’60s

Marty Klein (’61) is president of Marty Klein Enterprises. The senior entertainment industry executive has a resume that includes more than 20 years with the William Morris Agency in the roles of senior agent/manager and VP.

Harvey Schulweis (’61, MBA ’69) has been named a Trustee of the Baruch College Fund. He is the co-founder and managing director at Niantic Partners LLC.

Lewis Altfest (’62) is CEO and principal advisor of NYC-based Altfest Personal Wealth Management, which he founded in 1983. He and his wife Karen, who heads up client relations in the firm, were honored in 2013 by Financial Planning magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Influencer Award as advisors who have pushed the profession to new heights.

With its article “Mitchell & Titus Marks 40th Anniversary in Bringing Diversity to the Accounting Profession,” Accounting Today (Mar. 2, 2015 edition) celebrated the minority-owned firm’s four decades plus of prominence. Co-founder Bert Mitchell (’63, MBA ’68, LLD [Hon.] ’88), one of the most influential accountants in the U.S., is a Trustee Emeritus of The Baruch College Fund.

Dyadic International appointed Jack Kaye (’67) to its board of directors in March. A seasoned financial executive with over 40 years of diversified experience, Kaye is the chairman of the Audit Committee of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.

’70s

Ivan Berkowitz (MBA ’70) has joined the Board of Directors of UBL Interactive, Inc. A corporate executive and advisor with 40 years of experience in the financial and real estate industries, he co-founded and serves as the chairman of Great Court Capital, a global structured finance and traditional merchant banking firm based in New York City.

David Krell (MBA ’71), chairman of ISE and a member of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Borse AG, has been inducted into the Futures Industry Association Hall of Fame at its yearly Boca Raton, Fla., derivatives conference. This honor recognizes a lifetime of outstanding contributions to the futures and options community.

Attorney Thomas F. Liotti (MPA ’72), has served six terms as village justice in Westbury, L.I. He is also an adjunct professor in the Paralegal Studies program at Nassau Community College.

Joseph S. Conti (MBA ’73), member of the board of United Community Ministries in Alexandria, Va., since 2012, was recently named board treasurer. He retired from Bankers Trust Company in 1992 as a senior VP with 23 years of service.

Howard Rosenbloom (MBA ’73) opened Howard Rosenbloom, CPA & Co., P.A., in Miami. The firm specializes in accounting and taxes for businesses, individuals, and startups. Previously he was president of Shubitz Rosenbloom & Co., P.A.

Mildred García (’74), president of California State University, Fullerton, was honored on Apr. 27 with a Trailblazer Award from Leadership California. García, the first Latina president in the Cal State system, has served on the advisory commission of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics since 2011.

Michael House (MBA ’74) received a Special Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago Defender. House was previously president and publisher of the 110-year-old Defender, which during his tenure was named the “Best Black Newspaper in America” by the National Newspaper Association. Currently he is director, business development/marketing, for Allpoints Security and Detective, Inc., in Chicago.

Stephen Wain (’76), President of Calder Associates, Inc., a middle-market M&A advisory based in Tinton Falls, N.J., was elected Chairman of the Board for the International Business Brokers Association, the world’s largest professional association for business brokers and mid-market M&A intermediary professionals. He also serves on the board of The M&A Source, a professional association dedicated to lower middle-market M&A transactions, and of other private companies.

Thomas F. Fox (MBA ’77) is the owner/principal of Southold Maritime Services Corp., which provides consulting services over a broad range of maritime and related issues. In 2010 the company provided consulting services related to the Deepwater Horizon incident for a major oil spill response organization.

Alfredo Garcia (’77), a longtime amateur pianist, was named the winner of the highly competitive Van Cliburn Amateur Video Contest, thus gaining entry into the 2016 International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs. He is a first VP/senior financial consultant at Merrill Lynch.

Robert Cantwell (’79) was named president and CEO of B&G Foods Inc. Formerly the CFO, Cantwell has been with the company for more than 30 years.

Kenneth De Berry (’79), president of Concord Specialty Risk, has been named in Insurance Business America magazine’s Hot 100 list for 2015, one of the insurance industry’s highest distinctions. The annual list recognizes 100 people who have had an impact on the insurance industry over the past year.

’30s

Ruth (Rosoff) Nadel (’34)—known to family and friends as Dolly—recently relocated from the Washington, D.C., metro area to Los Angeles to be closer to her family. Nadel celebrated her 101st birthday in February with a new motto: “If you think 100 is fun, wait ’til you see me at 101.”

CPA Aaron Blecker (’36), the College’s oldest alum by seven days over his closest challenger for the title, Miguel Cruz (’55), is retired and living in Great Neck, L.I. Blecker, who is 103 years old, began earning his degree in 1926 as a part-time Evening Session student.

’40s

Stanley Sussman (’43) retired in 1965. He was the owner of Eylure of London, one of the first companies to sell plastic press-on fingernails and false eyelashes. Prior to that, he worked in advertising agencies and in executive-level marketing roles in Revlon and Helena Rubinstein. Sussman’s current-day hobbies include watercolor painting and pencil sketching, demonstrating creative talents he shared through sports cartooning for the 1943 Lexicon.

’50s

Professor and CPA Hyman Gorenberg (’50) retired from Baruch’s Stan Ross Department of Accountancy after 54 years in December 2014. An expert in taxation who specialized in estates and trusts, he is a member of the American and New York Bar Associations.

Ernestine (Whittner) Wildstein (’53) recently participated in the College’s Class Act Campaign. A Newman Vertical Campus classroom, Room 9-117, is named for her. Ms. Wildstein is shown (left) with Baruch College President Mitchel Wallerstein at the dedication event.

Baruch dedicated the Sandra Kahn Wasserman Jewish Studies Center on Oct. 30, 2014. The alumna from the class of 1955 and her late husband, Bert W. (’54), also endowed the state-of-the-art Wasserman Trading Floor and other initiatives at the College.

