Class
Updates

Barbara Easterbrooks Mailey ’53 wrote in after she heard about the passing of Bob Grindle ’53 from his partner, James Clark. “James attended every Colby reunion with Bob, starting in 1983. Bob’s only Colby contact was with Web Anderson ’53 through the years. I sat with Bob at the 2023 Reunion at the Saturday luncheon. His last words to me were, ‘See you in five years!’ He will not make it for the 75th now.” He is survived by a sister, Norma Peterson, of Kittery, Maine. “Now, a note from me to say I shared a birthday with Priscilla Eaton Billington ’53, although miles apart. We both had 95th celebrations within two weeks of each other. She and her family had a whole birthday weekend in Florida. My family came to Maine with a huge cake to say ‘Happy 95th!’” Phyllis Whitcomb Laurin ’53 and her daughter Beth Laurin ’82 sent in a photograph of them at the Whitcomb cottage on Lake Champlain in October 2024, when Phyllis had just celebrated her 94th birthday. She lives in Muskegon, Mich., and Beth lives in Chicago. Skip Tolette ’59 was presented with the Distinguished Service Award at the 2025 Thousand Islands Lands Trust (TILT) Volunteer Awards. In their Fall 2025 newsletter, he is described as someone who “has given generously of his time and heart” as well as “an invaluable part of the TILT family.”

Herbert Gottfried ’63 and his wife, Jan Jennings, are retired Cornell University professors who live in Tulsa, Okla. Tom Grossman ’63 and retired Lt. Col. Jim Johnson ’62 attended Colby’s Grossman Lecture in Economics, supported by an endowment from Tom’s father, Nissie Grossman ’32, in March 2026. Tom and Jim meet up every year at Colby to share memories of their time at Colby. Beth Keene Adams ’66 reported, “On Sept. 15, 2025, Mary Sue Hilton Weeks ’66, Pat Berg Currier ’66, Susan Footer Hummer ’66, Susan Mahoney Michael ’66, and I enjoyed lunch at the lovely home of Jan Atherton Hoffman ’66 in Phippsburg, Maine. It was wonderful to get caught up and keep our Colby connection strong.” Jean Ridington Goldfine ’67 has lived in Swanville, Maine, since 1973. She is (almost) retired from her work as a licensed psychotherapist. Jean visits Iceland every year, 23 years now, to ride the amazing Icelandic horses. She has one at home! Sandy Miller ’67 writes that she has been taking Apple classes to master Procreate on her iPad and enjoys reading, gardening, and meeting with friends in both the Boston area and her summer home in Maryland. “Doing exactly what I choose is unique and exhilarating after a lifetime of caretaking. I’ve never felt better. I am looking forward to our 60th Reunion next year as co-president with Patty Whittemore Jenkins ’67. Mark your calendars!” Fifty-six years after graduating, Brad Kelly ’69 has finally retired. This past year, he closed Operation Saturation, an India-focused charity, where he served as chairman and president for 25 years, and Acesis, Inc., where he served as a board member since its inception. He’s also in the process of selling his ownership interest in Spur Capital Partners, which he cofounded 25 years ago.

Craig Dickinson ’71 enjoyed two summer Red Sox wins at Fenway Park, hosted by Brad Moir ’71. They were joined by Dennis Hartung ’71 and Dave Collins ’71 to see the Astros, and by Marion Pawlek ’72 and Cyndy Pawlek ’72 for the Dodgers game. Leslie Anderson ’71 thanks those who donated to the endowed Highland Lake Scholarship Fund in memory of Debbie Messer Zlatin ’71. If you’d still like to give, visit Colby’s giving page at alumni.colby.edu/give and select the Colby Fund; specify the Highland Lake Fund in the comments. In other news, Dan and Leslie traveled to Denmark last fall and loved exploring Copenhagen. She is starting her third year of learning Italian, hoping there will be Parmigiano and Prosecco in her future. “Please visit my website (www.leslieanderson.com) to see my work!” From Rob Burgess ’74: “Let’s Get It Started! We could use some class news, so here’s some of mine. Please add yours! Doing well and happily married to Terri (20th anniversary this year) and living in Brunswick, Maine. I’m active as a director of three nonprofits that promote community and astronomy education, and fight light pollution. Also, I am the vice chair of my town’s Planning Board. Fun fact: I was interviewed live on BBC TV about an Annular Solar Eclipse that was to happen in the eastern US and the UK that morning. A surprise honor!” Lisa Wolman Haber ’76 took two great trips last year. First, a Danube River cruise to Budapest and Prague. Then she took her family to Alaska, where highlights included a helicopter ride over Mendenhall Glacier for flightseeing and dogsledding on the glacier. She plans on going to Croatia, Montenegro, Italy, and Greece next year. Lisa