Alumni turn business savvy toward the social good

Observer Magazine
FALL 2014
Alumni turn business savvy toward the social good
INSIDE STORY
[
Look for us online:
bentley.edu/observer
12
fall
News for alumni, parents and friends
DEPARTMENTS & FEATURES
Dear World Project
16
Brothers in Arms
Pete and Andrew Frates ’10 have a common foe. A gifted athlete
who played baseball in college and semi-pro thereafter, Pete was
diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in 2012, at age 27.
Commonly known as Lou Gherig’s disease, the progressive neurological disorder has no cure or effective treatment. “But our family
wasn’t about to accept the status quo,” says Andrew, pictured on
right. “Pete told us to strap up our boots and get to work.”
They seized the moment when word of the Ice Bucket Challenge —
a 24-hour window to douse yourself with frigid water or donate $100
to the ALS Association — arrived from friends in New York.
“Pete leveraged his network to make it go viral and now it has taken
on a life of its own,” Andrew says of the challenge, which swept
through social media this summer. “Our goal is for the momentum
to generate real action and change the course of the disease.”
Learn more at alsa.org.
The ALS Ice Bucket
Challenge has raised
awareness of the
disease and fueled
support for research
and advocacy. The ALS
Association received
donations of $41.8
million between
July 29 and August 21.
That compares with
$2.1 million donated
during the same time
in 2013. At right,
President Gloria
Larson and Marketing
Specialist Rachel
Graham ’11.
22
26
8
3
ON CAMPUS
Major inspiration | Short programs, long results |
Sending an e-hug
8
COURSE REVIEW
A race to teach event management.
10
SPECIALTIES
Straight-up insights on hunger in America.
12
FEATURE: CIVIC LESSONS
The Bentley Service–Learning Center connects 1,000-plus
students per year with worthy organizations and causes.
But to what effect? Meet five alumni who are channeling
business savvy toward social change.
16
ATHLETICS
Strength and support, written in lavender.
18
NEWSMAKERS
Bentley experts on why MBAs should read Plato and
other headline-grabbing topics.
19
SPOTLIGHT: MILLER HALL
A place to call home from a model alumnus.
20
IN THE LEAD
When Bob met Emily | Style whisperer | Shining example
29
CONNECTIONS
A photo tour through Reunion Weekend and more.
32 CLASS NOTES
Thanks for keeping us posted.
Corey Lerner
Good Company ... On the cover, Tom D’Eri ’11 (left) and brother
Andrew at the family venture that’s changing lives for people with
autism. Photo by Alissa Dragun
ON CAMPUS
SECTION
BETWEEN
THE LINES
Editorial and Design
Editor
Susan Simpson
Welcome, Class of 2018
Art Director
Claire S. Anderson
Contributors
Deblina Chakraborty
Chris Conti
Amy Crawford
Carol Dirga
Helen Henrichs
Sara Jane Kaminski
Allyson Manchester
Kelly Milligan
Jennifer Spira
Kristen L. Walsh
Director, Brand and Content Marketing
Victor Schlitzer
Director, Digital Engagement
and Agency@Bentley
Valerie Fox
Ah, millennials. We can applaud their
ingenuity (Instagram, blogging, the Ice
Bucket Challenge) or bemoan their
disinterest in boomer life markers
(marriage, home ownership, golf) — but there is no denying their
impact on American society and beyond.
This issue of Observer gives props to the generation’s widely
reported pursuit of careers that advance the social good. Many
of our featured alumni apply their business skills at nonprofits
and companies with longstanding corporate social responsibility
programs. Others, like Tom D’Eri ’11, add an entrepreneurial twist:
University Advancement
Executive Director of
Advancement Relations
Leigh K. Gaspar
Director of Advancement Communications
Michael S. Lynch
Assistant Director of
Advancement Communications
Caroline Cruise
Toll free: +1 800.523.6853
Administration
President
Gloria Cordes Larson
Vice President for
University Advancement
William Torrey
Chief Marketing Officer
David R. Perry
Observer magazine is published by Bentley University,
Waltham, Massachusetts, and distributed without charge
to alumni, parents and friends of the university.
Postmaster: Send address changes to Bentley University,
175 Forest Street, Waltham, MA 02452 USA.
BENTLEY UNIVERSITY is one of the nation’s leading
business schools, dedicated to preparing a new kind of
business leader — one with the deep technical skills,
broad2 global perspective, and high ethical standards
required to make a difference in an ever-changing world.
OBSERVER
61.5M9/14QG.MC.14778
NEW UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS
the social issue recast as business challenge.
For Tom, the galvanizing metric was an unemployment rate of 80
to 90 percent among adults with autism. He and his father spun their
family’s personal experience with the disorder into a company that is
profitable, yes, but so much more. Our cover story starts on page 26.
Of course previous generations have their own bona fides in boot-
strapping social change. In “Civic Lessons,” we catch up with five
alumni who were fixtures in Bentley service–learning programs during
their student days. The group includes Matt Simmonds ’96, who
has aimed the tech company he founded at collecting data to
address homelessness.
Those born after 1995 seem similarly inclined toward building
skills while upholding values. Consider undergraduates in the
Bentley course Sport Event Management, whose path to learning
and philanthropy measured 5 kilometers. Details on page 8.
All told, it’s inspiration that every generation can love.
> Enrollment
980 Freshmen
132 Transfer students
Bachelor’s and master’s
degree candidates are
well into their studies
and the rhythm of
Bentley life. Here’s a
quick introduction.
> Gender
58% Men
42% Women
> Geography
36 U.S. states
42 Countries including China,
India, Colombia and Jordan
> Ethnic diversity
25% ALANA (African
American, Latino, Asian,
Native American) students
from the U.S.
> Academic success
1240 Average SAT
28 Average ACT
74% Earned all A’s and B’s
in high school
60% From top-rated high
schools where more than
90 percent of students go
on to college
> Outside the classroom
Started sneaker business in ninth grade that
turned immediate profit of $3,000; ranked #1 snare
drummer in Eastern U.S. Pipe Band Association;
raised funds to offer free, two-week camp experience for 40 children of migrant workers; published
145-page book raising awareness of food as
powerful influence on health, with proceeds
benefiting King Hussein Cancer Foundation
Figures for undergraduates represent freshmen only,
unless otherwise noted; statistics are accurate as of August 1
NEW GRADUATE
STUDENTS
Enrollment <
143 Master of Business
Administration candidates
460 Master of Science
candidates
Gender <
52% Men
48% Women
Geography <
23 U.S. states
45 Countries including China,
India, United Arab Emirates,
Hong Kong and Russia
Academic and <
professional success
621 Average GMAT
5.2 Average years of
work experience
30-plus Fields represented,
including accountancy,
engineering, international
studies, political science,
communication
Photos by Chris Conti and Taslim Sidi
3
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ON CAMPUS
ON CAMPUS
FAST FORWARD THE MAJORS POSITION GRADUATES FOR THESE JOB TITLES.
NEW MAJORS
ADVANCE
SEARCH FOR
TALENT
M
ost colleges reserve the term “market demand” for
business courses. Here the phrase takes a different turn,
informing two new majors — Professional Sales and Creative
Industries — that answer employers’ call for skilled professionals.
The move marks Bentley as the only
major university in the northeastern
U.S. with an undergraduate major in
Professional Sales. An unusual collaboration gives both programs a distinctive
edge. In developing the majors, which
launched this fall, faculty had significant input from Career Services and
corporate partners.
“Executives at EMC were very interested in recruiting Bentley talent into
their sales development program, but
there were gaps in terms of Management
and Marketing majors applying for sales
positions,” explains Susan Brennan,
executive director of corporate relations
and career services. Between June 2013
and June 2014, Bentley listed some 670
full-time posts or internships available
in sales and business development.
Brennan, who sits alongside faculty
on Bentley’s Undergraduate Curriculum
Policy Committee, supported the case
for a sales curriculum that would help
prepare students to fill these jobs.
4
OBSERVER
She and faculty members — including
department chairs Duncan Spelman
(Management) and Andy Aylesworth
(Marketing) — tapped a group of corporate partners for input; more than 30
sales executives discussed career paths.
“The entire group was supportive
and interested in getting more involved
to help launch the major, recruit students and offer internships,” says James
Pouliopoulos, lecturer in marketing
and director of the Professional Sales
program.
The backing echoes findings of
research that Bentley commissioned
to assess millennials’ readiness for the
modern workplace. A majority of survey
respondents, who included academic and
corporate leaders, urged greater collaboration between business and higher
education, particularly around curriculum development.
“It’s very market driven but also very
much a legitimate academic function
with faculty resources aligned,” Brennan
says of Professional Sales. “That combination is what will make the program
successful for both employers and
graduates.”
Inspired Initiative
The same kind of collaboration —
among career services, faculty, alumni
and corporate partners — informed
the Creative Industries major. Program
coordinators are Jennifer Gillan,
professor of English and media studies,
and Simon Moore.
“Several of our alumni working in
the creative sector report its very rapid
growth driven by the information revolution,” says Moore, associate professor
of information design and corporate
communication. “That revolution has
changed audience expectations.”
Consumers of television, film and
video want to be engaged in ever-more
creative ways, adds Wiley Davi, associate professor and chair of the English
and Media Studies Department. “That
requires people with a good mix of
creative and business skills who understand what the organization needs, how
it works, and what their key audiences
want — and who can imagine routes
to vivid engagement.”
PROFESSIONAL SALES
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
Account Manager
Social Media Strategist
Business Development Representative
Entertainment News Reporter
Customer Service Manager
Web Designer
Inside Sales Representative
Digital Publishing Associate
Nonprofit Development Associate
Sports Publicist
Online Sales Manager
Music Industry Promoter
Sales Operations Analyst
Game Creator
Technical Sales Representative
Interactive Multimedia Specialist
Career prospects in creative industries are strong and diverse, as emerging
technology expands creative content and
promotion across platforms and devices.
Social media strategy, sports and entertainment public relations, entertainment
news media, game creation and web
design are among the options.
Proof Points
The numbers speak for themselves
when it comes to market demand.
Reports by the United Nations and
U.S. government, among others,
point to boom times for creative
industries.
“This is a global opportunity for
Bentley students,” says Moore, citing
a 2013 report by the U.N. Conference
on Trade and Development, which
put world trade of creative goods
and services at $624 billion in 2011.
Similarly, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics forecasts significant growth
in sales career positions through 2020,
across a variety of industries. According
to a study by ManpowerGroup, sales
was a top area for shortages of talent
from 2006 to 2012.
Even though sales is a common
career entry point for students who
majored in a variety of disciplines —
including general business, economics,
finance, human resources, international
business, management, management
information systems, and marketing —
talented people are hard to find.
“There’s a shortage of candidates
with the knowledge, skills and perspective to step into a role as a sales professional in different industries or as a
business development officer in the
nonprofit sector,” Pouliopoulos notes.
“Employers report they would prefer to
hire university graduates who demonstrate a specific interest in a sales career.” As the fall semester ramps up,
Brennan looks forward to more work
with the Curriculum Policy Committee.
“When I tell colleagues at other
schools about having a seat at the table
with faculty, I realize it’s quite uncommon,” she explains. “But policy issues
— including changes to curriculum and
majors — are going to impact what
we’re doing in career services.
“Aligning curriculum with market
demand makes a lot of sense for higher
education. It’s what will make our graduates’ skills that much more relevant to
potential employers.” u Kristen L. Walsh
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ON CAMPUS
ON CAMPUS
BUSINESS BRIEF
“Reply all” responses to a general-announcement email are generally annoying,
embarrassing or otherwise cringe-inducing. But at Bentley this summer, the
replies delivered an electronic group hug for a soon-to-retire colleague. Here are
excerpts from the original message and the spontaneous tributes it inspired.
EXECUTIVE EDUCATION SERVES TIME-STARVED,
KNOWLEDGE-HUNGRY PROFESSIONALS
This spring, the Financial Times website heralded the “revival
of executive education.” The report cited increased demand for
short courses in management and other areas at business schools
in the U.S. and abroad, as company spending on employee
development rebounds from the financial crisis of 2008.
At Bentley, demand is up for
open-enrollment executive education programs as well as for
those customized to particular
companies and career fields. All
are developed and coordinated
by the Executive Education
Department, in collaboration
with university faculty.
