The Channel Changers Entertainment in the Age of ‘Content’
Cover story | 12 The unsung skill of listening | 8 Picture-perfect finale | 26
BETWEEN THE LINES “What do you watch?” The question hasn’t quite replaced “What do you do?” as a go-to conversation starter, but the moment may be close at hand. In a television landscape packed with options, the shows we select to fill downtime become a personal statement, a revealing read on personality and character. Know “My List” on Netflix, know me. The explosion of choice for TV viewers is both a driver and byproduct of change in the entertainment industry. In our cover story, a handful of alumni and faculty examine forces changing the script for old-guard movie studios, television networks, even the Broadway stage. You’ll also meet some new players on the scene. Another feature introduces cinematographer Sam Ameen ’84, who sheds light on the director of photography role. His approach to the craft springs from years as a combat photographer in Afghanistan, where working as part of a team had literal life-and-death consequences. Closer to home, we highlight the fight to improve diversity in high-tech fields. A nonprofit founded by Eval Silvera ’99 builds the talent pipeline by making computer coding affordable, rewarding and, yes, entertaining for middle schoolers. I hope this preview puts Bentley Magazine on your must-see list. Please know we’re always eager to have your feedback on the topics featured and your ideas for stories to tell in upcoming issues. Reach out by phone, email or your favorite social platform, as noted on page 2. Stay well and stay in touch.
Susan Simpson Editor
CONTRIBUTORS
SARA JANE KAMINSKI
REBECCA BISHOP
JACOB SHAMSIAN
WABAN, MASS.
ROXBURY, MASS.
GREAT NECK, N.Y.
The independent art director we call “Sara K.” has created many memorable designs during her seven-year association with Bentley. This issue’s cover is her eighth in a row for the magazine. “This summer, it’s back to not-so-basic alumni portraits — shot on both coasts — using every digital imaging tool in the box.”
Rebecca is the self-described “creative black ops” behind the visuals that bring Bentley stories to life. The disposable-cameratoting kid now has a decade of professional experience in video and photography. Plus, she knows every photogenic spot on campus. That includes a certain “magic hallway” in Morison, which made for dramatic effect in photographing Associate Dean Wiley Davi.
Our cover-story writer covers the Web and entertainment for INSIDER and Business Insider. Others to publish his work include GQ, The New Republic, Time and Entertainment Weekly. Jacob says that he’s “excited to binge-watch the latest season of Master of None on Netflix, but I still enjoy going to an old-fashioned movie theater.”
Page 7
Page 12
Cover and Pages 12 to 19
ON THE COVER:
Entertainment insiders (from left) Michael Barra ’96, Emily Webster ’02 and Scott Wojcik ’88, photographed in New York and L.A. by Matt Furman and David Zentz.
SECTION »
Contents SUMMER 2017
BY BRIAN SMITH 1 PHOTO | SUMMER 2017
2 | HERE SAY
FEATURES
12 | Entertainment is Everywhere 3 | ON CAMPUS 18 | The PROfile: Behind the camera with Sam Ameen ’84 COLUMNS 20 | Decoding Success: Eval Silvera ’99 7 | Five Things: Uncover your implicit bias 22 | An Indelible Mark 8 | Take Two: Listening as a power skill 10 | Inside Job: The seriously funny 24 | CLASS NOTES Madison Malloy ’05 31 | Next Stop: Star attractions in Los Angeles
HERE SAY
MAGAZINE
BEST PRACTICES [page 11] Editor Susan Simpson Director of Communications John McElhenny Writers Michael Blanding Paul Carberry Helen Henrichs Meredith Mason Mary K. Pratt Maura King Scully Jacob Shamsian Kristen Walsh Senior Associate Director Creative Services Claire Anderson Creative Director Greg Gonyea Art Direction & Design Kaajal Asher Carol Dirga Sara Jane Kaminski Kelly Milligan Photography & Graphics Rebecca Bishop Christopher Schluntz Assistant Director Print & Production Judy Metz Project Managers Skadi Gidionsen Kristine Mickelson
Executive Director Advancement Communications Terry Cronin
Could not think of a better candidate to be heading this ship. You were amazing then, you are amazing now and my bet is you will do beyond amazing things in the future. As a rare disease patient and an industry veteran, I so appreciate your passion and dedication. Bernadette McNamara We are so thankful for all the good people and their perseverance. I am especially proud to be a Bentley graduate. Ranjan Bhattari, MBA ’10, MSHFID ’15
Jared Rhoads, MSIT ’05 Well written. Technology is crucial in implementing a value-based care model. This translates into greater transparency for patients which allows for better dialogue with their providers. Alissa Walker ’14 Happy to see the @bentleyu magazine highlighting the huge impact that business can make in health care. Grace Karon ’12 A RARE IMPACT ON SAVING LIVES [page 16] Lance Colwell was an amazing guy 25 years ago and it looks like nothing has changed!! Thomas Hughes ’92
SPOTLIGHT: NICK STAVROPOULOS ’79 [page 25]
Way to go Nick! Paul Hallee ’78 I knew him when he was, and always will be, my fraternity brother … SGD! Joseph Bonanno ’78 SPOTLIGHT: MODEL REUNIONERS [page 32] Whatever happened to the Class of 1988 scholarship? Steve Dufresne ’88 Reply from Bentley University Alumni: The Class of 1988 Scholarship is active and being awarded to students! If you ever want to contribute, you can indicate the scholarship name as your designation.
PROPS FROM PEERS Bentley Magazine earned recognition by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the leading organization for education professionals in advancement, communication and marketing, and alumni relations. We collected silver awards in: n The national Publishing Improvement category, lauding the “sophisticated, consumer-oriented” redesign that began with our winter 2015 issue n The regional 2017 District I competition for college magazines with a circulation of 50,000 or more
Ready for a digital experience? Whenever you see this icon, scan the magazine page with your favorite device — and gain direct access to photo galleries and videos on related topics. The Layar app is available at the iTunes and Android stores.
Associate Director Advancement Communications Caroline Cruise Associate Director Content Development Kristin Livingston
President Gloria Cordes Larson
We welcome your feedback. Send your compliments and critiques on the stories inside — or suggest one for the future. MAGAZINE@BENTLEY.EDU || @BENTLEYU || @BENTLEYALUMNI || 781.891.2076 175 FOREST STREET, WALTHAM, MA 02452
Vice President for University Advancement Maureen Flores Chief Marketing Officer Valerie Fox
Bentley Magazine is published by Bentley University, Waltham, Massachusetts, and distributed without charge to alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and friends of the university. BENTLEY UNIVERSITY is one of the nation’s leading business schools, dedicated to preparing a new kind of business leader — one with the deep technical skills, broad global perspective, and high ethical standards required to make a difference in an ever-changing world. 69M7/17QD.MC.404.17
SIGN OF THE TIMES Bentley’s centennial year dialed up the pomp and circumstance for members of the Class of 2017. Some 1,700 students earned degrees at undergraduate and graduate ceremonies on May 20. Details at bentley.edu/ commencement-recap.
ON CAMPUS PEOPLE » PROGRAMS » EVENTS » IDEAS
See video highlights of Commencement 2017 PHOTO BY BRIAN SMITH
Inspiring Leadership The Women’s Leadership Program, which launches at Bentley in September, unfolds over four years to prepare female students with the skills, strategies and confidence needed to succeed as business leaders.
“The CWB’s unique position on a college campus gives us the opportunity to empower young women with important skills and knowledge before they enter the workforce.” Deborah Pine, Executive Director, Center for Women and Business
Inaugural participants: 45 young women in the incoming Class of 2021, selected for their future leadership potential Program focus: Leadership, gender equity
and workplace dynamics Home base: Bentley’s Center for Women
and Business (CWB) Opportunities: Workshops, academic
courses and experiential learning focused on workplace diversity issues, communications competencies and inclusive leadership; exposure to real-world perspectives through mentoring; visits to organizations where women thrive Support: Individual awards of $10,000 per year toward tuition
“To succeed in the global marketplace, companies have to attract and retain the right skills and the best, most diverse talent. The CWB program helps strengthen our talent pipeline with highly qualified female candidates.” Melanie Foley, MBA ’02, Executive Vice President and Chief Talent and Enterprise Services Officer, Liberty Mutual Insurance
“A purposeful life to me means leaving a mark, a legacy, and making a difference.”
Founding partner: Liberty Mutual, whose grant of
$1 million funds financial awards and co-curricular learning; the insurance giant employs more than 500 Bentley alumni Looking ahead: The program will engage additional
companies in the mission to have a positive impact on young women’s academic and professional careers 4 | SUMMER 2017
LEARN MORE | bentley.edu/wlp
Abigail M., Class of 2021 and Participant, Women’s Leadership Program
President Larson to Step Down Next Year Decade of service makes Bentley
a ‘stronger and better place’
BY HELEN HENRICHS The Bentley community learned this spring that Gloria Cordes Larson will step down on June 30, 2018, after more than a decade as president. Under her leadership, the school has grown from a regional business college into a nationally recognized, highly ranked university. The 15-member presidential search committee includes seven alumni. Members are trustees Bob Badavas ’74, who will chair the group, Rob Alan ’91, Steve DelVecchio ’81, Carl Kester, Sue O’Connell ’90 and Brian Zino ’74; faculty members Susan Adams, Patrick Scholten, Kristin Sorensen and Cyrus Veeser; staff members Susan Brennan and Katie Lampley ’96; current students Adam Rekkbie ’18 and Carmen Paola Cardenas Diaz, MBA ’18; and Global Alumni Board President Vicki (Vassalotti) Semanie ’86. Trustee Chairman Steve Manfredi ’73 will be a nonvoting member of the committee. “Serving as a successful college president for over 10 years takes a special commitment,” he observed. “Gloria has given much of herself to making this a stronger and better place.” Upcoming issues of Bentley Magazine will trace Larson’s legacy. Her new book, Prepared U: How Innovative Colleges Drive Student Success, distills insights from her decade in higher education. Download a preview at bentley.edu/prepared-book. LEARN MORE | bentley.edu/president
Grants Advance Service-Learning, Diversity BY PAUL CARBERRY Recent grants from two major foundations support key aspects of the university’s mission. The Yawkey Foundations awarded $500,000 to benefit the Bentley Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center (BSLCE). A commitment by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation provides $75,000 to enhance access to a Bentley education for students from underrepresented groups, including first-generation college students. Over its 25 years, the BSLCE has sent thousands of students into Greater Boston and beyond to apply their business skills on behalf of schools, community centers and other nonprofits. The Yawkey
PHOTO BY TASLIM SIDI URNEK
Foundations grant will advance servicelearning through several initiatives, for example, internships for students who work in nonprofit organizations, a Civic Engagement Leadership Seminar, and guidance for those considering careers in nonprofit leadership. James Healey, Yawkey Foundations president, praised the strategic plan for the BSLCE as having “tremendous potential. We look forward to following the progress over the next five years.” The grant from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation will offer four to six scholarships each year for the next five years. They will help close the critical
financial gap that prevents some students from attending Bentley. Both foundations have supported Bentley in the past. The Hearst Foundation established an endowed scholarship more than 30 years ago that is today one of the university’s largest. In 2011, the Yawkey Foundations supported the Summer Transitional Education Program. “These new commitments represent powerful endorsements of Bentley and its mission,” says President Gloria Cordes Larson. “We are deeply grateful for these expressions of confidence from two of the nation’s most prestigious foundations.”
BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 5
ON CAMPUS »
Students Step Up Their Marketing Game BY MEREDITH MASON
Corporate immersion courses bring marketing problems from real organizations into the classroom. Founded by Perry Lowe, senior lecturer in marketing, the offerings have been a hallmark of the Bentley curriculum for more than 20 years. Last fall, online retailer ShoeBuy kicked up the commitment with two concurrent projects.
UNDERGRADUATE PROJECT Marketing plan for luxury footwear and apparel line
GRADUATE PROJECT Marketing strategies for different shoe categories
WHO Six students in a directed study course led by faculty member Perry Lowe
CHALLENGE Develop market segmentation strategies for specific shoe categories such as comfort, outdoor, run and wellness shops
CHALLENGE Develop a comprehensive, actionable marketing plan for ELEVTD, a luxury footwear and apparel sister site of ShoeBuy that launched in fall 2016. Meet weekly with Vice President of Brand Marketing and Creative Alex Proelss, MSMA ’11 to get real-time feedback.
APPROACH Worked in teams of five or six to conduct market research through surveys and focus groups. Analyzed data to develop a targeted marketing strategy with actionable takeaways. Used writing and speaking skills to present possible outcomes to executives.
APPROACH Identified new target markets using customer demographics and behavior patterns. Analyzed the website’s design, functionality and user experience. Recommended future brand promotion opportunities and social media campaigns.
RESULTS Learned to make tough decisions in data manipulation and gained confidence to get on stage and pitch ideas to company executives. Their strategies and market research informed discussion at weekly meetings of ShoeBuy executives.
RESULTS Presented findings to CEO and employees at ShoeBuy headquarters in downtown Boston. Proelss credits the students for generating valuable ideas about how to stay relevant to their target customer, while growing brand awareness and business as a whole.
BIGGEST SURPRISE Having only five minutes to present findings to executives at the end of each week. “If we didn’t finish in time, a buzzer would go off and that would be the end of the presentation,” says Bayley Dietz ’16, MBA ’17. “It definitely taught us how to get to our main point immediately.”
BIGGEST SURPRISE How quickly projects can change direction. “When we get an assignment in a regular class setting, it’s rare that parameters change before it’s due,” says Amanda McCormick ’17. “With ShoeBuy, we were constantly given new, up-to-date information that would influence the course of our project. We really had to be flexible.”
WHO 45 students in the Corporate Immersion
Emerging Leaders MBA course
Above left: Class of 2017 MBA students (clockwise from center) Stella St. Hubert, Mustafa Merchant ’15, Bayley Dietz ’16, John McKenna and Khoi Vo. Right: Undergraduate project team members (from left) Ana Tantum ’17, Monica Redondo Moro ’19 and Amanda McCormick ’17. 6 | SUMMER 2017
PHOTOS BY REBECCA BISHOP AND CHELSEA RUSCIO
« FIVE THI NGS
Ways to Challenge Implicit Bias WILEY DAVI, Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences Researches: Service-learning, diversity, gender studies Teaches: The MBA course Thinking About Thinking, among others Coaches: Students and business leaders in challenging their implicit biases around race, gender, socioeconomic status and the like
OWN UP TO HAVING BIAS We are continually bombarded with ideas and images that the brain processes in complex ways — ways that are often out of our conscious awareness. These “implicit biases” have a powerful effect on how we make sense of our experiences. The first step in countering their influence is to admit that we all possess implicit biases.
PHOTO BY REBECCA BISHOP
BEWARE OF YOUR GUT Asked to explain their thinking, students often say, “Oh, I just went with my gut instinct.” That kind of non-reflective thinking can reinforce personal blind spots; it is especially prone to being informed by biases out of our awareness. To get a sense of your implicit biases, take this test developed at Harvard University (tinyurl. com/testforbias). I have worked with women, for example, who identify themselves as staunch feminists, yet they take the test and are horrified to learn they harbor an implicit bias toward men over women.
GET A (GENUINE) SECOND OPINION We often seek feedback from like-minded people. “Tom was so annoying in that meeting, don’t you think?” we ask of a colleague who tends to think Tom is annoying. Heading off the thoughts that may reinforce bias requires what Harvard professor and researcher Robin Ely calls “genuine support.” This feedback “doesn’t necessarily validate your point of view but, rather, helps you gain a broader perspective.” The more we can shift perspective, the better our ability to counter those invisible operations in our brain.
EMBRACE UNCERTAINTY Research suggests that the brain doesn’t particularly like uncertainty. In fact, perceiving uncertainty as a threat, it responds by trying to predict what is coming and avoid ambiguity. Think about that in the context of biases: They function as a way to reduce complexities into digestible forms. Thus, if we can begin to embrace uncertainty, we can resist reductive thinking.
BUILD IN SYSTEMS Many researchers would argue that implicit biases cannot be eliminated entirely — so we must build in systems accordingly. In orchestras, for example, placing a screen between performers and search committee members has led to more women being hired. Similarly, managers could ask a staff member to remove job candidates’ names and other demographic material from résumés, to reduce bias around hiring decisions.
Hear tips on minimizing bias and other strategies to improve decisionmaking
TAKE TWO »
Artful Listening INTERVIEW BY KRISTEN WALSH
Most of us are guilty of “half listening” to a boss, a spouse, a child — then wondering why there's a disconnect or conflict down the line. That’s not surprising: Effective listening is a skill that is not typically taught. But done right, listening can build relationships, spark innovation and open doors.
&
THE ADVISER Nurick, professor of Aaron Nurick management and psychology, has taught, written and consulted to multiple organizations on topics related to effective management. These include interpersonal relations, emotional intelligence, organizational change and other areas where listening skills come into play.
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THE RESEARCHER Gabrielle Tetreault ’17 used Honors Program funding from United Technologies Corporation to survey more than 600 people about millennials’ listening skills. The newly graduated Management major is applying her own skills in a full-time post within Liberty Mutual’s Leadership Development Program.
PHOTO BY REBECCA BISHOP
« TAKE TWO
What are the main questions that your research sought to answer? Gabrielle Tetreault: I wanted to understand how millennials perceive their own listening skills and their preferences for communicating in the workplace, and also how that is similar to or different from older coworkers such as Generation X and baby boomers. I explored how the similarities and differences play into intergenerational conflicts in the workplace, because there is a lot of popular media around that. The effect of technology on millennials’ listening skills was a large component of the study because it is so much a part of their lives. Is listening undervalued in the workplace? GT: Definitely. I wasn’t really aware of that until I took an honors seminar [Emotional Intelligence] and a management course [Inter personal Relations] with Professor Nurick and we did units on listening. It became clear that, even though we spend a majority of our day listening, it is something we’re never really taught. We hear people, but we do not really understand what’s being said. Aaron Nurick: Most of us have not been trained to listen effectively in certain circumstances. If someone comes to you with a problem or idea, for example, you need to consciously shift your mindset into active listening mode. What are some of your findings? GT: All of the generations I surveyed agreed that listening is a very important skill. They also agreed on the importance of different subsets of listening: cognitive [giving your attention, understanding what is said]; behavioral [responding or body language]; and effective processes [wanting to listen and take action as needed]. People listed cognitive listening as the most important — and the most difficult. A majority of the survey respondents reported they had never been taught listening skills; they learned on the job. In regard to perception, each generation saw themselves as better listeners as they got older: Millennials have the least confidence in their listening abilities, Generation X has a little bit more, and baby boomers have the most. AN: Part of the confidence comes from inhabiting the role of manager and having general responsibility for a group of people. You start to recognize how often people come to you with problems that are not always
HOW TO BE A GOOD LISTENER Listening is a powerful tool for all generations. Gabrielle Tetreault and Professor of Management and Psychology Aaron Nurick offer these tips to develop effective listening skills: • Be present and listen with full attention. Turn off your phone and email notifications during a meeting — no multitasking. • Listen with your body (nonverbal attending). Face the person, make eye contact and acknowledge with nods. • Double-check meaning. Ask questions to clarify not only your understanding, but the other person’s thought process. Paraphrase what you’ve heard. • Provide a safe and comfortable environment. Instead of talking about a sensitive subject in the middle of a hallway, find a conference room or private space. • Remember that it’s OK if you don’t have all the answers. You can help by connecting people with others to solve a problem.
easily solved. They require discussion and interaction, so you develop the capacity to listen. Millennials are now moving into those managerial positions. GT: There was an interesting difference between self-perception and perception of your peer group. Seventy percent of millennials see themselves as having strong listening skills, but only 37 percent say the same about others in their age group. The gap was present but progressively smaller for each generation. What role does technology play? AN: There are key differences in the use of technology among generations. Older generations use texting in a factual manner — “I’ll see you at 8:00 tonight” — whereas millennials are generally much more comfortable having complete conversations through texting and email. The downside is they don’t get the 80 percent or more of body language that provides intent, and they spend a lot of time deciphering. A lot richer meaning comes across when you’re looking into someone’s eyes. GT: The difference between technology and face-to-face is one of the more surprising aspects of my research. Eighty-five percent
of millennials said they are comfortable using technology to communicate, but there was still a preference in the workplace for communicating with managers or coworkers face-to-face. They seem to understand it’s more effective to do that, but it is more natural to communicate using technology. What are the dangers of not listening in the workplace? GT: Millennials entering the workforce are expected to take in a lot of information, process it, and then act accordingly. Not having good listening skills will likely lead to miscommunications or hearing only half a message. So they will either produce something that is only part of what’s needed or filled with misinformation. Even more than that, they could miss opportunities to move forward in their career. AN: Managers who proclaim an open-door policy but have a closed mind will miss out on developing talent and getting better results. Employees will not venture forth with new ideas and they will not take risks, which will block creativity and innovation in a company. What’s your advice for creating a cohesive multigenerational workplace? GT: The study’s most promising finding is the similarity among generations on the importance of listening to each other — even if each group differs in how they want to do that. Provide educational opportunities for all generations to learn the art of listening. A management role requires more reflective listening related to understanding a problem. Millennials do more action-based listening for information and assignments. Also, understand and respect each generation’s preferred mode of communication. For example, balance in-person and remote communication for millennials: Instead of constant personal oversight on projects, allow for email status updates and reserve face-to-face meetings for more in-depth issues and guidance. AN: We typically recognize good listeners: They are the people we’re drawn to, the ones who enable us to tell our story and be ourselves. A manager who is a good listener will be very effective at helping people develop their ideas and talents, and ultimately develop better solutions for particular projects. LEARN MORE | bentley.edu/listen BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 9
INSIDE JOB »
Stand and Deliver AS TOLD TO MARY K. PRATT
As a student, Madison Malloy ’05 dreamed of a job on Wall Street. Two years as an analyst in residential mortgage-backed securities and a stint as a partner in an e-commerce company convinced her otherwise. In 2009 she made a radical shift, built on her lifelong love of telling jokes. Today, the Denver native is a comedian, actress, producer and writer.
