1955
Five alumni gathered in Temecula, Calif., in October for their own 50-year reunion. On hand were Daniel M. Profant (1961, B.S., mathematics), Robert J. Newton (1958, B.A., industrial arts) and his wife, Gloria (McCann) Newton (1959, B.A., English), Donald D. Radford (1963, B.A., physical education) and Charles Herring (1959, B.A., psychology). The four men were roommates "back in the days before student housing," Herring recalled.
1960
Sidney Miller (1960, B.A., physical science) writes that after being a Korean War military pilot, he earned his degree at Cal State Long Beach while working at Rockwell International as a design engineer. Through a series of promotions, he eventually became vice president of logistics for its Autonetics Division and retired in 1986. "My education at CSULB had a pronounced effect on my rapid advancement and career success. Thank you."
Former CSULB Police Chief Jack R. Brick (1961, B.S., 1973, M.S., criminal justice) was elected to the Capistrano Unified School District board of trustees in November. He is a past president of the CSULB Alumni Association and was a 2007 distinguished alumnus of the College of Health and Human Services.
The California Community College Cross Country and Track and Field Coaches' Association inducted former Cerritos College women's track coach Gary W. Gaudet (1964, B.A., physical education) into its Hall of Fame. He now is an assistant coach and is the second Hall of Fame honoree from Cerritos and CSULB, joining the late Paul D. "Dave" Kamanski (1957, M.A., elementary education). The association also named Michael G. Allen (1980, B.A., kinesiology and physical education) to his second Women's Track Coach of the Year honors. In addition to coaching, he is a Los Angeles County probation officer supervisor.
Bernard Luskin (1964, M.A., educational administration) has been appointed CEO and provost of Touro University Worldwide. Luskin is former chancellor of Jones International University and president of Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif.; Coastline Community College; Philips Interactive Media and Philips Education and Reference Publishing.
1965
Bruce Marsh (1965, M.A., art) is a retired art professor from the University of South Florida who now is involved in arts and community organizations near Tampa, Fla.
Janis Fuhr (1966, B.A., music) teaches music at Chaparral High School in Temecula, Calif.
Lance K. Johnson (1968, B.A.; 1970, M.A., psychology) recently retired from Pasadena City College after 37 years of teaching and has been a licensed clinical psychologist for 35 years. He also earned a Ph.D. from USC. In addition, he is a licensed commercial pilot and has been flying since serving in the U.S. Air Force.
Cecile Moran (White) Rapoza (1968, M.A., art education) is a retired art teacher. She continues to paint and is president of the Art Uptown Gallery, a cooperative gallery in Sarasota, Fla.
R. David Chapel (1969, B.A., kinesiology and physical education) was reelected to the Rancho Santiago Community College District Board of Trustees in November and was selected as board president. The district covers Anaheim Hills, Orange and Santa Ana.
Sidney Field (1969, B.A., mathematics) is CEO of Medical Capital Corp., a healthcare finance company with offices across the U.S.
Robert J. Strayhan (1969, B.A., economics), president of Athena Development LLC, a real estate development firm in Bellevue, Wash., has been elected chair of AtWork!, a non-profit employment services organization for disabled individuals.
1970
Kerry L. Kowalski (1970, B.S., criminal justice) writes that his internship at the Fountain Valley, Calif., Police Department led to employment there and several promotions. "I then spent 25 years with the Orange County Marshal as a Detention Dept. bailiff and coordinator of court drug recognition experts. I was selected as the 2000 Deputy of the Year by the American Board of Trial Advocates. I retired in 2004."
Tony de Lucia (1971, B.A, public administration) is a manager of Long Beach Seafood Co., his family's business that supplies Southern California restaurants.
William J. Ruzgis (1971, B.S., criminal justice) retired from the Orange County Marshal's Department. He is known as "Broker Bill" specializing in Seal Beach Leisure World resales and enjoys flying with his wife, Trudy, in their Cessna 172 Skyhawk hangared at the Long Beach Airport.
Clare Graham (1972, B.A.; 1977, M.A., art), an artist and designer, was featured in the August online Interior Design magazine, discussing his artwork and furniture designs. He formerly managed Disneyland's Entertainment Art Department.
The Tehama County, Calif., Board of Supervisors honored Judge Dennis E. Murray (1972, B.S, criminal justice) for 30 years of service.
Albert Reda (1972, B.S., engineering) is president and CEO of Seamless Corp., a Las Vegas, Nev., firm that develops mobile hardware and software technologies.
La Mirada, Calif., named Thomas Robinson (1972, B.A., journalism; 1987, MPA) as city manager. He has worked in municipal government since 1972 and with the city since 1985.
Ricardo Chavira (1973, B.A., journalism) is the new faculty advisor for the Daily Titan newspaper at Cal State Fullerton. He was a journalist for Time and Dallas Morning News.
John E. Radeleff (1973, B.S., criminal justice) retired in October after 35 years with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept., most recently as chief of its Technical Services Division. He was one of six Distinguished Service honorees at the 2008 City of Lakewood Award of Valor Luncheon.
Larry E. Staley (1973, B.A., economics) and his wife live in Foster City, Calif., where he serves on the Foster City Information Technology and Advisory Committee. "I also am president of the Foster City Historical Society and am on the committee for the International Writer's Contest." Their son recently graduated from UC Berkeley. "I hope someday [CSULB] will once again have a Division 1 football program," he writes.
Ruben Tarin (1973, B.S., industrial technology-construction) has worked in engineering management for 35 years, where he was involved in building the Alaska oil pipeline and later in aerospace.