One highly subscribed offering
is Essentials of Management —
aka the “mini-MBA.” Course
participants meet two days per
week on campus, every other
week, for a total six sessions.
“This program is for scientists,
HR people, engineers and other
corporate employees who didn’t
study undergraduate business,”
explains Alan Hoffman, professor of management and miniMBA program manager. “They
have business experience, but not
an academic business background. Our program provides
the business fundamentals they
lack, so they can be more effective managers and well positioned for future promotions.”
The condensed format was a plus for Mary Jane McCraven,
director of strategic communications for Buildings Division
Global at Schneider Electric, which specializes in energy
management.
“I was looking at Executive MBA programs and wanted to
understand the scope and depth of work that would entail,”
explains McCraven, who holds a BA from Salem State College
SUBJECT:
JANE ELLIS IS RETIRING!
and a master’s in communication management from Simmons
College. “The Bentley program gave me a taste of that … and
provided some good nuggets of information.”
Executive education programs at top U.S. business schools
have grown by almost 5 percent since 2012, according to a
survey by the Booth School of Business at Chicago University.
Bentley’s two-year-old mini-MBA meets demand with topics
such as history of the global economy, finance, negotiations
and organizational resources, and strategy implementation,
for instance.
“We have five classes on strategy — that’s a heavy weighting,”
notes Hoffman, who credits the emphasis for driving the
program’s appeal among mid-level and senior managers.
Gary McGuire, vice president, Customer Success, at
CA Technologies, signed up
to refresh his skills and map A heavy weighting on
business strategy drives
new insights.
“I was primarily interested the program’s appeal
in marketing and the impact
to mid-level and senior
of social media on businessmanagers.
to-business interactions,”
says McGuire, whose firm is named among the 100 mostinnovative companies in the world by Forbes magazine.
Leadership across cultures was another hot topic, as his role
includes overseeing a customer success team in Latin America.
“You definitely get a sufficient level of depth to implement
what you’ve learned in the workplace,” says McGuire, who
holds an associate’s degree from Post College and several
industry certifications.
Sean Collins ’99, who earned a Bentley BA in Environmental
Science, recommended the mini-MBA to others after attending
in 2013.
“The two-day sessions provide a nice balance with work,”
says the alumnus, who is director of training delivery at EMC
Corp. “The subject matter is germane to the business world
and the faculty make learning enjoyable. The program delivered what I was hoping for — and some great networking
opportunities.” u Jennifer Spira u Photos by Chris Conti
Thursday, June 19, 2014, 1:57:41 PM
From: Roy (Chip) Wiggins III
To: Faculty & Staff DL
After considerable procrastination, a period
of abject denial, and several failed attempts
at persuasion and bribery, I am ready, but not
happy, to inform you that a true Bentley icon
is retiring. Associate Dean Jane Ellis is
relinquishing operational duties in the Office
of Academic Services, effective June 30, after
some 26 years of dedicated service.
As chair of the Academic Performance
Committee, Jane oversees and implements
committee decisions on student academic
restrictions or suspensions. This arduous task
often involves appeal letters, anxious
students and parents, and making decisions
that are not necessarily received in a positive
manner. It is within this environment that
Jane truly shines. She is honest, direct, caring
and respectful in her dealings with all. ...
Countless students have acknowledged
Jane’s good nature and her influence in
helping them achieve their goals. ... I know
you will want to join me and all of the Dean’s
Council in sincerely thanking Jane for her
contributions to Bentley.
Re: Jane Ellis is Retiring!
From: Marie Rock,
Senior Lecturer in Management
Jane is simply “the best,” and knows how
to bring out the best in others.
From: Ali Abdolmohammadi,
Professor of Accountancy
Yes, she is. I personally have seen Jane
in Bentley activities and meetings, where she
was always prepared and contributed greatly.
My son benefited from her kind and caring
academic advice when he was a student
at Bentley.
LEARN MORE: bentley.edu/execed
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OBSERVER
From: Michael O’Halloran,
Senior Lecturer in Management
She touched many and made a difference!
From: Titilola Adewale, Director,
Center for International Students
and Scholars
I concur. Jane is caring, friendly and
selfless. I have been at Bentley for about
three months. Jane reached out to me as
soon as I arrived, introduced me to her
home, the area and many on campus with
the goal of integrating me to the Bentley
community.
From: Barbara Paul-Emile,
Professor of English
Jane Ellis is, indeed, an icon! Her kindness,
her generosity and her professionalism are
legendary. There is no counting the number of
lives she has touched and improved and the
ways she has made Bentley a better place. …
Knowing and working with Jane has been a
great privilege. [She] was an early guide to
Harry Paul-Emile from Port-au-Prince, Haiti,
who because of her early encouragement
went on to complete his degree and now
works at another institution of higher
education.
From: Tim Anderson,
Professor of Sociology
Whenever a colleague, faculty, staff or
administrator, young or old, had a question
regarding a student issue, I have always had
the same answer: “Just ask Jane!”
From: Otgo Erhemjamts,
Associate Professor of Finance
Jane is exceptional because she truly cares
about students. We will miss you, Jane!
7
Taslim Sidi
OBSERVER
COURSE REVIEW
COURSE REVIEW
Going the Distance
Students in a Bentley course offered last spring faced
the typical array of required readings, class discussions,
papers and exams. Oh, and they had to run a 5K.
“Run” as in plan and orchestrate an event
to raise money for a cause. The inaugural
“5 for the Fight” race, held on campus
last April, collected nearly $900 for the
American Cancer Society/Relay for Life
at Bentley. “It’s a practical-application
course in sport event management, but
can apply to any type of event,” says
William Gillespie, adjunct assistant
professor of management. “I really leave
it in the students’ hands to figure out
what they can and can’t accomplish. They
use the campus as a learning tool for
reaching out and getting people involved.”
After agreeing on a type of event and
a charity, students in the course joined
one of three departments: marketing and
registration, sponsorship and budgeting,
or operations.
“We had to decide what we wanted
to be most heavily involved in,” explains
Management major Tyler Ash ’15, who
served on the sponsorship and budgeting
team. “Then we set our goals: This is the
experience we want to provide and this
is what we’re going to need to do it.”
Team Effort
Working with Bentley staff and student
organizations proved critical for marketing
and registration team member Mikaela
Gillick ’15. She reached out to Student
8
OBSERVER
Life to reserve outdoor space, and Student
Affairs helped set up online registration.
In addition to using social media for
marketing, Gillick partnered with the
student organization Colleges Against
Cancer (she is the group’s VP) to
coordinate a bake sale and email blast.
Students working on sponsorship
and budgeting went beyond campus to
collect in-kind donations from local
businesses. Bentley’s LinkedIn network
delivered an unexpected benefit.
“When I posted about the race,
I heard from an alumnus [Chris Wheeler
’94] who runs a website called Dedicating
Dollars, which organizes fundraisers,”
Ash says. “He allowed us to use it at a
discounted rate as a platform to collect
donations from people who couldn’t
attend but wanted to be involved.”
Sharing the right information at
the right time was a key challenge.
“During class we presented updates
on work completed and tasks that still
needed to be done,” says Gillick, who
is majoring in Marketing. “We learned
how we could work better together,
and recognized which departments
needed more help.”
“We found out the hard way that
communication is important,” adds Ash.
“People from different departments were
sunny and breezy. Students reached their
participation goal of 100 runners, and
were happy to learn that their work will
serve as a foundation for the future.
“It’s nice that the event will continue,”
says Ash. “We were able to utilize
working on the same thing for different
reasons. But ultimately it got better.”
Jumping Hurdles
Learning to improvise is par for the
course in event management, says
Gillespie, who runs a sports consulting
business. “There’s always damage
control and fixing problems on the fly.
We can talk in class theoretically, but
when you’re out there trying to put
something together, it doesn’t always
run the way it’s supposed to. This is
something students had to deal with.”
For example, operations team member
Angela Vassalotti ’16 developed Plan B
when arrangements for a food truck fell
through just a week before the event.
“It was a struggle not knowing
whether we could find someone else and
get approval to have them on campus,”
says the Marketing major, whose team
was able to line up a popcorn machine
and ice cream truck. And lesson learned.
“Events don’t come together as easily
as you think they will, especially when
it comes to the very end. You don’t
know what can happen.”
On Course
Race day arrived with what threeseason runner Gillick calls “perfect
weather” for putting foot to pavement:
traditional classroom experience with
a hands-on opportunity that could become
a legacy for people to learn from.”
Gillespie seconds the enthusiasm.
“You may think of a 5K as a bunch of
people showing up, running and going
home. But students worked for three
months, right up until the end. And
next year it will be even bigger.”
u Kristen L. Walsh
100 runners
were recruited, including
members of the Bentley
Field Hockey Team.
36
students
took the course
Sport Event
Management.
Class member
Alec MacGillivray ’15
provided live music.
After agreeing on the type
of event and the charity,
the students formed
3 teams:
n Marketing and registration
n Sponsorship and budgeting
n Operations
Race day weather:
72º
and
sunny
Nearly
$900
Professor
William
Gillespie:
“It’s a
practicalapplication
course in
sport event management, but
can apply to any type of event.”
was collected
to benefit the
American
Cancer
Society/
Relay for Life
at Bentley.
9
OBSERVER
SPECIALITIES
SPECIALITIES
Listen
& Learn
What qualifies hunger as an “epidemic”?
It is widespread, it has increased greatly
over the past 35 years, and it affects tens
of millions of people. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported nearly 49
million Americans living in households
struggling against hunger in 2012. Hunger is a social problem because it exists in
the most food-secure, abundant nation in
the history of the world, where policy and
systems of inequality leave the poorest 15
percent of Americans without adequate
means to feed themselves.
Tell us about the first-person accounts
that are part of your research.
I conducted 54 intensive interviews with
people across the demographics of age,
Jonathan White calls hunger in the United States an invisible
epidemic. His research on the subject includes interviews with
54 Americans who battle undernutrition as a result of poverty;
a survey of over 200 college students to assess their awareness
of the issue and their beliefs about those who are hungry; and
an intensive literature review of national and regional data. White
tackles the issue in his forthcoming book, Hungry to Be Heard:
Voices From a Malnourished America.
race and sex. They live in urban, rural
and suburban areas in 18 states across the
country. I learned there’s no single way
that people come to find themselves hungry. Some are born into it; most have an
adult working, often full time but for low
wages; many were middle class and had
been downsized or lost their job. A great
number of the elderly face hunger due to
issues of poverty and access, and children
are the single largest demographic group
of hungry Americans.
My research did find one commonality. Each of the 54 people interviewed
said the worst part about being hungry is
feeling invisible — absent from discourse,
from policies, and from our collective
conscience. This really struck me.
FRANK, 37
10
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”
“
The book creates a three-way “conversation” among the data and facts about
who is hungry, the interviews of people
experiencing hunger, and the college
students surveyed about their knowledge
of the issue. It presents a platform to raise
awareness, to challenge people to think
differently about themselves in relation
to those who are struggling, and to come
together in addressing the issue.
Since hunger exists due to a variety
of policy, wage, nutritional and social
safety net factors, the solutions lie largely
in these areas. In short, we need to create better situations for families: higher
minimum wages, cheaper access to health
care, lower tax rates for the poor and
My survey of more than 200 students in
the Boston area shows that 75 percent are
misinformed about the levels of hunger
in the U.S. There is a major disconnect
between what average Americans think
they know about hunger and the empirical data. For instance, more than 85
percent of those surveyed either agree or
strongly agree that there are less than 5
million hungry Americans, when the actual number is nearly 49 million. The vast
majority of those surveyed indicate that
children account for less than 5 percent of
the total hungry population when, in fact,
they make up about 22 percent.
I’m interested in knowing how such a
wide knowledge gap developed and how
“
First-person interviews inform Jonathan White’s
research on hunger in America.
“
How will your book add to existing literature and bring us closer to solutions?
Other surprises?
VOICES OF EXPERIENCE
Sometimes it gets cold around here and
I just can’t turn the heat up anyhow. If
I get bigger heat bills, that just means
less food the next month and so the
choice just wears on me. Can we make
it through the night and kind of wait out
the cold or should I turn up the heat and
know what that will mean later on down
the line ... that we’ll have to skimp on
food? Killer choice, I’ll tell you, but that’s
just the reality of it all.
this lack of understanding perpetuates the
problems of poverty and hunger in our
nation. In other words, if Americans
knew more about hunger — who is
hungry, how many people are hungry, the
multifaceted and complex reasons for
their hunger, and the deep connections to
poverty and policy — would they demand
action and an end to this social problem?
