Santa Clara Magazine

Gary Gillmor ’58, former mayor of Santa Clara and real estate businessman, will soon have a building named in his honor at Mission College.

Freshman Dorm: Nobili

Jack Walsh '63 writes, "Married to my wife, Patty for 49 years. We have five children and 16 grandchildren. Still working in my own business and enjoying good health. Life is good."

Freshman Dorm: O'Connor

Lawrence A. Specchierla ’63 writes that he retired in 1999 after a 36-year career in financial management with Texaco, Inc. He lives in Palm Springs, Calif., with his wife, Maureen (Harty) ’65, and is the co-president of the Palm Springs Alumni Chapter that covers the Coachella Valley. He spends his time playing golf, traveling, recruiting high school students for SCU in the Coachella Valley, and coordinating the AARP Tax Aide program in Palm Springs. He and his wife will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary this year. They have three grown children (two graduated from Santa Clara), three granddaughters, and two grandsons who all live in California.

Terence Lyons '68 is the co-author of Preserving a Home for Veterans (Les Figues Press 2012), a historic and legal analysis of land use at the West Los Angeles VA property, which he wrote with colleagues at the Metabolic Studio in Los Angeles.

Steve Bric ’69 writes that he is president of Hibernia Woolen Mills, which he founded in 1997. The extremely successful company manufactures residential and contract wool carpeting, with plans for growth.  He operates the business with his wife, Sharon Bric, whom he married in January 1979. "We enjoy the special friendships we have with our staff," writes Bric, who has two kids: Erin (who graduated from Boston College ) and Kevin ’05.

While at SCU, Bric was station manager at KSCU Radio Station from 1967–1968. He was also a member of Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity. After four years in ROTC, he was commissioned 2nd lieutenant. He completed officer’s basic at Fort Bliss, Texas, in air defense artillery, and served two years at Fort Ord, Calif., as a range officer with combat skills. Bric served four years in reserve duty with the rank of captain. His brother was killed in action in Vietnam while serving with Special Forces Secret Unit (SOG), facts only discovered 10 years ago, when Secrecy Agreements ran out.

Susan Johnson M.A. ’71, president of Futura Industries Corp., of Clearfield, has been appointed a director of the Salt Lake City branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. A native of El Paso, Texas, Johnson has a bachelor of science degree in engineering from California Polytechnic State University and has done graduate studies at the University of Santa Clara and University of California, Irvine.

Lynne Yates-Carter ’72, J.D. ’76 is celebrating her 30th year as a certified specialist. She is a litigator and also serves as an expert witness on family law issues.

Sydney Shepperd ’72 writes: "My mom participated in Ken Burns' new documentary, The Dust Bowl, which premiered in November. Trixie Travis Brown is a Dust Bowl survivor and has been very involved in helping the Burns people track down photos, memorabilia, and other survivors of that era with stories to tell. She also has lectured with Ken at a local high school, answering the students' questions and sharing her memories.  It has been a wonderful experience for her, and also for our family. If you watch The Dust Bowl, you will also see home movies of my grandfather, George Travis, and hear a little about Follett, Texas, our home town. It has been a rare privilege to have our family history documented in this way. Ken is a wonderful story teller (and a heck of a nice guy!) and he and his team have created a very compelling portrait of an extraordinary time.  If you get a chance to watch, I hope you enjoy it."

Clark "Gus" Guinan J.D. '73 has retired after 39 years practicing law, the last four years as the city attorney of Burlingame. Gus and his wife, Signe, live in Berkeley.

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.

Barbara Beard Stephan ’74, M.A. ’78 writes that she has recently assumed the position of Clinical Director at Windhorse Integrative Mental Health in San Luis Obispo, Calif. She is delighted to be working in an environment that is in line with her view of psychology—honoring humanistic and relational ideals, as well as an integrative/holistic approach to healthcare.

Mark Hyde J.D. ’74 formed a nonprofit organization to challenge what was proposed to be the largest shopping center in Maui County, Hawaii, and prevailed before the Hawaii Land Use Commission in January. In February he received the 2013 Malama Ka Aina award from the Maui Chapter of the Sierra Club for his work.

Patrice Koda Coyle '74, representing Dignity Health, was elected chair of the California Hospital Association's Governance Forum. She is a member of CHA's Executive Committee and Board of Trustees.

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.

Thomas Brooks M.S. '75 writes: "From Los Gatos to Vermont to New Mexico, now back to Connecticut. Survived Hurricane Sandy then a record nor'easter. What's left? Retired and repotted."

Gregory McNulty ’77 recently joined the Honorable Everett Alvarez Jr. ’60 as chief technology officer for Alvarez and Associates. Company founder and CEO Everett Alvarez Jr. was the first U.S. combat pilot shot down over Vietnam and held as a POW for more than eight years in the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" and later served under four U.S. presidents in senior level positions.

Dr. James Barrett MBA ’77 was honored by the Tech Council of Maryland with its Lifetime Achievement Award, in March. The award is given each year to a local individual who has gone above and beyond to serve the community at large over the course of his or her career. Recipients display commitment and leadership both in the field and within their company, fostering new ideas and encouraging creativity. The recipient also demonstrates generosity and compassion, making sure their work benefits others.

Barrett is a general partner at New Enterprise Associates, one of the world's largest venture capital firms. He focuses on investing in healthcare technologies and therapeutics as a pioneering figure in the field of biotechnology, during which he worked with companies that focused on gene therapy, targeted cancer therapies, rare diseases and the first implantable glucose sensor. In 2012, Barrett was on the Forbes Midas List.

Stephen P. Yost MBA '78 has been elected as a member of Pacific Mercantile Bancorp's Board of Directors. Yost also has been appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the company's wholly owned banking subsidiary, Pacific Mercantile Bank. 

During the span of his 35-year career in banking, spent mostly in credit administration, Yost held the position of Regional Chief Credit Officer for Comerica Bank, where he was the Executive in charge of its Special Assets Group for the western region. Mr. Yost was the Chief Credit Officer of Imperial Bank prior to its merger with Comerica. He was also a Senior Credit Officer with First Interstate Bank and Mellon Bank, N.A. Upon his retirement in 2006, he established Kestrel Advisors, a credit risk consulting firm that focuses on the banking, financial, and legal communities.