A World of Good FINDING THE ROI OF CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
BETWEEN THE LINES The paths of business and civic engagement sometimes cross in dramatic fashion, like when billionaires such as Warren Buffett, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg commit a large portion of their wealth to philanthropic causes. Just as important: the quiet efforts every day that join business best practices with the mission to help others and improve the world. The Bentley community has long been at the forefront of this effort. In this issue, we hear from alumni and faculty who work at the intersections of business and the social good. We start with a big-picture look at how companies find value in becoming more civic-minded, while nonprofits post gains by using strategic marketing, data analytics and similar tools. Another story applies a generational lens to civic engagement, with insights on its meaning and pursuit from boomers, Gen Xers and millennials. Finally, you will meet alumni whose public work to help others emerged from private tragedy. Their search for solutions, powered by business skills, has pointed a way forward through heart-rending circumstances. The ROI of civic engagement hit home for me this fall. An email arrived with news of a crowdfunding campaign for service-learning programs at Bentley. Over three days, gifts from 100 people would unlock $3,500 from an anonymous donor. I supplied my credit card information and hit “send.” The reply was gratifyingly quick: I was the 166th person of an eventual 258 to support the initiative. My gift was modest. Not so the rush of pride or the sense of kinship I felt with fellow benefactors. Check out the final tally on page 19. There’s inspiration on every page as we approach the season of giving thanks and giving back.
Susan Simpson Editor
CONTRIBUTORS
SARA BOCCACCINI MEADOWS
DONNA TALARICO
CLAIRE S. ANDERSON
NEW YORK, N.Y.
LANCASTER, PA.
BEDFORD, MASS.
Born in the far north of the United Kingdom, Sara grew up exploring the outdoors with her parents and little sister. She studied at Leeds College of Art and went on to travel the world. Her work draws inspiration from different cultures, rendered in a unique painterly style. She divides her time among textile design, illustration and motherhood to a 3-year-old daughter.
The independent writer and content consultant who penned our cover story volunteers her own time as a board member for Friends of Lancaster Library. Her work has appeared in specialized higher education journals and mainstream publications such as The Guardian and L.A. Times. Donna is also founder and publisher of Hippocampus Magazine, a showcase for creative nonfiction.
“Working on the magazine is like completing a giant puzzle,” says Claire Anderson, P ’14, ’18, whose creative hand touches every piece of the publication. “You work with your team, putting together the images and copy. Moving, changing and tweaking each until it fits perfectly. In the end, there is a big, beautiful magazine. And then a celebratory glass of wine (or two)!”
Cover and page 11
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Contents WINTER 2017 2 | HERE SAY 3 | ON CAMPUS
COLUMNS 7 | Five Things: Subtle sources of risk 8 | Take Two: Improving lives from a distance 10 | Inside Job: Alumna writes her own adventure 30 | Next Stop: Delightful in Dubai
FEATURES 11 | Good for Business, Business for Good 16 | Faces of Change: Civic engagement across generations 21 | Head & Heart: Turning trauma toward a larger purpose
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24 | C LASS NOTES
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HERE SAY
MAGAZINE
Editor Susan Simpson Director of Communications John McElhenny Writers Michael Blanding Deblina Chakraborty Helen Henrichs Joanna Howarth Meredith Mason Mary K. Pratt Donna Talarico Kristen Walsh Senior Associate Director Creative Services Claire S. Anderson Creative Director Greg Gonyea Art Direction & Design Sara Jane Kaminski Photography & Graphics Rebecca Bishop Christopher Schluntz Assistant Director Print & Production Judy Metz Project Managers Skadi Gidionsen Kristine Mickelson
Executive Director Advancement Communications Terry Cronin Associate Director Advancement Communications Caroline Cruise Associate Director Content Development Kristin Livingston
Your article Best Practices: Solutions at the intersection of business and health care [Spring 2017, page 12] had a gaping omission: insurance and health care administration. Estimates indicate this is at least 20 percent of all health care costs. Is there any further efficiency to be found there? The notion of “patients as consumers” is laudable but not entirely practical. Is it really a solution for patients to travel to other countries for affordable health care? That may be realistic, but as an American, I find this shameful — this is the best we can do? Why should someone shop around for minor care? In some cases, one can shop for the best price, but if you’re headed to the ER with a sick child, the sticker shock will just have to wait. And it’s just cruel to call that a personal choice. Christopher Ten Eyck ’12, MSF ’13, New Rochelle, N.Y. Congrats on the magazine and keeping international graduates updated on all events and news regarding Bentley University. It is hard for us living abroad to keep up with what’s going on on the other side of the ocean. Francisco Serrano ’96 Madrid, Spain
OK, feedback. I enjoy the Bentley Magazine and always look forward to the next issue. For those of us who graduated or attended Bentley prior to the 1970s, there are many stories to be told.
COMING THIS SPRING Ovide (see left) is onto
Do students realize that the passing grade at Bentley, formerly Bentley School of Accounting and Finance, was 70? Graduation was at the Boston Opera House. Graduation was formal. Men wore a black tux.
something. The centennial
A student was either a day student (two years) or evening student (four years). Of the day-school graduates in the Class of 1957, 52 percent were veterans. Tuition was collected from students in the classroom. Tuition for day students was $47 per month.
The Falcon Files — that
The only major was Accounting. During the two years, a student did 50 semester hours of accounting. This is the type of information that would be interesting for the students presently attending Bentley and maybe some of the alumni. Ovide Flannery ’57 South Hadley, Mass.
celebration of 2016-2017 kicked up appreciation for Bentley’s history. We’re seizing the moment to launch a column — highlights people, events and traditions across our hundred years and counting. The university’s archivist, Jaimie Fritz, will dig into the stories waiting to be discovered in documents, photos, interview transcripts and other historical resources. Do you have a question or observation about Bentley past? Send it our way by email or one of the other means noted below.
P.S. My dad, Francis R. Flannery, was Class of 1947. 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.
We welcome your feedback. Send your compliments and critiques on the stories inside — or suggest one for the future.
President Gloria Cordes Larson
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. 69M11/17QG.MC.466.17
ON CAMPUS ON CAMPUS PEOPLE >> PROGRAMS >> EVENTS >> IDEAS
PEOPLE >> EVENTS >> IDEAS Members>>ofPROGRAMS the Class of 2021, photographed by Joe Micciche ’19.
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Members of the CLASS OF 2021, photographed via drone by Joe Micciche ’19.
ON CAMPUS >>
Critical Experience
Ville Bonheur
Master's students bridge technology and distance to help an ER in Haiti BY JOANNA HOWARTH HFID TEAM:
Mary Gribbons ’14, MSHFID ’17 UX Research Manager, Vistaprint Dan Lopes, MSHFID ’16 UX/Product Consultant Truc (Sophia) Tokarz, MSHFID ’16 UX Manager, Stryker Kim Forthofer Trumbull, MSHFID ’16 Senior UX Specialist, The MathWorks ADVISER:
Roland Hübscher Associate Professor, Information Design and Corporate Communication
When Boston-based Partners in Health (PIH) set out to minimize wait time and maximize care at Haiti’s University Hospital emergency room, they placed a critical call of their own. On the other end of the line: Bentley professor Bill Gribbons, a leading authority on user experience (UX). The Challenge — developing an electronic triage system to replace the hospital’s paper-based process — drew a flood of interest from his extensive network of students, alumni and fellow experts. “Projects that require in-depth involvement and make an immediate impact on a product are invaluable for students,” says Gribbons, who directs the master’s program in Human Factors in Information Design (HFID). “That’s especially true for graduate students, who are looking to grow their career and stand out in a crowded marketplace.” Four HFID students in the classes of 2016 and 2017 signed on, willing to work on the project remotely, for no pay or academic credit. Kim Forthofer Trumbull, the team lead, was in Maine; Mary Gribbons in Massachusetts; Truc (Sophia) Tokarz in California; and Dan Lopes in Ontario, Canada. All have since graduated.
Setting Requirements — The electronic emergency intake form had two primary requirements: permit easy scanning by a nurse and visually signal the urgency of a patient’s medical needs. There were cultural considerations, too. “One of the biggest challenges for the team was coming up with a user-friendly design for a population that has limited access to computers,” says David DeSimone, business analyst at PIH. “Their initial designs used a keyboard only, with no mouse. By the time we implemented the technology, we were able to train the nurses on Google Chromebooks.” User testing had to overcome geographic distance and 4 | WINTER 2017
the lack of readily available technology. The Bentley team designed static mock-ups and used a “cognitive walkthrough” exercise that asked nurses to role play a patient-intake scenario. “This helped us better understand the human thought process behind the product’s use,” says Trumbull. “We knew it was possible that lives could depend on nurses understanding the new app as quickly as possible.”
A Winning Prescription — The project had benefits all around. The students improved the hospital experience for patients in Haiti, while building and testing their own skills. “The project was much more like a real consulting gig instead of a ‘realistic’ project done over a semester and graded by a professor,” says Trumbull. “This provided us with real-world pressure as well as real-world confidence and experience.” For PIH, the venture is a first in terms of developing a product that triages patients electronically in real time. Anecdotally, they say, emergency room waiting times are lower and, more important, prioritization has improved so the most critical patients are seen first. They plan to collect data on the product’s effectiveness and hope to see the intake form replicated at other facilities in Haiti and elsewhere. “We looked to Bentley because we knew that their graduate students would be accountable for their work and thoughtfully execute this project,” says DeSimone. “They asked all the right questions and delivered a product that was immediately well received.” PHOTO BY DAVID WALTON/PARTNERS IN HEALTH; HAITI MAP BY PAWEL GAUL/ISTOCK
<< ON CAMPUS
President Writes on Preparing Future Graduates BY HELEN HENRICHS Drawing on lessons learned during her decade at Bentley, President Gloria Cordes Larson outlines the school’s success in preparing graduates for a rapidly evolving innovation economy. PreparedU: How Innovative Colleges Drive Student Success highlights Bentley’s learning model, including the integration of business with the arts and sciences as well as the school’s focus on career education and hands-on learning. Published by Wiley, the book debuted at No. 1 in the “Education Administration” category on Amazon and has been featured in prominent media outlets including The Boston Globe, ABC Radio, The Hechinger Report and Bloomberg Radio. Copies of the book were given to students and their families at Convocation and Open House. This fall, business and community leaders from the Boston area joined students, alumni, faculty and staff for a book launch celebration at the President’s House (pictured top left). The book is dedicated to the Bentley community, “the hearts and minds behind PreparedU,” as Larson writes in the dedication. The book is available in stores and online at Barnes & Noble, Walmart and Amazon, among others. All proceeds benefit Bentley students.