Career path, with detours. I really had that entrepreneurial spirit my whole life. So I left Wall Street when I had the opportunity to run a B2B e-commerce website. I was 24. Around the same time, my dad and I had a conversation. I thought at that point I had screwed up my life. My dad said the biggest mistake people make in their life is to chase the money and not chase the passion. He asked what I would want to do [if money didn’t matter] and I said I’d go around the world and tell jokes. He said, “That’s a professional comedian.” Business of comedy. A business magazine once wrote a story saying if you want to run a successful business, go talk to a comedian. Their product is the joke. If the joke doesn’t work, they go back to the drawing board and they alter it until it works. I have focus groups every night. I’m in front of live audiences testing this material. Getting to the point. When you start, you go to that shock value. Then you evolve. You start writing stuff that’s true to you. You have to find your POV, your point of view, and until you do, you don’t have your voice in the comedy world. But once you find that POV, your character becomes developed. Now someone can be sitting in the audience and they can say, “I get this guy, this is what he’s thinking. I know his life through his comedy.” Material matters. I write about things I find funny, whether it is my family, dating, certain fears, etc. If I think it’s funny, I talk about it. Discipline at work. I’m going to meetings, talking to producers, I’m writing, I do consulting gigs. Yesterday I was a character on one of my friend’s Comedy Central shows. I’ve been on Sirius XM and Fox News; performed at rock concerts and other big festivals. I’ve had really cool opportunities. But work is a discipline. It’s a discipline to keep going after you’ve been told “no” a hundred-plus times. Serious advantage. If I didn’t have my Bentley experience, I would not be able to write the movie [I’m working on], find the person to budget the movie, come up with a more strategic way to get these big projects done, and be in on the ground floor. At the end of the day I’m a business person. I’m just running a very different business. I’m running my LLC. LEARN MORE AND FOLLOW | See the full interview: bentley.edu/malloy TWITTER: @MadisonMalloy INSTAGRAM: madisonmalloycomic
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PHOTO BY PHIL PROVENCIO
« ON CAMPUS
Rising (and Landing) On Campus Bentley’s multipurpose arena is rising by the day. We marked progress this spring with a “topping-out” ceremony — an ages-old tradition for new buildings — which involved installing a beam signed by students, faculty and staff. Slated to open in early 2018, the 75,000-square-foot facility will enrich campus life by hosting concerts, academic lectures, career and activity fairs, and alumni programming. It also provides a first-ever home for the university’s Division I hockey team. LEARN MORE | bentley.edu/arena
See a timelapse video of arena construction
A new bronze sculpture of the falcon mascot touched down in early May to honor Bentley’s centennial. Its impressive pedigree: Sculptor Robert Shure also created the FAO Schwartz teddy bear and the bronzed likeness of America’s first president for the Washington Monument. LEARN MORE | bentley.edu/falcon
FALCON PHOTO BY TASLIM SIDI URNEK; ARENA PHOTOS BY TORY GERMANN
BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 11
FEATURES »
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These are days of high drama in the entertainment industry. Titans like MGM are struggling to stay on their feet. Upstarts like Netflix are taking over the world. And not too long from now, you might open a different app instead of changing television channels. You may already be doing it.
PHOTOS BY PRYKHODOV/ISTOCK AND NEONJELLYFISH/ISTOCK BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 13
F
or as long as video has existed, it has been defined by the places people see it. Movies are made for cinemas and sitcoms, for televisions. But increasingly, people are turning elsewhere for their entertainment fix. In a world where glowing rectangles are everywhere, it doesn’t always make sense to take a trip to the theater … or even the living room. Companies like NowThis and INSIDER have grown by making videos for Facebook; BuzzFeed is a juggernaut on YouTube and Snapchat; and streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Video have established their own ecosystems for creating, buying and distributing shows. “The world of entertainment and programming is definitely, definitely changing,” says Emily Webster ’02, an L.A.-based producer whose portfolio includes MTV’s Catfish and HBO’s Emmy-nominated Project Greenlight. “I’ve noticed there are a lot more job opportunities becoming available in new media versus traditional television programming.” Content creators — from news organizations to movie studios — are scrambling to compete for the attention of users. This has given rise to “distributed content,” so called because the video stories go directly to platforms such as Facebook, Netflix and YouTube, instead of traditional places like television and movie screens. The new world of made-for-platform video raises all sorts of questions about the types of stories media companies should be making, and the types of stories consumers want to see. Will anyone watch a half-hour episode of Modern Family on Facebook? (No.) Will two-minute BuzzFeed Tasty videos thrive on Netflix? (Unlikely.) Should The New York Times put its documentaries on its website and charge high ad prices, or try to reach millions of viewers on Facebook? (Hard to tell.) Should HBO put commercials in its shows? (Hope not.) The landscape is shifting fast — and with high stakes. There are opportunities for new media companies to bloom, for old media companies to adapt, for people with different kinds of talents to step in, and for someone to figure out how to make money from any of this. REVENUE DÉJÀ VU The main revenue strategies of new media look a lot like those of old media: advertising and subscriptions. Take YouTube, the first major platform for video content. Like a television network, it allows content creators to show commercials before their videos. “The more popular your content is, the more eyeballs you have, the more a particular ad is seen,” says Elizabeth LeDoux, a filmmaker and director of the Media and Culture program at Bentley. YouTube can charge a company more money to show their ads in front of more
14 | SUMMER 2017
popular channels, just like a company charges more to run ads in front of particular television shows. “They know there will be more people watching, so they’re going to get more bang for their buck.” Similarly, there are sponsorships, whereby brands pay to have their products featured in video content. It happens in traditional media — think of the product placement for Bud Light in the Transformers movies — and it’s even more essential to the way videos are funded on Facebook and YouTube. Webster notes that revenue from sponsorships can eclipse advertising revenue. It makes sense. Viewers can fast-forward through commercials or install ad-blocking software, but they will acknowledge a product that is part of a video they’re watching. The brevity of web video doesn’t allow much space for commercials, anyway. The alumna recalls working on a show whose sponsors included a headphone company. “We had to have our lead cast member wearing these headphones in, let’s say, four out of six episodes we were delivering. And it had to be no shorter than five seconds per shot.” Some companies produce their own content. Red Bull, for example, has an in-house documentary unit that makes movies about adventurous athletes and unusual sports — subjects that dovetail with their brand identity. Many are available on Netflix. “It’s so subtle. You wouldn’t even know that Red Bull is producing it, except for the fact that you see their logo right before,” says Webster. “In my eyes, I have a lot more respect for that brand because they made this beautifully entertaining documentary.” SUBSCRIBING TO THE SAME MODEL The other main revenue source for new media is subscriptions, with Netflix the best-known example. For a few dollars a month, the company offers a huge library of videos without any advertisements. Netflix knows its users want new, high-quality shows to binge over a weekend, so they make them. It isn’t a new model, either: HBO has used a subscription model for decades. And as with HBO, anyone who wants to keep up with pop culture water-cooler conversation needs to be a Netflix subscriber. People keep subscribing to Netflix because its shows are so acclaimed, LeDoux explains. “You get Stranger Things, House of Cards and all these other shows, so people think ‘I’d rather have a Netflix account’ than, say, Hulu or Amazon, because of the original programming.” Amazon Video is slightly different. In addition to selling media content, it’s trying to sell you, well, pretty much everything. As long as you’re watching videos from Amazon, you’re visiting Amazon’s website and attached to Amazon’s brand. It doesn’t appeal to people just because of its programming, but because it’s an entire digital ecosystem. “Other television stations, networks and cable channels can’t really compete,” says LeDoux. “I can go to Amazon and, say, I would like a Westworld T-shirt. Sure enough, I’ll find one on Amazon while I’m
« FEATURES
Audiences prefer consuming content in different ways. They tend to be agnostic about the platform, and prioritize convenience over most other factors.
watching this HBO show through Amazon’s streaming service. I’ll receive free shipping, as well as recommendations for books and games that are connected to the show.” WATCHING AND WAITING With so much choice, legacy television is going through a period of disruption. One of the casualties may be the scheduling model. There was a time when people might tune into a show at 8:00 p.m. and stick with a channel until 11:00 p.m. Few people have that type of television habit anymore. In fact, making viewers wait a week to watch the latest episode risks losing their attention. Netflix now drops an entire season’s worth of episodes at once. It’s a viewing habit that Bentley faculty member Jennifer Gillan describes in her forthcoming book, Should See TV: Television and Serial Monogamy. Instead of juggling several different shows at once, waiting a week for each episode and half-remembering the story arc, people watch one complete series at a time. “Serial monogamy can yield different insights given that it involves immersive, undistracted viewing of all available episodes of “I can go to Amazon a series, in a compressed time,” says and, say, I would the professor of English and media like a Westworld studies. Binge-watching makes preT-shirt. Sure enough, Netflix shows like Seinfeld or Freaks I’ll find one on and Geeks a completely different Amazon while experience. And shows made for I’m watching this binge-watching, like The Walking HBO show through Dead and Orange is the New Black, Amazon's streaming are built with a different kind of arc in mind. service.” Liz LeDoux
PHOTOS BY BRIAN SMITH, TASLIM SIDI URNEK AND GEBER86/ISTOCK
Gillan — also the author of Television and New Media: Must-Click TV and Television Brandcasting: The Return of the Content-Promotion Hybrid — says that producers have moved away from seeing shows as just programming for channels. “Creators are trying to think of shows as stand-alone brands rather than part of the schedule,” she says. “They haven’t gotten rid of the schedule yet. But it’s an outdated model.” Considering shows as individual brands means they are less likely to be canceled, according to Gillan. The television viewership metrics matter less. Now, instead of MTV paying attention only to how many viewers Teen Wolf gets on Tuesday nights, they also look at how many people stream it on the MTV app, how many people watch it later, how many people play Teen Wolfbranded games on their site, and how many people engage with the show’s Facebook page.
