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FALL 2004 

A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS OF 

CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE 

Working on 

the Edge 

Ski cinematographer Tom Day ’82 talks 

about the fun—and the fear—of shooting 

where the action is 

Trend Tracker 2004 • Motion Pictures • Acting Out Issues

Calendar of Events 

October 28 Vermont Global Symposium lecture, “The Global Economy and Vermont,” 

featuring former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. The event is presented 

by Champlain College, Saint Michael’s College and the Vermont Council 

on World Affairs. Saint Michael’s College Ross Sports Center, 2:30 p.m. 

$10 admission, $5 students/seniors (free for Champlain students with ID). 

Tickets are available at Champlain Bookstore, Borders Books and Flynn Tix 

at 86-FLYNN and www.flynntix.org. 

November 10-13 The Champlain Players present Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. Alumni 

17-20 Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. $12 admission (free for Champlain students with ID). 

For tickets call the theater box office at (802) 651-5962. 

20 Comedian, writer, storyteller and performance artist Peter Burns comes 

to campus. Morgan Room, Aiken Hall, 7 p.m. Free admission. 

December 2 Intercollegiate Writers’ Exchange, Morgan Room, Aiken Hall, 7 p.m. 

Free admission. 

2005 

9 Native American poet, essayist, novelist and children’s story writer Joe 

Bruchac speaks. Morgan Room, Aiken Hall, 7 p.m. Free admission. 

February 2-6 Champlain Players One-Act Festival, presenting plays on plays. Alumni 

Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. $10 admission (free for Champlain students with ID). 

For tickets call the theater box office at 

(802) 651-5962. 

March/April 18-20 The Champlain Players present Martin McDonagh’s The Cripple of 

23-24 Inishmaan. Alumni Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. $12 admission (free for 

31-2 Champlain students with ID). For tickets call the theater box office at 

(802) 651-5962. 

For more information about these events and others, 

visit www.champlain.edu or call (802) 860-2756. 

2004-05 Board of Trustees 

Robert W. Allen 

Terry F. Allen 

Deborah M. Bergh 

George F. Bond ’73 

William P. Cody 

April Cornell 

James Crook, Jr. 

Staige Davis 

Leta C. Finch 

Michael D. Flynn 

James B. Foster 

Hinda S. Miller 

Holly D. Miller 

Robert B. Moore 

Diane Mueller 

Paul A. Perrault 

Roger H. Perry 

Peter Lewis Phillips 

Thomas H. Pierce 

William G. Post, Jr. 

Mary G. Powell 

David A. Scheuer 

Steven D. Shepard 

Robert A. Snyder 

Dawn Terrill ’88 

Lisa Ventriss 

Lawrence J. Walsh, Jr.’66 

Arthur E. Wegner 

COVER: Tom Day ’82, “hands-down the best cinematographer in the snowboard and ski industry,” 

according to Mike Hatchett, president of Standard Films. Photo by Keoki Flagg.

FALL 2004 




DEPARTMENTS 


CALENDAR OF EVENTS 

2 FROM THE EDITOR 

3 VIEW FROM THE HILL 

Class Act…The Sporting Life… 

News in Brief…Student View 

22 CLASS NOTES 

News…Alumni Lives & more 



FEATURES 

(Bottom) photograph by Greg Von Doersten; illustration by Ginny Joyner; (top) photograph by Jordan Silverman 

10 AHEAD OF THE WAVE 

Innovation and energy are powerful lures and Champlain’s got 

them, drawing people at the forefront of their fields. To find out 

what’s happening out on the cutting edge, we chatted with 

some of the College’s top experts, and got some reassuring— 

and surprising—answers. 

by Lee Ann Cox 

16 DANGEROUS ANGLES 

Filming extreme skiing requires being an extreme skier, with 

camera gear in tow. By all accounts, alumnus Tom Day ’82 is 

a world-class cinematographer and skier who gets the footage 

that lets you feel the chill of a blast down the mountain. He’s 

also a really nice guy. Here he shares what it takes to live a 

life on skis. 

by Patrick Kelley 

Champlain View | Fall 2004 

1

FROM THE EDITOR 

When I look at this issue, I get a palpable sense of the 

energy at Champlain. The people here are motivated, 

driven by curiosity, by passion, by respect for themselves 

and others. And the alumni who leave here put that energy 

out into the world. It’s endlessly fascinating to follow the 

paths of graduates, to see how their lives ripen when 

experience and the fresh knowledge and commitment of 

the college years grow together. 

This time we check in on Tom Day, a business grad from the class of 1982. 

Day’s heart may have been more with the ski team (see their picture below) than 

his management classes, but the ethic he’s followed through his career as a ski 

cinematographer is truly in the Champlain spirit. He’s creative, he’s adventurous, 

he gets the job done. 

“You’re guaranteed to get the goods when Tom goes out,” Kim Schneider, a 

film editor for Warren Miller, told us. “He’s going to get it or he’s not coming 

back.” For Day, “getting it” can involve doorless helicopters, avalanches and 

“ripping down the mountain with all his gear as well as anybody who skis in the 

film.” Read more of his story in “Dangerous Angles,” page 16. 

The College no longer has an official ski team, but students are skiing and 

riding and kickboxing, playing hockey, basketball, lacrosse and stretching into 

yoga poses. In our photo essay “The Sporting Life,” page 4, you can see how 

Champlain is shaping the whole student, instilling the joy—along with the 

health—of movement that will hopefully become a natural lifelong pursuit. 

There’s one future alumna whose pursuits I’m particularly eager to watch. 

Michelle Weissman ’05 (“Student View,” page 9) has a mission. She’s a software 

engineering major with few female peers, a fact she aims to change. Having 

benefited from the mentorship of successful women, Weissman is committed to 

returning the favor. In fact, she’s already started, volunteering at a tech camp for 

girls over the summer. It’s just the kind of transformation, from passion into 

action, that this issue celebrates. — LAC 

Champlain 

View FALL 2004 

EDITOR 

ART DIRECTOR 

CONTRIBUTING 

WRITERS 

PHOTOGRAPHERS 

ILLUSTRATOR 

CLASS NOTES 

VOLUME 3, NUMBER 2 

Lee Ann Cox 

Julia Caminiti 

Lee Griffin 

Patrick Kelley 

Kris Surette 

Keoki Flagg 

Kathleen Landwehrle 

Jordan Silverman 

Greg Von Doersten 

Ginny Joyner 

Coralee Holm Zizza 

Alumni & Development Staff 

VICE PRESIDENT OF Shelley Richardson 

DEVELOPMENT 

& ALUMNI AFFAIRS 

DIRECTOR OF Paul Ugalde 

PLANNED GIVING 

DIRECTOR OF Greg Morgan 

CORPORATIONS & 

FOUNDATIONS 

ALUMNI AFFAIRS Coralee Holm Zizza 

& ANNUAL FUND 

OFFICER 

DEVELOPMENT Tammy Carroll ‘92 

INFORMATION 

SYSTEMS 

DEVELOPMENT Sue Marino 

OFFICE ASSISTANT 

CONTACT 

INFORMATION 

Send letters and 

address changes to 

Champlain View 

Champlain College 

Alumni & Development Office 

163 South Willard St. 

PO Box 670 

Burlington VT 05402-0670 

alumni@champlain.edu 

(802) 860-2756 

Champlain View is published twice a year 

(Spring and Fall) by Champlain College. Printing 

by Queen City Printers Inc., Burlington, VT. 

Founded in 1878, Champlain College is an Equal Opportunity 

Educational Institution. 

Tom Day ’82 (far left) with the 1981 Champlain College ski team. 

2 Champlain View | Fall 2004

| VIEW FROM THE HILL | 

ACT 

CLASS 

Theater Group Brings 

Tough Issues Center Stage 

For some anxious parents preparing to drop their 

children off at college,the age-old autumn ritual got 

a little more intense this year. Sitting in Alumni 

Auditorium, they watched two students, Maggie 

and Todd, give varying accounts of a night gone 

wrong.They met at a party where they both admit to drinking.He 

says they shared a night of fun.She says she was raped. 

A third student, Ashley, who introduced them, says she isn’t 

sure who to believe. 

Fortunately, this is a fictional scenario, part of an interactive 

theater production created for Champlain’s Parent 

Orientation Day. The event was designed to foster discussion—and 

prevention—of important issues,such as substance 

abuse and date rape, and was followed by an open dialogue 

session where parents could question cast members. 

Joanne Farrell, director of the professional writing program, 

came up with the idea for the skit and worked with the 

actors to merge their monologues into a cohesive storyline.“I 

was worried about how it would be received,”she said,adding 

that the risk was worth it if it keeps even one student from 

being in such a position. 

Parents wasted no time jumping in during the questionand-answer 

session, asking some very direct questions of the 

actors, still “in character.” 

“What part of ‘no’ don’t you understand?” demanded one 

father. 

“Did you ever consider STDs as a consequence?” asked 

another parent. 

The potentially upsetting exercise received an overwhelmingly 

positive response from parents, many of whom 

said they were relieved to hear such frank and honest talk 

about subjects that otherwise might not have been discussed. 

“I want to thank you for talking about these issues. I feel 

better having talked about them,” said one mother. 

“I wasn’t sure how it would go because it’s such a difficult 

topic,” said Alexandra Sevakian ’07, who played the role of 

Maggie.“We got a lot more feedback than I expected.[The parents] 

seemed like they wanted to keep talking about it.” 

Once the actors stepped out of character, they had a 

chance to talk about their real-life experiences at Champlain. 

Melissa Plante ’07 reassured parents that these scenarios, 

although real, are rare here. 