Watch a video of President Larson discussing key themes in her book
IN THE NEWS >> Read more at bentley.edu/newsroom/media-coverage CAREER SERVICES RANKS NO. 2 IN THE U.S. Bentley’s nationally recognized Career Services Department has been ranked No. 2 in the country by the Princeton Review, highlighting the school’s strength in preparing students for successful careers. It’s the latest in a series of honors. The Wall Street Journal/ Times Higher Education College Rankings places Bentley among the top 100 colleges in the country, and U.S. News & World Report designates Bentley No. 2 in the “Best Regional Universities – North” category. PayScale names Bentley the No. 2 undergraduate business school for its graduates’ earnings. TOP PHOTO BY TORY GERMANN; BOTTOM BY VICKIE WU
Wall Street Journal
Boston Globe
August 13, 2017
August 21, 2017
Research by Economics and Management Professor Patricia Flynn helps to explain why CFOs stay in their jobs for a long time.
Director of Undergraduate Admission Mario Silva-Rosa discusses how prospective students can demonstrate their interest in colleges during the admission process.
Finance Chiefs Are Staying on the Job Longer, and That is Good for Companies
Want to Get Into Your First Choice College? Better Book a Plane Ticket
BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 5
ON CAMPUS >>
Maureen Flores Appointed to Lead University Advancement Maureen Flores became vice president for university advancement on July 1, 2017. She oversees all fundraising, alumni engagement, advancement communications, sponsored and grant-seeking programs, the Nathan R. Miller Center for Career Services, and the Center for Women and Business. Flores develops philanthropic relationships and delivers a wide variety of engagement programs for alumni, parents and friends. Flores joined Bentley in January 2014 to manage fundraising and operations. Named associate vice president for university advancement shortly thereafter, she streamlined operations and built a new team of fundraising staff, all with deep experience in securing significant support from donors. During this period, Bentley has expanded its alumni engagement efforts and increased fundraising at all levels. “I am honored to work with an outstanding president and Board of Trustees,” says Flores. “Thanks to their leadership, Bentley has built a culture of philanthropy, increased its supporters and engaged more alumni through meaningful programs. I am delighted to lead a team of advancement professionals to secure much-deserved support for Bentley.” Prior to Bentley, Flores had a successful career in fundraising management, leading advancement at Landmark School; working at Fordham University, Harvard University and the University of Cincinnati; and heading the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation in Cincinnati. She earned an undergraduate degree in English from the Honors Program at Fordham University. “Maureen is the real deal,” said President Gloria Larson. “We traveled the country together last year for the centennial, meeting alumni and friends, and I watched her serve as one of our greatest ambassadors. She understands the heart and soul of Bentley. I am thrilled to have Maureen in this vital role, leading the University Advancement Division into the capital campaign for Bentley’s future.”
Outreach Informs Presidential Search Members of the Search Committee have hosted several on-campus meetings with faculty, staff and students. Trustee Robert P. Badavas ’74, who chairs the committee, indicated that the forums gathered valuable input and perspective from the community, ahead of evaluating and interviewing candidates later in the fall. Other outreach included an online survey that drew responses from 1,821 faculty, staff, students, alumni and parents. The themes that emerged were consistent with subjects covered at campus meetings. Key takeaways: n A demand for academic excellence, with Bentley continuing to focus on high ROI and the cutting-edge business learning that benefits students and alumni;
6 | WINTER 2017
A hope for an inspiring executive leader with the credibility and presence to advance the university’s reputation, the ability to fundraise, and a commitment to developing talented faculty members; and n A desire for an innovative leader who is approachable and seeks to collaborate with students, faculty and the Board of Trustees. n
President Gloria Cordes Larson announced in June that she would step down on June 30, 2018, after 11 years at Bentley’s helm. The Search Committee will continue to meet regularly through the fall and share updates with the community throughout the process.
BY THE NUMBERS
1,821 15 respondents to online survey
SEARCH COMMITTEE members
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PHOTO BY BRIAN SMITH
<<<<CLASS FIVE THINGS NOTES
5 LINEAR THINKING Much business forecasting is based on linear extrapolations or “regressions,” which see a future very similar to the past. This kind of thinking can be disastrous in assessing risk. Consider the real estate collapse of 2005-2006 or the management-cost growth on large projects as their complexity increases even modestly. Risk-takers must account for nonlinear surprises: twists and turns that result from interactive effects or systems pushed into unstable behavior. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY REBECCA BISHOP
CHARLES HADLOCK Trustee Professor of Technology, Policy and Decision-Making
Subtle Sources of Risk
FOLLOWING THE PACK There’s a natural tendency to note where the “pack” is headed and go the same way. This has led to disaster in evacuation situations like the Station Night Club fire. In the investment world, a trading strategy might be good until too many investors join and thereby change the dynamics of the market itself. That factor also added vulnerability in the infamous Long Term Capital Management hedge fund collapse, with wide-ranging repercussions.
SELECTIVE HEARING How many cities or states have made large financial commitments to support development proposals that failed to deliver as pitched? Think of Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios and its move to Rhode Island because of a huge loan guarantee by the state or the many locations that have not seen the promised advantages of hosting the Olympics. It’s just too easy to hear only what you want to hear.
TEACHING AND RESEARCH | Risk analysis, mathematical modeling, environmental management, stability of social structures EXPERIENCE | Longtime consultant with Arthur D. Little Inc.; adviser on major environmental cases including Love Canal and Three Mile Island LATEST BOOK | Six Sources of Collapse, which identifies common dynamics associated with the process of collapse across a range of fields
LEARN MORE | bentley.edu/risk
MYOPIC VISION Years ago I was assessing the risks at a chemical plant overseas; their data and procedures looked good. Then I asked about a big pile of metal junk sitting along the fence line: It was part of a ship that had exploded two years earlier while unloading chemicals! One piece hitting an on-site storage tank would have caused a major disaster, but since it didn’t fit into their typical safety analysis, they left it out. Resist studying only what presents itself in a straightforward fashion.
MURPHY’S LAW Low-probability events can (and do) happen. In Japan, the Fukushima nuclear power plant is now an expensive and dangerous decommissioning project, due to an “impossible” tsunami. A photograph in my book shows utility workers removing a deer carcass from a power line about 50 feet high. This unlikely scenario caused a power outage in Missoula, Montana. When people mention black swans, I like to talk about my flying deer.
BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 7
TAKE TWO >>
“ These projects are game changing … the only avenue through which many of these kids will ever access a book.”
World of Difference Lots of people move away from a place and keep their memory of “the old neighborhood” frozen in time. Alumni Elaine and Easton Dickson (left) and Rebecca Rosemé Obounou (right) are working to change the present and improve the future of communities they once called home. INTERVIEW BY KRISTEN WALSH
“ The number one priority is seeing that we have helped develop sustainable Haitian businesses that are cornerstones to their communities.”
8 | WINTER 2017
PHOTOS BY VENITA BELL SHAW/VBS PHOTOGRAPHY AND ELAINE DICKSON
<< TAKE TWO
Why did you start your organization?
How do you manage the organization from afar?
REBECCA: I’m Haitian-American. I was born in the U.S. and went to live in a rural village called La Coupe, in northern Haiti, as an adolescent. I came to appreciate my heritage and the Haitian culture. While we were living there, my mother started a social business where she ran a health care clinic that provided low-cost care. She built a reputation of integrity and passion to serve. I saw the way that her work positively impacted the community and provided economic benefits. I also observed widespread poverty. More importantly, I saw members of the community who were searching for jobs. When I returned to the U.S., I chose to attend Bentley because I was convinced that business was one of the keys to economic prosperity and poverty alleviation in Haiti.
REBECCA: So much of what we do depends on collaboration. I lead, strategize and manage finances, and the CHES Board of Directors is U.S.-based. We also have an office space in Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, operating out of the Haitian Center for Leadership and Excellence, an organization founded by a number of respected local leaders from government and nonprofit sectors. Our operations director based in the capital does training, attends meetings, serves as our point of contact for local funders, and works with volunteers who support our entrepreneurial programs in various parts of the country. I leverage technology to work very closely with her and to stay connected with these stakeholders.
ELAINE: ROI trustees are from the U.S. and Jamaica. They are hands ELAINE: Easton and I grew up in some of Jamaica’s most economically on, fully engaged in all aspects of service delivery. There are separate underserved communities, and lived in abject poverty for most of that committees for finance, fundraising, logistics and marketing. As board time. We lacked most of the resources that a typical American kid would chair, I do the heavy lifting on not just the strategic planning but also take for granted, including access to books. We loved to read, but were daily operations. severely curtailed in this cherished pastime because we had no books We get real-time information from volunteer educators in the schools, in our homes, and the nearest library was miles way. about not just which books students enjoy but also what they struggle A few years ago, we visited some schools in Jamaica with. This really helps us curate a book list that is ELAINE DICKSON, MBA ’98 and were shocked and disappointed to discover there effective for each school’s specific needs. were no meaningful improvements in many commu- & EASTON DICKSON, MST ’07 The Early Childhood Commission and the Jamaica are co-founders of Reading Owls nities and schools, including the areas where we grew Library Service, both in Jamaica, and the U.S. Peace International (ROI), a nonprofit that up. We started Reading Owls International (ROI) to Corps are big collaborators in assessing schools that partners with schools and community have a structured, meaningful way of giving back to either need a library or require significant upgrade organizations in Jamaica to provide our birth country. in books or infrastructure. access to books and other learning What is the impact of having your organization based in the United States? EASTON: We’re able to more easily run a not-forprofit in the U.S. than in Jamaica. The regulatory process is simpler, more transparent and cost-effective. Equally important, the American society is more educated and open to giving to charitable causes, and has more disposable income; we are therefore more likely to achieve our financial targets.
resources for school-age children. They live in Cumberland, R.I., where Elaine is president of Generis Financial Consultants and Easton is treasurer at Bain & Company.
REBECCA ROSEMÉ OBOUNOU ’06 is founder and president of the nonprofit Christian Haitian Entrepreneurial Society (CHES) International, which funds, educates and mentors entrepreneurs in rural parts of Haiti. She lives in Chelsea, Mass., and serves as assistant director at the Babson College Lewis Institute, Schlesinger Fund for Global Healthcare Entrepreneurship.
ELAINE: At times it is difficult logistically to fully assess needs on the ground, because we do not have the budget to travel and study the schools as often as we would like. Similarly, follow-up assessments are constrained by distance and budget. So, our bestpractice monitoring and quality control is somewhat dependent on third parties. We value these partnerships and hope that, as we continue to grow, this limitation will be greatly mitigated.
REBECCA: I agree that access to resources is a bonus for a U.S.-based organization. When I first started CHES, we largely recruited U.S. volunteers to go to Haiti to support entrepreneurs, particularly women, in rural communities. We have since shifted to a model that leverages more of the local expertise in Haiti. We have a full-time operations director on the ground and a network of local volunteers with more Haiti-relevant business experience and nuanced cultural understanding that U.S. volunteers do not always have. The disadvantage for CHES being based in the U.S. is that it is sometimes difficult to fundraise. A lot of this is because people who donated to previous Haiti relief efforts learned that millions of dollars were mismanaged and didn’t get to the right places. That has certainly created skepticism and donor fatigue. Now, many funders seem to have swung to the other side, asking if we are a Haitian nonprofit organization. While we are not a Haitian NGO, our localized approach resonates with more careful donors.