“Creators are trying to think of shows as stand-alone brands rather than part of the schedule. They haven’t gotten rid of the schedule yet. But it’s an outdated model.” Jennifer Gillan
ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE Faring less well are movie theaters. Attendance in the United States has been sluggish in the past few years, according to data from the Motion Picture Association of America, Variety and other industry sources. Though movie ticket prices drove theatrical revenue up in 2016, attendance was flat from the year prior, with 1.32 billion admissions. That is only modestly better than 2014’s 1.26 billion admissions, a 20-year low. The time between theatrical release and video-on-demand release is shrinking as well. In 2005, the average wait between a film’s release in theaters and on home
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video was 135 days. In 2016, it was 102. And soon — if major studios and theater chains can come to an agreement — the window may be just a couple of weeks. As Michael Barra ’96 sees it, the changes signal a major shift in the way media companies think about distribution. Barra is president of media and entertainment for the Araca Group, which produces and distributes Broadway shows in partnership with major Hollywood studios, music publishers and game companies. He says audiences prefer consuming content in different ways. They tend to be agnostic about the platform, and prioritize convenience over most other factors. Distributors are quickly moving to meet viewers in their place of choice. For movies, this could mean earlier availability on streaming platforms. For television shows, it could mean accessibility on apps. Where Broadway shows are concerned, Barra sees live broadcasts as a major trend. It started a few years ago, when London’s National Theatre began broadcasting shows live in movie theaters. “At the time,” he says, “the prevailing wisdom was that any ability to see our show anywhere that is not our theaters would can“Sometimes nibalize our very sensitive [producing short Broadway marketplace.” videos] you have a But that kind of thinklittle more creative ing is shifting. For some of leverage to do his upcoming shows — for your own thing. example, stage adaptations In television, of major properties including there can be Clue — he is weighing differa lot of cooks ent distribution methods. “We want people to conin the kitchen.” sume. We know that millenEmily nials, especially, are used to Webster ’02 going to YouTube, doing a search and seeing whatever it is that they want to see, at whatever time. Broadway hasn’t accomplished that yet.” For live shows, Barra foresees a model similar to stand-up comedy. An artist does a few shows, then Netflix or another service streams the show for millions of subscribers. Or, better yet, a musical might debut on Netflix or Hulu — and then turn into a live show, as happened with High School Musical on the Disney Channel in 2006. “Musicals may actually debut on a platform, and then
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either skip Broadway and go to tour, or go directly to stock and amateur [licensing],” says Barra. “I can absolutely see that.” CREATIVE LEVERAGE One notable byproduct of the distribution revolution has been changes in how content is actually made. According to Webster, the process of creating a five-minute video for the Web looks a lot like producing a television episode — but everything is compressed. “When I was covering New York Fashion Week for Vogue’s website, we had to shoot, edit and deliver to the site that night,” she explains. “With a television show, like Catfish, we have a couple of months to complete an episode.” The narrative skills needed to make a short video are different from those required for a TV episode — and Webster finds the process refreshing. “There are fewer people working on it,” she says of web videos. “Sometimes you have a little more creative leverage to do your own thing. In television, there can be a lot of cooks in the kitchen.”
“We know that millennials, especially, are used to going to YouTube, doing a search and seeing whatever it is that they want to see at whatever time. Broadway hasn’t accomplished that yet.” Michael Barra ’96
TALENT UNLIMITED Another corner of the industry that has changed is casting. La La Land-esque depictions of the hopeless odds of becoming famous will always persist, but the barriers to success have shifted. It used to be that the talent — actors, singers, dancers — needed a team of people to make their work visible in the industry. The Internet has changed all that, says Scott Wojcik ’88, a casting director and producer who has worked on movies, commercials and web shows. “Most actors have a website,” says the alumnus, a partner in New York-based Wojcik | Seay Casting. “Distribution is almost unlimited now with social media … which is very exciting, because if artists are trying to tell stories, now they have more places to put those stories.” The ability to sculpt your image online means that actors are operating in a more controlled, choreographed environment. The best casting, Wojcik says, is when the
« FEATURES
Skills for Changing Times
actor’s personality and craft are both present. He looks for actors who are believable and relatable, as well as “explosive” and “in-the-moment.” “That’s what we seek out,” he says of auditions. “Whether we do it live or via videotape, and whether or not the directors are in the room.” Another constant is the mission of casting itself: finding the person with the right qualities for the job. The change is having so many more places to seek out the right people. “There’s a subtle difference … just more variety of styles to appreciate,” says Wojcik. “I don’t look for anything different.” RETURN TO THE WELL In the video-distribution shakeup, a few things have not disappeared, as you’ve probably noticed: remakes, reboots and sequels. These are strategic choices, according to Barra. Considering the sheer volume of content available, adapting something that already exists becomes, paradoxically, a way to stand out. People are more likely to notice a brand they are already familiar with. Moreover, he adds, adaptations can be a hallmark of high quality. “Distribution is “All the Golden Age almost unlimited Hollywood movies were based now with social on stage plays or books,” media … which is observes Barra, whose company very exciting, because is producing plays inspired by if artists are trying Monopoly and SpongeBob. “The to tell stories, now entire animated Disney canon they have more places is based on fairy tales or other to put those stories.” sources.” There’s also the difficulty of Scott getting noticed on emerging Wojcik ’88 platforms. Users typically don’t pay much attention to advertisements for shows. Instead, they discover new things to watch through word of mouth. So a story reboot, prequel or sequel has a built-in potential audience. Amid the dizzying change in how we consume content, as old platforms evolve and new ones emerge, we can take some comfort. The commitment now as then: tell great stories. The best ones can last for generations, inspiring hearts and creating memories that transcend any medium.
PHOTOS BY MATT FURMAN, DAVID ZENTZ AND KYLE MURDOUGH; SCREEN IMAGE BY MAORWINETROB/ISTOCK
Unsteady trends in the world of distributed content require professionals who can adapt with the times. Launched four years ago to help answer that call, Bentley’s Creative Industries major sent off its first graduates in May. Students tap resources in the Media and Culture Labs and Studio for experience using Photoshop and operating a movie camera. They study innovative businesses like Netflix and Amazon, take courses that cover globalization and supply chains, and learn how to produce a film. Program faculty are from the English and Media Studies and the Information Design and Corporate Communication (IDCC) departments. James Purdy ’17 (below) applied his skills to develop a series of videos for the Bentley Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center. “I was able to understand creative briefs, provide thoughtful insight into clients, and bring my creative talents forward to deliver high-quality content to an audience,” says Purdy, who credits IDCC professor Michael Goldberg as a particular mentor. “I wouldn’t have been able to do this project without my major.” One standout experience for Sarah Egner ’17 was serving as an event production intern at the fast-growing, Boston-based Rugged Races. “They put on 5K obstacle-course races like Tough Mudder,” she explains. “I got to travel all over the U.S.” In June, Egner joined Monotype as a business development representative. Monotype is best known as a font and type foundry, whose portfolio includes Helvetica and other big names. They also help other companies develop brand presence and consistency. “I’m excited to be working for a creative, innovative company but still able to apply the business skills and mindset I gained from Bentley,” she says. “That’s a good analogy for who I am: business at the core, with some appreciation for creativity and the arts as well.”
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FEATURES »
THE PROFile SAM AMEEN ’84, Director of Photography BY MICHAEL BLANDING Photography by Renee Treyball
The alumnus lines up a shot in San Francisco’s Crissy Field for a production by Amazon Studios.
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T
“War reduces everything to angles,” writes Sam Ameen ’84 in an essay about being a combat photographer in Afghanistan. There are the angles of bullets marked by tracers flying through the air. And there are the camera angles Ameen used to capture the chaos around him.
he Emmy-nominated Ameen has recorded both real and simulated combat in his career as cameraman and director of photography (DP) for documentaries, feature films and TV shows. The constant is choosing the right angles and perspective to convey the story unfolding before his lens. His first look at the industry came as a Management major at Bentley. During an internship for NBC News, he found himself more interested in the work going on behind the cameras than in front of them. He began shooting documentaries after college and, in 1991, joined the Air Force. Six years later, Ameen became part of the 4th Combat Camera Squadron, an independent military film unit dating back to World War II; the experience offered critical lessons in teamwork. “When you deploy to a place where people are trying to hurt you,” he says, “you get very involved in the emotional state and welfare of those around you.” Ameen took that comrades-in-arms approach to Hollywood, where his work includes films with directoractors Jon Voight and Anthony Edwards, TV shows like the ABC comedy Downward Dog, documentaries like the Holocaust-inspired Steal a Pencil for Me, and indie films like Chez Upshaw, a dark comedy about a couple running a B&B for assisted suicides. He holds DP credit for features that premiered at Sundance, Taos, Berlin and Locarno, among other film festivals. Every project requires checking his ego at the door to translate the vision of the director. “They are the ultimate keepers of the keys,” says Ameen, who starts by presenting directors with
a range of photos and clips from different sources. The goal is deciding on a common visual language that will help tell the story in a director’s head. “When you put yourself behind a director’s vision, you usually get a good film.” On a documentary, by contrast, the cinematographer takes a more active role in how the story is told. “That’s often for the simple reason that the event is unfolding in front of you,” he explains, “and where you place the camera is fluid.” Storytelling is taking an even more personal turn for Ameen. He’s working to find funding for his own documentary-in-progress, which will splice together combat footage with a narrative he wrote about the surreal contrast between real and fictional depictions of battle. “There’s a weird split between doing narrative scenes with people wearing squibs” — miniature explosive devices that create the illusion of gunfire — “and people who are really dying in front of you on the floor of the helicopter.” At the same time, he says, the act of framing, adjusting color and contrast, and captioning photos of trauma becomes strangely therapeutic, helping insulate him from PTSD. He hopes the finished work will engage viewers. As Ameen writes: “My view — my angle — is the opposite of my infantryman-brother’s, who quickly takes an aggressive posture when strangers approach. Unlike his shot, mine is an expressive picture, so I invite contact.” After so many years of helping express other people’s cinematic vision, he may finally get a chance to express his own.
