Class Notes


1950s

Gloria W. Glyer, ’52, B.A., English, is a writer, newspaper columnist, racing fan, and “food passionista” among many other things. She was the women’s editor at the Sacramento Union for years and then began a feature column for the Sacramento Bee. Her restaurant/food articles have appeared in Sacramento magazine for a decade and a half. Glyer is the founder of the Dining Divas, a group of six local “foodies” who raise thousands of dollars for charities in town. Two of her other passions were satisfied when she and husband, Gordon, attended the Formula One U. S. Grand Prix and the Grand Prix Montreal. The Glyers make their home in Chicago Park.

Mary Nosler Buehler, ’58, B.A.,’82, M.A., Education, is the volunteer director of the Sacramento Literacy Program. The program has served more than 2,500 adult students, who are both nativespeakers and refugees/immigrants. In June, Buehler was awarded a resolution by the California State Assembly, honoring her 32 years of service to the program. She is retired from the Sacramento City Unified School District after a long career as an educator. She and her husband

Paul Beuhler ,’58, B.S., Business Administration, live in Gold River.

1960s

James Downton, Jr., ’61, B.A., Government, ’63, M.A., Social Science, was student body president at Sac State from 1960-61 and a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon. After graduation, Downton attended UC Berkeley where he earned his doctorate. He taught at San Francisco State University for four years before settling into a faculty position at the University of Colorado in Boulder. After 35 years, he retired as a full professor in 2004. He has published articles and books in the areas of collective dynamics and social movements. Now Downton has another career, The Life Gardening Project, which helps people improve the quality of their lives. He has published four self-help books with a new one coming out this year, Why Am I So DAMN Unhappy? He and his wife, Mary, live in Boulder.

William (Bill) Enos, ’64, B.S., Business Administration, ’78, M.A., Education, is the president of the Siskiyou County Board of Education and has been the Area 2 Trustee, which includes Mount Shasta Elementary School District, since 1999. On that board, he served as president for seven years. As a lifelong educator, first as a Sacramento-area teacher, principal and superintendent, Enos moved to Siskiyou County where he later retired after serving as the superintendent of Siskiyou Union High School District. He is also the Region 2 Director of the California School Boards Association, representing Modoc, Siskiyou, Trinity, Shasta, Plumas, and Lassen counties. He and his wife, Lillian, live in Mount Shasta.

Frank (Chris) Lemus, ’67, B.A., Life Science/ Chemistry, ’73, M.A., Social Sciences (Child Development), a native Californian, earned a doctorate in 2007 in preventive medicine and community health in clinical science at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Currently at the University of Texas, Lemus was a Jeane B. Kempner Post-Doctoral Scholar and was recently selected as a 2008-10 Sealy Center on Aging post-doctoral fellow on the health of older minorities. Lemus recently completed his third marathon in Nashville, Tenn., and is training for one in October and another in January. He and his wife, Liz, travel between their Galveston home and Sacramento where their four children and two grandsons live.

Terry Battenberg,’68, B.A., Physical Education, after retiring a year ago after 38 years of full-time teaching and coaching at the high school and college levels, was recently hired to be an assistant men’s basketball coach at Sac State under Brian Katz, the new head coach for the Hornets. Battenberg and his wife, alumna Barbara Battenberg, ’84, M.A., English, live in Fair Oaks.

1970s

Diane Susan Taggart, ’74, B.A., Education (Child Development), has been teaching for 32 years and for the last 21 years, she has been a mathematics instructor at Loretto High School in Sacramento. In her family she is considered the “favorite Auntie” and her adventurous spirit gives her the title of “traveler extraordinaire.” Taggart and husband, John Dollar, live in South Sacramento.

Catherine “Cay” Drachnik, ’75, B.A., Art, just finished a monthlong showing of her original paintings of Africa at the Barton Gallery in Sacramento. Drachnik spent last March in Africa visiting her daughter, going on safari, exploring the wine country and visiting local art galleries. Two other local artists joined her for the painting trip. All are professionals who have won numerous awards for their work. Drachnik is also an art therapist and lives in Sacramento.