EASTON: I work as treasurer and I am also a member of the fundraising and finance committees. But because we’re a small entity, our roles are not limited to our titles. When we have something to do, whether it’s a book drive or sorting and cataloguing books, we all jump in to participate. What are some benchmarks for success? ELAINE: In just three years, ROI has impacted over 5,000 students and their families and more than 20 communities; renovated or outfitted 12 lending libraries and a computer lab; supplemented two more libraries to become fully functional; delivered over 18,150 books; and helped start a LitClub. These projects are game changing for schools and children, as it is the only avenue through which many of these kids will ever access a book.
EASTON: For me, it is about exporting value to address, directly or indirectly, the whole immigration conundrum, where developing countries are losing stellar residents who migrate to other places in search of better opportunities. If ROI is creating opportunities through investments in education, we are giving people a chance to feel better about staying in and developing their home countries. REBECCA: Our work is based on building partnerships, so each relationship we build I consider a success. The number one priority is seeing that we have helped develop sustainable Haitian businesses that are cornerstones to their communities. Our role ranges from providing full support — business plan to startup loans to launch — to providing just entrepreneurial training. When I see these flourishing businesses that are socially conscious — focused on not just making money but also making a positive impact — I know I’ve done my job right.
LEARN MORE | bentley.edu/taketwo BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 9
INSIDE JOB >>
Replotting a Career AS TOLD TO MARY K. PRATT
As a young reader, Kim Harrington ’96, MBA ’00 was obsessed with the Choose Your Own Adventure book series. Though she loved controlling characters and plots, a writing career struck her as risky and impractical. Instead, the former Marketing major worked in corporate marketing and, later, as an independent search-engine marketing consultant. When her son (now 15) headed to kindergarten, Harrington reconsidered. And the adventure was off. MOTIVATING FACTORS When I write middle-grade books, I write for my 9-year-old self. Growing up, I loved computer games, so I wrote the Gamer Squad series for me. You have to enjoy what you’re writing or it’s going to be really, really hard. Kid and teen readers have an overwhelming enthusiasm for books and reading. I think my writing style and voice are great matches for these age groups. VOICE LESSONS I try not to mix writing a young adult (YA) and a middle-grade book at the same time, because the voice is so different. In YA, almost anything goes. For middlegraders, I have to be more cognizant. It can be a mystery, although I can’t have a serial killer romping through town. What I enjoy about middle grade is you can ramp up the humor. TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES For a mystery/suspense author, phones are often something to write around creatively or incorporate in ways that authors of previous decades didn’t have to worry about. The killer is chasing you? Simple! Dial 911 on the cell you always have with you. On a broader scale, social media, phones, the Internet and video games are all competing for kids’ attention. I just write the best book I can and hope readers enjoy it enough to spend their limited downtime with my characters. LEARN MORE | bentley.edu/author 10 | WINTER 2017
… AND PERKS I make myself available via email, and I’m also active on Twitter and Instagram, which are where most of my readers reside online. They enjoy seeing glimpses of their favorite authors’ lives, as do I! THE WRITING PROCESS Writers tend to categorize themselves as “plotters” or “pantsers.” Plotters outline in detail, and pantsers jump in and write by the seat of their pants. I call myself a “capri pantser.” I know the beginning and the ending, and I write up the character sketches. But I don’t need to know everything in between. FILLING IN THE MIDDLE The middle of a book is the hardest part; it’s the slog. So I use the BIC method: butt in chair. You set your timer or you have a word count and you’re not allowed up until you finish. Writers can be perfectionists and you need to give yourself permission to write horribly. It can be fixed later. UP ALL NIGHT I’m not the type of writer who will ever win a Newbery award. I write commercial fiction, because that’s the type of book I liked to read. My chapters end with little cliffhangers so kids want to read just one more. I get so many emails that say “sent from my iPad” and they write: “I stayed up all night reading your book.”
Kim Harrington is at home writing for kids and teens. Her latest entry for 8- to 12-year-olds is the three-book series Gamer Squad (Wiley, 2017). She also has written four books for young adults. PHOTO BY REBECCA BISHOP
<< FEATURES
Good for Business Business for Good Building a Bridge Between Corporate and Community
A blank line on a job application reads: phone number. For a certain population of job seekers, the empty space inspires dread. An applicant may pause, pen poised over the form, and think, Even if this manager wants to follow up, how will she reach me? The importance of those seven digits to a person who is homeless was a wake-up call for John Yazwinski ’96. As a Bentley student, the former Marketing major worked with faculty and a phone company to implement a voice mailbox system for people living at a homeless shelter. “It was just one simple thing … that could help someone move out of a shelter,” Yazwinski recalls, his joy and wonder at the discovery still apparent. Fast forward to the early 2000s. The alumnus is executive director at Father Bill’s Place, a shelter based in Quincy, Mass. It’s filled to capacity just about every night and Yazwinski is in search of a way to meet demand. Technology developed for business — by a friend and Bentley classmate — would point the way.
Matthew Simmonds ’96 is CEO of Simtech Solutions, a software firm he established to serve the leasing industry. He and Yazwinski used data collection and analysis to uncover a narrative behind the numbers: a few people were using the largest amount of resources. “The conversation changed. We went from managing homelessness to potentially ending it,” Yazwinski says, referring to a then-new ambitious and innovative “housing-first” model. Father Bill’s was a pioneer of the approach, which is gaining ground in cities of all sizes. The solution was to develop multifamily housing units. Their first project was Claremont House, located in a shipyard and already set up to house multiple people. About a dozen women — some of the highest utilizers of Father Bill’s services — moved in. And costs went down, internally and externally. What other cues can nonprofits take from the corporate world? What can business learn from charitable organizations? Yazwinski, Simmonds and other Bentley alumni and faculty members are part of a growing movement to build bridges between the sectors.
BY DONNA TALARICO Illustrated by Sara Boccaccini Meadows
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THE RIGHT MINDSET: AN ETHICAL APPROACH According to the Edelman 2017 Trust Barometer, public confidence in both companies and nonprofits — and their leaders — is slipping. The report shows that, worldwide, trust in CEOs is at an all-time low of 37 percent. Nationally, the United States has experienced a fivepoint loss in the category between 2016 and 2017. On a more positive note, 75 percent of respondents agree that businesses can take action to increase profits while improving social and economic conditions in their communities. Transparency, accountability and ethical leadership are at the heart of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The principles must be part of educating future business leaders, says Cynthia Clark, associate professor of management and director of Bentley’s Harold S. Geneen Institute for Corporate Governance. “Reflecting the results of the Edelman survey, businesses perform many functions in society and are embedded in sociopolitical systems globally. So it’s important to teach our students about the responsibility firms have to society,” she explains. “This responsibility is expressed most often in terms of CSR, which itself can take many forms. Students also need to understand how to balance this responsibility with the role that firms play in the economy.” THE RIGHT DATA: LOOKING BEHIND THE NUMBERS Storytelling has long been a practice in nonprofit fundraising. Businesses also benefit from the power of a personal story in ad campaigns. Data too can tell a story — and that’s exactly how Yazwinski and his colleagues transformed Father Bill’s mission and contributed to a national shift in addressing homelessness. Still, he and Simmonds note the challenge of getting other agencies on board with the housing-first model. This is why data analysis and solid business presentation skills matter. Comparing the pre- and post-housing numbers revealed significant decreases in medical, social service and law enforcement costs. “We’re excited about using that data to educate, to prove outcomes,” Yazwinski says, adding that the model not only saves money, but also improves well-being. “It’s healthier and more efficient than ricocheting in and out of emergency rooms, treatment facilities and jail.” For Simmonds, the collaboration revealed an untapped market. The Counting Us product that his company developed is in use by cities for the annual homeless count; this federally mandated exercise helps determine government funding and resource allocation.
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No matter what the charitable organization, approaching problems with an analytical mindset — digging a little deeper — could reveal a revolutionary idea. THE RIGHT TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY Collaboration around technology and development is a primary focus for NetHope, a consortium of more than 50 global nonprofits. Its survey of members in 2017 found that 70 percent do not have a digital strategy. This is where professionals like Stamatina (Tina) Papadopoulos ’88 come in. She’s a consultant to small and startup nonprofits, assisting clients with everything from fundraising to finance to marketing to event planning. Papadopoulos aims to bring a fresh perspective to groups that are often set in their ways. She sees passion, but says growth is often stymied by fear of change or lack of time. “It’s detrimental and a time suck for nonprofits to not be organized and use the latest tools,” she says, adding that much of her work is dedicated to getting clients organized and more business-like. For example, she encourages groups to move away from paper. Staying current with finance and accounting trends, such as using QuickBooks or automating payments, not only saves time, but also maintains consistency through board transition and turnover. She’s a big believer in standardizing processes and business procedures, something that’s usually second nature in a corporate environment. The time saved from streamlining these tasks could be spent on fundraising and marketing. Papadopoulos considers data analytics a compelling reason to embrace technology. Digitizing records could uncover missed opportunities or inspire new metrics, such as how much an event costs per square foot or how looking at the big picture could reveal that an annual event perceived as successful has actually become stagnant. “You could create graphs to show stakeholders and be more confident in your presentations,” she says, noting that such illustrations are far more effective than passing around a spreadsheet. “You can see what’s happening, see where your strengths and weaknesses are.” THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT PLACES Just as a hiring manager pores over résumés to find the best job candidate, nonprofit leaders should look closely at the skills, educational background and work experience of potential board members and volunteers.
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Digitizing records at a nonprofit could uncover missed opportunities or inspire new metrics, such as how much an event costs per square foot or how looking at the big picture could reveal that an annual event perceived as successful has actually become stagnant. “You could create graphs to show stakeholders and be more confident in your presentations. You can see what’s happening, see where your strengths and weaknesses are.” Tina Papadopoulos '88, Consultant
Gerald R. Ferrera, MST ’84, the Gregory H. Adamian Professor of Law, Emeritus, has a long association with nonprofit organizations. He has done pro bono work in his own profession, offered service–learning components in his courses, and volunteered for upward of 27 years at Boston-based day shelter St. Francis House. “Some nonprofits have developed into highly sophisticated business entities, with board members who include partners from accounting and law firms, and other high-ranking executives,” he says. “Their experience is useful, as they insist on managers applying the latest business strategies and technologies in implementing their policies.” Choosing the right people to move organizations forward is a particular challenge for the small nonprofits that Papadopoulos works with. She routinely advises them to seek out business leaders whenever opportunities arise. “Let’s face it: Passion is good,” she says. “But when you bring expertise to the board, everyone’s job becomes easier.”