still works as a luxury travel consultant, and she runs a meetup group for widowed people. Levintow Howell ’77 is relocating from Brunswick, Maine, to White River Jct., Vt., to continue working in research at the VA Medical Center in White River Jct. She moved to Brunswick in 2020 to retire, but that same year she received a VA grant and oversaw remotely. In 2025 she received another grant from the VA. Unfortunately, her husband, Peter Tenney, passed away in September, and she decided to move back to Vermont to work and be closer to her children and grandchildren. Peter Cohn ’77 reports that his married son lives in Los Angeles, and his daughter is at home and commutes to NYC. His wife is a substitute teacher in Huntington and Syosset, and he works for an agency that serves homeschooling families, visiting their homes. For two years, he marched every Sunday morning in Plainview for the release of the Israeli hostages until they got out. On Wednesdays, he volunteers at a food bank and has a harmonica band at night. Tuesday night is swing dance. Friday morning is yoga, followed by an afternoon political discussion in the library. Richard Conant Jr. ’77 sends his regards from Mystic, Conn., as an epic winter wound down. He hoped to indulge in some spring skiing and planned to do Tuckerman’s Ravine on Mt. Washington come April. Richard enjoyed a trip with his ski club and eldest son, Richard III, to the French Alps in January. He’s looking forward to seeing classmates at his 50th reunion next year! Alicia Rodriguez ’78 calls Portugal home, where she is an author, executive coach, and leader of bespoke retreats for women and leaders seeking clarity, creativity, and renewal. She is the author of the award-winning memoir The Shaman’s Wife: A Mystical Journey of Surrender and Self-Discovery, drawn from her six years living in Ecuador, and her newest book, Everyday Epiphanies, which explores how ordinary moments can reveal deep wisdom and inspire purposeful living. She is currently working on a book of poems. Find her at aliciamrodriguez.com.

Brian Neligan ’80 reported that his family had a big graduation year in 2025. Daughter Margot graduated cum laude from the Mendoza School of Business at the University of Notre Dame and now works as an investment banking analyst for Citi in New York. Daughter Laura graduated from Charlotte Latin School and recently began her freshman year at Colgate University, majoring in computer science. The family celebrated the girls’ accomplishments by going on vacation to Barcelona, Majorca, and Saint-Tropez. Dale Oak ’81 and his wife, Janet, celebrated the birth of their third grandchild, Wesley, Nov. 11, 2025. In May 2025, Dale wrote an article published by the media outlet The Bulwark commemorating the 75th anniversary of Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith’s “Declaration of Conscience” speech. In 1981 Mark Bloom ’81 applied for a Watson Fellowship to travel to places, learn about them, and write a story about them. It was, at the time, “a stupid idea that was quickly shot down.” He finally made it come true by self-publishing Don’t Even Go There, “a witty collection of bad experiences.” Look for it on Amazon or at markhenrybloom.com. Beth Pniewski Wilson ’81 writes that she and her husband, Phil, finally moved into their newly built home on Cape Cod. Beth said that from the time they decided to build until the move-in date, it was five years! A long journey, but well worth it. Their last house was built in 1782, so moving from an 18th-century house to a 21st-century one is quite a change. They are enjoying all the benefits of a new home, especially the energy efficiency. Pam Ellis ’81 reached a milestone this year: she has now been teaching dance long enough to have a second-generation student graduate from her Lakeside Dance Academy in Rangeley, Maine. Pam has been teaching ballet, tap, and jazz to local students and putting on annual dance concerts since 1989. In a town with only 200 students in grades K-12, she has averaged over 40 students enrolled in her academy, sharing her love of dance. This year, the senior graduating is the daughter of a graduate! Beth Laurin ’82 and her mother, Phyllis Whitcomb Laurin ’53, sent in a photograph of them at the Whitcomb cottage on Lake Champlain in October 2024, when Phyllis had just celebrated her 94th birthday. She lives in Muskegon, Mich., and Beth lives in Chicago. Edward McCartin ’84 writes that he is still in Hong Kong after 15 years and 28 years in Asia. He assumed the role of CEO with Energy World Corporation in July 2025. The company has oil and gas assets in Australia, LNG liquefaction in Indonesia, and LNG trading and regasification to power in the Philippines, so he is back to his old haunts after 10 