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ALUMNI NEWS
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ALUMNI NEWS
An iconic image from Changemaker and DAA recipient Michael Yamashita ’67. The sunset in Yzad, Iran illuminates the 12th century Jame (Friday) Mosque, known for its striking blue Persian tile work.
Dear Alumni,
Greetings Readers of MKA’s Review, I can smell spring on the horizon and with that comes baseball, softball, and lacrosse games, golf, tennis, and most importantly, stepping outside without having to layer three different coats. Unfortunately (but with everyone’s safety in mind), the decision was made to cancel the 2020 and 2021 in-person Reunion Weekend. However, we will be planning some virtual events on April 29 and April 30, so we hope to see you and your families there! One of the events will be the bestowing of the 2020 and 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award and Young Alumni Award. This year, we are proud to announce that Stephen Smith has received the Distinguished Alumni Award and Isaiah J. Thompson has received the Young Alumni Award. We could not have done it without your nominations. Thank you! For more information visit: www.mka.org/ alumni/awards.
Our Alumni Council has been keeping busy and working hard over the winter! Thanks to our Engagement Committee, we started “Cougar Convos,” which you can find on our Instagram (@mkaalumni) as well as a vibrant and healthy Alumni database which is aimed at connecting alums and current students (future alums). Whether you need a new job, desire advice, or just want to connect with an old classmate, we are here for you. Feel free to reach out to me or Director of Alumni Engagement Gretchen Berra at gberra@mka.org for more information.
If you are interested in joining our Council, please contact me or fill out our new questionnaire (thank you Nominating Committee!): www. mka.org/alumni/alumni-council/questionnaire. Remember, you do not have to live in the area: we connect via video, so we welcome all, near and far.
Last but not least, the Development Committee has been committed over the winter to reaching out to all of you to support our Community Scholars Program: www.mka.org/supportmka/community-scholars. There is still time to help fund a Community Scholar’s FULL year of MKA! Email jbaratta@mka.org.
There are so many ways to stay engaged as an MKA alum. Enjoy the spring and be in touch with us!
Sincerely,
Caitlin DiRuggiero’06 caitlindiruggiero@gmail.com
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Caitlin DiRuggiero ’06 President Stuart Harwood ’07 Executive VP Stephen Bezer ’11 Senior VP Lhenée McKoy ’05 Secretary
COUNCIL
Racquel Booth ’96 Seth Bynum ’11 Jenna Clancey ’03 Geoffrey Close ’71 Michael DeVita ’11 Frank Godlewski ’76 Cara Landolfi ’05 Angela McCaffrey ’06 Chadd Mukete ’11 Samora Noguera ’02
ADVISORY
J. Dean Paolucci ’73 Jaclyn Spedaliere ’00
SAVE THE DATE!
Wednesday, April 14 - A Lecture with Ben Rich, Farm to MKA: How Your Food Choices Impact the Climate.
CHANGE MAKERS
I think the biggest way MKA prepared me for my career was by preparing Candice Watkins ’00 me for college. When I started college,
I was well equipped to handle a Candice is the Vice President of Marketing for Big Loud records. She specializes in Marketing Strategy, Artist rigorous academic load while also Management, Artist Development, Product management, and Touring. balancing being a D1 NCAA athlete.
The school also provided me vast As a high- “Before you can actually act, you have to listen,” says opportunities to experience the world ranking Black Watkins. Praising Big Loud’s approach, she points at large such as traveling to Ireland executive in to having “a great network of people around me, during my senior year with classmates. I remember that experience vividly and always knew I wanted a job where I could travel or where I could work with the lucrative country music industry, supportive white colleagues and peers who do ‘get’ that the country music business is not diverse. Period.” As a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force a global “product.” Candice that the Academy of Country Music (ACM) launched Watkins, in 2019, she’s eager to erase the stereotype that Black a longtime people don’t like country music (one she says Black Nashville resident with posts at Red Light people can sometimes feed into) and to encourage Management, Borman Entertainment (where she was her colleagues to speak out when they witness racist Keith Urban’s day-to-day manager), and Universal actions. Her own most painful and eye-opening Music Group Nashville on her résumé, was in 2018, experiences working in country music have stemmed named VP of Marketing at Big Loud. It is the first from their silence. “In all the situations that I’ve been company she has worked with during her 14 years in in—being called the N-word or “colored,” [hearing] town where she says she isn’t the only Black person racist questions and comments in front of my peers—no on staff, and it is the first that has asked for her one ever called out the behavior,” she says. “No one has perspective as a Black woman, both before and since really said it was wrong, apologized, empathized, or the industry’s recent reckoning with racism. even acknowledged it—until now.”
