CLASS OF 1981 | 2018 | ISSUE 3
Greetings from the Midwest. Alas, I (Joanne) have sad news to report—an indication of where we find ourselves along the path of this great journey we call life. But let me begin with happier news from a selection of our classmates.
I caught up with my old roommate Kathy Prager Conrad and her husband, Jamie. Kathy advises, counsels, and directs teams of talented young people in the tech sector in her job as director of digital government at Accenture, where she builds on the work that she did in the Obama administration to modernize government using digital services and technology. She finds time to travel, most recently to Croatia. Kathy’s daughter, Liza ’11, has relocated from Brooklyn to Atlanta to work as the deputy data and digital director on Stacey Allen’s gubernatorial campaign (results unknown at this time). Caroline ’14 is working in film as a writer, producer, and director, balancing “professional work” with pro bono work in areas of her passion. Kathy’s sister, Ellen Prager ’84, a renowned marine biologist and educator, will publish her book, Dangerous Earth: What We Wish We Knew, in December.
I caught up by phone with both Rick Ciullo and John “Wally” Walden ’82. Rick, who retired last year from Chubb Insurance still keeps involved in the insurance world in Hartford but remains in New Jersey, where he can better enjoy the company of his wife and his daughters, Meghan (a senior in high school) and Hannah (a sophomore in college). Wally, in Ontario, is happy in the world of technology and is enjoying life as empty nesters with wife Lisa while yet still trying to enjoy as much time as possible with his two sons.
Brenda Zlamany’s 100/100 is a stunning and poignant multimedia exhibition that includes 100 watercolor portraits, 100 photographs, and a short video of older and disabled residents of the Hebrew Home at Riverdale that the artist painted during 2017.
The paintings were exhibited at the Derfner Judaica Museum + The Art Collection. She has received a Peter S. Reed Foundation Grant, a Fulbright Fellowship, a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant, a New York Foundation for the Arts Artists’ Fellowship in painting, and a Jerome Foundation Fellowship. Yale University recently commissioned two large-scale group portraits by her for permanent public display on campus. What an accomplished career!
Greg Shatan moved son Max Shatan ’22 into his old freshman dorm, Foss 1. Greg reminisced about a recent collective 60th birthday celebration and Urban Renewal band reunion. Many of the core members were there, along with special guest musicians: Rob Levin, Joel Kreisberg, Bryant Urban, Carl Sturken ’78, Joe Galeota ’85, Jeannie Gagné ’82, Liz Queler, Billy Hunter ’78, Scot Hecker, Matt Penn, Bill Yalowitz, and Paul Spiro.
Greg joined the law firm of Moses & Singer as a partner in their intellectual property and internet/technology practices and became president of the New York chapter of the Internet Society, a group that promotes the open development, evolution and use of the internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world.
Barry “Pono” Fried’s business Open Eye Tours was inducted into the Trip Advisor Hall of Fame and received their coveted Certificate of Excellence for seven consecutive years. He creates custom interpretive hands-on experiences to Hawa’i based on his 35 years of teaching, guiding, and cultural immersion.
Ned Lerner rates high on the list of cool dudes (my words, not his, after telling my sons). He has been in San Francisco since 1996; for the past 13 years he’s been director of engineering at Sony PlayStation, whose team did “a lot of the heavy lifting” for the PS4. Ned left to start his fifth start-up, Hearo.Live, a live audience for everything using the power of voice, video, and touch. If anyone is big on eSports, games, or streaming, Ned invites you to meet him in Hearo: Ned#4868.
Stephen Misarski received his Doctor of Ministry from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. His concentration was outreach and discipleship which resulted in his thesis-project, “Training for Evangelistically Effective Churches in New England.”
It is with great sadness that I conclude with news of the passing of Kevin Osborn on June 15 from complications of lung cancer. He was a devoted, creative, working, stay-at-home dad, as well as a gifted writer, producing more than three dozen books on topics ranging from classical mythology to medical literature to sports, as well as books on parenting and titles for young adults on justice and tolerance. He wrote as a futurist in his later years. He had an encyclopedic memory and a love of puzzles, was also a die-hard Mets fan, and a man of great optimism. He will be dearly missed by his friends and family. Our deepest sympathy goes out in particular to his wife of 29 years, Susan Kiley ’83, and their four children, Meghan, Ian, Molly and Casey. Donations may be made to Tri-Boro Volunteer Ambulance Corps, PO Box 204, Park Ridge, N.J. 07656.
David I. Block | david.I.block@gmail.com
Joanne Godin Audretsch | Berlinjo@aol.com