Class Notes

Janice Kennedy ’67 works at an after-school care, Kids Ahead, in Greensboro, NC. 

Daniel Makosky ’68 is enjoying his 15th year of retirement along with all of his grandchildren.

Frank Dwyer ’68 retired in 2019 after a 20-year career as an Advanced Placement government teacher at Brooklyn Technical High School (NY). Today he volunteers at the Floral Park Public Library in New York and does community outreach work in Brooklyn. 

Thomas Truelson ’70 has dedicated his life to the prevention of suicide, writing newspaper opinion pieces and essays on suicide prevention, loss, and grief. He also has a blog on the topic, For the Heart Cries, read by thousands.

Charles “Kim” Frasch ’71 retired from business process consulting in 2014. He now plays guitar and sings in senior communities in east Tennessee. When John Welter ’71 visits, the pair plays at rehabilitation, independent-living, assisted-living, and memory-impaired care communities.

Jeff McCarthy ’71 is serving on the Saint Leo University Alumni Association Board for the second year and is enjoying life with his family and six grandchildren. He splits his time between living in Long Island, NY, and Sarasota, FL.

Richard Ammiano ’73 has retired from St. Patrick Catholic School and Church in Jacksonville, FL, after 48 years. He is enjoying life in Yulee, FL.

Bob Veith ’78 is celebrating his third wedding anniversary to wife, Lynn Stewart, and 45 years as an insurance, investment, and employee benefit specialist with The Frieden Agency in Virginia Beach, VA. He has been a life- and qualifying-member of the insurance industry’s Million Dollar Round Table and Court of the Table for 44 years and a board member of the Tidewater District of the Associated General Contractors of Virginia for 20 years. Veith also serves as the chairman of the PowerBoating For A Cure Charity Poker Run, raising more than $425,000 for breast cancer research.

James Cerbie ’79 was recognized in May 2023 for the accomplishments he achieved during the past 36 years as the baseball coach and a physical education teacher at Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC.

Kim Callan ’80 (second from right) and her partner are retired and traveling to see America’s historical destinations. From time to time, she meets with fellow alumni and sorority sisters Maureen McGeehan Wickert ’77, Donna Carolan Porter ’78, and Lesli Edwards Platt ’78, as well as John Murray ’78, for a picnic lunch at University Campus.

Bill Moulton ’82 and his wife expanded their family business, Pam’s Fabric Nook, to a second location in Stuart, FL. They also will be expanding their Port St. Lucie (FL) store to a new, larger location. 

Rebecca Chura ’84 (middle) works with high school students and their families as a social worker in the city of Henderson, NV.

David Hernández ’84 was inducted into the American College of Radiology (ACR) as a fellow on May 7, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Only 15 percent of the current ACR membership are fellows, making it one of the most distinguished honors bestowed upon members. Hernández is the chief diagnostic and nuclear medical physicist and radiation safety officer at Radiation Protection Associates’ locations in Florida and Puerto Rico.

Julie Jenkins ’84 is the director of donor relations and community engagement for HEAVENDROPt-Evergreen Life Services, helping veterans with disabilities and people with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Keith Slupski ’86 retired from a career as an analyst for the state of New York. He continues to serve as a volunteer fire captain for the Defreestville Fire Department and as vice president of the Troy Public Library, and is active in his church parish in New York.

Edward Saint Ivan ’87 wrote The Golden Knights God, an e-book, found on Amazon.com. Saint Ivan, who earned his bachelor’s degree from Saint Leo in criminology, writes a fictional story involving a popular college athlete and sexual assault.

Gregory Gerber ’89 relocated from Maryland to the Lake Worth, FL, area. He is glad to be back in Florida after working in a career that moved him to Maryland, Washington, and Virginia, as well as the nation of Bahrain, located in the Middle East.

Chris Stallings ’89 is celebrating the success of his son, Garrett Stallings, who tossed the 11th no-hitter in Bowie Baysox history in 2022. The Minor League Baseball team is a Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.

Stephen Guth ’90 is a negotiation expert, attorney, and author who released his seventh book, Hardball Negotiations: Vendor Ploys and Buyer Tactics. In the book, Guth shares his real-life experiences dealing with hardball negotiators on multimillion-dollar contracts.

Edward Hoisington ’92, ’10 retired as chief of staff of human resources and director of national intelligence in Washington, D.C., after 44 years of federal service.

Haywood Barnes ’93 is the recipient of the 2022 Saint Leo University Alumni Award for global service and also received the
Newport News Sheriff’s Citizen Service Medal in January 2019. Barnes is a veteran whose military career spanned more than 20 years between the U.S. Army and Air Force.

Peter James Smith ’95, ’19, ’21, ’23 celebrated earning his fourth degree from Saint Leo University, a Doctor of Education in May 2023. Smith holds an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, post-master’s, and doctoral degrees from the university. 

Daniel Hepburn ’96 is a procurement benefactor for the central receiving department at Stony Brook University for the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) 614 union. He has worked there for the last eight years.

Cathy Edmisten ’97, ’03, ’05 was promoted to CEO of HCA Florida South Shore Hospital in Sun City Center, FL, in January 2023.