Edward A. Dreyfus (’58) authored the children’s book Mickey and the Plow Horse (2014), an inspirational story about self-awareness and following one’s passion. The novel features a tween and a plow horse born a Thoroughbred.

Claire (Berkowitz) Seigelstein (’58) is retired and living in Wellington, Fla., with her husband of 56 years, Len. Seigelstein caught the theater bug as a student participating in Theatron. After college, her love of the stage continued: she founded SRO Musical Productions and served on many theater boards, including as chair of the Arts Council of Rockland. The couple has three children and six grandchildren.

The undefeated intercollegiate wrestling champion lives forever as the dominant competitor in this detail of a Shredded Wheat advertisement from the 1930s.

How many people can claim to have had their likeness used nationally to promote a brand or product? Joseph Warren (’35) can. The undergraduate accounting major is shown (above) overpowering his wrestling opponent in this full-page Shredded Wheat advertisement that ran in the December 1935 issue of Scholastic Coach magazine.

The full advertisement

From 1932 to 1935, Warren was the undefeated champion of the College’s once-thriving intercollegiate varsity wrestling squad and was the first City College mat man sent to the national collegiate championships. In his senior year, he was chosen as team captain; after graduating, he returned to 17 Lex for a stint as coach. Warren later earned a law degree and formed the CPA firm Joseph Warren & Company.

Today Warren, who celebrated his 100th birthday in October 2014, likes taking walks, exercising, and handling some legal affairs for a few long-term clients (he officially “retired” 25 years ago). As for dislikes: though he’s a fan of raisin bran, he doesn’t eat Shredded Wheat.

—Diane Harrigan

Related Article

Centenarian Joseph Warren (’35)

Alumnus Allan Kalish with his grandson Ezra. Photo by Lauren Walter.

Allan Kalish (’68) shows off his newest grandchild, Ezra Samuel Walter, born on Nov. 24, 2014. Ezra’s mother, Lauren, is a marketing manager in Baruch’s Office of Communications, Marketing & Public Affairs.

Please share news of your Bearcat kids and grandkids with BCAM.

On taking risks: 

“As an entrepreneur, you have to be willing to take risks. If you waste time worrying about why something might not work out, you will never get started.” —Yan Rezvin (’16) of FortuneCookieAdvertising.com

On connecting with customers: 

“In many industries, appearance is everything. If you don’t appear to believe in/love your product, how are customers going to believe in/love your product?” —Ryan Tamras (’13) of Justin Case underwear

On finding inspiration: 

“Love what you do!” —Aoi (Adachi) Kawano (’00) of Pualani Soap

On staying motivated: 

“You will change your plan over and over again, but you’ll get there. Don’t be scared of starting over.” —Elena Kosharny (’14) of FIVE AM Inc lingerie

On weathering adversity: 

“Head down and keep going.” —Jesse Potash (’09) of Trunkster (innovative luggage)

On managing expectations: 

“Believe you will succeed, but plan for what it will take to get there—and be conservative about your projections.” —Anat Gerstein (MPA ’04) of Anat Gerstein Inc.

For more than a decade, Alex Lirtsman (MBA ’07), founding partner and chief strategist of New York City–based digital marketing agency Ready Set Rocket, has led innovation and digital strategy for such diverse global brands as the ACLU, Ann Taylor, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Michael Kors, the NBA, and Univision. This Baruchian often finds himself fielding questions from professionals at all levels, including:

HOW DO MID-LEVEL, MID-CAREER PROFESSIONALS UNLOCK THE C-SUITE?

Understand your weaknesses. Knowing what you are not good at is as important as knowing what you are good at.

Know the metrics behind every decision. Constantly refine and optimize decisions against key performance indicators (e.g., the cost to acquire a customer, the lifetime value of a customer).

Listen. As you rise higher in an organization, you work with and delegate to experts, and you become an advisor versus an executor—so it’s crucial to shift from talking to listening.

Realize the difference between a manager and a leader. In school, we’re trained to be managers. To make it to the C-suite, we need to transition to being a leader.

Related Article:

Navigating Your Career & Business: A Q&A with Alex Lirtsman (MBA ’07), Founding Partner and Chief Strategist of Ready Set Rocket

Steven Drapkin (’09, MBA ’14) and Natalia Gurova (’09, MS ’13) were married on Jan. 7, 2015, in Tulum, Mexico. In February the couple moved from New York City to the Washington, D.C., metro area, where Drapkin works remotely as an assistant manager at New York University Langone Medical Center and Gurova accepted a position with Strategic Investment Group in Arlington, Va.

Photo credit by Ariel Perez

♥♥ Please share your wedding and anniversary news with BCAM by e-mailing communications@baruch.cuny.edu. ♥♥

Imagine questioning the assumptions on which your life is based, assumptions about self and long-held ideas about family. And imagine that that self-understanding is also the basis of your professional life, your ability to do your job. That’s the unnerving suspicion that confronts clinical and forensic psychologist Dr. David Edminson in alumnus Edward A. Dreyfus’s third novel, the character study, The Midnight Shrink (2015).

Edminson (nee Edminsky) is the main character, “the midnight shrink” of the title, a single, thirty-something transplanted New Yorker from the South Bronx who lives and works in Los Angeles. This therapist works out of two offices: a traditional Sunset Strip office in West Hollywood and a 10-year-old midnight blue Toyota van custom-fitted as a mobile office that allows him to treat the streetpeople of LA’s Skid Row. In the latter “office,” weekdays from midnight until 5 a.m., Edminson “worked for himself doing the kind of work he loved to do with the people he preferred to serve.”

The good doctor traces his affinity for “the night people”—of which he’s one—to his beloved paternal grandfather, an unskilled Polish-Jewish immigrant who operated a newsstand on the corner of 149^th Street and Third Avenue in the Bronx. In honor of his Grandpa Solly and in reaction against his conservative, middle-class parents, Edminson has created a life as a crusader for social justice, an advocate for the underdog.

