ClassNotes

Joe Weiss MBA '80 has recently published a book on cyber security of Critical Infrastructure. The book is titled Protecting Industrial Control Systems from Electronic Threats (ISBN: 978-1-60650-197-9). It includes approximately 20 actual control system cyber incident case histories.

John H. Webster M.S. ’80 is running for California State Senate, 13th District. A software engineer, Webster served in the U.S. Navy from 1964 to 1968, including in Vietnam. After his service, he earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington and a master's degree in computer science from Santa Clara University. He has worked for a number of high-tech companies in the Bay Area. Webster believes that the government has grown too powerful and now controls the people, rather than serving them. He thinks checks and balances as well as loyalty to the Bill of Rights and Constitution need to be restored. He suggests devising a plan to secede from the federal union if these changes are not made, and that he would like to help with that, should he be elected.

Drew C. Takaichi J.D. '80, of San Jose, was appointed to the Santa Clara County Superior Court by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Takaichi has been a sole practitioner since 1994. He was a partner for Brockman and Takaichi from 1983 to 1994 and Hamrick, Hoffman, Guillot and Takaichi from 1982 to 1983. Takaichi served as an associate for the Law Offices of Diana E. Levitz from 1980 to 1982. He earned a Juris Doctorate degree from Santa Clara University School of Law and a Bachelor of Business Administration from California State Univeristy, Chico.

Rich Schammel MBA '80  was named chairman of the Pasadena Center Operating Company. Rich is also a board member and director of the Rose Bowl Operating Company, the California Assoc of Business Brokers, and is president of Venture Investors Business Group, Inc. -- a merger and acquisition advisory firm. Rich resides in Pasadena, Calif., with his wife, Mary, and daughter, Ashley.

Kurt Rambis ’80 will be inducted into the West Coast Conference Hall of Honor, joining eight other WCC legends to be inducted in March in Las Vegas.

Ed McGovern '79 and Tina McGovern '80 are pleased that their daughter Meagan will be attending our alma mater in the fall! Four years ago we launched a foundation named for our son Jack McGovern, the Jack McGovern Coats Disease Foundation. This rare eye disease affects our Jack age 15 and many others around the world. It affects mostly boys between the ages of infancy to teenage and is a life long battle they wage to keep their eyesight. To learn more we raise funds to support research by hosting a fashion event every spring and a golf tournament every summer. Thanks to our friends and family, the foundation has sponsored research and a national conference of pediatric retinal specialists in San Francisco this past February. For more information, please visit our website www.coatsdiseasefoundation.org.

Gina Levy '80 has her own CPA practice which focuses on tax planning for parents of children with special needs. Gina lives in West Los Angeles with her husband Ralph, son Jeff and daughter Andrea. Gina's daughter recenlty celebrated her Bat Mitzvah on 12/6/08 at Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel in Los Angeles. In attendance was Gina's roommate at SCU, Kathy Becker '80.

Perry LaForge '80 joined the advisory board of AirHop Communications on January 18. Perry is founder and executive director of the CDMA Development Group, and with nearly 30 years in high-tech, is known for growing a number of successful companies and building global business partnerships throughout the wireless ecosystem. 

Tracy (Stempel) Hogan ’80 writes that she is working at Dominican University of California in San Rafael as director of external relations and director of alumni relations. She has two sons, ages 24 and 27, and is married to Bill.

Ralph Hipps '80 recently took a position with Toshiba in San Jose, Calif., as a staff technical sales engineer (FAE) supporting Apple computer. He lives in Cupertino with his daughter Shannon who's interested in becoming an environmental scientist.

Robert James Higgins ’80, J.D. ’94, a former deputy county attorney, has been appointed to the Navajo County Superior Court. The appointment was announced by Gov. Jan Brewer. It fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Carolyn C. Holliday.

“Robert touts a level of professional experience outside of law that is rare among judicial candidates,” said Governor Jan Brewer. “In addition to a strong legal background, he was a teacher for many years and is a philanthropist in his community. He is well-rounded and well-equipped to serve the Court and the community.”

Higgins has practiced civil and criminal law in Navajo County for 17 years. He has an extensive legal background, including experience in criminal law, transactional matters, and civil litigation. He also has a broad range of expertise in estate planning and contractual issues, child dependency cases, personal injury matters, and forcible detainer actions.

Higgins completed his undergraduate degree from Santa Clara University in 1980 and received a master's degree from Arizona State University in 1988. He graduated from Santa Clara University Law School in 1994. He was admitted to practice in 1994 and admitted to the bar the same year. Higgins was an English teacher at Brophy College Preparatory for seven years prior to attending law school.