“I’ve had a lot of proud moments in my career, from seeing an artist reach #1 on the radio for the first time, or breaking a streaming record at both Apple Music & Spotify, to selling out an arena for a concert where the proceeds were donated to a charity. Ultimately, I’m proud whenever hard work pays off, whenever we execute a campaign that moves our artists’ careers forward.”
“I would not be where I am today professionally without my family and teachers. I hope my legacy is giving back to students in the same way my family and teachers have given to me. ”
Adrienne Phillips ’92
Adrienne is a board certified adult hematologist and medical oncologist. She specializes in treating patients with blood cancers who need a stem cell transplantation. Frequently, these patients have not responded to standard therapies, but with a stem cell transplant, they may have the potential of being cured.
Why medicine?
I am a third generation physician and first became interested in the field hearing stories from my grandparents and parents. I then started to shadow my mother in her office and in the hospital and from there, my inquisitive nature took off. Studying the human body, how it can become diseased, and then helping patients get better is fascinating to me.
What is the biggest career failure/challenge you have faced and what did you learn from it?
The biggest career failures/challenges relate to the biggest career rewards.
In terms of rewards, first, I am constantly asking questions, tackling problems, and solving puzzles. This satisfies my inquisitive side. Second, I get to work and collaborate with experts in a variety of fields which raises my knowledge base and forces me to think creatively. Lastly, for a disease where people generally survive less than one year, research allows me to remain hopeful and advance medical science to improve outcomes. The frustrations and challenges also relate to these rewards. Not asking the right questions or getting the wrong answer has resulted in numerous false starts and unsuccessful attempts to obtain grants; not all collaborations have been collegial; and lastly, many of my patients ultimately pass away, and I get emotionally tied to them and their families. However, the frustrations and challenges always motivate me to strive harder and believe in myself and my ideas.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
One of my proudest accomplishments has been seeing a research project through to completion. I researched a rare blood cancer caused by a virus that’s endemic in the Caribbean called Adult T cell Leukemia/Lymphoma. I was drawn to this field after treating a number of patients with the disease during my internship almost 20 years ago. Unfortunately, patients with Adult T cell Leukemia/Lymphoma have a dismal prognosis despite aggressive chemotherapy. The “few” patients I treated as an intern turned into one of the largest reports of the disease in the United States, and I was contacted by a pharmaceutical company to test a new and promising treatment. I ended up being the principal investigator of a phase II clinical study of a novel drug that showed promising results in Adult T Cell Leukemia/Lymphoma. Patients with this disease now have a new FDA approved treatment option that may improve their outcome. Sticking with this clinical research, despite various obstacles and frustrations, has been one of my proudest accomplishments.
Mike Yamashita ’67
(MKA DAA 1992)
A frequent keynote speaker for corporations and foundations, as well as a lecturer and teacher at schools and workshops around the world, Yamashita has received numerous industry awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award from National Geographic. Major exhibits of his work have opened throughout the world, and he has published sixteen books (most inspired by his 30+ National Geographic stories).
While not traveling, he lives with his family in rural New Jersey, where he maintains a studio and is an active volunteer fireman.
How did you first become interested in your profession?
I didn’t have a plan, but I credit The Academy for starting my career. I was able to take a course in Asian History that got me thinking about my roots and where I came from. It inspired me to make that my major in college, and my love for the Far East was born. I moved to Japan after graduation and bought my first camera, and that is when it all started. As I was travelling around, I naturally wanted to take photos to send back to my family and friends. It was then that I fell in love with photography. I left Japan, came back to the States, and was hired by National Geographic to take pictures of my passion, the Far East.
The view from Songtsam Lodge in Tacheng overlooks terraced rice paddies. The local farming community of Tibetans, Lisu, and Naxi Minorities have been working this valley for centuries, thanks to its mild climate and fertile soil.
