Class Notes
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Please note: Individuals are listed in Class Notes according to the year of their most recent School of Management degree.
1960s
Orrin D. Tobbe 66, MBA 67, is president and chief executive officer of Waterford Village Bank.
Frank J. Michels, MBA 68, is vice president of Paramax Corp., an investment banking group based in Williamsville.
Gerard T. Mazurkiewicz 69 was honored with the Kaleida Health Spirit Award.
1970s
Richard E. Klein 70 was named treasurer of National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp.
Michael D. Jozwiak 73 was named partner at Gaines Kriner Elliott.
John S. (Atticus) Alberts 74 is retired from a career as a real estate broker. He currently sells his original photography on an eBay store, Photos by Atticus2008.
John P. Kasperek 75 was appointed director of operations at The Colad Group in Buffalo.
Lemma Senbet, PhD 75, has been named a fellow by the Financial Management Association International for his significant contributions to the profession through scholarship and service. He is the William E. Mayer Chair in Finance at the University of Marylands Robert H. Smith School of Business.
Burt Zweigenhaft 76 is CEO and managing partner of BioPharma Partners, an investment and managing company focusing on oncology, biopharmaceuticals, disease management, genomics and oncology pharmacy services. OncoMed, the oncology pharmacy unit, has just completed its third year expanding into four northeast markets with sales of $50 million.
Lawrence J. Zielinski, MBA 77, is president of Buffalo General Hospital and also serves as president of the Visiting Nursing Association of Western New York.
1980s
Joseph P. Lojacono 79, MBA 80, was appointed first vice president of the Monday Quarterback Club, a business group that backs the Buffalo Bills.
James F. Cahill 82 was named chief executive officer of Watts Architecture and Engineering in Buffalo.
Ronald J. Tanski, MBA 82, was named president of National Fuel Gas Supply Corp.
Michael R. Bonetto 83 was promoted to Western New York regional vice president of First Niagara Risk Management.
Richard L. Michel 77, MBA 83, was appointed vice chair and head of corporate banking at National City Corp.
Debra J. Whais, MBA 83, was appointed chief financial officer of the Girl Scouts of Western New York.
John R. Rodgers, MBA 84, was named executive vice president, chief marketing officer, at Independent Health.
Michael J. Murray 75, MBA 85, was named managing partner at Ernst & Young.
Joann L. Steinmetz, MBA 85, was named senior program manager at Good Schools for All.
Mark F. Majewski 87 qualified for the Million Dollar Roundatable, an international, independent association of top life insurance professionals.
Andrew J. Zaref 87 was named chief financial officer at Atrinsic, an Internet media and mobile entertainment company.
Karl D. Fiebelkorn, MBA 88, was recognized with the 2008 Excellence in Teaching Award from the UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, where he is associate dean for student affairs and professional relations. He was also named the 2008 Faculty Liaison of the Year by the National Community Pharmacists Association.
Paul B. Schintzius 88 was named vice president at ADPRO Sports in Buffalo.
Roberta (Ross) Bemiller 89 is owner of RLB Coaching & Career Consulting. She is a certified professional coach with more than 17 years of human resources management experience. Visit www.RLBCoaching.com.
Robert Kloss 89 is president and founder of ClearPlan Financial, a new full-service wealth management firm in Hamburg.
Jie Li, MBA 89, was named vice president of business development-China at Peabody Energy.
David E. Rook, MBA 89, has joined the intellectual property law firm of Hoffman Warnick, and his practice will include intellectual property litigation and appeals and patent and trademark prosecution and licensing.
Joyce A. Wagner 89 was promoted to chief financial officer at Quality Inspection Services.
1990s
Elizabeth A. Bauman, MBA 90, was appointed senior vice president, human resources, at First Niagara Bank.
Mary F. Kiener, MBA 90, was promoted to senior vice president of finance for the international business group at Rich Products Corp.
James B. Walleshauser, MBA 90, was named vice president, business transformation, at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
Brian F. Aldrich, MBA 91, was appointed Dunkirk branch manager and vice president of business development and lending at Cattaraugus County Bank.
Salvatore C. Durante, MBA 91, was appointed chief executive officer of Complete Senior Care, long-term care program that provides a full range of services to help nursing home-eligible older adults remain living at home.
Steven Harvey 93 received Business Firsts 40 Under Forty award, which recognizes outstanding business and community leaders in Western New York under the age of 40. He is vice president of research and program funding for EPIC Every Person Influences Children.
Michael D. Sims, MBA 93, was promoted to director of business process services at Rich Products Corp.
Ram Gopal, PhD 94, was named senior editor of Information Systems Research, the top journal in the management information systems field. He is the GE Capital Endowed Professor of Business and Chair of the Department of Operations and Information Management at the University of Connecticut School of Business.
Maria L. Wrafter 89, MBA 94, was appointed controller at The Hamister Group.
Bill Finn, EMBA 95, was named chair of the board of the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of New York and was elected vice chair of the board of directors for the National Hospice Work Group. He is president and chief executive officer of the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care in Buffalo.
James P. Lederer 82, MBA 96, was promoted to executive vice president of business and finance at Qualcomm CDMA Technologies.
Laura M. Morris, MBA 96, was appointed director of marketing services at Synacor.