“I want you to know that you are leaving your kids at a safe 

place,” she said.“Nothing like this has ever happened to me, 

but to stand here and say that your child will never be around 

alcohol or that situations like this don’t ever happen wouldn’t 

be truthful.” 

Daring to prepare students for those possibilities is what 

makes this campus stand out. Carol Moran Brown of student 

life services informs parents of the many support and counseling 

services offered on campus. New students are exposed 

to group counseling sessions and are shown the same skit that 

was performed for parents. 

Ginny and Dan Thurler of Canton, Massachusetts, whose 

son is a first-year student, said they’re confident that he will 

have a high-quality academic experience, but are naturally 

concerned about the social aspects of college life. 

“You’re so used to being in that daily contact, so when 

they’re out of range it does cause some anxiety,” Dan Thurler 

said. “It’s been good to hear from students and staff about 

what goes on here and the services that are offered.” 

Doris Ogden, Champlain’s alcohol/drug education coordinator,summed 

up the presentation:“It’s like watching a horror 

movie. You know she’s going to open the cellar door even 

though everyone is yelling ‘Don’t do it, don’t do it.’ We want 

students to know what’s on the other side of the door before 

they consider opening it.” 


3


The 

Sporting 

“THERE ARE NO SHORT- 

CUTS TO ANY PLACE 

WORTH GOING.” 

— OPERA STAR BEVERLY SILLS 

Surrounded as they are by lake, 

mountains, bicycle paths, gym 

facilities and playing fields—and 

as energized as they tend to be— 

Champlain’s students play as hard as 

they work. Sometimes the energy pours 

into organized games—hockey, b-ball, 

lacrosse or volleyball. Often, a few students 

bundle up and head to the ski 

slopes for freestyle boarding. Or it’s two 

on two in an impromptu pickup game 

on one of the courts. Among the most 

adventurous, the setting might be vertical 

and, whether designed by nature or 

Petra Cliffs, the climb can be exhilarating. 

Sometimes nothing can surpass 

the meditative nourishment of a yoga 

class or a solo ride on Burlington’s miles 

of bicycle paths to bask in the restorative 

glow of a Lake Champlain sunset. 

Although students might not be 

thinking about James Joyce at moments 

like these, they no doubt can resonate 

with his thinking, if not the formality of 

his expression, when he wrote: “Rapid 

motion through space elates one.” 

Life 


“THE BEST INSPIRATION IS NOT TO OUTDO OTHERS, 

BUT TO OUTDO OURSELVES.” — ANONYMOUS 


5


“YOU HAVE TO 

EXPECT 

THINGS OF 

YOURSELF 

BEFORE 

YOU CAN DO 

THEM.” 

— MICHAEL 

JORDAN 



“IT ISN’T THE MOUNTAINS AHEAD 

TO CLIMB THAT WEAR YOU OUT; 

IT’S THE PEBBLE IN YOUR SHOE.” 

— MUHAMMAD ALI 


7


NEWSin brief 

Champlain Gets Top-Tier Ranking 

in New College Guide 

U.S. News America’s Best Colleges 2005 has ranked 

Champlain in the top tier of the best comprehensive colleges 

in the North. Champlain placed 16th in this field of 

colleges that emphasize undergraduate education. This 

year, the publication ranked 324 comprehensive colleges 

in four regions of the country. U.S. News highlighted 

Champlain for its strong graduation rate, which is among 

the highest in its category. The publication uses measures 

of quality that fall into seven broad categories: peer assessment, 

graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, 

student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. 

Main Street Suites Earns Historical 

Society Award 

Champlain College has received a Chittenden County 

Historical Society Preservation Award for its new residence 

hall, the Main Street Suites & Conference Center, which 

opened last fall. The award, for “outstanding fill-in design 

in an historic district,” in the residential category, was presented 

to Russell Willis, Champlain’s provost, at a 

ceremony in July. The Society praised the College for creating 

a building that reflects “the scale, materials, and 

character of the beautiful nearby historic and campus 

buildings, while maintaining a distinguishable contemporary 

appearance.” The building was designed by local 

architects Truex Cullins & Partners. 

The College Celebrates Its First 

Master’s Graduates 

When master’s hoods were presented in a special ceremony 

last spring, it marked an important milestone for 

Champlain: the graduation of its first master’s class. The 

Managing Innovation and Information Technology program, 

which began in the fall of 2002, combines business 

and technology education and is delivered entirely online. 

Four degrees were conferred in May, two of which went to 

Champlain alumni. The College is examining additional 

online graduate offerings in the fields of special education, 

business and applied technology. 

In the Champlain Spotlight 

Ann DeMarle, director of the multimedia & graphic design 

program and the new electronic game & interactive development 

program, has been named an Apple Distinguished 

Educator. This select group is honored by Apple Computers 

for making creative and influential use of their technology, 

inspiring students as well as other educators. 

Historical scholar-in-residence Willard Sterne Randall 

lends his expertise on Alexander Hamilton, who figured 

prominently in the formative years of lower Manhattan, to 

a new cellphone walking tour of the area. Profits from the 

tour, narrated by Sigourney Weaver, will be donated to the 

World Trade Center Memorial Foundation. Find more information 

online at www.talkingstreet.com. 

Accounting professor Harold “Champ” Soncrant was 

honored by Vermont Campus Compact as a 2004 Excellence 

in Teaching finalist. He was praised for “exemplary, 

innovative teaching using community-based learning and 

demonstrated commitment to student voice and community 

partnership.” Soncrant, who coordinates the Volunteer 

Income Tax Assistance program at Champlain, has taught 

at the College for 33 years. 

College “Icon” Larry Veladota Retires 

Champlain Vice President Larry Veladota, a 

1964 accounting graduate, has retired 

after 35 years of service to his alma mater. 

Hired to bring the College’s first computer 

online in 1969, Veladota held the positions 

of director of computer operations 

and vice president for financial affairs 

before being named vice president. 

During his tenure, he also earned a master’s in education 

from Harvard University. Calling him a “true Champlain 

icon,” President Roger Perry praised Veladota’s management 

of the physical plant, his tireless efforts as 

ambassador to the City of Burlington, his fiscal oversight 

and his role in building Champlain’s state-of-the-art technology 

centers. Veladota, echoing Bader Brouilette, one of 

the three presidents he served under, says the College 

was like one of his children: “I had three daughters 

and Champlain.” 



Student 

View 

Michelle Weissman ’05 

Q & A 

You’re one of a handful of women in Champlain’s software 

engineering program. How did you get turned on to technology? 

We had the early Macs in kindergarten with alphabet programs and 

word games. Ever since then I’ve wanted to know more. In middle 

school I had two women mentors who took me under their wing, 

letting me develop the school’s website. From then on I was hooked. 

This past summer, as a project to fulfill your community service 

requirement, you worked as a teacher at the Vermont Institutes’ 

Tech Savvy Girls Camp. Why did you choose that job? 

Michelle Weissman, teaching at Tech Savvy Girl’s Camp 

I was really interested in the fact that they were teaching technology in a completely female environment. And 

I wanted to give back because I was so lucky having these two women mentor me. I wanted to help other girls 

who are just starting out. 

In your statement of goals for the project, you said that you expected to learn more about 

the fears girls have in pursuing tech classes. What do you think scares girls off? 

It’s hard to pinpoint. Maybe they don’t want to fail or be shown up by boys. And it’s hard for some girls to 

be labeled a computer geek. The camp took that away. It was a learning environment that’s maybe more 

conducive to teaching girls technology because it was very supporting; there were no put-downs. I think once 

girls are taught that they can do it and it’s fun, they’ll keep pursuing it. 

You wrote that you want to change the stigma that women don’t belong in engineering. 

You’ve taken computer classes for years and you just finished a four-year summer 

internship at Goodrich Aerospace. How much resistance have you felt? 

I’ve experienced it. It’s daunting to be in a conference room surrounded by men or go into a classroom with 20 

males and two other females, but, honestly, I’m not turned off by it. I’ve had to work to prove that I have skills 

that are equal to the men, but once you break through that, you’re respected. I think you have to be careful 

not to make gender a huge issue. I make it known that I’m an engineer and I’m a professional and this is what 

I’m here to do. I can prove that I’m a good engineer. 

You’re confident. Where did the confidence come from? 

It’s taken time. I think from role models, meeting a lot of passionate women. It’s good to know that you’re not 

alone. But the confidence? I think you have to be confident in order to really do what you want to do, in any 

field. People will tell you that you can’t do something or that you’re not good enough, but you just have to 

prove to them that you are. I think you can achieve anything. You can achieve what your mind believes. If you 

have the confidence, there’s no stopping you. 

Do you have other interests beyond technology? 

A ton. I love doing community service. I love movies, hanging out with friends, being outdoors, boating. 

I run. I have an itch to travel. That’s one of my passions. 

Photograph by Kris Surette 

What are your goals after Champlain? 

I’m looking at grad schools; I’m looking at doing service with Vermont Campus Compact for a year or two. I’m 

also looking at industry. I’d like to work for a time, rise to a position of manager and then work in women’s 

advocacy in technology or in designing programs to get younger girls interested in technology. I want to help. 

I’ve seen what mentoring can do. I think I’m a living testimonial that mentoring works. 


9

Change is accelerating, in business and in life. In a world that’s gone global, 

where ever-higher speed is the status quo (why e-mail when you can instant 

message?) and access to information is virtually unbounded (even by wires), 

we’ve grown increasingly sophisticated—and demanding. At work and at 

leisure we expect a rewarding experience. It’s got to be stimulating. It’s got to be 

challenging. It’s got to have value. 

These dynamics are nothing new to the future-focused people at Champlain 

who make it their business to stay sensitive—and responsive—to the coming currents 

of change. To learn more, Champlain View tapped the expertise of a diverse range of 

trend-spotters to find out the answer to an age-old question: What’s next?