Robert “Bob” Cooper, ’76, B.A., Journalism and English, has been awarded the 2008 “Outstanding Service Article Award” by the American Society of Journalists & Authors, the largest membership organization of freelance magazine writers. The winning article compared different marathon training programs. In college, Cooper ran on the Sac State cross country team and later ran 45 marathons, including an ultramarathon to the entrance of Yosemite in 1979. He and his buddies set out to make the 185-mile Tahoe-Yosemite Trail in four days, but he got separated and was running after dark without a flashlight as he got close to Yosemite. Luckily, he made it but wonders “if some of the others, well, might still be out there.” He lives in San Anselmo, Calif.

Marian Gaston, ’79, B.S., Business Administration, is the supervisor and project manager of information technology for the City of Sacramento. She is one of four in a newly formed team that will take the city into the age of paperless processing. She makes her home in Sacramento.

1980s

1980s Patrick Halleran, ’80, M.S., Criminal Justice, works for the Belmont Police Department in California and has been promoted to police lieutenant. Pat will celebrate his 28th year with the department this September. He has held many different assignments and ranks in the department which include: police corporal, police sergeant, canine handler, detective and evidence technician. Patrick and his wife, Deborah, are residents of San Carlos.

Camille Chamberlin, ’81, B.A., Liberal Studies, is a personal shopper-fashion consultant in the Bay Area. In her presentations to clients, she is passionate about color, texture and light while teaching others how to present themselves. She writes that she is pleased to have read in the last Sac State Magazine about the apparel marketing and design course that is being offered at Sac State. Chamberlin is eager to visit the campus, find out more about the classes, and see the many. changes that have occurred. She invites you to visit her website, CamilleChamberlin. com to view the services she offers. She resides in Berkeley.

Kathleen Cusick Mackey, ’81, B.A., Education, ’88, Credential (Art), has been teaching art for the past 23 years in the Elk Grove Unified School District. She writes that “daughter, Julia, graduated from UC Santa Barbara this past June and I keep busy with art, book clubs, travel, and knitting.” Mackey and her family live in Davis.

Jan A. Nolta, ’84, B.S., Biological Science, is the director of the stem cell program at UC Davis School of Medicine. She joined UC Davis in 2006 after serving for four years as scientific director of the cell processing and gene therapy Good Manufacturing Practice Facility at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. For the past six years, her laboratory has focused on research to develop improved stem cell therapies for treating patients with traumatic injuries and debilitating disease. Nolta has served on more than 40 National Institutes of Health review panels and has been editor and editorial board member on six scientific journals, in addition to being active in numerous scientific organizations. In addition to her basic research into the biology of human stem cells, she is overseeing the expansion of UC Davis’ exploration of regenerative medicine. Happy to be back in California, Jan and her husband, Richard Plumb, are living in Sacramento.

Julia Couzens, ’86, M.A., Art, was one of 20 local artists chosen to show their works at the Richard L. Nelson Gallery & Fine Art Collection at UC Davis. The show, FLATLANDERS 2, was a regional biennial exhibition of art. Artists from the Davis, Woodland, Winters and Sacramento areas were represented in the catalogue and show. Couzens makes her home in Clarksburg.

Reneé Sandell Craig, ’86, B.S., Business Administration (Marketing), has been promoted to captain with Southwest Airlines. Her routes are throughout the United States and she recently relocated to San Rafael, Calif. from Vancouver, Wash.

John C. Wells, ’87, B.S., Business Administration (Marketing), a banker with a diverse and comprehensive real estate background, has joined Mechanics Bank as senior vice president and interim head of the Real Estates Industries Group. He will be the bank’s lead contact for participations and syndications activities. Most recently, Wells was with City National Bank where he was senior vice president and senior relationship manager. He is a member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, and a board member of the Rehabilitation Loan Program Committee for the City of Pleasant Hill Redevelopment Agency. John and his wife, Virginia, reside in Martinez, Calif. with their son John.

Guy Gillen, ’89, B.A., Criminal Justice, and Tina Piñeiro Gillen, ’87, B.A., Criminal Justice, ’95, Multiple Subjects Credential, are parents of a baby boy, Lance Patrick, born March 30. Guy is with the Department of Corrections. The family lives in Sacramento.

