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Lauren Hammond '77 George Lewis Cox '70 |
Law-maker
When Sacramento City Councilmember Lauren Hammond (’77, Government) was a student working at Herfy’s Hamburgers and attending government classes, she dreamed of becoming a lawyer. But her passion for neighborhood issues took her in a different direction. Kind of.
“I was going to practice law,” Hammond says. “I guess now I just help make them.”
Hammond was elected to the council in 1997, making her the first African American woman in Sacramento history elected to the office. For 10 years, she has advocated for neighborhood improvements, economic development and providing opportunities for youth—all key issues in Sacramento’s south-central District 5.
The government maven’s experience began on McClatchy High School’s student council, but took root as a Sac State Associated Students senator representing the College of Arts and Sciences. During college she was also active in the Pan African Student Union. Professors Otis Scott (social sciences) David Covin (ethnic studies) and Mignon Gregg (government) were her greatest influences.
“They taught me you have to do your work,” she says. “You can’t complain about things unless you’re willing to change them.”
The recipient of a 2007 Sac State Distinguished Service Award has remained connected to the University by serving on the Alumni Association’s board of directors and by attending various events including the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Pipeline Summit designed to strengthen Sacramento’s growing high-tech workforce.
Her proudest accomplishments on the council include helping to bring the first grocery store to Oak Park in nearly 30 years, as well as improving streetscapes along Stockton and Freeport boulevards. She also organized three neighborhood associations.
More recently she has been instrumental in creating the city’s new Office of Youth Development, established to serve at-risk youth by reducing truancy, increasing graduation rates and providing job opportunities.
In 2003 Sacramento Magazine named Hammond one of Sacramento’s 30 Most Powerful Women. In 2004, she was inducted into the National Coalition of Black Women and is also a Class IX member of the American Leadership Forum.
Psychologically speaking
Bilingual school psychologist George Lewis Cox Jr. (’70, Education) has heard all the answers—in English and Spanish. “If I’m working with a child and they can’t answer the question in English, I can probe further by asking them in Spanish,” says Cox. “An interpreter isn’t trained to do that.”
In 1970 Cox was one of only a handful of bilingual school psychologists when the state mandated that all special needs Spanish-speaking children were to be evaluated in their native language. Upon retiring in 2003, he still was one of a seemingly small group of bilingual psychologists throughout the state.
Cox’s fluency in Spanish and Latin culture, which he’d learned growing up in Venezuela, was put to use to assist educators and families for 33 years. During his career he identified countless gifted students, and those with physical and cognitive disabilities, when the children were in the early stages of learning.
In his second year of practice he picked up on a boy’s unexplainable blank stare. “The doctor thanked me and congratulated me for noticing the early signs of a rare syndrome that if treated could be prevented,” Cox says.
After earning his master’s degree at Sac State, Cox worked as a school psychologist and as the director of special education for the Dixon Unified School District. He then worked in the same capacity for the Bear Valley Unified and Bishop Union Elementary school districts. He would later sign on with the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools as an itinerate school psychologist serving the small outlying districts of Needles, Baker Valley and Trona.
Four years ago he retired from the Adelanto School District, where he had been a school psychologist and director of pupil services for 10 years. Fifty percent of the district’s student body had Spanish surnames. He says despite state efforts, all too often important signs are still missed among nonfluent English speakers. Thirty years later, there is “no question” more bilingual school psychologists are still needed in California schools, he says, adding “I personally know of only one other bilingual school psychologist to this day in San Bernardino County.”
Before attending Sac State, Cox received his bachelor’s degree in education from North Texas State University. He said a chance encounter with Sac State Professor James Saum led him into the field of school psychology.
Though retired, Cox still works as a consultant for two Victorville Elementary School District schools and for the Trona Joint Unified School District in Southern California, where many students speak Spanish.