By Lee Ann Cox 

Illustration by Ginny Joyner 

Ahead of the 

Wave 

Champlain’s cutting-edge 

experts track the trends 

in how we live, learn, 

work and play 


11

THE EXPERT: 

Steven Shepard 

Champlain Trustee, 

Master’s Degree Faculty and 

President, Shepard Communications Group 

THE FIELD: 

Demographics & the 

Workplace 

THE EXPERT: 

Ann DeMarle 

Director, Electronic Game & Interactive 

Development and Multimedia & Graphic Design 

THE FIELD: 

Electronic Games 

THE TREND: 

Hollywood hype. As the gaming industry continues to 

grow at a phenomenal rate (15 to 20 percent in sales per 

year, according to DeMarle), gamers are getting a bigger— 

and better—bang for their bucks. Faster computers and 

increasingly sophisticated software engineering have created 

fantasy worlds where hyperreality rules. “Put the 

stunning visuals together with better and better sound 

effects,” says DeMarle, “and you’re approaching movie quality.” 

But game creators aren’t stopping there. With Hollywood 

actors and music from the likes of Peter Gabriel, coming 

back to regular reality may be harder than ever. 

THE TREND: 

Empowered employees. Shepard has been 

studying the newest generation to enter the work force, 

the so-called Millennials (those born roughly between 

1982 and 2003), and he’s issued some comforting conclusions 

for society at large—and a stark warning for 

the corporations who hire them: ignore their needs at 

your peril. Shepard makes the case that generational 

types come in cycles and this new one shares a value 

set with the World War II “Greatest Generation.” 

Following on the heels of sarcastic, alienated 

Generation X, the Millennials, Shepard says, are civicminded, 

team-oriented, optimistic, moral. “They need to 

be motivated—and challenged,” he says. “They’re very 

energetic and they’re looking for strong meaning in 

what they do. They’re willing to work very hard, but they 

also want balance.” Unlike generations before them, 

Millennials are unwilling to sacrifice their families for 

their jobs and they feel they have the power as a generation 

to have it their way. Successful managers, 

Shepard believes, will adapt in profound ways. “They 

will ensure that everyone contributes and that everyone 

in every job feels like part of the solution. They will 

move towards a far more collaborative management 

style,” he says, one that relies heavily on technology. 

“Companies that fail to see the need for accommodating 

the changing demands of the work force will fail,” 

says Shepard. But to those who wring their hands over 

who we’re leaving this world to, he has an easy answer. 

“We’re leaving it in the hands of a generation ideally 

suited to succeed.” 


THE EXPERT: 

Fran Stoddard 

Producer & Host of 

Vermont Public Television’s 

“Profile” and Media 

Communications Faculty 

THE FIELD: 

Media 

THE TREND: 

(Left ) photograph by Jordan Silverman; (right) courtesy of Burton Snowboards 

THE EXPERT: 

Joe Gaetani ’06 

Student 

THE FIELD: 

Snowboarding 

THE TREND: 

Spins… and pink? For snowboarders, a day on the 

mountain is one of big air—and big risks. Consider a few of 

the hippest tricks, according to Gaetani. There’s the Frontside 

540 Indy, which involves spinning off your heels and doing 

a 540-degree midair rotation during which you grab your back 

hand between your feet (that’s the Indy). When that gets old 

there’s the Backside Rodeo. “You come in off your toes but 

spin backwards over your front shoulder like an inside-out 

spin. They look really cool,” says Gaetani, “It’s almost like you 

get flat in the air.” 

Gaetani and his friends, who’ll be premiering their second 

ski and riding video at Champlain this fall (view a trailer 

at www.rightproductions.com), are into the tricks for the 

challenge and the rush of adrenaline. “I’d be so bored without 

it in the winter,” Gaetani says. “It keeps me living.” 

But there’s one trend Gaetani cites that he’s not into—yet. 

For the truly daring rider: pink outerwear. 

Local air. In an age of big media 

consolidation, it’s the little guy 

around the corner who’s making the 

waves in broadcasting. “People are 

so desperate to make money,” 

Stoddard says of the national media 

corporations, “that there’s not a lot of 

risk-taking. It’s expensive to take 

risks.” Enter low-power radio and 

regional television programming. 

With new legislation before Congress 

(co-sponsored by Vermont Senator 

Patrick Leahy), there’s hope of loosening 

tough FCC restrictions on 

low-power radio, opening the airwaves 

to community stations and a 

diverse mix of local voices, music 

and news. And filmmaker Jay 

Craven, in partnership with Vermont 

Public Television, is taking a chance 

on “Windy Acres,” a six-part comedy 

series set in the Northeast Kingdom, 

to air on VPT—and public stations all 

over the Northeast—this fall (the 

show, starring alumnus Rusty 

DeWees ’84, premiered at Champlain 

earlier this month). This groundbreaking 

project, Stoddard hopes, is 

only the beginning of similar regional 

offerings nationwide, expanding our 

understanding of ourselves and each 

other. “Now we get to see the lives of 

New Yorkers and Californians. It’s 

limiting. You just don’t get that much 

reflection of who we are.” 


13

THE EXPERT: 

Ken Fredericks 

Chef, Champlain Dining Facility 

THE FIELD: 

Feeding Students 

THE TREND: 

Free-style fusion. Remember dorm food, the 

ubiquitous meat and overcooked vegetables languishing 

in industrial metal trays? Forget it. Students may still suffer 

over academics, but the amenities of college life have 

gone upscale. In Champlain’s new Student Life Complex, 

open for dining this fall, there’s a state-of-the-art open 

kitchen, fine china and seven separate platforms at which 

diners can interact with chefs and customize their food. 

No steam tables. “Students want fresh food,” says head 

chef Ken Fredericks. “They want to control the ingredients, 

not eat food that’s been sitting in the kitchen for 

hours.” What are they choosing? According to Fredericks, 

comfort food is out, fusion is in. If they want Chinese 

chicken salad on a wrap grilled on a panini grill, he says, 

that’s what they get. 

THE EXPERT: 

Roger Perry 

President of Champlain College 

THE FIELD: 

Higher Education 

THE TREND: 

Renaissance programmers. 

Gone are the days of the stereotypic 

tech geek, the guy you want when your 

computer crashes—but when you’re 

giving a dinner party, not so much. 

Course requirements at Champlain and 

other progressive colleges and universities 

now include work in the humanities, 

communication, critical thinking, global 

perspectives and even social responsibility 

and ethical reasoning, producing 

graduates as conversant in the arts and 

sciences as they are in writing PHP 

code. It’s a move that’s paying off big, 

according to Perry. “EA loves our curriculum,” 

he says, referring to Electronic 

Arts, the world’s leading video game 

developer. “We offer advanced technology, 

but there’s also quite a bit in terms 

of the liberal arts. We’re arming tech 

majors so they can understand the story 

writers [who create these games], and 

appreciate the aesthetic point of view.” 

Now EA and Champlain are talking about 

a business partnership, supplying wellrounded 

techies for highly envied jobs.

THE EXPERT: 

Peter Straube 

Director, Hospitality Industry Management 

THE FIELD: 

Tourism 

THE TREND: 

(Left and center ) photographs by Kathleen Landwehrle; (right) photograph by Jordan Silverman 

THE EXPERT: 

Gary Kessler 

Program Director, 

Computer Networking 

THE FIELD: 

Internet Safety 

THE TREND: 

Phishing for fraud. By now everyone knows to 

be wary of credit card fraud. The problem is, the bad guys 

are staying one step ahead, exploiting this climate of concern 

to get people to voluntarily turn over valuable 

information. In these “phishing” schemes, according to 

Kessler, people get an e-mail purportedly from a legitimate 

company (Kessler uses Best Buy as an example), 

alerting them that someone has just made a purchase in 

their name and requesting that they go to “the company’s” 

url to verify the authenticity of the order. The 

person gets directed to a fake but realistic-looking version 

of Best Buy’s website and is asked to provide 

information as proof of identity. “People are falling for it in 

droves,” says Kessler. “They think, ‘Somebody is using my 

card and the company is going to let me help catch them.’” 

The key to avoiding these schemes is simple: 

Don’t go there. Ever. “When you’re on the Internet, use 

common sense,” Kessler says, . “Don’t give away information 

to places when you’re not sure who they are or why 

you’re giving it to them. You see those [e-mails], they’re all 

scams,” he insists. “One hundred percent are scams.” 

Extreme vacations. One’s annual two 

weeks off used to mean lolling on the beach, doing 

a little shopping, taking in the sights. Today’s travelers, 

for both leisure and business, want more, says 

Straube. They’ve become “experience collectors.” 

“Now normal people have been a lot of places and 

they’re getting bored,” he explains. “People want 

something new. They want to learn something, to 

get a taste of an authentic experience.” Look out, 

Disney. Why go to the “Polynesian Resort” when you 

can take the kids to Bora Bora? 

THE EXPERT: 

Charlie Nagelschmidt 

Assistant Director, Business & 

Management Programs 

THE FIELD: 

Business 

THE TREND: 

Caring for customers. To be filed in the “well, 

duh” category, businesses are catching up to the fact that 

service counts when it comes to luring—and keeping— 

customers. And that means more than a smile at the door. 

From back-end fulfillment centers to top management, 

companies are becoming “customer-centric,” integrating 

a culture of service throughout their organizations, says 

Nagelschmidt. “They’re managing the customer experience 

for competitive advantage,” he says, “because the 

customer holds the trump card. They can take their dollars 

elsewhere and they will.” For many consumers, 

though, the ultimate customer service is do-it-yourself. 