After over 40 years of working for National Geographic, I have the world’s largest body of work on China. Back in the 80s, during the time when China’s most massive growth occurred, I was on the ground there working for the biggest, most well established magazine in the world. I witnessed the history of the Silk Road because I was the only photographer allowed there for years, the only person with access.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
The proudest accomplishment of my life was receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from National Geographic at their yearly National Geographic Photo Seminar, where the best of the best in the world come together. The year I won, a key point of discussion at the seminar was the need for minority representation at the magazine. When I was receiving the award, it came out that I have been the only person of color who has been a regular employee there. I was humbled to discover I have been a role model to so many other minority photographers in my field, and yet, I had never realized it.
“It’s About Telling Stories Through Pictures”
Photographer Michael Yamashita has been shooting for the National Geographic Magazine for over 40 years, combining his dual passions of photography and travel. After graduating from Wesleyan University with a degree in Asian studies, he spent seven years in Asia, which became his photographic area of specialty. Upon returning to the US, Yamashita began shooting for National Geographic. In addition to Yamashita’s focus on Asia, his work has taken him to six continents. Yamashita’s particular specialty is in retracing the paths of famous travelers.
What is your biggest career failure/challenge you have faced, and what did you learn from it?
The most challenging time in my career has been navigating the times of COVID-19. For a person who has travelled six months out of the year for the last 40 years, this is uncharted terrain for me. I’m not missing travel so much; I am a terrible tourist and much prefer to have a project when I’m travelling. That mission is what enables me to do what I do. However, there has been a gold lining to all of this with not being able to travel. In the time that I now have, I have hired four additional employees to help me catalog and archive hundreds of thousands of my photos. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to share these moments with others. Some of these memories, I have not seen myself for 30 to 40 years. I began posting them to my Instagram account, which has now launched this platform into the stratosphere for me. Expect to see another book or two soon.
What advice would you like to share?
My advice to younger alumni as they navigate their careers is to keep going back to your passion and what makes you happy. Passion is what drives you. In the field of photography specifically, only 1% of people have their work seen, and it’s especially hard now that everyone is a photographer with their iPhone. You must have a unique vision, a different way of seeing the world.
Marc Hauser ’91
“It still confuses me how a nebbishy, introverted, socially-awkward, anxious, conservative, sarcastic, bookish, risk-averse, unaware kid is now one of the nation’s top weed lawyers, working from home in Napa, thriving on networking, and embracing the open-minded, ironyfree, positive outlook on life of Northern California.”
Slowly making his way west since leaving MKA, Marc Hauser now lives in Napa, California and is one of the nation’s leading cannabis attorneys for a global law firm. He’s been a corporate lawyer for over 22 years, practicing in firms and as personal deal counsel for 15 years to a Chicago-based multibillionaire, after graduating from Northwestern (both undergrad and law). Three years ago, Marc and his family moved to Napa to change their lives, and Marc remade his legal career by jumping into the state-legal cannabis industry.
When did you first become focused on law? Why cannabis?
I went to law school for the worst reasons possible—I couldn’t think of anything else to do right out of college (really) and listened to my mother. I’ve spent 22 years trying to figure out what I’d do after I didn’t have to be a lawyer anymore. Eventually, I’m going to work in a winery tasting room here in Napa, pouring wine and talking about where to go to dinner, which is what spurred the move to Napa three years ago. I started working at a boutique wine law firm but shifted quickly into cannabis when I saw an opportunity in the state-legal cannabis industry. I’ve since moved to a large, global law firm to make a difference in a brand-new industry, something you don’t get a chance to do very often as a lawyer. Yet, I still plan on pouring wine. Some day.
There have been major changes in the cannabis industry due to recent policy reforms. How have you been supporting this?
The state-legal cannabis industry has snowballed despite the fact that it’s still illegal under federal law. I work with some of the nation’s largest companies, investors, and institutions to navigate what I call the quantum mechanics problem of cannabis: it’s both illegal and highly-regulated at the same time.
What areas of opportunity in the cannabis market excite you the most?
The industry is only heading in one direction, and some day, it will be a fully-legal product nationally and available for safe, responsible adult use, just like alcohol. My MKA class grew up in the “Just Say No” era, which had its merits and flaws. It’s exciting to see the nation finally moving towards a more rational policy when it comes to cannabis.
What is your biggest career failure you have faced, and what did you learn from it?