But cracks in his personal narrative and self-image turn to fissures when David speaks with his estranged younger brother, a well-to-do lawyer, who challenges him: “For a shrink, you sure are blind and sometimes just stupid. You want to see things as you decide they are. But maybe you are wrong, bro.” The accusation is not dismissed, and David embarks on a journey to address “unfinished business.”

Of course, most attempts at self-understanding by necessity occur amid the daily events of one’s life. Only Edminson’s professional life is a little more fraught than the average person’s, which the reader realizes in the opening paragraphs of the novel: At 3 a.m. in downtown Los Angeles, two police officers find the body of a female prostitute who has been strangled. It is this discovery that sets the novel in motion. How will this brutal death coincide with David’s life and practice? And how might the perpetrator impact the lives of his friends and loved ones?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

At the age of 78 and 50 years practicing as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Edward Dreyfus (Baruch class of 1958) has turned his attention to writing psychologically based novels. Dreyfus is a licensed psychologist in California, a certified sex therapist, and a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. All of his books are available on Amazon: www.edwardadreyfus.net, and their proceeds go to charity.

The Baruch community was deeply saddened by the passing of alumnus Martin Kaplan (’59) on Aug. 16, 2015. Mr. Kaplan came from humble beginnings to rise to distinction on Wall Street. His over-half-century career included 29 years at Merrill Lynch, where he attained the position of managing director and head of Equity Trading, and 25 years at KR Capital Advisors, Inc., an asset management firm, where he was president and partner. Kaplan was 78 years old.

Martin Kaplan devoted his time, talents, and business acumen to his alma mater as a trustee of the Baruch College Fund (BCF) since 2001, chair of the Investment Committee, and vice chair of the Baruch Means Business Campaign, among other roles. Honored with the College’s Alumni Allegiance Award at his 50th Baruch Reunion, Kaplan—Marty to his friends—was universally respected and liked, with his fellow BCF trustees remembering him as “larger than life,” “fun loving,” and “a man with a multitude of friends.”

“We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife, Laurie; their sons Douglas and Lawrence; and Marty’s many friends, colleagues, and admirers,” said Baruch College President Mitchel B. Wallerstein.

Marty was a dear friend of mine ever since we were classmates at Baruch. After classes he would always go to the office of the brokerage firm near Baruch and trade stocks, which he had been doing since high school and which experiences stood him in good stead for his distinguished career. He loved Baruch, serving on the Board of the Baruch College Fund (BCF), heading its Investment Committee, and providing significant financial support to Baruch and its students. Marty was larger than life, fun loving—a man who had a multitude of friends. I will miss him.

—Joel J. Cohen ’59

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Marty Kaplan was bigger than life. He was also about as much fun as anyone I ever met. And that wasn’t only true in his later life, when his future was secured. It was true in the 1960s when he was a young research analyst and then an institutional salesman at Merrill Lynch. I can still hear his booming laugh in the open office we all called home while at Mother Merrill. He could laugh at a story as well as tell one and was never shy about recounting his own failures or errors. He minimized his successes while learning lessons from the failures.

Marty was a unique person to everyone who knew him.

He will be remembered in many places, not the least of which is in my memory.

—Lawrence Zicklin ’57

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I had the great pleasure of meeting Marty Kaplan some 25 years ago on the Baruch College Fund Board. We fast became good friends.

Marty was a wise, extraordinary man who was caring, generous, and helpful. When we struggled at board meetings with a difficult issue or task, it was usually Marty who directed us to a sound solution. He participated in every aspect of the BCF to help our alma mater and support Baruch students. He was first to contribute to a Baruch scholarship or cause and helpful in urging others to join him.

I will cherish my memories of this very special man who came from very humble beginnings, reached the highest levels of Wall Street, and never wavered from caring for his family, his childhood friends, and his beloved Baruch.

Marty was greatly admired and respected by his colleagues for his professional expertise, core values, and ethical behavior. At his memorial service, Marty’s friends repeated that he was “one of a kind” and that he “broke the mold”—and indeed he was that and more to me.

I will greatly miss my weekly conversations and pleasurable dinner meetings with my good friend Marty.

—Dov Schlein ’70

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It is very rare that so late in life one is able to find and share a deep and loving friendship such as what Marty and I enjoyed. It began when I chaired the Baruch College Fund Investment Committee.

Even all the accolades describing his generosity of spirit cannot do him justice. He wrote his own epitaph by the way he conducted his life. He was a doer. His family came first, yet Baruch and his wide array of friends were also part of his extended family.

Marty was noble, gruff, gracious, loyal, funny, and wise. He was accomplished in the ways of business, always conducted his affairs with great integrity, and thus inspired loyalty and respect in others. He gave with a full heart and all who knew him responded in kind. Every one of us is better for having known him, having laughed and enjoyed special moments together.

Though Marty left an outstanding legacy on Wall Street, there is one happening that stood out and should be told: During the stock market break of 1987, Marty, as global head of Merrill Lynch Equity Markets, stepped up with his group of traders to provide liquidity during a truly chaotic 24-hour period as the market dropped 23 percent. Marty counseled and urged Mr. Schrier, president of Merrill Lynch, and the management of the Stock Exchange on the importance of reopening the market the following morning. They heeded his advice, and the rest we know as history. This may have been Marty’s finest hour professionally.

I write this in celebration of his life, a life filled with myriad outstanding achievements on Wall Street, philanthropy, and most of all with love—of his family and of Baruch. I am most fortunate and proud not only to have known him but to have been his friend.

—Bernard Laterman ’52

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Beloved alumnus Martin Kaplan (’59) (center) and his friends (from left) Dov Schlein (’70) and Bernard Laterman (’52) at the Bernard Baruch Dinner in 2013.

The Baruch community was deeply saddened by the passing of Martin Kaplan (’59) on Aug. 16, 2015. Kaplan came from humble beginnings to rise to distinction on Wall Street. His over-half-century career included 29 years at Merrill Lynch, where he attained the position of managing director and head of Equity Trading, and 25 years at KR Capital Advisors, Inc., an asset management firm, where he was president and partner. Kaplan was 78 years old.

