Alumni in the News - February 2008

Features

Trevor Povah surf photoAlum's Surf Film, 'Lost in the Middle,' Premieres to Thumbs Up

Alumnus Trevor Povah (B.S., Rec Administration, 2004) wanted to make a surf film about California's Central Coast, its surfers and its music. So he did. It premiered on the Central Coast in January -- with surfers lined up in the rain waiting for a chance to see it. “There’s kind of like this gap between Southern California and Northern California,” he told the SLO Tribune. Povah is living on the Central Coast making films and working as an emergency medical technician for San Luis Ambulance.
Film photo courtesy Trevor Povah
Read the story in the SLO Tribune | Read the Mustang Daily story | Read the SurfWire story

Surfing Goes Green and Alum Helps

Henry Swales (B.S., Aero Engineering, 2005), an avid surfer, has developed a product line of surfboard fins made from plant-based resin. The 26-year-old launched a San Luis Obispo-based company, to manufacture and market the fins. His company recycles old surfboard fins, too.
Read the Mustang Daily story | Read the New Times story | See the KSBY story

Crop Science Alum Behind Family Cattle Ranch Boom in Bones

James Rickert (B.S., Crop Science, 2002) is behind his family's booming but unusual beef cattle operations: gourmet organic beef priced $50 per pound in San Francisco -- and medical-grade beef bones turned into things like screws for human knee surgery. Rickert convinced parents Jim (B.S., Ag Business, 1971) and Mary Rickert to make the conversion to organic beef production at their Prather Ranch in Northern California.
Read the story on Wired.com

Bonnie FernandezAg Alumna Named to Head
UC Davis Produce Safety Center

Bonnie Fernandez (B.S., Ag Business, 1982), current executive director of the California Wheat Commission, has been named the new executive director of the UC Davis Center for Produce Safety. In addition to her Cal Poly degree, Fernandez received a Master of Business Administration from California State University, Sacramento.
Photo courtesy UC Davis
Read the Daily Aggie story | Read the UC Davis news release
Read the Daily Democrat story

Fruitful Career: Alum is Influential (But Not Famous) Winemaker

Jim Collins (B.S., Ag Science, 1983) is one of the most influential people in California's booming wine industry, and most people have never heard of him. Collins is the director of coastal wine growing for E.J. Gallo, tending about 10,000 acres of grapes for the wine-making behemoth.  Collins has been growing grapes since he graduated from Cal Poly 26 years ago, and he was profiled recently in the Atlanta Constitution-Journal.
Read the Atlanta Constitution-Journal Story

Chuck Liddell book coverThe Iceman Writeth - And talketh to Conan O'Brien

OCOB alumnus Chuck Liddell (B.A., Business/Accounting, 1995) is touring the country to promote his first book, titled "Iceman: My Fighting Life." The book hit stores in late January. The former Mustang wrestler and San Luis Obispo resident is on the upswing as an Ultimate Fighting superstar -- and recently made an appearance on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien. " He will make an appearance at Borders in San Luis Obispo for a book signing Feb. 12.
See the KCOY story on Liddell's book
Read the SLO Tribune interview with Liddell
See the KSBY story

Central Coast's 'Top 20 Under 40'
Heavy with Cal Poly Alumni, Faculty

"With young talent like these, our future looks good, indeed," the San Luis Obispo Tribune wrote in an editorial Sunday, Jan. 20. The McClatchy newspaper released a special Sunday section on the Central Coast's "Top 20 Under 40." "We’re impressed not only by their career successes and their community service, but also by their vision for the future. The paper also noted Cal Poly's position as the county's largest government employer, with 2,955 employees.
Read the full editorial | Read the list of Cal Poly-Affiliated 'Top 20 Under 40'

Alumni Family Pours Passion into Pozo Winery

Joey Arnold (B.S., Fruit Science, 2001) and his sister, Michelle Arnold Pascoe (B.S., Fruit Science, 2002), are pouring their education into their family's Central Coast Winery. The siblings, and mother Debbie Arnold of Pozo Valley Vineyard, opened their own tasting room in 2007 in Santa Margarita. They started making wine from their vineyard’s fruit in 2002. Joey Arnold says he has developed his skills the Cal Poly way -- “by doing.”
Read the Wine Notes profile in the SLO Tribune

Tom MullerAlum is Yolo County Agriculturalist of the Year

The Yolo County Farm Bureau has named the Muller Family as its Agriculturalists of the Year. Alum Tom Muller (B.S., Ag Science, 1982) shared the award with brothers Louie and Frank Mueller. The trio operate Joe Muller & Sons in Yolo County in Northern California.
Read the Daily Democrat story (now archived here)
Photo courtesy Yolo Farm Bureau


