Class Notes

Nancy Sheftel-Gomes EdD ’25 earned a doctorate at the age of 80, writing her dissertation on “Conflicts Teaching About Conflicts: How Jewish Educators Engage with Israel-Palestine.” Photo by Aaron Levy-Wolins/J. The Jewish News of Northern California. All rights reserved.

’62 E. Douglas Taylor published a biography, The Good Life, about his life and spiritual journey.

’68 Arthur J. Howell is retired and widowed and writes, “I spend my spare time volunteering at our local Hillcrest Thrift Store. My daughter and stepson and two grandsons and their spouses live nearby; also, two great-grandchildren.”

’71 Maureen Jenkins writes, “I am retired now after a 40-year nursing career. I’ve been married 53 years, with four children and eight grandchildren. I’m most grateful for all the blessings of this life!”

’74 Bernard James Mooney III writes, “I’m living in San Carlos with my wife, Terry. Happily retired since 2013 after 40 years as a CPA primarily in private business serving as a CFO. Enjoy playing bocce ball, drinking good wine, and following the horses!”

’77 Jeffrey Adolph Escabar recently retired from a nearly 50-year career in education. He just published a book entitled Laugh Your Apps Off!!, which highlights stories from his years as an educator.

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Greg Sempadian ’89
I was so blessed to be reunited with two of the most special, caring, loving, loyal, supportive, and truly GREATEST friends and blessings in my life … Ricky ’53 and Therese Curotto! They have been like a second mom & dad and family to me ever since we first met on the Hilltop at the University of San Francisco when I was a freshman 40 years ago! 😇💚💛🙏❤️

’80 Marie Seth Weiner retired as a superior court judge of San Mateo County after 22 years, including 14 years as the complex civil litigation judge and seven years as civil supervising judge. She spends her time with husband, Adam, living in Monterey and on Kauai. She recently became a neutral evaluator with Alternative Dispute Resolution Services in Northern California.

’85 Matthew Dooling is co-owner of North Canyon Cider Company in Camino, California, also known as Apple Hill. Dooling says, “Our tasting room is open every Apple Hill season from September through November. USF family & friends stop on by and say hi.”

’93 Rebekah Davis Reed is retiring from NASA, after 30 years of federal service, and she is the new assistant director of the program on emerging technology, scientific advancement, and global policy at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Relations.

’94 Lisa M. Quan is coordinator of corporate partners and community engagement for LifeMoves, an organization that is working to end homelessness in Silicon Valley.

’96 Virginia J. Ward Justice writes, “I recently launched my own business, Porch Stories, where I ghostwrite the life stories of others.”

’96 Maria Katrina Paz published Trailblazing and Transforming: Success Stories of Entrepreneurs with Disabilities.

’97 Scott S. Lasser, Federal Reserve Bank incident coordinator in St. Louis, Missouri, writes, “I have completed my second year as a ride host for the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, St. Louis Chapter. The DGR is an international motorcycle ride that takes place in major and small cities all over the world on a single day.”

’97 Pamela Gail Sharp writes, "I am a published author of an illustrated children's book, Zoey and the Library.”

’98 Ramon Malik Tovar writes, “I just finished 26 years of teaching in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Teaching high school English keeps me young. I will work another four years before retiring. I remember the lessons my wonderful professors taught me at USF and I use their sound advice in my classroom.”

’98 Erik H. Vodopals is an agent with Farmers Insurance Group in Rohnert Park, California.

’99 Jennifer A. Bayley joined the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals as senior director, executive communications, in New York.

’99 Roberto Joaquin Duran has joined forces with financial planners in central and northern California and Hawaii to form Prospera Succession Partners in Oxnard, California.

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Tawn Chatchavalvong ’03
Wandering through the gardens, a memory from my recent trip to San Francisco, visiting my university.

’00 Kenneth Michael Pizzi and Chala Pizzi celebrated the 18th anniversary of their restaurant, Thai Tamarind Restaurant, in Belmont, California.

’01 Jude Leo Watters retired from working with special needs high school students in 2025. “Looking forward to the next chapter in life with my soul mate, Martha.”

’03 Timothy Lucas Reed was promoted to partner at FordHarrison LLP (a law firm) and named by the National Bar Association as a 40 Under 40 “Nation’s Best Advocate.”

’05 Jennifer Santos MS ’11 is the executive director of the Honolulu Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts. Her undergraduate degree is in applied economics, and her master’s is in project management from the School of Management.

’07 Clifford D. Mallory co-founded Banyan Cove Capital LLC and created the Haven Hospitality brand, based in Gulf Coast Florida.

’13 Mirabai Eloise Elizabet Collamore works as a paraprofessional for the San Francisco Unified School District and writes, “I loved my time at USF and still use my minor in history and my major in performing arts and social justice too while teaching. I love it!!! :) I got baptized as an Episcopalian."

’76 Daniel V. Callahan MBA writes, “I retired in December 1999, when Foglight Software was sold. I was President/CEO of Foglight at the time. Soon we’ll be celebrating our 47th wedding anniversary. Playing golf about four times a week, and my wife and I help out with our granddaughters whenever needed.”

’77 David G. Elliott-Manrique MA published Two Souls and a Body: What Every Educated Person Knew to be True and How the Educated Christian Developed Christianity in Hellenistic Times, Creating the Ideas of Free Will and Modern Psychology.