SAM’S TRICKS OF THE TRADE Directors vary like actors. Some never pick up a lens; others almost measure the height of the camera.
Every digital camera has its own palette. Now instead of changing film stock, we change cameras.
The style must fit the script. Pretty, stable, and controlled is not always the right choice.
WEB: samameen.com
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FEATURES »
ALUMNUS MAKES SKILL BUILDING ALL IN A DAY’S FUN
BY CAROLINE CRUISE Photography by Chelsea Ruscio “Coding means to tell a computer what to do.” This crystal-clear explanation, which many adults might struggle to articulate, comes from an 11-year-old named Liliana Renaud. She is learning about computer programming at the nonprofit KodeConnect, founded by Eval Silvera ’99 of Brockton, Mass. The venture has personal roots. The former Computer Information Systems major introduced his daughter, Tamia, to coding at a weeklong summer camp held at Bentley. They looked for a similar program near home where she could continue studies; other families were also interested, but balked at the cost. “Most parents spend that money in a whole summer, let alone in one week,” says Silvera, whose full-time job is senior agile coach at LogMeIn. “We had to do something.” UNTAPPED POTENTIAL KodeConnect launched on February 20, 2016, and held its first programs over April vacation that year. Now, they teach several classes per week that sell out in 24 hours (the minimal fee helps), sponsor two weekly clubs, and gather fifth-graders in a Robotics Club, which earned finalist honors in a recent coding competition. Is Silvera surprised by the quick takeoff? Not really. “When it comes down to it, all they’re doing is solving problems,” he explains. “That’s something we do naturally as kids.” KodeConnect joins a rising number of organizations out to increase technological savvy in specific populations. Groups such as Girls Who Code, Women Who Code and Black Girls Code are working to diversify the profile of who works in technology. 20 | SUMMER 2017
Nearly half of Brockton’s residents are black, Hispanic, or two or more races, according to U.S. census data in 2010. For Silvera, the demographics represent enormous untapped potential. “These kids have different viewpoints, different experiences,” he says. “That can help realize some amazing technical solutions in our everyday lives.” TECHNICAL CONTRIBUTIONS The local community has embraced Silvera’s passion for the cause. Because KodeConnect lacks a physical location, the Brockton Public Library and W.B. Mason, an office supply chain with headquarters in Brockton, have stepped up with tech equipment and space for classes. W.B. Mason staff even volunteer after work hours to teach KodeConnect classes. In fact, Silvera has found that many of his contacts in the tech world, including engineer According to the most recent data available from the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2014,
18%
of all computer science graduates were women. In 1984 that figure had been
37% 19%
of all graduates in 2014 were black or Hispanic; only
4.5%
were black or Hispanic women
coworkers at LogMeIn, donate money if they can’t donate time. “The job of software engineer is lucrative and comes with a lot of perks. So a lot of people in that space are looking to reach out and get a better life for other people who don’t get exposure to our kind of work.” He goes on to note that Bentley alumni make up 80 percent of the KodeConnect board. “They really understand the importance of getting women and people of color into these fields.” WHAT’S NEXT? Silvera has a laundry list of hopes for KodeConnect: acquiring physical space of its own, expanding classes to high school students, teaching parents what their children are up to. “Maybe we provide a ‘maker’ space, somewhere kids can tinker around. Or a place to work on science projects,” he adds. “We’d love to continue to work with teachers in public schools who may have reservations about STEM.” In the larger fight to increase diversity in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, math), organizations like KodeConnect are the critical boots on the ground. But Silvera doesn’t let the pressure of sweeping social change overwhelm him or his students. “Our goal is that when students get to high school, it no longer becomes: ‘Oh, that’s a computer science class; I’m not interested.’ It’s more: ‘I’ve done this before; this sounds cool,’” he says. “We just want them to come, do some cool stuff, and be excited about it.”
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MEET THE PRETTY SMART GIRLS Liliana Renaud, Tamia Silvera, Nesari Spears and Oliana Spears (clockwise from top left) are the aptly named robotics team at KodeConnect. Pretty Smart Girls was among 30 finalists (out of 5,000 entries) in the international Wonder League Robotics Competition and, in Massachusetts, placed first for the 9- to 12-year-old age group. At the photo session, in typical preteen fashion, they were quick to strike poses with Wonder Workshop toys Dash and Dot, which were used for the competition. Not so typical? Their conversation. Each battled, at rising volume, to be the one to boast about the team’s accomplishments, lament the challenges they faced, and knock their coach, Mr. E., for never bringing enough snacks. It’s always about the snacks. BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 21
FEATURES »
An Indelible Mark BY KRISTIN LIVINGSTON Photography by Alonso Nichols
When Bill Torrey first stepped on Bentley’s campus, the last thing on his mind was becoming a vice president for University Advancement — again. He had just completed more than 20 years in the same role at Bowdoin College in Maine. Plus, he wasn’t sure if he could do in Waltham what he had done in Brunswick. “The culture of philanthropy at Bowdoin was decades-old and needed awakening,” he says. “At Bentley, the story still needed to be told.” Six years later, the story of philanthropy at Bentley is one of a community united in spirit and giving, turning out in record numbers and led by a deeply committed vice president who is (semi) retiring. THE STORY SO FAR The first chapter in Bentley’s history of giving involved a small number of dedicated donors who quietly helped the school become the college become the university. The group grew considerably once Torrey and the development team began reminding more alumni of how much the school has shaped their lives and careers. The experienced advancement professionals whom Torrey recruited have done more than raise money. They created a robust reunion program and a thriving student giving program, supported the new Global Alumni Board and, most recently, completed a yearlong centennial celebration in which more than 6,000 community members participated. “We host more events in more places than ever before and are engaging more people with each one. We have greatly expanded our one-on-one visits with alumni and friends. Giving has increased at all levels,” he says. “We continually remind alumni of Bentley’s successes — its rise in national rankings, student achievement, service-learning, innovative teaching and research. It all increases the value of their degree and encourages them to remain active in the Bentley family.”
“Bentley itself is a brilliant story,” he says. “It deserves the financial support of our
alumni. When we reached out and asked, the response was what we expected: alumni cared and wanted to give back.”
HAILING BENEFACTORS This has been a big year for instilling — and quite literally installing — pride on campus. The new falcon statue and Great Benefactors tribute, located behind the library, represent an expanding culture of alumni engagement and support. The statue (pictured on page 11) was an instant hit on campus; alumni posed with it all Reunion Weekend long. As for the Great Benefactors tribute, Torrey counts it as a particularly important project that was a long time coming. The Great Benefactors are a group of donors whose lifetime giving to Bentley totals more than $1 million. Torrey spearheaded the tribute to celebrate the collective generosity of the community and inspire others to join their ranks. “Students and faculty will walk by this tribute every day and be reminded that there are people who have done something long-term for this place,” he says. “The best part is that the tribute looks like it’s always been there, just as these donors have always been there for Bentley. Not everyone can give a million dollars to Bentley, of course, but the wall is a visible and permanent reminder to everyone that philanthropy matters here.”
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FROM B TO SHINING B Like many advancement professionals, Torrey fell into fundraising. While earning his master’s degree at Bucknell University, he spent two years as a resident director in a freshman men’s dorm (“I quickly reconsidered!”) before finding his way to an internship in the development office in 1977. Fundraising, he says, came naturally because he believed in the mission of the institution. “If you don’t have that passion, people see through it,” says Torrey, whose passion for education springs from the connection between students, faculty and staff; the devotion of alumni to the school; and the high level of achievement among the students that Bucknell, Bowdoin and Bentley prepare to go out into the world. Still, after graduating from Bucknell, Torrey took a break from fundraising — a five-year ice cream break. He started a gelato business in Philadelphia and built a small ice cream plant in New Jersey. His favorite flavor? Brandy Alexander (inspired by the classic cocktail of the same name). “Owning my business,” he says, “I learned a lot about life” — and his life’s calling. At 37, Torrey dove back into fundraising as the vice president for University Advancement at Bowdoin. “I was young,” he says, crediting then-president Bob Edwards for mentoring him as a leader and advocate for higher education. Torrey has gone on to do the same for many colleagues. His tireless work with President Gloria Cordes Larson and the Board of Trustees lays a foundation for enduring success. Maureen Flores, whom Torrey hired in 2014, will succeed him as vice president.
“She’s a leader, a team builder and an excellent fundraiser who will guide a smooth transition,” he says. “Bentley is fortunate to have her in this role.” SECRET-LESS SUCCESS Listening. Building the best team. Working in concert with the board and president. Understanding the institution and talking about it in a straight-forward, passionate way. Looking back, Torrey says there is no great secret to his success beyond common best practices. What’s special is what people can do together. When Torrey took over Bowdoin’s fundraising program, the college was raising $9 million a year; when he left, the total stood at more than $60 million. “You don’t do that by yourself,” he says. “You recruit good development people, build morale and establish that culture of philanthropy. “Coming to Bentley, I felt a great sense of responsibility to the president and the board, and had a lot of determination. Our team has accomplished a lot in six years, and I’m happy to be stepping down knowing Bentley is poised to seek, and receive, the support it deserves.” And while the ways that donors give constantly shift — crowdfunding and mobile giving are the latest trends — their reasons stay the same. “It’s about relationships and establishing trust in people and an organization,” says Torrey. “I was taught early on that people don’t give until they hurt; they give until they feel good. And I’m proud to say that I’ve spent my professional life helping them realize their potential.”
Bill Torrey and the Great Benefactors tribute. “If you don’t have that passion, people see through it.” BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 23
CLASS NOTES
POWER HITTERS
Red Sox legend David Ortiz and centennial celebration chairman George Fantini Jr. ’64 marked the festive close of Bentley’s 100th anniversary year.
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PHOTO BY WAYNE CHINNOCK
« CLASS NOTES
1948
1979
1987
Arnold Marcus, North Easton, Mass., was named Man of the Year by the Easton Lion’s Club.
Tom Coots, Brockton, Mass., was inducted into the Brockton High School 2017 Athletic Hall of Fame. He reports: “Wonderful Saturday night for me.”
Eileen Chernoff, MBA, Ashland, Mass., has been elected to the Board of Directors for the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts. Her four decades of work in neurological rehabilitation includes founding Community Rehab Care, an outpatient treatment center located in Watertown.
