Class Notes: Winter 2011

1950

Harlan Steinbaum (BBA ’54) is the author of Tough Calls from the Corner Office, a new book published by Harper Collins. In the book, Steinbaum, former chairman of Fortune 500 company Express Scripts, presents personal stories told by top executives about the single most important business decision they made during their business careers. Among the 39 executives featured in the book are Bill Rasmussen, founder and CEO of ESPN; Richard Mahoney, chairman and CEO of Monsanto Co.; Reginald Brack, chairman and CEO of Time Inc.; John F. McDonnell, chairman and CEO of McDonnell Douglas Corp.; Shelly Lazarus, chairman and CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide; and Frederic V. Salerno, vice chairman and CFO of Verizon. Steinbaum offers an insider’s view into the surrounding events, stakes and pressures of the decision-making process. Through the stories, readers learn how top executives handle no-win situations or desperate times and how they respond in crisis. For more information about Steinbaum and Tough Calls from the Corner Office, visit HarlanSteinbaum.com.

1960
Joseph M. Sullivan Jr. (BSM ’61) retired from the law firm of Bracewell & Giuliani in Dallas in June 2008 after a long career in banking and the practice of law.

1970

Nina J. Crimm (MBA/JD ’79) is the co-author of Politics, Taxes and the Pulpit: Provocative First Amendment Conflicts, a new book published by Oxford University Press that examines the mix of religion, politics and taxes involved in the controversy over houses of worship engaging in electoral political speech. Crimm is a professor of law at St. John’s University School of Law in New York and the author of numerous articles and books related to nonprofit organizations and philanthropy.

Holly Sharp (BSM ’79) recently celebrated 30 years with the New Orleans CPA firm LaPorte Sehrt Romig Hand. Sharp is director of litigation and forensic services and heads the firm’s consulting department. She also serves as an adjunct professor at the Freeman School, where she teaches tax accounting.

1980

Paul Andoh Sr. (MBA ’80) was elected as a member-at-large of the New Orleans Chapter of the Society of Louisiana CPAs. Andoh is an audit partner with Bruno & Tervalon in New Orleans.

Constance Cannon Frazier (MBA ’86) has been named chief operating officer of the American Advertising Federation. The appointment makes her the highestranking African-American woman at a national advertising trade association. Frazier previously served as the federation’s executive vice president of corporate programming and development. Since joining AAF in 2004, Frazier’s accomplishments include increasing corporate support of diversity programs, doubling the number of participants and financial support for the Most Promising Minority Students Program, launching the AAF Mosaic Career & Vendor Fairs, and creating the first-ever AAF student conference. In her new role, Frazier will manage the federation’s daily financial, human resources and program operations including its membership program.

Thomas J. Kern (A&S ’84, MBA ’86) is serving as the 2010-2011 president of the Risk Management Association’s Middle Tennessee Chapter. The chapter has 30 financial institution members and 118 individual associate members. Kern has been involved with the chapter since relocating to the Nashville area in 2007 to work with Civic Bank & Trust. He has also recently become a Big Brother through Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee.

Dan Crumb (MBA ’89) was named chief financial officer of the Kansas City Chiefs in September 2010. Crumb was most recently CFO of the New Orleans Hornets, where he led the organization’s accounting, human resources and information technology departments. Crumb was also responsible for compliance with league standards and policies. In his new position, Crumb leads the finance and information technology departments for the Chiefs.

1990

Mitch Thrower (BSM ’90) was elected chairman of the Hillsborough County Charter Review Board in 2010. Thrower has worked at Tampa International Airport since 1998, and he currently serves as the airport’s deputy director of administration. Thrower and his wife, Brenda Williams (N ’90), have three children, ages 11, 10 and 3. The family resides in Tampa.

Maria Shirey (MBA ’91) was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing at the organization’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C., in November 2010. Shirey, an associate professor of nursing at the University of Southern Indiana, is best known for her work advancing authentic leadership in nursing to promote healthy work environments for professional practice. Her research on work complexity and stress as they relate to nurse managers has contributed nationally toward interventions in the areas of formalizing creation of developmental programs for nurse managers, testing innovative stress-reduction programs tailored for nurse managers, creating internships for nurse managers and developing succession-planning programs for nurse managers.

Sean Fitzpatrick (BSM ’91) and his wife, Kelly, announce the birth of their second son, Brendan Sean, in October 2010. Brendan’s big brother is Jack.

Justin Weil (BSM ’93) has joined the sales and trading group of Wedge Securities as a trader. Weil started his career in New York with Smith Barney in 1993. From 2001 through 2007, he was with Morgan Stanley in institutional sales, where he covered middle-market accounts. He moved to the buy-side in 2007 and has been a proprietary trader at both First New York and RBC/G-2 Trading.

