Santa Clara Magazine

Frankie Wong M.S. ’85 joined Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione in Chicago as a patent agent with particular focus on patent prosecution in wireless and network communications and the computer arts. Before joining Brinks, Wong prosecuted more than 230 patent applications in the areas of 3G and 4G wired and wireless communication systems. He began his career as a design engineer, working for CTT Inc., Microsource Inc./Gigatronics and Nexyn Corp., in the Silicon Valley. He also worked as a patent engineer for Patent Planet, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Inc. and as a patent agent at McAndrews, Held & Malloy.
 

Evelyn Tolbert J.D. '85 has ended twelve (12) years of service as a City Council member for the City of Tracy, Calif. She previously served as a Tracy Planning Commissioner, on the Board of Directors for the Tracy Chamber of Commerce, and as a Trustee for Sutter Community Hospital. Throughout her civic service, Evelyn remained active in the community and founded the Tracy Performing Arts Foundation and the Tracy Women's Forum Association. She also is a playwright with a number of works that have been produced in community theatre.

Jennifer (Stuhr) Smith '85 has been promoted to the Chief of Audit Section with the Employment Development Department in Sacramento, Calif. Jennifer and husband Angelo reside in Redding with their children, Nyjel and Emily.

Jennifer Stuhr Smith '85 was promoted to Bureau Chief of the Taxpayer Advocate Office with the Employment Development Department in April 2011. She and her husband Angelo live in Redding, Calif., with their children, Nyjel and Emily.

Tom Squeri '82, J.D. '85, longtime vice president and general counsel of Granite Rock Co., was named as the company's president and CEO. Squeri worked for two private law firms in the San Franciso Bay Area that specialized in construction litigation prior to joining Graniterock: San Francisco's Pettit and Martin, where he became a partner in 1993, and the San Jose office of Coudert Brothers.

McGregor Scott '85 joined the law firm of Orrick Herrington, & Sutcliffe as a partner in the firm's Sacramento office after nearly six years as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento. He will practice in the area of white collar defense and corporate investigations. Scott and his wife Jennifer continue to live with their three sons (ages 10, 7, and 4) in El Dorado Hills and are fully engaged in their school, sports, and scouting activities.

Daniel Scharre '85 has been named Executive Vice President, general manager of Symmetricom's Government Business Unit. In his new position, Scharre is in charge of building and managing the company's time and frequency technology products that cater to the government, enterprise, science, aerospace and defense industries.

Pearle (Verbica) Salters '85, her husband John, and her four children Hannah (18), Daniel (17), Esther (14), and David (9) moved back to the United States in 2005 to assist her mom, upon the death of her father. She and her husband John (a pilot) served for 7.5 years in East Africa with Africa Inland Mission's (AIM) aviation branch, AIM AIR (www.aimair.org). The Salters returned to Kenya to help AIM AIR in 2007 for four months. They currently reside in Oklahoma. Pearle helps part time with the Member Care Department of Africa Inland Mission (www.aimint.org/usa) and enjoys home schooling two of her children.

Royce Roberts J.D. ’85 explores the public's misconception of public defenders, as well as the importance of our public defense system, in his new book Public Pretender. A public defender for more than 20 years, his book began as a way of understanding what he was experiencing at juvenile court with his clients and the child-welfare system. He works as a public defender in Washington state for the King County–funded nonprofit agency, the Society of Counsel Representing Accused Persons (SCRAP).

Leanne Patterson Porter '85, M.A. '95 is the Director of Sales - West for TableCraft Products. An equipment and supplies manufacturer in the Foodservice Industry.

Brad Pizer J.D. '85 is a lawyer at Pizer & Associates, APC in Beverly Hills. He is a member of the American Bar Association Committee on Credit Unions. He maintains the highest rating by Martindale-Hubbell (AV). From 1995 through 2009, he has been the featured speaker presenting Silverman's Legal Update for California Credit Unions. He is a past recipient of the California Credit Union Collectors New Millennium Award. He is always current on the latest credit union legal developments.

Susan Mauriello J.D. ’85 of Aptos, has been appointed to the California Board of State and Community Corrections by Gov. Jerry Brown ’59. Mauriello has been the county administrative officer for Santa Cruz County since 1989.

Kate Lepow '85 has joined Yahoo! in Sunnyvale, CA. She will continue to focus on product management for e-commerce payment solutions. Kate lives in the Willow Glen area of San Jose, CA with her partner, Jim Lungaro.

Steve Kahl '84 has achieved National Board Certification as an English teacher. Steve teaches at Mountain View High School, where he also coordinates the GATE and AVID programs. He recently was named to the board of directors for the California Association for the Gifted.

Bret Hillman J.D. '85 was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to a judgeship on the Tulare County Superior Court. Hillman has been partner in the firm Hillman and Lew in Tulare. 

Brian Harrison MBA '85 is president and CEO of Solyndra Inc., a manufacturer of cylindrical solar panels for commercial rooftops.

Kevin Harney '85 and Gina (Hornecker) Harney '87 live in Georgetown, Mass. Their eldest son, Michael, will be starting his freshman year at SCU this fall.

Omar Habbas J.D. ’85, the managing partner at Habbas & Associates law firm in San Jose, has been nominated for the 2012 San Jose Best of Business Award. Mr. Habbas earned this nomination through the outstanding legal prowess he demonstrated while representing clients in personal injury cases. 

Todd Goolkasian '85, president of Cornerstone Structural Engineering Group, received an award for outstanding civil engineer in community service from the American Society of Civil Engineers. He was awarded for his outstanding community service. Goolkasian has been and Fresno-based Cornerstone Structural Engineering Group have been serving the community professionally and personally for 25 years. He has proudly held numerous civic and professional organization positions such as: Director, California State University Fresno Civil Engineering Department Advisory Board, Scoutmaster, Boy Scout Troop 223, St. Anthony of Padua Church in Fresno, Grand Knight, Knights of Columbus Council 6092 in Fresno, President, American Council of Engineering Companies, San Joaquin Valley Chapter, President, American Society of Civil Engineers, Fresno Branch and as an Active Member of Structural Engineers Association of Northern California.

Heidi Gansert ’85 has joined the University of Nevada, Reno as special assistant to the president for external affairs. Said university president Marc Johnson, "Heidi will serve as a catalyst for opportunities and partnerships that will result in productive outcomes for Nevada. She will help connect the expertise of our faculty and resources of the University to result in solutions. The University's connection to economic development will be a priority, and Heidi has worked closely with economic development agencies throughout the state."

Barbara Esquivel '85 has returned to Northern California and is living in Roseville having accepted the Assistant Vice President of Workers' Compensation Claims with York Risk Services Group. Barbara was most recently Claims Manager at Keenan & Associates in Torrance, Calif. Her daughter Courtney now lives in San Diego and works for Gallagher Bassett, and her son Nathan lives in Lakewood and works for New York & Co.

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

Bob Collins '85 is celebrating the grand opening of a new branch of his Italian restaurant Pasta Market in San Jose's MarketCenter.

Christine Canelo ’80, M.A. ’85 is working as a marriage and family therapist at Kaiser Permanente Adult Psychiatry in Campbell, Calif.