Class Notes: Beacons Magazine Fall 2023

Michael Spillane ’82, president of consumer creation at Nike, retired after 16 years with the company. Spillane was responsible for developing the strategy that drives the creation of all Nike footwear, apparel, and equipment, and he led product merchandising to the global marketplace. Since joining Nike in 2007, Spillane has held leadership positions with the Converse, Umbro, and Greater China divisions, and, most recently, global footwear. With extensive experience in marketing consumer products, Spillane previously held senior management roles at leading apparel and textile companies, including Malden Mills, Tommy Hilfiger USA, Jockey International, and Missbrenner, Inc. 

Interdisciplinary street artist Rixy Fernandez ’19 recently unveiled her newest art piece—a bird-themed mural entitled Fly, Like You. The mural, which was commissioned by Fields Corner Main Streets, is painted on the side of the restaurant My Sister’s Crawfish III on Dorchester Avenue, where Fernandez displayed her first-ever mural five years ago. Fernandez earned her bachelor’s in art from UMass Boston. Additionally, she attended the CreateWell Fund’s Converging Liberations Residency at MASS MoCA; received a Ruth Butler Travel Fellowship to Mexico; was commissioned by the City of Boston as a Transformative Public Art muralist; completed her project for Now + There’s Public Art Accelerator Program; and is currently an artist in residence with Elevated Thought.

Joshua Gordon G’05 has been appointed FIFA mediator, where he contributes his expertise to resolve disputes within the world of football. In addition, he recently authored a book titled Strategic Negotiation: Building Organizational Excellence, published by Routledge. This resource aims to provide organizations with a roadmap for enhancing their negotiation strategies and overall performance. He has been renewed as an international arbitrator for the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where he plays a crucial role in resolving disputes related to the sporting world. He also serves as the University of Oregon Faculty Athletics Representative, NCAA FARA D1 FBS Committee Representative, and Pac-12 Council member, where he is dedicated to supporting student-athletes and shaping the future of collegiate sports. As part of his leadership roles, he has been appointed chair of the USATF SafeSport Appeals Committee, where he is committed to promoting athlete welfare and ensuring a safe environment for all participants. 

Ryan Boxill G’06 was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer of East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, the largest community health center in Massachusetts. He comes to EBNHC with 20 years of health care experience. Most recently, he served as chief behavioral health officer at Boston Medical Center, where he helped launch BMC’s new Brockton Behavioral Health Center. He also served as system vice president at Steward HealthCare. 

Class Notes

1960s 

Paul “PJ” Yovino ’68 published his debut novel, Portals, a historical fiction that explores the days between the JFK assassination and the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964 and the days that precipitated the United States entry into the war in Vietnam. The story is revealed in a flashback as the protagonist, David Catalane, returns to the commonwealth for his school’s 50th reunion. Yovino is a resident of Quincy, Massachusetts, and double majored in political science and English at UMass Boston before attending Suffolk University Law School.

1970s 

Paul Burton ’77 published his second book, Fiascoes and Foibles: An Unfiltered Look at Public Finance, Media, Politics and Sports, a fun, provocative tome that reflects largely on public-finance coverage over the final years of Burton’s career. Burton has 45 years of public-finance coverage under his belt, including ten years as a regional editor for New York City–based trade publication, Bond Buyer. 

Jerrold D. Green ’75 has joined the Whittier Trust’s board of directors. Green is the president and chief executive officer of the Pacific Council on International Policy. He is also a research professor at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. 

General John F. Kelly ’76 (Ret.) has been elected the Marine Corps University Foundation’s chairman. General Kelly has served the nation as White House chief of staff; the fifth secretary of the Department of Homeland Security; commander of the United States Southern Command; and as a general in the United States Marine Corps. 

Gina McCarthy ’76, the first-ever White House national climate advisor and former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator, was presented with the Liff Spirit Award by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy on May 17. The award is given annually to an individual or individuals their leadership, commitment to cities, passion for public places, dedication to the democratic ideals fostered in urban parks, and ability to inspire public servants and private citizens to join in common cause.  