1960s Norman (Norm) Tavalero, ’61, B.S., Criminal Justice, retired from a long career with Shell Oil and now is an active volunteer at Sac State and in his community. Four years ago Tavalero, a Pacific Coast boxing champion, chaired the Sac State Boxing Reunion where he, along with other outstanding Sac State boxers, were inducted into the University’s Boxing Hall of Fame. This one-time event was the occasion to honor the men that competed in the sport, who brought NCAA and Pacific Coast Championships home over a five-year period before the sport was dropped at Sac State. Tavalero also developed and oversees a scholarship named for boxing coach Henry “Hank” Elespuru. Recently, he was inducted into the Vallejo Sports Hall of Fame where he attended high school and Vallejo Junior College. A member of the new Stinger Athletic Association Advisory Board, he also volunteers for the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Department. Tavalero and his wife, Barbara, live in Shingle Springs.
John David (J.D.) Stack,’73, B.S., Business Administration (Marketing), has been named the CEO of the Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance, after more than 30 years at the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, the last four overseeing the economic development program. The College of Business Administration at Sac State named him the 2007 Alumnus of the Year. Stack has also been volunteering his time as a member of the College of Business Administration Advisory Council. He and his wife, Mary Ann, live in East Sacramento.
William C. Bush, III, ’75, B.S., Accountancy, has been appointed permanent director of the Department of General Services by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. After serving as interim director since January, he now directs and oversees 4,000 employees and a $500 million budget. Since 2006, Bush also served as under-secretary for the State and Consumer Services Agency after a 31-year career at the Franchise Tax Board. He and his wife, Elaine, live in Elk Grove.
Jeannine English, ’76, B.S. Accountancy, has been appointed AARP California state president. Prior to her appointment, she served for two years on AARP’s National Policy Council, an advisory committee to the AARP national board of directors. English came to AARP after a long and distinguished career in state government, including more than 10 years as executive director of the Little Hoover Commission, an independent state oversight agency created to investigate state government operations and promote efficiency, economy and improved service to the public. Most recently, she was appointed by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez to represent the public as a member of the board of governors of the California State Bar. English, who celebrated her 50th birthday by climbing 19,340-foot Mt. Kilimanjaro, is an avid runner and cyclist who recently completed her second annual bicycle ride around Lake Tahoe. English and her husband, Howard Dickstein, make their home in Sacramento and have four sons, ranging in age from 14 to 29.
Barbara Carbone, ’81, B.S., Accountancy, was named one of this year’s Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business by the San Francisco Business Times. She is the audit-partner for the Northern California unit of KPMG (Peat Marwick) based in San Francisco. Carbone is very involved in her community of San Anselmo and in other organizations representing her career choice. She is a board member of the Women’s Business Enterprises National Council and Women’s Initiative gala leadership council. She also serves as a board member and on two committees of Sunny Hills Services.
Kathleen Cusick Mackey Gamper, ’81, B.A., Art, ’88, Credential Art Education, is an art teacher in the Elk Grove Unified School District. Gamper began teaching at Laguna Creek High School in 1994. She teaches a variety of classes that include beginning art and graphic design. She married John Gamper in July 2001 and they have three daughters between them: Jessica, a UC Davis graduate; Julia, a senior at UC Santa Barbara; and Lesley, a sophomore at Sonoma State. When Gamper has the time, she loves to knit, read and draw. The family lives in Davis.
Mark Curry, ’82, B.S., Criminal Justice, has been named a superior court judge by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Lincoln resident will serve the new judgeship on the Placer Superior Court. After graduating from Sac State, Curry earned his law degree from the University of the Pacific’s McGeorge School of Law. As a veteran Sacramento homicide prosecutor, his cases have included the murder trials of Symbionese Liberation Army members and many others since he joined the office in 1986.
Michael G. Wilson, ’83, B.S., Marketing, ’93, MBA, was recently hired by Sleep Train, Inc. as its vice president of marketing. He is responsible for leading Sleep Train’s strategic marketing initiatives, including all advertising and communications programs across California, Oregon and Washington. Wilson has more than 20 years of marketing experience, most recently as the field marketing director for the Coors Brewing Company in nine Western States. He and his wife, Cheryl, live in Fair Oaks.
Rickey T. Rhodes, ’83, B.S., Finance, has been promoted to senior vice president/ chief information officer at Community Business Bank, which has headquarters in West Sacramento. Rhodes joined the bank in January 2006 as vice president/ information technology officer and after a stint as the chief information and security officer, was moved in to his new position. Rhodes grew up in Vacaville and knows the west side of the valley very well, making him a good fit for the bank’s business area. An Elk Grove resident, Rhodes has lived for more than 25 years in greater Sacramento. He and his wife have two teenage daughters.
