Class Notes - 1980s
1980
Arthur van Uchelen BA works for Boeing, primarily on their jets’ avionic and electrical problems.
1981
Class Correspondents: Cindy Thompson and Lisa Grill Dodson
Charles Blanchard BS served four and a half years as the general counsel of the U.S. Air Force. He will leave federal service and become a partner in the Washington, D.C., firm Arnold & Porter, with a practice focused on national security law. At the end of his tenure at the Air Force, he was awarded the Declaration for Extraordinary Civilian Service—the Air Force’s highest honor for civilians.
James “Jed” E. Emerson BA has focused on impact investing in the past few years. He coauthored the first book on the topic and has been a leading advisor to high- net-worth families. “I help invest their net worth (market rate and philanthropic) for maximizing financial returns with social/environmental value creation. Traveling too much, but otherwise, loving the journey!”
Wes Lawrence BA started Environmental Solutions, a renewable energy equity fund, and a consulting business in Sisters, Oregon, in July 2013. Wes and his wife, Karen, have three children: Kelsey, 26; Chase, 16; and Trent, 14.
Mark Rodgers JD was named a 2012 Attorney of the Year by Minnesota Lawyer Magazine. Rodgers and his law partner, Michael Garbow, received the award for obtaining compensation for 10 school employees who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the Red Lake High School shooting tragedy of 2005. He is the managing partner at Rodgers & Garbow in Bemidji, Minnesota, and concentrates his practice on workers’ compensation and personal injury law.
Phil Schiliro JD has temporarily returned to Washington, D.C., to help Democrats pitch the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to voters in the 2014 midterm elections. He is also responsible for coordinating with Congress and executive agencies as the Obama administration continues to put the law’s wide-ranging policies into effect and for helping to develop communications and legislative strategies on any potential changes to the law. Schiliro served as President Obama’s legislative director until 2011 and helped campaign for the passage of the ACA. He was one of two in the White House whom President Obama honored with a pen from the set he used to sign the ACA into law in 2010.
Sarah Supahan-Harding BS “Living with my second husband in a beautiful area above the Trinity River. Started the new job in July 2013 and loving it. About to have my 14th grandchild (officially my sixth biological grandchild, with eight loved and assorted others—step, adopted). My youngest child (Luke, 24) will be married in June 2014. And all is good in my world.”
Cindy Thompson BS, in addition to producing events for corporations, nonprofit organizations, and communities, recently developed a product for the event industry. Her new company, Circle T Designs, creates and manufactures stylish and functional holsters that hold walkie-talkies and cell phones for event planners and producers so they can be “hands free” at events.
1982
Class Correspondent: Jamie Hackel Hyams
Kimberly Conyngham BA joined JPMorgan Chase in 2012 as an executive director in the global trade business. Kim and her husband have two children—a daughter at Columbia University (class of 2015) and a son in 10th grade.
Richard Whittemore JD was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2014. He was recognized as a Litigation Star in the 2014 edition of Benchmark Litigation. Whittemore is shareholder and on the board of directors at Bullivant Houser Bailey.
1983
Class Correspondent:
Mark Peterson
Ahmed Al Sayegh BS is the chairman of Masdar, the CEO of Dolphin Energy Limited, and the vice chairman of Emirates Wildlife Society. Al Sayegh is now a prominent businessman in Abu Dhabi. Since graduating with an economics degree, he has used his career to support many environmental initiatives.
Michael Mason JD received the Henry Hewitt Access to Justice Award in recognition of his substantial contributions to legal aid for low-income Oregonians. Mason was cited for his two decades of commitment to access to justice. He has served as board president of Legal Aid Services of Oregon and the Oregon Law Center.
Max Miller Jr. JD was recognized by the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners and the Multnomah County Citizen Involvement Committee with the Multnomah County Volunteer Award for his service on the Regional Arts and Culture Council, the second time he has been so honored. Miller chairs Tonkon Torp’s environmental and natural resources practice group.
1984
Arts & Sciences Reunion
June 19–22, 2014
Class Correspondent: Susan Corlett
1985
Jeffrey Eden JD, shareholder in the Portland office of Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt, joined the Product Liability Advisory Council (PLAC) as a sustaining member. Sustaining membership in PLAC is through invitation only and members must maintain a substantial part of their practice in product liability or appellate matters exclusively for defendants. Michael Greenlick JD was appointed by Governor John Kitzhaber to fill the vacancy on the Multnomah County Circuit Court bench created by the appointment of Judge Michael McShane JD ’88 to the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. Greenlick closed his private practice of the last 18 years as a criminal defense lawyer in state and federal courts.
1986
Class Correspondents: Sally Dadmon Bixby and David Lawrence
Brigitte Dortmund BA had a December 2013 show, New Paintings, at Pulliam Fine Art in Portland.
1987
Dr. Jeff Absalon B.S. joined the Board of Directors of KIDS Center, Central Oregon’s regional child abuse intervention center. Absalon is an internal medicine physician and administrator at St. Charles Health System in Bend.
Carla Kelley JD was elected to the Urban League of Portland’s board of directors. Kelley is a member of Miller Nash’s business group, where she works with clients on government and regulatory issues.
1988
Jolie Russo JD was elected president of the Oregon Chapter of the Federal Bar Association for 2013–14. Russo continues in her position as senior staff attorney with the U.S. District Court of Oregon.
1989
Arts & Sciences Reunion
June 19–22, 2014
Class Correspondent: Andrea Ball
Carla Cavenago-Salazar BA was the 2012 Portland Business Journal CFO of the Year Award Medium Private Company Honoree.
Lisa Harper BA built a successful small business in Beaverton, but then the family farm in Connecticut needed a resident. “I sold everything, said goodbye to our beloved PDX, and moved east. Kimarie Wolf ’88 drove with me, visiting dog show friends across the country. Connecticut is beautiful, but it’s hard not to miss the can-do optimism of our Lewis & Clark family. Looking forward to our reunion this summer!”
Elizabeth Prato BA is currently editing The Night, and the Rain, and the River, a fiction anthology to be released by Forest Avenue Press in May 2014. Excerpts from her memoir in progress have been published by The Rumpus website and by Subtropics magazine. Her essays and short stories have been published in numerous literary journals. Writing about herself in the third person makes her feel like a goof.
Jackson Shea BS has become more involved in alumni of color activities and recently participated in a professional networking session with students. “It gave me a chance to Chronicle-Spring 2014: Class Notes Page 14 of 34 3/27/14 10,158 words (last spring: 9300) impress upon them the power of a liberal arts education with a focus in communication for someone in a technology field.” Shea is very excited to be participating in the planning committee for the upcoming 25th reunion. “Reflecting on our time and the passing of Nelson Mandela [released from prison in 1990] was truly chilling. Hope to see many of my fellow alumni and share in the many great activities we’re planning, but the greatest of all will simply be the chance to reconnect with our collective pasts and sharing our collective futures!”
