Alumni Updates 2000 - 2005

Jepson alumni want to stay in touch with each other and the School's faculty and administrators want to know about graduates' further study, professional lives and volunteer and community service endeavors. Share information on your activities by use of this form or call 804-287-6627 or email jepsonalumni@richmond.edu. To stay in touch with classmates, login to UR Online or ask the Jepson staff for help.  Class notes are submitted by alumni and are not verified by the editors. While we welcome alumni news, the Jepson School of Leadership Studies is not responsible for information contained in class notes.

Notes about alumni are posted as we receive them, so check back often. The posting date is noted after each item.

Class of 2000

Joni Lindenstruth is a communications consultant in the marketing/communications department at T. Rowe Price in the San Francisco Bay area. She is responsible for developing the educational materials for her clients’ 401k and retirement plans. Joni volunteers at a local children’s hospital and is active in the San Francisco Bay Area University of Richmond Alumni Chapter. (Jan. 08)

Class of 2001

Charles Caldroney serves as a consultant on the Human Capital & Strategic Change team at BearingPoint (formerly KPMG Consulting). He’s traveling a great deal, mostly to the West Coast from his Richmond base. Charles is a member of the Jepson Alumni Networking Committee. (Jan. 08)

Emily Griffey is the director of research and advocacy at the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce’s Success by 6. In that role, she initiated and developed community-wide indicators and performance measures for coalitions and initiatives conducted by Success by 6 to promote school readiness. She has developed and implemented policy agenda to promote early childhood education initiatives and has presented data and research on early childhood issues to business leaders, state officials and community partners. She has also served as co-chair of the Early Childhood Development Coalition, a grassroots coalition of providers and advocates for early childhood issues. Emily received her master’s degree in public policy from the Johns Hopkins University Institute for Policy Studies in 2005 and is a member of the Jepson Alumni Networking Committee. (Jan. 08)

Elizabeth Woodhull Kraft owns and runs a real estate brokerage firm and an internet-based marketing program that serves real estate agents in North Carolina. Prior to launching her businesses, Elizabeth was a student financial counselor with Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina. She serves as a Guardian ad Litem volunteer for Buncombe County and the State of North Carolina, representing abused and/or neglected children in the court system. (Jan. 08)

Billy O'Brien is a director on the president's Homeland Security Council and is a member of the White House staff. Article. (March 08) 

Class of 2002

Aaron Graham is a national field organizer/justice revivals coordinator for Sojourners, a Washington, DC-based organization. Sojourners’ mission is to articulate the biblical call to social justice, inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world. Aaron, along with his wife Amy, recently appeared in a four-part series in the Boston Globe for their work in starting The Quincy Street Missionary Church in that city’s Dorchester neighborhood. Article He also recently completed his master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. (Jan. 08)

Katherine Kinsman is Associate Director of Development in the New York office of The Posse Foundation, Inc. The Posse Foundation is one of the most comprehensive college access and retention programs in the country. In her role as a senior development officer, Kate manages major events, meets with donors, trains staff and works on proposals with the national director of development and the president of Posse. She is also pursuing a master’s degree at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service. Kate is a member of the Jepson Alumni Networking Committee. (Jan. 08)

Kate Materna is a concept development manager with Circuit City Stores, Inc. in Richmond. Driving cultural change and innovation, she focuses on enabling partner development through technology in The City, a new store concept for the company.  Kate previously worked as an assistant director of admission at the University of Richmond and Lehigh University.  She completed a master's degree in educational leadership at Lehigh in 2004. (Jan. 08)

Jennifer Roberts is the director of annual giving at The Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia. She provides the part-time director of development with senior-level support in running comprehensive fundraising operations and executes yearly and multi-year strategies to increase amounts and numbers of gifts. She also manages all day-to-day business operations, meets annual fundraising goals, and assists with major gifts programs and related social functions. Jennifer received her master’s degree of public administration in public and nonprofit management in 2006.  (Jan. 08)

Class of 2003

Evan Baum is Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at George Mason University, where he is pursuing a master’s degree in organizational development and knowledge management. Evan earned his first master’s degree in education policy and leadership at the University of Maryland in 2005. Evan also recently joined the statewide university advisory board for The Phoenix Project, a nonprofit group dedicated to training Virginia’s next generation of social entrepreneurs. Evan and his wife, Beth. were married in 2007. (Pictured, at right.)  (Jan. 08)

Kelly Decker is a commercial underwriter for Philadelphia Insurance Companies in Bala Cynwyd, Penn. (Jan. 08)

Maggie Deardon and her husband of one-year, Wes, have relocated to Charlottesville from Saratoga Springs, NY. (April 08)

Marianne Kinney will be off to New York and entering the master’s program at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College in the fall. She is completing her fifth year teaching at J.A. Chakley Elementary School in Chesterfield County, Va. She was named one of Virginia’s 2008 Teachers of the Year for her work as a 5th grade Social Studies Lead Teacher. (April 08)

Allyson Ladley Gibson is an education outreach coordinator with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis, Md. She develops content and opportunities for student leaders via the Student Action Network, forms partnership with external groups and speaks at events and, in general, serves as a link between the education and communications departments. She also teaches leadership to middle and high school students all within the environmental/outdoor classroom. Interview. (Feb. 08)

Nicholas Morales is enrolled at Harvard Law School and expects to graduate in 2010. Prior to his enrollment, he served as a paralegal in Lavallette, NJ where he conducted legal research for an environmental and land use single-attorney practice that represented non-profit environmental groups, township planning boards and private clients. (Jan. 08)

Emily S. Poag is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration with a specialization in education policy at the University of Delaware, where she is also a research assistant for the Delaware Academy for School Leadership. (April 08)