Thomas D. Gillons, ’89, B.S., Business Administration (Finance), has joined The Zimmerman Group, as a financial advisor in the firm’s Global Wealth Management Group office in Napa. With 16 years of experience in financial services, Gillons had been with Morgan Stanley for one year. He is active in several community organizations in his native Napa where he lives with his wife, Sarah, and children Troy, Emily, Brandon and Tommy.

1990s

Erica Olson Jeffrey, ’90, B.A.,’06, M.A., English (Creative Writing), translates comic books into English for a United Kingdombased publisher. These series have sold many millions of copies in Europe and elsewhere, and Cinebook Ltd. is introducing them to a North American audience. Jeffrey, who credits Sac State French teacher Laurence Lambert for helping make French fun and accessible, translates Yakari and The Bluecoats. She also edits series, including Lucky Luke, Queen Margot and Iznogoud. Jeffrey’s freelance writing and editing credits include Random House Children’s Books, Silver Moon Press, ArtNetwork Publishing, Tower Records’ Pulse magazine, Listin! magazine, and numerous newspapers and websites. She lives in Marysville, Calif.

Larry Edgar, ’94, B.S., Accountancy, has opened a family-owned business in Sacramento that provides tax, accounting and consulting services to individuals and small to medium-sized companies. After graduation, Edgar worked four years for Gilbert Associates, Inc. and then joined The McClatchy Company in the finance department for 10 years. This past spring, Edgar formed Edgar & Associates LLP, a partnership with his parents, and wife and Sac State alum, Stacey. Larry and Stacey live in Elk Grove.

Charles “Chuck” Hahn, ’95, B.A., Government, is chief of staff for Senate Republican Leader Dave Cogdill. Hahn began his government career as an intern in then-Gov. Pete Wilson’s office during his freshman year at Sac State, and then joined the Governor’s staff part time a year later. He followed that with service as chief of staff for Rod Pacheco and then Dave Cogdill when they were both Assemblymen. Secretary of State Bruce McPherson appointed Hahn as his chief deputy during his tenure. Hahn has also served as staff director for the bi-partisan joint Assembly and Senate Rural Caucus. Hahn lives in Healdsburg.

Eva Molina, ’95, B.A., Special Major (Italian), is a Spanish-English interpreter and translator. She is also a Spanish instructor and an interpreter trainer. In April, she received the California Healthcare Interpreting Association 2008 Interpreter of the Year award for dedicated service to patients, providers and her profession. She was also featured in the article “What People Earn” in the April 13 Parade magazine. She lives in Lincoln.

2000s

Timothy D. Rains, ’00, B.A., Communication Studies, has completed the season as a park ranger at Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. He also spent the last year working for the City of South Lake Tahoe at the Explore Tahoe Visitor Center and, along with four others, helped design, set up and open the facility. Since his employment is “managed” by seasonal and weather conditions, Rains has worked in a temporary position at the U.S. Forest Service in South Lake Tahoe for the last three years. His hobbies include photography, hiking, reading and working with a cactus and succulent collection. He has had his photography of the Lake Tahoe Angora Fire published on the front cover of one of the U.S. Forest Service magazines.

Michelle Matias, ’01, B.A., Liberal Studies, ’06, M.A., Early Childhood Education, has had a career path focused on children, but has also surrounded herself with her own by giving birth to five little ones: boys ages 7, 5 and 2 ½, and one-year-old twin girls. Matias is an early childhood consultant and has been employed as a preschool teacher, director, manager and owner. She has taught in elementary schools and was a federal non-profit preschool manager. You can learn more about Matias at her website www. nurturing-early-childhood.com. Matias and her family live in Meridian, Idaho.

Alberto “Al” Aldrete, ’03, B.A. Social Science, has opened his own insurance company and is an insurance and financial advisor working with individuals and businesses. In the last three years, Aldrete has put in place over $50 million worth of protection to help families and businesses, even in the face of some of the most financial trying times. Aldrete was honored in 2007 when he was named best Insurance Agent/Company by the community of Citrus Heights. He and his college sweetheart, Christine, have been married for four years and have a one- year-old son. They live in Woodland.