When it gets real bad, it’s not just me that
has to not eat. I remember once when
we had to kind of rotate which of the
children would get fed which meal. It was
the most agonizing decision I ever had
to make. ... I pray God I never need to do
that again. Imagine choosing which of
your kids to feed right [for] this meal.
JULIE, 29
”
working class, and better funding of
supplemental housing and food assistance
programs. Implementing K-12 curriculum
about the social outcomes of inequality
is crucial for imparting knowledge and
planting the seeds of change.
How does the scholarship fit into your
personal and professional goals?
My research on baseline morality issues
keeps me impassioned, particularly
because of their urgency and the fact
that we’re not stepping up as a nation.
It informs my teaching and the work
I do at the Service–Learning Center.
I made a decision early in my career
to become an applied sociologist, to learn
as much as I can about social issues and
then to bring them to as many people as
I possibly can. Ultimately, we need a force
of people to come together collectively
to put their minds, energies and talents
toward creating solutions. Millennials’
sense of where we are as a nation and
where the world is heading makes me
hopeful. This generation has the power
and skills to correct many injustices,
and I believe they will. u Kristen L. Walsh
talked with Jonathan White for Observer.
“
Hungry people are just like you and
you have to realize that being hungry
doesn’t make you different or bad and
just because someone’s in that situation doesn’t mean you can tease them
or beat them up. ... Just please be nicer
and maybe even try to help sometimes.
DAVID, 11
“
”
Mommy says don’t worry because in
heaven there is plenty of food and lots of
toys and everyone can eat anything they
want. Sometimes I think about heaven. ...
I can’t wait until I die and get to go there.
BRIDGETT, 7
”
An associate professor of sociology
at Bentley, Jonathan White teaches
an Applied Sociology course and directs
the Bentley Service–Learning Center.
His scholarship centers on inequality,
globalization, human rights and civic
engagement. He has founded or helped
develop organizations and campaigns
such as Sports for Hunger, the Hunger
Resource Center, We are Silent, and We
Scare Hunger. He serves on the board
of directors for Free the Children, Peace
Through Youth, and the Graduation
Pledge Alliance.
There’s no one way to describe what
hunger feels like. Sometimes it pokes at
you, like someone’s sticking their finger
in your stomach every few seconds.
Sometimes it hurts like the worst cramp,
like the worst cramp. Sometimes you
don’t even feel it, but you’re just tired or
have a headache or no energy or you’re
cranky. ... Sometimes it’s like there’s
a snake twisting and turning in your
stomach and it just hurts. But it always,
always, is something that changes who
you are and how you go about your day.
LISA, 34
”
11
OBSERVER
FEATURE
FEATURE
Through our own Bentley Service–Learning Center (BSLC),
some 1,200 students a year apply their business smarts
for the greater good. But what happens when service
projects end and professional life begins?
Here, we put the question to a handful of BSLC alumni
who, among other commitments, built computer labs
at Waltham elementary schools, taught English to
non-speakers, and interned with NGOs in Ghana.
LESSON ONE
LIVE YOUR VALUES
CAMILLE FORDE ’09,
MSA ’10
nNortheast
Corporate Responsibility
Leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers
nBS in Corporate Finance and
Accounting; MS in Accountancy
C
12
OBSERVER
COLLEGES
ROUTINELY
SING THE
PRAISES
OF SERVICE–
LEARNING:
The life-changing
impact of joining
academic study
with hands-on work
in community-based
projects.
Sarah Collette
L
C
I
E
V
I
N
O
S
S
S
Contributions to society are often
described as giving back. I like to think
of it as giving forward. During my years
at Bentley, I had opportunities to give
forward through initiatives such as the
English Language Learners program and
local after-school programs. While I had
engaged in civic and community programs
during high school, this was different.
Service–learning is about making a
deliberate choice to integrate work and
community engagement. My career path
mirrors this sentiment. I started my career
in audit, and in 2013 I had the opportunity
to transfer my passion for service and connectivity into a career. Currently, I lead the
corporate responsibility (CR) efforts for
the Northeast market at PwC. I contribute
to the design and implementation of our
CR strategy, connect colleagues to areas
of service that they are passionate about,
and drive participation and awareness of
Earn Your Future, PwC’s five-year commitment to youth education and financial
literacy. Since last July, partners and staff
in the Northeast contributed over 20,000
hours to PwC’s Earn Your Future, through
personal volunteering and firm-sponsored
initiatives.
Much like service–learning, corporate
responsibility is not a stand-alone, checkthe-box initiative. Each of us has the
opportunity to leverage our skills and
live our values every day.
LESSON TWO
FAMILY MATTERS
JAY GARNEAU ’09
nEnvironmental
Scientist –
Air Measurement Systems,
TRC Environmental
nBS in Corporate Finance
and Accounting
Working in Ghana opened up a whole
new spectrum on life for me, and what
it meant to be living.
When I graduated and got back into
the swing of things in the States, the
economy was in the toilet. I tried really
hard to get any respectable job back in
the Boston area. But for some reason,
I never got that job I assumed I would
when I was just finishing school. This
was a really confusing part of my life:
Everything I strived for in college wasn’t
happening. I really felt lost and, at times,
wished I was back in Ghana where things
were more simple.
After four or five months, I realized
I wanted to be around my sisters, both of
whom live in Denver. One thing I learned
from the people I met in Ghana was that
family is really important. They are the
only ones that will be by your side when
you need them — and at that point in life
I needed them. I moved to Denver [about
13
OBSERVER
FEATURE
FEATURE
four years ago] and got a job as an environmental scientist at a group called TRC
Environmental. I work in air measurement systems, primarily at refineries and
power plants. We test smokestack emissions for our clients so they are within
compliance with their various permits.
This job has brought me to many
places I never thought I would see. I have
been all over the United States, testing
all kinds of things. I have even worked
in Sweden on ice-breaking ships that
were getting ready to go up to the Arctic.
The work is hard, but really interesting.
LESSON THREE
APPLY METRICS
MATTHEW
SIMMONDS ’96
President, Simtech Solutions
n
n BS
in Finance and Environmental
Sciences
After graduating, I spent two years
attempting to achieve happiness as a
cube farm dweller in corporate America.
It wasn’t for me, so I hung out my own
shingle and started Simtech Solutions.
Initially we were a traditional tech
company focused on building systems
for banks and leasing institutions. That
changed after several conversations
with one of my best friends, John “Yaz”
Yazwinski (Class of 1996 and fellow
BSLC alumnus). He remarked on the
sheer number of homeless clients showing
up at Father Bill’s Place, a shelter in
Quincy, Mass., where he is the executive
director. Guests were sleeping on cots in
the dining area and the building was
regularly reaching its legal occupancy
limits. The challenge was on. Could
Simtech apply lessons learned from the
world of finance, as well as our existing
technical infrastructure, to help stem
the tide?
After bootstrapping the development
of a data warehouse, we ran the numbers
and found that less than one-third of
shelter guests were consuming half the
14
OBSERVER
shelter resources. Of these, several had
disabling conditions that hindered their
ability to maintain housing. Using real
data to illustrate the high use of shelter
and medical services by these “chronically
homeless” individuals helped demonstrate
the significant return on investment to be
gained from providing them with more
permanent housing. This research helped
clear the way for the federal funding and
local zoning approval needed to redevelop
a 12-unit building near the Quincy
shipyard. In 2005, 12 chronically homeless women received keys to their own
units within the Claremont House.
The community saved an estimated
$60,000 in medical costs alone in just the
first year. This and other housing projects
that followed contributed to a 76 percent
drop in chronic homelessness in Quincy
from 2004 to 2014. Today, our data
management and reporting solutions
are in use by cities such as Boston, San
Francisco and Philadelphia to meet federal
reporting requirements while helping them
more effectively address the issue of homelessness. In addition, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development
has licensed our Point in Time Counting
Tool app. It can be downloaded for free
and is being used to help quantify the
extent of homelessness in the U.S.
Most recently, we were selected to
develop the technical infrastructure to
support the pledge by Mayor Marty
Walsh to end veteran homelessness in
Boston by 2015. The project involves
working with community nonprofits such
as Pine Street Inn to find more than 400
veterans a place to call their own.
Service–learning showed me how
rewarding it can be to help others and
taught me about project management in
the process. My finance courses also
provided critical background, as we
developed the technical framework for a
new approach to ending homelessness in
the United States. The Bentley experience
helped me craft a fulfilling career and
I’m grateful for the opportunities that
have resulted.
LESSON FOUR
LEAD FROM
STRENGTH
JACKY YEN ’13
n Employment
Specialist,
Father Bill’s & MainSpring
n BS in Management and
Nonprofit Organizations
In college, I always told friends that I had
the best job in the world: getting paid to
design, execute and maintain supportive
programs for my local community. My
various roles as a project manager for
BSLC gave me the opportunity to lead
with my business mind, but to act with
my conscience and heart. Upon my
graduation, it was only natural that I
was drawn to and accepted a full-time
position at Father Bill’s & MainSpring.
It is an innovative local nonprofit with
a genuine mission, and a BSLC alumnus
as CEO [John Yazwinski ’96].
Working for Father Bill’s & MainSpring has been just as rewarding as
working for the BSLC. Every day, I get
to utilize my business background to
formulate sustainable solutions for the
homeless of the South Shore area, a
population I am truly passionate about.
In June, I developed a 25-hour life-skills
program for at-risk homeless individuals.
The foundation of my programming was
the curriculum of two very strong BSLC
programs: America Clicks! and the Prism
Project.
To put it simply, I love my work —
the people I work with, and the people
I work for. Although my employer has
changed, I still tell my friends that I have
the best job in the world.
LESSON FIVE
MIND THE GAP
DOMINIC BASILEVAUGHAN ’04
n Founding
Academic Dean,
Achievement First Summit
Middle School
n BS in Computer Information
Systems and Psychology
During my freshman year at Bentley,
I became involved with BSLC through
a friend who was a service–learning
scholarship student, Abbey Flanagan.
We partnered with the assistant principal
at Waltham’s MacArthur Elementary
School, Diane Fisher, to build a computer
lab for students and staff, using computers
that Bentley was phasing out. We staffed
the lab and provided support to teachers
and students who came to use it. Over
the course of my four years at Bentley, we
were able to provide computer labs and
technical support to three other elementary schools. We also started America
Clicks!, a technology-enrichment tutoring
program that paired upper elementary
students with a Bentley service–learning
tutor. Together, these partnerships would
work on enhancing students’ curriculum
projects with technology.
The opportunity to serve in multiple
Waltham public schools was integral to
my decision to pursue a career in education. Upon graduating from Bentley, I
served for two years in Chicago as part
of the Inner-City Teaching Corps, where
I taught sixth grade at St. Pius V school
in the Pilsen neighborhood. I stayed in
Chicago until 2007 and then moved to
Connecticut to teach with Achievement
First (AF), a charter school management
organization whose mission is to provide
all children with the academic and
character skills they will need to graduate
from top colleges, succeed in a competitive
world, and serve as the next generation of
leaders in our communities.
The achievement gap is one of the
major civil rights issues of our time. The
disparity in children’s skills based on
socioeconomic level can be closed with
dedicated people and innovative thinking.
Achievement First and the education reform movement is seeking to do just that.
At AF, I have taught fifth and sixth
grade (and named my advisory class
Bentley College), helped found Achievement First Hartford Academy Middle
School in 2008, and served as academic
dean at both AFHA and Elm City
College Prep Middle School. This fall,
I am working to found another middle
school in Hartford, AF Summit. None
of this would have been possible if I
had not had the opportunity to serve
at MacArthur Elementary through
Bentley’s Service–Learning Center. I am
incredibly grateful that service–learning
opened the door to such a rewarding
career and the chance to work with so
many amazing children and their families,
teachers, and leaders.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
RIGHT: Jay Garneau ’09
(right) recently climbed
Colorado’s tallest mountain
with Jeff Gumaer ’09; Matt
Simmonds ’96 of Simtech
Solutions; a photo from
the June 2014 Bentleysponsored trip to Ghana;
Camille Forde ’09, MSA
’10 helps lead corporate
responsibility initiatives at
PwC; Jacky Yen ’13 with
Father Bill’s & MainSpring
CEO John Yazwinski ’96;
Dominic Basile-Vaughan ’04
at his senior-year induction
into the Falcon Society, with
BSLC stalwarts Franklyn
Salimbene and Jeannette
MacInnes.