THE RIGHT MESSAGE Nonprofits can learn a lot about operations, marketing and finances from business. But what can businesses learn from community-minded organizations? Corporations are discovering the business value of a well-deveoped social conscience. A survey conducted in 2017 by FleishmanHilliard Research and Lightspeed GMI showed that 83 percent of professional investors are more inclined to buy shares of a company well-known for social responsibility, because it’s “an indicator of greater transparency and honesty in operations and financial reporting, resulting in lower risk.” In the business environment, Ferrera sees “an emerging synergy between for-profit corporations and nonprofits to address social issues on a level that is increasingly attractive to consumers and donors alike.” Corporate foundations allow companies to do good — and look good. These usually independently operated philanthropic arms donate time
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Alumnus Gary Morton and Professor Emeritus Gerald Ferrera are advocates of “service days,” through which employees volunteer during paid business hours. When people invest time and money in their local communities, morale and productivity increase.
and money to causes in their local communities and beyond through grants, service, matching gifts, sponsorships and more. Impact investing — financially supporting efforts that drive social change and also see a return — is on the rise as well. Giving USA Foundation reports that corporate giving was up 3.5 percent in 2016, for a total of $18.55 billion. Fortune 500 companies are in fact making a powerful statement that giving back matters. Gary Morton ’97, MBA ’12 directs Liberty Mutual’s Give with Liberty initiative, the employee giving division of the company’s foundation. “I can’t think of a better reason to go to work every day,” says the alumnus, whose strategy background and financial acumen — the idea of driving engagement and reducing expenses — have taken the program to new levels. Now, more than 70 percent of Liberty employees participate, raising more than $18 million to be distributed to 8,317 charities across the country. Social problems are significant, Morton says. And it takes a lot of resources to address, prevent and eradicate issues. He says corporate philanthropy helps mitigate the gap between individual donations, grants and other support. This goes beyond payroll deduction programs. Morton and Ferrera are advocates of “service days,” through which employees volunteer during paid business hours. Ferrera sometimes crosses paths with corporate volunteers at St. Francis House. “I see how much they enjoy helping out using their exceptional business skills. And they’re so proud to wear their matching T-shirts.” The boost in morale and engagement is sure to carry over to their own workplace.
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While Liberty Mutual and similarly large corporations house foundations, others choose to partner with a social mission they care about. Management professor Clark sees mutual benefits. “Businesses are focused on surviving as a business, while the stereotype is that nonprofits are super-energized and focused on their mission. These collaborations create a natural union — each can do what is perhaps their core competency.” THE RIGHT OUTCOMES “We all want a vibrant community,” says Yazwinski. “We’ll always have people who struggle with housing, education, substance abuse. It’s going to take not just the public sector, but also the business community and the faith community.” Morton sees firsthand how employees are motivated by working for a company that collectively cares. His own motivation: “save lives, change lives, give people an opportunity. We should be doing that as corporate citizens.” As the voicemail project that initially inspired Yazwinski shows, even the simplest gestures can make a big difference. A business can start its community efforts on a small scale, such as initiating a day of service. A nonprofit can ease into implementing technology for its day-to-day operations. And, the collaboration between Simmonds and Yazwinski is a shining example of how a civic-minded business and a business-savvy community organization can do good when they join forces. Finally, Clark reminds us that everything may start with personal integrity, as these alumni demonstrate. Staying true to yourself is something she stresses in her work with students. As she tells them: “Your reputation — for better or for worse — is something you carry with you throughout your career.”
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ACTING FAST IN TEXAS AND BEYOND Simtech’s Counting Us app was developed to help the homeless community, but it recently found a surprising and welcome use: disaster recovery. Mother Nature does not discriminate, and people not typically thought to be “at risk” for homelessness can suddenly find themselves and their pets living in churches, stadiums and warehouses. In August, two of the largest shelters in Houston used Counting Us to help kickstart the process of moving people impacted by
Hurricane Harvey back into stable housing. Matt Simmonds ’96 reports that within the first few days, staff and volunteers had completed more than 3,800 interviews. “Once the data is collected, they will have a better sense of what kinds of help are needed,” he says."They can also use this information to help guide people to the services and resources that are the best fit for their needs.” Puerto Rico has since voted to use Counting Us to aid in the recovery from Hurricane Maria;
regions in Northern California are also considering the app to help after the wildfires in early October. Simmonds, of Canton, Mass., remembers feeling helpless at first as he watched the news reports from Texas. Years ago, he might have put together a service trip with fellow Bentley students to help with recovery efforts. “That’s a lot harder to do now that I have a family and a career,” he says. “But at least we can use technology to do what we can from up here.”
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Children at Walthamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Prospect Hill Terrace housing development, a longtime community partner of the Bentley Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center.
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PHOTO BY CHRIS CONTI
Faces of
Change
Each generation finds its own path to civic engagement BY KRISTEN WALSH
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arching for civil rights. Volunteering to teach business skills to members of a Ghanaian village. Organizing a relief effort following a natural disaster. Civic engagement takes many forms but runs on a single commitment: to improve the world or some corner of it. What inspires people to action? In the 1960s and 1970s, according to sociologist and Bentley professor Jonathan White, there tended to be one sweeping issue at a time that people flocked to en masse. Baby boomers marched in support of equality for women and people of all races, political freedom and solidarity, and in protest of war and nuclear weapons. “You saw millions of people rallying around one particular issue that took center stage,” says White, who directs the Bentley Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center (BSLCE). “In some ways, baby boomers were building the domestic civic character of our country.” Franklyn Salimbene, who led Bentley service-learning for a decade and now coordinates the undergraduate minor in Nonprofit Organizations, recalls pivotal moments that shaped his view of civic engagement. “When President [John F.] Kennedy created the Peace Corps, I realized the important contributions people could make to the wider community, worldwide,” says Salimbene, senior lecturer in law, taxation and financial planning. “Shortly after, President Lyndon B. Johnson created Volunteers in Service to America. These programs demonstrated how organized, focused initiatives could generate community engagement and action.” POWER OF EXPERIENCE Ayo Haynes ’90, MBA ’91 has a healthy respect for what her boomer parents experienced as African-Americans in the 1950s and 1960s. “They had to fight for integrated schools and women’s rights, and I’ve benefited from that,” says Haynes, a real estate agent and actress. “Growing up, I didn’t need to fight because so much had already been gained — or so we thought. As a result, my generation tends to become more civically active later in life: through initiatives at their children’s schools or their workplace.” Experience plays a major role in people’s approach to civic engagement. Haynes grew up in a “volunteering household.” With her mother, a Presbyterian minister in New York City, she traveled on mission trips to Cuba and participated in yearly volunteer projects in the States. The alumna’s current volunteer work, as board chair of Child Welfare Organizing Project (CWOP), ties back to those days. Growing up, she heard about children being removed from their families by the state’s child welfare agency.
Snapshots of Civic Engagement
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“ Baby boomers were building the domestic civic character of our country.” JONATHAN WHITE Director, BSLCE
CWOP offers support and education that helps parents advocate for their families to stay together, provided it is safe to do so. The transformative experience for Mitch Roschelle ’83 was a service trip to Belize in 2011, sponsored by his employer. “PwC employees taught financial literacy to children in the local schools, and I was able to see the power of skills-based volunteerism,” says Roschelle, a partner at PwC and one of the firm’s business development leaders. “It was life altering for me.” The alumnus was inspired to replicate the initiative in the States, with impressive results: PwC’s Earn Your Future program has reached 3.5 million children and educators across the U.S. When Amanda Miranda ’13 joined PwC after graduation, she volunteered in Boston with the very program Roschelle had launched years earlier. She also developed a passion for workplace diversity. “As an Afro-Latina, this is something that has always been important
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Johnson & Johnson publishes credo “to put the needs and well-being of the people we serve first”
Peace Corps established under President John F. Kennedy
First-ever Earth Day inspires nationwide rallies to protect the environment
TOP PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ALUMNA; BOTTOM BY JACK TEUBER; TIMELINE IMAGES: EVERETT COLLECTION/SHUTTERSTOCK, JFK LIBRARY, SUNNY STUDIO
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Pictured clockwise from top left: Ayo Haynes ’90, MBA ’91 and her daughter at the Million Women March in NYC; Paul Marobella ’92 is board chair of a nonprofit that offers education and sports programs for inner-city children in Chicago; Mitch Roschelle ’83 and PwC colleagues taught financial literacy to children in Belize.
to me,” Miranda says. “I want to have a hand at changing company culture and make sure diverse perspectives are heard.” Today, Miranda holds a post at Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts that includes rolling out diversity and inclusion initiatives in the workplace and at the board level. She credits Bentley professors and service-learning projects through the BSLCE for providing a broad perspective of civic engagement. “I’ve been fortunate to have mentors who support me,” says Miranda, who is the first in her family to graduate from college. “When I got the chance to mentor students at the McDevitt Middle School in Waltham, I was excited to give others that same kind of support. I saw how my work helped students grasp academic concepts, establish good study habits and build confidence.” Community partnerships are an important part of the BSLCE. A recent $500,000 grant from the Yawkey Foundations, for example, will support three initiatives: a civic engagement leadership seminar, nonprofit internships and a nonprofit career fair. “We are helping to develop the civic and nonprofit leaders of today and tomorrow,” says White. “The opportunity to create deep connections to the nonprofit world in turn creates more opportunities for students to apply their business and liberal studies skills and knowledge to improve the lives of others.”
The Bentley Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center ran its first online “proudfunding” campaign this fall, raising $16,905 from 258 donors in just three days.