The biggest career failure I made was going to law school straight out of college (which was more typical way back when). I should have spent more time thinking about what I wanted to do with my life jobwise, trying out different things, seeing what fit.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
In my job, taking the risk of getting out of a law firm early on and working for 15 years as personal deal counsel to a Chicago-based multibillionaire investor. As lawyers, we’re trained to avoid risk at all costs, but taking that step helped put me on a very different path for my career, one that fit better my personality and skills. Personally, I am so proud that my wife and I together are raising a great kid. That, and getting stupidly good at crossword puzzles (my only real skill in life).
Frank Herrmann ’02
A husband and a dad to three kids (ages 6, 5, and 1), Frank lives in Tampa, Florida during the off season and outside of Tokyo, Japan during the baseball season. He grew up in Rutherford, New Jersey, in his childhood home where his parents still live today. He graduated from MKA in 2002 and continued his studies and baseball career at Harvard University. Currently, Frank is wrapping up his 14th professional baseball season—the last four seasons having pitched in the NPB in Japan. Prior to his time in Japan, he played in the MLB for the Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies.
Were you always active/athletic? What inspired you to play baseball?
I grew up playing a multitude of sports including football, soccer, swimming, track, basketball, baseball, and golf. I firmly believe kids should be exposed to a wide variety of sports at a young age. Both of my grandfathers were big baseball fans when I was a kid, so the game was present in my life from a young age.
What is your biggest career failure/challenge you have faced, and what did you learn from it?
In spring training of 2013, I blew out my elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery. Over the next three seasons I was released from three different MLB organizations. With two toddlers at home, it seemed inevitable, and an easy call to make, that I should retire and put my Harvard degree to use. However, I still felt I had some “more in the tank” and that my two-month showing with the Phillies—my last stint in the MLB—was not indicative of what I was capable of as a pitcher. Learning to trust those instincts and continuing to believe in myself has led to a great fouryear run in Japan that has included countless new and exciting life experiences.
What is your proudest accomplishment on the field?
In 2011, in front of about 40 close friends and family, I struck out Derek Jeter in a 1-2-3 inning on a Sunday afternoon in the Bronx. Both of my Jeter-crazed grandmothers, who passed away in 2019, were in attendance. I’ll never forget how proud (and maybe torn) they were that day watching their grandson strike out a living legend. That moment was a culmination of a lot of hard work that took me from being an undrafted minor leaguer to pitching in Yankee Stadium.
In what ways did MKA prepare you for the path your life has taken?
I often tell people transferring to MKA as a high school sophomore changed the trajectory of my life. I owe a lot of that to Coach (Ralph) Pacifico and to my parents for guiding me. MKA taught me to become more self-motivated and consistent in my work habits and routines, all skills that I know are key to my success today. As someone who is competitive by nature, when I witnessed my peers studiously working on assignments in the hallway and engaged in the classroom, I knew I had to raise my academic ceiling. Students around me were heading off to top colleges that weren’t even previously on my radar. MKA opened my eyes to a whole new world and allowed me to dream bigger, believe in myself, and work to attain my goals, no matter how challenging they may appear.
Pam Holding ’82
“My proudest accomplishment, without hesitation, is that I was able to pursue a career AND have an amazing family. I have a wonderful husband of 27 years and three amazing kids, all of whom were raised by a dual working couple. We all had to make sacrifices and adapt; the kids didn’t get to see me at field trips and in the classroom as much as they wanted, but they are all incredibly proud of the path I have pursued, and am incredibly proud of them.”
Since graduating from college Pam Holding, has pursued a career in asset management, both in the fixed income and equity asset classes. She has been an analyst, a portfolio manager, a people/team manager, and a chief investment officer. Currently, she is the Co-Head of Equity at Fidelity Investments, managing a team of about 350 investment professionals that collectively manage over $1 trillion in equity assets. She is also co-executive sponsor for Fidelity’s largest Employee Resource Group—the Women’s Leadership Group—and Asset Management Lead for its ESG or Sustainable Investment initiative.
What areas of opportunity in the finance industry excite you the most right now?
Most definitely the increased focus on ESG or sustainable investing, across all asset classes. This is a part of the business that emerged over the past few years as both a moral imperative for our associates and our community, as well as a business imperative for our firm and industry. The COVID-19 crisis has really accelerated investors’ interests in environmental, social, and governance principles and how they are employed in investment portfolios.
