Notable Sac State grads and their accomplishments

= Alumni Association Member

= Alumni Association Life Member

1960s

GARY QUATTRIN ’65 (PHYSICAL EDUCATION) and JUDY QUATTRIN ’66 (RECREATION ADMINISTRATION) have been awarded the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award by the University and the Sacramento State Alumni Association.

1970s

RICHARD SOTO ’71 (ETHNIC STUDIES) is being hailed a community champion for opening the Chicano Research Center in Stockton, CA, after retiring from his 40-year counseling career in Tracy schools. His goal is to educate anyone interested on the Chicano movement.

DANE RICHARD GOODMAN ’75 (ART) was recognized as a Master Artist by the Focus on the Masters organization and for his work in the art field. 

JIM LANE ’77 (DRAMA) will be part of the seventh season of literary programming with Stories on Stage Davis. He will be reading from “Our Landline is Broken.” He has spent his career working on stage and screen.(Life member)

 

1980s

MARIDITH A. CURFMAN-JANSSEN ’82 (RECREATION ADMINISTRATION) has received the 2019 Distinguished Service Award by the University and the Sacramento State Alumni Association.—see page 44. 

JACK A. FUSCO ’84 (MECHANICAL ENGINEERING) has been recognized for his work in the energy industry and his over 30 years of experience. 

ARTURO REYES ’84 (EDUCATION) has been recently appointed as the Superintendent of Rio Hondo Community College in Whittier, California.

WILLIAM R. WARNE ’84 (ENGLISH) has been recognized as a 2019 Top Lawyer by Sacramento Magazine. 

STEVEN L. HARTWIG ’85 (CIVIL ENGINEERING) has been appointed as Deputy County Executive – Public Works and Infrastructure for Sacramento County. 

MONICA DAUGHERTY ’85 (EDUCATION) has been announced as Nevada City School District Interim Superintendent.

KEN M. OKUHARA ’86 (ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING) has been appointed as Chief Technology Officer for the City of Stockton. 

JULIA COUZENS ’86 (ART) will have her work represented in the 2019 Cheongju Contemporary Craft Biennale in Cheongju City, Republic of Korea. 

JACKIE MORRIS-HENDERSON ’87 (COMMUNICATION STUDIES) has received the 2019 Distinguished Service Award by the University and the Sacramento State Alumni Association (award presented posthumously. 

ARNOLD B. PHILLIPS ’87 (FINANCE) has been named Managing Investment Director of Global Fixed Income for CalPERS.

PATRICK C. MCCLAIN ’88 (BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION) has received the 2019 Distinguished Service Award by the University and the Sacramento State Alumni Association. 

GUSTAVO F. VINA ’88 (BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION) will be retiring in December after a 39-year career in public service. 

1990s

SAORI CHOULOS ’92 (BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION) has received the 2019 Distinguished Service Award by the University and the Sacramento State Alumni Association.

DIANA CURTAZ ’96 (LIBERAL STUDIES), MA ’09 (EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP) has been hired as the new principal at Fred Korematsu Elementary School in Davis, CA. She began her career in education as a teacher in the late 1990’s. 

MICHAEL K. ROCK ’96 (PUBLIC POLICY & ADMINISTRATION) has been selected as Yuba City’s new city manager. 

JEFF DERN ’98 (BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION) has received the 2019 Distinguished Service Award by the University and the Sacramento State Alumni Association. 

2000s

TIMOTHY J. MECH ’00 (MARKETING) has been named Senior Vice President and Business Development Officer for California Bank of Commerce. 

SEAN M. MCPHETRIDGE ’00 (PRELIMINARY ADMIN.) has been named Cabrillo Unified School District superintendent. 

ANNIE S. AMARAL ’01 (COMMUNICATION STUDIES) has been recognized as one of 2019’s Top Lawyers by Sacramento Magazine. 

FRANCESCA M. VEGA ’01 (GOVERNMENT) has been named as Vice Chancellor for Community and Government Relations at UCSF. 

ART PIMENTEL ’02, MA ’10 (SOCIAL SCIENCE/HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP) took office as the third president of Woodland Community College this summer. 

ERIC Z. GUERRA ’03 (PUBLIC POLICY & ADMINISTRATION) has been recognized for his work as Vice Mayor on the Sacramento City Council. 

VANESSA J. DESANTIS ’04 (LIBERAL STUDIES) has been named new principal at A.E. Arnold Elementary School. 

MEAGAN O’MALLEY ’06 (EDUCATION/SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY) has received the 2019 Rising Star Award by the University and the Sacramento State Alumni Association. 

ERIN T. MUSNI ’07 (COMMUNICATION STUDIES) has been appointed by the San Francisco Marriott Marquis as their new senior sales executive. She will be responsible for growing group business in Northern California. 

GIA VANG ’08 (JOURNALISM) – was recently hired by KARE 11 as a new personality for their morning show in Minnesota. She is the first Hmong-American anchor in the Twin Cities market. 

 

2010s

JENNIFER REASON ’11 (MUSIC) has recently accepted the position as host of a midday classical music show at Capital Public Radio. 

RICHARD F. ROSE ’11 (CRIMINAL JUSTICE) has been selected to join the Blue Angels for the 2020 air show season with the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron. 

VICTORIA C. SUAN ’15 (DIGITAL MEDIA) has been recognized by Sac Bee for her work in the film industry and for making an independent feature length documentary at the age of 26. 

SERGEI (SERGEY) MISTYUK ’16 (NATURAL SCIENCE AND MATH) won Best Presentation Award at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Student Intern Research Symposium. 

EMESEB TABOR ’16 (CHILD DEVELOPMENT) has been selected to receive the 2019 CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement, the highest recognition of student achievement. 

MARY ANN MORT ’17 (PHYSICS) won Best Presentation Award at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Student Intern Research Symposium. 

RACHEL M. HOSKINS ’17 (SOCIAL WORK) has been recognized for the opening of her mother-son elderly care business Hoskins Geriatric Care Management. 

XAVIER TAFOYA ’73 (ETHNIC STUDIES) was honored by the College Foundation on his recent retirement after many years of dedication to public service in Woodland and the Yuba Community College District students. 

KEITH C. HAGENBUCH ’77 (ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES) recently retired after a more than 40-year career, most of which was spent with the Defense Commissary Agency in various leadership capacities. 

JEFF R. COOK ’79 (ACCOUNTANCY), with more than three decades of experience in the industry, he recently accepted the position of chief financial officer for Misionero Vegetables. His prior experience includes Mann Packing Co., Del Monte, Earthbound Farm, and Fresh Express. 

STEVEN S. RUPP ’86 (ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING) is the new Director of Consulting Services for EnerNex focusing on grid strategy consulting and advisory services to the electric utility industry. 

GILLIAN HAYES ’01 (GOVERNMENT) has been named Vallejo’s new Planning and Development Services Director. She brings more than 15 years of experience in the private sector, most recently with Munselle Civil Engineering. 

MICHELLE C. BAASS ’03 (PUBLIC POLICY & ADMINISTRATION) has been reappointed as undersecretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency, where she has served since 2018. Before that, she served as deputy secretary of the Office of Program and Fiscal Affairs. 

BETH E. MUSZYNSKI ’07 (PUBLIC POLICY AND ADMINISTRATION) has been appointed assistant deputy secretary of veterans homes for the California Department of Veterans Affairs. 

XOCHITL R. MURILLO ’13 (SPANISH) has been appointed deputy secretary of minority veterans affairs for the California Department of Veterans Affairs. 

11/12/18