15
OBSERVER
ATHLETICS
ATHLETICS
16
OBSERVER
“Our players have to transition from
‘girls volleyball’ in high school to ‘women’s volleyball’ in college,” she explains.
“They need to grow up fast, develop
a thick skin, and really work hard.”
The “get tough” mantra has taken on
special meaning since November 2012.
Hoffman developed a rare form of cancer
known as adrenal cortical carcinoma,
and faced the mental and physical toll
Richard Orr
Hoffman’s two-prong approach has
brought honors that include nine
Northeast-10 Conference regular season
championships, 11 NCAA Division II
tournament berths, and a spot in the
American Volleyball Coaches Association
Hall of Fame. Moreover, Hoffman and
her players form a vibrant extended family.
Her coaching philosophy is embodied
in two words: Get tough.
but we also know how to come together
and support worthy causes.”
Last season, the team enlisted support
from the entire student body. With the
help of the Colleges Against Cancer
organization, they facilitated a collegewide tournament whose winners played
the varsity team in a final game. All
tournament entry fees went to adrenal
cortical cancer research at Dana Farber
and Brigham and Women’s hospitals.
Tator and her fellow captains, Lauren
Colasanti ’15 (left) and Simone Silvera
’15, are planning more large fundraisers
for the coming season.
“We’ve been through a tough year or
two with our team, but supporting this
cause has brought us closer together,”
says Colasanti.
Hoffman is humbled by the support —
and inspired by student athletes’ commitment to giving back. Volunteering,
she says, “exposes them to a new awareness that they may have never experienced otherwise. I think it makes them
cherish the relationships they have with
their friends and family, and appreciate
all that they have going for them.”
u Allyson Manchester [Editor’s Note:
Sandy Hoffman began a medical
leave in late August.]
SportsPix
Richard Orr
Volleyball
head coach
SANDY HOFFMAN
has mastered the
art of tough love.
Since beginning
her Bentley career
in 1982, she has led
the team with a
balance of rigor
and compassion.
that comes with such a diagnosis. Despite
frequent treatments, the coach still
attended most games, practices and
special events with her team.
“When I’m with the team at Bentley,”
she says, “I don’t feel like I’m a cancer
patient.”
Current and former players have stood
tough with their coach and mentor. Kristine
Mickelson ’10 (far right) launched a fundraising drive — Rallying for Sandy — on
the website youcaring.com. After several
months of gathering donations, the alumna
hosted a surprise party and presented
Hoffman with more than $16,000 to
help defray medical expenses.
That first initiative grew into a larger
campaign to raise money for adrenal
cortical carcinoma research. The name,
Dig Lavender, couples the volleyball defensive move with the color that signifies all
forms of rare cancer. The team hosts
games throughout the season where players earn donations for every dig completed.
“Our Dig Lavender events have spread
like wildfire,” says current team captain
Alex Tator ’15 (center). “Many teams in
the Northeast-10 Conference participate.
These events are a perfect example of the
close-knit volleyball community. We can
be extreme opponents at many points,
SportsPix
Get Tough,
Dig Lavender
17
OBSERVER
NEWSMAKERS
SPOTLIGHT
Bentley in the News
3,660
TOTAL NEWS
STORIES FROM
APRIL TO AUGUST
3,962,765,000
The Story
Behind the
Building:
MILLER HALL
total readership
(Figures represent unique visitors per month to news websites.)
USA TODAY
Top 10 Business Schools in the United States
Bentley is the #2 business school in the nation, according to College
Factual. USA Today reported on the new ranking of the top 10 business
schools in the country, highlighting strengths of each school cited.
READERSHIP
26,300,000
NEW YORK TIMES
The CEO Is My Friend. So Back Off.
Bentley accounting professors Jacob M. Rose and Anna M. Rose were
part of a team behind a revealing study on questionable ethical practices
between directors and CEOs. The Times cites the study, “Will Disclosure
of Friendship Ties between Directors and CEOs Yield Perverse Effects?” in
relation to the high-profile management shakeup at American Apparel.
READERSHIP
31,000,000
FORBES
Millennial Women Start Out Ahead,
So What’s Holding Them Back?
President Gloria Larson discusses obstacles for women in the workplace,
including the wage gap, unconscious gender bias, and a lack of mentorship. She also identifies promising areas for improvement. “Women can
be risk takers. [Risk taking] comes from playing sports and opportunities
in the classroom, so it can be built.”
WALL STREET JOURNAL
Why Some MBAs Are Reading Plato
The Bentley MBA course “Thinking about Thinking” is highlighted among
notable business school offerings that encourage students to step back
and consider business in a larger context.
INSIDE HIGHER ED
A False Choice
An opinion piece by President Gloria Larson urges colleges to prepare
students with both the hard and soft skills needed to succeed in the
modern workplace.
READERSHIP
19,198,000
READERSHIP
37,294,000
READERSHIP
1,598,000
Look for the latest news coverage of Bentley at bentley.edu/newsroom/media-coverage.
18
OBSERVER
Since opening in 1979, the building now
known as Miller Hall has been home to
thousands of Bentley students. Beyond
bricks and mortar, the dormitory holds an
important place in school history because
of its namesake: Nathan R. Miller ’54.
The alumnus, who died last year at age 93,
was one of the most successful graduates
from Bentley’s early years and a gentleman
who embodied the values that have long
distinguished the institution.
Nathan Miller grew up in modest
circumstances on Boston’s Beacon Hill.
Like many others of his generation, he
attended evening classes while working full time and raising a family, After
graduating from the Bentley School in
1954, he opened a small accounting
practice — but soon saw the advantages
of investing in real estate. He began
buying rental and commercial properties around the city, concentrating on
his old home of Beacon Hill and nearby
neighborhoods. Property in those areas,
he believed, would become especially
valuable.
Time, of course, proved Miller right. His
business grew steadily, and Nathan R. Miller
Properties would come to include some of
the most prestigious residential and business addresses in Boston. His investments
helped transform the city’s moribund commercial district into a vital and influential
financial center. From the 1950s on, Miller
was one of the most respected and wellknown executives in Boston.
Throughout his life, Miller remembered
the lessons he learned at Bentley and
kept the school close to his heart. His
commitments including serving on the
Board of Trustees from 2005 until his
death, establishing two endowed scholarships, and supporting a variety of initiatives. In recognition of his distinguished
career and generous, steadfast support,
the four-story, 50,000-square-foot Miller
Hall was named for him in 1997.
Perhaps of greatest consequence, his
philanthropy made possible an essential
part of the campus master plan in 2001.
He funded construction of a parking deck
behind Miller Hall, which solved a serious
parking issue and allowed an existing lot
to be transformed into the highly popular
green space located at the heart of campus.
Miller’s accolades include a Distinguished Alumni Award (1996) and an
honorary Doctor of Commercial Science
degree (2000). “Bentley and I started out
the same way, with plans to be the best,”
he said upon receiving the former. “We’ve
both achieved our goals. The education
I received helped me so much more with
my life than I imagined in those early days.
It’s wonderful to be able to help give other
students a similar chance.”
Nathan Miller ’54 and his wife, Lillian, rank among
Bentley’s greatest benefactors.
19
OBSERVER
IN THE LEAD
PAY IT FORWARD THINKING
SITTING DOWN RECENTLY WITH BOB WEAFER ’68, MSF ’81 AND EMILY WILLIAMS ’14
WAS LIKE SPENDING TIME WITH OLD FRIENDS — EVEN THOUGH THE PAIR HAD MET
ONLY ONCE BEFORE, AT BENTLEY’S ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP APPRECIATION LUNCHEON.
Here, the two share their perspectives as donor and recipient of a scholarship established by Weafer’s parents, Robert and Mary. It is
awarded to a Bentley student based on financial need and academic performance, with preference for a junior majoring in Accountancy.
Emily Williams: It means Bentley.
I wouldn’t have been able to continue
attending if not for this scholarship. My
mother is an independent social worker
and my father became unemployed
during my senior year in high school,
as I was about to make my decision
about colleges. I distinctly remember
getting my acceptance letter from Bentley
and my mom saying that it didn’t look
like I’d be able to go without receiving
some help. Then the public colleges didn’t
come through in terms of financial aid
and it ended up being less expensive —
with financial aid and scholarships —
to go to Bentley. It was incredible.
Why Bentley?
EW: When I started looking at colleges,
I thought: Where will I have fun, where
am I going to make friends? But as soon as
my dad got laid off, it was: Where do I
want to start a career?
I knew I wanted to go into accounting,
so I began asking where I would make
connections. It was an “aha” moment,
figuring out that I needed to go to a school
with a lot of alumni in the area who can
provide networking opportunities.
The Weafer Scholarship has helped
me go to Bentley, and I work hard so that
I put it to good use. It’s not just going to
class; I really try to have my hands and
feet in a lot of different activities on
campus.
20
OBSERVER
Are there parallels in your Bentley
experiences even though you attended
at different times?
Bob Weafer: I know Emily has held a lot
of jobs while studying, and I also worked
during school. I became associated with
Bentley when I was 7 years old; my father
was a professor then CFO. I had all sorts
of summer jobs: cleaning out dorms,
washing walls, painting floors. When I got
to Bentley as a student full time, I worked
as a faculty assistant, correcting homework
and exams, and scheduling. I coordinated
Bentley’s move from Boston to Waltham
in 1968.
EW: I’m an office assistant at the
Residential Center, so similarly I’ve worked
on a couple of moves as we shifted
departments to various buildings during
construction. I’m also a tour guide for
Undergraduate Admission and a resident
assistant. I serve on the Campus Activities
Executive Board, and as a member of Beta
Alpha Psi [national honors fraternity].
Bob, why did your family choose to
support Bentley with a need-based
scholarship for accounting majors?
BW: My family has three generations of
Bentley connections: my father, me and my
two sons [Steven ’99 and Michael ’02]. The
institution is near and dear to my heritage.
As Bentley CFO, my dad was always
concerned with the cost of education.
He also loved accounting. It was natural
that he and my mother wanted to establish
something for accounting students with
demonstrated financial need. Once my
parents passed away, my wife, Lisa, and
I decided to continue as stewards of the
scholarship. I’ve already talked to my kids
about keeping it going.
Meeting Emily, I could tell right away
that she also has a true love for accounting,
and she is so appreciative of the scholarship. It was one of those priceless moments
… something that makes you say “OK,
I want to make sure this scholarship
continues.” It’s important to give back
to something that’s meaningful to you.
EW: Absolutely. In my heart, I feel that
everyone has an obligation to give back
in some way. It’s one of the reasons I chose
Ethics and Social Responsibility as my
Liberal Studies concentration. I volunteer
at the Boston Marathon with Beta Alpha
Psi and always try to find ways to pay it
forward. Not every family has two parents
who make high salaries. The fact that I
was able to attend a top business school is
refreshing, given my financial background.
Despite having met only once before
today, you seem to have a special bond.
EW: I think our connection draws from
the fact that his family did an incredible
thing for me and my family. I wanted Bob
and Lisa to know that what they did made
the ultimate difference in my life and
career. Being able to deliver that message
in person is something I will never forget,
and meeting them inspires me to think
about ways that I can someday help
someone in a similar situation.
BW: At the scholarship luncheon, as my
wife and I talked with Emily and her
mother, it was clear how the scholarship
helped. I was so impressed, and I’m still
impressed. Emily works hard, studies
hard, gets involved in activities, and is
learning life’s lessons. She’s going to show
up to work with a practical sense and
not just an academic sense. There’s no
question in my mind that she’s going
to be successful. u Kristen L. Walsh
Taslim Sidi
Emily, what does the Weafer Scholarship
mean to you?
THE
IMPORTANCE OF
SCHOLARSHIPS
AT BENTLEY
As executive director of enrollment
management and financial assistance,
Donna Kendall routinely sees the impact
of endowed scholarships established by
alumni and friends.