years working in Vietnam and Myanmar. He said that it has been interesting to watch HKG change over the last 25 years, and that his views have been somewhat enhanced by getting to know more Colby alumni there. Beth Harrison Cutliffe ’87 is cruising America’s Great Loop with her husband, Larry, aboard their 58-foot Ocean Alexander. They started on Sturgeon Bay, Wis., on Aug. 11, 2025, and were in Camden, Tenn., after cruising the inland rivers when she checked in. They are loving life on the water! Scott Jablonski ’89, a multiple-award-winning children’s book author, continues to create “edutainment” materials for parents, grandparents, caregivers, and teachers seeking materials to build confidence, kindness, and positive habits in kids ages 4-10, inspiring them to be their best version. His Stand Out! Stand Out! framework is being adopted by schools, organizations, and homeschooling families to accomplish these goals. Learn more at scottjablonski.com. In 2024 Joel Tickner ’89 and his spouse finished a new home outside Middlebury, Vt., where they now live full time and enjoy skiing, hiking, and gravel biking, and engaging in state and local government service. He took a leave of absence from his role as professor of public health at UMass Lowell, as well as from the business organization he founded, Change Chemistry, to focus his full attention on the chemical industry’s transformation strategy. Dave ’89 and Cindy Cohen Fernandez ’89, now long-time empty nesters, continue to live in Mansfield, Mass. Dave continues to work in the insurance business and, like Matt Sotir ’89, extols the virtue of insurance at every opportunity. Cindy has been busy recently, helping plan the wedding of their oldest daughter, Sarah Fernandez ’19, to classmate and wonderful guy Matthew Mitchell ’19, in the summer of 2027. Sharing reunion years will be most helpful when we are Golden Mules and need assistance!

Chip Gavin ’90 gave a “huge shout-out to Katie Erickson ’90 for her years of service, good cheer, and keeping us all connected as our stalwart 1990 class correspondent! Thank you, Katie!” Jon Thompson ’90 writes, “I’m in Windsor, Colo., near Ft. Collins, an hour north of Denver, with my wife of 33 years, whom I met in Botswana in the Peace Corps, and where I received a blessing from the Dalai Lama. We have five girls. Lost one eight years ago in a car accident. Three grandkids, two boys and a girl. I’m retired as of September. How’s it going out there?” Nicole St. John ’92 wrote in last fall. “It’s been a while since submitting to the class notes, but now I have more incentive since my daughter, Isabelle ’28, transferred to Colby last year. She loves Colby! I was able to visit for Alumni Weekend, and while all the new construction has transformed Colby, it is still the place I remember fondly. I also recently had a chance to visit with John Cook ’92 in San Francisco and found the perfect gift for him at the Colby bookstore— he is now the proud owner of a Snoopy Colby t-shirt!” Mary Beth Heiskell ’92 currently works as an attorney with the NYS Department of Financial Services and lives on Long Island, N.Y. Her daughter and son are adults and in/just entering the world of full-time employment. She stays in regular contact with Tricia Baldridge Wickliffe ’92 and welcomes hearing from other classmates. Tara McDonough ’92 recently started a position as assistant director of prospect research at St. Benedict’s Prep in New Jersey. She’ll continue to live at the beach in Maine, working remotely. And while most people might not jump at a chance to travel to Newark on the regular, this new job means Tara gets to hang with Kimberly Ereminas Reeve ’92 every couple of months. “Let’s hear it for old friends!” Chris ’92 and Whitney Adams Ward ’92 moved from Hingham, Mass., after 27 years, to Hull, Mass., close to the water. “We are now empty nesters with Lily, 25, living in Boston and working in marketing; Sam, 23, living in Boston and working in finance; and Sasha, 19, a sophomore at Elon. We happily spend our summers on Cape Cod, and now our winters away, split between Naples and Utah! We made it to Colby Homecoming and loved seeing Mike ’92 and Jess D’Ercole Stanton ’92, Chip ’91 and Hallie Hastert Smith ’93, Scott ’93 and Jen Comstock Reed ’93, and Karen Crebase ’91 and Judd Braverman ’92!” Donna Burbank ’92 attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2026. Regina Lipovsky ’95 writes that she “is in D.C. with her husband, teenage sons, and two rescue Aussies. It is her 25th year with the attorney search firm she started after a tiny stint in law, and her 17th trying to balance career and parenthood. Those who knew her at Colby would not associate her with an active lifestyle per se, and yet in middle age, she plays a lot