“Other” Class Notes

David M. Walsh (Com ’76 L/M) has been appointed honorary consul of Japan in Orlando by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Mr. Walsh was president and CEO of Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas, based in Lake Mary, Florida. He also served as a corporate officer of Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems in Japan and as vice president of service and manufacturing for Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America’s power generation business.

Rodolph L. “Rody” Johnson (Engr ’56, Darden ’60 L/M) has published his fifth book, An Ice Age Mystery: Unearthing the Secrets of the Old Vero Site (University Press of Florida, 2017). The book tells the story of a 1916 discovery of prehistoric human remains in Vero Beach, Florida. The find caused controversy in its day, as Elias Sellards’s discovery conflicted with the prevailing theory of humans’ arrival in North America. The book explores the original find and more recent evidence that supports Sellards’s findings. Mr. Johnson lives in Vero Beach with his wife.

Hilliard “Hill” Hardman (Law ’06) has joined the advisory board of Skyland Trail, an Atlanta-based nonprofit mental health treatment organization for adults with mental illnesses. Mr. Hardman is the director of corporate strategy and development at RouteMatch Software.

Donald D. “Don” Slesnick (Col ’65 L/M) was installed as president and chair of the Orange Bowl for 2017-18. He served as the mayor of Coral Gables, Florida for 10 years and is the managing partner of the Law Offices of Slesnick & Casey.

David H. Reid (Com ’06 L/M) has joined the government relations department of the lobbying firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck as a policy advisor in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. He previously worked as the Washington, D.C. and political action campaign finance director for Hillary for America and as the mid-Atlantic finance director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

David Rees Evans (Grad ’87, ’94) was elected to the board of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. His three-year term began in February 2017. Mr. Evans is the president of Southern Vermont College in Bennington, Vermont. He was previously the vice president for academic affairs and the dean of faculty at Buena Vista University in Iowa. He has spoken and written on professional issues including faculty hiring and careers, training for administrators and the future of small private colleges in The Chronicle of Higher Education and elsewhere.

Jean-Jacques Cabou (Col ’99 L/M) received NARAL Pro-Choice Arizona’s 2017 Trust AZ Women Award. The award honors contributions to the cause of women’s reproductive choice in Arizona. Mr. Cabou is a partner in the white collar and investigations practice of the law firm Perkins Coie. He works in the firm’s Phoenix office.

NAVFAC Atlantic Architects and Engineers gathered together to celebrate Thomas Jefferson’s birthday, April 13, 2017. Pictured (Left to right) R. T. (Trip) Fitch III (Arch ’91, Engr ’94 L/M), Jeff Stark (Arch ’83 L/M), Lacey (Wolf) Craven (Arch ’05) and Ted Porter (Arch ’81 L/M).

Lesley A. Field (Com ’90, L/M) is pleased to announce the adoption of Mikalah N. Parsons on January 23, 2017. Mikalah is an honor student, violinist, cheerleader, and varsity track team member at her high school, and was warmly welcomed by friends and family in a happy celebration preceding the official adoption event.

Lesley is the deputy administrator for federal procurement policy in the Office of Management and Budget, Executive Office of the President, and is also currently serving as acting administrator. She was recently recognized by FCW and 1105 Media with their top 2017 President’s Award as part of this year’s Fed 100 awards program recognizing sustained leadership in federal information technology. Lesley was featured in FCW’s March magazine, and was also named as one of the Top Women in Technology 2017 by FedScoop Magazine. Lesley is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

https://fcw.com/articles/2017/03/31/lesley-field-interview.aspx?m=1
https://www.fedscoop.com/fedscoops-top-women-in-tech-2017-lesley-field/

C. Michelle Batten (Col ’94 L/M) has been named board president of the American Marketing Association in Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Batten is launching strategic growth initiatives to unite marketers across agencies and brands in the academic, non-profit, startup and technology arenas, and has been featured in the “People on the Move” segment of Crain’s Chicago Business Magazine. Ms. Batten is the daughter of Bobby Gale Batten (Com ’58 L/M).

Bob Rosen (Col ’77) was the keynote speaker at a “Growth Awards” gala December 1, 2016, in Athens, Greece. The event, which was attended by 2,000 businessmen and women along with several dignitaries and government leaders, focused on topics of healthy leadership, growth and transformation. Mr. Rosen also recently collaborated on a leadership webinar with Rob Cross (Com ’89, Darden ’94), a professor in UVA’s Darden School of Business and founder of Connected Commons. Mr. Rosen’s books include The Healthy Company, Leading People, Just Enough Anxiety, Global Literacies, The Catalyst, and most recently, Grounded. He is currently working on his seventh book (set to be published this year) and is the CEO of Healthy Companies International in Arlington, Virginia.

Robert Chambliss “Cham” Light Jr. (Col ’76 L/M) is serving his second consecutive term as chairman of the Library of Virginia in Richmond, which is the library and state archives for the Commonwealth. Mr. Light is also vice chairman of the Lynchburg Planning Commission.

Gerard F.X. “Guy” Geier II (Arch ’76, ’78 L/M), managing partner of FXFOWLE Architects, has been elected president of the American Institute of Architects, New York chapter for 2018. He will also serve on the boards and executive committees of the AIANY and New York Center for Architecture as first vice president in 2017. The AIA was founded in New York City 160 years ago, and the New York chapter is the largest in the country, providing educational and professional services to its 5,600 members. The center organizes programs and exhibitions open to the general public aimed at broadening the understanding and impact of architecture and design on society. He is also a member and former chair of the dean’s advisory board at the UVA School of Architecture.

Alan Stephenson Boyd (Law ’48 L/M) of Seattle, Washington, helped to establish and was appointed the first secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation at its founding in April 1967, under President Lyndon B. Johnson. During his tenure, the first national highway safety and federal motor carrier vehicle standards were issued. Mr. Boyd would go on to become president of Amtrak and then to lead Airbus Industries of North America until his retirement in 2009. This spring, the transportation department celebrates its 50th anniversary, to be attended by Mr. Boyd at the age of 94. He is also featured in an anniversary video on the department’s website, Transportation.gov/50.