Lawrence Mills ’70 published Boston Transit in Stormy Weather 1962–1996, a collection of photos depicting the conditions on the T during major storms and includes photos from the blizzards of 1969 and 1978, the Fenway portal flooding, and other significant weather events. Some of the photos were taken from the Boston State College campus. Boston Transit in Stormy Weather was published by Silver Lake Press in Pembroke, Mass and is available at Ward Maps in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

Janet Talarico ’79 published two children’s books in a series called Sophia Decides! The books are about a little girl who wants to live a life full of purpose and intent. In addition to being a published author, Talarico is a retired sociology professor and an active sociologist, keeping up in her field of study and beyond.  

1980s 

Carlene Hill Byron ’81, who retired from nonprofit development in 2022, was contracted as a senior editor for Spirit Media, a new media, marketing, and publishing company. So far, she has worked with authors around the world to help them shape their fiction and nonfiction books for an international audience. Spirit Media will be publishing her second book, Not Quite Fine: Mental Health, Faith, and Showing Up for One Another, in 2024. 

Lauren Preston ’88 has been named the vice president of customer care at Liberty Utilities. Previously, she was a consultant at Utilligent, an operations and technology consulting firm in Los Angeles, and was the director of customer care for Baltimore Gas and Electric. She received her bachelor’s in management and finance from UMass Boston, graduating magna cum laude. 

Jay Seigal ’81 retired after 33 years teaching in the Chelsea, Massachusetts, school system. He was the Chelsea Class notes High School boys varsity head basketball coach for 13 seasons, qualifying for the MIAA State Tournament in 10 of those seasons. Seigal said his career in teaching was inspired by his late father, who was a principal at the Williams School and a longtime member of the Chelsea School Committee. 

John Warner ’84, one of the cofounders of the field of green chemistry, has cofounded and joined the scientific advisory board of GL Chemtec International, which specializes in advanced chemistry research and design scale-up services. The board is comprised of distinguished leaders in small molecule R&D (chemistry/biology), process development and scale-up, green chemistry, medical devices, and drug delivery. Warner, an accomplished leader in the scientific community, has over 100 publications providing foundational work in the fields of noncovalent derivatization, polymer photochemistry, metal oxide semiconductors, and synthetic organic chemistry. 

Kent Worcester’s ’82 latest book, A Cultural History of The Punisher, will be published in December 2023. The book explores one of the most murderous characters in popular culture. First introduced in 1974, the Punisher has inspired three movies, a Netflix series, and more than a thousand comics and graphic novels. Worcester is a professor of political science at Marymount Manhattan College.  

1990s 

Franklin Black G’93 published his debut novel, The Milk War Murder. In 1929, Bert Bass, farmer and labor organizer, joins Julia Johnson, sharpshooter and war widow, to investigate the murder of Iver Nylund, the son of a U. S. senator, in Deerfield, Wisconsin. The dairy owner, self-made millionaire Alfred de Nimes, cuts payments to farmers reeling from low prices and animal diseases. Led by Bert, the farmers try to block deliveries to and from the dairy. The Milk War Murder shows the resilience and determination of farmers, workers, and businesses amid the economic and social upheavals of the 1920s. 

Jennifer Dooling ’92 was promoted to chief banking services officer at BankFive, a community bank with locations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. She serves on the board of directors for the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod and is a member of EforAll Cape Cod advisory board, where she has also been a mentor and judge. In addition, Dooling serves on the board of directors for Empower Yourself in Brockton, Massachusetts. 

Brian Hughes ’99 was named equity partner in the law firm of Brennan, Recupero, Cascione, Scungio and McAllister. Hughes is a litigator in the Taunton, Massachusetts office and admitted to practice law in all state and federal courts in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He is also part of the firm’s education law team. 

Judge Myong J. Joun ’94 was nominated by President Biden and approved by the United States Senate as U.S. District Court judge for Massachusetts. Judge Joun earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in 1994 from UMass Boston, served in the U.S. Army and Massachusetts National Guard, and is the first Asian American male on the federal bench in Massachusetts. 