1971 Dewey Martin, MST ’77, Hampden, Maine, has been appointed to the Council of the American Institute of CPAs. Now in his 37th year of teaching at Husson University, Martin directs the School of Accounting.
1972 Doug Boettner reports having relocated from Albany, N.Y., to Summerfield, Fla.
1975 Mary Chevalier, Westerly, R.I., founder and president of Attain International, celebrates the company’s 20-year anniversary and history as a woman-owned business. “This has been the fastest and most interesting 20 years of my life,” she writes. “I feel fortunate and grateful for my Bentley education and all the wonderful clients who made this special milestone possible.”
1976 Tom Jackson, Medway, Mass., marked his fourth year as CFO of Dedham Country and Polo Club. He writes: “I started my career 41 years ago with PKF in Boston. I have two daughters and three grandchildren and am a proud member of Bentley’s President’s Cub. Life is good!”
1977 Mike Solomon, Plano, Texas, has joined Worksoft as senior vice president of sales, Americas.
1981 Gerard Nadeau, North Easton, Mass., has been named president of Rockland Trust.
1982 Norm Schain, Prospect, Conn., received his master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Central Connecticut State University. He writes: “I intend to continue preparing income tax returns while also seeing clients (not the same ones!) in therapy, where my developing specialty is in couple’s counseling. I have three children in their 20s, all of whom have graduated college now (phew!) and I reside with my three cats. Best wishes for health, happiness, growth and prosperity to you all!”
1983
35th Reunion June 1 to 3, 2018 Joan Antognoni, Maynard, Mass., has been promoted to assistant vice president and senior registered client associate, Wells Fargo Advisors Private Client Group. Joseph Casey, Hingham, Mass., has been named president of HarborOne Bank. Casey was appointed to the bank’s Board of Directors and will continue in his role as COO.
1985 Ted Gorski, Bedford, N.H., a leadership coach and founder of Get Your Edge LLC, is proud to announce the release of his first book, Trailblazing Leadership.
1988
30th Reunion June 1 to 3, 2018 Richard Gulman, MST, Naples, Fla., has won the 2017 Boston Estate Planning Council Excellence Award.
1989 Howard Kartel, Bristow, Va., writes that after Bentley, he married Cheryl Anne Kenney and relocated to Charlotte, N.C., where the couple adopted two children from Kazakhstan: Nicholas James Marat and Cailey Rose Alina. Kartel’s career has included being a stay-athome father, founding the Stephen J. Milone Income Tax eFile Service, forming SSC Woodturning to mentor his nephews and niece, and merging that company to create Steve’s Turn – Pens & More. After his wife passed away in 2014, he began working for the town of Culpeper, Va., as director of finance and town treasurer. Michael Nerney, MBA ’90, Bel Air, Md., earned a doctor of ministry degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C. He serves as an associate pastor in Bel Air.
1990 Steven Richardson, Hull, Mass., has become service director of Boch Hyundai in Norwood.
“Just two Bentley boys!” writes Jack Pini ’75, Hopkinton, Mass., who visited with his 101-year-old uncle, Leon Golay ’57, Juno Beach, Fla.
1991 Siblings Karl Ames, North Attleboro, Mass., and Kara (Ames) Pinto ’94 made memories of a lifetime at Super Bowl LI in Houston, where the Patriots won the championship. Angelo Spaneas, Peabody, Mass., was promoted to senior manager in the Audit practice at Baker Newman Noyes.
1992 Brad Dupee Jr., Superior, Colo., along with fellow Tau Kappa Epsilon alumni, met in Vail for their annual “LosMcCarthos” ski trip. Susan Laliberte, Greenwich, Conn., is beginning a master’s program in psychology at Harvard University. Paul Marobella, River Forest, Ill., who has been running ad agency Havas Chicago, was promoted to lead Havas New York and Arnold Worldwide in Boston.
1994 Steven Jenkins, Berlin, Conn., has been appointed as a trustee to the Connecticut Laborers’ Pension, Health and Annuity Funds. He is general counsel and compliance director for regional construction firm Manafort Brothers Inc., headquartered in Plainville.
1995 Cambridge Savings Bank has named Christine Flaherty, Reading, Mass., as vice president, commercial real estate loan officer.
Guy Palumbo was elected to the State Senate in Washington, and serves as the ranking minority member on the Higher Education Committee. He and his wife, Rena (Parker), senior manager of research for Amazon Web Services, live in Snohomish, where they own and operate an award-winning dog boarding facility called Roscoe's Ranch.
1996 Kim Harrington, MBA ’00, Westborough, Mass., has written Gamer Squad, a middle-grade series to be published by Sterling Children’s Books this fall. She reports: “It’s where Pokémon GO meets the Goonies!”
1997 David Collier, Peabody, Mass., has joined Point B Management Consulting as a key member of its National Project Leadership practice. Joel Freedenberg and Jennifer Thai, Camarillo, Calif., were married on February 20, 2016.
1998
20th Reunion June 1 to 3, 2018 Paul Homer, Huntington, N.Y., was promoted to managing director of Northwood Ventures. Gerard Leeman, Wakefield, Mass., was appointed compliance officer, Americas, for MilliporeSigma. He also was named chairman of the town’s Finance Committee. Continued on page 29 BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 25
CLASS NOTES »
Party of the Century Class reunions and the close of Bentley’s centennial year made June 2 to 4 a weekend to remember. More than 2,000 Falcons arrived on campus to reunite with friends, hear Red Sox glory tales, dine on local cuisine, and dance the night away to mark the university’s once-in-a-lifetime milestone.
See video highlights and a photo gallery of the weekend celebration 26 | SUMMER 2017
PHOTOS BY WAYNE CHINNOCK, BRIAN SMITH AND TASLIM SIDI URNEK
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28 | SUMMER 2017
PHOTOS BY WAYNE CHINNOCK, BRIAN SMITH AND TASLIM SIDI URNEK
« CLASS NOTES 1998 continued Claudia (Spangaro) Mariaca was elected and sworn in as councilwoman in her hometown of Doral, Fla. She writes that, in her new role, she is happy to be helpful in any matter within her reach. Michael Sacco, MST, P ’18, Worcester, Mass., was presented with the 2016 Best of Central Massachusetts award by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. He is the owner of Sacco & Associates LLC. Charles Stuart, Columbus, Ohio, has launched Ambedo Hospitality, a small consulting group focused on the hotel and service industry.
2001 James Bresnahan and wife Mandy (Enos) ’03, MSCF ’04, Ayer, Mass., welcomed Callan James on December 26, 2016. Mandy reports: “Big sister Teaghan is completely in love with her little brother.” Matthew Slayton, Cohasset, Mass., has been named general manager of the South Shore Management Unit by the Trustees of Reservations, a nonprofit conservation and preservation organization.
2002 Paul Coccovillo, Sacramento, Calif., is now leading the accounting functions for the Consumer Hardware division of Facebook.
2003
15th Reunion June 1 to 3, 2018 Francis Baird IV was born on December 7, 2016, to Francis Baird III and wife Lola, Westwood, Mass. Mandy (Enos) Bresnahan, MSCF ’04 and husband James ’01, Ayer, Mass., welcomed Callan James on December 26, 2016. Mandy reports: “Big sister Teaghan is completely in love with her little brother.” Theodore Iorio and Kimberly Maloomian ’05, West Palm Beach, Fla., were married on December 6, 2014, on Amelia Island. Courtney (Cogswell) Lombardo, Billerica, Mass., was promoted to associate director, Development and External Relations, at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. “I would love to be
in touch with other Bentley alumni in the development field,” she writes. Nicole Macey and Eric Kohli, Planstville, Conn., were married on November 11, 2016, in Simsbury. Brett Sigworth, Framingham, Mass., owns the new eatery Pokéworks in Somerville’s Davis Square. The chain brings the classic Hawaiian raw fish bowl to the mainland.
2004 Lisa Belanger and Patrick Kane were married on February 20, 2016, in Sharon, Mass. Many fellow Falcons from the Class of 2004 were in attendance. Tanveer Daswani, London, England, has been married since November 2014 — but writes: “Every day spent with [Tara] feels like we’re newly wed.”
2005 Raghav Lal, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has been appointed CEO, West Africa, for Transnational Academic Group.
Chris Lanen, Cranston, R.I., has been elected chairman of the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association. He also was named a member of the Manufacturing Advisory Council for R.I. Gov. Gina Raimondo. Kimberly Maloomian and Theodore Iorio ’03, West Palm Beach, Fla., were married on December 6, 2014, on Amelia Island. Julie Nee Belben and husband Kenny, Framingham, Mass., welcomed daughter Emma on February 3, 2017. Julie reports: “She is the sweetest little sister to big brothers Jack and Sam.”
2006 U.S. Army Captain Timmy Donahue, MSMA ’07, Arlington, Va., has returned from a one-year tour of duty in Afghanistan. He served as an operational law attorney with the NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan/ Special Operations Joint Task Force-Afghanistan. The work supported Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and NATO’s Resolute Support missions.
Jens Kullmann, MBA, MSA ’12, Medford, Mass., and wife Jane welcomed son Henry on September 25, 2016, in Sydney, Australia. Big sister Ellie is quite the fan, says Dad, noting her constant efforts to make him laugh. “In further news — because adding a family member just wasn’t enough — at the end of March, I completed my three-year assignment with PwC in Sydney and am now working with PwC in Boston.”
