Class Notes

Danielle Childress MacRae (Col ’16, Batten ’17 CM) and James MacRae (Engr ’14 CM) welcomed a daughter, Ivy Katharine MacRae, Feb. 6, 2023. Ivy is the couple’s first child and named after the Ivy area in Charlottesville. The family lives in Los Angeles.

Owen Howlett (Arch ’07) has been promoted to associate principal at Pickard Chilton, an award-winning architecture studio. Owen is currently leading design teams for several large-scale, mixed-use master plans including the Le Coeur project — a complex repositioning of existing and new buildings on one of the most prominent sites in Düsseldorf, Germany — and CoStar Group’s new corporate campus in Richmond, Virginia. Owen received his Master of Architecture degree from Yale School of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture and minor in Landscape Architecture from the University of Virginia. 

Anwar Allen (Col ’08) and Laura Allen (Col ’06) have recently been recognized as a Virginia Wine & Country Life Artisan for their baking business, Allens Scottish Shortbread. The magazine shared Anwar and Laura’s new flavor announcement and the details of their exciting collaboration across the pond with Harney & Sons Fine Teas to create unique tea-infused shortbread flavors. 

Rusty Allen (Col ’81 CM) has published his debut novel, Ella’s War, a journey amongst women and men whose lives are deeply altered by the circumstances of WWII.  

It’s 1943 on the American home front, and Ella’s pent-up common-law husband finally decides to leave their farm and enlist. Ella must either depart their seafaring town in coastal Delaware to pursue other dreams inland or try to save their farm. Their grade-school son, Reese, won’t budge, and Ella sees that farmers have a patriotic duty to stay on the land.

The bay and ocean waters before them have been preyed upon by German U-boats, and their village has become a refuge for survivors. When an officer from a surrendered German submarine is sent to her as part of POW farm labor, can Ella embrace the help in order to survive? And what happens when Dieter becomes more than a hand to her, amid prying eyes and under her beloved but conflicted son’s watch? How will she choose when her explosive husband returns from Europe wounded from infantry duty against the Germans?

“Beautifully wrought, heart stopping, spirit lifting…. What a human brew!”
     –– Ron Suskind (Col ’81) Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Hope in the Unseen

Allen lives in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, and can be reached through his website: www.rustyallenauthor.com

Carolina Ferrerosa Young (Col ’09 CM) and Daniel T. Young (Col ’07 CM) welcomed their second child, Gabriel Miguel, on Jan. 22nd, 2023. Ms. Young is economic policy adviser to U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in Washington, D.C., and Mr. Young is an appellate counsel in the Office of the General Counsel for the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. The family lives in Reston, Virginia. 

Dr. Lee Ann Clements (Col ’81 CM) is retiring from teaching after 34 years on the faculty at Jacksonville University in Florida. During her tenure she served as chair of the Department of Biology and Marine Science, chair of the Division of Science and Mathematics, chair of the faculty, associate provost, interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and interim provost. She was named Professor of the Year in 1995, chaired JU’s Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accreditation process, and served as a board member of the National Conference for Undergraduate Research and Jacksonville’s Museum of Science and History. Dr. Clements was granted emerita status and will continue to serve as JU’s director of academic integrity.

Warren McCarty (Law ’13) of Dallas-based Caldwell Cassady & Curry has been recognized on the 2023 Texas Super Lawyers Rising Stars list of the state’s top young lawyers based on his work in intellectual property. You can read more about McCarty in this announcement: https://caldwellcc.com/2023/03/attorneys-from-dallas-caldwell-cassady-curry-named-among-best-in-texas-4/

Lettie J. Bien (Batten ’19 CM) has received the 2023 Military Hero award from the American Red Cross, Central Virginia Chapter. The “Military Hero” has been awarded to individuals, veterans, and civilians whose body of work to support active-duty military members, their families and veterans in our community and has made a significant impact. 

The award will be presented to Colonel Bien at the 2023 Help Can’t Wait-Celebration of Heroes breakfast April 20.