Jennifer Kingsbury ’98 was featured in a Q&A article with the Framingham Source for her work as a Perinatal/Special Care Nursery Nurse Educator at MetroWest Medical Center. In her role, Kingsbury helps to facilitate the ongoing education of all the perinatal nurses. She was recruited to MetroWest Medical after being a patient in Framingham Union Hospital’s labor and delivery unit. Twenty-three years later, Kingsbury said, “I went home with a baby and a new job, and never left! MetroWest Medical Center is my home.” 

Joyce Linehan ’96, G’04 was appointed to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. Linehan and her fellow board members are working to improve the operation and maintenance of public libraries, promote cooperation with all types of libraries, and ensure that all residents of the commonwealth have access to electronic information technologies and databases. 

Barbie Loftus ’94 retired from her role of probation officer after 43 years on the job. She was the long-tenured female probation officer in Massachusetts. Loftus began her career doing clerical work for Massachusetts Probation Service while she was still in high school. She will continue her annual partnership with Boston’s Tynan Elementary School, and she assists in delivering warm clothing and cheerful notes to the homeless at Mass and Cass. 

Makeeba McCreary ’97, president of the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund, was named to the Nellie Mae Education Foundation’s board of directors. McCreary’s expertise and scholarship in social justice and education will support the foundation as it continues its racial equity journey in public education. Prior to joining NCF, McCreary worked at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston as the Patti and Jonathan Kraft Chief of Learning and Community Engagement. 

Charles Raffoni ’94 is celebrating 10 years of owning his own wellness brand, Yoga with Chuck. Raffoni had the honor of teaching yoga to nearly 900 participants at Gillette Stadium to benefit Boston Children’s Hospital. In addition to teaching, he was the top male fundraiser for the event and led a team that raised nearly $30,000. 

Sally Bernardina Seraphin ’98, assistant professor of neuroscience at Trinity College, was awarded the Whitman Center Fellowship at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. As an undergraduate concentrating in biobehavioral studies at UMass Boston, she researched parental care in rats and endangered sea birds. She participated in the McNair Scholars Program and the research experience for undergraduates’ Socrates program to what is now known as the University of Roehampton London. 

2000s 

Thomas Bain G’06 Thomas Bain G’06 joined the advisory board of Wisr AI, an AI platform that predicts cyberattacks on large enterprises and their third-party vendor networks. Bain has over 15 years of experience driving the marketing and go-to-market efforts for leading high-growth cybersecurity companies, including Cyware Labs and RiskRecon (acquired by Mastercard). He currently serves as the executive vice president of marketing for Finite State. 

Bill Fahey G’00 was named chief operating officer of Vicinity Energy. Fahey joins Vicinity with over 35 years of experience in the energy industry. Previously, he served as the executive vice president and chief technical officer for Veolia North America, where he led many operations-focused initiatives and was instrumental to its long-term success in North America. 

Meredith Guerriero ’03 was named chief operating officer at Fetch, a rewards app and leading consumer-engagement platform. Tapping into her wide-reaching expertise in the technology sector, Guerriero will oversee Fetch’s revenue generation, legal, implementation, and operations teams and work closely with product and engineering to formulate new monetization strategies as the company expands into new categories. 

Kathryn Kuba G’08 was named 2022 Businesswoman of the Year at the Buckhannon-Upshur Chamber of Commerce awards banquet. She earned her master’s in American studies from UMass Boston. Kuba is the editor of My Buckhannon, a position she’s held since the local business’s founding in 2018. 

Jack E. Lambert, Jr. ’00, aviation industry veteran, was appointed CEO of private jet management and charter company FlyHouse. Lambert has worked in private aviation for more than two decades and founded Jet Access Aviation in West Palm Beach, Florida. Jet Access grew to become the 10th-largest Part 135 air carrier in North America and merged with the Aeromanagement Group at the end of 2019. 

Abraham Lateiner G’08 is part of a team coordinating on a campaign to invite and equip wealthy individuals to commit to the work of social justice. This campaign is structured as a royalties cooperative: social justice partners are receiving $5,000 honorariums in exchange for offering guidance and accountability. 