of tennis. She stays connected to her Colby years with neighbor Chris Davenport ’95 (buy his new book), Sarah Gurtman ’95, Matt Marden ’95, Mere DiMenna ’95, and others.” Kristen Patterson Drake ’96 said, “After a 25-plus-year career in international development, I founded Sacred Journey Death Doula, an end-of-life planning and death doula business. Based in Arlington, Va., Sacred Journey (sacredjourneydeathdoula.com) centers connection, compassion, reverence, and joy.” Kristen provides comprehensive support to clients on their final journey, and she hosts workshops that demystify death by helping people connect with their mortality through time in nature. Lincoln Farr ’97 is currently working as a producer at Dateline NBC. He lives with his wife and two kids in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Cassin Donn Duncan ’97 cofounded TipTapTales, a children’s media company built around movement-based storytelling. Through books, audio, and video, TipTapTales turns stories into active, whole-body experiences that encourage young children to move, imagine, and engage beyond the page. Their debut title, Little Red and a Cookie Dance, launched as a Best New Children’s Release on Amazon. TipTapTales is releasing new books and videos each month. Find them at tiptaptales.com. Since self-publishing her first book, Peter Plumber’s Perfect Plan, two years ago, Mika Melamed Hadani ’97 has continued to grow as a children’s author. In November 2025, she released her second title, Shuffle Off to Buffalo, returning to her dancing roots with Baxter, a tap-dancing buffalo, pun very much intended. Through her imprint, Woodland Pond Press (woodlandpondpress.com), she is thrilled to share these vibrant, joyful stories with her fellow alumni and readers everywhere. Wendy Bergh Ridder ’97 joined Rakuten Rewards as chief marketing officer in 2025 and has enjoyed driving the company’s strategy and growth. She keeps in touch with Sandra, Chrissy, Julie, and Marnie, and they keep trying to schedule a time to connect live after seeing each other in Nashville a couple of years ago. The last time she was in NYC, she had drinks with Michelle and Cassie at Casa Tua on the Upper East Side. It is wonderful to reconnect with lifelong friends and celebrate Michelle’s birthday! Ben Grasso ’99 keeps busy with his role at Thornton Academy in Saco, Maine‚ as well as dad to an amazing sixth grader. When not parenting or working, you can catch him at Portland Colby alumni events, outside running, biking, or swimming, or at competitions and events for all three.

Danielle Fornes Quinlan ’01 recently transitioned into the role of operations and advancement manager for the Foundation, the fundraising arm of Northwestern Michigan College, in Traverse City, Mich. She can’t wait to see everyone at the 25-year reunion in June! Noah Charney ’02 was named Slovenia’s ambassador of tourism and continues to promote his adopted country. He teaches online for Yale and the Smithsonian, has several new books coming out this winter, and his Great Courses course, Understanding Western Art, was nominated for a Peabody Prize. Follow his adventures at @slovenology and on Substack. Victor Cancel ’02 worked as a senior vocational rehabilitation counselor for the state of Florida in January 2026. His son AJ will enter college in fall 2026 and is now patiently waiting for acceptance letters. As VP of marketing for ModelOp, the leading AI lifecycle automation and governance software for enterprises, Jay Combs ’03 recently launched a new podcast, Good Decisions, where he sits down with bold thinkers, mission-driven experts, and enterprise leaders navigating the human side of AI. If you’d like to be considered as a guest, reach out! In May 2025 Pat and Nicole Russo Evans ’03 accomplished their goal of hiking the Grand Canyon from the South Rim to the North Rim. The trip was incredible, and they experienced all the elements, from over 100-degree temps to snow! Garrett ’03 and Amy Lansdale Kephart ’03 celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary in Seoul, South Korea, on Amy’s 45th birthday in December 2025. Andrew Lizotte ’04 has been named a district court judge in Bangor, Maine. Tim Smith-Gerding ’04 is running the America Votes Campaign for Voting Rights in New Hampshire through his social impact consulting firm, Granite Impact. B.L. Lippert ’04 finished his 21st year as a football coach at Cony High School in Augusta, Maine. His Rams lost the state championship game after entering it 10–0. He also teaches AP Government, AP U.S. History, and geography at the school. He’s married and has two sons, Case and Lincoln. John A. Tyson ’04 earned tenure at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, where he teaches modern and contemporary