Welcome to "Alumni in the News," where you can find links to articles that mention or feature National University alumni. If you are aware of news coverage or wish to share a link regarding a National University alum, please contact Hoyt Smith at hsmith@nu.edu.
California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye approved the interim appointment of Ronald Overholt (MPA, 1985) as administrative director of the California Courts, effective September 10. “As chief deputy director of the (Administrative Office of the Courts) for the past 11 years and as a highly experienced former trial court executive, Ron is intimately familiar with the statewide budget process and many other aspects of court administration," Cantil-Sakauye said in a news release. For more information, click here.
Debbe Deverill (BBA, 1977) is the co-chair of this year's Incline Village Relay for Life in Lake Tahoe, California. She is semi-retired from commercial real estate as a broker and director of marketing, assisting with home and space design and sales. To read more about Deverill, click here.
Brody Barrios (MEd, 2010), assistant wrestling coach at Palomar College for the past five years, has been promoted to head coach. Barrios also serves as wrestling coach at San Marcos High School. He was a two-time California state champ at Poway High in the 1990s. For more information on Barrios, click here.
Kate Povletich (MS Ed., 2000), a Golden Valley High School social studies teacher, was announced as the District Teacher of the Year, by the William S. Hart Union High School District Governing Board. She is the social studies department chair, senior class advisor and a member of the professional development team. To read more about Povletich, click here.
Stephanie Burns (MBA, 2008) is the creator of Chic CEO, LLC, (www.chic-ceo.com), a free web resource for female entrepreneurs. Her site was named one of the top 10 Entrepreneurial Websites for Women and one of the top 100 Websites for Women by Forbes. To read more about Burns, click here. To visit her web site directly, click here.
Steve Salvatori (MBA, 1983) is one of five candidates running for Commissioner of Spokane County in the state of Wasington. He is founder and chief executive officer of Spokane Entrepreneurial Center. Click here to read about his views on the issues that impact his district.
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed National University alumna Lori Freiermuth (MS, Education, 2001) to the California Academic Content Standards Commission on June 4. Ms. Freiermuth is employed as a math teacher with the Sweetwater Union High School District. She is a National Board Certified Teacher. To view the news release announcing her appointment, click here.
Melody S. Thornton, CPA, (BBA in Accounting, 1983) has been elected president of the San Diego Chapter of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA) for 2010 - 11. CalCPA is the nation's largest state accounting organization and the largest CPA association in California. Thornton, a resident of Carlsbad, Calif., is a tax partner with J.H. Cohn LLP, San Diego.
Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims (MPA, 2005) was honored by The National Drug Czar in Washington D.C. on April 7 for last year's Operation Save Our Sierra, a program targeting marijuana-growing operations in the foothills of Eastern Fresno County. To read a synopsis of coverage by the Fresno-based CBS News affiliate, click here.
Jeff Watkins (MS, Special Education, 2001), has been named Principal of Livermore Valley Charter Preparatory High School. You can read about him by clicking here.
Gloria Pualani (MBA, 1989) was recognized in February by her employer, Northrop Grumman, for her outstanding contributions to engineering and community service at the 2010 Black Engineer of the Year Awards in Baltimore. Ms. Pualani is director of socio-economic business programs and government relations for Northrop Grumman. She received the Supplier Diversity Award for her advocacy for increasing business development opportunities for minority-owned firms and other classifications of small business. Under Ms. Pualani’s direction, Northrup Grumman has received numerous commendations for its achievement in support of the U.S. Department of Defense Mentor-Protege and Service Disabled Veterans programs. To read the article about Ms. Pualani in the Pasadena Star-News, click here.
Forensic Entomologist Carlos Rivera (MFS, 2008) has established a forensic science class at Millville Senior High School in New Jersey, in partnership with Cumberland County College. Rivera creates crime scenes and instructs his students to solve the crime by utilizing the science that they are taught. His class is funded in part by a grant from the school district. Click here to read a newspaper article about Rivera and his class.