Vicki Wiggins ’99, ’04 is serving as the CEO and president of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce (FL), a role she has held since January 2023.

Cheryl “Sherry” Abbott ’99 retired on September 1, 2021, from The Ohio State University at Newark after 34 years. Abbott was a human resources consultant, serving both Ohio State Newark and Central Ohio Technical College.

Jason Barcomb ’00 married his wife, Angela, on the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland during a private ceremony held in March 2022. He also was promoted to senior global product manager of fluid management and powered instruments at the global headquarters of Arthrex, a medical device company.

Ulyssee McBurrough ’02 retired from the Department of Veterans Affairs at the St. Petersburg (FL) Regional Office after 20 years. He also retired from the U.S. Army in 2002 after 23 years of military service. 

Travis Thompson ’02 competed in Ironman Chattanooga (TN) in September 2022. It was his second full-distance triathlon, and he finished in a time of 10 hours 15 seconds. He placed ninth in his age group and 45th out of 1,532 overall. He was awarded the opportunity to compete at 2024 Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, HI.

Samuel Young ’05 is celebrating 40 years of service with the Department of Defense. He retired from the U.S. Navy in 2003 after 20 years of service and then worked as a government contractor for four years. Today,
he is celebrating 16 years as a Department of Defense employee at U.S. Central Command in Tampa, FL.

James Crenshaw ’06 retired from active duty service in the U.S. Army after 34 years on April 14, 2023, and joined the civilian workforce as a Department of Defense contractor.

James Salgado ’07, ’14 worked with a team of volunteers to beautify the outside of a home in the Tampa Bay area during Operation Lend a Hand, an annual day of service event that takes place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The team filled 34 bags with leaves, cut grass, and pressure washed the sidewalk and driveway. Salgado is a U.S. veteran with 29 years of service. He is currently serving as a foreign visits representative at the U.S. Special Operations Command headquarters in Tampa, FL.

Kerri Brown ’08 is the co-founder and chief clinical officer of Massachusetts-based ABA Helps, a fast-growing provider of in-home therapy services for children and young adults on the autism spectrum. Brown also serves as a mentor to board-certified behavior analysts new to the field.

Elizabeth “Liz” (Jimenez) Cadeaux ’08 married Steven Cadeaux on April 23, 2022, at 501 Union in Brooklyn, NY.

Michael Fuchs ’07, ’08, ’11, ’13 works in the Office of Strategic Infrastructure at NASA’s headquarters out of Texas.

Emily Coleman ’09 is the head volleyball coach at Hoggard High School located in Wilmington, NC. She also was promoted to instructional coach for the English department at North Carolina Virtual Academy.

Martha Jones ’07, ’09 published her first book in April 2022, Clearing Up Your Closet Chaos: The Busy Women’s Quick Start Guide To Decluttering Your Closet, published by AuthorHouse.

Ella Guice ’10 retired and has a new grandson, Dominque Guice Smalls Jr. 

Amanda Laffin ’10 is the owner of 1828 Goods, which sells Tampa Bay- and Florida-themed apparel. Her business was named “voters also loved” in the Best Tampa Gear category in TAMPA Magazine’s 2023 Best of South Tampa list.

Louis Cioffi ’09, ’12, ’14 is the operations director of If I Can Dream Foundation, a nonprofit organization that holds no-cost career camps for students with disabilities. He also is the CEO of ABEZ North America, a company that manufactures smart energy management solutions, and is now an officer of First Response Disaster Services, providing services to people and companies after disasters.

Erin Head ’11 was awarded the 2022 Florida Health Information Management Association Literary Award, recognizing an individual who has made significant contributions to the body of knowledge in health information science and management.

Yves Jacobs ’12, ’14, ’18 married Tricia Maloney-Jacobs ’12, ’14 on December 21, 2020, in Tampa, FL. They welcomed their first daughter, Cecelia Anne Jacobs, on June 30, 2022.

Rosalind Larry ’12, ’20 passed the licensed clinical social worker exam and works for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Ocala, FL.

Lisa Black ’13, who publishes under the name Lisa LaRae, is the author of Spy Within, an action adventure novel published worldwide.

Jaime Quinones ’13 retired from the U.S. Navy after 24 years of service on April 1, 2017. He is the owner of Eccentriq Development Services, Command Emblematic Sales, and Defined Branding Co.

Dylan Barnes ’14 moved to Busan, South Korea, after graduating with a master’s degree in educational leadership from Saint Leo University and a doctoral degree in education from South-eastern University. He teaches middle and high school computer science at Busan Foreign School, a privately owned Pre-K through 12th grade American-style international school. 

Kevin Jones ’12, ’14 is a case manager for Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, VA.

Dominic Okonta ’14 received his doctorate in computer science with an emphasis in cybersecurity and information assurance from Colorado Technical University in 2019. 

William David Poist Jr. ’14 retired after 30 years of service in the U.S. Army as a sergeant major. He is working as a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) volunteer softball coach at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, TX.

Jennifer Tillery ’14 accepted a full-time position with Florida Legal Services as an outreach and enrollment specialist for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program in the North Central Florida area.