art history. He recently caught up with Mary Phelps ’04, fellow former cross-country runner, at a Colby Alumni in the Arts event in New York City. Kaitlin McCafferty ’04 was on campus earlier this year for Alumni Council meetings with Aimee Jack ’04, Colby’s AVP of alumni and donor engagement. Kaitlin was thrilled to hear about the investment in the sciences, to see the progress on the new dorm, and to connect with current students. On her way home, Kaitlin stopped to see Jared ’04 and Maura Myers Bisogni ’04 and their family. Kaitlin works in marketing at a fintech startup, OnePay, and lives in Hamilton, Mass. Lauren Henderson ’04 and Brad Seymour ’04 are still living in Andover, Mass., with their two children. Lauren recently bid a bittersweet goodbye to commuting to the other side of Boston to take a position as a Blackbaud implementation and configuration consultant at Phillips Academy. Peyton McElyea ’05 was installed as fleet captain of the Los Angeles Yacht Club at its 125th opening day ceremony. He will lead the club as commodore in 2029 and looks forward to welcoming international sailors to the Port of Los Angeles for the LA28 Olympic Games. Steph Pierce Sheline ’05 writes, “Cheka Gage ’05, Carreau Mueller Ryder ’05, Heather Hansman ’05, Nicole Wessen Cushman ’05, Katie Lucas Geant ’06, Maureen Sherry Lynes ’05, Courtney Morris Drauschke ’05, and I all got together in Boston in late February for a girls’ weekend. We laughed way too much, had an epic dance party in our own private karaoke studio, and my face hurt from smiling at the end of it all. The only thing that would have made it better was if Melissa Plante Dubois ’05 had been able to join us.” Jess Seymour Wood ’06 lives in Boulder with Anders Wood ’07 and their three children. She recently returned to school to earn a second master’s degree in educational leadership. They continue to enjoy the mountains and community in Colorado—and love seeing Colby friends when they get the chance. Caitlin Peale Sloan ’06 is still loving environmental and energy law at Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) in Boston, an environmental nonprofit serving all of New England. In January Caitlin assumed the role of vice president for climate and energy at CLF. Finn Teach ’07 is excited to be moving from Maine to the Azores, Portugal, this spring, perhaps permanently, and would be happy to help others navigate an international move. Caroline Brooks ’08 was promoted to partner at Smith Currie Oles LLP. After winding down her food startup last year, Jacqueline Grady Smith ’08 has launched a fractional operations and finance consulting firm for early-stage CPG brands. “Reach out if you want to connect!” In March Jacqueline and her husband, Greg Smith ’08, escaped with Tanya Rosbash ’08 and her husband, Alex Halls ’09, and Kathleen Nicholson ’08 and her wife to celebrate their 40th birthdays and 22(!) years of friendship!

Becky Muller ’10 and her wife, Nicole, finalized the adoption of their daughter, Louisa “Mira” Myrakle, in November 2025. Mira joins her older brothers Jeremiah, 6, and James, 9. Together, they have settled into life as a family of five and have officially closed their home as foster parents after a decade. Emily Finlay Vertrees ’11 welcomed her second child, Sophia Amelia, Jan. 9, 2025. Derek Wise ’12 published his first book, Wise’s Historical Fencing, a few years after completing his Ph.D. in neuroscience. Sarah Carrigan ’16 sent a photo of a Colby crew coaching the Yarmouth, Maine, cross-country team. The coaching team includes Sarah, Nathan Madeira ’17, Tom Letourneau ’13, and Jackson Hall ’17. “A Mules x Clippers crossover!” After graduation Christman Henderer ’18 earned his D.M.D. degree from the Kornberg School of Dentistry, where he graduated summa cum laude and was recognized for excellence in patient care. He is now completing a three-year prosthodontics residency at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry at USC. In July he will join Dr. Lindsey Marshall’s cosmetic dental practice in Suburban Square, Ardmore, Pa. He is excited to return home and looks forward to caring for fellow Colby alumni and their families.

Jenna Greenbaum Webb ’21 and her husband, Caleb, welcomed their first son, Alden, Aug. 18, 2025. Despite studying liberal arts, Adora Lei ’24 now works at an aerospace startup building flying boats! They’ve raised $110M with a $9B order booked, and they are currently gearing up for Series B and are actively testing prototypes. “It’s been a thrilling ride with brilliant engineers, traveling to high-tech conferences, and meeting innovators. Colby grads land anywhere, and for current students: If you’re itching for something fast-paced and creative, hard-tech startups are the place to be.”