CLASS OF 1986 | 2023 | FALL ISSUE
Several updates to share from ’86 classmates:
Hal Ginsberg reported: “I’m not sure if you heard the sad news about Sandy Goldstein. He died on June 27 after battling ALS for two years. Throughout his illness he received love and support from the many Wesleyan Delta Tau Delta brothers to whom he remained close in the 37 years since graduation. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Marla, and children, Steven and Sarah.
“Regarding me, I am focusing on my YouTube Livestream @halitics, where I critique both major political parties from a progressive perspective Monday through Friday.”
Sarah Bridges wrote: “Hi to all. After graduating from University of Minnesota with a PhD in psychology, I embarked on a career consulting to organizations and nonprofits. I started my own firm 25 years ago and love the work and our team. I currently live on a farm outside Minneapolis, near my four grown children. We have a slew of rescue animals and are transitioning the land to organic space. I see Nina Russo ’87 regularly despite the distance (she is in upstate New York) and we did our doctorates together at the U. Life is really good—a lot of writing, reading, and time outside.”
Mike Sealander said: “I’m still living in eastern Maine. Most of my free time is taken up with gardening and studying Japanese. I have a daughter in a PhD biology program, a daughter starting a master’s in electrical engineering, and a son in college. Although my town is quite rural, there happens to be a couple Wes alums, and we’ve traded notes about Zonker Harris and whatnot.”
Sally Spener transferred to the San Diego, California, office of her longtime employer in late 2022, after 23 years in Texas. Her husband of 32 years is university professor/administrator across the border in Tijuana, Mexico. Sally does water policy work along the U.S.–Mexico border.
Andy Clibanoff retired from executive coaching and is beginning his next chapter when he turns the page. His son, Leo ’23, graduated this past May and is launching his professional career. Andy is in contact with Randy MacLowry, especially when visiting Middletown. He also added that his wife, Denise, and their daughter, Callie ’19, co-hosted an alumni event, with concert by the Wes band the Overcoats (Hana Elion ’15 and JJ Mitchell ’15), in the Fishtown section of Philly.
James Dearborn expressed gratitude for “the completely unexpected emotional support I received from fellow classmates John McIntyre and John Wiseman. They arrived unexpectedly at my mom’s funeral in Castine, Maine—a remote village in Down East Maine. I will be forever grateful for the lengths they went to be there for me and my family, including my son Andrew ’22. The friends you make at Wesleyan truly do last forever.”
Eric Heinze shared: “My 2022 book with the MIT Press, The Most Human Right: Why Free Speech is Everything, went into its paperback edition in September. It was nominated in the UK for The Next Big Idea (Season 18) and was featured at the Oxford Literary Festival 2023.
Here’s a link to the paperback: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262547246/the-most-human-right/.”
Eric was also “invited as a speaker in the UK Parliament Group on accountability in Iran, July 2023, organized by Association of Anglo-Iranian Women in the UK and Justice for the Victims of the 1988 Massacre in Iran (JVMI); [and I was] invited as keynote speaker at Danish Parliament, The Future of Free Speech, December 2022.”
Eric Howard updated: “After spending 16 months in New Hampshire running the Timber Framers Guild, I am back in Maine as the executive director of the Environmental & Energy Technology Council (E2Tech.org). When considering the shift, I polled my kids and asked if I should do more in terms of sustainability, climate action, and decarbonization, and they all said ‘yes.’ I was working on climate change in the 1980s, so it’s a return to my roots.” Eric’s other developments are earning the Certified Fundraising Executive credential and completing his doctoral dissertation on knowledge-sharing practices of entrepreneurs.
George Justice is beginning his second year as provost at The University of Tulsa and is settling into that strangely interesting city. He continues to teach, do research, and participate in his company, Dever Justice LLC, which focuses on leadership development for faculty.
Doug Polaner contributed that he “recently saw Jonathan Harber and John Bogosian plus their lovely families. Happy to report, all doing well! Bogo is living the dream in Boulder, Colorado, where we also left our youngest son for his freshman year at CU Boulder. Our oldest, Mason, is starting his final year at Wesleyan. Has loved it, of course! He is captain of the swim team and holds three school records for the 100-, 200-, and 500-yard freestyle. As for me, still hocking wine here at Polaner Selections—2024 will be our 25th year in business! Time flies. Meanwhile, happy 60th birthday to all our classmates celebrating now/soon. See you all in 2026 for the 40th Reunion.”
Jonathan Harber also had some news: Rick Segal ’75, Aysha Khan ’20, and he have embarked on a mission to revolutionize education in New York City through a visionary initiative, Runway Green at Floyd Bennett Field. Nestled within the heart of Brooklyn, Floyd Bennett Field is a national park, holding unique historical significance as New York City’s inaugural airport. Today, Runway Green is poised to transform it into an immersive, experiential learning campus. Jonathan is also the founding chairman of Launch, an expeditionary learning middle school in Brooklyn, and Aysha recently joined to help manage special projects, including the opening of a Launch high school on the Floyd Bennett Field campus.