Vincent “Dakota” D’Ambrosio ’15 was featured in The New York Times as the chef de cuisine at Corner Bar in New York City. After graduating from Saint Leo, D’Ambrosio attended The Culinary Institute of America in NY.

Victoria Ecker ’15 graduated as a physician assistant in 2019 and worked in trauma surgery in South Florida for two and a half years. Today, she is an emergency medicine physician assistant.

Gabriella Montemarano ’15, ’19, ’22 celebrated the birth of her son, Hayden Montemarano Burrows, who was born on October 5, 2022.

Karen Adams ’16 began a new career as a real estate sales agent in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. In 2022, she was recognized for achieving $1 million in sales in a month for five months and was the top individual producer in November out of 38 offices in the North Florida Region for closed units. She qualified to be a part of Keller Williams Luxury International and was accepted into the KW Relocation Group. She also serves on the Agent Lead Council for Keller Williams Atlantic Partners.

Jesica Fields ’16 is a writer, poet, and social media personality. In November 2022, she self-published a collection of poetry called, When a Grasshopper Whispers: A Poetic Memoir.

Kathryn Martin ’16 started a nonprofit organization called Melanated Melon, which helps families affected by childhood cancer. She was motivated to start the organization after the loss of her 15-year-old son to a rare form of cancer.

Vanessa Mercile ’16 is the director of learning and development at ReliaQuest in Tampa, FL.

Yesenia Anderson ’17, ’21 completed 20 years of service in the U.S. Air Force on January 7, 2022. She credits Saint Leo for helping her reach her educational goals during this time.

Joshua Bartholomew ’17 is a digital marketing consultant for Nissan North America with Sincro Digital, consulting Nissan dealers in Southwest Louisiana and Mississippi.

Shalina Rice ’18 married her husband, Kirk, in 2015 and is an inside sales manager for the San Francisco Giants.

Michelle Tenaglia ’18 started working with Berkshire Hathaway HomesServices Verani Realty in Massachusetts in March 2022.

Verniece Larrimore ’19 received her master’s degree in social work in 2021. Today, she is a registered clinical social worker intern, working toward becoming fully licensed. She is an outpatient therapist at Chrysalis Health in Tampa, FL.

Martin Smith ’19 established his business, Handy Cleaning Services, and also created a nonprofit, Citizens of Hope Mentor Services Inc. 

Ashley Werdann ’19 became the newest member of the Mayo Clinic Adult Cystic Fibrosis Patient & Family Advisory Committee in January 2023 for the clinic’s location in Jacksonville, FL.

Melanie Clemente ’20 started her own business in 2022. She now works as a life coach for teachers in Chesapeake, VA.

Gino Nachef ’20 is working as a counselor for Brighter Heights of Florida and has received two awards since being hired: Counselor of the Year 2022 v and Employee of the Month in February 2022.

Bernard Ramos ’20 will be graduating with a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from George Washington University in August 2023.

Chelsea (Jones) Skinner ’20 married William Randolph Skinner on October 22, 2022, in Smithfield, VA. In June 2022, Skinner was promoted to materials specialist as a contractor for Dominion Energy in Surry, VA.

Tolliesha Watts ’20 was selected as an honorary doctoral candidate for humanitarianism from Global International Alliance.

Lexa (Andreu) Duno ’21 published her first children’s book, They Will Ask: A Story About Embracing Our Differences, in October 2022. She also co-founded an educational technology startup, edTonomy for Teachers, in August 2022.

Bobrenti “Brent” Patterson ’21 was featured on two episodes of EWTN’s show, At Home with Jim and Joy in February 2023. Patterson, who is a rehabilitation supervisor for the special care unit at the University of Alabama, also wrote about his faith and conversion to Catholicism in an article published in One Voice Magazine and Faith Magazine. 

Kelly Cunha Pokorny ’21 accepted the role of national brand marketing director for the American Heart Association in 2022. 

Richard Brown ’22 is a sales manager for Kyocera SLD Laser, covering the Eastern United States. He also volunteers at his church as a worship host and leader of the prison campus ministry.

Melissa Fanning ’22 recently published an article, “Caregivers Should Find Support for Themselves, Too,” in The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press and self-published a coloring book, Sea Lessons with Daddy. Outside of her work in publishing, Fanning works as a trainer and curriculum developer for new probation officers with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.

Kiana “Kiki” Lo ’22 is employed at Redacted Inc. as a staff accountant in Washington.

Felix Ramos ’22 graduated with his bachelor’s degree in human resource management and is now working at Saint Leo University as a human resources coordinator.

Alyssa Provencio-Petterway ’22 is now working as the chief paralegal at Dempsey Law, an immigration and federal litigation law firm in Jacksonville, FL. 

Carissa Charles-Pierre ’22 is now a regional communications operator with the Broward County Sheriff’s Office (FL).

Lester Williams Jr. ’22 is a poet, novelist, and journalist. He has written multiple books based on fantasy, sci-fi, adventure, and action. He also produced a tutorial video for his hybrid-multi perspective writing guidebook.