“Other” Class Notes

John Pettey (Com ’71 CM) was recently included in Barron’s list of the top 1,200 advisors in the country, ranked ninth in the state of Tennessee. This is the fifth consecutive year that he has been included in the list. Mr. Pettey is a managing director with Raymond James & Associates in Memphis, where his group offers its clients financial and estate planning, risk management and investment advisory services.

Benet Kolman (Intern ’68) published his debut short story collection, Dark Matters: Seven Variations on a Theme (Damianos Publishing), in December 2015. The book’s seven stories, centered on seven disparate characters, in different locales, times and situations, are united by the common theme of illusion and its role in human striving.

George Meredith (Med ’66 CM) has published his second e-book, On Improving Obstructive Sleep Apnea Surgery. The e-book outlines techniques that aim to reduce postoperative morbidity and increase perioperative safety while increasing operative success rates.

Alan Bennett (Col ’59) has been elected to the town council of Durham, New Hampshire. His three-year term began in March 2016. He and his wife moved to Durham on his retirement from medicine two years ago. Dr. Bennett spent 30 years as an academic surgeon at Harvard Medical School, the University of Pittsburgh and Albany Medical College. At the time of his retirement, he was vice president of medical affairs at C.R. Bard Inc. in Murray Hill, New Jersey. Dr. Bennett has held posts on a number of committees, including the position of park manager and chairman of the committee of managers for Llewellyn Park, New Jersey. He is also a trained invasive species and water quality monitor with over 10 years of experience in the Adirondacks, and currently serves as the vice chairman of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.

Mrrzy Votaw (Grad ’88, Grad ’92), formerly Marianne, announces their transition away from the female gender, opting for nonbinary/neither. All they ask is that you avoid their old first name and that you please be patient if they correct you, possibly many times, while you get used to it.

Daniel Carroll (Educ ’06) and his wife, Noelle, welcomed twins, son Noah Joseph Maurice and daughter Katherine Grace, on April 25, 2016.

Marissa Moore (Col ’07) and Jerome L. Moore (Engr ’07 L/M) welcomed a son, Aidan Thomas, on April 21, 2016. Aidan joins brother Ashton, 2. The family lives in Dallas.

Robert Sexton (Col ’78, Grad ’81) is vice president and international general counsel of the biotechnology company Amgen. He is based in Switzerland and is responsible for the company’s legal affairs in more than 85 countries. He lives in Zurich with his wife, Yesim; and their two children, Benjamin and Sarah.

Marie Martin (Col ’03 CM) and her husband, Matthew Martin, welcomed a son, Gibson Edloe, on Feb. 9, 2016. Gibson joins brother Grayson, 3.

John Carten (Com ’74) has retired from Amtrak after 39 years with the corporation. He began working with Amtrak after earning his M.B.A. degree from the George Washington University. He worked in Amtrak’s finance department and later in the corporate development department, serving as director board liaison and assistant corporate secretary for 22 years. Mr. Carten also served as corporate secretary for the Chicago Union Station Co. and the Washington Terminal Co. and as assistant corporate secretary for the Union Station Redevelopment Corp. in Washington.

David Akinaka (Arch ’93 CM) was promoted to principal at Ferraro Choi, a Honolulu firm specializing in sustainable architecture, interior design and research in the Pacific region. He will focus on design and business development for health care, educational and commercial projects. Before joining Ferraro Choi in 2004, Mr. Akinaka practiced in New York City for seven years. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the Urban Land Institute. He lives in Honolulu with his wife and son.

Thomas Pettigrew (Col ’52) has received the American Sociological Association’s 2016 Cox-Johnson-Frazier Race Relations Award in honor of his contributions to the study and advancement of race relations and the status of disadvantaged populations. Mr. Pettigrew is a research professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Katie Niebaum (Col ’03 CM) and her husband, Geoff Niebaum, welcomed a son, Graham Andrew, on Oct. 25, 2015. The family lives in Arlington, Virginia.

Chris FitzGerald (Engr ’86 CM) was named CEO of BrandFX, a Fort Worth, Texas-based manufacturer of truck service bodies. He and his wife, Joanne D. FitzGerald (Educ ’88 L/M), live in Southlake.

Clay Gravely (Col ’99 CM) and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed a son, Harry Clay “Quinn” Gravely V, on Feb. 18, 2016. The family lives in Martinsville, Virginia.

Christina Polenta (Com ’09 CM) has been promoted to managing director at JHL Capital Group, a Chicago-based hedge fund.

Latasha Vernon (Col ’98) and her husband, TaRail Vernon, welcomed a daughter, Lauryn Rose, on Oct. 16, 2015. Lauryn joins sister Taryn, 3. The family resides in Lindenhurst, Illinois, where Ms. Vernon has taken time off to raise their family.

Troy Lescher (Col ’98) is an assistant professor of theater, film and dance at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California.