ClassNotes

Tina (Hughes) Nelson '86, M.A. '98 and Thomas—the adoption of their daughter, Antonia (Toni) Rose Nelson, on May 18, 2011. The family resides in Willow Glen/San Jose, Calif. Tina is currently the school library coordinator with the San Mateo County Office of Education while Tom is a senior system engineer with Lockheed Martin.

Meredith McKenzie J.D. ’98 was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown ’59 to the Dental Board of California. McKenzie has been vice president and deputy general counsel at Juniper Networks since 2012. She was senior director of intellectual property at Symantec Corporation from 2006 to 2012, director of litigation, licensing and IP for Cypress Semiconductor from 2001 to 2006 and corporate counsel and director of IP at Enuvis Inc. from 2000 to 2001. McKenzie was an associate for Howrey LLP from 1998 to 2000 and patent agent and design engineer at Intel Corporation from 1993 to 1998.

Jill Layfield ’98 contributed “The Trail to the Top” to The New York Times column "The Boss," about her career path. Layfield is the chief executive of Backcountry.com, an online retailer of outdoor gear based in Park City, Utah.

 Imelda (Wong) Kortens '98 and Jediah Kortens welcomed their first baby boy, Jackson Robert Kortens, into the world on April 30, 2013.

Cathy (Miller) Justl '98, M.A. '01  and David Justl '99 live in Wisconsin and are pleased to announce the arrival of Katherine Yeon Emma Justl, born March 17, 2011, in Osan, South Korea, home forever on August 30, 2012. She joins big sister, Kiya, age 4.

Olga Diaz ’98 was named Civic Leader of the Year at U-T San Diego’s second annual San Diego Latino Champions Awards ceremony.

Jason M. Caskey ’98 is an attorney in the Intellectual Property and Information Technology group at Kutak Rock LLP, specializing in technology licensing, copyright, trademarks, and commercial transactions. His wife, Kirsten, and he welcomed their son Daniel Patrick on December 26, 2011, joining big sisters Grace (6) and Claire (4). The family lives in Omaha, Nebraska, but Jason makes it back to the Bay Area to visit with clients and friends as often as possible.

Blake Boznanski '98 and Erica Boznanski '03 welcomed their first child, son Dylan Walter, on Oct. 11, 2012. The couple resides in San Francisco.

Christy Aguirre '98 recently received state and national awards for her contributions to the library profession. She was named 2012 Outstanding Librarian in Support of Literacy from California Libraries Association and 2013 Library Journal's Movers and Shakers Community Builders from American Libraries Association. She attributes much of her success to her SCU education, "community building is a way of life, not just a job." She currently supervises Sacramento Public Library's Southgate Branch.

Pallie Zambrano J.D. ’99 has been honored by the YWCA of Silicon Valley with a 2013 Tribute to Women and Industry (TWIN) Award, one of the most prestigious awards given by local and regional YWCAs nationwide. Zambrano is a partner at McManis Faulkner, a leading Northern California trial firm.

The TWIN Award program was established in 1984 to honor the outstanding achievements of female executives who have demonstrated excellence in business leadership positions and to pay tribute to the companies in which they work. Zambrano joins a group of honorees selected from Silicon Valley technology, legal, communications, nonprofit, and healthcare organizations that have acted as successful role models for other women in business, exhibited top-level responsibility in a major functional role, and who have had a substantial impact on the organization’s growth, profitability and innovation.

Jaysson A. Reno '99 was recently named general sales manager of KSAN - 107.7 The Bone, flagship of the SF 49ers, and is also taking on the newly created role director of strategic partnerships, for Cumulus Media in San Francisco. Jaysson and his wife of 8 years have 3 children and reside in San Jose.

Ethan Parker ’99 writes that he became vice president of Boca Public Relations of San Francisco and moved to Austin, Texas, to open a new office.

Alexander Nestor JD '99 was elected to a partnership at Allen Matkins, a California-based full service real estate and business law firm.