2007 Lisa (Buesking), MSA ’08 and David Cawley, MSA ’08, Arlington, Mass., welcomed Andrew Thomas on November 5, 2016. Amanda (Grant) Dudley, MBA ’08 and husband Brian, North Reading, Mass., welcomed a son, Brooks Grant, on October 5, 2016. The couple’s older son, Lucas, is very happy to be a big brother. Werner Krings, MSFP, Feldkirchen-Westerham, Germany, has embarked on a doctoral research project in social media and B2B business development. He
SPOTLIGHT: JENNIFER GAUDET ’00 BY MAURA KING SCULLY
“ There aren’t enough women in business,” observes Jenn Gaudet ’00, a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Boston. “The higher up you go, the fewer female role models there are.” To help bridge this gap for Bentley students, Gaudet has become one of those role models herself. The former Accountancy major supports the Bentley Annual Fund every year, targeting those gifts to advance women’s leadership programs at the university, where PwC is a founding corporate partner of the Center for Women in Business. “The center is very unique,” she says. “It’s there as a resource not only for Bentley alumnae and students, but for all women in business.” The work by her alma mater and fellow alumnae to shatter glass ceilings is part of why Gaudet is True Blue, that is, a donor who has given back every year for at least the past five. Moreover, in crediting Bentley with preparing her for a successful career, she wants to ensure the same for current
students. There is also some enlightened self-interest at work. “As an employer, I benefit from the caliber of talent at Bentley,” she says. “Bottom line, I hope other alumni recognize how important it is to support the Bentley Annual Fund each year.” This summer will find Gaudet pedaling a bicycle 82 miles from Wellesley to Cape Cod. She is part of the PwC team taking on the Pan-Mass Challenge, which raises money for the Jimmy Fund. Whether supporting cancer research or future Falcons, Gaudet is guided by the same principle. “Giving back,” she says, “is what you do.” BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 29
CLASS NOTES » 2007 continued is studying at the Henley Business School, University of Reading, in England. Phuong Mai and Jackson Leung, Quincy, Mass., were married on August 27, 2016, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Sean Parlin, Woburn, Mass., has been promoted to director, Strategic Alliances, at HealthcareSource.
2008
10th Reunion June 1 to 3, 2018 Nicole Chan and Jason Loeb, Quincy, Mass., were married on April 11, 2017, in Italy. Lauren Mary Gotimer, Monroe, Conn., has joined Pratt & Whitney as a senior materials analyst. Leah (Jones) Hancock and husband Dan, Wakefield, Mass., welcomed Rosemarie Barbara on November 15,
The campus offered a backdrop for alumni colleagues at The GW Group . From left: Mary Costa ’00, Dan Wilson ’97, Coreen Melville ’05, Alfred Drouin ’78, Emily Rome ’13, Jennifer Loomis ’12, Dan Marean, MBA ’12 and Jennifer (Ribeiro) Wilson ’99.
PwC partner Mitch Roschelle ’83 (far right), Armonk, N.Y., has been appearing regularly on Fox Business Network's Mornings with Maria show, as both a real estate market analyst and a member of the program's panel. The show airs weekday mornings from 6:00 to 9:00. 30 | SUMMER 2017
2016. Big brother Will, born in February 2015, is thrilled to have a new audience for his antics.
2009 Meredith Hart and Jeffrey Belaief, Boston, Mass., were married on October 7, 2016, at Wychmere Beach Club. “Jeff and I met during ‘First Week’ freshman year, remained friends all through college and started dating after Bentley. We got married on an absolutely beautiful day on the Cape surrounded by family and friends.” The group included nearly 30 fellow Falcons. Brad and Courtney (Spencer) Jansson, North Easton, Mass., welcomed a second son on February 22, 2017. “He’s named after where Mom and Dad met — Bentley!” Courtney says of the new arrival, who joins big brother Spencer.
Lauren Langell and Tony Tryonis ’10, MSIT ’11, Charlotte, N.C., were married on October 29, 2016, at Childress Vineyards in Lexington. Thirty-plus Falcons were in attendance.
Tony Tryonis, MSIT ’11 and Lauren Langell ’09, Charlotte, N.C., were married on October 29, 2016, at Childress Vineyards in Lexington. Thirty-plus Falcons were in attendance.
Patrick Percella and Kara Gould ’10, Bayonne, N.J., were married on June 25, 2016, in Duxbury, Mass., at Kara’s parents’ home. The couple met when Pat transferred to Bentley from Boston University.
2011
2010 James Robert Berkley, MSF ’11 and Heidi Lund Gray, Hopkinton, Mass., were married at LaBelle Winery in Amherst, N.H. Kara Gould and Patrick Percella ’09, Bayonne, N.J., were married on June 25, 2016, in Duxbury, Mass., at Kara’s parents’ home. The couple met when Pat transferred to Bentley from Boston University.
Sucheta Desai and Rohan Hattiangadi, Glendale, Calif., were married in Anaheim on November 25, 2016, in the good company of family, friends and fellow Falcons. Erik Gupp and Rachel Kolbin ’12, MBA ’14, Somerville, Mass., were married on September 4, 2016, at Temple Israel in Boston. In May, Erik joined the Marketing Communication division at Bentley, as direct marketing specialist. Rachel is a data analyst at Partners Healthcare. Kimberly Markowitz and Daniel Bonamassa, Brooklyn, N.Y., were married on October 1, 2016, in White Plains. Casey Millman, MSA ’14, and Danielle Rauch, Boston, Mass., said “I do” on December 17, 2016, in Houston, Texas. Many fellow Falcons joined the celebration, including bridal party members Erik Gupp; Otto Finkeldey; Kevin Segel; David Horovitz ’12; and Rachel Kolbin-Gupp ’12, MBA ’14. The couple honeymooned on a European cruise. The groom and bride work for PwC and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, respectively. Brett Bisesti ’13 reports that friend Sean Valiente, Norwood, Mass., hosted a karaoke night for Brett’s 28th birthday. In lieu of gifts, Valiente asked attendees for donations to Charity Water and raised more than $2,600.
2012 Taylor Grant, Malvern, Pa., was hired as an equity product manager at Macquarie Asset Management. Despina Hatzipetrou and Jake Hixon, Boston, Mass.,
were married on September 10, 2016, at the Wellesley Country Club. Rachel Kolbin, MBA ’14, and Erik Gupp ’11, Somerville, Mass., were married on September 4, 2016, at Temple Israel in Boston. Hortencia Marina Pontes, MSBA ’17 and Samual Swartz, MSBA ’17, Brighton, Mass., were married on July 30, 2016, in Kingston. On February 16, Robert Reardon Jr., Belmont, Mass., graduated from the Reading Police Academy’s intensive six-month program and was sworn-in as an officer with the Belmont Police Department. Prior to this role, Reardon served as public information officer and liquor license clerk for the town of Belmont. Holly Selvitella and Spencer McKenna, Boston, Mass., are engaged to be married on August 19, 2017, in Quincy. “We met in FYS class!” Holly writes. Agatha Szerejko, Rye, N.Y., has joined Good Apple Digital as a senior media planner/ buyer. Previously, she was at Boathouse Group in Boston.
2013
5th Reunion June 1 to 3, 2018 Lindsey Albert and Eric Johnson, Latham, N.Y., were married on October 8, 2016, in Portsmouth, N.H. Fellow Falcons from the classes of 2012 to 2014 were on hand for the nuptials. Andrew Goodman, MSA ’14, Avon, Conn., has been promoted to audit senior consultant in the Internal Audit department at Aetna. Lauren Houde and M. Charles Festa, Warwick, R.I., were married on August 27, 2016, in Providence. Emily Roy, New York, N.Y., was promoted from senior account executive to account supervisor at Prosek Partners. Continued on page 33
SPOTLIGHT: KEVIN ROWLEY ’05 BY KRISTIN LIVINGSTON
For Kevin Rowley ’05, life’s a jam session — on stage and on patrol. Whether adding a new guitar lick at a gig or making a tough call while on duty, he thrives on camaraderie and partnership.
NEXT STOP:
Los Angeles Greatest Hits Among Alumni Angelenos Watch a movie at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery; it’s like having a massive picnic with tons of people. Try one of the many hikes near the Hollywood Reservoir or Topanga Canyon near Malibu. The Pasadena flea market at the Rose Bowl is one of the largest in the country and incredible. Mariela Spillari ’10 Explore the Grand Central Market, Angel’s Flight and the Bradbury Building. They’re always bustling and you can mix with real Angelenos. Head to Saigon Alley in Chinatown, where a jumble of shops spill out into the walkways … and just about everyone bargains. Try the Toasted Bun diner for one of the best breakfasts in Glendale, Yamashiro’s for the view, and 25 Degrees at the Roosevelt Hotel anytime for burgers. Linda (Holmes) Conner ’94, MBA ’95 Golf in Palos Verdes and try the Comedy Club in Hermosa Beach on Sunday nights. Jay Leno performs all the time with great surprise openers. Cory Coder ’99
By day, Rowley patrols Roxbury and Jamaica Plain as a Boston police officer. By night and weekend, he’s the bassist for Bearfight, a local cover band popular at weddings, bars and Bentley. The group has rocked several Reunion Weekends, including this year’s, with covers of The Killers and Kings of Leon. He doesn’t need much convincing to return, calling Bentley “the best time in my life.” Rowley’s first stop after earning his BS in Finance was an office job, whose four walls left him feeling confined. He wanted to help the community in a direct way. In 2012, he followed in his older brother’s footsteps and entered the force. No amount of training, he says, could have prepared him for that first day on the job. “It was an eye-opener,” he remembers. “You realize, I’m the one who has to make the ultimate decision of how to control this scene so everyone makes it out safe.” Fortunately, there is special unity among his colleagues. For instance, at the time of the Boston Marathon bombing, Rowley was still in the academy. But he and his classmates were deployed to help maintain safety in the community. “I remember feeling a deep sense of pride and honor, knowing I’d be part of a family of first responders who had all handled themselves so bravely in the face of terror,” he says. “It was inspiring.” As a musician, Rowley feels lucky to be ringing in countless Saturday nights with Journey sing-alongs. “It’s been 10 years and a total blast.”
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is one of the coolest places. Where else can you see the home of the Mars Rover and the self-proclaimed “Center of the Universe”? The Museum of Neon Art celebrates everything neon. Spot celebs at Osteria Mozza; the first time I dined here, Amy Poehler tried to cut me off in the valet line! Mark Longo ’89 Thai Town in East L.A. is hands down one of the best places for food and celebrity sightings. Quarters Korean BBQ is worth the two- to three-hour line. And Little Saigon is a must for pho. Adam Chaudhary ’05 Head to the Farmers Market on Fairfax (next to the Grove): neighborhood feel, great restaurants and bars, and multiple celebrity sightings. El Pescador in Malibu is a beach worth the journey. L.A. is the birthplace of food trucks, so track down the original Korean BBQ truck and enjoy. John Hammer ’91
LEARN MORE | bentley.edu/latips PHOTO BY BRIAN SMITH
CLASS NOTES »
SPOTLIGHT: ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS BY KRISTIN LIVINGSTON
Congratulations to recipients of the inaugural Harry C. Bentley Alumni Achievement Award. The new honor goes to graduates, chosen by the Global Alumni Board, who embody the founder’s commitment to excellence on behalf of their profession, community and alma mater. CLOSE TO HOME As co-managing partner at Alexander, Aronson, Finning CPAs (AAFCPAs), Carla (Stella) McCall ’89 leads by example. Her work spearheading the Women’s Opportunity Network grew the firm’s number of female managers by 566 percent. McCall and her team also led a rebranding initiative, which conveys the company’s commitment — and her own — to support the community. AAFCPAs gives 10 percent of every dollar earned to organizations in need. In 2016, AAFCPAs was named among the Top Places to Work by The Boston Globe and in the Top 200 Accounting Firms by INSIDE Public Accounting. Another issue close to her heart emerged from a family tragedy. McCall is an active board member for the Jordan Porco Foundation, a suicide prevention, awareness and education program. McCall’s leadership has earned her many awards, though the total is far eclipsed by the number of organizations with which she volunteers — which includes Bentley. A Bentley Executive Club member, former mentor in the Center for Women and Business and dedicated Sigma Iota Sigma alumna, McCall regularly hires fellow alumni and current students.