Joanna MacGugan G’08 published a book entitled Social Memory, Reputation and the Politics of Death in the Medieval Irish Lordship. Stories of murderous monks, tavern brawls, robberies gone wrong, tragic accidents, and criminal gangs from court records reveal how the English of medieval Ireland governed and politicized death and collectively decided what passed for truth in legal proceedings. MacGugan is a full-time copy editor and independent scholar.  

Jennifer R. Matthews ’08 was elected to Haverhill Bank’s board of directors. Matthews serves as executive director of L’Arche Boston North. For the past 17 years, she has been with the nonprofit, which provides homes for life for adults with developmental disabilities and has served as executive director for the past five years. 

Paul McKnight G’07 was selected as the new principal of Hansen Elementary in Canton, Massachusetts. He was previously at Raynham Middle School, where he had served as assistant principal since 2017. 

Kristin Shaw Monk published Seaglass Dreams. The story follows Adeline, a teenager grieving the loss of her best friend. She begins to have dreams that whisk her away from her quaint Cape Cod life, sending her on adventures where she experiences a multitude of human emotions while slowly discovering she has a gift that allows her to transcend her wildest dreams. 

Amanda Pitts G’04 was named CEO of Recovery Centers of America at Westminster. She has nearly two decades of health care leadership experience focused on mental health and addiction treatment. In her new role, Pitts will be responsible for driving positive patient outcomes while delivering the highest level of services and quality of care that is responsive to patients’ needs. 

Brian Kenneth Reagan G’00, former Hudson High School principal, and most recently Waltham superintendent of schools, was named superintendent of Hudson High School. Reagan has served in leadership roles in Hudson, Wilmington, Bedford, and Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. 

Ryan Stoute ’02 passed the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) registry exam in June. ARRT certification and registration in MRI certifies individuals to perform the role of an MRI technologist. 

Katie Theoharides G’07 was named president and CEO of The Trustees of Reservations, one of Massachusetts’ largest nonprofits and the nation’s first conservation and preservation organization. Theoharides, who earned a master’s in environmental biology from UMass Boston, is a respected expert on the environment and climate science. She joined the administration of former Massachusetts governor Charlie Baker in 2016 as director of climate and global warming solutions and was named secretary of energy and environmental affairs in 2019. 

Andy Vidal ’04 was recognized as one of the Boston Business Journal’s 2023 CFOs of the Year. Vidal has a challenging role as Roxbury Community College’s vice president for finance and facilities. Vidal, a CFO for a decade, including past financial leadership stints at Endicott College, Emerson College, New England College of Optometry, and the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston, has improved the college’s financial standing. 

Conor Yunits G’07 was named executive vice president at Issues Management Group. In this role, he oversees public affairs/lobbying, real estate/corporate public relations, and digital divisions. Since joining the firm in 2016, Yunits has served as the statewide communications director and spokesperson for ballot questions, as the lead media relations strategist for publicly traded and privately funded real estate companies, and as a principal in the firm’s crisis practice.  

2010s 

Nate Bryant EdD’16 was elected to the board of directors of Northeast Arc, the largest Arc in Massachusetts and one of the largest in the country. Bryant is responsible for setting the direction for Northeast Arc to continue changing lives for people with disabilities—and children at risk of developing them—and their families. 

Alfred Calixte ’13 is an associate director for CMC project management at Verve Therapeutics. In this role, he leads programs by collaboratively working with functional area leads and program teams to plan, track, and report on progress for multiple gene-editing programs, from early- to late-stage development. He has over 10 years of industry experience, predominantly in alliance, project, and program management. 

Bill Constantopoulos ’14 was appointed partner at Gray, Gray & Gray, LLP, a business consulting and accounting firm based in Canton, Massachusetts. Prior to joining the firm in 2020, Constantopoulos held accounting system implementation and client advisory positions at several prominent regional accounting and law firms, as well as the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. 

Alessandra Fisher ’12 was appointed director of immigrant integration and elder services for the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers. Fisher is responsible for supervising caseworkers who provide advocacy, case management, and direct services to thousands of community members each year in areas such as social services; health insurance enrollment; housing, nutritional, and fuel assistance; employment and career development; immigration and citizenship applications. 