Kaplan’s and his wife’s exemplary generosity to Baruch included the naming of two classrooms as well as the Martin and Laurie Kaplan Computing and Technology Center. He also devoted his time, talents, and business acumen to his alma mater as a trustee of the Baruch College Fund (BCF) since 2001, chair of the Investment Committee, and vice chair of the Baruch Means Business Campaign, among other roles. Honored with the College’s Alumni Allegiance Award in 2009, Kaplan—Marty to his friends—was universally respected and liked, with his fellow BCF trustees remembering him as “larger than life,” “fun loving,” and “a man with a multitude of friends.”

Joel J. Cohen (’59) recalled their student days and the smart, driven side of Kaplan: “After classes he would always go to the office of the brokerage firm near Baruch and trade stocks, which he had been doing since high school.”

Lawrence Zicklin (’57, LHD [Hon.] ’99) said of their years at Merrill Lynch in the 1960s, “I can still hear his booming laugh in the open office we all called home. He could laugh at a story as well as tell one.” Zicklin added that his modest colleague “was never shy about recounting his own failures or errors, minimizing his successes while learning from the failures.”

Both Dov C. Schlein (’70) and Bernard Laterman (’52) met Kaplan on the BCF Board. Schlein described him “an extraordinary man, first to contribute to a scholarship or cause and helpful in urging others to join him.” Laterman concurred: “Marty gave with a full heart, and all who knew him responded in kind. Every one of us is better for having known him, having laughed and enjoyed special moments together.”

Read expanded testimonials to Mr. Kaplan from his alumni friends.

A SCHOLARSHIP FUND IN HIS MEMORY

Marty’s many friends and admirers have established a scholarship fund in his memory. To contribute, please contact David Shanton at 646-660-6065 or david.shanton@baruch.cuny.edu.

Sidney C. Fried ’36

Irwin Katz ’38

Alfred W. Berthold ’39

Francis C. Dykeman ’39

*Harry A. Gilbert ’39

Bernard A. Silver ’41

Burt Tierstein ’41

William A. Betke ’42

George J. Jonides ’42

Nathan Bolinsky ’43

Albert Berg ’44

Daniel Eth ’45

*Miriam Feldman ’46

*Albert Friedman ’46

Sidney J. Albert ’47

Leon J. Berg ’47

Lewis M. Weston ’47

Sidney Cooper ’48

*Raymond J. Fields ’48

Leon Lebensbaum ’48

Nicholas Dalfino ’49

Concetta (Nazzaro) DeLauro ’49

Harry Kamesar ’49

Paul A. Pari ’49

Paul Rubenstein ’49

Richard Barasch ’50

Myra Glogover-Trachtenberg ’50

Henry Magid ’50

Aaron W. Warshauer ’50

Charles F. Ernst ’51

Milton Mann ’51, MBA ’54

Norman J. Mast ’51

Ira Sarinsky ’51

Howard G. Kicherer ’52

Walter J. Salmon ’52

Ira N. Anes ’53

Harold Falkowsky ’53

Louis Nuñez ’53

Melvin Goldman ’54

John O. Welton ’54

Jiro Murase ’55

Howard L. Jacobs ’56

Sidney Stuchin ’56

Donald E. Whitehouse ’57

George M. Blumenthal ’58

George H. Liesenberg ’58

William Frank Lipton ’58

Steven Becker ’59

Kyrie C. Kallas ’59, MBA ’65

Burton S. Kaliski ’60

Samuel DeVeaux ’61, MPA ’71, MBA ’75

Kenneth I. Rosenblum ’62

Tony Marvits ’63

James B. Meehan MPA ’63

Lee S. Brandeis ’64

Daniel A. Kane ’64

Donato Havdala ’65

Herbert G. Mueller ’65

Ray A. Olisa ’65

Peter T. Coe MBA ’66

George E. Casavant ’67

Albert C. Nussenbaum ’68

Thomas Keller MBA ’69

Stephen Greenberger ’71

Han K. Lee MBA ’72

William Defeo ’73

Joseph LaScala ’74

John P. Buschhorn ’76

Stephen E. Dowd ’76

Sherman O. Ferguson ’76

Patrick C. Gatins ’76

Steven E. Holub ’78

Carlos Tait ’78

Dennis J. Chessen ’80

John Esposito ’80

Robert J. Conroy MPA ’81

Andrea (Carmichael) Blencowe ’89

Michael V. Dimarco MBA ’89, MBA ’97

Leighton Watson ’91

Prosper K. Adabla ’97

Robert J. Allan MBA ’05

Rayman Mustafa EMS ’12

Timothy M. Richman MS ’15

*Benchmark Society member

Leave a Legacy

Please consider including Baruch College in your estate planning. Your support secures the Baruch experience for future generations of students and creates lasting opportunities at your alma mater.

To learn how to use creative giving to achieve your own financial goals, please contact David Shanton at 646-660-6065 or david.shanton@baruch.cuny.edu.

BARUCH MEANS THE GIFT OF A LIFETIME

Queens Library appointed Jonathan Chung (MPA ’10) director of government affairs. Previously he served as chief of staff to New York City Council members Peter F. Vallone, Jr. and Peter Koo.

Natalie Gardner (MS ’10) married Stephen Paul Krill III in April at the Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown, N.Y. Gardner is the U.S. marketing and product development manager at the Manhattan office of Orrefors Kosta Boda.

Caitlin Hannon (’10) received an Education Entrepreneur Fellowship from the Mind Trust. Through the fellowship, she will develop ‘Enroll Indy,’ a new nonprofit that seeks to create a unified enrollment system for Indianapolis’s public schools.

Bahia Ramos-Synnott (MPA ’10) was named arts program director at the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. With an extensive background in the nonprofit sector, Ramos-Synnott previously worked at Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Brooklyn Children’s Museum.

