Alumni Updates
The 50′s
The 50s
Kelly Kennedy (MA ’07) signs a copy of her book, “They Fought for Each Other: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Hardest Hit Unit in Iraq,” on April 8 after giving a talk at the SJMC. Kennedy, a reporter for Army Times and a former soldier, was a journalist embedded with the 26th Infantry Regiment’s Charlie Company in Bagdhad in 2007. At left is Charles Kinney, father of a soldier who killed himself, who flew in from Fort Worth, Texas, to have Kennedy sign a stack of her books. He told the audience that he initially was angry that she wrote about his son’s suicide but now understands that his son’s story illustrates the trauma war causes.
Jerry Kopel (’51) won The Soviet Jewry Freedom Award of 2009 for his work in helping to free three dissidents who were imprisoned by the Soviet government after a failed 1970 attempt to flee Russia. Kopel, now a retired state legislator, formed the “Committee to Free the Leningrad Three” with now retired Sen. Tilman Bishop. On leaving the state legislature, Kopel became a columnist for The Colorado Statesman. jerrykopel@aol.com
The ’70s
Mark Wolf (’70), formerly of the Rocky Mountain News, won third place for best serious column from the Colorado Press Association in February.
Jeanette Chavez (’72), managing editor for administration at The Denver Post, became president of the Colorado Press Association in Feb. 26 at the CPA convention in Denver.
Linda Castrone (’73) is the local editor at The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, Calif. Linda.castrone@pressdemocrat.com
John Leach (’74, MA ’79) is a visiting professor of multimedia journalism at Cal Poly State University.
Gerry O’Brien (’77) is the editor at The Montana Standard.
The ’80s
Jennifer M. Hatfield (’89) is the senior product manager for QUALCOMM, a wireless telecommunications research and development company. Hatfield focuses on information architecture, user experience design and web-to-mobile application solutions. Previously, she worked for Ogilvy & Mather and Foote, Cone & Belding agencies in New York City. She lives in San Diego. Hatfield.jm@gmail.com
Cliff Grassmick (’82) of the Daily Camera, won first place for best sports photograph from the Colorado Press Association in February.
Ellen Pollock Gray (’82) is the publisher and editor of ColoradoView, a new lifestyle magazine for women in Colorado. coloradoviewmagazine.com. Gellen8@msn.com
Kristen Hubert (’89) directs and teaches in the TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) program at Multnomah University in Portland, Ore. Khubert@multnomah.edu
Brent Schwarz (’89) was named vice president of sales and marketing at Velodyne in January. Velodyne is a leading manufacturer of high-definition light-detection and ranging sensors, more commonly known as LIDAR sensors.
The ’90s
John F. Russell (’90) of the Steamboat Pilot & Today won second place for feature photo in the Colorado Associated Press Editor and Reporter awards. He also won third place for best news photograph and second and third place for best sports photograph from the Colorado Press Association. Russell received the awards in February.
James Amos (’91) recently made the switch from print to TV. After working for The Pueblo Chieftain for almost 10 years, he now works for KOAA-Channel 5 in Pueblo.
Theresa Benda Sauer (’98) is a student at University of Denver’s College of Law. She and her husband welcomed their first child, Elizabeth Ann, in August. Theresa@iwindow.org
Susan Hunter (’91), former head of the on-air marketing division for Ignition Creative in Santa Monica, Calif., in January hosted members of the CU student chapter of the Association for Women in Communications, who were on a networking trip to Los Angeles. Shuntermedia@aim.com
Renee Kohn (’91) is a meteorologist and traffic reporter for San Diego 6. Kohn’s weather forecasts have earned her the AMS Seal of Approval from the American Meteorological Society. In her free time, Kohn also performs with her improv comedy troupe, National Comedy Theatre, in Mission Hills, Calif.
Paula Aven Gladych (’92) is a copy editor for Demand Studios, an online media company. paulaaven@aol.com
Marc Hertz (’93) is a full-time freelancer. He is working as an editor and blogger for Tonic.com and is writing two monthly employment-related articles for a corporate communications department. Hertz lives in San Mateo, Calif. www.tonic.com/contributor/marc-hertz/ Marc.hertz@gmail.com
Troy Renck (’93) of The Denver Post won second place for best sports event story from the Colorado Press Association in February.
Marty Caivano (’94) of the Daily Camera won first place for best feature photo from the Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters awards in February.