“Scholarship awards make a tremendous
difference to the students and families who
receive them,” she says. “Many students
simply would not be able to attend Bentley
without the support these funds provide.”
65%
Percentage
of Bentley students
who receive gift
aid (grants and
scholarships)
75%
Percentage of
students receiving
all types of financial
aid, including
loans and work
study assistance
Amount awarded
from Bentley’s
300 endowed
scholarship funds
$2.6
million
$67.6
million
Total awarded to
Bentley students
Although these numbers are impressive, student need far exceeds the amount produced by
Bentley’s endowed scholarship funds. Other university assets are applied to fill the gap. “For this
reason, and to further our mission of providing access to a high-quality education for talented and
deserving students, raising funds for scholarships is an essential philanthropic priority,” says Bentley
President Gloria Cordes Larson.
To learn more about investing in Bentley students through scholarship support,
contact Maureen Flores, executive director of development, at 781.891.2818 or
mflores@bentley.edu.
Figures reflect the 2013–2014 academic year
21
OBSERVER
IN THE LEAD
IN THE LEAD
ONE PERK OF GRACE ATWOOD’S JOB AT ONLINE
FASHION JEWELRY BOUTIQUE BAUBLEBAR
IS THE DRESS CODE. OR RATHER LACK THEREOF.
“At my first job we had to wear suits three days a week — and I wasn’t making any money, so my suits
weren’t very nice,” she says with a laugh. “I threw out every single suit that I owned when I started here.”
As social media director for BaubleBar, which is based in New York City, the Class of 2003 alumna
is virtually required to follow her fashion instincts. The choice might be a breezy lace dress from Tribeca
fashion house Sea, paired with silver heels and a stack of charm bracelets. Or skinny jeans and a striped
T-shirt, accessorized with a bold necklace.
“You can also always count on Grace to look put together, even when she thinks she looks like a mess
— which is never, by the way,” says Atwood’s colleague Elanah Entin. “I don’t think a day goes by without
someone asking her where she got her shoes, top, bag, etcetera.”
HAUTE IN THE CITY
Atwood’s fun with fashion has serious purpose. The 32-year-old has steadily built her passion for style
and design into a personal brand, centered around the popular blog Stripes & Sequins.
“I started the blog just as my little corner of Internet, where I could be myself and write about things
that inspired me,” she says. Four years later, Stripes & Sequins boasts 300,000 page views every month:
a bonafide business that also got Atwood the day job she loves.
ENGAGING PASSION
A finance major at Bentley, Atwood began her career as a buyer for Filene’s in Boston. After Macy’s bought
the department store chain in 2005, she moved to New York, working in marketing at Procter & Gamble
and in brand management at Coty, the international beauty products company. It was valuable experience. But
her creative side — stoked by a childhood full of dress-up games and craft projects — was underemployed.
“Marketing and brand management sound like they’re really creative,” she says. “But a lot of the time
I was just creating PowerPoints and going through analytics and creating spreadsheets.”
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IN THE LEAD
Here are Atwood’s
tips for those
who are just
getting started >>
ADD PERSONALITY TO A SOBER WARDROBE
WITH ACCESSORIES.
“I love layering two simple necklaces,” Atwood says.
“At BaubleBar we’ll layer statement necklaces, but
for a more conservative office you could combine
a gold chain with a strand of pearls, or stack some
bracelets on your wrist.”
THINK BEYOND
THE DARK SUIT AND
WHITE BLOUSE.
Shift dresses were Atwood’s
go-to choice for a conservative
workplace. “I’d balance them
with fun jewelry,” she says.
“Or I’d pair a silky tank with
a suit.”
INVEST IN A FEW
TOP-QUALITY STAPLES.
Atwood suggests “a great
white button-down, a black
shift dress (get it tailored!),
a navy pencil skirt, a black
blazer that fits you perfectly,
and a navy blue cashmere
V-neck.”
DEVELOP YOUR OWN
SENSE OF STYLE.
“Scour Pinterest,” advises
the social media maven.
“With time you’ll notice
certain things you love,
and you can build your
wardrobe around that.”
Photos of Grace Atwood by Lydia Hudgens;
jewelry photos courtesy of BaubleBar
Like many a new
college graduate,
Grace Atwood once
wore her share of
plain black suits.
BaubleBar offers
her a greater
level of sartorial
expression —
but even women
who work in
buttoned-down
offices can have
fun with fashion.
FASHION STATEMENTS
ON CASUAL FRIDAY,
STEP AWAY FROM
THE KHAKIS.
“Try dark-wash denim,
a great blazer, and a
printed top underneath.
Wear heels to keep the
denim dressy.”
twitter.com/graceatwood
instagram.com/graceatwood
stripesandsequins.com
Stripes & Sequins tapped her imagination and
ingenuity. An illustrated series of do-it-yourself
projects, ranging from jewelry and accessories to
budget-friendly imitations of runway trends, caught
on with readers. Before long, fashion and beauty
brands began to seek Atwood’s endorsement.
“I loved writing about brands and designers
that I thought were cool,” she explains. “I came
across BaubleBar and fell in love. I started wearing
their stuff and talking about it on my site.”
At the time, BaubleBar was a scrappy startup
with a tiny staff. Founders of the now 100-person
company were excited to see Atwood featuring
their jewelry, and emailed their thanks. She replied
with tips for marketing BaubleBar products to
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OBSERVER
other bloggers, and the correspondence soon
led to an invitation.
“We went to drinks and we had a great time,”
Atwood recalls. When they mentioned a job
opening, she was ready to suggest likely candidates. “And they were like, ‘No, we actually think
you’d be great at it.’”
LIFE AT WARP SPEED
In the three years since Atwood joined BaubleBar,
Stripes & Sequins has only grown more popular.
Once a week before work, she hits the streets of
her Manhattan neighborhood with a photographer, modeling her latest fashion finds and how-to
projects for the week’s blog posts. Throughout the
workday, she develops strategies for engaging with
BaubleBar customers on social media platforms
like Pinterest and Instagram, and manages
partnerships with other fashion bloggers, including
a rewards system for those who drive traffic to
BaubleBar’s online store. Evenings find Atwood
on the town — often for something work-related
— followed by a few hours creating blog content
for the next day.
“You can tell she loves what she’s doing,” says
friend Alex Dickerson, whose public relations firm
has worked with Stripes & Sequins. “Grace never
has a night off — she’s always going to an event,
coming up with new content on the weekend. But
you’d never guess that she’s doing it for work.”
In June, the personal and professional converged
in what Atwood calls “one of my proudest
moments.” Her newly launched Stripes & Sequins
collection at BaubleBar features bracelets,
rings and necklaces inspired by her childhood
on Cape Cod and her grandmother’s jewelry box.
If a dream career is the ultimate DIY project,
Atwood has fashioned hers with hard work,
careful relationship building, and savvy selfmarketing.
“It’s important, while you’re building another
brand, to also be working on your own personal
brand,” she says. “I tell everyone to start a blog …
now!” u Amy Crawford u Portait on page 22
by Amy Toensing
25
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IN THE LEAD
IN THE LEAD
Shining Opportunity
To measure the impact of a social enterprise, sometimes all it takes is a suitcase. The item
in question was a piece of missing luggage, which caused momentary panic for Tom D’Eri ’11
and his parents on a recent trip to New York. After looking around, they were dumbstruck
to realize what had happened: D’Eri’s 23-year-old brother, who has autism, had already
claimed the bag. n “Grabbing someone else’s bag and helping with the luggage is something Andrew never would have done before,” says D’Eri, explaining that empathy and
a capacity to think of others’ needs are often lacking in people with autism.
What changed for Andrew?
D’Eri credits months spent working at Rising Tide Car Wash,
a two-year-old business that he co-founded with his father, John.
They created Rising Tide with the express mission of hiring
workers with autism.
“My dad and I had been thinking a lot about what Andrew
was going to be able to do when he gets older,” says D’Eri, who
is company COO. “There’s high unemployment among people
with autism — about 80 to 90 percent. That’s because we as a
society look at autism as a disability that requires sympathy, rather
than a diversity that can be really valuable in the workplace.”
TESTING THE WATERS
The D’Eri team borrows from the sustainability movement
in its approach to social entrepreneurship. That is, Rising Tide
makes the business case for “doing the right thing.”
“We chose this model to show the business community
that by hiring people with autism, you’re getting a much more
engaged employee and an employee that’s going to follow your
processes and procedures to the letter — and like doing that,”
observes D’Eri, who holds a BS in Economics–Finance with
a focus on Sustainability. “It’s an important story to tell when
one in 68 children are diagnosed with autism, and one in five
Americans have a disability.”
Before launching Rising Tide, D’Eri spent about eight
months researching jobs and tasks that people with autism
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OBSERVER
excel at. He also examined commonalities among the few
existing ventures that had leveraged their skill set.
“People with autism are really good with structured tasks
and businesses that incorporate structure into their operating
model,” D’Eri says. Other factors they considered were the
desire to build a business that is consumer facing, scalable, and
focused on a widespread industry.
“A car wash hit a lot of our check boxes,” he says. “It can
employ a lot of people per location, and it can provide an entrylevel job as well as a career trajectory. And it’s really tangible.”
Their focus chosen, the D’Eris partnered with consultants
James Emmett and Chris Simler, who had worked on disability employment programs for companies such as Walgreens.
They also teamed up with a Florida-based car wash equipment
manufacturer to test their concept. In fall 2012, they set up shop
in Parkland, Florida.
“We renovated an existing car wash that was struggling, implemented our system, and haven’t really looked back,” says D’Eri.
PAYCHECKS AND THEN SOME
The co-founders initially hired 35 people with autism. The Rising
Tide work force has quadrupled since then and the company
began turning a profit in October 2013, within seven months of
opening. That success has the D’Eris planning to establish a couple
more car wash locations in south Florida within the next year or so.
“We as a society look at autism as a disability
that requires sympathy, rather than a diversity
that can be really valuable in the workplace.”
CONNECTIONS
IN THE LEAD
Social mission notwithstanding, the business is as bottomline focused as any other.
“If we can really expand and knock the cover off the ball,
we can change the lives of thousands upon thousands of people.”
The alumnus sees the changes every day. He has watched
employees earn their first paycheck, build their first friendships,
get their first driver’s license and, perhaps most important, build
the self-confidence needed to move forward with their lives.
“Some guys who started with us barely spoke or didn’t
seem to have a whole lot of ability to do anything with their
lives,” recounts D’Eri. “Now they’re almost at the point
of being able to be supervisors for the business.”
Some of the changes hit even closer to home.
“Andrew has really become a more independent person,
someone who could potentially function on his own in society,”
D’Eri says. “It has completely changed my family dynamic.
I probably wouldn’t have a relationship with my brother
at all … or close to nothing. It has brought us so much
closer.” u Deblina Chakraborty u Photos by Alissa Dragun
Smiles Go the Distance
Friendship in Season
The Young Alumni Association took advantage of summer
sunshine and warm temperatures in the Boston area. The
group gathered at Fenway Park for three Red Sox games
and at Tia’s on the Waterfront for a Thirsty Thursday social
networking event.
Fueling
Change
Like any co-founder, Tom D’Eri is
a tireless advocate for the company
mission. But his stage is bigger
than most.
The outreach starts close to home,
as Rising Tide invests more in recruiting than a typical car wash would.
“We go to local schools,” says D’Eri,
pictured below with his brother and
parents, John and Donna. “We have
to build relationships with any group
that has a population of people with
autism.”
In recent months, the alumnus and
his father have gone national with their
message about the untapped abilities
of people with autism. Their engagements include:
nA TEDx talk in Coconut Grove, Fla.
nAn appearance on the NBC Nightly
News with Harry Smith
nA feature on the Fox Business
segment Making Money, hosted
by Charles Payne
n A presentation at the Coloradobased entrepreneurial showcase
Unreasonable Launchpad
n A place in Sounding the Alarm, a
documentary produced by science
and advocacy organization Autism
Speaks. It debuted at the Tribeca
Film Festival in April 2014, toured
the country, and now lives on
iTunes and Netflix.
Schooled in Supporting Bentley
In March 2014, the Student Alumni Leadership Council (SALC)
led a campus-wide initiative to educate classmates about giving
to the Annual Fund at Bentley. The program, now in its second
year, prompts students to think about how they benefit from
alumni donors and encourages them to join the ranks. Learn
more at bentley.edu/salc.