Kalisha Davis (MPA ’11) is a director of community outreach and engagement at the Detroit Historical Society.

After serving as an assistant editor at Rolling Stone magazine, Lauren Musacchio (’11) joined TerraCRG as a leasing associate on its retail team. Musacchio is also the founder of Straw and Gold, an e-commerce blog featuring local Brooklyn artisans.

Mickey Abbatiello (’12) is co-founder of Balitello, a subscription-based men’s performance dress sock company. At Baruch Abbatiello played guard for men’s basketball from 2008 to 2012.

Jared Reichbaum (’12) crossed off a major item on his bucket list: walking across the country. From April to September, Reichbaum walked from New Jersey to San Francisco, raising awareness about bone marrow transplants along the way.

Justin DuBois (’13) married Jen Spisso in September. DuBois is a financial engineer; Spisso is a fashion designer.

Sameson Louis (MPA ’13) is the president and founder of Economic Development for Cap-Haïtien (EDCH), which aims to increase community awareness of environmental, social, and economic conditions.

Edward Probst (MBA ’13) is senior VP, regulatory reporting and risk, at AxiomSL. Previously Probst spent more than a decade in the financial industry.

Rabbi Jeremy D. Stern (MPA ’13) serves as the executive director of the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot, an international nonprofit group that advocates against the abuse of the get (Jewish divorce) process. He lectures frequently on issues of domestic abuse, the interplay between the Jewish and American legal systems, and the role of the Jewish community in preventing and counteracting get refusal.

The Town of North Hempstead unanimously approved the appointment of Averil Smith (MS ’14) as town comptroller. Smith is a CPA with more than 20 years of financial experience, most recently working as controller at ABC Home Furnishings and MZ Berger, Inc.

Ice cream aficionado Richard Tam (’14) opened 10Below Ice Cream in Chinatown in July 2015. Tam’s parlor specializes in Thai-inspired ice cream rolls, a made-to-order treat with fresh fruit.

Salihe Redzovic (’15), an endowments and foundations analyst at J.P. Morgan, has been named to the Baruch College Fund’s board of trustees.

Edward N. Jimenez (MBA ’00) was named CEO of the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital system. Previously he worked in management at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and University Hospital in New Jersey.

Brian Meltzer (MBA ’00) was named chief medical officer and VP of business development of Perseon Corporation.

Leston Welsh (’00) is VP of operations and market development at Unum. The former math major is responsible for helping to drive strategic growth and oversee leadership of Unum’s operations team.

Quest Group Search—an executive search and staffing firm—added Gerald Allen (’01) as managing director for its New York office.

In September Diane Arneth (EMPA ’01) was honored at a New York Women’s Foundation dinner, celebrating her support of local Staten Island neighborhoods. Arneth is president and CEO of Community Health Action of Staten Island.

Ernie Cappello (’01) is CEO of Window-Fix, Inc., the largest and fast-growing company specializing in doors and windows in the tristate area. As a student and star athlete, Cappello helped lead men’s basketball to two ECAC Metro Region Tournament appearances as point guard.

Camille (Gonzalez) Kennedy (’01) of Menlo Park, Calif., is executive director of Random Acts of Flowers (RAF) Silicon Valley, a nonprofit that recycles, repurposes, and donates flowers to healthcare facilities.

John Quinones (MSILR ’01) is VP of recruitment for Major League Baseball.

Kalvakuntla T. Ramarao (MBA ’01) is the IT Minister of the Indian state of Telangana. Before he was appointed to this position, Ramarao served on the Telangana State assembly.

James Levendusky (MBA ’02) is VP of Verisk Telematics, where he leads product development and strategic marketing for auto and commercial telematics and usage-based insurance products.

Theresa Von Klug (MS ’02) joined Berkeley Repertory Theatre as general manager. She has more than 20 years of experience in the New York not-for-profit performing arts world, planning and executing events for dance, theatre, music, television, and film.

Kibwe Williams (’02) became a United States citizen in June. Williams came to the U.S. from Guyana 13 years ago to attend Baruch.

HBR Consulting named Wafik Guirgis (’02) senior director in its Law Department Consulting Practice. Formerly a senior director at Huron Legal, Guirgis has more than 16 years of experience providing legal services to Fortune 500 law departments.

Jonas Abney (MBA ’03) is director of sales at Wibbitz, a text-to-video technology company. He previously worked at Nielsen Business Media and Hachette-Filipacchi Media, in addition to serving on the Google AdSense team, where he was the first sales rep to generate $1 million in a quarter.

Shawn Arnone (EMBA ’03) is VP, program management, at Key Equipment Finance, one of the nation’s largest bank-held equipment finance companies.

Last May Arnie Bautista (MA ’03) launched ArnieComm LLC, which provides marketing-strategy consulting services to small- and medium-sized businesses that want to reach the NYC tourist market.

Michael Perelman (’03) was appointed director of professional services for NightOwl Discovery, a global leader in analytics and discovery management. Previously Perelman served as director of Prudential’s High Tech Investigations Unit.

Eduardo G. Sanchez (’03) married Aishi Martini on Apr. 1, 2015, in New York City. Sanchez serves as assistant VP at M&T Bank, where he arranges financing for commercial real estate projects.

Christopher Lukacs (’04) married Michael Christopher Foley in June. Lukacs is a senior manager of magazine strategy for Macy’s; Foley is an associate director for Omnicom, an advertising company.

Holliday Fenoglio Fowler, LP, hired Isaac Shabot (’04, MS ’11) as associate director. With more than 10 years of real estate experience, Shabot will now focus on urban retail investment sales and development in Brooklyn and Queens.

Enrique Vivas (’04) is the owner/director of Boho Mexica restaurant and lounge in London.

Jenny V. Brito (MBA ’05) was recognized as a “Hispanic Corporate Achiever” at ASPIRA of New York’s 2015 annual Circle of Latino Achievers Gala. A Con Edison employee for 16 years, Brito currently serves as section manager in the company’s gas conversion group.

