“Award/Recognition” Class Notes

Ben Rosenthal (Com ’05 CM), CEO and co-president of Standard Meat Company in Fort Worth, Texas has been named an Entrepreneur of The Year® 2024 National Award winner by Ernst & Young. The award, established in 1986, recognizes entrepreneurs who are revolutionizing industries and leading businesses that will shape the future. Ten national winners were chosen by a panel of independent judges from a group of 214 regional winners, representing 185 companies across the U.S. The candidates were evaluated based on their demonstration of building long-term value through entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact, among other core contributions and attributes.

Standard Meat Company is a meat processing and packaging firm with four plants in North Texas. It has been owned and operated by the Rosenthal family since it was founded in 1935.

Wilmah M. “Bill” Getchell, Jr. (Col ’67) was awarded the 2024 Morgan Wing Trophy by the National Beagle Club of America at a meeting held in November in Aldie, Virginia. This “Unsung Hero” award is given annually in recognition of contributions to the sport of beagling. Getchell is on the hunt staff of the Nantucket-Treweryn Beagles, kenneled near Berryville, Virginia.

Byron Dickson (Arch ’63 CM) captured top honors in watercolor at the League of Roanoke Artists annual showcase, held at the Jefferson Center in downtown Roanoke, Virginia. His winning entry, “Wind Surfer,” was among the 94 works featured in this year’s event. Acclaimed professional artist Dana Phillips of Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia judged the contest.

Dr. Christopher Mitchell (Col ’04 CM), was recently promoted to Colonel in the U.S. Army Medical Corps. Mitchell is an active duty emergency physician and combat veteran with four tours in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan. He is the program director for the Emergency Medicine Residency Program at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Cavazos, Texas.

Laura B. Truesdale (Col ’08 CM) of Moore & Van Allen PLLC was named to the 2024 Lawdragon 500 X – The Next Generation list. The 500 X list, now in its second year of publishing, recognizes future leaders in law and those who, according to Lawdragon, “have eyes turned toward the future and an undiminished belief in the opportunity to make an impact.” Truesdale’s practice focuses on advising clients – such as real estate developers, lenders and financial institutions, contractors, and buyers/sellers of contaminated properties – on the environmental aspects of a wide range of real-estate-related matters.

Thomas C. Grant (Col ’92) has been named to the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of commercial litigation. Grant is a partner at Freed Grant LLC, where he focuses his practice on complex business litigation, commercial real estate, probate, appellate, and insurance defense matters.

Jules P. Manger (Col ’03, Res ’14 CM) has been recognized by Newsweek in the first annual ranking of America’s Best Prostate Cancer Surgeons.  The list recognizes the 150 best prostate cancer surgeons in America based on outcomes data and peer review.  Dr. Manger lives in Tucson, Arizona with his wife Linda (Williams) Manger (Col ’03 CM) and three sons.

Marlene Hall (Col ’96 CM) was named one of the top 10 producing real estate agents for the state of Virginia for eXp Realty LLC for the month of June 2024.

Robert Lufkin (Med ’79) has published Lies I Taught in Medical School, a New York Times bestseller based on his experience as a full professor at UCLA and USC medical schools. The book has been described as a riveting, cautionary tale of how medicine has gotten things so wrong (and continues to) in the area of metabolic health.

A free sample chapter is available at https://www.robertlufkinmd.com/lies/

Patricia A. Steenberg Leonard (Col ’88 CM) has been named one of the Top 50 woman lawyers in the State of Florida by Florida Super Lawyers.  Leonard is a business trial attorney at Shutts & Bowen LLP in West Palm Beach, Florida, where she practices commercial litigation, labor and employment litigation, and intellectual property litigation.

Myron Santos (Col ’01 CM) has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his work on The Amazing Race in the category of Outstanding Picture Editing for a Structured Reality or Competition Program. It is his second nomination; his first came for RuPaul’s Drag Race: All-Stars in 2019. Santos and his wife and their 9-year-old daughter live in Los Angeles. He is a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild (IATSE Local 700) and The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and is on the board of the U.Va Entertainment Club of Los Angeles.

John Allis (Col ’75) and Cathy Allis (Educ ’77) have received organic certification for Kennebec Oat Farm.  The farm is located in eastern coastal Maine and grows milky oats, wild raspberry leaf and lady’s mantle leaf.  John continues as a licensed engineer in Maine, Colorado and Virginia, although most of his time is spent on the oat farm.

Don Slesnick (Col ’65 CM) received the Henry M. Flagler Community Builder Award at the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Goals Conference banquet in June. The award, which acknowledges lifetime contributions to South Florida, was given to Slesnick and his late wife Jeannett, who was honored posthumously.

Ben Rosenthal (Com ’05 CM) has been named an Entrepreneur of The Year 2024 Southwest award winner by Ernest & Young LLP. Rosenthal is co-president and CEO of Standard Meat Company in Fort Worth, Texas. Entrepreneur of The Year is a competitive awards program for entrepreneurs and leaders of high-growth companies.