Santa Clara University

Bob Vogt J.D. ’74 is co-producer of BottleRock at Napa Expo, held May 9-12 this year. It's "the biggest rock festival to ever happen in Napa Valley," as the Napa Valley Register writes in their recent profile of Vogt.

Julie Brooks J.D. ’74 was named one of the 100 “Women of Influence” by Silicon Valley Business Journal. As the executive VP, general counsel, chief compliance officer, corporate secretary at Conceptus Inc., Brooks oversees legal and compliance issues. Conceptus is a health care service company that focuses on women’s health. Founded in 1992, the company specializes in the design, development and distribution of medical products and services for use in the field of women’s health. Brooks is also president and director, Silicon Valley Association of General Counsel 2010–13. She received the president’s award for outstanding industry service, ARRDA, 1988.

Charles "Chuck" Berger MBA ’80 is the new president and CEO of Extreme Networks, a tech company. He's also been elected to the board of directors.

Berger is joining Extreme Networks following the successful sale of ParAccel, a privately held software analytics company to Actian. He is an established CEO and director with 30 years of experience in the technology sector, including extensive P&L, general management, marketing and financing experience in high growth, large and mid-sized companies. Prior to ParAccel, Berger served as the CEO of DVDPlay, Nuance Communications, Vicinity Corporation, AdForce, and Radius. He has also held executive positions in sales, marketing and finance at Apple and Sun Microsystems.

David Drummond ’85, Google’s chief legal officer, will speak at the SCU law school commencement on May 25. 

Ron Hansen M.A. ’95, M.Div. ’04 is this year’s recipient of the Evil Companions Award, which honors a writer who hails from the West or writes about it. Hansen is an Omaha native who teaches literature at Santa Clara University. He has earned numerous honors in his four decades as a novelist, essayist and short-story writer, including the status of creating one of the longer and more intriguing titles in contemporary fiction: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.

Colleen Blake ’97 was named one of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s “100 Women of Influence.” As sr. director, Global People Operations, Brocade Communications Systems Inc., Blake is a key partner in driving the company’s involvement in community initiatives for young girls and women, and is responsible for the company’s diversity and inclusion strategy, including the expansion of Brocade’s Women In Networking (WIN) initiative across the globe. Blake was named to the Silicon Valley Business Journal’s 2012 "40 Under 40" list, and she is active in youth and women's organizations.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Emiko Burchill J.D. ’07 was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown ’59 as special assistant for policy at the California Natural Resources Agency. Burchill was a contract attorney at Olson Hagel and Fishburn LLP in 2012. She was an executive fellow at the California Fair Political Practices Commission from 2011 to 2012 and was an intern at the office of Assemblymember Toni Atkins in 2011. Burchill was a volunteer attorney at My Sister's House from 2010 to 2011 and an attorney at the law offices of McDowall Cotter from 2007 to 2009.

Amy Tamayo ’13 of Hailey, Idaho, has been chosen to participate in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals. It is a one-year, federally funded fellowship for study and work in Germany. From more than 600 applicants, Tamayo was selected as one of 75 participants. While in Germany, she will attend a two-month German language course, study at a German university or professional school for four months, and complete a five-month internship with a German company in her career field.