Nestor practices in the labor and employment group in Allen Matkins' San Francisco office, where he represents some of the nation's largest technology and financial services companies. He represents employers in litigation proceedings in state and federal court, in arbitration, and before administrative agencies on a broad range of employment matters, including discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, defamation, wage and hour, trade secret misappropriation, and unfair competition claims.

He also counsels and assists employers in resolving a variety of employment issues, such as compliance with state and federal employment laws, developing employee policies, reductions in force, executive employment agreements, and restrictive covenants.

Richard Lucero J.D. ’99 was appointed Fremont's chief of police.

Lucero, a 26-year veteran of Fremont police, has spent his entire law enforcement career in Fremont, where he has worked with several units, including SWAT, narcotics, street crimes and internal affairs.

He has served as commander of Fremont police's two major departments: the Patrol Division and the Special Operations and Investigations Division.

Lucero is a graduate of San Jose State University and Santa Clara University School of Law, and is a member of the State Bar of California. He is a volunteer with Officers Give Hope, a nonprofit organization that encourages officers to join the National Marrow Donor Registry. He also is first vice president of the California Peace Officers' Association.

Read the full story in the San Jose Mercury News.

Jeremy Johnston '99 is the bass player and assistant band director for Cirque du Soleil's Alegria. Alegria was the 22nd highest grossing worldwide touring act in 2011, and is the 10th highest grossing worldwide touring act so far in 2012. When not on tour, he lives with his wife and two boys in Hudson, Ohio.

Gianna I. Franzia '99 and husband Michael A. Gambatese welcomed their third child, Giuliana Franzia Gambatese on April 27, 2012. She joins sister Giada (4) and brother Lucca (2). The family resides in Chicago.

Kelly Crowley ’99 won two bronze medals in cycling at the London Paralympics. Crowley, who was born without an elbow and three fingers on her right arm, won two gold medals in swimming at the Athens Paralympics in 2004 before focusing on cycling for the past six years.

Steve Braccini '99, J.D. '03 and his wife, Teresa, welcomed their first child into the world on March 20, 2012, a son—Angelo Antonio Braccini. The family resides in the Willow Glen area of San Jose. Steve is a trust and estate litigator with Hopkins & Carley, APLC in the firm's San Jose and Palo Alto offices.

Renu Bhatia MBA ’99 was named one of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s “100 Women of Influence.” As VP of Sales and Business Development, Marvell Semiconductor Inc., Bhatia is responsible for developing the  company’s data communications sales strategy. Bhatia is board director of the San Jose Children’s Discovery Museum; active member of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce, the Anita Borg Institute for Women in Technology and The Indus Entrepreneurs. She teaches at local temple and was selected to guide and develop Stanford University’s international student graduate program. Bhatia appeared as a panelist at the 2011 WIE Symposium, speaking on philanthropy, social enterprise and corporate social responsibility. She was awarded the YWCA Tribute to Women in Industry in 2011.

Kelly (Brown) Wissolik ’00 was married to Michael Wissolik (University of Colorado, Boulder) on Jan. 15, 2012, in Santa Cruz, Calif. Her sisters shared the role of Matron of Honor, and her high school friends and college friend Rebecca Eisenman Subity ’00 were her bridesmaids. Kelly and her new husband are happily settling into married life in Los Gatos, Calif.

Elizabeth Thompson '00 married Shyam Krishnan June 10 at Moonridge Vineyard in Glen Ellen, Calif. The ceremony was presided by Ashley Cronin '00 and Kabir Sheikh. Additional SCU grads in attendance: John Thompson JD '01, Erica (Cervantes) Rodriguez '99, Kara (Hartz) Yoshikawa '00, Adam Rausch '01, Deepa Duvvuru '00, M.S. '03, Christy Souhrada '00, Elspeth Rossetti '75, M.A. '96, John Ryan '62, MBA '66, and Joanie (Colby) Bronzini '96.

Jill E. Thomas ’00 and husband Curt Douglas welcomed their first child Alden Zinn Douglas on February 12, 2012. Since both of his parents are teachers, Alden was named after Howard Zinn, who they consider a revolutionary educator. The family resides in Oakland.