“Other” Class Notes

Elan Leftin (Col ’16 L/M) recently appeared on the premiere of the 13th season of America’s Got Talent with his comedy group, Human Fountains. Watch the viral performance that moved them on to the next round here. 

Leigh Whittingham Ruhl (Col ’84) has joined Asheville School in Asheville, North Carolina, as assistant head of school for advancement.

Lee Clay Johnson (Grad ’11) will publish “Four Walls Around Me to Hold My Life” in the Summer 2018 issue of the literary journal, Ploughshares. Johnson is the author of the novel Nitro Mountain (Knopf), which won the 2017 Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and his stories have appeared in numerous publications. He lives in New York City.  

Kim Doan (Educ ’08 L/M) was selected to fill the empty seat on the board of supervisors in Uwchlan Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Uwchlan Township has three supervisors total. The position that requires the supervisor to learn aspects of township functions, work closely with residents, and make decisions for the health, safety, and wellbeing of the residents.

Aleco Bravo-Greenberg (Col ’90) was part of the team that created Stress Killer, a non-drowsy supplement powder drink designed to calm and bring focus. More information can be found at StressKiller.com.

Fred Thompson (Com ’72 L/M) was elected to the Alpha Kappa Psi Foundation Board in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Natalie Ellmann Guynn (Nurs ’09 L/M) is “thankful for all the amazing memories and the great education” she received at UVA.

Brian T. Wesley (Col ’03) is engaged to Nicole L. Fischer (Col ’04). Mr. Wesley, the son of Ronald Wesley (Law ’75), is managing attorney at Thornton Wesley in Richmond, Virginia. Ms. Fischer is the assistant director of outreach and licensed psychologist at the UVA Counseling and Psychological Services in Charlottesville. A summer 2019 wedding is planned.

M. James Faison (Law ’09) launched Milton’s Local, a brand of all-natural bacon and sausages in Charlottesville-area Food Lion stores. Faison originally pitched the idea for the company at Charlottesville’s Tom Tom Founders Festival in 2013. Milton’s Local was named for Faison’s grandfather, who was a Virginia farmer. The brand has won several awards, including those from the Specialty Food Association, the Natural Products Association and Garden & Gun magazine.

Mike Widener (Col ’72 L/M) has published Joint Tenancies: Property Leasing in Cannabis Commerce (ABA Book Publishing), an analytical look at the landlord-tenant relationship engaging the marijuana industry. Widener has published two dozen articles in academic and trade journals while being an adjunct professor of law and of counsel at Bonnett, Fairbourn, Friedman & Balint. This is his second book. Widener is a member of the Arizona State Liquor Board and a zoning adjustment hearing officer for the City of Phoenix.

George House (Law ’72) was recognized by the 2018 edition of Super Lawyers of North Carolina as a top lawyer in the field of environmental litigation. Mr. House is a lawyer with Brooks Pierce in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Mark Davidson (Law ’83) was selected for the 2018 edition of Super Lawyers of North Carolina as a top lawyer in the field of business/corporate law. Mr. Davidson is a lawyer with Brooks Pierce in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Bill Cary (Col ’71, Darden ’76, Law ’76) was selected by the 2018 edition of Super Lawyers of North Carolina as one of the top lawyers in the field of employment/labor law. Mr. Cary is a lawyer with Brooks Pierce in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Gary Goodman (Col ’67 L/M), Jim Morgan (Col ’67, Med ’71 L/M), Ken Poates (Col ’67, Med ’73), Laurie Croft (Col ’67 L/M), Bruce Thomas (Col ’67, Res ’77), Fred Jones (Col ’67 L/M), Ned Jones (Col ’67 L/M) and Bill Marr (Col ’67 L/M), members of the 1963 first year football team known as The 21 Jewels, were together at their 50th reunion. Officially, the team was so-named because 1963 was the first year UVA awarded a record number of 21 football athletic scholarships. However, there was general consensus that the team’s nickname most accurately described the gem-like quality of the players; let history so record.   

Patricia Cooper (Col ’05, Law ’10 L/M) donated the right lobe of her liver to her father, Dr. Wayne D. Cooper in a complex liver transplant surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center on Dec. 5, 2017. Dr. Cooper was suffering from end stage liver disease, and Ms. Cooper volunteered to donate her liver to him, as there was a low chance that he would ever receive a cadaver donor from the transplant list. They were each hospitalized for one week and are both recovering well. Ms. Cooper has returned to her home in Miami, Florida, and is back to work full-time as an immigration attorney at Gerstein & Gerstein Attorneys.  Dr. Cooper is home in McLean, Virginia. The Washington Post covered their story here. Dr. Cooper is the father of two other UVA graduates, Ryan Cooper (Col ’07), and Becky McDannel (Com ’11 L/M). 

Gabriela Gutowski (Arch ’05 L/M) and David Hammack (Engr ’05) are engaged to be married. The couple reside in Falls Church, Virginia, and an April 2018 wedding is planned in Charlottesville. Ms. Gutowski is the daughter of Andrew Gutowski (Arch ’75) and Francesca Lupica Gutowski (Arch ’74). 

David Theisz (Engr ’04) and Erika Chiang (Col ’04) welcomed their first child, Henry Ming-Yu, on Nov. 4, 2017. Henry is the grandson of Gordon Frederick Theisz Jr. (Engr ’59, ’66) and the nephew of Gordon W. Theisz (Med ’98). The family lives in Arlington, Virginia.