Class Notes

Martin has had five years of a great retirement in Florida short-circuited by the pandemic and is trying to make the best of it with exercise, reading, TV, games, wearing a mask everywhere, and missing seeing his grandkids in person. He hopes all are safe and healthy.

Arthur retired CEO of Zilber, Ltd., is in the most rewarding segment of his career. He is helping rural Ethiopian girls reach their potential through focusing on health, nutrition, sanitation, education, and microfinance. The project is run by local young women who want everyone to have opportunity for a better life.

Steve recently marked the fifth anniversary of managing the Midwest office of Fairfield Capital Group, LLC, which consults with middle market companies that need equipment leasing or financing services.

Barry retired two years ago from the University of New Hampshire. He started an online educational company, SixSigmaGlobalInstitute.com, which offers programs in 99 countries. Shore still works full time. His partner, Zach Shore, is his grandson and holds down the digital end of the business. He is grateful to UW–Madison for being such an important factor in shaping his career.

James is currently serving on the board of governors for The Shriners Hospital for Children, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Craig encourages WSB alums from the Class of 1970 to donate to the class gift—the Chancellor’s Scholarship fund—on the Wisconsin Alumni Association website/reunions. All donations will be matched. He hopes to see classmates at the reunion scheduled for April 2021.

Chester has three events to share. First, the birth of his first grandchild, Auden Grace Rothman, to his son Phillip and his wife, Riley. Rothman is also celebrating the third year of Jasper St. Funding LLC, already one of the more active investors in tax liens in New York and New Jersey, and the Jasper St.’s forthcoming expansion with a Charleston, South Carolina, office in 2021.

Stephen is pleased to announce the publication of his second novel, The Developer. Set in Denver in 1978, the story reflects the chaotic life of a fictional office building entrepreneur.

Martin is a recent founder and investor in Laniakea Montessori School in Gainesville, Florida. The school of 30 students will expand to 50 next year.

Anil retired after a 44-year career that took him from Schreiber Foods in Green Bay (11 years) to Kidder Peabody in Milwaukee (three years) to the wilderness (seven years), and finally to Nokia in Naperville, Illinois (23 years), where he was most recently director in the North America services division. He fondly remembers all his UW professors (and their course numbers).

Dick helped with press releases and media outreach for Libertarian candidate Jo Jorgensen’s campaign for president.

Jim began teaching in the undergraduate arts management program at UW–Stevens Point six years ago, after nearly 50 years managing performance venues around the U.S. As of August 2020, he was promoted to associate professor and granted tenure. Who knew spending time with smart 20-year-olds could be such fun?

Steve was elected to the Government Employees Health Association (GEHA) board in June 2018 and as chair in January 2020. In addition, Weber is an ad hoc instructor in WSB’s Center for Professional and Executive Development, teaching courses in leadership and IT management.

Alan’s company, Consight Marketing Group, just turned five years old. The company does B2B marketing research and voice of the customer insights. Hale and his wife went on a once-in-a-lifetime European cruise tour in 2019. Their daughter is expecting the couple’s third grandchild.

David now manages the family office of North Hills after holding a series of senior positions in banking and insurance that spanned more than 40 years. He and his wife, Terri, live in Manhasset, New York. He spends his time managing investments, enjoying time with his adult children, and traveling. After completing his BBA, Nemschoff earned an MBA from the University of Maryland while serving with the U.S. government.

Gene retired after eight years in retail buying and store management, and 31 years as a college professor.

Steve Smith (BBA ’77) has retired after 29 years with ACCO Engineered Systems and is enjoying retirement in Long Beach, California.

Steven just retired and will be moving to Arizona soon. His BBA from WSB and executive MBA from UW–Milwaukee served him well. Go, Badgers!

Cory and his wife sold Career Momentum in August 2020. Erickson will remain with the business through May 2021 to support integration and transition matters. Then on to retirement!

David finished his 12th year of raising money for Children’s Hospital of Orange County for Type 1 Diabetes research, raising just over $30,000 for a total of just under $200,000 over the 12 years. His daughter Katrina was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2005 and Jewell started the #KatrinaKures fundraiser two years after her diagnosis.