ONE TRUE VOICE “The power of the individual to do good and to make changes … to help and to heal, is the most unrealized, unexploited, unrecognized power on earth.” As keynote speaker at Bentley’s 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, Darryl Vernon Poole ’68 might well have been describing his own legacy. The trustee emeritus has helped shape Bentley since his student days. The alumni award celebrates his decades-long career as a mentor, business leader, educator, writer and private adviser on critical change management, governance, ethics and executive self-leadership. The award's namesake, courtesy of the Bentley Archives
32 | SUMMER 2017
As an accountant, MIT Sloan School of Management alumnus, Certified Internal Auditor, retired CFO, CEO, board member, researcher and lecturer, Poole has supported efforts spanning four continents. His clients range from senior executives, boards, corporations, institutions and individuals to the federal government. Now facing the transference of more than four decades of global professional and advisory work to others, Poole regards his ongoing work with students worldwide as his most important professional and personal accomplishment. Classmate Bernard Fellner ’68 speaks for many in describing Poole as a true messenger of Harry Bentley’s promise: “I can teach you everything about accounting, but accounting isn’t everything.”
RISE UP It’s hard to believe that the CEO and president of Sprint, Marcelo Claure ’93, began his career by selling frequent-flyer miles from his Bentley dorm room and, later, mobile phones from the trunk of his car. But the Bolivian-born entrepreneur’s legacy is built on hard work from the ground up. He bought a failing cellphone shop and turned it into Brightstar — a multibillion-dollar corporation based in Florida that became the country’s largest owned by a Latino. His leadership of Sprint has reversed the firm’s decline in three short years. Claure has taken similar strides toward another passion: lifting children out of poverty. His decade-old nonprofit, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), provides technology to youth in developing countries. Praised by former president Barack Obama, OLPC has aided some 2 million children and teachers in Latin America, and another 500,000 around the world. At Sprint, Claure leads efforts to address a “homework gap” in the U.S. The company’s 1Million Project connects underprivileged high school students to the Internet for free. He also quietly champions other initiatives such as Best Buddies and Kansas City’s Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault. The former Bentley trustee has earned Entrepreneur of the Year and CEO of the Year honors from numerous organizations. Most recently, he was selected by the Carnegie Corporation of New York for its Great Immigrants: The Pride of America initiative.
« CLASS NOTES Continued from page 30
2014
2015
2017
Michael Hotchkiss, MST, Londonderry, N.H., was promoted to senior manager at Baker Newman Noyes.
Jacqueline Costello, Saco, Maine, was hired as a staff member in the Tax practice of Baker Newman Noyes.
Tabitha Lamontagne, MST, Freeport, Maine, has been named a tax principal at Baker Newman Noyes.
Bashar Moussallieh, MBA and husband Diala, Woodbridge, Ontario, welcomed a daughter, Emily, on April 3, 2017.
2016
Hortencia Marina Pontes ’12, MSBA and Samual Swartz, MSBA, Brighton, Mass., were married on July 30, 2016, in Kingston.
Jackie (Stein), MBA and Matthew Real, MBA, MSFP ’17, Manchester, N.H., welcomed son Matthew Jr. on September 9, 2016.
Ian Thompson, South Hamilton, Mass., ran the 2017 Boston Marathon to raise more than $10,500 for Boston Children’s Hospital in honor of his sister, Mary. He writes: “I’m incredibly grateful for the tremendous support I have received from many of my fellow classmates.”
2021 Kelly Reis, MST candidate, Amherst, N.H., was promoted to supervising senior in the Tax practice at Baker Newman Noyes.
On April 20, in honor of Bentley’s centennial year, President Gloria Cordes Larson rang the Nasdaq closing bell, Bentley took over the Nasdaq tower screen and proud NYC alumni met up in Times Square.
In Memoriam 1943
1960
1973
1992
Thomas Cooney Jr. Theresa Cowley
Kurt Brown Leonard Montigny, MST
Robert Crowley
Thomas Douglas Sherwin Finn David Sharon
1976
1993
1954
1961
Rene Leduc, P ’88 Joan Slattery
Catherine (O’Connell) McDonough, MST
1977
1994
Gary Long, MBA ’82 Edward McLean
Doreen Morgan
1995
1978
Daniel Brinkler, MBA Lilian (Lam) Mac Jeffrey Whitney, MST ’96
Edward Apple Jr.
C. Richard MacWilliams Gerald Murray
1946
1953
Glen Mastro
1947 Angelina (Salmas) Chipouras John Shanley
1948 Arthur Chaves Gerald McCann Marie (Morrissy) McGrail
1949 Keith Callahan Edward Dubill Clayton Rix Winslow Wetherbee Jr.
1950
Lewis Dyer Jr.
1955 Barbara Anderson Francis Coughlin Douglas Porter Raymond St. Pierre
1962
1964
Mark Cummings
1956
Robert Tabaroni
1979
George Emerson Jr. Robert Johnson David McFarland Daniel Morrison Henry Reslewic Roger Stone
1965
1999
Carl Johnson
Lawrence Kirk Sr. Mary Lavin Mary McCurdy Russell Sadler
1967
1981
Friends of Bentley
Alva Bourre Jr. Wayne Face Donald Rowell, P ’90
Joyce Finnegan Glenn Lisciotto
1982
1969 Donald Gelinas
Jerry Kershner, MBA Kevin Thompson
1971
1986
Rev. Claude Grenache, Former Director of Spiritual Life Joseph McHugh Former Professor of Accountancy Harold Perkins Former Academic Adviser
Harris Griff Edward Krachukoski Robert Russell Robert Zuccaro
1957
1951
1958
John Newkirk Jr. William Smalley
1952 George Joyce Jr. Bruce MacRae
Larry Hosford Chester Kowalczyk Jr.
Barbara Casassa Ronald Elwood Raymond Robear Norman Beauvais Chris Decoulos
1959 Frank Pellegrino Richard Wong
William Freedman Edward White
Robert Bramley
1966
Frances Celona Edward Murray
1972 Harry Cronan
Maureen Adams, MSCIS ’96
1987 Michael Clarke Adriel Longo
Alexander Schuh, MBA
2012 Adam Berkowitz
Editor’s Note: The spring issue column mistakenly included Michael Freedman ’11. We regret the error. BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 33
CLASS NOTES »
1.
1. Nicole Chan ’08 and Jason Loeb ’08 2. Hortencia Marina Pontes ’12, MSBA ’17 and Samual Swartz, MSBA ’17 3. Kara Gould ’10 and Patrick Percella ’09 4. Sucheta Desai ’11 and Rohan Hattiangadi 5. Phuong Mai ’07 and Jackson Leung ’07 6. Kimberly Maloomian ’05 and Theodore Iorio ’03 34 | SUMMER 2017
2.
3.
4.
5.
7. Kimberly Markowitz ’11 and Daniel Bonamassa ’11 8. Despina Hatzipetrou ’12 and Jake Hixon ’12 9. Heidi Lund Gray ’10 and James Robert Berkley ’10, MSF ’11 10. Tanveer Daswani ’04 and Tara Jhaveri 11. Lauren Langell ’09 and Tony Tryonis ’10, MSIT ’11 12. Lauren Houde ’13 and M. Charles Festa
6.
13. Joel Freedenberg ’97 and Jennifer Thai 14. Meredith Hart ’09 and Jeffrey Belaief ’09 15. Nicole Macey ’03 and Eric Kohli 16. Rachel Kolbin ’12, MBA ’14 and Erik Gupp ’11
« CLASS NOTES
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16. BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 35
CLASS NOTES »
Future Falcons
1.
2.
3.
6.
4.
5.
1. Francis IV, child of Lola and Francis Baird III ’03 2. Andrew Thomas, child of Lisa (Buesking) ’07, MSA ’08 and David Cawley ’07, MSA ’08 3. Henry, child of Jane and Jens Kullmann, MBA ’06, MSA ’12
Visit us in the fall!
36 | SUMMER 2017
7.
4. Callan James, child of Mandy (Enos) ’03, MSCF ’04 and James Bresnahan ’01 5. Matthew Jr., child of Jackie (Stein), MBA ’14 and Matthew Real, MBA ’14, MSFP ’14
8.
6. Brooks Grant, child of Brian and Amanda (Grant) Dudley ’07, MBA ’08 7. Emma, child of Kenny and Julie Nee Belben ’05 8. Bentley, child of Courtney (Spencer) ’09 and Brad Jansson ’09
HOMECOMING: September 23 PARENTS AND FAMILY WEEKEND: October 13 to 15
Bentley Takes Service–Learning, Civic Engagement on the Road
T
his spring, Joey Milici ’17 (far right) shared gratitude and inspiration with 16,000 others who share his commitment to the social good. He and fellow students from the Bentley Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center (BSLCE) were part of WE Day in Seattle, Wash. Its sponsor, the nonprofit WE organization, connects middle and high school students with service opportunities in the U.S. and abroad. At Bentley, Milici — an Accountancy major with a minor in Nonprofit Organizations — worked with the BSLCE as one of four student directors. In a given year, the role includes managing
more than a thousand of their peers at 50-plus community organizations and projects. This “students-as-colleagues” leadership model is the hallmark of the 25-year-old center, whose newly broadened mission enables students to apply their business training to support the civic engagement goals of nonprofits. Nearly 25 percent of Bentley students take part in BSLCE programs every year. “The BLSCE makes a sustainable difference in so many local and global communities,” says Milici, who has accepted a position with WE in Kenya. “I’m excited to continue that work and holistic way of living.”
“Thank you for empowering me to live my passion.” JOEY MILICI ’17
See a video series featuring BSLCE students, alumni and community partners
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CLASS ACT 1917 to 2017