Expansion, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and West Coast Line in the United Kingdom, the Croatian Motorway, Mumbai airport and Emirates Nuclear Energy Program.

Mr. McIntire’s priorities for the firm are the highest standards of ethical behavior, safety, quality, and a positive client experience. The firm is frequently recognized for its focus on sustainability and its employees. CH2M HILL actively supports organizations such as Water for People, Engineers without Borders, and the Catalyst Award for the Development of Women. CH2M HILL’s commitment to sound corporate practices has been recognized by industry leaders, such as Ethisphere Institute, who in 2009, 2010, and 2011 named CH2M HILL among the “World’s Most Ethical Companies”. Fortune Magazine named CH2M HILL one of the “Best Places to work” for 2011.

Mr. McIntire lends his leadership to a number of organizations around the world: the Business Roundtable; World Economic Forum and the Engineering Construction Partnership of the World Economic Forum; World Business Council on Sustainable Development; U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum; National Petroleum Council; Council on Competitiveness; Aspen Institute’s Commission on the Arctic, and the National Academy of Construction. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Thunderbird School for Global Management.

The Woodrow Wilson Awards recognize leaders in government, business, science, the arts, and beyond who have embraced openness, dialogue, and service in confronting the issues of their day on the local, national, and international levels. Since their inception more than ten years ago, the Awards have been presented in major cities across the United States and around the world. Individuals who have received the Woodrow Wilson Awards include Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Dr. Henry Kissinger, Bernard Arnault, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Sherry Lansing, Anne Mulcahy, and the Honorable Pete Peterson, among others.

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, established in 1968 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is the living, national memorial to the United States’ 28th president.

Thunderbird alumnus David Lyle ‘95, (center) Entropic Communications’  chief financial officer, has received the San Diego Business Journal 2011 CFO of the Year Award in the large public company category.

The San Diego Business Journal’s 5^th Annual CFO of the Year Awards recognized the most outstanding chief financial executives who work in San Diego County. The award focused on Lyle’s financial leadership and contribution in guiding Entropic Communications, a leading provider of silicon and software solutions to enable connected home entertainment, to a record setting fiscal 2010, both in revenue and profitability.

“We’re elated for Dave to have been recognized among San Diego’s finest financial executives,” said Patrick Henry, president and chief executive officer, Entropic Communications. “Dave is a valuable member of our executive team; and through his financial leadership we have significantly grown our Company and strengthened relationships with our stakeholders and the San Diego community. It’s no surprise to us that he should be recognized for his achievements.”

Lyle has over 20 years of finance experience from both the semiconductor and commercial banking industries. He joined Entropic as CFO in 2007 through the acquisition of RF Magic where he also served as CFO.

“I would like to thank the San Diego Business Journal for recognizing business leaders within San Diego and I am truly touched by the panel of judges selecting me as CFO of the Year,” said Lyle. “To receive outside acknowledgement by my peers and fellow business professionals is a profound honor. My fellow finalists for this award are impressive and talented professionals and I am proud to be in their company.”

The San Diego Business Journal 5^th Annual CFO of the Year Award, sponsored by San Diego Business Journal and Robert Half Management, was presented to Mr. Lyle at a ceremony in San Diego on April 28 with more than 400 business executives from the area in attendance.

Laurence Lipsher ’65 was recently quoted in an Asia Times article called “Taxman chases overseas Americans and their bankers.” In the article, Lipsher, a U.S. accountant and author of the book Larry’s 2011 Tax Guide for US Expats and Green Card Holders in User Friendly English discusses his concerns with a new IRS program targeting Americans abroad.

Alan Zemek ’81 recently published a column in the Park Rapids Enterprise called “Common Currency: Idea age about to replace info-based economy.” Zemek is a Park Rapids area developer and author of “Generation Busted: How America Went Broke in the Age of Prosperity.” You can follow his blog, or comment on this article on his website, www.generationbusted.com.  

Leslie Rainbolt-Forbes ’84 was recently named in the Oklahoma Daily newspaper in an article that announces her election as Vice Chairman to the OU Board of Regents. Rainbolt-Forbes was appointed by Governor Brad Henry in 2006. Rainbolt-Forbes has also served as an assistant clinical instructor at the OU Health Sciences Center.

H. Joseph Ehrmann ’97 was recently profiled in Nightclub & Bar Magazine for the success of his San Francisco bar Elixir. Ehrmann’s bar. Elixir is on the corner of 16th and Guerrero in the Mission District and has game nights and trivia nights and also offers an extensive spirits collection with seasonal cocktails. In December 2005, the bar was named as one of the first 50 businesses in San Francisco to be acknowledged as a Green Business through the Department of the Environment’s certification program.

Sean Mulvaney ’97 was recently nominated by President Obama for Member, Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Mulvaney currently serves as director of the Economic Policy Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

Prior to this position, Mulvaney worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development, where he served until November 2008 as Assistant Administrator for Management, a Presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed position.

Previously, he was Assistant to the Speaker for Appropriations, Budget and U.S. Trade Policy in the U.S. House of Representatives. From 2001 to 2005, he served as a trade and foreign policy advisor to the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations.

From 1998 to 2001, Mulvaney worked in brand management for the consumer products division of GlaxoSmithKline.