HIGHER PURPOSE Paul Marobella ’92 points to a shift of focus among fellow members of Generation X. “We are coming into leadership roles across society and business, and I’ve seen a shift from building careers to helping others in need,” says the alumnus, who is chairman and CEO at Havas Creative, U.S. In addition, Marobella is board chair for the nonprofit Inner-City Education program, which supports youth education and hockey opportunities in the Chicago area. “I would imagine this is a function of seeking a higher purpose in life, and putting resources and influence to work beyond our jobs.” Information technology and greater levels of education have further influenced civic engagement. Millennials and their successors “know a lot more about a lot more issues,” says White of the BSLCE. “Today if I ask 100 students about their issue of passion, I may get 30 different answers, whereas in the past it would have been a dozen issues. So their involvement is much more spread out.” Recent generations, he says, are confident in their ability to change the world for the better. “Millennials and Gen Z have more opportunities to consider both domestic and global issues such as global warming, and they grasp the interconnectedness of issues. When they start looking at the environment, for example, they can’t help but intersect it with human rights and human issues all around the world.” They look to employers for this same kind of commitment. A Gallup
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Newman’s Own pioneers a model that gives 100 percent of profits to charity
The Bentley Service-Learning Project begins and paves the way for today’s center
TOMS is founded on a commitment to donate a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold
The website GoFundMe debuts, allowing people to quickly raise money online
TOP PHOTO BY HAVAS CREATIVE, U.S.; TIMELINE IMAGES: LITTLENYSTOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK, MAKISTOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK, SIRIWITP/SHUTTERSTOCK, MR.WHISKEY/SHUTTERSTOCK
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study, “How Millennials Want to Work and Live,” reports that while fair compensation is important to millennials, they don’t work just for a paycheck — they want to work for organizations with a mission and purpose beyond profitability. “It doesn’t matter if millennials are in leadership positions or not, they are driving our workforce,” says Roschelle. “If they feel very connected to community and it is important for them to give back, organizations have an obligation to provide service opportunities.” Marobella sees social media as a platform for younger generations to build movements quickly. “Millennials swarm around issues and activate quickly to raise awareness through their mastery of technology. They also have a healthy skepticism of large, faceless charities that have come under fire for spending less of each dollar for the cause. Platforms like GoFundMe have allowed a direct line to the difference they make and where every dollar goes.” Most millennials, he adds, are “still building their career and financial strength, so they place more value on pledging their talents and time, versus dollars.” LESSONS FROM THE PAST Despite differences in how the generations define and pursue civic engagement, all can learn from each other, according to White. He is U.S. board chair of WE, a movement that brings nearly 4 million young people together for civic engagement initiatives worldwide. “WE is constantly looking at past movements to learn what worked — and what didn’t — in order to innovate new ways moving forward,” says White, noting a similar approach by the Millennial Campus Network as it develops a social movement of campus involvement. He sits on that organization’s Global Education Council, whose co-chair is Bentley President Gloria Cordes Larson. White recently contributed the chapter “Generation Y Not: Millennial Activism for Multi-Use Structural Change” to Welcome to the Revolution: Universalizing Resistance for Social Justice and Democracy in Perilous Times (Routledge, 2017). The book draws lessons from prominent civic activists such as Medea Benjamin, Noam Chomsky, Ralph Nader and Juliet Schor. Salimbene says that service-learning at Bentley was founded on the work of inspirational leaders who called for social change — Martin Luther King Jr., for one. “My greatest appreciation for the importance of civic engagement was during my years as director of the [service-learning] program,” he says. “I saw students get inspired and energized when they engaged in hands-on community initiatives related to their course work. They were developing attitudes and approaches toward their responsibility as citizens.”
“I want my daughter to know how important it is to act on behalf of people.” AYO HAYNES ’90, MBA ’91
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CONSCIENCE AT WORK Many millennials, like Julie Delongchamp ’15, came out of college looking for opportunities. Bentley service initiatives had shown her the profound impact of civic engagement. As an assistant at an adult ESL school in Waltham, she got to practice her French-speaking skills while teaching English to help Haitian immigrants support their families through better jobs. “It was not about just giving them a job,” she says. “It was about helping them identify and learn skills that would allow them to help themselves.” Delongchamp has found a home for her business skills and social conscience at Wellington Management. In addition to her work as an environmental, social and governance research associate, the alumna volunteers with the firm’s nonprofit foundation. She reviews grant applications from organizations that support educational opportunities for economically disadvantaged youth. This work led her to volunteer with Let’s Get Ready (LGR); the organization operates in 10+ schools in Greater Boston, providing free college access and success support for students from low-income backgrounds and those who are the first in their family to attend college. “I’ve helped students with their college applications, college essays and résumés once they are in college,” she says. “My favorite story about working with LGR was another instance when I got to help an immigrant articulate his story through a personal statement, so that he could make the most of his college experience in the U.S.” This kind of interaction across ethnicities has the greatest potential for impact, says John Drew ’69, president and CEO of anti-poverty organization Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD). “I often see first and second generations cluster together to help each other in organizations such as the Irish American Club or Portuguese American Club; people are comfortable around people they know,” explains Drew, noting that ABCD sees 32 different nationalities and languages on a daily basis. “But if we want a community to become stronger, we need to break barriers and take risks … teach and learn from people we’ve never met.” He should know: In 1966, Bentley’s Rae D. Anderson ’35 took a chance on him. Drew was living in Boston public housing when he approached the professor and dean about educational opportunities. Drew worked hard to get into the school’s accounting program, and ultimately graduated with high honors. After working at KPMG, he took an auditing gig at ABCD, and ended up joining the agency. Its board, he says, is purposefully diverse, ranging from the lower-income people they serve to city councilors to members of NAACP. “We are all working toward a common goal.” Drew sees generational connections every day. “It can be as simple as an elderly woman knitting booties for a baby, or someone calling to check in on an elderly resident who lives alone.” FORWARD MARCH What will civic engagement look like for a new generation? Haynes introduced the concept to her young daughter and made it a fun experience. To celebrate her second birthday, they raised money toward building a school in Kenya via a sponsored 10-block walk through their New York City neighborhood; total strangers joined in to support the cause. A few weeks later, mother and daughter attended their first demonstration together: the Million Women March in New York. “I want my daughter to know how important it is to act on behalf of people,” says Haynes, who is writing a children’s book on volunteerism. “Every birthday we will do some kind of volunteer project and invite friends to join in. Getting gifts is nice, but the true lesson is in giving to others. Teaching this at a young age will help make civic engagement the fabric of our society. It is how you raise a world-changer.”
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Head& Heart “It was the day that everything changed.” We’ve all had them — phone calls, conversations, moments that set life forever on a different track. Moving forward to any degree requires an act of will. Meet three alumni who turned personal experience with trauma into a mission to change lives for the better. AS TOLD TO KRISTIN LIVINGSTON
Finding Strength in Fragile X 100,000 people in the United States live with Fragile X Syndrome // Worldwide, the condition affects one in 6,000 girls and one in 4,000 boys // One in every 259 women carry the gene // The Pierce Foundation has raised $100,000 so far to fund three major research grants; they hope to double that total in 2018
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raham Michael Pierce (above right) was born on September 13, 2013, and Reid Francis Pierce was born on June 6, 2015. People used to say, “Wow, those names sound so presidential.” And I’d say, “Who knows? Maybe!” When you give birth to two beautiful boys, you think the world is going to be unlimited for what they can do. Graham had global development delays from the start. He was originally diagnosed as autistic but was also considered “failure to thrive” and not even on the growth curve. While we dealt with Graham’s delays, we had our second son, Reid. Six months later, we learned Graham had been diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome. Weeks later came the second blow: Reid was diagnosed with the same genetic disability. Talk about your world changing on a dime. Fragile X is the most commonly inherited form of intellectual disability and autism. It’s caused by the mutation of a gene in your DNA, whereby a protein we need for neurological development and brain function is not produced. It causes a cognitive impairment that affects all aspects of development. There is no cure. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ALUMNUS
To hear doctors say it’s highly unlikely my boys will ever be able to talk clearly, read, drive a car, go to college, live on their own or ever take care of themselves is crushing. What will life be for my sweet little boys? I’ve come to terms with the fact that as much as I cry, it does not make it go away. Within five months of their diagnosis, my wife, Kathan, and I formed the Pierce Family Fragile X Foundation, with the intent of funding and accelerating research while creating awareness of this rare genetic disorder. Doctors have studied the gene for so long they believe Fragile X has the ability to be cured with more research — and that's where we come in. Within six months of launching, we raised more than $100,000 and were able to fund three major research grants at Mass. General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital and Tufts University. Kathan and I have worked our whole lives to put ourselves in a position to give Graham and Reid anything they want or need. With a phone call, our lives were devastated. We will not give up until a cure is found, but we can’t do it alone. We say, “It takes a village to find a cure,” because it’s true. And we appreciate everyone who has helped us reach this point. When I rock my boys to sleep at night, they lay on my shoulders, which is so comforting for both of us. I love having them in my arms, because we are always going to be together. MEET THE FAMILY ON VIDEO | bentley.edu/pierce BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 21
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For Pete’s Sake
In May 2017, the FDA approved the first new drug in 22 years that will treat ALS // Average life expectancy of a person with ALS is two to five years from the time of diagnosis // To date there have been more than 14 billion views of Ice Bucket Challenges worldwide on social media // The ice bucket that Pete used at Fenway Park is in the Baseball Hall of Fame // September 5 is officially Pete Frates Day in Boston
From left, seated: Andrew ’10; Julie, Pete and daughter Lucy; standing: Jennifer (Frates) Mayo and husband Daniel with their daughters; Nancy and John, P ’10. ANDREW: The day my brother, Pete, was diagnosed with ALS started out like any normal day; we all went to work. I texted him and said, “Good luck today.” NANCY: He’d hurt his wrist in an intercity baseball league. We thought, it’s a nerve problem. JOHN: The night before, I said, “Pete, what are we dealing with here?” He said, “Don’t worry. Just a pinched nerve.” But he’d been online; he had 10 out of the 12 characteristics of ALS patients and, soon, every voluntary muscle in his body was going to disconnect from its nerve ending. He knew full well what was happening, but he was sparing us the awful news for as long as he could. ANDREW: I raced home when I got the news. Pete sat us down at the
dining room table and laid out a plan. Like always, he was leading us toward a goal: Find a cure. We’ve dedicated ourselves to our foundation ever since. JOHN: That first week of his diagnosis was just devastation upon
devastation. We realized ALS wasn’t just underfunded, it wasn’t even at the table. ANDREW: We started doing events: Wiffle ball, golf tournaments, big friend and family nights — anything to raise a couple thousand dollars here and there. In July 2014, the Ice Bucket Challenge was thrown our way by a friend in New York who had ALS. Once the thing landed in Pete’s hands, it was just like wildfire.
NANCY: Someone I gave an interview to said that Pete was a prophet. He is. This charismatic, gifted young man who set a vision that first night. Since then we’ve tried to educate people about ALS, because the last famous person who had it was another athlete: Lou Gehrig. But that was 70 years ago. Instead of spending an hour at a function telling people about the disease, the Ice Bucket Challenge compelled them to find out about it. ANDREW: In one of the early appointments with the doctor, Pete asked her exactly how much money it would take to cure this disease. She said, “One billion dollars.” JOHN: We laughed but, five years later, Pete’s halfway there. ANDREW: They just moved the goal post to 2 billion dollars, but ... NANCY: But how can we stop before we fulfill Pete’s promise? Our scope
that first night was to save our son, and it’s become so much more. JOHN: We grieve every day for Pete and it is hard. We don’t judge anybody who just wants to pull the covers over their head, because sometimes we feel like doing that ourselves. But for Pete’s sake, for his wife, Julie, and daughter, Lucy, and for every family facing this disease, we happen to be the face of the disease right now. We want to make sure we’re championing it as best as we possibly can.