A winning essay by National University student Oral Urquidi has earned her a $500 scholarship, according to a news release distributed on January 14. Ms. Urquidi is a mother of three who is attending school online as a full-time student. She plans to obtain her Single Subject Teaching Credential, Math in 2010. To read Ms. Urquidi’s essay, click here.
National University Alumna Lisa Culpepper (BA, English, 2006) is one of three teachers nationwide to be named a National Intern of the Year by the National Association for Alternative Certification (NAAC). She will receive a cash award of $1,000 on Jan. 30 during the 20th Annual NAAC conference in Summerlin, Nevada. For more information, click here.
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has selected National University alumna Jami Parsons (MS, Educational Counseling, 1995) of Laguna Beach, California as one of eight nationwide finalists for its Counselor of the Year award. For more information, click here.
Tony Russell (MA, Management, 2002) has been named named as the new Region VI Administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In that capacity, he will work with the governors of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas to coordinate the nation's emergency response teams and recovery efforts in those states. Most recently, Mr. Russell served as Acting Director of the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office, where he led a staff of over 1,300 FEMA personnel. For more information, click here.
The National Flight Academy in Pensacola, Florida has promoted National University alumnus Mike Smiley (BBA, 1994) to director of operations, according to a column item in the Tallahassee Democrat. Mr. Smiley began with Flight Academy as program manager, facilitating design and construction efforts for the building and expansion of the National Naval Aviation Museum. To read about Mr. Smiley, click here.
Lt. Gen. Willie J. Williams USMC (MBA, 1981) has been appointed by President Obama to serve as director, Marine Corps Staff. To read more about Lt. Gen. Williams, click here.
Michael F. Giove (MBA, 1990) was named Chief Operating Officer of Fins, Furs and Feathers, Inc., the parent company of MarineDepot. com, Petstore.com and Bayside Aquarium Supply. Fins, Furs and Feathers Inc. isanked number 385 last year among the Top 500 e-commerce companies, according to Internet Retailer, a national business magazine that follows, tracks and reports on e-commerce companies. Read about Mr. Giove in the company's news release.
Navy Cmdr. Edilberto M. Salenga (BBA, 1983, MS, 1999) has graduated from the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, Pa., and earned a master's degree in Strategic Studies. The college is the Army's senior educational institution. Salenga is a plans, operations and medical intelligence officer in the Navy Medical Service Corps. He has served in the military for 29 years. (A link to the July 23, 2009 article in the Californian is no longer active.)
The Oakdale Joint Unified School District recently named Michael Tambini (Tier II Cred.) to the position of Vice Principal and Athletic Director at Oakdale High School, in the community of Oakdale, California, east of Modesto. Vice Principal Tambini is featured in the Oakdale Leader. To read the article, click here.
Even in his wildest dreams, Bobbi Koala (BS, Accountancy, 2009) never imagined graduating college at the top of his class – with one of his own kids. The new father-and-son alumni were featured June 22, 2009 in the San Diego Union-Tribune. To read more about Bobbi and Benjamin Koala (BS, Accountancy, 2009), click here.
Three women learn to open their hearts and be enlightened by the experience of knowing one another in a novel by Donna Kendall (MFA, 2008), titled "Sailing on an Ocean of Tears" (Crystal Dreams Publishing 2009). To read a May 18, 2009 review of Ms. Kendall's latest book, click here.
Franklin Shines (MBA, 1991) is a published author and President of Skill of Success, a Florida-based consulting firm which provides next generation Web applications and business skills to small businesses and individuals. He was interviewed by SYS-CON.COM on April 3, 2009 regarding Utilizer, a new way of creating, delivering and consuming content on the Web. To read the interview, click here.
Harry DeWolf (MBA, 2008), Director of the Portland District of the U.S. Small Business Administration, was interviewed by the Oregonian on March 25, 2009, in regard to statements by President Obama and Treasury Secretary Geithner that the nation's economic recovery will be driven in large part by America's small businesses, and federal measures to make it easier for small businesses to borrow money.