Sean W. Vassar, ’06, B.S., Criminal Justice, is with the U.S. Department of Justice as a victim witness program contractor. He lives in Discovery Bay, Calif.

Mike Wiley, ’75: The bus stops here

Mike WileyForget the corporate ladder. Mike Wiley’s rise to the top came by way of bus and light rail, not surprising for the general manager/CEO of the Sacramento Regional Transit District (RT).

Wiley has been with RT for more than 30 years and was named to the top position in February after spending several months as the interim general manager/ CEO. He manages a mass transportation system that has more than 240 buses, 37 miles of light rail track and an annual budget of about $147 million.

“Being in transportation is a passion, and you can’t do this job unless you like it,” Wiley says. “The real thrill is seeing a packed train or a bus, and knowing that we are providing a service for people, and they are responding and using our service.”

Mass transportation was not on Wiley’s mind when he was a student at Sac State. He was a social studies major who saw college as mostly a means to an end.

“I was not focused on the college experience per se. I was focused on getting a degree and getting on with life,” Wiley says. “I was married and working, and my goal was to graduate, teach high school and coach athletics.”

His path towards transportation came during his senior year when an instructor encouraged him to apply for an internship as a transportation planner with the Sacramento Regional Area Planning Commission, now known as the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.

“Although I didn’t have any previous experience in transportation, I was good at problem solving, and that’s really what transportation planners do. They analyze problems and look at ways to solve them,” he says.

Wiley worked through his internship and moved to RT after graduation. Thirty years later, he’s still enjoying the ride. He is a familiar face throughout the system and can occasionally be found answering calls in customer service. He has even driven a bus.

“One of the things I learned and adopted years ago is ‘management by wandering around,’” he says. “I think it’s important for a person at the top to have a good understanding of what’s happening throughout the system and to meet with the staff. It’s more than just a ‘Hello.’ It’s ‘How are we doing?’”

—Michael A. Ward

Ada Deferrari, ’06: Passion for pocketbooks

Ada DeferrariAda Komorniczak-Deferrari’s (’06, M.B.A., International Business) knack for designer handbags is as much about her business sense as her fashion sense. Her “Ada” bags are a purse-lover’s dream come true— they’re lightweight, practical, and, thanks to her Sac State degree, all the rage.

Her handbags are designed for looks as well as practicality, and Deferrari makes several trips a year to Argentina to personally select the leather. “Argentina is renowned for its leather. Most people think Italy has the best leather, but it’s actually number two in the world,” Deferrari says.

Her design inspirations come from a practical theory. “I focus on making a bag that’s functional as well as beautiful,” Deferrari says. “I try to create every piece that way.” Her bags are sold in more than 200 boutiques across California, including seven shops in the Sacramento area, and online at www.adahandbags.com.

Deferrari, who parlayed her love of handbags and shoes into a career, wasn’t planning to design full-time. “I come from a family of professors and engineers,” Deferrari says, “and designing wasn’t a natural profession for me to go into.

“I got my MBA in order to have a business background,” Deferrari says, adding that she had her handbag designing business “semiestablished” when she began working on her degree in international business. “At that point it was more practical to acquire the business background in order for my design business to thrive.”

Deferrari says ensuring her operation would be a success was what motivated her to excel in her classes. “My thesis was a training manual for business, so I not only learned from it but it was a practical project as well,” she says.

Since her graduation in 2006, Deferrari has been back to campus to speak to business fashion classes. “Eventually, I would like to become a professor, so speaking to the classes was a step in that direction for me,” she says. “I felt like I knew what they were thinking, since I was in their shoes not too long ago.

“It was important for me to speak to design students as well. I feel a lot of students with design aspirations here in Sacramento think they need to go to New York or Paris, but they can make it here.”

And education is important for these design students, Deferrari stresses. “Designers need to know how to sell themselves and sell their work. They create these beautiful pieces and need to know how to market them.”

—Kim Nava