Mary P Harper (Educ ’75) has published her memoir, The Sound of Her Voice: My Blind Parents’ Story, which examines the challenges faced by both of her parents as they navigated life without sight. Her father was the first blind graduate of the Notre Dame University Law School, practiced law, and was elected Judge three times. Her mother raised four sighted children and ran the household. Kirkus Reviews called it “an inspiring story that avoids becoming saccharine…”

Ameena Gill (Engr ’04) leads Lyft’s Global Operations team based in San Francisco, CA. She and her team manage operational performance metrics across Lyft’s multiple business units including customer satisfaction and loyalty, efficiency and productivity, revenue and engagement and diversity goals. 

Megan Sirna (Col ’99 CM) was recently named senior vice president of Human Resources for Georgia-Pacific. She focuses on advancing the company’s culture and helping supervisors empower employees to achieve their full potential. Sirna has devoted her professional career to advising businesses on leadership, talent and culture matters. 

Sirna joined Georgia-Pacific in 2006 as an attorney in the company’s law department and moved to Human Resources in 2014. She has held various leadership positions supporting HR across several departments, including manufacturing, sales, supply chain and finance. 

Born in Washington, D.C., she has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. 

Frances Keene (Educ ’02) has been named vice president for student affairs at Virginia Tech, after serving as interim VPSA since July 2022. She will continue to lead a division known for facilitating robust and comprehensive student life experiences. 

Keene deeply values her work with students and educators who prioritize student learning and development in a residential context. She was honored in 2016 as a recipient of the Aspire! Award recognizing her commitment to embracing Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). 

Student Affairs at Virginia Tech oversees more than 3,000 employees, 20 departments and critical student life programs — including dining and residential life, student organizations, counseling, health and well-being, international student services, student conduct, and learning partnerships. 

Keene earned a Ph.D. in higher education from Virginia Tech, a master’s degree in counselor education from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of William & Mary. 

Patrick O. Gottschalk (Law ’83 CM) was awarded a life membership in the Virginia Economic Developers Association at the December 2022 annual membership meeting. Gottschalk has served as pro bono legal counsel for the organization for over 20 years, and he has been a member of VEDA since 1989. Gottschalk is the seventh person to receive the award in the 40 year history of the Association.

Charley Johnson (Com ’69 CM), chief executive officer, OptiCat, LLC, received the Triangle Award from the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association.

The Triangle Award is given periodically to a person or organization to honor selfless contributions to the vehicle supplier industry. Johnson was presented the award in September at his office in Maryland.

“Charley’s decades of exceptional leadership and dedication to the supplier industry embody the spirit of the Triangle Award,” said Bill Long, president and CEO of MEMA.

From its inception, the Triangle Award was not intended as an annual award.  It is presented when truly deserving candidates are found — those who have worked tirelessly, behind the scenes, out of the spotlight and whose contributions have advanced the supplier industry. 

Richard E. Katholi (Med ’68 CM) has published Reflections Off a Vietnamese Moon: In Country or Boots on the Ground, a book about his experiences in Vietnam. Katholi recounts the year (1970-1971) he cared for patients in a war zone, describes the day-to-day outpatient care of troops, as well as the comprehensive military network of medical care provided by MASH units. The book title was inspired by how he reflected thoughts off the moon at night when he was walking back to his living quarters. 

Richard F. McGonegal (Grad ’75) has published The Forget-Me-Knot, a mystery novel. His book is the third in the Sheriff Francis Hood mystery series, preceded by Sense of Grace and Ghoul Duty.

McGonegal received a Master’s degree in English literature at UVA in 1975, where he was a student in Peter Taylor’s creative writing class. He and his wife, Kristie, live in Jefferson City, Missouri, and are the parents of two adult daughters, Heather and Jane.

Anthony J. Romanello (Col ’92 CM) has recently published The Girl Who Lived on the Third Floor, the story of how his fifth child came to live with their family.  All book proceeds go to Hope Tree Family Services, Inc. 

Stephen Lee (Col ’85 CM) has joined the firm JP Morgan Chase as Vice President, Agility Lead. Stephen works in the Chicago office where he helps development teams plan, execute and deliver software and system enhancements using modern, iterative development processes. Stephen has worked in software development for over two decades.