“He has been active in education efforts in his community,” says gubernatorial spokesperson Ann Dockendorff, “as he founded St. Anthony School in 1997 and continues to serve as a Board member. Additionally, Mr. Higgins is a volunteer with the White Mountain Tuition Support Foundation, for which he currently serves as President. He also has volunteered with St. Francis Parish on the White Mountain Apache Reservation, and has worked on several pro bono cases for White Mountain Apaches.”

Karl-Otto Hartmann J.D. '80 was nominated to the position of Independent Trustee to FocusShares, LLC, by the Board of Trustees. Hartmann comes to FocusShares with over 17 years of experience in the ETF/Fund industry. He served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Director at J.P. Morgan Investor Services Company.

Patricia Gallagher '80 writes: "Recently joined San Francisco General Hospital Foundation as Director of Strategic Gifts. My focus is to support the campaign for the new Acute Hospital and Trauma Center. The Foundation raises awareness and funds for care, education and research at SF General, our Public Hospital and Level 1Trauma Center."

Scott Freeman '80 is, in addition to being executive producer of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge series for Burkin/Murray Productions, an executive producer for the film "Pedro," which follows the life of HIV-positive Pedro Zamora from the Real World: San Francisco. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and aired on MTV in April 2008.

Frederick J. Ferrer '80 is the CEO of The Health Trust and an adjunct professor in SCU's School of Education, Counseling Psychology, and Pastoral Ministries, was honored with the Human Relations Award from the Santa Clara County Human Relations Commission and Office of Human Relations.

Richard S. Falcone J.D. ’80 has returned to the Orange County, Calif., law firm Littler Mendelson, P.C., the nation's largest employment and labor law firm representing management.

Falcone rejoins Littler from the Los Angeles office of Payne & Fears, LLP, where he was the managing partner. He specializes in employment law and litigation, and has experience representing management in state and federal courts and administrative agencies. His clients span a number of different industries, including technology, home health care, and entertainment.

He has handled matters involving all aspects of employment law and litigation, such as wrongful termination, discrimination claims, sexual harassment, wage and hour, trade secrets misappropriation, unfair competition, labor relations, occupational safety and health, and workplace violence. In addition, Falcone advises employers on issues related to state and federal employment and labor relations law, including litigation avoidance, employee terminations, workplace investigations, drafting compensation and severance packages, proprietary information protection, reduction-in-force, and workplace violence.

"We are so excited to welcome Rich back to Littler," said Fermin Llaguno, the managing shareholder of the firm's Orange County office. "Rich's thirty-plus years of traditional labor and employment litigation experience fit perfectly into our local growth strategy, as do his wide-ranging expertise and leadership skills. Rich's homecoming is sure to be a very happy one for him, the firm, and most importantly, our clients."

Falcone speaks regularly on various employment law subjects, including e-discovery, leaves of absence, sexual harassment, union organizing, and litigation overview. He is a member of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the American, California, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Santa Clara County Bar Associations.

"In the end, Littler is the best place for both me and my clients," Falcone said about his return to the Firm. "I look forward to putting my experience into practice here, and helping to expand the capabilities of our Orange County office."

Falcone received his J.D. from University of Santa Clara Law School and B.S. from Tusculum College cum laude. He is admitted to practice in the states of California and New Jersey.

Sean Everton '80 has been inducted into the Los Gatos High School Hall of Fame. Everton was a great baseball player for the Wildcats, and the Los Gatos graduate was the team captain on the '76 club that finished second to Leigh in the West Valley Athletic League race. A two-year starter for the Wildcats, Everton led the squad in batting average, extra base hits and total bases in both his junior and senior seasons. Everton hit .338 (25 for 74) as a junior with eight extra base hits and 35 total bases (sharing that lead with teammate Steve Hosmer), and he came back to hit .397 (29 for 73) as a senior with 11 extra base hits and 46 total bases. He went on to star at Santa Clara University, where he won all-conference honors, and he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays. Everton played two seasons of professional baseball. Everton was also a starting wide receiver on the Los Gatos football team.
 

Rabbi Bruce Dollin ’80 is the rabbi at the Hebrew Educational Alliance of Denver, a position he has held since 1994. He previously served as the spiritual leader of Adath Shalom in Dover, New Jersey. He serves on the boards of the Central Agency for Jewish Education and the Jewish Community Center. He is also an active member of the Rocky Mountain Rabbiinical Council. He and his wife, Tammy Dollin, have four children, Yonaton, Yeshai, Akiva, and Aviva.

Trina C. de La Chapelle ’80 is happy to announce that she adopted her 9-year-old foster child, Carla, on Oct. 26, 2011. They live in Santa Rosa, Calif.