Increasingly, we’re banking, shopping (and tracking shipping) 

online and even scanning our own groceries. After 

years of shaky service, it puts the one with the wallet in 

control—and the help always sees things your way. 


15

DANGEROUS 

Angles 

By Patrick Kelley 

Photograph by Keoki Flagg 

A fearless skier in his 

own right, cinematographer 

and Champlain alumnus 

Tom Day ’82 captures the 

speed, the thrill and the 

pure reckless beauty of 

extreme skiing 


17

While this isn’t exactly a typical month 

of work for Tom Day ’82, it isn’t 

completely unusual, either. He’s out 

on South Georgia Island, a glaciated 

speck tucked off the coast of 

Antarctica, the wind raging to 100 

mph and shredding tents, its howling 

an ever-present soundtrack. A 

day at the office is clicking into 

skis, loading up 50 pounds of camera 

gear, negotiating brutal traverses and climbs, and, hopefully, watching 

world-class skiers and riders carve down a 10,000-foot mountain with fearsome 

slopes. 

Day, a leading ski cinematographer, is working with Warren Miller 

Entertainment to shoot the 2002 film Storm.To get to the island, he and the rest 

of the crew flew down to the tip of South America, made their way to the 

Falkland Islands, boarded a 60-foot cutter and sailed for four days—four days of 

12-foot swells and no land in sight—until they reached the island where the 

famous explorer Ernest Shackleton began (and ended) his famous trek toward 

the South Pole. It’s appropriate. Day, whom Skiing Magazine described as the 

“Energizer Bunny on skis,” is something of an explorer himself. 

In more than 20 years of professional skiing and filming the sport,he’s traveled 

from Uzbekistan to Antarctica,Alaska to Morocco, and virtually every place snowy 

and skiable in between. Not bad for a kid who left Vermont at age 20 and headed 

west to Squaw Valley, California, with little more than a plan to find powder. 

“I follow my passions—skiing, mountains, travel,” Day says.“I’ve been pretty 

much going with the flow since Champlain, and it’s been working out.” 

The Elements of Action 

Finding success making ski films isn’t quite that simple.The ingredients for doing 

what Day does include preternatural ability on skis,enough to make the extreme 

(mostly) routine, an obsession with cameras (he got his first Instamatic at age 

seven), and an ability to get along with almost everyone, from uptight commercial 

directors to unbridled soul-patched snowboarders. 

“His cinematography is phenomenal,” says Kim Schneider, an editor at 

Warren Miller. “He captures what’s going on out there so you feel it. It puts a 

tingle on the spine.” 

Day, who speaks quietly and thoughtfully, sees his craft a little differently. 

Whether he’s strapped to a doorless helicopter, urging the pilot on with a mike, 

trying to capture some “sick” sequence of action with the light fading and filmand 

pilot-time running at hundreds of dollars an hour, or whether he’s perched 

on a sketchy, avalanche-prone slope, his focus is on capturing action in ways that 

are exciting, innovative and bathed in pure mountain light. 

“It’s still a constant challenge,”he says.“You can never conquer it.I’m still trying 

to find that perfect angle.There are so many subtle things you can do with 

each shot.” 

Subtle, and not-so-subtle, things.You can go two basic ways shooting action: 

the “whoa,” and the “oh-no.” For the whoa shots, Day’s goal is to rip his audience 


“His focus is on capturing action in ways that are exciting, 

innovative and bathed in pure mountain light.” 

Photograph by Greg Von Doersten 


19

out of their seats and put them on skis or snowboard, 

watching the perfect powder unspool in front of them.The 

oh-no stuff is different.There, Day is trying to find the angle 

that puts the action into perspective, helping the audience 

see exactly how the 55-degree slopes and epic jumps differ 

from their own weekend turns. 

“You want to put the audience as close as they want to 

be to the really dangerous stuff,” he says.“As a skier filming 

skiing, I have a better chance of getting there because I 

really understand what’s going on.”Of course, closing in on 

the danger puts Day himself at risk.He doesn’t dwell on the 

perils of helicopters and avalanches, but he isn’t a cowboy. 

“I am scared in those situations,” Day admits.“To me, being 

scared is showing respect for the situation.” 

A life spent among mountains has given him a keen 

insight into what moves and conditions are dangerous, and 

he’s constantly evaluating whether he wants to pursue a 

particular shot, stunt or chute. But when he decides that 

something’s comfortable, he immediately pushes the risks 

out of his mind and concentrates on the work. It isn’t 

always easy. 

“With photography, you’re always getting pulled into 

danger zones because that’s where the shots are.And you 

always know it when you’re there,” Day says. 

Going West 

Day’s life in skiing started early—the Montpelier native 

watched his family hit the slopes without him, until finally, 

at the grand old age of four, he was allowed to go.At seven, 

he met a man on the lifts who, when the young Day asked 

him what he did, said that he skied every day.“I liked the 

sound of that. It stuck with me,” Day says. 

So it surprised no one that Day graduated from 

Champlain College one morning, and the next he chased 

his dream to California: He grabbed two buddies, including 

Francois Borel ’82, loaded up the car with skis, and found 

his way west to Squaw Valley,a resort with steep slopes and 

copious snow tucked into a box canyon in the Sierra 

Nevada Mountains just outside of Lake Tahoe. He settled in, 

started washing dishes and doing odd jobs, and scored a ski 

pass.When winter came—with load after load of powdery 

snow—he skied every day. 

That was life,and it was good,until his first break:Some 

spotters making a promotional film for a Japanese clothing 

company spied Day on the slopes and invited him to ski in 

a commercial.The next year, a skier he met on the shoot, 

Scott Schmitt, wandered into the shop where Day was tuning 

skis and asked him if he wanted to be in a film that 


A cold eye: Day films as skiers plan their run. Points North Heli 

Skiing, Cordova, Alaska. 

Photograph by Greg Von Doersten 

legendary ski director Warren Miller’s crew was making. 

Day managed to choke out a “yes.” 

For a longtime skier like Day, and peers around the 

country, Miller’s annual ski films, which are timed to open 

just as the weather begins to turn chilly, are a yearly tradition 

of inspiration. Skiing for Miller’s crew, especially with 

Schmitt, was like an amateur guitarist suddenly taking the 

stage with Springsteen. But Day wasn’t starstruck. The 

shoot went well and led to more work.The money wasn’t 

great—in the mid-1980s, about the only way to make a living 

on skis was to join a team or ride moguls; so-called “free 

skiers” like Day were on the fringes—but he had an annual 

ski pass and a roof over his head and that was enough. 

Those early shoots, though, unlocked another passion, 

one that would transform Day’s life and career.He had always 

been interested in cameras—after that first Instamatic, he 

bought a nice SLR when he graduated from high school—so 

when he began skiing on film, he found himself as drawn to 

the filmmakers as he was to his fellow skiers. 

“When the cameraman pulled his camera out of the 

backpack I was really intrigued by it.I had never seen a film 

camera before,” Day says of his first shoot, and the mutual 

interest deepened from there.“Over the years of working 

with Warren Miller’s productions, his cameramen were 

really cool about showing me how to load the camera, all 

kinds of tricks.” 

Over the next six years, after he bought his first crude 

16mm camera for $500, Day began a gradual transition 

from skier to filmmaker.With film for the camera running 

at about $100 for three minutes, he had to learn on the 

job, cadging film from friends he met on Warren Miller 

projects.They were happy to supply a fledgling filmmaker 

they trusted with a few cans of film in hopes that he could 

come up with a few minutes of usable footage. Day would 

go out and shoot the film, then send it back to Miller. 

“Most of it was pretty bad, but they gave me pointers, 

and even used a few shots,” Day says. 

On the basis of those early shots, his connections and 

skiing ability, Day landed a six-week trip to Europe that 

allowed him to shoot a lot of film and begin developing 

his own style. Day had envisioned the camera as a “ticket 

around the world,” and it was beginning to pay off.As his 

ability with the camera grew, he began getting more and 

more work. For the last four years, in particular, he’s been 

heavily involved with Warren Miller’s projects, but he frequently 

works with commercial, promotional and travel 

directors as well. 

“I enjoy any kind of shooting, but I love working on 

travel documentaries. I’m shooting so that the audience is 

intrigued to go there—or, if it’s someplace where they 

could never go, so they feel like they’ve been there.” 

New Tracks 

Caught at home at Squaw in late summer, Day was enjoying 

a relaxed working schedule,spending time in the open 

post-and-beam home he and his wife, Lizzie, share with 

their two children, and looking forward to winter’s skiing 

and shooting. He’s hoping that this winter, or future ones, 

will bring more opportunities to edit film as well as shoot 

it; he’s interested in following through on his footage and 

having more influence on the final production. 

Day isn’t a big down-the-road-plan kind of guy, and he 

doesn’t know exactly what his job will look like in ten 

years. But it’s a good bet that it will be fun—and involve 

his passions of film and, especially, skiing. 

“I love where I’m living,I love my family,and I love my 

work,” Day says.“I’m constantly meeting new people, and 

when the action starts, I’m definitely still blown away. I 

never get jaded.That keeps it fun for me—all of a sudden 

I’m watching as the athletes do something I would have 

hardly imagined. Everything comes back to the love and 

thrill of skiing.” 


21

| CLASS NOTES | 

‘60 

DEATHS 

Mark G. Brouillette, Richford, VT, 

January 23, 2004. 

DEATHS 

Jane (Perry) Bowen, Rochester, VT, 

January 27, 2004. 

‘70 

NEWS 

Diane (Whitcomb) Avery has been 

selected to receive honorary award 

recognition by having her biography 

published in the 27th annual edition of 

“The National Dean’s List 2003/2004.” 

She is currently a political science major 

at Southern New Hampshire University. 

