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After more than 20 years of service in the federal government with the General Services Administration, Jim Ghiloni decided to take Elon Musk up on his offer to pay him in full for the rest of the calendar year to not work for the government and is now waiting his official retirement date. He is now leveraging his experience in government contracting and procurement as a consultant and generating more than enough work to keep busy. Jim reports that GSA came out of the transition less traumatically than agencies like USAID or State, but it still saw significant impacts. For the price of a cup of coffee, he will spill the tea to anyone in or visiting the D.C. area.  

Narda Jones, after a storied career that began in AmeriCorps, moved to the Senate, White House, and the FCC (where she served as chief of staff to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel ’93), has also departed federal service. After some time off, she joined the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies as a senior fellow, supporting legislative affairs and stakeholder outreach efforts to promote equity-centered technology and economic policy.

David Thomson is in his last year of his term as chief justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court, the second Wesleyan graduate to serve as chief justice, with the first being Richard Bosson ’66. David is thankful for the opportunity to reconnect with Butterfield alums Yuki Shimmyo Dumaresq and Galen Plona in New York, where they saw The Picture of Dorian Gray and took a visit up to campus, which they plan to reprise in 2025. While at Wesleyan, David visited Professor Alyx Mark’s classes to discuss judicial decision-making, law school, and his clerkship opportunity program.

Jen Craig Fletcher, in Sydney, along with Kristi Hanson in Melbourne, are the 1991 representatives for Australia. In July, Jen escaped the cold and wet, heading to Northampton, Massachusetts, for mini-Wes reunions, first with Joanie Menefee, Laurie Woods, and Silvia Mayo Molina; then with Joanie, Joseph Entin and Sophie Bell at their lake cottage in Chesterfield, Massachusetts.

All who gathered are all educators: Dr. Joanie Menefee is a creative writing professor at the University of Wisconsin at Stout; Dr. Joseph Entin is a professor of English and American studies at Brooklyn College; Dr. Sophie Bell is a writing professor at St. John’s College; Dr. Laurie Woods is a reading interventionist at Bridges Public Charter school in D.C. (founded by Olivia Smith ’90); Dr. Silvia Mayo Molina is a former middle school principal in Middletown; and Jen is head of English at St. Charbel’s College (high school) in Sydney.

From educators to getting educated: After 30-plus years in the Boston high-tech start-up scene, Nikolaus Bates-Haus changed careers to forest ecology. After a year of incidental coursework and two research assistant positions, he began a PhD at Boston University in September 2025.

Sarah Lewis Chaskes does both! She continues to teach sixth grade, plans to complete her master’s degree in education, with a concentration in social justice, in December 2025. Michael Chaskes edits unscripted television and was granted membership in the American Cinema Editors (ACE) honorary society. Recent credits including With Love, Meghan for Netflix and Deal or No Deal Island for NBC.  

Cameron Gearen marks 13 years of Gearen Consulting, her educational consulting firm that supports students and families through the college application process. Cameron’s main hobby is songwriting, singing, and playing guitar; and you can find her single “Arkansas” on streaming platforms.

She’s married to Eric Savlin, a graphic designer, and they live outside of Chicago. Her older daughter is in LA, and her younger daughter (Oberlin ’24) had a successful Fulbright year in Taiwan. Cameron reports on quality in-person time with Zan (Susanna) Barry, Whitney Lukens, Nicole Fluhr, Sophie Bell, Joseph Entin, Stephanie (Donohue) Pilla ’90, and Sarah Ellenzweig ’90. 

Julie Huck’s enjoyable life includes visits with her adult kiddos in San Diego and at Fordham in NYC, fundraising for Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative, and spending time on or in the Minneapolis lakes. She says, “If you’re passing through for a conference or en route to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, please say hello!”

Randall Cook celebrated his daughter’s, Rose Cook ’25, graduation from Wesleyan in May, and snuck in some reunion time with Merri Rosen ’90.

Which brings notes to a close, with a reminder that it’s our reunion year in 2026.  Until then, stay in touch.

RENÉE K. CARL | rcarl@wesleyan.edu