Matthew J. Gary, ’85, B.A., Business Administration, has been named a superior court judge for Sacramento County by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. After graduating from Sac State and the University of Pacific McGeorge School of Law, Gary was with the law firm of Gary, Till & Burlingham from 1989 to 2002. For the past five years he was a commissioner for Sacramento Superior Court. He and his wife, Donna, live in Carmichael.
John G. Nitti, ’86, B.S., Computer Science, is the group vice president for Exstream Software. Prior to this position, he was the professional services regional manager for Software AG of North America. Nitti and his wife, Denise, live in Elk Grove and their daughter Stephanie is a student at Sac State.
Mary Forster, ’91, B.A., Communication Studies, loves to run and is in serious training for the New York City Marathon. She does the Wharf to Wharf run every year and as a “domestic engineer” spends quality time with her husband Kyle and children Chelsea, 10, and Chase, 5. Forster’s husband has his own business, and shares one of her other loves, going to concerts. She is president of the foundation board at her children’s elementary school and is heavily involved in the family’s church. When spare time is available, she works on scrapbooks in their El Dorado Hills home.
Terence Leung, ‘91 and ’92, Teaching Credential, has been selected as the 2007-08 Teacher of the Year for Foothill Farms Junior High School in the Grant Joint Union School District in Sacramento. He has been teaching English and math to English language learners since 1997. In addition, he is the chair of the Foothill Farms ELL Department and has supervised student teachers from Sac State. Previously Leung taught in the Del Paso Heights and Sacramento City school districts. This year he has joined the Education Chapter of the Sac State Alumni Association as a life member. He credits his professors at Sac State for inspiring him to work with diverse learners.
Donald R. Petron, ’91, B.A., Communication Studies, works for the California Air Resources Board as an instrument technician. He is responsible for the overall accuracy of air-sampling instruments throughout the state of California. Aside from his professional life, Petron is a musician, playing from Reno to San Francisco, Paradise to Stockton. The music genre is “good-time country and old-time rock ‘n roll.” He resides in North Highlands, Calif.
Cecilia “Ceil” Dolan Wiegand, ’91, M.A., Education, ’97, Credential, Professional Administration Services, after leaving Sac State, earned a doctorate from the University of the Pacific in Stockton in education curriculum and instruction. Previous to her new appointment, she was a principal in the River Delta Unified School District and now is the director of English learner programs for the District. Wiegand and husband, Steve, make their home in Sacramento.
Andrew (Drew) Wyant, ’92, B.S., Criminal Justice, was the Hornet starting quarterback for three years under Bob Mattos, and was a member of the 1986 WFC Championship team and the 1988 Final Four D-II football team. He joined the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department after graduation and has served in many capacities: as a detective and member of the Warrant Fugitive Bureau/SWAT Team, as head of the Gang Intelligence Unit at the Main Jail, and has now been promoted to detective sergeant and assigned to supervise the Homicide Bureau. Currently, Wyant is leading the murder investigation of Deputy Jeffery Mitchell. His wife, Lana, works as a special assistant district attorney for the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and has been the media spokesperson for Jan Scully for the past five years. A self-proclaimed life-long Hornet, Wyant lives in Rocklin where his hobbies revolve around his identical twin sons, Cole and Cade.
Daniel M. Haverty, ’94, B.S., Criminal Justice, ’96, M.S., Special Major, has been named fire chief for the city of Folsom. The fire department operates four stations, serving more than 62,000 people over 24 square miles. A seasoned firefighterparamedic, he was formerly an assistant chief for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District. Since 2003, he also served as a chief assistant deputy director in the Training and Exercise Division of the governor’s Office of Homeland Security and has been an urban search and rescue specialist in that office since 2002.
Terri Haverty, ’93, B.A. Liberal Studies, ’96, M.A. and Credentials in Education, is a third grade teacher at William Brooks Elementary School in El Dorado Hills and received an additional four credentials in Education while earning her master’s degree in Education at Sac State. The Havertys live in El Dorado Hills and have three grown children and two grandchildren. A third-generation Sacramento-area resident, Dan is known for donating part of his liver in 2005 to William K. Weigand, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento.