MEET THE FAMILY ON VIDEO | bentley.edu/frates 22 | WINTER 2017
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE FAMILY
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’ve always been a runner — track, cross country and half marathons. For my friend Vanessa, running was a way to ease stress. She loved being outside and really appreciated nature. We met in fourth grade when I transferred to her school. I was a shy, nervous little girl and Vanessa was one of the first people to introduce herself to me. When we were roommates after college, we started running together in the mornings, even getting up at five a.m. to brave the Boston winters! Vanessa loved starting the day on a positive note. On August 7, 2016, Vanessa was in Princeton, Mass., visiting her parents. She went out for a walk — one of her favorite things to do when she was home — and she never came back. A man assaulted and killed her. In processing our grief, Vanessa’s family, friends and I have tried to channel her memory and feelings into something more positive: the Vanessa T. Marcotte Foundation. Its goal is empowering women to live boldly and free from the fear of violence. Digging into the root societal issues that contribute to violence, assault and objectification, we partner with organizations of empowerment and education. Tutoring Plus, where Vanessa volunteered, runs a program for Cambridge girls and boys that focuses on redefining gender stereotypes. In January, the foundation will host a self-defense and empowerment workshop for more than 500 women at Boston University, Vanessa's alma mater. Roar for Good in Philadelphia has a product, similar to a FitBit, called an Athena. It’s basically a wearable safety device that can sound an alarm if you get in trouble. I look at the Athena and think, this might’ve been the only thing to save Vanessa’s life. Vanessa and I always talked about starting a company or doing something that would have a social impact. She had this passion for changing the world. We never got there together the way I thought we would. I never thought this would be the focus of our foundation. But in some ways it’s like she’s here every day. Helping to run this effort — everything from setting up our board to event planning and marketing — is helping me move forward, and she’s still making a difference.
To Live Boldly and Free from Fear
More than 600 women are assaulted in the U.S. every day // In 2018, 150 girls between the ages of 12 and 18 will participate in gender equality and selfdefense programs funded by the Marcotte Foundation and more than 500 women will be impacted // Vanessa and Ashley once brainstormed about starting a business that would deliver fresh-pressed juice to hospitals
MEET THE ALUMNA ON VIDEO | bentley.edu/mcniff PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ALUMNA
The alumna (left) with Vanessa Marcotte BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 23
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READY TO REFUEL Food trucks helped Falcons keep their energy up during Homecoming 2017. Look for more photos on page 32.
PHOTO BY ASHLEY MCCABE
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Anthony J. Gravina, Chesapeake, Va., is a highly decorated World War II veteran and retired acting regional director for the U.S. Customs Service. He and his wife, Lee, have been married for 69 years.
Dallas Coffman, Wakefield, Mass., has been appointed to the Council on Examinations CFP Board of Standards Inc. in Washington, D.C.
David Splaine, West Newbury, Mass., writes: “The Bentley world got very small recently!” On May 23, 2017, Salem Five Bank completed the acquisition of Georgetown Bank. Four Bentley alumni played a role in the transaction: Splaine, Joe Kennedy, Ping Yin Chai ’85 and Joe Gibbons ’70.
1957 John Sullivan, Kailua, Hawaii, has contributed more than 50 years of community service through involvement in sports, pollution control, traffic safety and corrections. “It’s been a wild ride!” says the real estate broker and president of Hawaii Business Service for 46 years.
1972 Douglas Boettner has permanently relocated to Summerfield, Fla., with his wife, Debbie.
1974 Robert Caron, MSCIS ’82, Northborough, Mass., retired in January 2017. He spent 46 years in a variety of administrative positions at higher education institutions, including Bentley and ending with the University of Massachusetts. Caron reports: “I immediately moved on to being a full-time grandparent for a 3-year-old grandson!”
Ray Kerr '67, Dudley, Mass., reports: “I had the honor of being the first captain of the Bentley hockey team 50 years ago.”
1980 After 25 years of ownership, Stella Citrano, East Falmouth, Mass., and her husband, Lawrence Silverman, sold the South Shore part of their company, Affordable Accounting and Tax Service. They’ll continue to serve Cape Cod clients at their Falmouth location. She writes: “During tax season, in addition to being involved with the Falmouth office, I volunteer for the IRS VITA program, which prepares individual tax returns for low-income taxpayers and their families.” Paul Crimlisk, Belmont, Mass., congratulates Bob Quentin, as well as teammates Dan McNamara ’82 and the late Tim Riley, for setting and holding the Bentley indoor track sprint medley relay record for 38 years. “Who would have guessed?” Crimlisk writes. Rev. Joseph M. O’Neil, Hartford, Conn., has been named treasurer of the La Salette Province, headquartered in Hartford, Conn. Prior to this appointment, he was pastor of Good Shepherd Parish in Orlando, Fla., for many years.
1983
35th Reunion June 1 to 3, 2018 In May, Stephanie (Shaw) McAuliffe, Little Silver, N.J., published The Message in the Bottle: Finding Hope and Peace Amidst the Chaos of Living with an Alcoholic. She writes: “After a 27-year career on Wall Street, I now lead women to rise above the chaos and bring a voice to their stories.”
1984 Janine Danielson, Arlington, Mass., has been appointed to the Board of Directors for the Women’s Lunch Place. The Bostonbased organization supports women who have experienced domestic violence, homelessness and other threats to dignity and safety.
1986 Analogic Corporation has welcomed Michael Bourque, Merrimack, N.H., as senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer.
Stephen Ingram, Andover, Mass., has joined RSM as a partner in its Boston office, after a 15-year career at Deloitte. He remains very active at the university, recruiting for RSM’s Audit practice and serving as a director for the Bentley Executive Club. Nancy (Brush) Mendizabal, Chepachet, R.I., CEO and agency principal of Apple Valley Insurance Inc., has renewed her annual designation as a Certified Insurance Counselor. Robert Reid, Arlington, Mass., has operated the Organic Garden Café in Beverly for almost 18 years. He reports: “I made the transition to a super-healthy and vegetarian diet in 1994, when a loved one was diagnosed with terminal cancer.”
for the town of Culpeper as director of finance and town treasurer. Stephen Milone, North Attleboro, Mass., 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. Milone’s career has included being a stay-at-home 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. Editor’s Note: The updates for Howard Kartel and Stephen Milone correct information that appeared in the summer 2017 Class Notes column.
1987
1991
Daniel Panessiti, Lavon, Texas, accepted a position as IT infrastructure manager with Highland Homes in Plano.
Rick Muskus, Riverside, Conn., president of Patriot National Bancorp Inc., has been elected a director of the community banking company.
John Rudnicki, Boston, Mass., was named Salesperson of the Year for 2016 by TriMark United East, having compiled sales of $5.75 million. This is his fourth such award in 25 years with the company.
Mark Shamber, Pomfret Center, Conn., joins SpartanNash as executive vice president and CFO.
1988
30th Reunion June 1 to 3, 2018 Suzan Cowan and Wesley Heine were wed in Portland, Maine, on May 27, 2017. Guests included fellow Falcons Donna (DeBonee) Battalino and Heidi (Smith) Kent. Cowan works for Bank of America as vice president database architect, global technology. The couple resides in Atlanta, Ga.
1989 After his wife passed away in 2014, Howard Kartel, Bristow, Va., began working
Sal Silvester, Boulder, Colo., has released his latest book, Unite! The 4 Mindset Shifts for Senior Leaders. In addition to being an author, he is an executive coach, leadership thought-leader, and founder and president of 5.12 Solutions and Coachmetrix.
1993
25th Reunion June 1 to 3, 2018 Nick Camelio, Watertown, Mass., joined TraceLink Inc. in April 2017 as chief people officer. David Lubner, MST, Southborough, Mass., was appointed to the Board of Directors for Nightstar; he will serve as chair of the company’s Audit committee.
BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 25
CLASS NOTES >>
1994 Anthony “A.J.” Coletti, Hudson, N.H., has joined Workers Credit Union as a vice president, investment and insurance program manager for its retirement planning and investment center. He was previously with Cammack Retirement Group as a retirement plan consultant and adviser. BlumShapiro has welcomed William Tarzia, Westborough, Mass., to its Newton office as an audit partner.
1995 Brenda (Johnson) Bianculli, MST, Charlton, Mass., was named treasurer on the Board of Directors for
Woman in Business Inc., which offers support and professional development for working women in south central Massachusetts. Jimmy Pappas, MSA, Canton, Mass., has joined Grant Thornton LLP as a forensic advisory services partner within the firm’s Advisory Services practice.
1996 Michael Rousseau, Johnston, R.I., has been promoted to member attorney at Motley Rice LLC.
1997 Peter Curtis and wife Amy, Westborough, Mass., welcomed their first child on July 31, 2017. Dad reports: “We are excited and doing well!”
Robert Leonard, Pembroke, Mass., has become a partner at Rodman CPAs. Bryan Parsons and husband Carlo Iyog, Richmond, Calif., welcomed their daughter, Ava Juliana, in April 2017. Heather (Haymon) Plati, Windham, Maine, is the first female executive director for Camp O-AT-KA, a 112-yearold residential summer camp for boys, located on Sebago Lake.
1998
20th Reunion June 1 to 3, 2018 Kristin (Manna) Foristall and husband John joined big sister Kaiya and big brother Cam to welcome Kori Catherine on December 1, 2015. The family lives in Reading, Mass.
1999
Fest and Amanda (Carlton) Adams ’02.
C. Mark Vazzana, Miami Beach, Fla., has been named a partner at Chartwell Law.
Bhargav Shah, MBA, Natick, Mass., was appointed senior vice president and chief information officer at Pier 1 Imports Inc.
2000 Sven Ripper, MBA ’01, London, U.K., writes that after a career in the optical business, he has joined LoveCrafts as chief marketing officer. “Its business is rapidly growing in the U.S.,” he writes, noting that the company plans to open an office in New York City.
2001 Heidi Bigelow, MBA ’08 married Joseph Seely on April 29, 2017, in Boston, Mass. By her side were maid of honor Stefanie Foisy and bridesmaids Vivian (Cheng)
Tara Zraunig, Beverly, Mass., ran her first Boston Marathon in April.
2003
15th Reunion June 1 to 3, 2018 Don Anderson, MBA ’03, Stow, Mass., received the Boston CIO Leadership Association’s 2017 CIO of the Year ORBIE award in the nonprofit/public sector. Cesira (Daukantas) Newcomb, Lunenburg, Mass., is now the business development and events specialist at Bowditch & Dewey LLP.
SPOTLIGHT: EILEEN CHERNOFF, MBA ’87 BY DEBLINA CHAKRABORTY
At Community Rehab Care (CRC), Eileen Chernoff, MBA ’87 makes business personal. As co-founder and president of the outpatient brain injury rehabilitation center, she’s as likely to be consulting with a client about a health issue as she is to be managing the company’s financials or developing a marketing plan. The alumna and her business partner, Ann Gillespie, know clients and client families by name. “We’re intimately involved,” Chernoff says of the company she established in 1996 with two colleagues. “In a small business, you have to be there, moment to moment.” The all-in commitment comes naturally. Chernoff has seen the health care industry from many sides: clinical nurse, nursing instructor, administrator and advocate. Earlier this year, she was appointed to the board for the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts; CRC has worked closely with the agency over many years, to promote education and advocacy for those with brain injury. Chernoff was working at a rehab center in Braintree when she enrolled in Bentley’s MBA program to hone her managerial, accounting and marketing skills. Her studies also provided a foundation for navigating the health care system. Addressing reimbursement and regulatory issues for CRC is “a constant challenge,” she explains. “To say nothing of trying to maintain a staff that’s developing and growing.” The challenges have led her and Gillespie to downsize CRC from three locations to one, in Watertown, Mass., to stay profitable while maintaining a high quality of care. Chernoff’s background in treating patients has been essential to keep the company focused on what matters most. “In health care today, people feel passed on from one place to the next, and really never get to know the people who are providing the care,” she says. “We’re hanging on to the old-school value of making treatment very personalized … while still watching out for the business side of the business.” 26 | WINTER 2017
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ALUMNA
<< CLASS NOTES
2004
2006
2010
Jarrett Britt and wife Jessica (MacTaggart) ’05, Hanover, Mass., welcomed a second son, Mason Christopher, on April 17, 2017. He joins big brother Jax.