Dan Pacheco (’94), left, and David Herrold (MA ’99) spoke to News-Editorial majors about the future of online news in February. Pacheco is new-product manager for The Bakersfield Californian, and Herrold is director of marketing and business development for Kaango.com, a Denver Web-based advertising platform. Photo by Jacob Fuerst
Greg Avery (’94) of the Denver Business Journal won third place for best special section from the Colorado Press Association in February.
Joe Hanel (’95) of The Durango Herald won second place for best series from the Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters awards in February.
Scott Rochat (’95, MA ’97) of the Longmont Times-Call received honorable mention for headline writing and for best spot news story from the Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters awards in February. He also won second place for best news story, first place for best story-picture combination and first place for best headline writing from the Colorado Press Association.
Serena Schonbrun-Connelly (’95) is the creative director for StrawberryFrog, an independent advertising agency in New York City. serena@strawberryfrog.com
Tim Rivera (’96) is the VP management supervisor at Publicis.
Shelly Williams (’97) is the director of marketing for ExerciseTV, an on-demand television network that programs follow-along workout videos. Williams runs all aspects of marketing, including integrated partnerships and production. Swilliams30@hotmail.com
Alissa Walker (’98) is freelancing in Los Angeles, writing for publications such as Fast Company, LA Weekly and the public radio show “DnA: Design and Architecture.” Walker also writes a design column for GOOD Magazine, where she is heading up an initiative called GOOD design. The initiative matches designers with city problems. Walker’s architectural walking tours guide for Chronicle Books was recently published “City Walks Architecture: New York.” www.gelatobaby.com. alissamarie@mac.com
The 00′s
Kelley Harp (’00) climbs Mt. Fuji in Japan. He is a first-year Ph.D. student at the School of Public Affairs at the University of Colorado in Denver. harpkw@yahoo.com
George Merritt (’02) is working for Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s campaign for governor.
Brad Turner (’02) of the Longmont Times-Call won first place for public service from the Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters awards in February. He also won second and third place for best agricultural story from the Colorado Press Association.
Rachel Carter (’03) of the Longmont Times-Call won second place in investigative reporting and received honorable mention for public service from the Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters awards in February. She also won first place for public service from the Colorado Press Association.
Kate Salahub Lee (’03) is the director of experiential education and recruitment for the Indiana University School of Journalism. She works with journalism freshman and honor students, and brings in national speakers and notable alumni. Lee87@indiana.edu
Monica Ranes (’03) is a producer for Wieden+Kennedy advertising agency. She recently produced work for EA Sports and the movie “Coraline,” and now works on several Nike projects. Ranes lives in Portland, Ore. Monica.ranes@gmail.com
Richa Giri Mitchell (’00) is a reporter and producer for PBS/KLCS TV in Los Angeles. Through this position, Mitchell was given the opportunity to present at the 2007 and 2009 Los Angeles-area Emmy Awards, as well as report on such notable events such as the California budget crisis and President Obama’s visit to LA. Richa.giri@lausd.net
Hart Van Denburg (MA ’03) is a staff writer at City Pages in Minneapolis. City Pages, like Denver’s Westword, is part of the Village Voice media empire. Van Denburg focuses mainly on Web news and blogging but has also been able to writer cover features, including a profile of former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. hvandenburg@citypages.com
Alicia Wallace (’03) of the Boulder Daily Camera won second place for best business story from the Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters awards in February.
Brittany Anas (’04) of the Boulder Daily Camera won second place for best education story from the Colorado Press Association in February.
Alison Borden (’04) of The Denver Post won third place for best headline writing from the Colorado Press Association in February.
Dan Hyatt (’04) is the associate director and production manager for the St. Louis Cardinals. Hyatt is also a production consultant for the Kansas City Royals and the Indiana Pacers. He also served as a statistician for the 2006 and 2007 World Series for Fox. Hyatt.dan@gmail.com
Phillip Yates (’04), formerly of the Glenwood Springs Post Independent, won second place for best deadline news reporting from the Colorado Press Association in February. He works for Resource Media in Boulder.