Damian Pantoya, ’94, B.S., Accountancy, is a certified public accountant and is licensed in California and Texas. He is the finance director of electric utilities for Lubbock Power and Light in Lubbock, Texas where he resides. He is also a certified internal auditor. He resided in Davis before moving to Wolfforth, Texas and then to Lubbock.
Daniel A. Flores, ’97, B.S., Criminal Justice, served on the board of the American Criminal Justice Association and was a member of the Criminal Justice Honor Society during his two and a half years at Sac State. He received scholarships to attend McGeorge School of Law. While there, he was president of the Latino Law Students Association and a tutor in real property law. After graduating “with distinction” in 2001, and then working for some other firms, Flores opened Flores Law Firm in 2005 in San Francisco, specializing in real estate, personal injury and criminal defense. Currently, Flores is the vice president of the Salvadoran American Chamber of Commerce, a director at large for the San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association, and general counsel for Amigos de El Salvador, a non-profit organization that funds three orphanages in El Salvador. He is also a member of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association, the real property section of the State Bar and the San Francisco Bar Association. Flores is married and has one child.
Dylan Holcomb, ’99, B.A., English, ’06, Credential, English, was recently honored with the Crystal Apple, a nationally recognized award for teachers who have made significant efforts in the classroom. A teacher at Del Oro High School, Holcomb graduated from there in 1994 before coming to Sac State. After receiving his degree, he taught at Foothill High School in the Grant district for two years and has been at Del Oro for six years. As an English teacher, Holcomb is known for making literature come alive in the classroom and the Crystal Apple is given through nominations from students. Holcomb lives in Lincoln, Calif.
Tina Richardson, ’99, B.S., Microbiology and Molecular Biology, graduated from Sac State, enrolled at Idaho State University and earned her doctorate in 2004. She works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Potatocyst Nematode Program as a plant health safeguarding specialist. Richardson is enjoying the Idaho backcountry but “misses Sac State a lot.” She lives in Idaho Falls with her husband Gary Gresham and two stepdaughters, Natalie and Samantha.
Mark Roccucci, ’99, B.S., Fire Service, is a firefighter and was recently promoted to fire captain and now supervises a crew at the Cosumnes Community Services District’s East Franklin station. Roccucci joined the district as a firefighter-engineer in 1999. His grandfather was the fire chief for the Southern Pacific railroad company in Roseville and he handled a 1973 ammunition fire that was the biggest explosion in Roseville history. Roccucci’s family has long been involved with the history and growth of South Placer County. His mother Pauline is a Sac State ’74 grad and is the head of Placer Water Resources.
2000s Julie Wolfenden, ’00, B.A., Communication Studies, has been promoted to project administrator at DLR Group, Inc., an architecture, planning, engineering and interior firm in Sacramento. She is responsible for managing project communications. She previously was an administrative assistant. Wolfenden graduated magna cum laude from Sac State and served as president of the Epsilon Phi Honor Society for Communication Studies. She says, “When I was a student at Sac State, I always wondered what I would do with my communication degree and now that I am navigating the complex real world, I am convinced that it has proved invaluable in obtaining my current promotion, as well as enhancing everyday interactions with my fellow co-workers. Thanks Sac State.” Wolfenden and her husband Joe reside in Sacramento with daughters Katherine, 6, and Sophia, who attends Bryn Mawr College.
Julian Irvine, ’01, B.A., Communication Studies (Organizational Communication), sends greetings from aboard the USNS Laramie, a fleet replenishment oiler. The U.S. Navy ship is currently based in Norfolk, Va., for the Naval Fleet Auxiliary force. His duties include taking part in “underway replenishment,” where ships refuel at sea, and is a member of the ship’s engine department. Prior to going on the Laramie, Irvine worked as the relationship manager for Hidalgo Properties in Sacramento.
Sarah Watkins, ’02, B.S. Geology, recently joined GSI Consultants, Inc. as an analyst doing mostly water resources planning. She has returned to live in Sacramento after being a graduate teaching fellow at the University of Oregon in Eugene. In 2006, Watkins started training at The Aikido Center in Midtown Sacramento, “a beautiful and vibrant home for a community of diverse, adventurous and exuberant people practicing the path of unity and spiritual enlightenment.”
