Class Notes

Jenna Pastuszek (Col ’09, Educ ’10 CM) and Joshua Zecher-Ross are thrilled to debut GET HAPPY!: A Tribute to the World’s Greatest Entertainer, Judy Garland, live and livestreamed at The Green Room 42 in Manhattan. With “lavishly clever arrangements” and “witty, endearing personal stories,” this is not a traditional Judy Garland tribute—there will be no impersonation here. Instead, lifelong Judy fans will love the cleverly curated playlist of beloved classics and forgotten gems while millennials and Gen Z-ers will discover an artist who transcends time.

The tribute will take place on Apr. 7 at 7:00 P.M., and tickets are available at this link. Contact The Green Room 42 Presents, 646-449-7792, programming@thegreenroom42.com or tickets@thegreenroom42.com.

JoAnne Hilson Speiden (Educ ’69, ’77) of Somerset, Virginia, was chosen as President of the Virginia Electoral Board Association on Mar. 20, 2022. This organization is a voluntary organization consisting of the 133 local Electoral Boards across the Commonwealth. Electoral Boards are citizen boards that ensure elections are conducted accurately, fairly, securely and according to the Code of Virginia. JoAnn received her B.S. in Education in 1969 and her M.S. in Education in 1977, and was employed by the Piedmont Regional Education Program in Charlottesville for 32 years as an adapted physical education teacher. Since then, she has been a member of the Orange County Electoral Board.

Dr. Jason Cottrell (Educ ’16 CM) was awarded the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) – College Student Educators International Presidential Citation.

The Presidential Citation is awarded by the discretion of the ACPA President based on their observation and/or direct work with the individual. This honor is bestowed upon members of the Association for lifelong service and extraordinary contributions to the profession of student affairs and most particularly to ACPA. It is one of the Association’s highest honors.

ACPA – College Student Educators International is a values-centered leadership association that has worked to boldly transform higher education since 1924. Student affairs and higher education professionals, faculty and students trust ACPA to deliver high-quality educational programs, provide access to modern research and scholarship, and promote leaders at all levels through a racial justice and decolonization lens.

ACPA President Dr. Danielle Morgan Acosta described Cottrell as “a passionate public servant” and “a dedicated member of ACPA for 13 years who has held numerous leadership positions in the Association at the chapter, coalition, and convention spaces,” stating that she is “honored to present one of two Presidential Citations to Dr. Jason Cottrell.”

A second Presidential Citation was awarded to the Association for the Study of Higher Education.

Marvin Heinze (Arch ’79 CM) was honored as a National Eagle Scout Association Outstanding Eagle Scout by the San Diego-Imperial Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Currently a City Councilmember in Coronado, California, Heinze was recognized as a notable Eagle Scout who, through service to his country and community, has inspired others.

A career Navy Special Operations Officer who led Explosive Ordnance Disposal forces, a senior government official in port and harbor security and a dedicated community volunteer, Heinze has consistently lived the Scout Oath. His volunteer efforts with national non-profit organizations, local organizations and as a commission and City Council member have consistently made his nation and community a better place to live. Over 50 years after earning his Eagle award in Troop 1033 in Beltsville, Maryland, Heinze is still making a positive impact serving his community.

The NESA Outstanding Eagle Scout Award was established in 2010 to recognize notable Eagle Scouts who have performed distinguished service at the local, state or regional level. Worthy candidates for the award have inspired others through their actions and have devoted a lifetime to their profession, avocation, community and beliefs at great sacrifice to themselves and their families.

Alyson Steele (Arch ’94), Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and LEED Accredited Professional, has been elected president and chief executive officer of Quinn Evans, a nationally recognized architecture, planning, interior design, landscape architecture and historic preservation firm. Steele will oversee more than 200 professionals in six offices. She is widely known for her work in museum design and the revitalization of cultural institutions and landmarks across the nation. Her work emphasizes the long-term, sustainable stewardship of cultural resources. Steele’s clients include the Smithsonian Institution, the National Park Service and the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association. During her tenure as executive, Quinn Evans has grown rapidly while increasing minority representation among its staff as well as company ownership by women.

Katya Davydova (Col ’15 CM) will publish her first book, Joy in Plain Sight, in May 2022. The collection of stories and essays explores the celebration of wonder in the ordinary, especially against the backdrop of a busy, noisy world.

As a professional leadership facilitator for companies like Google, Netflix and Twilio, she is offering customized workshops on how to build behavior-based habits of joy, tailored book talks and private one-on-one coaching for individuals and organizations. Davydova’s mission is to make the world a more joyful place, starting with uncovering what’s right in front of us.

Jill Tietjen (Engr ’76 CM) has an upcoming book titled Over, Under, Around, and Through: How Hall of Famers Surmount Obstacles, which will be released May 3, 2022 by Fulcrum Publishing. The book provides the secrets of how Hall of Famers overcame the obstacles in their lives to become stronger, smarter and more resilient. The stories in the book show how the fifty successful women, inductees into Halls of Fame in the U.S. and around the world, used ten key characteristics either singly or in combination to surmount the many obstacles that they faced in their lives: mental intelligence, emotional intelligence, social support, moral compass/spirituality, determination/perseverance/persistence, optimism, creativity, resilience, action-orientation and passion.

Chelsea Granville Reed (Col ’11 CM), Dentons Senior Managing Associate, has been selected as a member of the 2022 class of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Pathfinder Program. The program is designed to train high-performing, early-career lawyers in critical career development strategies including leadership and the building of professional networks. Chelsea is a member of Dentons’ Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Employment and Labor, and White Collar and Government Investigations groups, and is in the Louisville office.

Raymond R. Abramson (Col ’73 CM), a judge on the Arkansas Court of Appeals, received the Judicial Leadership Award from Access to Justice for his work in founding and implementing Monroe County Children in Trust, a program designed to lift children out of multigenerational poverty in the Arkansas Delta.