Gerald E. Murak, CEL 91, EMBA 96, was a finalist for the Buffalo Niagara Business Ethics Awards. He is principal of Murak & Associates, a management consulting firm.
Mark A. Maier 98 was named vice president of Good Samaritan CareGivers.
Joseph Wales 99 received Business Firsts 40 Under Forty award, which recognizes outstanding business and community leaders in Western New York under the age of 40. He is vice president of W.G. Arthur Co., a family-owned hardware store in Orchard Park.
Jeffrey C. Welch, MBA 99, is global product manager for compressors at Delphi.
2000s
Courtney Davis 00 is manager in the regulatory and capital markets practice at Deloitte.
Laurie A. Mahoney 00 was appointed vice president of development of the Girl Scouts of Western New York.
Andrew McGraw 00 is marketing manager for Main Mobility, a Clarence, N.Y., firm that specializes in adaptive equipment and vehicles for people with disabilities or physical challenges.
Herαclito Ribas, MBA 00, is logistics regional director for Makros South America, the wholesale branch of SHV Group.
Joost M. Vles, EMBA 00, was named to the board of directors for the Buffalo chapter of the Association for Operations Management.
Samantha Clark 01 qualified for the Million Dollar Roundtable, an international, independent association of top life insurance professionals.
Bradley Dossinger, MBA 01, received Business Firsts 40 Under Forty award, which recognizes outstanding business and community leaders in Western New York under the age of 40. He is vice president and regional community reinvestment officer at M&T Bank.
Lynne Hegedus, MBA 01, was promoted to director of career development at Hunt Real Estate.
Mark Notarius, MBA 01, received Business Firsts 40 Under Forty award, which recognizes outstanding business and community leaders in Western New York under the age of 40. He is owner and president of Premium Wine & Spirits.
Mikhail Chapnik 03, MBA 03, is senior associate brand manager on Nabisco crackers for Kraft Foods.
Shane P. Marmion 03 was named director of marketing and product development at William S. Hein and Co.
Patrick J.S. Mathews 03 was promoted to manager at Tronconi Segarra & Associates LLP.
Thomas Chiam, EMBA 04 (Singapore), owns Friends Restaurant & Catering Group and has begun a franchise, The Chicken Rice Company, based on Singapores signature dish.
Kristin M. Crosby 04 was promoted to senior accountant at Brock, Schechter and Polakoff.
Albert A. Gerhart, MBA 04, was named director of production at William S. Hein and Co.
Michael F. Madigan, EMBA 04, was promoted to senior vice president and consumer market executive for the greater Syracuse-Utica market of Bank of America.
Connie R. Vari, EMBA 04, was a finalist for the 2008 Athena Award, honoring female professionals in Western New York. Vari is chief operating officer for Kaleida Health.
David J. Benesch, MBA 05, was named manager of application development at Synacor.
Andrew J. Cappello 03, MS 06, was promoted to senior accountant at Lumsden & McCormick.
William E. Grieshober, EMBA 06, was promoted to vice president and deputy general counsel at Rich Products Corp.
Andrew T. Moon 06 was promoted to senior accountant at Tronconi Segarra & Associates.
Matthew E. Winnicki 06 was appointed to the accounting and tax section of Schunk, Wilson & Co.
Scott P. Wooten 06 was promoted to senior accountant at Chiampou Travis Besaw and Kershner.
Mollie M. Godzich 07 was promoted to senior accountant at Lumsden & McCormick.
Robert J. (R.J.) Merrill 07 is a commercial analyst for First American Bank in Chicago.
Christopher R. Alger 08 was appointed staff accountant at Green & Seifter, Certified Public Accountants.
Jeremy T. Bilson 08 was named staff accountant at Brock, Schechter and Polakoff.
Jeremy D. Blecha 08 was appointed associate at Tronconi Segarra & Associates.
Justin T. Bonk 08 was named staff consultant at Freed Maxick and Battaglia.
Andres P. Bowen 08 was appointed associate at Tronconi Segarra & Associates.
Kevin Brandt 08 has relocated to Arizona and is working in the management training program for Hertz.
Kaitlyn M. Dudek 08 was appointed associate at Tronconi Segarra & Associates.
Daniel S. Farr 08 is employed by Alliance Bernstein in New York City.
Jeffrey R. Kruszka 08 was appointed to the accounting and tax section of Schunk, Wilson & Co.
Kristen N. Travale 08 was appointed associate at Tronconi Segarra & Associates.
Alumni Spotlight Jill Spisiak Jedlicka, MBA 00
Jedlicka
Jill Spisiak Jedlicka, MBA 00, is director of ecological programs for Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper, a not-for-profit organization devoted to promoting, preserving and protecting the natural and historical environments of the Buffalo Niagara Rivers. She oversees program areas including habitat protection and restoration, green infrastructure, water quality improvements, and sediment remediation, in addition to advocacy/policy work related to public access to waterways, ecological and human health impacts, inactive hazardous waste sites, brownfield redevelopment and environmental law and policy.
Jedlicka loves everything about her job. How many people get to wake up every morning and say, Im cleaning a river today.? she says. Riverkeeper is a wonderful organization to work for as I have incredible flexibility with my three-quarter time job. As a wife and a mother of two small children, I am able to balance family with a career I love. And I dont feel guilty about the time spent away from my family, because the results of my work will help leave Buffalo and Western New York a better place for my kids when they grow up.