Jeffrey Dierking, ’03, B.S., Criminal Justice, a Marine lance corporal stationed at Camp Pendleton, was deployed in April for his first tour of duty in Iraq. He is serving as an aircraft maintenance administrator in the HMLA-369 Light Attack Helicopter Squadron.
Joey Montoya, ’03, B.A., Social Science, spent his high school days in Auburn at Placer High and now he has returned as the new varsity head football coach. When Montoya graduated from high school, he enrolled at Sierra College and then transferred to Sac State while also coaching at Nevada Union. Shortly after graduating, Montoya was offered the coaching job at the brand new Pioneer High School in Woodland and had been there for four years when he was offered the job at his old alma mater, where played football during his four years there. After living in Woodland, he has moved back Auburn.
Aaron Michael Lind, ’04, B.S., Government, was married May 19 to Melissa Ann LaRock. The wedding was held in his parents’ garden in Acampo. The couple met while both were working in Folsom. He does litigation support and Melissa is a caterer. They presently reside in Las Vegas.
Jon Osterhout, ’04, B.S., Communication Studies, and Alison Gahr Osterhout, ’02, B.S., Communication Studies, moved from Sacramento to Lincoln, Neb. in 2006 after being employed by the Intercollegiate Athletics department at Sac State. Before working six seasons on the football staff as defensive line coach and serving as Sac State camp director, Jon was a standout player as a Hornet starter from 1995-99. Named to All-America honors as a senior, he was also the MVP and an All-Big Sky Conference selection. He is now the graduate assistant coach for the University of Nebraska Huskers while pursuing his master’s degree in education administration. Alison played on Coach Debby Colberg’s championship volleyball teams and after graduating was responsible for events and activities for all sports in the athletics department. She is working in development and is the event coordinator for the non-profit Strategic Air and Space Museum in nearby Ashland, Neb. The couple was married in Oregon and celebrated their two-year anniversary this summer.
James P. (Jimmy) Spencer, ’05, B.A., Journalism, has been hired as the coordinator of media and community relations for the Sacramento River Cats. His many duties will include creating statistics packs and game notes for the press, handling media requests, working with the community relations department and the public, and managing information about the baseball team on its website. While attending Sac State, Spencer was the editor of The State Hornet newspaper. After working at the Sacramento Bee, he then worked out of Stamford, Conn. as the NFL content producer for NBCsports.com. Spencer resides in Carmichael.
Kendra Williams, ’05, B.A., Communication Studies and Government, was elected literary citation editor of Pepperdine University’s Law Review editorial board for Volume 35, which will be published in Spring 2008. The Law Review is published annually and covers a wide array of contemporary legal topics. The editorial board is comprised of Pepperdine School of Law students who are elected by the previous year’s out-going editors. Typically, those selected are the top performers within the class. The Rancho Cordova native’s other accomplishments include a summer 2007 clerkship with the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. She will also extern for the Hon. Judge Alice Batchelder on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. While in school, Williams lives in Santa Monica.
Kristin Dawn Burke, ’07, B.A., Philosophy, is in China as an education volunteer after joining the Peace Corps and getting three months of training. She will focus on teaching communicative English to Chinese English teachers. Burke previously worked as an ESL lab instructor at Sac State. She has been living with a host family in China to become fully immersed in the country’s language and culture. She will serve two years there, living in a manner similar to people in her host country. Burke joins the 902 California residents currently serving in the Peace Corps on a 27-month commitment. Burke’s family home is in Ridgecrest, Calif.
Kathleen Prout Dukelow, ’07, B.A., Communication Studies, having just completed her college days, is looking forward to a life that is a little less hectic. In the meantime, she is busy with her business, Dukelow & Associates, which specializes in organization development, event coordination, mediation and training. She also enjoys quilting and because of that hobby, has traveled to Kauai, Tulsa, Ok., and Lexington, Ky. Just as Dukelow was initiating a leadership role in organizing the Communication Studies Chapter of the Alumni Association, her husband took a job in the Tulsa area. She is relocating there this fall. She plans to keep her ties to Sac State and stay connected to her fellow Communication Studies alums.