Notes from the Class of 1978

Lawyer Stephen Gulotta Jr. (Math’78) was named 2012 Client Service All-Star by the law firm survey group BTI Consulting. He represents clients in a range of industries and serves as a managing member of the Mintz Levin law firm in New York and head of its corporate and securities section. He lives in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.

President Obama appointed Judith Kimble (PhDMCDBio’78) as a member of the President’s Committee on the National Medal of Science. She is a biochemistry professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. She discovered the first stem cell niche that controls stem cell maintenance. She has served on several boards and committees and has been president of the Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. Judith lives in Madison, Wis.

At the annual RE/MAX International Convention in Las Vegas, Duane Duggan (Bus’78) received the Chairman’s Club Award for 2011. Duane was one of the featured speakers at the convention and has more than 33 years of experience as a successful real estate broker and investor. He lives in Boulder.

The Real Estate Negotiation Institute awarded Barbara Young Silverman (Art’78) the Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE) designation. The designation is earned by real estate professionals after successfully completing formal negotiation training. She lives in Longmont, Colo.

District attorney Stanley Garnett (Hist’78, Law’82) was seeking a second term as Boulder County district attorney this fall. “It’s all about prioritization, and making sure you focus on the issues of the community you represent,” Stan told the Daily Camera.

Close to William Baltz Jr.’s (Hist’78) lake house in Three Rivers, Mich., are five spiritual centers. Bill is writing a story on the area. The centers are St. Gregory’s Abbey (an Episcopal monastery), GilChrist (an ecumenical spiritual retreat), The Hermitage (an ecumenical spiritual retreat), Earthsong Peace Chamber (a place for spiritual ceremonies) and Apple Farm (a nonprofit charitable corporation). William writes, “The fact that all these entities, which attract guests and pilgrims from all over the world, are within walking distance of each other and tucked away in a rural area is truly remarkable.”

While at CU Jay Poirier (EPOBio’78) began working for several asphalt-related groups where one of his jobs included analyzing asphalt for the U.S. government. After selling his motorcycle to buy tools, Jay founded Perfect Patch Asphalt Co. in 1979. It is one of the oldest companies still run by its founders in Colorado and serves customers throughout the Front Range. Jay lives in Denver.

In September 2011, Larry Ward (Fin’78) retired as president and CEO of Heritage Oaks Bank in Paso Robles, Calif. Heritage Oaks Bank grew to become a $1 billion community bank serving the central coast of California under his leadership. Larry lives in Templeton, Calif., and will continue to serve the bank as a member of its board of directors.

Denver Foothills Gold Club director Tom Woodard (Mktg’78) was elected to the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. Tom was a renowned junior and young adult player in Denver, co-founded the First Tee of Denver and serves as head professional at Foothills. Tom was the first African-American golfer at CU where he received honorable mention All-American and was inducted into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame in 2012.

In May Hillary Kramer Fritz (Engl’78) was recognized for her stellar term on the CU-Boulder Alumni Association board. Her advice and guidance helped launch last year’s Back to Boulder Homecoming Weekend, which will be an annual university tradition. Her daughter attends CU, following on the heels of her son Matt Fritz (Engl’09). She and husband Dain Fritz (Comm’77) live in Westport, Conn.

Longmont, Colo., resident Barb Silverman (Art’78), her husband and two children are all graduates of CU. She writes that her fine arts degree has proven beneficial for her marketing endeavors that have included the promotion of the new drinking system CrysteLife HealthH₂O and working as a real estate broker in luxury home sales.

Rhode Island native and naval aviator Rear Adm. Tim Alexander (EnvCon’78), commander of the Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, retired from his military career in July, marking 33 years of dedicated service. Tim and his wife have plans to relocate to northern Virginia to network for future career opportunities in the Washington, D.C., area. He also looks forward to traveling, fishing and relaxing.

Dinah Leavitt Swan (PhDThtr’78) wrote the fiction books Cana Rising: A Mary Alice Tate Southern Mystery and Now Playing in Cana: A Mary Alice Tate Southern Mystery that were published in 2013 and available on Amazon.com. She also wrote a women’s fiction book, Hacienda Blues. All three titles are available in print, Kindle and Nook.

Denver’s Spark Gallery hosted sculptor Barbara Baer (MFA’78) and her installation “Pleasure Ground” in August. The installation filled half the main gallery space and is inspired by memories of historic gardens Barbara has visited, including Versailles. Barbara has created large abstract public art installations across the nation and in Europe and Japan. She lives in Denver.

After living in Westport, Conn., for years, Hillary Kramer Fritz (Engl’78) and her husband Dain Fritz (Comm’77) decided it was time for a new adventure. In December they packed up their lives and moved to Snowmass Village in the Roaring Fork Valley to enjoy the ski season. Their daughter Jacquelyn Fritz is a CU-Boulder student and their sonMatt Fritz (Engl’09) lives in Boulder. Hillary is a former Alumni Association board member who helped revive Back to Boulder Homecoming Weekend, which will take place Oct. 23-26 this fall.

For the fifth consecutive year, Barron’s magazine named Thomas Moran (Hist’78) the No. 1 financial advisor among 1,200 top advisors in Southwest Florida. Thomas is the founding member of the Moran Edwards Asset Management Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in Naples, Fla.

After spending 20 years in television as an environmental reporter and meteorologist, Dennis Drummond (EnvCon; Jour’85) retired in January. He moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2007. He had spent time at the Madigan Army Medical Center near Tacoma, Wash., in 1974, while in the Army. He plans to travel to Boulder this summer to visit friends.

Architect Charles Goebel (EnvDes) was appointed governor of Maryland’s Critical Area Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays. The commission oversees the developments and implementation of local land-use programs. Charles also was honored with the 2015 Maryland Preservation Award for rehabilitation of an 18th-century landmark commercial building in Easton, Md. He is principal of his architecture and land-planning firm, which has served waterfront property owners on the Eastern Shore for more than 20 years. He lives in Easton.

Three years after graduating Jimmy Calano (Mktg) co-founded CareerTrack, a company that revolutionized the professional development training industry. Under Jimmy’s leadership, the company grew from a start-up to a nationally recognized corporation. After great success in the corporate sector, Jimmy sold his company and shifted his focus to the community. His involvement has aided several community projects and organizations, including United Way of Boulder, the CU Foundation, the Dairy Center of the Arts and the CU-Boulder Alumni Association. He was awarded this year’s George Norlin Award for his service and will be recognized at the Alumni Association’s annual awards ceremony in the University Memorial Center Oct. 15 during Homecoming Weekend.

Craig Clark (CivEngr) served as a charter member for the installation of a new chapter of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society at Alfred State College. He serves as the dean of the school of applied technology. Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest academic society honoring all academic disciplines. Craig lives in Alfred, N.Y.