Theodore CPA, retired in April 2019 from a Houston NYSE-listed REIT. He hoped to leave Chicago on his 66th birthday in April 2020 to drive old U.S. Route 66 to the Santa Monica Pier, but the pandemic overturned his number one bucket list item. His hobbies include walking and watching news and sports on TV.

Pamela was recently named head of capital strategies for Barings Real Estate and was honored as a GlobeSt. Woman of Influence. In addition, she is a frequent contributor to The Property Chronicle, and her interviews were featured in Pensions & Investments, Institutional Real Estate, and Yahoo Finance.

Randall is retiring this year from his role as director of radio services and senior lecturer with the UW–Oshkosh Department of Radio TV Film. The department was recently honored by the UW Board of Regents with its teaching excellence award for 2020. Davidson joined UWO in 2008 after an 18-year career as a news producer/anchor at Wisconsin Public Radio in Madison.

Robert has authored a second book. Cafe Culture: For Lovers of Coffee and Good Design features a curated selection of 37 coffee shops located in 28 cities around the globe with each coffee shop selected for its unique design, personality, and atmosphere.

Christopher and his wife recently moved to Neptune Beach, Florida, after living almost 30 years in Bronxville, New York. He is currently chairman and CEO of AMCON Distributing Company, a business he has enjoyed building over the years with a great group of colleagues. Atayan is having fun following his kids’ athletic careers. His son is a senior at the University of North Carolina on the varsity lacrosse team, and his daughter is an RN in Milwaukee after having played lacrosse for four years at Marquette University.

Pamela has retired after a 35-year career in marketing research and innovation, most recently at SC Johnson. Some of her favorite career memories are involvement in the early years of online banking, being a co-patent holder for Ziploc® brand bags with easy open tabs, and using neuroscience in advertising testing. She looks forward to regular trips to Madison for Badger football.

Lisa is executive director of SKYGEN International Foundation, which works in the Meru district of northern Tanzania providing free vision tests and glasses to those who need them. Since July 2018, the organization has delivered 150,000 vision tests and 29,000 pairs of glasses.

Dan founded the Badger Technology Group as an aerospace company in 2016. Badger Tech has now created a Badger Innovations division to provide renewable energy systems and to develop an aqueous ozone disinfecting system. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce selected this aqueous ozone system for the “Focus on the Future” production innovation award. The system has already been shipped to five continents.

Jeff moved back to Wisconsin from North Carolina after a successful career in the mattress industry. He’s still in love with the city of Madison and UW.

Robert recently moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and began teaching in the business school at College of Charleston this fall.

Steven recently retired after a long career serving the UW System and State of Wisconsin. He received emeritus designation after having served as vice chancellor for administration and finance for UW Colleges and UW Extension for 19 years. Wildeck capped his UW career as the founding executive director of UW-Shared Services, a consolidated administrative services organization that was created in 2018 and serves all UW campuses.

Sharon, painter, and Margaret Hasse, poet, released Shelter, a book produced by Nodin Press. During the pandemic, when even commonplace gatherings have become fraught with risk, DeMark and Hasse explored and found new shades of meaning in shelter for people and animals. The book is available from Itasca Books or on Amazon.

Mary Zellmer-Bruhn (BBA ’87, MS ’93, PhD ’99) has been appointed chair of the Department of Work and Organizations at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. She also has been named senior editor at Organization Science. She is happy to note that her oldest child is a Badger, in her second year at Madison studying dance.

Jack is currently balancing consulting work with moving full time onto his sailing catamaran after the pandemic nudged him into “pre-tirement.” Zavoral earned his U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license and will be operating sailing charters out of Key West this winter on “Traveller,” his Leopard 44 catamaran. Depending on the status of COVID in the Bahamas, he is hoping to explore the Exumas chain in the Bahamas next spring before moving up to the coast of Maine.

Doug started in the newly created director position at the UW E-Business Consortium. In this role, he leads staff in implementing strategies to achieve operational excellence and oversee new growth initiatives and expanded offerings to the industry. Barton brought more than 30 years of experience in senior leadership positions at companies such as UBIX.AI and IBM.