Leroy W. "Skip" Thompson (1973, M.A., kinesiology and physical education) retired in September as assistant athletics director at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. He joined MMA in 1973 and later became head basketball coach and sports information director.
Rocketplane Global Inc. named Ed Linhart (1974, B.A.; 1976, M.A., industrial arts) as vice president of manufacturing. He was vice president of F-35 global production with Lockheed Martin.
Nicolas Papadakis (1974, B.A., mathematics) retired as executive director of the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments.
Gary J. Posner (1974, B.S., business administration–human resources management and accounting) is a certified public accountant and corporate controller and chief accounting officer of Esterline Technologies Corp., an aerospace and defense company in Bellevue, Wash. He and Esterline's corporate officers attended the closing bell ceremony of the New York Stock Exchange on Nov. 3.
1975
Kathleen Apple (1975, B.S., nursing) is chief executive officer of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and a director-at-large for the American National Standards Institute that develops voluntary national standards for a variety of business sectors.
Hiroshi Ikushima (1975, B.A., journalism) is a radio and television reporter, newspaper columnist and owns a media production company in Tokyo.
William Martin (1975, B.A., philosophy), writing under the pen name Martin Kerkhof, saw his first book, Chaka, a suspense novel about Mayan culture past and present, published by Eloquent Books. He is CEO of a relocation organization and is working on three additional novels.
Richard Nowak (1975, B.S. criminal justice) worked for the Calgary, Canada, Police Service after graduating. He later returned to the U.S., completed a master's degree, became a U.S. citizen and served in several California police departments. He finally retired in 2003 from the U.S. Federal Reserve Police Department. "I now work for the Temecula Valley Unified School District as a campus supervisor and substitute high school teacher. My daughter is now attending CSULB for her degree in interior design."
The South Orange County Community College District appointed Randy W. Peebles (1975, B.A.; 1978, M.A., industrial arts) as provost of its new Advanced Technology & Education Park in Tustin, Calif. He spent 20 years at Cerritos College, including as instructional dean of the Technology Division and interim dean of the Business Division.
Lee Hecht Harrison, an international human resources consulting firm, named Stephen Tibbs (1975, B.S., health science) as senior vice president of leadership consulting, where he will oversee the firm's strategies and offerings for its executive coaches and consultants.
Dennis Lopez (1976, B.S., business administration-marketing) is CEO of SUN Real Estate, the international real estate investment sector of the SUN Group. He was global head of real estate for Cambridge Place Investment Management and a managing director of JPMorgan in London.
Los Angeles-based Hanmi Financial Corp. named John J. Park (1976, B.S., business administration-accountancy) as executive vice president and chief credit officer.
Kimberly-Clark commissioned painter Dona (Hunsaker) Gelsinger (1977, B.A., art) to create Santa Claus artwork that appears on holiday Kleenex tissue boxes for three years. Her artwork can be seen on a variety of home décor products and greeting cards.
Thomas A. Marsh (1977, M.F.A, sculpture) is an artist who recently exhibited at the Arts Center in Orange, Va. His work also has been displayed at Mission San Juan Bautista, Calif.; Walt Disney World in Florida and in Washington, D.C.
Jon L. Memsic (1977, B.S., business administration-marketing) writes that after working for 31 years as vice president for Acuity Brands Lighting, he started Jon Memsic Recruiting, an executive search company focusing on the electrical industry. He and his wife, Patricia L. Okkerse-Memsic (1977, B.S., nursing), live in Silverthorne, Colo., where they mentor children and volunteer at the Copper Mountain Ski Resort. Jon's primary hobbies are telemark skiing and hiking. Patti is an equestrian with her Peruvian horse in addition to working as a home design consultant. They have two adult sons.
Jordan H. Price (1977, B.S., industrial arts) is a co-founder of The Reading Solution LLC, a Huntington Beach, Calif., firm that has developed the Targeted Reading Improvement Program to help parents teach their children how to read.
John Sawyer (1977, B.A., psychology) a business professor at the University of Delaware, was named faculty fellow in the university's Office of Graduate and Professional Education, where he will direct new educational initiatives.
Nancy Stapp (1977, B.A., liberal studies) is the new principal of Roosevelt Elementary School in the Lynwood, Calif., Unified School District.
Tom Stilley (1977, B.S. business administration-finance) is senior vice president at Colliers International's Office Division in Las Vegas.
Arlene Cartozian (1978, M.A., art) teaches art and Georgiann Psaros (1994, B.S., business administration-marketing) teaches computer classes aboard Crystal Cruises ships.
Arizona State University named Tracy Grunig (1978, B.S., business administration-accountancy) as its new director of University Audit and Advisory Services. She is a former assistant executive director of the Arizona Board of Regents and an ASU audit manager.
Molina Healthcare Inc. appointed Lisa A. Rubino (1978, B.S.; 1982, M.S., criminal justice) as president of Molina Healthcare of California, one of the firm's nine national subsidiaries. She was an executive with Blue Shield of California.
Keith T. Hardeman (1979, B.A.; 1982, M.A., speech communication) was promoted to full professor at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., where he is chair of the Communication and Fine Arts Department. He also was elected president of the American Association of University Professors, Missouri Conference. He, his wife, Shelley, and their two children live in Columbia, Mo.
Kern County, Calif., named Terry Lease (1979, B.S., business administration-finance) as the new real property manager in its General Services division.
After a lengthy career in the aerospace industry, DiMaggio Washington (1979, B.S., engineering-industrial technology) became a winemaker and now teaches wine studies at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, Calif.