Matthew McDonald, Malvern, Penn., has joined the law firm of Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg LLP as of counsel in the Litigation Department.
Meagan Hockridge, MSA ’11 and Patrick Curry were wed on May 13, 2017, at the Popponesset Inn in New Seabury, Mass.
2005 Jessica (MacTaggart) Britt and husband Jarrett ’04, Hanover, Mass., welcomed a second son, Mason Christopher, on April 17, 2017. He joins big brother Jax. Deborah (Kerr) Lee, Acton, Mass., joined Cartera Commerce as director, Relationship Management, in July 2017. Justin Park, Denver Colo., writes that his company, The Real Dill, has been recognized by Denver and Colorado for its accomplishments as an environmental leader in the business community. The Real Dill was featured in an article by Fast Company, as well as Food & Wine and Men's Health, for achieving zero-food waste status. Jennifer (Tourangeau) and husband J. Nicholas Slottje, MSREM ’09, Hopkinton, Mass., said hello to a second daughter, Caroline Spencer, on October 27, 2016. Elba Valerio and Trevor Martinez, Boston, Mass., tied the knot on June 30, 2017, in Waltham. By her side on the special day were Jessica Lee and Ruijie Zhuo-Sumera ’04. Others attending: Sonia (Chan) Brodsky; Evan Horn; Dereck Johnson, MSA ’06; Jennifer McDonough, MBA ’13; Matthew Petit; Stephanie (Murdough) Sanaga; and Gloria Shum.
2007 Sade Semper, Brockton, Mass., married Rudy Cantave on July 14, 2017, at the Lakeview Pavillion in Foxboro. The couple was joined by family and friends who included many fellow Falcons. Derik Whalen, South Burlington, Vt., was elected to the American Red Cross New Hampshire/Vermont Board of Directors, at its Centennial Celebration annual meeting, in June 2017.
2008
10th Reunion June 1 to 3, 2018 Elizabeth (Gendron) Hogan, Derry, N.H., reports that since graduating from Bentley, she has worked to build her own wedding and event planning business, EAH Events.
2009 Daniel LaCross, MBA ’10 and Jill Anderson, Quincy, Mass., tied the knot on September 9, 2016, in Newport, R.I. More than 40 Falcons marked the occasion. Jamie Parda, MBA ’16 and Stephen Cannavo exchanged vows on June 24, 2017, at the Popponesset Inn in New Seabury, Mass. Mai Phung and Benjamin Shou, Everett, Mass., welcomed Alexander Shou, weighing 6 pounds and measuring 19 inches, on July 7, 2017.
Oden Nissim and Maitlyn Kraft ’11, who met at Bentley, were married on September 7, 2017, in Jamestown, N.C. Alyssa Ohman and Matthew Chapman, Watertown, Mass., were married on July 15, 2017, at the Beauport Hotel in Gloucester. More than 30 Falcons joined the celebration, including maid of honor Sarah Messer and best man Brandon Shafman. The couple began dating as Bentley sophomores — and 10 years later said “I do.” Brittany Wells and Nicholas Abate, Woburn, Mass., were married on March 25, 2017, at the Seaport Hotel in Boston, Mass. The wedding was officiated by Gary Gianino ’78, P ’16.
2011 The Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants has appointed Matthew J. Auth, MST, Westford, Mass., to serve as a member-at-large of its Advisory Council for 2017-2018. The alumnus is a tax senior manager with Ernst & Young in Stamford. Daniela Carlacci, MSA ’12 and David Hauck were married on May 13, 2017, at The Surf Club on the Sound in New Rochelle, N.Y. Many Falcons joined them for the big day. Maitlyn Kraft and Oden Nissim ’10, who met at Bentley, were married on September 7, 2017, in Jamestown, N.C. Michael Melkonian, MST ’16 wed Jacquelyn Shipp on November 26, 2016, in Boston, Mass.
SPOTLIGHT: MIKE DUGGAN ’12 BY KRISTIN LIVINGSTON
For Mike Duggan ’12, the future started with a hotline. As a teen and Bentley student, Duggan struggled with an opioid addiction. He had broken his wrist during a high school hockey game and was prescribed pain medication. Becoming addicted took him by surprise. But the biggest struggle? Finding sustainable treatment. Thanks to his family, he found support — and was determined to change the system. “When someone hears, ‘Sorry, we don’t have a bed for you,’ I don’t want that to be the last call they make,” Duggan explains. His solution was founding a hotline that grew into Wicked Sober LLC, a free resource assistance program for addicts and their families. “I created Wicked Sober with the dream and hope of helping every addict who needs it,” he says. The growing program is now part of Recovery Centers of America, a nationwide organization that helps thousands of people each year. Duggan remembers getting up every morning in his Bentley dorm room and telling himself: “Today is the day. I’m going to quit drugs.” But, like so many addicts, he felt alone, and ended up dropping out of school. “Addiction is isolating because there’s so much shame,” he says. “It’s unrealistic for society to expect an addict to manage their own care. The opposite of addiction is human connection, getting connected to the right people and programs.” Today, Duggan is a proud Bentley grad, a husband and father, and a supportive son. “Several years ago, my dad went into the hospital on Father’s Day because of his own alcoholism,” Duggan remembers. “And who did he call? Me. He knew I wasn’t going to judge him, but help him get the resources he needed.” The next Father’s Day, Duggan gave his dad a one-year-sober anniversary medallion. “If you’re struggling, don’t give up hope,” he says. “Anybody can be touched by this disease. You’re not alone.”
Continued on page 30 PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ALUMNUS
CLASS NOTES >>
1.
2.
4.
3. 28 | WINTER 2017
5.
6.
<< CLASS NOTES
8.
9.
7.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
1. Alyssa Ohman ’10 and Matthew Chapman ’10 6. Sade Semper ’07 and Rudy Cantave 2. Casey Millman ’11, MSA ’14 and Danielle Rauch, 7. Elba Valerio ’05 and Trevor Martinez whose December 2016 nuptials were noted in the 8. Otto Aletter ’12 and Jieun Park summer 2017 issue. 9. Daniela Carlacci ’11, MSA ’12 and David Hauck 3. Maitlyn Kraft ’11 and Oden Nissim ’10 10. Brittany Wells ’10 and Nicholas Abate ’10 4. Monica Mohan ’11 and Yash Vazirani ’12 11. Grace Conner ’13 and Eddy O’Mara ’12 5. Suzan Cowan ’88 and Wesley Heine 12. Jamie Parda ’09, MBA ’16 and Stephen Cannavo
13. Heidi Bigelow ’01, MBA ’08 and Joseph Seely 14. Michael Melkonian ’11, MST ’16 and Jacquelyn Shipp 15. Meagan Hockridge ’10, MSA ’11 and Patrick Curry 16. Daniel LaCross ’09, MBA ’10 and Jill Anderson
BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 29
CLASS NOTES >> 2011 continued Monica Mohan and Yash Vazirani ’12 were married in Jaipur, India, in November 2016. More than 20 fellow Falcons were in attendance.
2012 Otto Aletter and Jieun Park were wed in South Korea on October 1, 2016. Eddy O’Mara and Grace Conner ’13 were wed in Santa Barbara, Calif., on January 15, 2017. Yash Vazirani and Monica Mohan ’11 were married in Jaipur, India, in November 2016. More than 20 fellow Falcons were in attendance.
2013
5th Reunion June 1 to 3, 2018 Grace Conner and Eddy O’Mara ’12 exchanged vows on January 15, 2017, in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Deanna Desharnais, Wakefield, Mass., is engaged to Tyler Sleeper. They will be wed on October 7, 2018, on Cape Cod. She writes: “We can’t wait to celebrate with Falcon alumni!” Evan Honeyman, MBA ’14, Southington, Conn., was named to the 2017 “Top 40 Under 40” list compiled by the Hartford Business Journal.
2016 Yousef Riyadh Alrabiah, MBA and Noura Alzamil, Dammam, Saudi Arabia, welcomed Zaina Yousef Alrabiah on December 21, 2016.
2017 Allison Criscenzo, Durham, N.C., is serving in the U.S. Peace Corps and, in August, left for her assignment in Mozambique. She is helping
to address the country’s demand for math education and working with local people and partner organizations on sustainable, communitybased development projects. She writes: “I hope to become a more confident and independent leader, so when I return I have set myself up to do the best work for another nonprofit. I want to help students who deserve a great education and future opportunities, to the best of my ability.”
2018 Meaghan Harper, Bath, Maine, writes: “I am currently an intern at the Office of Richard Miller, an Ameriprise Private Wealth Advisory Practice in Wellesley, Mass., and will be working here full-time after graduation.” She notes that Ameriprise
“Since graduation, we’ve spread out all over the country,” says Jeremy Koufakis ’13 (center). “So every year we take a once-in-a-lifetime trip that brings everyone together!” From left: Bryan Carton ’13, Greg Bonomo ’13, Koufakis, Patrick McNamara ’13 and Evan Pincus ’13 at Machu Picchu. employs many alumni, including Michael Costa ’02, Julie Miller ’91, Nicholas Brasesco ’16 and Mikerson Laurent ’13, and, over the years, has hired more than 100 Bentley student interns.
NEXT STOP:
Island. Definitely have dinner at Nusr-Et, the restaurant of Turkish chef Salt Bae; it’s probably one of the best meat restaurants in the world. For a fun night out (every season but summer), visit outdoor nightclub White Dubai. Driss Belrhiti ’16
Dubai
An Oasis of Opportunity Al Mallah has amazing super local food — a must try! Order the chili cheese menekesh and the juice cocktails. For activities, I highly recommend everything outdoors, from driving through the desert to jet skiing on the ocean, spice tours and dune buggies, and so much more. Karina Thakur ’13 30 | WINTER 2017
“I think it is incredibly special how much my employer values a Bentley education and wants to help Bentley students further their careers!”