The visibility goes way beyond
helping the bottom line at Rising Tide.
D’Eri wants other families to see that a
full life is possible for a loved one with
autism. And for other business owners, he has a call to action: “People
with autism are the best employees
for many positions. Companies ought
to try and leverage this competitive
advantage.”
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CONNECTIONS
CONNECTIONS
MANY HAPPY
RETURNS
Highlights of
Reunion Weekend
May 30 to June 1, 2014
Photos by Wayne Chinnock and Brian Smith
30
OBSERVER
{
MARK
YOUR
CALENDAR
Reunion Weekend for class years
ending in 0 and 5 takes place
June 5 to 7, 2015. SAVE THE DATE! 30
OBSERVER
bentley.edu/reunionweekend
PUT THE YOU IN REUNION WEEKEND
We need your help to plan and promote your 2015 class reunion! Join the
reunion committee and help shape the weekend for friends and classmates.
Contact Maria DiLorenzo at mdilorenzo@bentley.edu or 781.891.2435.
31
OBSERVER
CLASS NOTES
CLASS NOTES
1969
Donald Rowell wed Denise Ann
Moriearty on January 14, 2014, at the
groom’s home in Lebanon, N.H. The couple met through a mutual love of singing
and participation in numerous choral
groups, initially the Lebanon Community
Chorus. They currently perform with
Bel Canto Chamber Singers in Lebanon.
1974
William Freda, Naples, Fla., has joined
the Board of Directors for Hamilton
Insurance Group. The former Deloitte
vice chairman and Bentley trustee will
chair the Audit Committee.
Patrick Spencer is now the school
business administrator for Old
Rochester Regional School District.
Previously, he was business administrator for Salem Academy Charter School.
Charles Dockendorff ’MSF, Plymouth,
Mass., has joined the Board of Directors
for Haemonetics, which manufactures
blood processing technology. He is
executive vice president and chief financial officer of Covidien plc.
1982
Ralph Pisani, Emerald Hills, Calif.,
is the new executive vice president of
field operations for Exabeam, a big
data security analytics company. He
was previously senior vice president
of worldwide sales at Imperva.
Karen (Spinnler) Goersch, Darien,
Conn., joined Ameriprise Financial as a
financial adviser, delivering comprehensive financial planning and investment
planning to clients. Previously she was
a financial adviser with LPL Financial.
1984
1976
In July 2014, directors of American
Realty Capital Properties Inc. appointed
Bruce Frank, Scarsdale, N.Y., to the
company’s Board and Audit Committee.
1977
Joseph Dilorenzo, Humarock, Mass.,
is the new chief strategic officer for
Hotbox Sport Ventures Inc., a fantasy
sports platform.
1978
The Ace Hardware Board of Directors
has elected Jim Ackroyd, Naples, Fla.,
as its new chairman. The alumnus is
chief executive officer at Vision Ace
Hardware, an 11-store chain in southwest Florida. Ackroyd was also elected
to another three-year term as member
director of the Ace Hardware Board of
Directors.
1979
Revolabs has appointed James
Fairweather, Maynard, Mass., to serve
as executive vice president of global
sales. The alumnus has worked in the
high-tech industry for more than 30
years, most recently as vice president of
worldwide channel sales for Vidyo.
1992
1981
Nicole Josephine Cioffi
Sue Gorman, Watertown, Mass., was
named president of the Boston chapter
of Financial Executives International for
the 2014-2015 season. The alumna is
the president and CEO of the New
England School of Acupuncture.
1985
Leslie (Jewett) Hadden MST ’92,
Southborough, Mass., ran in the Boston
Marathon in April 2014. She completed
the Hopkinton-to-Boston course once
before: 30 years ago as a college senior,
running with two Bentley cross country
teammates.
1986
Daniel Sullivan, Dedham, Mass.,
accountant for the Massachusetts
Department of Revenue, has been
chosen a VIP member of the Covington
Who’s Who Executive and Professional
Registry. The selection recognizes his
commitment to excellence in state
government.
1987
Brenda Tillman, Atlanta, Ga., has
released her second book: Listen! Your
Positive Inner Voice. The book is presented in 24 themed sets of affirmations,
meditations and inspirational poetry,
penned to stimulate personal growth
and a peaceful world through
a focus on the positive.
Scott Lemone, Wellesley,
Mass., has joined TriArtisan Capital
Partners LLC, the Merchant Banking
arm of Morgan Joseph TriArtisan LLC.
Kevin Marinelli, Needham, Mass.,
has been elected president of The
Treasurers’ Club of Boston for the 20142015 season. He is employed at FSEnet
as chief financial officer.
Mary (Travers) Beliveau, North
Potomac, Md., is founder and CEO of
Knowledge to Practice, a company that
partners with medical education providers to assist their learners in meeting
new requirements.
Paul Bennett, Kennebunk, Maine,
has affiliated with the Coldwell
Banker Residential Brokerage office in
Kennebunk. The alumnus returns to
the real estate business after a 20-year
absence, during which he built and ran
Bennett’s Store. Most recently, he completed a second term in the Legislature,
representing the district that includes
most of Kennebunk.
Barbara-Jean DeLoria, South Hadley,
Mass., has joined the executive management team of Florence Savings Bank,
a mutually owned savings bank that
serves the Pioneer Valley. Most recently,
the alumna served as senior vice president of commercial and residential lending at United Bank in West Springfield.
1980
Lawrence Kahn ’MST,
Newport, R.I., retired in May 2014
after 40 years as managing director and
president of accounting and business
consulting firm Kahn, Litwin, Renza &
Co. Ltd. The alumnus remains with the
company as chairman emeritus and a
consultant.
1988
The Springfield Boys & Girls Club Board
of Directors has elected Kristina Drzal
Houghton, Longmeadow, Mass., as its
new chairman. Houghton has been an
active member of the board since 2003.
The alumna is a partner and director of
taxation services for Holyoke-based
public accounting firm Meyers Brothers
Kalicka PC.
Kathy (Landers) Keyes has joined
Landers Service Company as partner.
She has nearly 20 years of experience
in complex business investigations.
Her background includes a decade as a
reporter in the newspaper industry.
Cheryl Tully Stoll ’MBA, Framingham,
Mass., was elected to the town’s Board
of Selectmen in April 2014. She is
managing partner at Link Marketing
Services LLC.
1989
Lawrence Bourget, Raleigh, N.C., has
joined Mutual of Omaha as retirement
plans regional sales manager for the
mid-Atlantic region. The alumnus has
worked in the financial services industry
for more than two decades.
Edward McNeil, Stoughton, Mass., was
appointed to the Massachusetts Society
of CPAs Board of Directors for the 20142015 term, effective May 1, 2014. He is
employed at CohnReznick, formerly
Ercolini & Company.
1991
Caliber Imaging & Diagnostics,
formerly Lucid Inc., has tapped
Richard Christopher, Andover, Mass.,
to be chief financial officer. The alumnus
spent eight years as CFO for DUSA
Pharmaceuticals Inc. until its sale to
Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Limited
in 2012.
Adam Zupkoff, Windermere, Fla., was
named the 2014 InVEST Teacher of
the Year. The program is a key driver
to attract new talent to the insurance
industry. The alumnus teaches at Dr.
Phillips High School in Orlando.
1993
Marcelo Claure, Miami Beach, Fla.,
has been named president and CEO
of Sprint. The alumnus is the founder
of the telecommunications company
Brightstar.
1994
BlumShapiro, the accounting, tax and
business consulting firm, has added
Christopher Della Valle MST ’95,
Walpole, Mass., to its tax practice. The
alumnus arrives with more than 18 years
of tax experience.
1995
On March 6, 2014, Michael
Cioffi and his wife, Kristy, Fairfield,
Conn., said hello to daughter Nicole
Josephine.
Pierce Atwood has hired Leisa DuPuy,
Scarborough, Maine, as director of
finance. Her previous post was finance
manager at Stantec Consulting.
Alison Curtin Howlett has joined The
General Store Productions in Sydney,
Australia, as executive producer.
Robert (Bud) LaRosa ’MBA, Salem,
Mass., recently earned the title Certified
Construction Industry Financial
Professional (CCIFP) from the Institute
of Certified Construction Industry
Financial Professionals. The alumnus
is further certified as a Construction
Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS).
Sheila (Davoren) McDonnell ’MBA,
Melrose, Mass., has joined the association management company Virtual as
business development program manager.
The alumna was previously account
executive at Document Technologies
Inc., an authorized Xerox sales agency.
Robert McNeil, Denver, Colo., was
promoted to account executive for
StorageTek at Oracle in October 2013.
Sprint
Comes Calling
Yoshika Nayak Sherring ’MBA,
Westwood, Mass., has been appointed
associate director, HCP Marketing, at
Alkermes. Previously, she worked at
other biotech companies, including
Biogen Idec, Phase Forward and
Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals.
1997
Timex Group has tapped Colin
Arsenault, Fairfield, Conn., as chief
financial officer. His previous role in the
company was vice president, financial
planning and analysis.
Ruben Klein ’MSA, Chestnut Hill, Mass.,
has joined Comark, a computer and display solutions company, as chief financial officer. His last post was CFO for
United Pipe & Steel.
Anthony Langelier married Victoria
Corder on April 26, 2014, at the Dixon
Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, Tenn.
Other Falcons on hand to celebrate
included Darnell Canada ’93, Tom
Gagnon ’97 and Scott Frerichs ’97,
MBA ’98.
Rodman & Rodman PC, an independent
accounting and tax firm, has promoted
Robert Leonard, Pembroke, Mass., to
audit director. He joined the firm in 2005
and previously served as audit manager.
Michael Snyder MBA ’02 and
wife Nikki (Parness) MBA ‘06,
Cumberland, R.I., welcomed a baby
girl, Grace Rebecca, on March 2, 2014.
She joins big sister Abigail, age 3. In
May 2013, Michael was promoted to
chief compliance officer for Beaumont
Financial Partners LLC.
The National Association of Black
Journalists (NABJ) has selected
Tiffany Warren, Bronx, N.Y., to receive
the association’s 2014 Pat Tobin Award.
The honor goes to a media owner or professional in public relations, advertising
or marketing who serves as a trailblazer
in the industry, affecting the positive
representation of African Americans in
the media. Warren is senior vice president and chief diversity officer for
Omnicom Group.
1998
Elaine Dickson ’MBA, Attleboro, Mass.,
was named to the Moses Brown School
Board of Trustees last fall. The alumna
presented a solo exhibition at the Krause
Gallery in Providence, R.I., in May 2014;
the macro photography show was titled
Reflections from my Garden.
Amy (Giller) Sullivan, Swampscott,
Mass., has been appointed vice president, corporate development and public
affairs, for Keryx Biopharmaceuticals.
She is responsible for strategic planning,
corporate reputation management, corporate communications, investor relations, government affairs and employee
communications.
Marcelo Claure ’93 took the reigns as president and CEO of Sprint in August 2014.
He has served on the company’s Board of Directors since January 2014. Prior to this,
Claure was CEO of Brightstar, which he founded in 1997 and grew from a small
Miami-based distributor into a global business with more than $10 billion in gross
revenue for the year ended 2013.
In 2013, Forbes magazine listed Brightstar as the 55th largest privately held company
in the United States. Brightstar was also recognized as the country’s largest Hispanicowned business from 2007 through 2009 and again from 2011 through 2013. As of
August 2014, it had a local presence in more than 50 countries on six continents and
delivered its products and services to more than 90,000 customers in over 125 countries.
Claure is a member of The Wall Street Journal CEO Council, a trustee at Florida
International University, and vice chairman of the Advisory Board for Mobile World
Capital Barcelona. He holds a BS in Economics–Finance and an honorary Doctor of
Commercial Science degree from Bentley.
In February 2014, together with David Beckham and Simon Fuller, Claure became
a principal partner in Miami Beckham United, a venture to establish a Major League
Soccer franchise in Miami. He also serves on the Fédération Internationale de Football
Association (FIFA) Committee for Fair Play and Social Responsibility.
