CLASS OF 2004 | 2022 | SPRING ISSUE
After serving as the country director of Ashoka, Philippines, for the past seven years, Terri Jayme-Mora tells us “I’ve moved my little family of four from Manila to Vancouver, British Columbia. I am enjoying my new role as special projects lead for Firetree Philanthropy and have also cofounded the Democratic Insights Group focused on voter centeredness and electoral competitiveness in the Philippines.”
Meanwhile, Mark Schindler is a senior director at Fountain, where he leads the team responsible for helping their customers source high-volume hourly workers. Fountain recently closed their Series C funding, led by SoftBank and B Capital, and have grown the team to 175 people worldwide (from just 15 people when Mark started!). Mark has enjoyed the, albeit very slow, renewal of travel and finally meeting colleagues who he has only ever met on Zoom.
Nick Blondin shares that he’s just started his fourth year as a neuro-oncologist at Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale, and loves caring for my patients. This May will be his 12th wedding anniversary with Rebecca Gordon ’06. His kids, Alice (4th grade) and Danny (kindergarten), are both vaccinated and in school. “I enjoy spending my free time biking on Zwift!”
Elaina Dellacava reports: “My husband Adam and I welcomed a baby boy (William Joseph) in August of this year, one day before our daughter Sienna turned two. I continue to work as a psychiatrist at New York Presbyterian/Cornell, and am switching roles to focus on the geriatric population with an interest in addressing loneliness in that group of patients. Hoping everyone is healthy and happy as we start 2022.”
Dael Norwood has also just published his first book, Trading Freedom: How Trade with China Defined Early America (University of Chicago Press). An academic monograph, it investigates the politics of the first century of commerce between China and the United States. Wesleyan’s campus has an “old China trade” connection too: Russell House, the Greek Revival mansion on the corner of Washington and High Streets, is the former home of Samuel Russell—the founder of the largest American opium smuggling firm operating in China during the 19th century.
Greg Heller left his public-sector role as executive director of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority in the fall to join management consulting firm Guidehouse as a director and housing subject-matter expert. Greg is building on his Philly work to help partners around the country develop equitable, resilient communities where everyone can have a quality, affordable home. Governing recently published Greg’s article about how we can draw from lessons in disaster recovery to more urgently address America’s housing stability crisis.
Over in Florida, Brian Hennessey tells us: “I’m living on Miami Beach and am still the Wes alumni regional representative for south Florida and trying hard to not become a “Florida Man.” I’m happy to meet up with any Wes alums among the droves of folks moving to Miami to work remotely under a palm tree. I can provide expert guidance on how to avoid being hit by falling iguanas or coconuts, among other useful tips.”