Scott Barrett (’05) is the owner of Pillow Talk Media, an online public relations and marketing company. Clients have included The Nielson Company, Dailymotion.com, Vidicom, The News Market and Sire Records. Scott@pillowtalkmedia.com
- Ben Scott (MA ’04) and his wife, Addie, are on hand as the Marine One helicopter is about to make a presidential trip. Scott is a media consultant for Cox Media, the primary cable provider in Oklahoma. He also does freelance broadcast work for KOKI-TV, the Fox affiliate in Tulsa. Ben.scott@coxmedia.com
Samantha Roman (’05) is the promotions manager at Elitch Gardens in Denver. sroman@elitchgardens.com
Dan Werner (MA ’05) is working at Main Street Pedicabs in Broomfield. The company is the largest manufacturer of Pedicabs (bicycle rickshaws) in North America. Werner writes stories, blogs and makes videos about Pedicabs and their use as a green alternative to gas-burning vehicles. dan@pedicab.com
Laura Barton (’06) works for Goodby, Silverstein & Partners on the account management side. She is on the Spring/Nextel account. Barton lives in San Francisco. Laura.j.barton@gmail.com
Shelby Campbell (’06), a freelance associate producer in New York City, won an Emmy Award with fellow NBC associate producers for Outstanding Live Sports Special for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing. Campbell was an associate producer for CBS’ Super Bowl and went straight to Vancouver to work with NBC on the Winter Olympics. shelbyEC@gmail.com
Valerie Castro (’06) has returned to Denver as a reporter for KCNC-Channel 4 after working as a reporter for KOB-TV in Albuquerque.
Andi Brunetto (’04) writes a sports column for Examiner.com. The sports column is unique in its angle, in that it gives love advice via sports. She recently secured a high-profile interview with former “Apprentice” winner Kelly Perdew to discuss his fantasy sports gaming site and relationships. ambrunetto@hotmail.com
Luke Graham (’06) of the Steamboat Pilot & Today won first place for best story-picture combination from the Colorado Press Association in February.
Brad Phifer (’06) is working at Venables Bell & Partners in San Francisco with another CU alum, Will Geddes (’07).
Anna Wolferman (’06) is the Webcast production coordinator for iStreamPlanet, a company that provides digital media strategy, and manages Web-casting services and rich Internet applications. Wolferman manages the streaming productions out of the Las Vegas operations center. Anna.wolferman@gmail.com
Ann Lauricello (’07) anchors and produces CBS Newschannel 5’s “This Morning” in Cheyenne. She lives in Wyoming and covers the tri-state region of Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska.
Whitney Levine (’07) is working at Blue Moon Works, a Denver marketing agency. wrobsonl@gmail.com
Karissa Marcum (’07) is the communications manager at the office of Daniel P. Beard, the chief administrative officer of the U.S. House of Representatives. Marcum lives in Washington, D.C. Karissa.marcum@mail.house.gov
Megan Quinn (’07) of the Arvada Press won first place for best feature story from the Colorado Press Association in February.
Eric Rabinowitz (’07) is a video editor at Comcast Sportsnet in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Laura Snider (MA ’07) of the Boulder Daily Camera won first place for best environmental story from the Colorado Associated Press Editors and Reporters awards in February. Snider also won second place for best feature story and first place for best feature page design from the Colorado Press Association.
Jessica Roy (’06) recently started a sushi catering business in Salt Lake City called Shiso Sushi. She has been able to combine her education at CU, skills as a sushi chef (she worked at Hapa all through college) and previous design work all for the goal of creating her own company. Roy is also working part time, helping with marketing and in-house branding at Upper Limit Aviation, a helicopter training school. www.ulaheli.com, www.shisosushicatering.com Jroy84@gmail.com
Tracy Stientjes (’07) is the digital director for Wilks Broadcasting in Denver. tracystientjes@hotmail.com
Kim Turner (’07) of the Louisville Times won first place for best series from the Colorado Press Association in February.
Jim Allan (’08) is managing editor of IndoPacific Edelman in Jakarta, Indonesia. Previously, he was in South Korea as an English editor at the Seoul office of Edelman, a global public relations agency. Allan.JamesO@gmail.com
Ben Dignan (’08) is the digital media coordinator for sports for Showtime Television in New York City. bendignan@gmail.com
Deborah Goldbaum Kelly (MA ’08) is a freelance writer of Search Engine Optimization content for several companies and is a regular contributor to the Left Hand Valley Courier. She is also the Boulder County Education Examiner and Boulder School Rankings Examiner for Examiner.com. She has recently joined the community at EditLift where she will be editing research papers for college and university students. She lives in Lafayette with her husband. deborahbgkelly@gmail.com
Ashleigh Oldland (’08) is working for Gazette Newspapers in Long Beach. She covers features, community, sports and other small beats such as the harbor commission. oldland@colorado.edu
Erin Bosik (’06) left Sterling-Rice Group to become the associate creative director at rabble+rouser in Denver. Erinbosik@hotmail.com
C.J. Powell (’08) is the manager of client services at Dovetail Solutions in Denver. cjpowell@dovetailsolutions.com
Erich Schubert (’05, MA ’08) is the media relations coordinator for the Denver Broncos.