Karen (Spinnler) Goersch ’82
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CLASS NOTES
CLASS NOTES
Brielle (DeCelestino) DelVecchio and
husband Ryan ’02, MBA ’11, Beverly,
Mass., greeted son Andrew Joseph on
April 14, 2014. The family also includes
daughter Riley Leona, age 3.
Pamela (Gentile) MBA ’11 and Bill
Larrabee MBA ’05, Littleton, Mass., are
the proud parents of a baby boy, William
D. Larrabee III, born on August 5, 2013.
Rachel (Brown) Sanborn ’04 (right) with U.S. Secretary of Commerce
Penny Pritzker
1999
Fred Brewer, Damariscotta, Maine, has
been hired as a senior accountant by
Perry, Fitts, Boulette and Fitton CPAs. A
member of the AICPA and Maine Society
of CPAs, the alumnus was previously
employed with William Brewer, CPA.
2000
Erin Kelley wed Keith
Bonsang on July 27, 2013, in
Scarborough, Maine. The couple
celebrated with fellow alumni Heather
(Daley) Wagner ’00, Alison Ferraro
Weafer ’00 and Steve Weafer ’99.
The bride recently started a new job as
director of digital marketing at Hasbro.
2001
Janna (Letourneau) Donohue and
husband Ryan ‘02, Charlestown, Mass.,
welcomed son Owen Conrad to the
world on May 22, 2014. Big brother
Liam, 2, rounds out the family.
Sarah Hascall married Donald Miller on
August 25, 2012, in Jackson, N.H. The
couple has welcomed a new addition to
their family, son Donald, born on June 5,
2013.
Northwestern University has tapped
Erin Varga, Clinton, Conn., as its new
director of development.
Michael Toulopoulos and Alana
Krafchin ’03 were married on June 7,
2014, in North Truro, Mass. The couple
celebrated with many fellow alumni,
including groomsmen Jeremy Krafchin
’03 and Shant Banosian ’02. The newlyweds are living in Boston.
Vince Bakshani ’MSIAM, Marietta, Ga.,
has joined Proposal Software Inc. as
managing director, global sales. He was
founder and CEO of Manager Insights,
acquired by the company in 2014. The
SearchBook™ product that Manager
Insights created uses sophisticated
algorithms that imitate the behavior
of investment analysts to explain key
findings and trends in plain English. The
resulting summaries aim to be indistinguishable from those written by people.
Ryan DelVecchio MBA ’11 and wife
Brielle (DeCelestino)’04, Beverly, Mass.,
welcomed their second child to the
world on April 14, 2014. Andrew Joseph
joins 3-year-old sister Riley Leona.
2003
Alana Krafchin wed Michael
Toulopoulos ’02 on June 7, 2014, in North
Truro, Mass. Alumni on the guest list
included groomsmen Jeremy Krafchin
’03 and Shant Banosian ’02. The couple
reside in Boston.
2004
2002
Ryan Donohue and wife Janna
(Letourneau) ’01, Charlestown, Mass.,
are proud parents of a second son,
Owen Conrad. The new arrival joined
brother Liam, age 2, on May 22, 2014.
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Ryan Brown and his wife, Jennifer,
Avon, Conn., greeted son Logan Michael
on July 15, 2014. He joins Matthew, age 3.
Abigail Carrigan and Jarrod Medeiros
said “I do” during a March 1, 2014, ceremony in East Bridgewater, Mass. The
couple make their home in Weymouth.
Jordan Leonard married James
Donnelly on January 2, 2014, in St. Regis
Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii. The alumna
joined Camping World as search engine
marketing manager in December 2013.
The couple reside in Tampa, Fla.
Sara (Dillon) Lopofsky, Boston, Mass.,
said hello to baby boy Benjamin Sam on
March 7, 2014.
Rachel (Brown) Sanborn, Chandler,
Ariz., moved across the country to help
run the Scottsdale office of LearnVest,
a tech startup attempting to make
unbiased personal financial planning
available to the masses. In April 2014,
she met with U.S. Secretary of
Commerce Penny Pritzker to discuss
the need to incorporate financial literacy
into secondary education.
Deidre Tortorich and husband Rodney,
Littleton, Mass., welcomed a son, Ryan
Michael, on March 25, 2013.
2005
Doug D’Agata ’MSF stepped
up to a new challenge as president and
chief executive officer with National
Protective Systems Inc. Most recently,
he spent eight years at Dutchess Capital
Management as managing director.
Gelato Fiasco, the brainchild of
Josh Davis, Bath, Maine, and Bruno
Tropeano, Rome, Maine, has expanded
to package and sell 24 gelato flavors outside their home state. They started the
Brunswick-based company in 2007.
Bryan Goodwin, Boston, Mass., has
joined the executive team at Drizly, a
Boston-based alcohol delivery startup.
He serves as vice president of sales and
retail partners.
Christopher Lanen, Cranston, R.I., was
named among “40 under 40” honorees
for 2014 by Providence Business News.
The alumnus is a manager, government
relations and campaigns, for Raytheon.
Erik Olsson MBA ’09 and Melissa Rae
MBA ’09 said “I do” on February 15,
2014, at the State Room in Boston,
Mass. Joining them to celebrate were
Drew King ’05, Eric Golden ’05,
Joseph Magner ’05, Stephen Pecoraro
’03, and father-of-the-groom David
Olsson MBA ’82.
Stephen Ramey, New York, N.Y., joined
Navigant Consulting as associate director. He previously worked for Deloitte
and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
2006
Rathana Bun and Dante Cunningham
said “I do” on June 22 at the Fairmont
Battery Wharf in Boston. Members of
the party included best man Roy
Brathwaite ’06 and groomsmen Khalid
Lawrence ’06 and Serge Pierre-Louis
’06. The couple live in Chicago, Ill.
Katie Carey, East Hartford, Conn., has
opened Carey Law LLC, specializing in
real estate law. The alumna is licensed
to practice in Connecticut and
Massachusetts.
Sarah Lee-Mulligan ’09 and Tommy Mulligan ’09
Lekisha (Benjamin) Limage ’07 and husband Emmanuel,
whose August 2013 wedding was noted in the spring/summer issue.
Chris DeRosa, Medford, Mass., has
joined accounting and consulting firm
Baker Newman Noyes as a manager
in the tax practice in Manchester, N.H.
His experience includes five years at a
Big Four firm and almost two years
in private industry, as a state and local
and corporate tax manager.
Brent Jaciow ’06 and Samantha
Naleski ’09 were married on September
14, 2013, at Chateau de la Couronne in
Marthon, France. Fellow alumni including
Aqeel Siddiqui ’09, Yann Rousset ’06,
Barrett Brown ’06 and Richard Gibble
MSF ’03, MBA ’05 joined the couple.
Another celebration was held at the
Springfield (Mass.) Museums in October
2013 for extended family and friends,
including many more alumni. The pair
honeymooned in Bali and reside in
Zurich, Switzerland.
Ashley Brooks ’08, MSA ’10 and Gerardo Antonio Pujols
Melissa Rae MBA ’09 and Erik Olsson ’05, MBA ’09
Nikki (Parness) Snyder ’MBA and husband Michael ’97, MBA ‘02, Cumberland,
R.I., welcomed a baby girl, Grace
Rebecca, on March 2, 2014. She joins
big sister Abigail, age 3.
2007
Meghan Burtt MSFP ’11, Bridgeport,
Conn., joined Stone Point Capital as
head of tax. Her most recent post was
with The Blackstone Group.
Matthew Colella and Lisa Promise ’09
were married on September 20, 2014,
in Tuscany, Italy. Meghan (Bernier)
Walch ’09, Ian Walch ’09 and Danielle
Millerick ’09 were there to witness the
special day.
Erin Kelley ’00 and Keith Bonsang
Brothers on the Course . . . Members of the Kappa Pi Alpha fraternity
gathered in April 2014 for their annual golf trip in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Players
were (from left) Howard Cohen ’75; Dennis Bunt ’76; Paul Parshley ’78;
Michael Duffy ’79; James Eastman ’76; Robert Rice ’77, MST ’87;
Doug Emmons ’76; and Jeff Tardif ’78.
35
OBSERVER
CLASS NOTES
Joanna (Leach) Larson and husband
Steven, Charlotte, N.C., said hello to son
Adam on July 1, 2014. Big brother Carter,
2, helped welcome him home.
Jin Hong Minn, Irvine, Calif., married
Seung Hee Choi in Seoul, South Korea,
in 2007. The alumnus has been promoted to manager at KPMG.
Keith Roux, Quincy, Mass., earned
an MBA at the Kellogg School of
Management, Northwestern University,
in June 2014. He is employed as vice
president for Century Capital Partners.
2008
Ashley Brooks MSA ’10 married
Gerardo Antonio Pujols on April 25,
2014, in Samana, Dominican Republic.
The bride’s Bentley roommate, Jennifer
F. Smith ’08, was on hand to toast the
newlyweds. The couple reside in
Santo Domingo.
This fall, Katie Casey MSA ’09 and Sal
Falzone MSA ’09 finished a two-year
rotation in Zurich, Switzerland, for their
respective employers, PwC and KPMG.
They return to the companies’ Boston
offices as assurance managers. The
couple were engaged on their travels
in Santorini, Greece, and plan to marry
in summer 2015.
Corey McFadden MSA ’09 and
Brandon Millette tied the knot on June
7, 2014, in New Rochelle, N.Y. Standing
up for the couple were best man
Brian Millette ’08; groomsmen Tim
DeMichiel ’08 and Aaron McFadden ’11;
and bridesmaids Syreeta Williams ’08,
MSA ’09 and Breanna Millette ’13. The
couple make their home in Charlotte, N.C.
Rohan Mehta and Amanda Hartnett
tied the knot on March 22, 2014, in Palm
Coast, Fla. Joining them to celebrate
were groomsmen Brad Giglio ’08,
Justin Nihon ’08, Trey Spruce ’08
and Tom Clifford ’07. The groom
became a certified financial planner at
Fidelity Investments and, in February
2014, joined the family-run financial
planning practice Ameriprise.
2009
Justine (Eversman) Beauregard,
Hudson, N.H., published her first book,
To the Women Who Want It All, in May
2014.
Experience
France
TRAVEL WITH
BENTLEY ALUMNI
May 15 to 24, 2015
Megan (Fairbank) and husband
Michael Credit MST ’11, Lutherville
Timonium, Md., are the proud parents of
baby girl Emily Marie, born April 16,
2014.
Maria Guerrero, Hyde Park, Mass.,
is now a consultant with Corporate
Finance Group Inc (CFGI). Her previous
employer was PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Sarah Lee-Mulligan and Tommy
Mulligan, Andover, Mass., completed
America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride, a
72-mile trek around Lake Tahoe, with
Deloitte’s Team in Training. The couple
raised more than $5,000 to support the
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Samantha Naleski and Brent Jaciow
’06 were married on September 14,
2013, at Chateau de la Couronne in
Marthon, France. Guests included Aqeel
Siddiqui ’09, Yann Rousset ’06, Richard
Gibble MSF ’03, MBA ’05 and Barrett
Brown ’06. In October 2013, the couple
welcomed extended family and friends
at a second celebration, held at the
Springfield (Mass.) Museums. After a
honeymoon in Bali, the pair are making
their home in Zurich, Switzerland.
In April 2014, Reena Patel, Andover,
Mass., facilitated a guest lecturer for a
Bentley philosophy course taught by
adjunct assistant professor Nicholas
Rofougaran. She accompanied Swami
Sarveshananda from Chinmaya Mission,
Dallas, to the class, and then hosted a
talk with the South Asian Students
Association.
Lisa Promise and Matthew Colella ’07
were married in Tuscany, Italy, on
September 20, 2014. Meghan (Bernier)
Walch ’09, Ian Walch ’09 and Danielle
Millerick ’09 were there to mark the
special day.
Melissa Rae ’MBA and Erik Olsson
’05, MBA ’09 said “I do” on February 15,
2014, at the State Room in Boston, Mass.
Joining them to celebrate were Drew King
’05, Eric Golden ’05, Joseph Magner ’05,
Stephen Pecoraro ’03, and father-of-thegroom David Olsson MBA ’82.
OBSERVER
The venture capital firm CMEA Capital
has tapped Drew Wilson, San Francisco,
Calif., to join its finance team, leading
portfolio valuation efforts. The alumnus
was previously employed by GSV Asset
Management.