‘61 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Nancy (Boyle) Pierce and Sgt. Donald 

M. Garron, to be married in Fall 2004. 

‘62 

MARRIAGES 

Katie Flanders and James Hadeka, Jr., 

May 1, 2004. 

‘71 

NEWS 

Laurie Lambert has started a small nursery 

in Newfield, ME, called Naturally 

Herbs & Flowers, open weekends during 

spring and summer. A greenhouse is 

under construction and will be ready to 

grow flowers in March 2005. Laurie also 

works with F.L. Putnam Investment 

Management Company in Portland. 

Christine (Pare) McDermott and Robert 

J. McDermott own five Morgan horses. 

Christine serves on the UVM President’s 

Advisory Committee for the UVM 

Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge, VT. 

Reunited: (front row) Dawn 

(Sauther) Manchester ‘94, 

Rachel (Russell) Ward ‘94, 

Jennifer (Hayes) Alderman 

‘93/’97 and Jennifer (Haskell) 

Cravinho ‘94. (Back row) 

Michelle Merrill ‘94, Kim 

(Moir) Lewis ‘93, Sarah 

Otterson ‘94, Andrea (Holmes) 

Pariseau ‘94 and Jessica 

(Santini) Norkon ‘94. 

Dale Higgs ‘56 worked at 

Champlain College for 

more than 45 years, until 

he retired in 2001. He 

died on August 12. 

‘34 

NEWS 

Mildred (Carpenter) Hill has retired 

from the Randolph, VT, school system. 

She also worked for many years in the 

Motor Vehicle Department and for the 

Vermont Extension Service. 

‘41 

DEATHS 

Albert Mongeon, Jr., January 2004 

Rita (Riley) Piper, Weybridge, VT, 

January 31, 2004. 

‘42 

DEATHS 

Floyd Leon White, South Hero, VT, 

May 11, 2004. 

‘53 

DEATHS 

Shirley J. (Lambert) Meacham, 

Burlington, VT, July 8, 2004. 

‘56 

NEWS 

Virginia (Branch) Pratt does medical 

transcription from home, as well as 

working per diem for Fletcher Allen. 

She married Arthur Pratt 4 years ago 

and they currently live in South Hero. 

They are enjoying vacations on cruises, 

at family resorts and they especially love 

Cape Cod. Virginia would love to hear 

from other classmates! 

DEATHS 

Dale C. Higgs, Burlington, VT, 

August 12, 2004. 

‘58 

DEATHS 

Nadine Hayes, Manchester Center, VT, 

February 21, 2004. 

‘64 

NEWS 

Jacqueline A. Mathias retired from 

Middlesex Hospital in Middletown, CT, 

in May 2002. 

‘65 

DEATHS 

Richard A. Blatt, March 15, 2004. 

‘66 

NEWS 

Patricia E. (Page) Trendowski and her 

husband, Teal, have recently retired. 

They are busy with many travel plans, 

spending summers at their cottage and 

enjoying their three-year-old grandson, 

with another expected soon! Pat is 

involved in activities at her church and 

has many craft interests. Currently, she 

is busy with the newest scrapbooking 

craze. (Did we really look that young 

in the ‘60s?) 

‘67 

MARRIAGES 

Lauire R. Schacher and Stu Wohl, 

December 18, 2003. 

NEWS 

Raymond V. Boisvert, vice president of 

Publishers Consultants, Inc., has recently 

taken over the duties of general manager 

at The Golden Gate Gazette in 

Naples, FL. 

Laurie R. Schacher retired from 

American Express after 25 years. 

DEATHS 

Norman Andrews, East Boothbay, ME, 

January 21, 2004. 

‘68 

NEWS 

Marilyn L. (Ash) Ewell is currently the 

Registrar of the Language Schools at 

Middlebury College. 

DEATHS 

Roger W. Goldthwait, Putnam, CT, 

March 29, 2004. 

‘72 

NEWS 

Jim Davidson was recently appointed 

as a Sales Consultant for Cirelli Foods, 

the largest family-owned food-service 

distributor in New England. 

Nancy (Gauthier) Scribner is currently 

financial officer for the Department of 

Public Safety division of Vermont 

Emergency Managment in Waterbury. 

She was voted employee of the month 

in August. She has recently moved into 

a new home in Cabot with her husband, 

Stephen, and daughter, Melissa. Her 

son, Eric, is attending Champlain 

College this fall. 

‘73 

NEWS 

Don Guyett is an author working under 

the pseudonym Hollister DeLong. His 

first novel, Mystical Toy Guitar, was published 

in July. The novel has received 

resounding acclaim nationwide, with 

two different critics echoing the comment 

that, “properly cast and directed, 

Mystical Toy Guitar may be the next It’s 

a Wonderful Life.” Don is a member of 

Champlain’s first graduating criminal justice 


class. Visit www.eastmesapress.com/ 

mtg.htm for a synopsis, author biography 

and four-chapter preview of his novel. 

‘74 

NEWS 

Carol Laird Brownell is the human 

resources manager for the Department 

of Homeland Security, Transportation 

Security Administration at the 

Burlington International Airport. 

‘76 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Karen Dempsey and Christopher 

Carney, to be married in November 

2004. They will make their home in 

Marblehead, MA. 

NEWS 

Patricia A. Cranston completed her 

first half-marathon in Nashville, TN, in 

April 2004 with the Leukemia & 

Lymphoma Society’s “Team in Training.” 

She was awarded Top Fundraiser of the 

Year for this organization in Memphis. 

Patricia is now volunteering as a mentor 

and preparing for the Nike marathon 

and half-marathon in San Francisco in 

October. She received a promotion at 

FedEx to Strategic Sourcing Advisor. 

She is responsible for multi milliondollar 

contracts across all FedEx operating 

companies. Patricia’s son is now 28 

and has graced her with two grandchildren. 

Her daughter is 21 and attending 

college in Memphis, TN. 

Karen Dempsey founded Alliance 

Relocation, a residential real estate 

company helping people moving into 

the Boston, MA, area. Check out her 

website at www.alliancerelo.com. 

Sherry Shedd is currently a single business 

woman who owns and operates 

two mini-marts in North Central 

Pennsylvania. The stores, called 

“Shedd’s Old Country Market,” feature 

antiques, gifts and gift baskets as well 

as groceries and deli items. She is also 

an author who writes life- and timemanagement 

books in addition to 

fiction. On April 1, 2004, she attended 

a gala with President George W. Bush. 

She owns five rental properties and a 

100-acre ranch, where she lives with her 

two cats. She is the mother of four, and 

grandmother of two. 

‘77 

NEWS 

Steven Belanger has recently opened 

his own business in Montpelier, VT, 

called “Steven Belanger’s Property 

alumni lives 

G FORCE 

Kevin Graziadei ’98 is driving 

up the Pacific Coast highway. It’s 

sunny and 75 degrees, his surfboard 

is in the back and he’s 

feeling very good about his place 

in the world. “Since moving out 

here,” he says of his relocation to 

Manhattan Beach, just south of 

Los Angeles, “I’ve become solar 

powered. I love the sun.” 

For this Plattsburgh, New 

York, native, working in the entertainment 

industry and living two 

blocks from the beach where he 

runs and surfs several times a 

week is sweet indeed. But he finds 

himself on an eastbound plane 

three or four times a year. He 

comes for his dad and his four 


“Living two blocks from the ocean reminds me 

how important it is to have a balanced life,” says 

Kevin Graziadei ‘98. “After a busy day at work, I 

relax by surfing at sunset.” 

brothers (the “G5” they call themselves), a tight-knit group since they 

lost their mom to cancer when Kevin, the youngest, was nine. 

Occasionally, he finds himself back on the Champlain campus. 

“It’s such a big part of me,” says Graziadei. “I loved it there.” He 

loved Champlain, it seems, from his first chat with Admissions and 

today he still exchanges e-mails with favorite professors. Graziadei, a 

public relations and media communications major, discovered one of 

his prime talents working as a campus tour guide: “That’s where I fell in 

love with PR. The interaction with people came so naturally. I established 

relationships from President Perry to the folks in the mailroom.” 

After graduation Graziadei moved to Boston and earned his BA in 

visual and media arts from Emerson College in 2000. “I craved big-city 

life,” he says, though he’s certain he would have stayed at Champlain if 

there had been the media offerings then that are in place today. 

A number of internships—from MTV and Universal Music in New 

York to Twentieth Century Fox in LA—helped Graziadei refine his career 

goals and land his current position as an information security analyst 

project manager for Fox Entertainment Group. One internship, in the 

Fox script library, led to one of the most meaningful experiences of 

his life. 

Graziadei came across a rejected script that he immediately connected 

with—the story of two women coming to terms with cancer. He 

lobbied director Martin Guigui, a former Vermonter, who made the 

film Changing Hearts, with a star-studded cast, including Oscar-winner 

Faye Dunaway. 

His involvement with the movie, the parallels with his own life and 

the chance to bring a little heart to Hollywood, was, Graziadei says, “a 

magical time.” It had a feel-good element that’s mostly missing from 

the technical work he’s doing today. He has a great job that affords him 

his life at the ocean, snowboarding escapes and his frequent trips back 

home. But Graziadei has mountains of files full of project ideas and 

plans to venture off and become an independent producer. He wants 

to work with his brothers and to express the free-spirited nature he got 

from his mom. 

Graziadei is sweet, humble, striving, a self-described “old soul.” His 

name in Italian means “thanks to God” and he lives his life like he 

means it. 


23


Maintenance,” specializing in property 

upkeep and management. Steven’s 

daughter, Lauren, is currently attending 

Champlain and is on schedule to graduate 

in May 2005. 