The desert safari takes you out in a 4x4 into the dunes. Try Oostadi Kebabs or the salt food trucks in Bur Dubai (Old Dubai) for good eateries. I also enjoy the bar hopping in that area. Nippon Bottle Company, Bahri Bar and Weslodge are bars worth visiting. Varun Shewakramani ’11 Head downtown to Dubai Mall for the biggest fountain show and the tallest building in the world (Burj Khalifa) — and maybe take a dive at Skydive Dubai, which overlooks the Palm
Emirati’s Desert Experience starts with a 45-minute camel ride to a Bedouin-style camp within a royal desert retreat, followed by a lavish four-course banquet, traditional music and dancing, a spectacular display of falconry and henna tattoos. One truly experiences Arabian hospitality. Zuma is the perfect venue for a speedy bite to eat, business lunch or evening of fine dining with friends or colleagues. The dining experience is like no other and the lounge area with the live DJ on the top floor makes it an interesting place to chill throughout the night. Al Barari is an environmentally conscious community in Dubai focused on sustainability and living in harmony with nature. Sixty percent of the development is green space that envelopes the luxury villas. Beautiful themed gardens, naturally landscaped lakes, freshwater streams, cascades and waterways make it more akin to a botanical garden than a residential community. Amit Raipancholia ’01 LEARN MORE | bentley.edu/dubai PHOTO BY LABORANT/SHUTTERSTOCK
<< FAMILY MATTERS
An Education in Value Investing Kendall O’Connor felt right at home from the start of her graduate classes at Bentley. No wonder. She’s the fourth generation of her family to attend, with ties dating to the 1920s and Harry C. Bentley himself. BY MARY K. PRATT
First to attend was Harry Roy Worth, who graduated from the school in 1924. The family still has his copy of a book about the CPA exam, signed by Mr. Bentley as its author. Kendall’s grandfather and father are also alumni and, this fall, her brother-in-law began studies toward an MBA. Different factors figure into each person’s choice. But family members share a pragmatism about what it takes to succeed in business and a belief that Bentley best offered that skillset. That thinking goes back all the way to the late Mr. Worth. His daughter, Judy, says that her father never mentioned exactly what led him to Bentley, but she believes its solid education at a good price was the chief reason. Judy’s husband, Frederick Richard O’Connor — who goes by Dick — had a similar motivation. “They were teaching me to jump out of that school and get a job,” says the now-retired CPA, who remembers instructors, admiringly, as “hard-nosed teachers who had worked in accounting and in industry.” Dick met Judy the year he graduated, 1956. Though it was pure coincidence that he and his father-in-law both attended, Judy says that her father was happy to have a fellow alumnus in the family. The tradition continued when their oldest child, Richard, decided that Bentley would provide a solid foundation on which to build his career. PHOTOS BY REBECCA BISHOP
Richard graduated in 1981 and, despite an economy in recession, landed an accounting job right away. He would return to earn a master’s degree in Taxation in 1987. “What I really remember is the dedication of the professors,” Richard says, noting that he and his father both studied with former dean Rae Anderson. “He was a fantastic professor — not only funny but the brightest guy I knew.” Twenty years on, the torch has passed. “Bentley’s program is exactly what I wanted and exactly what I needed to get a job,” Kendall says of the Master of Science in Marketing Analytics. “It’s just a bonus to have a legacy there.” The sentiment resonates with Iain Fryer, a telecommunications engineer with AECOM who is married to Kendall’s sister, Alex. “I looked at BU, BC, MIT, Harvard, and I went to see all their programs,” he says. “I got the best feeling from Bentley.” Must be that familial vibe. Kendall O’Connor (fourth from left) with her grandparents, Dick ’56 and Judy; father, Richard ’81, MST ’87; and brother-in-law, Iain Fryer. Inset: The book signed by Harry Bentley. BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 31
CLASS NOTES >>
More than 1,000 Falcons came home on Saturday, September 23, to cheer Bentley football on to a win over No. 9-ranked LIU Post and celebrate with classmates.
See video highlights and a photo gallery of Homecoming 2017
32 | WINTER 2017
PHOTOS BY ASHLEY MCCABE AND HERATCH EKMEKJIAN
<< CLASS NOTES
See pictures from PARENTS AND FAMILY WEEKEND, held October 13 to 15! bentley.edu/families
BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 33
CLASS NOTES >>
Future Falcons
1.
2.
3.
4.
1. Mason, child of Jarrett ’04 and Jessica (MacTaggart) ’05 Britt 2. Ava, child of Bryan Parsons ’97 and Carlo Iyog 3. Alexander, child of Mai Phung ’09 and Benjamin Shou ’09
5.
6.
4. Caroline, child of J. Nicholas ’05, MSREM ’09 and Jennifer (Tourangeau) ’05 Slottje 5. Zaina, child of Yousef Riyadh Alrabiah, MBA ’16 and Noura Alzamil 6. Kori, sister Kaiya and brother Cam, children of John and Kristin (Manna) Foristall ’98
SPOTLIGHT: ALAN CHAULET ’13 BY MICHAEL BLANDING
For some, to be born with a disability is to be born an entrepreneur.
34 | WINTER 2017
Muscular dystrophy caused Alan Chaulet ’13 to lose strength year by year, landing him in a wheelchair by the time he was a teenager. He compensated by coming up with creative ways to work a controller to play video games, and learned to operate a computer with voice commands and an on-screen keyboard. “So many people with disabilities, when we see a problem, we have to fix it,” says the former Management major. “I’ve seen people be incredibly creative in the way they modify their technology and their environment.” As vice president of the nonprofit All Wheels Up (allwheelsup.org), he is working to fix a pressing problem for people who use wheelchairs: accessibility of airplanes. Currently, such travelers have to leave their wheelchair on the jet bridge. They can struggle to get to their seat. And, too often, airlines damage wheelchairs, which can cost upward of $20,000 to replace.
Chaulet has used his Bentley education to make a business case for airlines to retrofit planes to accommodate wheelchairs, identifying an untapped market of millions of travelers. He has also lobbied Congress, which recently passed a law requiring the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a two-year feasibility study of wheelchair restraints on aircraft. “We’re really excited that this is being done,” says the alumnus, who lives in Lexington, Mass. Another venture is his nonprofit consulting and media company, Badass Ability (motto: What makes us different makes us badass). Chaulet hopes to use the platform to help solve other problems facing disabled people — and open doors for more of them to become entrepreneurs. “People see disabled people and think they can’t be employed,” he says. “That’s a stereotype I’d like to change.” PHOTO BY REBECCA BISHOP
<< CLASS NOTES
In In Memoriam Memoriam 1939
1950
1959
1973
1986
Ernest Sturman
Anthony Fronterotta
Richard Finigan
Cosmo Battinelli
Peter McGrail, MSA
Gilbert Gailius
Paul Stokinger
James Dunn
1940 Earl Archibald
Harry Giblin
Charles Gagnon
Robert LaFrance
Salvatore Santoro
Cecil Moulton
1941
Gerard Twohig
1960
Richard Gasbarro
Richard Dumaine
1974
Howard Knight
Casandra (Dunn) Cuzner
1961
Frank Flaherty
Erie Poulin
1952
Albert Baltazar
Joseph Dion
1975
Joseph Rozek
Cornelius Connolly
Gailanne Cariddi
Herbert Spatz
William King
George Leonard
George Golden
1942
James Willis
Elmo Falzarano
1953
Robert Northwood
Richard Barresi
1945 Roger Breton
1946 Isminy Cagos
1947 Gloria (Troisi) Budrick Nicholas Bulyga
Joseph Ciccomascolo Joseph Conti James Frenier
1948 Beverly Baker
John Scully
1949 Robert Christ Melvin Davidson William Jahnke
1963 Barbara Sahagian
1966
1976 Kenneth Braz
1978 Kieran Long
1988 Deborah (Lane) Whalon
1989 Paul Keane
1990 Stephen Fauci Tony Senecal
1991 Joy (Davies) Russo
1993 Rebecca (Doty) Page, MST
Richard Rockwell
Stephen Moynihan
1967
1979
Arthur O’Brien
Walter Kalil
Ronald Goglia, MST
Eugenia (Papaioannou) DiGregorio
1955
1968
1980
1995
Renald Lepage
Alvah Hannaford
Mitchell Hardy
Terrence Keefe
Kathleen (Hurley) Sevigny, MSA, MSF ’89
Grace (Nikiforakis) Theoharidis
Paul McAllister
1969
Roberto Tayag
Gordon Mills
Gerard LaMontagne
David Steele
1970
Michael Stockman
1957
Peter Minihane, MST ’81
Paul Witzgall
Stanley Whitten
1971
1984
1958
Richard Belliveau, MBA ’84, MST ’91
Robert Henderson
1956
Raymond Bellenoit Raymond Farrell
Charles Cochran
William Booth, MBA
John Mazzapica, MSF ’81
Edward Fitzgibbons Stephen Marrella
1962
Charles Miller
1987
Edward Jones Robert Mason Kendall Smith
1982
Gregory Philip Dennis Sorel, MST
1994
1997 Julie O’Rourke, MBA
2002 Patricia (Kirk) Ayers
Editor’s Note: The listing in our spring 2017 issue mistakenly included Mark Ferman, MBA ’91. We regret the error.
BENTLEY MAGAZINE | 35
CLASS NOTES >>
Alumni volunteers all across the country — and the globe — plan and host Alumni Association events with you in mind. From happy hours to business networking affairs, apple picking to the U.S. Open, there are all kinds of opportunities to get together with Bentley friends and family. Ready to get involved? ALBANY Sam Awa, MSFP ’11, MST ’11
GREECE Onic Palandjian ’93
ARIZONA Heather (Campbell) Mattisson ’97
HARTFORD Jeff Anderson ’88 and Maria Shipman ’90, MBA ’93
GREATER BOSTON Jane (Milonopoulos) DiMartino ’94 and Stacy (Wilkinson) Hughes ’01
MAINE Laura Greenstein ’11 and Brian McHugh ’13
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Lisa Hurley ’86 and Jenna (Stordy) Caldwell ’94 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA David Schiegoleit ’93 CAROLINAS Alexis (Atkins) Doherty ’07 CHICAGO Martha Perry ’10 COLORADO Linda (Callinan) Beardsley ’96
MID-ATLANTIC (Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.) David Castine ’07, MSA ’09 SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE Steven ’85 and Robin ’86, MST ’06 Boivin NEW YORK CITY Danielle Parsons ’05 PACIFIC NORTHWEST Carl Coken ’86
FLORIDA (Miami and Palm Beach) Chris Hernandez ’14
Find contact information for the chapter leaders listed above at bentley.edu/regional-chapters.
36 | WINTER 2017
“We can't believe we're here!”
Veronica and Katelyn Ambrosio (left and right, above) were 5 years old when their family moved into Chesterbrook Gardens, a community housing facility located just a few miles from campus. Every academic year, students from the Bentley Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Center (BSLCE) arrived twice a week to mentor, tutor and inspire them and fellow youngsters. Now, the twins are at Bentley — enthusiastic members of the Class of 2021. “Advice on goals and relationships, bullying and health, empowerment … we don’t know where we’d be without our awesome Bentley mentors,” says Katelyn. Well into their first semester, the Ambrosios love their new home (not so far) away from home. They’ve already joined the BSLCE as program managers. “We can’t believe we’re following in the footsteps of our Bentley family who helped us get here,” says Veronica. “We’re really excited to help other Waltham students get into college too.”
TOP PHOTO BY REBECCA BISHOP
175 Forest Street Waltham, MA 02452 USA
THEN & NOW
1997
2017