Joacim Borg, Jupiter, Fla., completed a
North Pole expedition in April 2014. The
alumnus flew to the Arctic ice cap and
skied the last degree, from 89 degrees
to 90 degrees, to the geographic North
Pole. The expedition took place over five
days, traveling approximately 70 miles in
temperatures varying between minus 20
and 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Borg has
since returned to his position with Index
International Group.
Armen Chakmakjian ’MBA, Arlington,
Mass., accepted a position as senior
director, engineering, at Kronos Inc. in
June 2014. He was previously employed
at Constant Contact.
2010
2013
Ashley Saia MST ’11, Oxford, Ohio, has
been promoted to assistant coach of the
Redhawks women’s basketball team at
Miami University in Ohio. She spent the
2013-2014 season as the team’s director
of basketball operations.
CLASS NOTABLE
Caitlyn Colombi, Boston,
Mass., has joined DigitasLBi as a search
marketing analyst. She was previously
employed with Experian Data Quality.
2011
Doniella Mckoy, Garrison, N.Y., has
pledged to perform 10 months of service
through the AmeriCorps National
Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).
She is part of a team serving with the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA), assisting with emergency
Join faculty members Jane Tchaïcha and Mark Davis
DRAFT
as they accompany a group of Bentley alumni on a
special 10-day trip to France. Both professors are
excited to share their extensive knowledge of French
history and culture, and show you two of their favorite
locales: Normandy and Paris. The trip to Normandy
includes a visit to the D-Day landing beaches, Monet’s
home in Giverny, and the breathtaking Mont St. Michel.
In Paris, you will have the opportunity to experience the
Eiffel Tower, Museum D’Orsay and the Chateau at Versailles,
while also exploring the City of Light on your own.
To learn more about this one-of-a-kind journey,
including details about pricing, a complete itinerary and
how to register, visit bentley.edu/alumnitravel.
Reserve your seat today!
Register at
bentley.edu/alumnitravel
36
management and long-term recovery
activities. Mckoy is assistant leader of
her FEMA Corps Coast 1 team as well as
a Life After AmeriCorps representative.
Her term of service runs through
November 2014.
Peter Ambery, Brighton, Mass., is
employed by global consulting firm
Protiviti, as a consultant.
2014
Anne Citarelli, Amherst, N.H., has
joined Sapient Global Markets as user
experience design associate.
Robert Drouin ’MBA, Exeter, N.H.,
has been promoted to senior business
systems analyst for Liberty Mutual.
Emily Locke, Tewksbury, Mass.,
has accepted a position with EMC
Corporation as financial training
program associate.
Michael Morreale ’MBA, Winchester,
Mass., has joined Global Atlantic
Financial Group as senior analyst.
Accenture has welcomed Chris
Orihuela, Boston, Mass., to its team
as a strategy analyst.
Heather Reiss ’MSHFID, Barrington,
N.H., has been promoted to senior user
experience analyst with Liberty Mutual.
Kayla Stone, Boston, Mass., has
accepted a project coordinator
position with Verndale, an “experience
technology” company.
Eduardo Villarreal Holguera ’MBA,
Bentonville, Ark., has joined Walmart
International as international academy
management trainee.
DESIGNING A DESTINY
The Pinterest boards of Fernando
Rodriguez ’88 are a splendid illustration
of his design aesthetic: luxurious
handpainted wallpapers, classic Edith
Head sketches, cerulean Caribbean
landscapes, and the sophisticated hair
stylings of Justin Timberlake.
“Some people read at night before going
to bed, but I look at beautiful images and
get inspired,” says Rodriguez, laughing.
“It’s a great way to release creativity.”
His life these days is all about creating,
both a home and a business with his
partner, Aaron Stewart. Their 3,200square-foot boutique and design shop —
Aaron Stewart Home — opened last fall
in Rodriguez’s native Puerto Rico.
With inventory that spans $20 frames
to $5,000 rugs, the store quickly drew
a devoted, diverse clientele. Even Conde
Nast Traveler has taken notice.
Though no stranger to retail (“I grew
up going from school to my family’s
shoe store and doing homework in
the back room”), Rodriguez took a
circuitous route to his current venture.
The former Marketing major spent
his 20s and 30s in fundraising at the
Boston Ballet and then in sales for
Colgate Palmolive and GlaxoSmithKline.
A six-figure income could not quell his
doubts. “I turned 40 and realized, this
is not my passion.”
So he began hunting for a job in fashion. He landed at Tory Burch in the mid2000s. The frenetic pace of work at the
up-and-coming design house prompted
another career leap: fashion director of
lifestyle publisher Modern Luxury.
“This was finally a job that married
sales and fashion,” says Rodriguez.
“I was in my groove … and then we
moved to Puerto Rico.”
The decision to leave Manhattan
spoke to a desire for more fulfillment in
the life he shares with Stewart. In setting
up shop in Old San Juan, they were
buoyed by Stewart’s reputation, built
during years as vice president of home
design for Martha Stewart Living
Omnimedia (no relation). Their
first major success: a design contract
for Bahia Plaza luxury residences in
Paseo Caribe.
Rodriguez is keen to help others find
inspiration — and not only in home
decorating. “You don’t have to be a onetrick pony, working in the same industry
all your life. You can reinvent yourself
as long as you’re determined and believe
in yourself.” u Jennifer Spira
Alberto Perez
Paul Doncaster ’MSHFID, South
Weymouth, Mass., published the book
The UX Five-Second Rules in April 2014.
The book explores the rapid UX testing
method, the five-second test (also
known as the “timeout” or “exposure”
test). The alumnus is the manager of
user experience at Thomson Reuters.
CLASS NOTES
37
OBSERVER
CLASS NOTES
CLASS NOTES
Stay UP-TO-DATE with Bentley
ON-THE-GO through our
redesigned monthly e-newsletter.
n Personalized for
n New responsive
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design makes
it easier to read on your phone,
desktop or tablet
Sal Falzone ’08, MSA ’09 and Katie Casey ’08, MSA ’09
Corey McFadden ’08, MSA ’09 and
Brandon Millette ’08
Rathana Bun ’06 and Dante Cunningham ’06
Samantha Naleski ’09 and Brent Jaclow ’06
n More
convenient access to
the latest news, events, career
information and more
Do you
receive
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Brief each
month?
Update
your email
address at
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classnotes.
JOIN FELLOW
PARENTS
AND FAMILIES
on October 24 to 26 for a
weekend filled with fall activities.
Cheer on Falcon football,
experience the classroom,
and spend a few great days
with your Bentley student.
Visit bentley.edu/families
to learn more and register.
Michael Toulopoulos ’02 and Alana Krafchin ’03
38
OBSERVER
39
OBSERVER
SECTION
CLASS NOTES
Your
Plans.
Bentley’s
Future.
in memoriam
1933
John J. Urann
1936
John F. Callahan
J. Burgess deHeus
1939
Morley B. Robinson
1940
Harold Hoffman
1941
John K. Skelton
1942
Charles L. Nichols Sr.
1946
Newell W. Penniman Jr.
Harold A. Reed
Harold J. Thompson
1949
Harvey Gershlak
Harold J. Greene
Richard T. Healy
John F. Houlihan
Henri Tatro Jr.
Norman Weiner
1950
Carroll V. Arnold
Roland J. Hotte Jr.
Harry P. Kilman
Veronica O. Meharg
Norman A. Newhall
1951
Elmer E. Barth
Oliver L. Cantin
Philip Dodge Jr.
Richard J. Foley
Clifford J. Hughes Jr.
1952
Allen F. Whitney Jr.
1947
Mary Jane (Grieco) Bruzek 1954
George L. Pollak
1948
Courtney L. Allen
1957
Thomas K. Baer
Norman LeBlanc
Louise P. Bulkeley
Philip G. Nelson
Joseph A. Connolly
Paul F. Peterson
J. Ronald Daigle
Barbara Noack
1958
Ronald W. Smith
1959
Patricia M. Freaney
1960
Arthur P. Adams
Joseph T. Parent Jr.
1961
Francis H. Perry
Julio A. Secchiaroli
Franklin Wise
1962
Esther E. Morris
1963
James E. Burtner
1964
Edward H. Blair
1966
Neil F. Cadigan III
1967
Irene A. Grzybinska
1968
Howard W. Evans
1970
Richard F. Burke
Edward J. Nielsen
Lawrence Weinberg
1973
Richard L. Austin
1976
Daniel F. Horan
Robert D. Williams
1977
John H. Byrnes ’MST
John Rice
1978
Charles Mihalaros
Edwin M. Palmgren MSF ‘81
1980
Timothy L. Baldwin
1983
Maria (D’Avolio) Hallam
1985
John L. Malo
1986
David M. Cooper
1994
Philip Broyhill
Ruth Burnham ’55
(1922 to 2012)
1995
Richard R. Leone Jr.
1998
Deborah C. Cole
2006
Philip Buswell
Friends of Bentley
Gul Butaney, Former
Professor, Marketing
Department
John K. Greeley, Former
Security Officer
Edward M. Kaplan, Former
Professor, Computer
Information Systems
Department
Arthur Kennedy, Former
Professor, History
Department
Hans Thamhain, Professor,
Management Department
Dreams and Determination
Anyone who knew Ruth Burnham knew first and foremost of her determination.
After graduating from Danvers (Mass.) High School in 1940, Ruth took a job in
a local factory but set her sights on a career in accountancy. When a supervisor
dismissed her dream as unattainable, she set out to prove him wrong by enrolling
at Bentley, and completing her certificate in accountancy in 1955. Her Bentley
education opened doors at Hale and Dorr, the Robert Douglas CPA firm, and
Varian Associates, where she served as a supervisor before retiring in 1983.
One of Ruth’s most important Bentley associations came through the Boston
chapter of the American Society of Women Accountants (now the Accounting &
Financial Women’s Alliance). Ruth was a founder of the group and served as its
president in the early 1960s, enjoying lifelong friendships with fellow members
(most of whom were also Bentley alumnae). In 1991 she moved to Eastham,
Mass., where she maintained close ties with a number of those friends. She
also dedicated her time to volunteering for the Audubon Society’s South Wellfleet
Wildlife Sanctuary and the Eastham Neighborhood Watch, and to pursuing her
lifelong passion as a singer in church choirs.
Ruth was also a cat lover, an intrepid traveler, an accomplished baker — and a
dedicated Bentley alumna. Understanding that the best way to influence the
future is by helping to shape it, she was determined that ensuring the educational dreams of tomorrow’s Bentley students would be her legacy. Upon her
death in 2012, the university was honored to receive a generous gift from Ruth’s
estate. It was placed in the general endowment, providing financial resources
in perpetuity for Bentley students and those who teach and support them.
To learn more about creating your own lasting legacy at Bentley,
please contact Director of Gift Planning Liz Siladi (781.891.2475
or esiladi@bentley.edu) or visit bentley.edu/giftplanning.
40
OBSERVER
Ruth was
determined
that ensuring
the educational
dreams of
tomorrow’s
Bentley students
would be
her legacy.
Brian Smith
175 Forest Street
Waltham, MA 02452 USA
My (Giving) Back Story Gary Morton ’94, MBA ’12 • Project Manager — Operations & Analytics
Finance, Liberty Mutual Insurance • Roslindale, Massachusetts
You are a long-time volunteer for Bentley’s Multicultural Center. What motivated
you to get involved?
I have always been an advocate of finding ways to “pay it forward” whenever possible. Prior to and during my
time at Bentley, I received mentoring and solid coaching that had a profound influence on me, both personally
and professionally. Now, as an alumnus, I am happy to offer guidance to today’s students via the Multicultural Center.
Is there a common piece of advice you find yourself offering to students?
I often emphasize the “four B’s.” That is, always seek to build your brain, build your personal board of directors,
build your brand, and build your balance. The actions are not mutually exclusive, and personally I’ve found this
advice very helpful over the years.
You also serve as a judge at the annual Bentley Business Bowl — a one-day
business case competition open to all registered students. What brings you back?
The opportunity to coach and advise current students. Also, it’s a great opportunity to identify top talent for
my company, Liberty Mutual.
How does volunteering at Bentley impact your life?
It reinforces the importance of giving back. Whenever I have the opportunity to speak with students, I am
instantly reminded how significant that type of interaction can be to a young person’s professional development
and future career success.