Jewish Week included attorney Adam Dayan (’05) on its “36 Under 36” list. Dayan heads his own law firm focused on special education law and guides special needs families through the process of securing educational programs and services.

Albrecht, Viggiano, Zureck & Company—a business advisory firm—promoted Kenneth B. Laks (MS ’05) from principal to partner. Specializing in taxation, Laks has more than 20 years’ experience in the field of public accounting.

Liao Pin Tsung (EMS ’05) is CFO and executive director of China Hanking, an integrated international mining company.

Sen Yi Zhang (’05) was named VP, store manager, of the Grand & Allen store locations of TD Bank. With more than 12 years of banking experience, Zhang most recently served as branch manager at JPMorgan Chase in Flushing.

Network Journal named Nneka Norville (MPA ’06) one of its “40 Under Forty Achievers.” A senior manager at BET Networks, Norville has utilized social media to spread BET’s message of social responsibility with a broader audience, particularly on college campuses and at community events.

Francesca Sterlacci-Purvin (MSEd ’06) is the founder and CEO of University of Fashion, Inc., a website that produces instructional videos designed for fashion students, teachers, and industry professionals.

Peter Shafer (MBA ’06) and his brother own and operate Nanticoke Gardens, the Binghamton area’s premier grower of high-quality bedding plants and poinsettias. The business recently expanded, building a 15,000-square-foot growing facility in the town of Maine, N.Y.

Piotr Luc (’07) became director at Alderney Advisors. He previously served as a senior consultant at Ernst & Young. While at Baruch, Luc participated in study abroad programs and foreign internships, traveling to South Korea, the Czech Republic, and Egypt.

In August stand-up comedian Daniel Lobell (’08) married Kylie Jane Wakefield, a freelance writer.

Brian A. Blake (MBA ’09) was named a Community Bank Hero by the Warren Group and Banking New York magazine. Blake currently serves as VP of Spring Bank, which emphasizes serving the city’s ‘underbanked’ people and businesses.

Angela Mendolaro (MPA ’09) is VP of development at Orlando Science Center in Florida.

Florida State University named Jennifer Broomfield (’91) its Title IX director.

This past summer, Abraham Eisenstat (’91) was elected to the board of directors of Cedar Realty Trust, Inc. Eisenstat is a co-founder of Dabroes Management LP, a European long/short equity fund.

Eyal Leibovitz (’91) was appointed CFO of Micronet Enertec Technologies, Inc., a developer and manufacturer of tablet and computer-based systems for fleet management and the aerospace markets.

Tribeca Enterprises CFO Sandy O’Hearen (’91) was the guest speaker at the Baruch Young Alumni Network (BYAN) cocktails and conversation event in September.

In May, FPL Associates named Anthony Saitta (’91) senior managing director. He previously served as co-head of FTI Consulting’s executive compensation practice.

Blake D. Michaels (MBA ’92) was appointed VP of sales at VisionCare, a company focused on developing and manufacturing implantable ophthalmic devices.

TracxInc.—a social-business management platform—appointed Bennett Theimann (MBA ’92) its CFO.

Lara Abrash (MBA ’94) became a trustee of the Baruch College Fund in April; she is chief operating officer at Deloitte & Touche LLP.

Emmanuel Clarke (MBA ’94) was appointed president of PartnerRe Ltd. He has worked for the company in a variety of capacities since 1997.

In July Andrew Simmonds (EMBA ’94) began a two-year Peace Corps assignment in Cambodia to improve local healthcare systems and help meet community development needs. Simmonds, who previously worked as a physical therapist, has previously participated in humanitarian efforts in Haiti and South Sudan.

Crain’s New York Business named the Hon. Melissa Mark-Viverito (MPA ’95) one of the 50 most powerful women of 2015. The City Council speaker ranked #12 on the list, which also included Alicia Glen, Tory Burch, and Anna Wintour.

Goldman Sachs added Tony Kelly (’96) as a managing director. Kelly previously spent 15 years working in the iShares ETF business at Barclays and BlackRock, where he oversaw the development of more than 100 funds.

Haxhire Redzovic (’96) is a senior instructor at Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT) in Brooklyn, N.Y. OBT’s mission is to help disadvantaged youth and adults recognize their own self-worth and advance toward self-sufficiency and financial security through job training, academic reinforcement, improved life skills, job placement, and additional support services.

Paul M. Murphy (MBA ’97) became a partner at Kurt Salmon, a global management consulting firm.

Aviation Technical Services—one of the nation’s largest repair, maintenance, and overhaul organizations—named Brian K. Hirshman (MBA ’98) its president.

Last summer Dorothy Lewandowski (’98), Queens Borough parks commissioner, was profiled by the Queens Gazette and discussed a variety of topics, including the borough parks’ waterways, plants, free programming, and future challenges.

Since 2011 Oscar Onyema (MBA ’98) has served as CEO of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. He has overseen a period of increased investor confidence, with market capitalization up by 140 percent since 2009.

In April Ilan Daskal (EMS ’99) became the executive VP and CFO of Cepheid, a molecular diagnostics company. He was also appointed chair of the audit committee at Ixia, a leading provider of application performance and security resilience solutions.

Stephan Mignot (MBA ’99) was appointed VP for North America of Tinubu Square, a leader in credit risk software solutions for trade credit insurers and businesses.

’70s

Dennis Hickey (’70) became a trustee of the Baruch College Fund in July; he serves as CFO of Colgate-Palmolive Company, Inc.

Lance H. Wallach (’71) was cited as an expert source in the Forbes article “Tax Court Drops the Hammer on Employee Welfare Plan,” which ran in July.

The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty appointed Alan P. Schoor (MBA ’73) executive director and CEO. With 35 years of experience, Schoor most recently served as senior VP for operations at Touro College.

Hannah Atterman (’75) joined Smolin, Lupin & Co.—a financial services firm—as a forensic accountant.

