Thunderbird Alumni Class Notes 1950s
Narce Caliva ’56 — Narce has been retired since 1995. He has continued to volunteer for the American Red Cross and for the Korean War Veterans Association, where he is serving on the KWVA National Board of Directors. He and his wife were invited as guests of the Republic of Korea to attend the 70th Anniversary of the ROK Armed Forces in Seoul in October 2018. Among the many functions and events, they, along with other veterans and guests from nations that had sent troops to fight in the war, were highly honored at a luncheon at the Blue House hosted by President Moon and the First Lady. In April 2019, Narce will complete 60 years of Red Cross service and in September will be 90.
1960s
Tom Aageson ’63 — Tom is co-founder of Creative Startups, a leading accelerator for entrepreneurs in the Creative Economy and is located in 4 locations around the world. Tom recently published a book titled
Creative Economy Entrepreneurs: From Startup to Success: How Startups in the Creative Industries are Transforming the Global Economy. He is also the co-founder of the Santa Fe International Folk-Art Market, the largest folk art market in the world. Tom was VP of Marketing and Merchandising at Mystic Seaport, where he created the Mystic Maritime Art Gallery along with other startups. Tom led artisan entrepreneurs from 20 countries into international markets as Director of Aid to Artisans. Richard Ragsdale ’67 — “After graduating from the Thunderbird, I worked at Chase Manhattan Bank in NYC for five years. In 1973, I moved to Nashville, TN, to accept the job of VP and Treasurer of Hospital Affiliates International, Inc. In 1981, I was promoted to VP, Treasurer and CFO of INA Health Care Group, Dallas, TX, HAI’s parent company. In 1982 I co-founded Republic Health Corporation, Dallas, TX. That’s where, in 1983 and 1984, I raised over $400 million in the public capital markets, more
Where are you?
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Thunderbird Magazine Spring 2020
than any other health services company during that time. In 1980, I co-founded GreatNorthern Health Management, Ltd., A British private hospital company, which we sold to a French conglomerate in October 1989. In 1996, I co-founded and I served as Chairman of Community Health Systems, Inc. (CHS), a rural hospital company that we took public. I left CHS in 1998 after the Company was acquired by Forstmann Little in a $1.1 billion leveraged-buy-out (LBO). I was Chairman of HealthMont, Inc. for three years; was a Director of Vanderbilt University Technology Company from 2001 to 2003; served on the Legislative Commission of the Federation of American Hospitals from 1984 to 1995. I was a Trustee and Chairman of Benton Hall School, and I was the Trustee and Chairman of Maryville College from 1993 to 2005. I coached in the Spring Valley Athletic Association, Dallas in the mid-80s; served as Chairman of the Hospital Authority of Metro Nashville and Davidson County from 1999 to 2008; and chaired the Nashville Zoo board from 2000 to 2012. A serial entrepreneur, I have co-founded ten health services companies, serving as a Director and, for some, Chairman of the Board. For those companies, I
helped match management with business ideas, helped raise venture capital to fund the enterprises, and provided advice and counsel when needed. In addition to the Thunderbird Distinguished Alumni Award for Entrepreneurship in 1990 and the Jonas Mayer Distinguished Alumni Award in 1993; I was awarded the Maryville College Medallion (Its highest honor) in 1999; the 2011 Sage Award from The Council on Aging Of Middle Tennessee; was inducted into the Benton Hall School Hall of Fame in 2010, and was recognized by 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee in 2001. I have been included in more than thirty Who’s Who publications, including the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award for 2017-2018. In 2019 I was named Top Healthcare Executive of The Year and recognized for Lifetime Achievement by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP), NYC. Though I am retired, I remain active in personal and community projects and pursue private adventures, such as a recent tandem skydive with my grandson (3,500 feet, 285 mph!). I have three children and two grandchildren. After my wife of 41 years passed away in 2008, I married Ping Xu Ragsdale. We live happily together in Nashville, TN.”
1970s
Gary Lumsden ’73 — Gary recently from Palm Beach, Florida to Paradise Valley, Arizona to launch a new broadcast advertising agency. “It will be fantastic to be back in Arizona once again. Both Arizona and Thunderbird have changed for the better.” Ronald MacDonald ’73 — Ronald is retired now living in Prescott Valley, AZ after living in Vietnam, Tokyo, Jakarta, England, and most recently, Ecuador. Arne Rosell ’73 — “I am now retired for many years living in Sigtuna, 40 km from Stockholm, and the oldest city in Sweden. I spend my time mostly traveling and playing golf. Actually, I went to the Thunderbird campus event last year celebrating the departure from the Glendale campus but did not meet anyone from my class. My career has mostly been international and in the medical field as I have also studied medicine. I have lived in Canada, the U.S., France, Belgium, and Austria working for different companies.” Andrew Lubin ’74 — Andrew celebrated his May (2019) semi-retirement by hiking the robust 45-mile Salkantay Trail and climbing Machu Picchu. While no longer teaching undergrad or grad school or serving as a USMC Combat Correspondent in Iraq and
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