Ronald “Ron” Brochu competed in the 

Town Meeting Day election for town 

clerk and treasurer. He is the billing 

manager at Bellavance Trucking in 

Barre, where he has been employed for 

seven years. 

‘78 

NEWS 

Elizabeth (Allen) Lyman lives in Gilford, 

NH, with her husband, Jack, and her 

three children, ages 13 to 22. They own 

Lyman Construction and Liz runs a 

Boar’s Head deli in Gilford. She would 

love to hear from fellow classmates at 

llizzy58@yahoo.com. 

Gail (Johnson) White is currently a 

homemaker and OKC Regional Soccer 

Tournament Director. She lives in 

Oklahoma with her husband, Jim, and 5 

children, ages 5 to 19! She would love 

to hear from classmates. 

‘80 

NEWS 

Kelly Circe is currently the senior staff 

assistant for the Department of 

Education and Social Services, Dean’s 

Office, at the University of Vermont. 

She earned her B.A. in psychology and 

business law from Burlington College in 

May 2003. 

Catherine (Ribar) McCullough and Dan 

McCullough own McCullough’s Quick 

Stop in Bethel, VT, and Dan McCullough 

Excavation. Cathy is the director of 

financial aid at Vermont Technical 

College. They have three daughters. 

Corrine J. (Thomson) Whitaker has 

been in the orthodontic field since 

graduating from Champlain. She is a 

Send Us a Note 

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We’d love to hear what you have been up to. 

Name: ____________________________Yr. of graduation: _____ 

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Return to Alumni Affairs, Champlain College, 163 South Willard Street, 

P.O. Box 679, Burlington, VT 05402. You can also email us at 

alumni@champlain.edu or go online to www.champlain.edu and click 

on Alumni and Friends to make updates to addresses and class notes. 

licensed Orthodontic Technician in 

Maine and New Hampshire. She currently 

lives in Conway, NH, with her 

daughter and son. Both of her children 

attend Fryeburg Academy, a semiprivate 

school where both are honor-roll 

students. E-mail Corrine at 

corrinejw@adelphia.net. She would 

love to hear from classmates! 

‘82 

NEWS 

Steven A. Benoit has joined Rock of 

Ages as retail sales manager in the 

company’s Retail Memorial Studio in 

Graniteville, VT. He has 15 years’ experience 

in granite manufacturing. He lives 

in Williamstown with his wife and their 

two daughters. 

DEATHS 

Robert A. Fontecha, Waterford, VT, 

January 31, 2004. 

‘83 

NEWS 

Donna Canty works as a Project 

Administrator with Engelberth 

Construction. She lives in Shelburne, VT, 

with her husband, Joe, and their two 

children. 

Kent J. Gregoire is CEO & President of 

DermAscreen Systems of Florida, Inc., a 

company with a national network of 

physicians who provide a procedure to 

detect skin cancer at its earliest stages. 

Mary Lynne Isham received her M.A. in 

teaching English as a second or foreign 

language from Saint Michael’s College 

in Colchester, VT, in May 2004. She 

received the 2004 Richard C. Yorkey 

award for “academic excellence, interpersonal 

skills and great potential in the 

field of English language teaching.” She 

is an adjunct instructor at Saint Michael’s 

in the School of International Studies. 

Michelle Laferriere is busy! She is currently 

enrolled in an MBA program at 

the University of Phoenix and in the 

Master of Science degree program for 

Managing Innovation and Information 

Technology at Champlain College. 

DEATHS 

Joyce Loretta Hobbs Booska, 

Burlington, VT, February 27, 2004. 

‘84 

BIRTHS 

Sarah Lane (Peabody) Downey and 

Tom Downey, a daughter, Carolyn, 

July 2004. 

NEWS 

W. Sam Hill was sworn in as the 

Washington County Sheriff on July 12, 

2004 by Governor James Douglas. Hill 

is excited about this new challenge and 

his first goal is to stabilize the sheriff’s 

department. Hill is also a field training 

officer and an instructor at the Vermont 

Police Academy in Pittsford. 

Sarah Lane (Peabody) Downey 

operates her own company, JT Lane 

Gifts, which can be found online at 

www.jtlane.com. She lives with her 

husband, Tom, and their four children. 

‘85 

NEWS 

Timothy R. Barre works for Northfield 

Savings Bank as a work center manager. 

He is pursuing purchasing management, 

accredited purchasing 

practitioner and certified purchasing 

manager certifications. 

Judy (Chapman) White received 

the Professional Human Resource 

designation from the Society of 

Human Resource Management in 

December 2003. 

Maura “Mo” Cunningham Taggert 

lives in Seargentsville, NJ, and is a stayat-home 

mom with three children, ages 

3 to 9. She would love to hear from 

anyone from any of the hotel & restaurant 

management classes. E-mail: 

taggert5@hotmail.com. 

Lisa (Hill) Mason is the assistant to the 

parents’ program director at Union 

College in Schenectady, NY. Along with 

her husband of 18 years, Christopher, 

and their two children, she lives in 

Albany, NY. 

Kimberly Blais (Whitaker) DuBrul has 

just “retired” from the real estate sales 

business after 18 years! She is now 

coaching agents from across the United 

States and Canada for the Mike Ferry 

Organization of Irvine, CA. Kim helps 

these clients reach their potential as top 

agents in the real estate business. Kim’s 

former licensed assistant has taken over 

her sales business. 

‘86 

MARRIAGES 

Kendy Skidmore and Anthony 

Sausville, May 17, 2003. 

NEWS 

Heidi Ferland has owned Heidi’s Bridal 

Boutique for 12 years. She has recently 

moved her business to a new 2,300- 

square-foot location in Claremont, VT. 



The location presents a more boutiquelike 

atmosphere with elegant track 

lighting, soft ivory-painted walls and an 

antique decorative tin ceiling. 

‘87 

NEWS 

Celeste A. (Beebe) Resch is host and 

producer of Wisconsin’s newest cable 

TV talk and variety show, “Star 

Creations by Celeste.” Celeste lives in 

Wisconsin with her family and can be 

reached at starcreations@dwave.net. 

‘88 

MARRIAGES 

Lisa M. Ackel and Andrew Judge, 

June 20, 2003. 

Jennifer Stebbins and Steve Gray, 


BIRTHS 

Susan (Phelps) Dana and Brian Dana, 

a son, Paul Edward, August 8, 2003. 

NEWS 

Lisa M. Ackel-Judge entered her 

screenplay into the Project Greenlight 

Screenplay Contest conducted by Matt 

Damon and Ben Affleck. Her screenplay 

made the list of the top 1,000 entries. 

Brigitte C. (Audy) Thompson is cofounder 

of Moms In Print, a traditional 

publishing house whose sole purpose is 

to support, encourage and inspire 

moms to write from their hearts with the 

goal of publishing and releasing to the 

national and international markets 

select top-quality works by a wide variety 

of “mother authors.” See more at 

www.momsinprint.com. She also hosts a 

popular site devoted to supporting 

moms in the “caretaker role” at 

www.caringathome.us. 

Susan (Phelps) Dana received her CPA 

license in December 2001. 

‘89 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Steven M. Ferretti and Dawn E. Zito, 

October 16, 2004. 

MARRIAGES 

Janine Bergeron and Ross Roy, 

September 27, 2003. 

BIRTHS 

Christina (Maheux) Mead and 

Peter Mead, a son, Evan James, 

January 21, 2004. 

NEWS 

Charles R. Conroy moved to Miami, FL, 

in February 2004 after 17 years in 

Vermont. He is an attorney practicing 

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www.champlain.edu/alumni (802) 860-2756 

commercial, securities and bankruptcy 

law for Tabas, Freedman, Soloff & 

Miller, P.A. After Champlain, Chuck 

received his B.A. from Saint Michael’s 

College in 1993 and his J.D. from 

Vermont Law School in 1999. 

Brian Corey is currently the assistant 

manager and marketing director of 

Bowl of New England. 

Michelle (Gosselin) Spence is the coordinator 

of the Franklin County (VT) Early 

Childhood Programs and is active on 

the local United Way board. She married 

her high school sweetheart, Bill 

Spence, after Champlain College. She 

received her B.A. in accounting and 

business management from Campbell 

University and an M.A. Ed. in supervision 

and administration from the 

University of Phoenix. She lives in 

Vermont with her husband, 11-year-old 

son and eight year-old twin daughters. 

Michele (Grossman) Cunningham is a 

victim assistance counselor for the 

deaf/hard-of-hearing community at 

Chicago Hearing Society in Chicago, IL. 

She would love to hear from classmates 

at MCunningham@anixter.org! 

Christina (Maheux) Mead lives in 

Williston, VT, with her husband, Peter, 

and their two children. Christina enjoys 

staying home with them. 

Susan Willey will be joining the Board 

of Trustees at Champlain College in 

October 2004. Susan is currently Vice 

President of Systems & Software, Inc. in 

Colchester, VT. 

‘90 

BIRTHS 

John Booth and Kirsten Frances Booth, 

a daughter, Amelia Francesca, July 31, 

2004. 

NEWS 

Krista (Marzewski) Brown lives in 

Bimini, Bahamas, with her husband, 

Eslie. They run a custom dive operation 

called K&B EZ Dive. See them online at 

www.knbezdive.com. They invite friends 

to come on down for a visit! 

John Booth is currently a finance officer 

with Union Bank in Morrisville, VT. He 

lives with his wife, Kirsten Frances 

Booth, and their newborn daughter, 

Amelia. 

Susan M. Tice has joined the Franklin 

County Humane Society in St. Albans, 

VT, as the executive director. 

Kimberly (Viner) Place has been 

appointed investment representative for 

Investors MarketPlace, located at Bow 

(NH) Mills Bank and Trust. She recently 

received her securities and insurance 

licenses. She resides in Webster, NH, 

with her husband and son. 