Peter P. Corritori (’75) was appointed president of Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx.

Arthur S. Kirsch (MBA ’75) was appointed to the board of directors at Immunomedics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company.

After holding the position for 15 years, Matthew C. Blank (MBA ’76) will step down as CEO of Showtime Networks starting Jan. 1, 2016. Blank, who has been with Showtime since 1988, will continue to serve the company as chairman.

Harry A. Hamill (’76) was appointed to the board of directors of Unilife Corporation. Prior to this, Hamill held several senior finance positions at Wyeth, including leading global mergers and acquisitions and VP of finance for Wyeth’s global manufacturing operations.

John J. Keller (’79) joined Diversified Search, one of the nation’s top-ten executive search firms, as a managing director and technology and telecommunications practice leader.

’80s

University of Texas at Austin Professor of Accounting Michael B. Clement (’80) was inducted into the PhD Project Hall of Fame. Clement’s research explores the activities of analysts whose predictions drive Wall Street.

Richard M. Schapiro (MBA ’80), a retired corporate and investment banker, joined Molina Healthcare’s board of directors as an independent non-executive director.

Printing press Koenig & Bauer AG North America appointed Alex Stepanian (’80) as regional sales director. Stepanian previously worked for three other printing press manufacturers and has more than 30 years of professional experience.

Christine Elizabeth (Hove) Aron (’81) was honored by Rutgers Hillel with the Rabbi Julius Funk Alumni Award, recognizing her commitment and support of the Rutgers student club as well as the greater Jewish community.

Richard M. Levychin (’82) is one of the founding partners of the New York City–based CPA and advisory firm KBL, LLP. In May, Levychin published an article in Business Insider praising his former Baruch professor Diane Gold.

The Dignity & Respect Campaign honored Inez Colon (’84) for her commitment to “creating a more diverse workplace.” Colon is the director of employment and development at Port Authority of Allegeheny County, Pa.

In June Donna Jones (MPA ’84) received the Founders Award from the State Bar of Wisconsin for her leadership of nonresident members and her many years of service to the Bar.

BCF Trustee Daniel Clivner (’85) joined Sidley Austin LLP as co–managing partner of its Los Angeles office. In this capacity, Clivner is a key member of the firm’s M&A and Private Equity practices.

Jane B. Ransom (MPA ’86) was appointed executive director of the American Brain Foundation.

Artist Ellen Gordon (MBA ’87) had her work showcased in a retrospective at the Government Center in Stamford, Conn. The exhibition contains a collection of figurative collages, drawings, and landscapes.

Columbia Bank named John Shepherd (EMBA ’87) its vice president, wealth advisor, for the Oregon market.

The Alliance for Downtown New York’s Board of Directors unanimously elected Dennis Friedrich (’88) as its new chairman. Friedrich is president and CEO of Brookfield Properties.

The Asian-American Business Development Center named King Y. Look (MBA ’88) one of the 50 Outstanding Asian-Americans in Business. Look has worked at Con Edison for more than 30 years in engineering, operations, and planning.

Australian retail firm FXTG appointed Elias Morales (’89) as its CEO. Morales previously worked for BNP Paribas, CMC Markets, and GFT.

Susan Silverman (MBA ’89) is senior VP at Jones Lang LaSalle, IP, Inc., where she oversees key healthcare projects.

’30s

Last summer Jewish Currents magazine published a short memoir by Henry Foner (’39). “From the Bandstand: The Odyssey of a Catskills Resort Musician” chronicles his experience as a saxophonist in the 1930s and ’40s. Foner is emeritus president of the Joint Board of Fur, Leather and Machine Workers Union and a lifelong labor activist.

’50s

Emil DiPaola Jr. (’55) is retired from Smith Barney Company, where he worked for 46 years and attained the position of vice president. A resident of Amityville, N.Y., DiPaola is an honored, longtime member of the American Legion.

Frederick Harrison (’55) just authored his seventh novel, November Station, the latest in his Intelligence Community Series.

Edward A. Dreyfus (’58) authored his third novel, the psychological thriller The Midnight Shrink (2015). Dreyfus has been a practicing psychologist in Santa Monica, Calif., for more than 50 years.

’60s

Marty Klein (’61) is president of Marty Klein Enterprises. The senior entertainment industry executive has a resume that includes more than 20 years with the William Morris Agency in the roles of senior agent/manager and VP.

Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty welcomed new agent Rose Janet Demasi (’64) to its office. Demasi has over 30 years of real estate experience in Westchester County, N.Y.

Paula Giangreco Cullison (’65) is president and founder of the Arizona Women’s Partnership, Inc., an all-volunteer nonprofit that awards grants to charities assisting underserved women and children. She is a recipient of a 2015 AmAZing Woman Award presented by the National Bank of Arizona and the Phoenix Suns.

Austin Marxe (’65) became a trustee of the Baruch College Fund in April; he is the founder of Special Situations Funds.

Longtime Baruch College Fund Trustee Max W. Berger (’68) assumed the BCF presidency in July. Berger is senior founding partner at the law firm of Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP.

John J. Raggio (’68) married Dr. Donna Reva Kesselman in May. Raggio is a partner in Sealift, a company that transports goods worldwide.

Nicole T. Souza-Siudzinski (EMPA ’14) and her husband, Michael, welcomed a son, Ewan Michael, on May 5, 2015. Note: That’s not just any onesie Ewan is modeling. He’s already a proud Baruch kid. Watch out, class of 2037!

Please share news of your Bearcat kids and grandkids with fellow alumni here or e-mail communications@baruch.cuny.edu. And don’t forget to send photos as well.

Barry Eisenberg (MBA ’08) and Rebecca Levine were married on Aug. 8, 2015, in Brooklyn. The alumnus is a founding partner in BE Global Advisors, a firm that advises investment banks on regulatory and compliance matters; his wife teaches English at the High School for Fashion Industries in Manhattan.