Gil Gonzalez (BSM ’94) is an author and freelance writer who has self-published the first two novels of a planned four-volume series. In addition to his writing, Gonzalez contributes much of his time and energy to various nonprofits. He resides in Tampa, Fla., with his wife and two children.

Ariane Brennan (BSM ’95) is branch manager of the New Orleans location of Strategic Staffing Solutions.

Shelly Gelber (BSM ’95) and his wife, Julie Carson, announce the birth of a son, Itai Gelber, in November 2010. The family resides in Deerfield, Ill.

David C. Rieveschl (MBA/JD ’97) has joined the New Orleans office of the law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz as a member of the securities and corporate governance department.

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David Herron (MBA ’98) is a tax accountant with Calegari & Morris in San Francisco.

2000
Michael Banks (BSM ’00) recently received a PhD in strategic management from the C. T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. His dissertation was entitled “Stakeholder Management at the Origin of Competitive Advantage.”

Brian A. Reed (MBA ’00) was hired in August 2009 to lead the new Transaction Advisory Services practice at Weaver, an independent CPA firm with offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin, Texas. The Transaction Advisory Services practice offers business valuations based on accounting, tax and finance expertise combined with the use and development of sophisticated valuation methodologies that provide complex financial reporting and tax requirements. Reed will act as the director managing the delivery and marketing of the service and will oversee due diligence activities on both the buy-side and sell-side of corporate transactions. Prior to joining Weaver, Reed founded Lone Star Value Advisors Inc., a professional valuation and advisory firm that offered comprehensive services to middle-market private equity funds and corporate clients.

Pete Dietrich (MBA ’01) has been elected senior vice president and chief nuclear officer of Southern California Edison. In his new role, Dietrich is responsible for all operational, engineering and regulatory aspects of the utility’s nuclear power program. Dietrich has 19 years experience in the commercial nuclear power industry as well as five years of service in the U.S. Navy’s nuclear power program. Prior to joining Southern California Edison, he was site vice president of the James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant in Lycoming, N.Y., part of Entergy Nuclear Operations. At FitzPatrick, Dietrich’s responsibilities included providing strategic guidance, direction and oversight on all aspects of plant operations, engineering, finance, training, corrective action, self-assessment, regulatory affairs and labor relations.

Don Vinci (MBA ’01) has been named vice president of the gas distribution business at Entergy. In that role, Vinci is responsible for providing safe, reliable gas service to more than 188,000 customers in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Vinci’s Entergy career spans 24 years. He has served as general manager of Entergy’s nuclear fleet operations and support, general manager of plant operations at River Bend Nuclear Power Station, vice president of risk management and general auditor in Entergy’s internal audit services, and in a variety of management positions at Waterford 3 Nuclear Power Station.

Mary Hazlewood Barkley (BSM ’02) and David Barkley announce the birth of their first child, Sarah Elizabeth Barkley, on May 25, 2010. Mary is an attorney with Cantey Hanger in Fort Worth, Texas.

Nina Krammer Brauer (BSM ’02) is the co-founder and owner of Junior Etiquette Team, which offers youth a modern take on social graces. Based in Charleston, S.C., JET hosts coed events offering creative and relatable situations in the art of fine dining, ballroom dancing and proper decorum.

Phil J. Krass (BSM ’03) recently became engaged to Meleah McPadden. Krass is corporate accounts manager with Carlisle Interconnect Technologies in Tukwila, Wash.

Michael Kramer (BSM ’04) has been promoted to vice president at DH Capital, an investment banking firm serving companies in the Internet infrastructure and communications sectors. Kramer joined the company in 2007 and was a key team member on several recent transactions, including Goldman Sachs’ equity investment into Cervalis and the sale of SoftLayer Technologies to GI Patners and the company’s management. Prior to joining DH Capital, Kramer worked as UBS Investment Bank.

Audrey B. Overbey (MBA ’03) and Lex Galang were married in October 2010 in New York. Overbey was also recently promoted to supervising examiner at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, where she oversees a team of liquidity, operational and technology risk examiners.

Cheryl Mintz (MBA ’04) was elected to the board of Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre in New Orleans.

Daniel Quintana (MBA ’04) has returned to New Orleans after spending the past few years in Houston and Lafayette, La. Quintana and his wife, Misty, have three children, Jackson, who is 8 years old, Nicholas, who is 5, and Isabella, who is 3. Quintana is operations manager with Exterran.