DEATHS 

Catherine Anne Paquette, Tempe, AZ. 

‘91 

MARRIAGES 

Elwin Edward Emery, Jr. and Jennifer 

Lillian Saunders, June 5, 2004. 

Karen Paquette and Sean Preavy, 


Kristie L. Young and Douglas W. 

Boisvert, May 23, 2004, in New 

London, NH. 

BIRTHS 

Jeanne (Ney) Sincerbeaux and Scott 

Sincerbeaux, a son, Connor Scott, 

March 17, 2004. Big sister Hailee 

welcomed him home! 

NEWS 

Rebecca (Heath) Seime married Trevor 

Seime in 1995. They have three children, 

ages 2 to 8. Becky is currently a 

daycare provider in North Dakota. 

Julie L. (Kennedy) Clough has been 

the executive director of Grafton County 

operations for the past year and a half. 

As director of operations, she oversees 

about 325 employees, as well as operations 

of the county jail, farm and 

nursing home. 

‘92 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Troy David Lund to Jennifer Jean 

Mayville, October 2, 2004. 

MARRIAGES 

Margaret Carter and Eric Spivack, 


Michael Riley and Sheri Kelly, 

January 24, 2004. 

BIRTHS 

Rebecca Bromley and Curt Guenther, 

a daughter, Abigail Jayne Guenther, 

July 11, 2004. 

Audra (LaBonte) O’Connor and Brian J. 

O’Connor, a daughter, Blythe Brier, 

April 2004. 

Jean (Schneider) Shea and David Shea, 

a son, Kieran Gerald, 2002. 

NEWS 

Rebecca (Bromley) Guenther is the 

human resource manager at Paul, Frank 

& Collins in Burlington, VT. 

Melissa (Fogg) Wallace and her 

husband, Charles, recently celebrated 

their 5th anniversary of owning the 

Mount Blue Motel in Farmington, ME. 

They have two young children. 

Audra (LaBonte) O’Connor is currently 

a sales assistant with Smith Barney in 

Gilford, NH. She lives in Sanborton, NH, 

with her husband, Brian, their four-yearold 

son, Patrick, and newborn daughter, 

Blythe. 

‘93 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Michael Kenyon Griffith and Dana L. 

Fronc, to be married in November 2004. 


25


Patricia Hill and Ray Garrison, Jr., to 

be married in August 2006. 

Jennifer Leigh Landon and Mark 

Richard Lynch, October 2004. 

Jennifer L. Shaneberger and Brad 

Aldrich, August 14, 2004. 

Christie West and Trevor Mitchell, 

June 19, 2004. 

MARRIAGES 

Monique Daniels and Christopher 

Hunt, October 4, 2003. 

Laurianne J. Verret and Matthew A. 

Griffes, May 29, 2004. 

NEWS 

Frank Boyle walked in his third Avon 

Walk for Breast Cancer on May 2, 2004. 

This is a 40-mile walk that is completed 

in two days. 

Patricia Hill currently works at COTS 

(Committee on Temporary Shelter) in 

Burlington, VT. 

DEATHS 

Lisa (Trombley) Shepard, South 

Burlington, VT, February 26, 2004. 

‘94 

PLEASE SEND IN CLASS NOTES BY FEBRUARY 2005 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Kristy Bezio and Greg Jankowski, 

June 2004. 

Carrie Ann Devenow to Peter J. Jones, 

Jr., to be married in May 2005. 

MARRIAGES 

Kelly Marie Greene and Jason 

Garofalo, September 8, 2001. 

Tricia Klein and Scott Bilsky, 

May 15, 2004. 

Jeanne Marie McCann and Robert 

James Miller, June 19, 2004. 

Nealy Russo and Page Parsels, 

May 15, 2004. 

Michele (Stringer) Palmer and 

David C. Palmer, April 24, 2004. 

They honeymooned in Turks and 

Caicos, Providenciales and the 

British West Indies. 

BIRTHS 

Kelly (Greene) Garofalo and Jason 

Garofalo, triplets (two boys and a girl), 


NEWS 

Kelly (Greene) Garofalo has been promoted 

to senior management at 

PricewaterhouseCoopers in their Oracle 

consulting division in Las Vegas, NV. 

Nealy Russo graduated from the 

Laboratory Institute of Merchandising in 

New York City in 1996. 

‘95 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Stacey Lynn Dupoise and Scott Eric 

Brown, June 5, 2004. 

MARRIAGES 

Jennifer Bernier and Ramon Ortiz, 

October 25, 2003. 

Monique M. Desjardins and Eric P. 

Rich, March 20, 2004. 

Leslie Dunn and Christopher Gandin, 

August 19, 2003. 

Summer Resnick and Troy Capra, 

June 7, 2003. 

Christine E. Spencer and Marco 

Tonizzo, Washington, D.C. 

Jennifer Guerin Riordan ‘94 with her husband, Michael, at the 2002 

Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, UT, holding the Olympic torch. 

BIRTHS 

Amy (Boudreau) Adams and 

Travis Adams, a son, Brady Jacob, 


NEWS 

Giuseppe (Paul) Cugliari is enjoying 

teaching in Australia after traveling its 

countryside. 

Summer (Resnick) Capra graduated 

from Colby-Sawyer College with a bachelor’s 

degree in child development with 

an elementary education certification. 

‘96 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Tracy Kenyon and Martin Wells, 

October 2004. 

Christine Lynch and Duane Secord, 

April 16, 2004. 

MARRIAGES 

Kelley Jo Kamison and Corey T. 

Hackett, May 8, 2004. 

Laurie Knapp and Daniel J. Celik, May 

15, 2004. They make their home in 

Brandon, VT. 

BIRTHS 

Jennifer (Miller) Palmer and Jason 

Palmer, a daughter, Kailey, July 2, 2004. 

Kelley E. (Poulin) Bonneau and Doug 

E. Bonneau, a daughter, Morgan Lynn, 

December 18, 1999, and a son, Curtis 

Joseph, September 2, 2002. 

NEWS 

Kristin A. Leach, CPA, has been promoted 

to senior accountant in tax 

services at Grippin, Donlan & Roche, PLC. 

Karey Young, after six-and-a-half years 

as an administrative assistant for Melvin 

Kaplan Inc., has become a full-time realtor 

at Prudential Realty Mart in South 


‘97 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Dawn K. Beane and Jayson E. Newton, 

to be married in April 2005. 

Christine R. Darlington and Matthew 

C. McCuin, August 2004. 

Darci Mayer and James Dotchin, to be 

married in Summer 2005. 

Joanne Miklaszewski and John 

Matthews, to be married in June 2005. 

Chad Jesse Wimble and Judith Lynn 

Johnson ’04, September 4, 2004. 

MARRIAGES 

Alyson Audet and Michael Eastman, 

July 13, 2002. 

Jaime Bouchard and John Williams 

Young, January 29, 2004. 

Heather White and Joshua Gauvin, 

April 17, 2004. 

BIRTHS 

Alyson (Audet) Eastman and Michael 

Eastman, twin sons, Bently James and 

Brandon Michael, June 1, 2004. 

NEWS 

Emily K. Fair has been promoted to 

director of BlueCard in the BlueCard/ITS 

department at Blue Cross and Blue 

Shield of Vermont. 

‘98 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Lisa Bessette and Michael Currier, Jr., 

June 12, 2004. 

Kristi Ann Hibbard and Bradley 

Michael Klein, October 9, 2004. 

Corinne Hull and Eric Relation, to be 

married in August 2005. 

‘99 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Brandi G. Cook and Thomas M. 

Barclay, July 24, 2004. 

Liza Cote and Derric Miner, 

July 31, 2004. 

Scott W. Grant and Christine C. Laduc, 

to be married in August 2005. 

Jayson E. Newton and Dawn K. Beane, 

to be married in April 2005. 

Jason J. Provost and Jessica L. Palmer, 

August 20, 2004. 

MARRIAGES 

Michael Voity and Melissa Greenslet, 

May 8, 2004. 

Benjamin T. Young and Tanya P. Llave, 

May 22, 2004. 

BIRTHS 

Harold L. Start, Jr. and Lee Ann Start, 

a daughter, July 5, 2004. 

Jennifer (Vorse) Kirkpatrick and Scott 

Kirkpatrick ’00, a son, Matthew, 

February 2004. 

NEWS 

Debra (Manning) Sioufi received her 

Bachelor of Science degree from 

Johnson State College, graduating 

summa cum laude. She will be attending 

medical school in South Carolina 

this fall. 

Jill Merrow lives in Dorset, VT, with her 

two teenagers. 

Melanie Snay has passed three parts of 

the CPA exam and is currently working 



for the State of New York as a tax auditor. 

Martha (Weeks) Wellman is now working 

for Cabot Creamery. She has two 

granddaughters, Ramona and Gemma 

Bilodeau. She has been diagnosed with 

stage-three cancer and has been undergoing 

surgery and treatment. 

‘00 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Kendra Bowen and Chris Hogan, 

October 2, 2004. 

Amanda L. Marshia and Adam L. 

Blaney, June 19, 2004. 

Nicole Murphy and Bret Hodgdon, 


Rhonda Murphy and Steven Rugar, 


B A C K 

V I E W 

Champlain 

bids a fond farewell 

to Hamrick Hall as 

a favorite old meeting 

spot makes way for 

a new generation 

campus hangout. 

MARRIAGES 

Elizabeth D. Bartlett and Christopher 

C. Coppins, May 15, 2004. 

Lara Beth Beane and Randall L. Alemy, 

April 10, 2004. 

Teresa Marie Jones and Jeffry Anthony 

Moisan, May 8, 2004. 