Amy Marie Frigulietti G’18 was named deputy town administrator of Franklin, Massachusetts. Frigulietti has nearly 20 years of experience in administrative and professional management and brings expertise in economic development, public policy, and community outreach in the public sector. A Massachusetts native, Frigulietti most recently worked as the assistant executive director of general government services for the town of Wellesley. 

Abigail Gould G’19, CER’19 and Richard Gould officially launched Oak & Argyle, a comprehensive consulting firm offering guidance in government affairs, strategic communications, community relations, and real estate development. Abigail’s experience includes pivotal roles as the director of legislative affairs for the Massachusetts state auditor and as a policy analyst for the House minority leader. 

Susan O’Mahoney Holtzman G’16 was named president and chief executive officer of NAMI Miami-Dade County, the leading mental health advocacy, education, and support organization in Miami-Dade County and the Florida Keys. Holtzman most recently was the lead on mental health, disabilities, and older adults in the Office of Equity and Engagement, Office of the Mayor, Miami-Dade County. 

Lisa Leger ’10 was named executive director of the Brookline Chamber of Commerce. In her role, Leger is responsible for the overall leadership of the chamber and maintaining its mission to promote and advance the continued success of Brookline as a thriving community in which to live, work, and do business. She joins the chamber with over a decade in the nonprofit development sector, with professional experience in grant writing and corporate partnerships. 

Alex Magee G’18, formerly finance director for the town of Hamilton, Massachusetts, is now Arlington’s deputy town manager and finance director. Before serving in Hamilton, Magee worked in the city of Lowell as a data management analyst, assistant to the city manager, and the deputy director of administration and finance for its public works department. 

Tanya Nixon-Silberg ’11 runs Little Uprisings, where she and her sister partner with schools and organizations such as the Boston Public Library and Puppet Showplace Theater on curriculum revision and development, art, and theater. Her newest public art piece, “They Did Not Know We Were Seeds,” is at the Parker Hill Branch of the Boston Public Library in Roxbury. Nixon-Silberg studied psychology and anthropology at UMass Boston and went on to work at the Boston Public Health Commission, focusing on equity initiatives. 

Stephen Alan Rollins, Jr. G’12 has been named vice president and shareholder of GT Reilly & Company. Rollins joined the firm in 2008 and works with privately held businesses, financial institutions, and nonprofit organizations. He has extensive experience in auditing, tax, consulting, and forensic accounting. Rollins serves on the board of the Salem State University Alumni Association and Foundation and is active coaching his daughters’ soccer teams.  

Jovanny Rosado ’18 was promoted to account director at Denterlein. While supporting the development and execution of strategic communications campaigns for several of the agency’s largest clients, he focuses on leading media relations and content strategy initiatives. Before Denterlein, Rosado was a part of the development and communications team at Victory Programs, worked at local communications agencies, and served in the U.S. Navy.  

Robert Spellane G’11 was named interim regional director of the Small Business Development Center at Clark University. Spellane served as state representative for the 13th Worcester district of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 2001 to 2011, followed by 12 years as vice president of strategic resources and initiatives at the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. Since 2019, Spellane has served as the executive director of Clark’s Master of Public Administration for Senior Leadership Program, where he is also a professor of practice.  

Idizinho Vaz ’19 was promoted to the role of associate partner at New York Life Insurance, one of the nation’s strongest financial and insurance companies. As a partner, Vaz’s main role is hiring, training, and developing a team of aspiring financial services professionals. 

2020s 

Akiba Abaka ’20 was named director of Good Trouble, a newly created position aimed at shaping program offerings and recommitting Boston Children’s Chorus to being a multicultural, anti-ableist, anti-racist organization for young people in the Greater Boston region. In addition to serving as a mentor for the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, she has served on the board of Boston Children’s Theatre, participated on the host committee for Theatre Communications Group’s 2012 annual conference and was a community member for the  Boston Children’s Chorus innovation team in 2014. 

Bryan Carter ’20, who graduated from the Northern Essex Community College Police Academy, joined the Tyngsborough police department. He completed a 12-week field training program, during which he patrolled the town of Tyngsborough along with a veteran officer. Carter earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 2020 from UMass Boston, where he was also a four-year member of the university’s hockey team.