Santa Clara Magazine

Jill (Blasi) Olmstead ’00 and Zack Olmstead—their daughter, Eleanora (Ellie) Grace Olmstead, on May 27, 2011. Micah (3) loves being a big brother. The family lives in Sacramento, Calif.

Jeff Nishita MBA '00 was named a principal at Novogradac & Company LLP, a national CPA and consulting firm headquartered in San Francisco. Mr. Nishita is one of the founders of the firm’s LIHTC Working Group, a membership organization that addresses technical issues in the low income housing tax credit program, performs numerous services in the affordable housing and renewable energy industries, including audit and tax services, consulting, forecasting, and training.

In addition, he is in charge of maintaining the firm’s Financial Forecast Model on CD-ROM. Mr. Nishita also works in the defeasance industry, providing services to borrowers and lenders. He speaks at various affordable housing conferences throughout the year and is a technical editor for the firm’s various Special Reports. Prior, Mr. Nishita worked with several start-up companies and small businesses in various executive positions. He is licensed in California as a certified public accountant.

Marcel Nienhuis '00 and wife, Bethany, welcomed a baby girl, Nya, on April 29, 2011.

Matt Nichols '00 and Catherine welcomed a baby girl, Camille, on January 28, 2010. 

Emily Nelson '00 and Paul Nelson '01 announce the birth of their first child, Jared Damian Kijoon Nelson, on June 1, 2010.

Emily (Hong) Nelson ’00 and Paul Nelson ’01 welcomed their second son, Derek Cameron Kisung Nelson, on July 6, 2012. Derek joins big brother Jared and is the first in the family to be born outside of the Bay Area. The family moved to Austin, Texas in April 2012.

Jaime Neilson '00 is a licensed structural engineer working for Thornton Tomasetti in Oakland, Calif. He and his wife welcomed twins in September 2010 and reside in Fremont, CA.

Rebecca Morrow '00, an associate in the highly regarded Seattle boutique law firm of Skellenger Bender, recently received her LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Washington. This term she is serving as an adjunct professor in the UW's Master of Professional Accounting Taxation Program where she teaches estate tax, gift tax, and income taxation of trusts and estates. A 2003 graduate of the Yale Law School, Rebecca is a member of the Family Law Practice Group at Skellenger Bender and a former Columbia Legal Services Public Interest Fellow.

Rebecca Morrow '00, a senior associate at the Seattle law firm of Skellenger Bender, recently received her LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Washington. In addition to her law practice, Rebecca currently is serving as an adjunct professor in the UW's Master of Professional Accounting Taxation Program, where she teaches estate tax, gift tax, and income taxation of trusts and estates. A 2003 graduate of the Yale Law School, the Washington native is a member of the Family law Practice Group at Skellenger Bender and a former Columbia Legal Services Public Interest Fellow.

Katie (Charles) Middlebrook '00 and husband Derek welcomed baby girl Ashley Elaine on Feb. 1 in Seattle.

Sebastian Mejias '00 and Iris (Ayala) Mejias '01 welcomed their second child, Camila, on May 23, 2009. Older brother, Sebastian Nicolas, is now 3 1/2 years old and is thrilled to have a baby sister. The family lives in Milpitas, Calif.

Katie (Cvitovich) Mallory '00 joyfully married James Mallory on June 26, 2010 outside on an unusually sunny and warm day in Seattle. In her bridal party included the lovely SCU alumni Courtney Sheils '00, Jennifer Albertini '00, and Susan Ewens '00. Katie also received a masters in science for International Care and Community Development at Northwest University the previous month in 2010. Katie writes that "it has been a busy and blessed year."

David Mahoney '99 and Mary Santarosa Mahoney '00 welcomed twin girls on November 29, 2009. Caitlin Elizabeth weighed 5 pounds, 11 ounces and Claire Elayne weighed 5 pounds. Both were 18 inches long. The family resides in San Jose.

Tyler Luiten '00 received a Ph.D. in German in August 2011 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is currently a visiting assistant professor at Marquette University.

Jennifer Lewis J.D. '00 is a partner with Wendel, Rosen, Black & Dean LLP of Oakland. She represents clients in various aspects of real property transactions and business matters, including lease acquisition and disposition of commercial property, corporate formation, financing, and compliance.

Music by Linus Lau '00 was recently heard in the trailer to the film "Howl," starring James Franco. A member of The Society of Composers and Lyricists, Linus is also enjoying his fourth year teaching in the Department of Film, Theater and Dance at Long Beach City College.

Joseph Larrenaga '00 was married at the Mission to Rachel Ragni on Dec. 5, 2009.

Zach Koontz '00 and Shannon Koontz (Slegel) '00 welcomed their first child, daughter Khloe Nichole, on July 27, 2010

Ryan Joy '00 and Heather Joy—a girl, Kennedy Brooklyn Joy, on Dec. 8, 2012. The family resides in Novato, Calif.

Felicity Jimenez-Howard '00 writes: "My husband, Joshua Howard '00, and I welcomed our second child, Ava-Grace Jimenez Howard, on June 16, 2011.  She has a 4 year old brother, Brennan."

Felicity Jimenez-Howard '00 and her husband Joshua Howard '00 welcomed their second child, Ava-Grace Jimenez Howard, on June 16, 2011.  She has a 4 year old brother, Brennan.
 

Erik Hermstad '00 was named U.S. Army Flight Surgeon of the Year for 2009 and was awarded the Bronze Star after serving a year as an Emergency Physician in Iraq. He was married to Creighton graduate Hannah Holm in October 2009 and is now working as Chief of Emergency Medicine at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, Tex.