Jeffrey St. Peter and Yoko Yamamoto, 

July 28, 2003, in Maui, Hawaii. 

BIRTHS 

Patricia (Punt) Brown and Sebastian 

Brown, a daughter, Isabelle Christine, 

April 2, 2004. 

Debbie (Smith) Weissinger and Jeffrey 

Weissinger, a son, Tyler, August 2003. 

Scott Kirkpatrick and Jennifer (Vorse) 

Kirkpatrick ’99, a son, Matthew, 

February 2004. 

NEWS 

Nouri Dassi completed his M.B.A. in 

International Business at Hawaii Pacific 

University in December 2003. He 

earned a 3.9 GPA and graduated with 

honors and distinction. He is currently 

working as a financial advisor for 

American Express in Honolulu and is 

working to complete the Series 7 and 

66 security licenses. However, he is 

looking to work in Asia as an operations 

manager for a multi-national corporation. 

Army Pfc Clayton E. Hunsdon has 

graduated from the ammunition specialist 

course at Redstone Arsenal, 

Huntsville, AL. 

Teresa Jones Moisan currently works 

for Fletcher Allen Healthcare in 


Karen A. Mills, CPA, was promoted to 

senior accountant in tax services at 

Grippin, Donlan & Roche, PLC. 


27


Mark Porter, in June 2004, completed 

his MBA with a concentration in finance 

from Suffolk University in Boston, MA. 

He also earned membership in Beta 

Gamma Sigma, the honor society for 

business graduates. 

Patricia (Punt) Brown married 

Sebastian Brown on September 20, 

2001. She’s currently a stay-at-home 

mom and lives in Vermont with her husband 

and their 4-month-old daughter, 

Isabelle. 

Jason Sumner and his wife, Jessica, are 

expecting their first child in January 

2005. They currently live in Atlanta, GA. 

‘01 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Jessica Dora Pappathan and Robert 

Lee Bertini, October 16, 2004. 

Amanda E. Roberts and Sean P. Reilly, 

to be married in December 2004. 

Ashley J. Truax and David Goletz, 

August 28, 2004. 

MARRIAGES 

Josceline M. Bachiochi and Dennis J. 

Reardon, April 17, 2004. 

Olivia C. Gorman and Nathan A. Farrar, 


James Hadeka, Jr. and Katie Flanders, 

May 1, 2004. 

Jamie L. Phelps and David Peters Jr., 


Michelle D. Roberge and Scott 

Beauregard, April 2, 2004. 

BIRTHS 

Ronald N. Gallagher and Beatrice 

Gallagher, a son, William MacEwen, 

Natick, MA, October 2003. 

NEWS 

Christine Bilbrey is a paralegal in 

forensic psychiatry at the Vermont 

Department of Health and loves it. 

She lost her older brother, Brian, 

unexpectedly in May 2004. 

Ronald N. Gallagher and his family 

have relocated to Concord, CA, due to 

Ron’s promotion to regional vice president/field 

wholesaler for Evergreen 

Investments. They are enjoying the mild 

weather in Northern California! 

Paul C. Leclerc has joined the accounting 

department at MorrisSwitzer-Environments 

for Health in Williston, VT. 

Paula Steady has opened Essential 

Bookkeeping Services. Among the 

computerized bookkeeping services she 

offers are accounts receivable, accounts 

payable, account reconciliation and payroll 

services. She has “kept the books” 

for small and medium-sized businesses 

and handled funds accounting for nonprofit 

organizations since 1990. 

‘02 

MARRIAGES 

Scott C. Beauregard and Michelle 

Roberge, April 2, 2004. 

Samuel E. Clark and Deanna Morin ’03, 

August 1, 2004. 

Christopher Coffey and Kylee 

Huizenga, May 8, 2004. 

Derek Bradley Hellyer and Melissa 

Jean Bailey, August 17, 2003. 

Sarah Paulson and Benjamin J. Tatro, 

August 16, 2003. 

NEWS 

Samuel E. Clark will receive his bachelor’s 

degree in professional studies from 

Champlain College at the end of the 

Fall 2004 semester. Samuel is currently 

employed at Champlain as a developer 

in eLearning. 

Bethany Craig recently purchased a 

home in St. Albans, VT. 

Jill Lafond has moved to Bakersfield, 

CA, and is the service coordinator at 

Kern Regional Center, a program for the 

developmentally disabled. She has an 

active caseload of 80 clients. Jill will 

attend California State University in the 

spring of 2005 to begin work on her 

master’s degree in social services. 

Sarah (Paulson) Tatro is the administrative 

assistant to the regional vice 

president of human resources for 

Banknorth, N.A. in Concord, NH. She 

makes her home there with her husband, 

Benjamin. 

Velma Reed is an AmeriCorps volunteer 

who has worked in a number of community-based 

programs to help women 

and children. She has been recognized 

by the Burlington Community Land Trust 

for her significant contribution to affordable 

housing and community 

revitalization. 

Got photos? 

The Alumni Office welcomes your 

prints of Champlain alumni gathered 

for a wedding, party or any 

other occasion. Please identify 

the grads shown in your photos. 

Lindsay Rivard has been promoted to 

the position of closer for the North 

American Title Company. Lindsay lives 

in Ft. Myers, FL. 

Troy Stienstra has finished an internship 

with the Montgomery County CART 

program in Rockville, MD. CART is short 

for Community Accountability and 

Reintegration Program, an electronic 

monitoring program with the Maryland 

state government. Back in New Jersey, 

he started a security job in February 2004. 

‘03 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Chad M. Bouvier and Rachel Thibault, 


Marla A. Kelty and David Redmond, 


MARRIAGES 

Nicole D. Beaulieu and Bruce Cullen, 

July 24, 2004. They make their home in 

Morgantown, WV. 

Courtney V. Carpenter and Patrick A. 

Raymond, March 13, 2004. 

Stacey Nichole Dolan and Mark James 

Elwell, February 21, 2004. 

Deanna Morin and Samuel Clark ’02, 

August 1, 2004. 

BIRTHS 

Elizabeth Evelyn (Weeks) Bilodeau, a 

daughter, Gemma G., February 7, 2004. 

NEWS 

Jacqueline Botjer worked at 

Breakwaters Cafe on the Burlington, VT, 

waterfront this summer. 

Chris MacDonald is a homeland 

security project officer with the 

Lieutenant Governor’s office for the 

State of Vermont. 

Kelly J. Palmer is currently teaching 

preschool and kindergarten at the 

Smilie Memorial School in Bolton, VT. 

Shelly Siskavich is the office manager 

for Vermont Well & Pump in Hinesburg. 

She also coaches the women’s basketball 

team at Vermont Technical College 

in Randolph. She plans to obtain her 

master’s degree at Champlain College 

in Managing Innovation and Information 

Technology. 

Amy Jo Verrill teaches fourth grade at 

the Eagle Ridge Intermediate Science 

& Technology School in Florida. She is 

an active member of the reading & 

technology committee and is an afterschool 

tutor. 

Anthony Vitelli has recently celebrated 

his first anniversary as a CMA service 

specialist with Merrill Lynch in 

New Jersey. 

‘04 

ENGAGEMENTS 

Jaimie Anderson and Robert T. 

Mongeon II, July 10, 2004. 

Heidi A. Babcock and Nick Marchand. 

They have not set a date. 

Kelly L. Bender and JT Collins ’05, 

to be married in July 2005. 

Raymond J. Bergeron and Corinn 

McCarthy, July 10, 2004. 

Trish L. Cook and Benjamin T. Shepard, 

August 22, 2004. 

Judith Lynn Johnson and Chad 

Jesse Wimble ’97, September 4, 2004. 

MARRIAGES 

Trina Deuso and Jason Plantier, 

May 15, 2004. 

NEWS 

Kelly L. Bender is currently working for 

George Silver and Associates in 


Erin Phillips is the ByRequest Manager 

at the Wyndham Billerica Hotel in 

Billerica, MA. 

Abbe Sweeney is Champlain College’s 

new full-time AmeriCorps VISTA 

member. She works in the Community 

Connection Office on campus. 


The College Extends a Special 

Thank You to the S.D. Ireland Family 

With their generous gift to the Power 

of Three campaign, Kim (Wilson) 

Ireland ’85 and her husband, Scott 

Ireland, have created a lasting legacy at 

Champlain College. By lending their name to 

the newly opened Center for Global Business 

and Technology, the Irelands have made it possible 

for generations of students to get a competitive 

edge by working and studying in this state-ofthe-art 

facility. 

This family supports causes they believe in, 

among them: education, cutting edge endeavors, 

the continued growth and success of Kim’s alma 

mater. Thanks to their help, all will thrive well 

into the future. 

Read more about the new S.D. Ireland 

Center for Global Business and Technology in 

the fall issue of the Power of Three campaign 

newsletter, coming out in about a month. 

Congratulations to the 2004-2005 Sigler Scholarship Recipients 

At the September dedication of the S.D. Ireland Family Center for Global Business and 

Technology, business major Melody Wilkins ’05 and paralegal major Melissa Giroux ’05 each 

received $1000 scholarships for their outstanding academic accomplishments, their contributions 

to college life and their determination to pursue ambitious career goals. After graduation, 

Ms. Wilkins plans to continue her career as an employee development specialist and Ms. Giroux 

plans to attend law school. 

The Sigler Scholarships are made possible through the generosity of Professor Mary Sigler, 

co-founder of Champlain’s paralegal program and a faculty member from 1988 to 1996. Professor Sigler, 

who died of breast cancer at the age of 50, was a passionate and gifted educator who set high expectations 

for herself and her students. Through an endowed scholarship fund, she left a tangible legacy to the dedicated 

students who meant so much to her.

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