You were recently named to Barron’s 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance, and spotlighted as one of the top 100 alumni in finance and Investing from Harvard Business School. What do you hope your legacy will be?
I hope my legacy will be that anything is possible. For those that knew me in high school, I doubt anyone would have guessed I would have pursued a career in finance—sometimes you just find your passion and interests along the way. I hope to be an example for other women and to show that a career in finance and asset management is achievable without having to completely sacrifice family and other outside interests.
What is your biggest career failure/challenge you have faced and what did you learn from it?
Although it might not have changed where I ended up, I think my biggest failure was not having the confidence early on to pursue new opportunities, especially in organizations that were heavily male dominated. I backed away from several opportunities because they lacked diversity. In retrospect, I should have had the courage to make change and the confidence in myself to pursue any opportunity.
In what ways did MKA prepare you for the path your life has taken?
I attended MKA from kindergarten through 12th grade! The education I received, the teachers I had to support me, the athletic teams I played on, and the friends I made along the way all served to help give me the foundation I needed to achieve in college, in business school, at work, and in life.
Rick Diamond ’91
Rick Diamond heads the Global Financial Technology investment banking practice at Citigroup. He joined Citi in late 2017 after 21 years at JPMorgan. Rick spends his time providing merger and acquisition and capital markets advisory to FinTech companies around the world—from mega caps like Mastercard and Paypal to emerging disruptors like Stripe, Robinhood, and Chime.
Why investment banking? When did you first become focused on technology?
I kind of fell into investment banking. I was a history major and planning to be a lawyer. Unfortunately, I had a minor in foosball and I didn’t get my act together my senior year at WFU to apply to law schools, so I worked as a paralegal out of college in NYC. If you ever want to be a lawyer, don’t be a paralegal! I was talking to a close friend and classmate, Amy Custode ’91, who was an analyst at Chase doing investment banking. She said I should try it, so I sent in my resume, somehow managed to get hired, and I’ve never looked back. I’ve stayed in investment banking because it’s such a dynamic career. You get to work with incredible people and companies, and every day, there is something new and challenging. I fell into technology almost as I did with banking. I managed my career more by aligning with mentors than a specific industry. There was a young MD who was building out the FinTech franchise in early 2000 at JPMorgan. It was a big risk at the time, leaving the Telecom group to align with this young banker in an industry that really wasn’t an industry yet. But, we just clicked, and together we built something pretty unique and special.
What area in the tech market excites you the most?
The area of tech that excites me the most is the intersection of the digitization of industries and data and analytics. I am so fortunate that I have a front row seat in the transformation of financial services and the rise in FinTech companies who have completely changed the industry. When I first started covering the sector, it was dominated by a handful of big players who continued to get bigger through acquisition. It was all about scale. Because of technology, the ability to leverage data, and changing consumer demands, there are now thousands of companies disrupting the sector around the world spanning all sizes, revenues, and services. Big is no longer better, and in many cases it is a barrier to innovation.
Have you seen a change in investment in the tech market with the recent world events moving the globe towards a virtual presence?
Recent events are having a profound impact on the sector. Prior to COVID-19, we were seeing the continued move to digital but at a much slower pace. The recent pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation in many areas of FinTech from years to literally, days. We are seeing this play out real time in companies such as Paypal, Doordash, Square, and Robinhood. This is a game changing moment in FinTech. It is a time where the large players will need to pivot and innovate much more quickly if they are to sustain their relevance and comparative advantages, and it will be fascinating to watch the sector evolve.
What is your proudest accomplishment?
My proudest accomplishment will always be my daughter Millie and my son Richard. No matter what, nothing will ever be as great as being their Dad. I love being an investment banker, I really do, but they are my life’s work.
In what ways did MKA prepare you for the path your life has taken?
MKA changed my life. I found my voice at MKA because I was encouraged to do so. MKA taught me how to work hard and develop the tools and muscles to succeed in college and in my career. So many special mentors, like Mr. Hemmeter in AP History and coaches Smith, Pacifico and Halm. You don’t realize as a kid how important these caring and talented people are in your life. All I can say is thank you MKA! You hold a special place in this heart.