Kathryn Haller Schofield is a senior associate at GMMB, a strategic communications firm that specializes in integrated public awareness campaigns for social issues. She is a member of the Junior League of Washington and is a special programs committee co-chair for the Northern Virginia Tri Delta Alumnae Association, through which she volunteers with various children’s hospital-related associations. (Jan. 08)

Thomas A. Walsh serves as a first lieutenant in the United States Air Force as a weapons systems officer. Upon graduation, Thomas entered the Air Force’s Officer Training School and received an appointment to navigator training in Pensacola, Fla. After receiving his wings, he received further training in electronic warfare. He is a member of the 9^th Bomb Squadron and deployed to the Middle East in July. (Jan. 08)

Jeremiah Winters works in Richmond as a financial advisor at Wachovia Securities, LLC. He is also an active volunteer in and around the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond. In addition to tutoring at risk students he and his wife, Taylor, played an instrumental role in the 2007 start up of The Church Hill Academy, a private school whose mission is to train and equip the young men and women of that area with the skills necessary for becoming responsible, virtuous, and articulate citizens. (Jan. 08)

Jonathan C. Zur, vice president of program operations at the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities in Richmond, is a member of the Leadership Metro Richmond class of 2008. He is the first Jepson graduate to be accepted for the exclusive community leadership development program. (Jan. 08)   

Class of 2004

Lauran Glassman Stimac lives in Richmond where she is a civil litigator at the law firm of Hancock, Daniel, Johnson & Nagle, P.C. She defends health care providers in medical malpractice cases. (July 08)

Alison Frattare Bartlett married Josh Bartlett in August 2006 and in March 2008 they moved to northern Kentucky where they are building their first home and traveling across the United States and abroad. Alison is currently seeking employment in the northern Kentucky area and was previously employed with Wells Fargo Bank in Denver. (July 08)

Patty Devlin lives in Richmond where she is a business consultant for Play. Play provides strategic consulting to drive company or business line growth and change through creative thinking and change management processes. They specialize in "thinking differently" and seek to deliver creative ideas and/or strategic solutions to client needs. Patty leads organizational change for an 8000-person global advertising agency and her job has taken her to Hong Kong, Warsaw and Dubai within the past two months. (July 08)

Amy Vest is pursuing a master's degree in higher education administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a master's degree in divinity from Harvard Divinity School. She expects to graduate in the spring. She is studying how differing religious commitments are negotiated on college and university campuses and she hopes to work in student affairs, with an emphasis on advising student organizations and facilitating student leadership training and involvement. (July 08)

Anne S. Williamson recently married Tim Bezbatchenko after meeting him in Foundations of Leadership class on campus during their freshman year. They live New York City, where she is pursuing a doctoral degree in higher and postsecondary education at New York University. (July 08)

Colette Connor is wrapping up law school at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. where she is also a clinical student in the Supreme Court and Appellate Practice Workshop. She is a Chayes International Public Service Fellow, managing editor of the Harvard International Law Journal, and is active in Harvard Law School Advocates for Human Rights. (Jan. 08)

Noah Nelson plans to enroll at the University of Richmond School of Law in the fall. (April 08)

Neil Singh lives in New York City, where he is a project manager for Fine Construction Specialties in Lynbrook. Neil manages a team of 30 commercial and industrial painters and is involved in the bidding and estimation of all projects. He is the contact person for the local Union officials and also initiated industrial painting operations in Oregon and Washington. (Jan. 08)

Class of 2005

Kristen Habicht currently attends the University of Maryland School School of Nursing, where she is a full-time student. (July 08)

Gia Francucci earned her CPA License in 2007 and has completed 3 Levels of the CFA exam.  She works in Boston as an analyst for HighPoint Capital. (June 08)

McLean P. Turner is a Wine Purveyor and manager of the Barrel Thief Wine Shop and Café at Barrel Thief's in Richmond.  She performs with James River Singers, a classical chamber choir. (June 08)

Kimberly Bowers, as director of appointments for Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, solicits and assesses candidates for appointments to policy, supervisory and advisory boards, commissions and councils in state government. Her work in politics has included meetings with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and president candidate Barack Obama. Article. (March 08)

Jillian Fasching manages advocacy and public policy for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, National Capital Chapter. Jill was on campus in February, 2008, as one of the alumni participants in the Real World program.  (Feb. 08)

Richard W. Gouldin, III is in his third year teaching third grade in the Louisa County Public School System in Virginia. He also serves as a tutor and as a faculty mentor in the After School Mentor Program. He is the acting chair of the school’s Building Leadership Team, a group that works with multiple groups to promote staff unity and help build a positive school environment. Richard is a candidate for a master’s degree at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. (Jan. 08)    

Matthew Pennella is a project manager at Hudson Highland Properties, LLC in Hoboken, N.J. In that role, Matthew supports the managing partners with all day-to-day activities including meeting with investors, lenders and brokers. He manages the internal staff, develops strategy and writes business plans for new ventures. (Jan. 08)

Alison M. Smith received a master’s in political science in 2007 from Boston College where she was awarded the Thomas P. O’Neill Jr. Fellowship and the H.B. Earhard Fellowship. Now in the PhD program with a concentration in American politics, she works as a policy specialist for The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, Inc. Under the auspices of The Manhattan Institute’s Center for the American University (CAU), Alison works with university professors to seed new centers of academic excellence under the VERITAS Fund for Higher Education Reform. Alison is also a political consultant at Revere Advisors LLC, a boutique firm in New York. Alison teaches dance and volunteers at The Children’s Institute in New Jersey, a school for children with autism. (Jan. 08)  

Share information on your activities by use of this form or call 804-287-6522 or email jepsonalumni@richmond.edu.