Architecture Alum Rossi
Named SLO Citizen of the Year

Rob Rossi (B.Ar., Architecture, 1976), has been named San Luis Obispo's Citizen of the Year. Rossi was honored last year with the Louis Tedone Humanitarian Award for his $1 million contribution to the Copeland, Forbes & Rossi Cardiac Care Center at French Hospital. San Luis Obispo's Chamber of Commerce noted in making the award that as one of downtown’s largest landowners, Rossi has a hand in many of its architectural projects.
Read the Tribune story on Rossi's award

Nutrition Alumna Survives Hike Gone Awry in Snowy SoCal Mountains

Ellen Coleman (B.S., Nutrition Science, 1975) literally wrote the textbook for the National Association of Sports Nutrition. Those same lessons helped the famed nutritionist survive two nights in extremely frigid temperatures atop Mount San Jacinto before rescuers found her alive, suffering a broken ankle and frostbite. She is the author of two books on endurance nutrition "Ultimate Sports Nutrition," and "Eating for Endurance." She told reporters she's already planning her next hiking trip. In addition to her degree from Cal Poly, Coleman holds a M.P.H. in public nutrition from Loma Linda University and an M.A. in Physical Education from UC Davis.
Read the Riverside Press Enterprise story on her survival and rescue

Architecture Alum Named to Board Overseeing $21M in School Spending

Architect and former two-term Pismo Beach mayor Joe Crescione (B.AR. Architecture, 1971) has been named to the citizens committee that oversees the spending of a $21 million construction bond for improvements at Arroyo Grande High School. After graduating from Cal Poly, Crescione first became Pismo's mayor in 1973.
Read the Santa Maria Times story

Alumna Running for Supervisor in Calaveras County

Vineyard owner Lori Kautz, 41, of Vallecito (M.S., Mechanical Engineering, 1992) is running for a seat on the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors. After graduating from Cal Poly, she started her own winegrape-growing operation and then married Stephen Kautz, the president of Kautz Ironstone Vineyards. They have a daughter, Kaylee, age 17 months.
Read the Stockton Record story

NRM Grad Gives Advice on Getting Through College

Tim Dodson (B.S., Forestry and Natural Resources Management, 2005) was recently profiled in his hometown newspaper in Crescent City, the Daily Triplicate. Dodson gave advice to other Del Norte High School grads on how to get to -- and through -- college. Balancing free time, workout time, and study time are key, he reminded current students. Dodson now works for an environmental consulting firm in California.
Read the Daily Triplicate column

Alum Couple Profiled for Loving Restoration of Craftsman Home

Peter (Computer Science) and Amy (Business) Kardel were the subjects of a story and extensive profile for their remodeling of their 1923 Mission Revival Craftsman house. The couple renovated the home, in downtown San Luis Obispo, to accommodate their growing family and business but not at the expense of the home’s heritage. The two took on the fixer-upper in 1994, when Peter and Amy Kardel were newly married Cal Poly students. Peter Kardel was putting himself through school working as a handyman, so he had construction know-how. The couple’s IT business, Computer Network Services, was still in its infancy.
Read the profile in Central Coast Living | See the home photo slideshow

Promotions


Chuck HarringtonAlum Named CEO of Parsons Corporation

Charles L. "Chuck" Harrington (B.S., Agricultural Engineering, 1981) will soon take over as CEO of the Parsons Corporation. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, Harrington holds a master's degree in business administration, finance, and marketing from UCLA. Harrington will step into the CEO's seat in May, taking over the Reins from retiring CEO Jim McNulty. McNulty, who turns 66 in April, will remain as Chairman. Harrington currently serves as the international company's executive vice president, chief financial officer, and treasurer. He is based in Parsons' Pasadena office.
Photo courtesy of Parsons Corp
Read the Epicos story | Read the Business Wire story

Alum Named CEO of Las Vegas-Based Agassi Foundation

Steve Miller (M.S., Physical Education, 1978) was named to the newly created post of chief executive officer of the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation. Miller is a member of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Hall of Fame, Bradley University Hall of Fame, Illinois State High School Hall of Fame, and the Cal Poly Hall of Fame.
Read the story on EarthTimes

PSi Technologies Announces Appointments of ME Alum as COO

George J. Shaw (B.S., Mechanical Engineering, 1967) has been named Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of PSi Technologies. PSi is a leading independent provider of assembly and test services for the power semiconductor market. Shaw is an industry veteran with over 30 years of general management and technical experience, half of this in factory operations in six different countries in Asia and North America.
Read the story on CNN Money.com