George Plaven (’09) is the Anaconda bureau reporter for The Montana Standard. gplaven@gmail.com
Julie Wagoner (’08) is the emerging-media account coordinator at Turner PR in Denver. Jwagoner54@gmail.com
Megan Anderson (’09) is working for Business OnLine in San Diego as a project coordinator. Business OnLine is an online marketing agency. Megan.j.anderson@colorado.edu
Eric Barendsen (MA ’09) is a communications specialist for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, a branch of the U.S. Department of Energy, in Washington, D.C. ebarendsen@hotmail.com
Kasia Broussalian (’09) placed in the top 10 in the Hearst Journalism Awards Photojournalism contest this spring. This is Broussalian’s fourth Hearst Award.
Caitlin Coleman (’09) is volunteering with the AmeriCorps VISTA program in Beckley, W.Va. She is the outreach coordinator for the Western Hardrock Watershed Team. Caitlin.coleman@colorado.edu
Janelle Crandall (’09) is attending law school at the University of Memphis. Janelle.crandall@colorado.edu
Ally Demos (’09) is the communications coordinator at The Advisory Group. She lives in Centennial. demos@colorado.edu
Meredith Ann Epp (’09) is an out-of-home media liaison for Starcom Worldwide. She lives in Chicago. Meredithannepp@gmail.com
Gabriela Resto-Montero (’08) is a reporter and producer for DNAinfo.com, a start-up local Manhattan news website. She covers Midtown East to East Harlem in New York. She is shooting video, doing standups and writing for the Web. www.dnainfo.com restomontero@gmail.com
Shoni Gustafson (’09) is the interactive producer at 72andSunny, a full-service design and advertising company. Gustafson lives in Marina del Rey, Calif. shonigust@gmail.com
Christina Hand (’09) is as assistant account executive at DraftFCB, an advertising agency in San Francisco. Christina.hand@colorado.edu
Emily Rose Heintz (’09) is an account coordinator for Canoots Communications Inc. She lives in Denver. emilyrheintz@gmail.com
Marissa Hermanson (’09) is a special editions editor at Boulder Weekly.
Megann L. Holmes (’09) is a client engagement specialist at Corporate Executive Board. She lives in Washington, D.C. mholmes@executiveboard.com
Courtney Krebs (’09) plans to attend the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., to pursue a master’s degree in Film Studies. Courtney.krebs@colorado.edu
Keirstin Kuhlman (’09) has been accepted into the Teach for America program. She will be working in the Louisiana sector in Baton Rouge. Keirstinkihlman@gmail.com
Justin Kutner (’09) is an intern at the U.S. House of Representatives. He lives in Washington D.C. jkutner@gmail.com
Jenna Levesque (’09) is the marketing director for MIX Music Lounge in Denver.
Laura Hamel (’09) is the marketing director at AfterOurs Urgent Care. She lives in Greenwood Village. hamell@colorado.edu
Reagan Lowrey Lozar (’09) is the marketing and communications coordinator for Colorado State Parks, the marketing director for the travel store, Changes in Latitude, and a freelance writer. reaganlowry@gmail.com
Daniel Mercado (’09) is an editor at 02 Public Relations in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Daviel.mercado@live.com
Lauren Miles (’09) is working at High Noon Entertainment in Denver. Flower8672@gmail.com
Betsy Oyler (’09) is a junior account executive for Aiello Public Relations & Marketing firm. She lives in Denver. oyler@colorado.edu
Dan Ray (MA ’09) is a junior science writer and editor for Archipelago Learning, a subscription-based online education company. Dan.ray@studyisland.com
Allison Sandza (’09) is a news assistant at CNN’s Washington, D.C., bureau. Allison.sandza@gmail.com
Marilyn Spitz (’09) is a teacher’s assistant at Brawerman Elementary. She lives in L.A. Marilyn.spitz@gmail.com
Jimy Valenti (’09) is interning at the Colorado Statesman as a reporter. Jimy.valenti@gmail.com
Claire Foss (’09) is an assistant content manager for Crispin Porter + Bogusky. She lives in Golden. Claire.e.foss@gmail.com
Kathrine Warren (’09) is a reporter for the Telluride Daily Planet. Kathrine.warren@gmail.com
The ’10s
Jason Gonzales (’10) won second place for best business story from the Colorado Press Association in February. He wrote the story for The Durango Herald while interning there.
Chau Nhan (’10) is the account management intern at Sukle Advertising + Design in January.
Jordan Steffen (‘10) placed in the top 20 in the Hearst personality profile contest.