’80 Gregory J. Dannis JD, president of Dannis, Woliver, Kelley, was named citizen of the year by the All Parent Group of Hillsborough, California, in recognition of his 17 years as a member of the board of trustees of the Hillsborough City School.

’81 Richard T. Garcia MA published From San José to Viet ‘Nam and Back.

’81 Stephen M. Murphy JD, a judge in the San Francisco Superior Court and an author known for his legal thrillers, published Beneath the Gavel, the story of a judge, a murder, and a family divided.

’85 Frank Howard MA, president and CEO of Convergence Public Affairs, was honored by the Arthritis Foundation of Delaware for his work in the arthritis community. “My grandmother’s struggles with her rheumatoid arthritis are memories that have stuck with me throughout my entire life and inspire me in my battle with arthritis.”

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Milton Mattox EdD ’95
A great city, an outstanding university, a beautiful campus, and the challenge of parking a stick shift on a steep hill ... absolutely priceless!

’91 Thelma E. Tucker MS published a novel, Last Song on Skye, under the nom de plume T. E. Swan.

’92 Edward Michael Brink MA writes, “I completed nine years serving as the vice president of mission and rector at Chaminade University in Honolulu. I began my new work as director of novices for the Marianist Province of the United States June 1. I am grateful for the education I received at USF. My MA was through the Institute of Catholic Educational Leadership.”

’92 Jensen H. Shirley MA published Unbroken Hands: A Soldier’s Triumphant Journey from Tragedy to Purpose.

’93 Harry T. Tagomori EdD, a University of Hawaii lecturer, writes, “The biggest accomplishment in my life is when I graduated from the University of San Francisco, School of Education.”

’94 Dale R. Hoyt MA, vice president for education at Adelbrook, a Connecticut residential facility for youth with autism, has been named the 2025 Service Award honoree by the National Association of Church Personnel Administrators.

’00 Anthony L. Casas MA, former human resources officer at Cal Poly, Humboldt, was interviewed on Enterprise Alchemy Podcast about his journey from a tumultuous childhood to a career in human resources and higher education.

’02 Joshua G. Schultz MBA was appointed by the Napa County Board of Education as the Napa County superintendent of schools.

’03 Jorge A. Misle MBA is general manager of the Capstone Copper division of the Mantos Blanco Mine in the Antofagasta region of Chile.

’04 Gena Castro Rodriguez MA, an assistant professor in the USF School of Education, was appointed to the California Board of State and Community Corrections as a mental health professional.

’06 Justin Ribeiro MBA, director of developer platforms for Bill.com, defended his dissertation, “Creativity in Conflict: A Multi-Level Exploration of Software Developers' Capacity to Innovate,”earning a PhD in management from Case Western Reserve University.

’07 Timothy Brian Rien MFA published a short story, “Facets of a Broken Rock,” in the spring 2025 anthology Taking Liberties, published by Cutthroat, a Journal of the Arts.

’08 Alfonso Rey MBA joined Vapi AI Infrastructure in San Francisco, a company that provides voice-enabled AI assistants that handle phone calls.

’09 Cameron R. Cloar-Zavaleta JD writes, “I was promoted to VP, legal, at Alaska Airlines and general counsel, assistant corporate secretary at Hawaiian Airlines.”

’09 Carmen S. Gil MPA became the city manager for Gonzales, California, in 2023 and oversees several projects, including construction of a new $28 million community center and the $34 million renewal and expansion of the wastewater treatment plant.

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Brenda Martinez Salcedo MA ’18
Game Day 💙🖤 I love my new USF/Quakes scarf! Thanks to my alma mater @usfca for the gift and a fun experience. 🫶  The Quakes may have lost but it was still a fun time and we also scored free cool new jerseys!

’14 Lydia Hsu JD became a certified family law mediator through the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

’15 Simon M. Levy JD became a partner in Frost Brown Todd LLC’s business and commercial litigation practice. He is based in the firm’s San Francisco office.

’16 Virginia Barrett MFA is editor for Jambu Press in San Francisco.

’17 Romyn Sabatchi MA writes, “My partner and I bought our first place together! I’ll be filming my short film, Taray, in June! Wooo!!”

’18 Stephen Pitts, SJ, MSIDEC completed a PhD in applied economics at the University of Minnesota and is now a professor at Marquette University. He published a paper with Grant Storer MSIDEC '22 in the journal Agricultural Economics, “Unpacking  Side-Selling: Experimental Evidence From Rural Mexico.”

’20 James Dumlao MSIDEC is wrapping up a PhD at the University of Michigan and was the primary author on a paper published in PNAS, “Geographical diversity of peer reviewers shapes author success.”

’20 Elizabeth Jamison MA founded E. Grace Law Firm, focused on veteran benefits. Previously, she spent seven years at the U.S. Veteran Administration’s Board of Veterans’ Appeals.

’20 Charity Yoro, a former USF staff member and MFA student, won the 2025 Oregon Book Award for her debut poetry collection, "ten-cent flower & other territories." Many of the poems took shape while she was studying at USF, drawing inspiration from personal history, migration, and the city itself.

’21 Marie Roberts de la Parra EdD published a book, 30 Days of Learn How You Learn, that helps middle schoolers understand how their learning process works and how they build knowledge.

’22 Kevin Steve Tellez Ramos MA is a City of Detroit zoning inspector and writes, “Seeking Dons in the Michigan, Great Lakes region, to begin a new chapter of the alumni association in the southeast Michigan area or beyond. San Francisco Dons unite for professional development, networking, and good fun.”