♥♥ Alumni: Please share your wedding and anniversary news with us. ♥♥

Did you know . . . Of all colleges nationwide, Baruch is the #1 supplier of talent to Morgan Stanley? Or that more than 1,300 grads work for Big Four accounting firms?

From banking to accounting, insurance to education, Baruch alumni are succeeding in today’s most exciting industries. And they’re doing it for companies that are—quite simply—household names.

#1: JPMorgan Chase & Co. (536)

#2: Ernst & Young LLP (419)

#3: Morgan Stanley (367)

#4: KPMG, LLP (366)

#5: Citigroup Inc. (362)

#6: PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP (340)

#7: NYC Department of Education (333)

#8: Bank of America Merrill Lynch (332)

#9: Deloitte & Touche LLP (231)

#10: Credit Suisse (215)

#11: Goldman Sachs & Co. (206)

#12: BNY Mellon (174)

#13: New York Life (152)

#14: Baruch College/City University of New York (139)

#15: Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (122)

“Leadership has changed dramatically over my career,” says distinguished alumnus Stan Ross, one of the nation’s most influential real estate accountants. Ross built a successful career by recognizing the importance of merging tried-and-true leadership skills with new approaches.

“Leadership has changed dramatically over my career,” says distinguished alumnus Stan Ross, one of the nation’s most influential real estate accountants and chairman of the Lusk Center for Real Estate at the University of Southern California. Ross built a successful career as vice chairman of Ernst & Young and managing partner of E&Y Kenneth Leventhal Real Estate Group by recognizing the importance of merging tried-and-true leadership skills with new approaches that respond to business change and innovation.

THE CHANGES: Whereas leadership used to be represented by “very fixed and rigid organizational charts,” Ross sees yesteryear’s silos replaced by more open, collaborative work environments. This new paradigm results in better teamwork but makes leadership more important than ever. “You have to have a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities,” he advises. “That gives people the freedom to work together.”

THE CONSTANTS: What hasn’t changed is a leader’s need to look ahead. “For every key job, I had the next two successors planned, so those people could be nurtured and trained toward that position,” Ross says.

The Baruch community was deeply saddened by the passing of Louis Nuñez (’53) on April 28, 2015. Nuñez was a member of the DC Chapter Board of Baruch College Alumni Association in its early years, the late 1990s. He was also the Chapter Board’s liaison to the CCNY Alumni Association—DC Chapter, having served as CCNY Alumni Association’s president and a board member. He was 87 years old.

Nuñez earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from then City College of New York (now Baruch College) in 1953 and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the City University of New York in 1992.

A native New Yorker, Nuñez had a long and distinguished record of service in the public and nonprofit sectors, serving on numerous boards and commissions. In the mid-1960s, he served on New York City’s Board of Higher Education. From 1972 to 1979, he served as deputy staff director of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. He was nominated by President Jimmy Carter and confirmed by the Senate as staff director, a post he held until 1981. In 1994 he retired as president and CEO of the National Puerto Rican Coalition, Inc. He most recently served on the Montgomery County (Maryland) Commission on Aging, from 1998 to 2005, ending his term as chair.

Readers Note: The New York Times published an extensive obituary honoring Louis Nuñez at the time of his death. Click here to read the full obituary.

BARUCH ALUMNI TESTIMONIALS: Three Alumni Remember Louis

The first time I met Louis was at a Baruch picnic. I was a new attendee and did not know many people at the event. I remember Louis came over to me and started a conversation about New York and Baruch, two of my favorite topics. He made me feel like I wasn’t a stranger but a friend. I am also thankful for Louis’s role in working with CCNY’s and Baruch’s DC alumni chapters. I have attended many Baruch alumni events since then and always looked forward to talking with him and his wonderful wife, Cecilia. I will miss my fellow New Yorker and Baruch colleague.

I fully support awarding the next Baruch Alumni DC Chapter Scholarship in honor of Louis’s memory and his commitment to Baruch.

—Becky Williams (’82), President, Baruch Alumni DC Chapter

I met Louis when he joined the Board of the DC Chapter of Baruch College Alumni Association, around 1996. Louis had a distinguished career and was awarded the Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by CUNY in 1992.

As a graduate of CCNY Downtown (now Baruch), Louis was active in both the CCNY and Baruch alumni associations’ DC chapters. A past president of CCNY Alumni Association–DC Chapter, he took on the responsibility of being the liaison between CCNY’s DC alumni and our organization. He helped us stay in contact with CCNY alumni. This connection led to many annual events, including joint brunches and joint picnics.

I am pleased that the Baruch Alumni DC Chapter will award its next scholarship in Louis’s memory.

—Abraham Akresh (’63, MBA ’70), Past President, Baruch Alumni DC Chapter

Louis was a gentleman and a scholar—and our group of Washington, DC–area alumni are grateful not just for his participation on our Board but also for the brilliant role he played as liaison to the CCNY alumni chapter in the DC area. Louis was everything you’d expect of a New Yorker and CUNY alumnus: he was warm, congenial, and smart. It was such a pleasure spending time at local alumni picnics and receptions with Louis and his lovely wife, Cecilia. He will be missed.

It is only fitting that the next scholarship award earmarked from our chapter honor Louis’s memory and his legacy.

—John Richards (’88), Past President, Baruch Alumni DC Chapter

A SCHOLARSHIP FUND IN MEMORY OF LOUIS NUÑEZ

The Baruch Alumni DC Chapter Board would like to honor Louis Nuñez by awarding its next scholarship in his memory.

To contribute

Go Online: www.baruch.cuny.edu/donate

Please select “I would like to make this gift in someone’s honor/memory” and type in “Louis Nuñez, DC Chapter Scholarship.”

By Mail: Please make your check payable to BCF/DC Chapter Scholarship. Mail to: Baruch College Fund, One Bernard Baruch Way, Box A-1603, New York, NY 10010  Attn: Nicole Souza

By Phone: Please call Nicole Souza at 646-660-6083