Business Alum is New HR Officer of Vail Resorts

Vail Resorts has named Mark R. Gasta (B.S., Environmental and Systematic Biology, 1988) as its new chief human resources officer. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, Gasta holds a master's in business administration from the University of Denver. Gasta joins Vail Resorts from Comcast Communications. He has spent the past seven years with Comcast, where he was most recently corporate vice president of organizational development for the company's 90,000 employees.
Read the story on Gasta on CNN Money.com

Alum Named Quality Assurance VP at Arizona Healthcare Firm

Ascent Healthcare Solutions announced that Paul Rice (B.S., Animal Science, 1975) has joined the company as senior vice president of quality assurance and regulatory affairs. In addition to his biology degree from Cal Poly, Rice earned an MBA in business administration from Pomona.
Read the Business Wire story

Lalaine TanakaAlumna Joins Irvine Firm as Principal

Lalaine Tanaka (B.A.R, Architecture, 1988) has joined Irvine-based KTGY Group, Inc., an architecture and planning firm, as a principal. She will lead the company's Hospitality division. With KTGY, Tanaka will oversee the company's commercial/mixed-use and resort planning projects.
Lalaine Tanaka photo, left, courtesy KTGY
Read the CRS Feed

Alum Named Burbank's Parks,
Recreation and Community Service Director

Burbank city officials named Chris Dasté (B.S., Recreation Administration, 1985) as the city’s new Park, Recreation and Community Services director. In addition to his Cal Poly degree, Dasté is working on his graduate degree in the Master of Public Administration program at Cal State Northridge.
Read the Burbank Leader story

Alum Named VP & President of Global Sales Chief at Tech Firm

Xilinx announced it has appointed Frank Tornaghi, 53, vice president of worldwide sales. Tornaghi (B.S., Electronic Engineering, 1977) took over the position in early February.
Read the story on EarthTimes

Architecture Alum to Design California Skilled Nursing Facilities

San Luis Obispo architect Randy Dettmer (B.Ar., Architecture, 1973) has been selected by LifeHOUSE Retirement Properties to head up the development of its California skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. Dettmer has taught architecture at the university for more than 20 years and has practiced in San Luis Obispo for more than 30 years.
Read the SLO Tribune story on Dettmer

Alum Promoted to VP of CaseCentral Legal Tech Firm

CaseCentral has promoted Tyler Robbins (B.S., Civil Engineering, 1995) to vice president of customer operations. The firm provides eDiscovery research and solutions to corporations and the law firms that serve them.
Read the PR Newswire Story

CPI Card Group Adds English Alum to Sales Team

CPI Card Group has made Michelle Lehouck (B.A., English, 1995) the newest member of its international smartcard sales team. Lehouck speaks French and Spanish and resides in the Boston area with her family. As CPI's new Product Development Manager for RFID and smart cards, she will focus on assisting United States and Canadian customers throughout the smart card implementation process.
Read the story on Reuters

Biz Alumna Named Product Manager at Nutraceuticals Firm

BI Nutraceuticals of Long Beach recently announced the hiring of Megan Labun (Business Administration, 2007) as a product manager for the company's extracts and value-added ingredients business units.
Read the NPI story

Alumni Passings

Alum, SLO Entrepreneur Mike Kaney

Longtime San Luis Obispo resident, entrepreneur and Cal Poly supporter Mike Kaney, who grew a large and steadfast family business in the past five decades, died of cancer Saturday. He was 58.
Read the story in the SLO Tribune

Alumnus, Former Architecture Professor Arthur Silvers

Arthur Silvers, an architect who designed structures throughout California and also worked to end discrimination in housing and employment, died Jan. 18 at the age of 77. At Cal Poly, Silvers earned a master's degree in engineering in 1978. From 1978 until 1986, he served on the faculty of Cal Poly's architecture department.
Read the Los Angeles Times Obituary on Silvers

Rebecca Newby, Education Alumna

Delta Rebecca Newby, of Wittmann, Ariz., passed away Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008, in Goodyear, Ariz. Newby (B.S., Education, 1965, M.A., Education, 1971) was a longtime resident of Arroyo Grande. In her career, she taught elementary school in Arroyo Grande, was named Teacher of the Year in 1989-90, and in the 1970s purchased computers for her classroom to set up the first computer lab in the Lucia Mar Unified School District.
Read the obituary in the SLO Tribune