Kevin Yeo (MBA ’05) is a retail sector senior analyst and consumer sector team leader with Korea Investment Securities Corp., the top investment securities company in Korea. Prior to joining the company, Yeo was a retail sector senior analyst with Shinhan Investment Securities Corp.

Ryan Blackledge (MBA/JD ’06) and his wife, Meghan, are pleased to announce the birth of their first child, Constance Anne. Blackledge is a staff attorney with the North Carolina General Assembly, where he works in the Legislative Drafting Division writing tax and business legislation. Baby Anne enjoys eating, sleeping and playing with the dogs. The family resides in Durham, N.C.

David Deng Weizheng (MBA ’06) is chairman and CEO of Shanghai Ehkyu International Trading Co., a leading solar market facilitator and integrated industrial services provider in China. Deng founded the company in 2003 after spending 10 years with Tokyu Car Corp., where he eventually rose to the position of director and department head.

Katie Crosby (MBA ’07) was elected chairman of Fidelity Homestead Savings Bank in July 2010. Crosby is the great granddaughter of Allain C. Andry Sr., one of the original founders of Fidelity Homestead in 1908. She has been a member of the board and on the executive committee since 2003, and was president of Homestead Title, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fidelity. She also chaired the committee that selected Fidelity’s current CEO. Crosby is active in the community, serving on the boards of Children’s Hospital, Habitat for Humanity and the Contemporary Arts Center.

Rachel Liverman (BSM ’07) has joined her family’s business, Catherine Hinds Institute of Esthetics, as director of PR. Liverman left TJX Co. in May to become the third generation of women in her family to join the business. Liverman’s grandmother, Catherine Hinds, started the company in 1979, and her mother, An G. Hinds, is now president and CEO. The company is based in Woburn, Mass., and Liverman resides in Boston.

Jon Sider (BSM ’07) is co-developer of Greater Than, a new sports drink being marketed in the Chicago area. Sider and his brother, Mark, have produced 72,000 bottles of the beverage, which is sold in area supermarkets, health clubs and gyms. In 2006, Sider created and marketed a T-shirt, emblazened with “reTUrn,” to celebrate the reopening of Tulane University following Hurricane Katrina. Sider donated all proceeds from the sale of the shirts to the university.

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Kevin Preis (MBA ’08) recently launched Go See Campus (goseecampus.com), a new website that helps high school students and their parents plan campus visits and make the most of the college search. The site’s College Trip Planner is a free itinerary tool that connects users to campus tours, information sessions and other admissions activities with the goal of reducing the cost involved in visiting campuses and making the college search a more engaging and enjoyable experience. In addition to managing Go See Campus, Preis writes content for clients through his marketing communications company, Augmental. Preis was a senior program coordinator for recruitment at the Freeman School prior to Hurricane Katrina. He completed the MBA program in the wake of the storm and went on to earn a master’s in education from Harvard University. Preis resides in Atlanta with his wife, Shaina, and a scruffy terrier, Easy the Dog.

Edmund E. Redd (MBA ’08) was elected chairman of Prevent Child Abuse Louisiana. Redd is Louisiana area manager with Vulcan Materials Co.

Carol Skriloff (MBA ’08) and James Starr were married in November 2010 at Peninsula Papagayo, Costa Rica. Skriloff is vice president for institutional sales at Capital One Southcoast in New Orleans.

George Akirtava (MBA ’09) was appointed as a private banker in JP Morgan’s New Orleans office.

Knud Berthelsen (MBA ’09) and Chloe Polemis (MBA ’09) were married in June 2010 in Chatham Center, N.Y. Berthelsen is owner of Knudr Internet Presence Optimization in New Orleans.

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Mireille Silva (MGM ’09), an executive director of Ernst & Young in Lima, Peru, has been recognized by Cambridge Who’s Who for demonstrating dedication, leadership and excellence in audit services. Silva is responsible for overseeing audts, compiling due diligence reports in Peru, and supervising senior managers and managers. Cambridge Who’s Who is a global networking registry and resource.

Edward Crawford (MBA ’08, MGM ’09, G ’09) and his wife, Mary, are proud to announce the birth of their first child, Caroline Elizabeth, in October 2010. Crawford is an associate with Goldman Sachs in Miami.

2010
Jeffrey Good (MBA ’10) has joined the law firm of McGlinchey Stafford as an associate.

Vernon Riggs (MBA ’11) has been named vice president of operations for Mr. Electric, a franchise company of the Dwyer Group. Riggs served as director of franchise development for five years at Mr. Rooter, another Dwyer Group company.

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Freeman welcomes the latest news about your personal and professional activities for the Class Notes section. To submit a note, please visit http://business.tulane.edu/alumni/classnotes.php.