CLAS Alumni Leaders' Biographies
Gary Aden | Rebecca White Berch | Doug Burkett | Kelly Campbell | Stella SiWan Cheung | Mario Diaz | Gary Dirks | Susan Clouse Dolbert | Pam Del Duca | Janet Effland | Joel Empie | Floyd English | Rigoberto Gonzalez | R. Christopher Goodwin | Melinda Sue Gordon | Michelle Hanna | Robert Hecht-Nielsen | Michael A. Helfant | Felisa J. Israel | Tayari Jones | Patricia A. Kimball | Mark Kerrigan | Steve T. Kirby | Yolanda Collazos Kizer | Richard Koehn | Laurie Leshin | Linda A. Madrid | Vada O. Manager | Paul Manera | Barbara Rodriguez Mundell | David Morse | Maurice Portley | Thomas K. Richey | Paulette Risher | Jose Ronstadt | Andrea Schaffell | Cheryl Shavers | Irwin Sheer | Dan Shilling | Jan Soderstrom | Brian Swette | Israel Torres | John Whiteman
2006 LEADERS
Author; Associate Professor, University of Illinois
M.F.A. in creative writing, 1997
Since receiving his degree, Rigoberto Gonzalez has excelled in the creative writing community, distinguishing himself as a leading poet and writer of his generation. His first collection of poetry, "So Often the Pitcher Goes to Water Until It Breaks," was selected by the poet Ai for the 1998 National Poetry Series. Gonzalez is currently an associate professor of English and Latino studies at the University of Illinois and contributing editor to Poets and Writers Magazine.
Director, NBA Entertainment
B.S. in communication, 1994
As a director with Emmy Award-winning NBA Entertainment since 2000, Felisa J. Israel helps to create the trademark excitement of the NBA's in-arena game entertainment experience. As a top consultant and talent scout in her industry, Israel provides her expertise to entertainment divisions of several NBA franchises as well as negotiating and booking some of the biggest names in Hollywood.
Senior Vice President, SAIC's Energy Systems Group
B.S. in political science, 1974
At Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Mark Kerrigan directs the business unit that controls the nation's primary energy modeling system and provides support to the National Energy Technology Laboratory, including research on alternative transportation fuels and more efficient power generation.
Presiding Judge, Maricopa County Superior Court
B.S. in political science, 1978; J.D., 1981
Appointed to the Maricopa County Superior Court in 1991, Barbara Mundell is presently serving a five-year term as the presiding judge for the court. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Mundell served with the juvenile department as a Maricopa County Superior Court commissioner. As an attorney in private practice, she specialized in worker's compensation and Social Security cases.
2005 LEADERS
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Zila, Inc.
Ph.D. in chemistry, 1994
Doug Burkett joined Zila, an innovator in preventative healthcare technologies and products, in 1995 as director of research, development and manufacturing. In June 2002 he was appointed president and chief executive officer, and in September 2002 he also was named chairman. Phoenix-based Zila, Inc. has garnered signficant national media attention this year for its ViziLite oral-cancer screening device, and the firm received FDA approval in February for a new cancer-detection agent that Burkett developed when he first joined Zila.
President, CASA Fenix Enterprises and Builders’ Book Depot
B.A. in sociology, 1972
Yolanda Kizer has achieved success as a small-businesswoman and community leader. Builders’ Book Depot is a retail, mail-order and e-commerce bookstore that maintains a national and international customer base. CASA Fenix Enterprises specializes in retail concessions located at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and San Diego County Regional Airport.
Deputy Commander, Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, U.S. Special Operations Command
B.S. in psychology, 1972
Paulette Risher was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army upon her graduation from ASU. She rose through the ranks to become a major general and the first woman general officer to command an Army special operations unit. As deputy commander for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, Risher works to ensure the integration of reserve forces into the U.S. Special Operations Command's prosecution of the global war on terrorism.
Director, Arizona Registrar of Contractors; Chairman, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
B.S. in political science, 1994
As director of the Arizona Registrar of Contractors and a member of the governor's cabinet, Israel Torres regulates the activities of more than 50,000 licensed commercial and residential contractors in 11 offices throughout the state. As chairman of the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, he manages statewide economic and business development efforts in today's highly diversified market.
2004 LEADERS
Former General Partner, Apax Partners
B.A. in sociology, 1971
Janet Effland retired in 2003 after 15 years with Apax Partners, one of the world's leading private equity firms. That year Forbes Magazine listed her as the nation's fifth-most-profitable venture capitalist. In addition to her bachelor's degree, she earned a law degree from ASU in 1974.
Chief Operating Officer, Holding Pictures
B.A. in sociology, 1978
As an executive with a variety of motion picture companies for the past 15 years, Michael Helfant has been involved in the distribution of such movies as "Raising Helen," "Scream," "Mr. Holland's Opus," "Runaway Bride" and "My Left Foot." In addition to his bachelor's degree from ASU, he also holds a J.D./M.B.A. from UCLA.
Novelist; Assistant Professor of English, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
M.F.A. in creative writing, 2000
Tayari Jones' master's thesis, the novel "Leaving Atlanta," was published by Warner Books in 2002 and was named best novel of the year by Atlanta Magazine. Her second novel, "The Untelling," will be published next year.
2003 LEADERS
Owner, Mario E. Diaz & Associates
B.S. in political science, 1991
Mario Diaz runs his own political consulting firm, which managed Sen. John F. Kerry's presidential campaign in Arizona. Previously,
he managed Janet Napolitano's successful campaigns for governor and attorney
general and served as deputy chief of staff for urban affairs and boards
and commissions in the governor's office. In addition to his bachelor's
degree, Diaz earned a master of public administration degree from ASU.
Director, Center for Meteorite Studies; Dee and John Whiteman Dean's Distinguished Professor of Geological Sciences at ASU
B.S. in chemistry, 1987
After earning her master's and doctoral degrees in geochemistry from
the California Institute of Technology and doing postdoctoral work at
UCLA, Laurie Leshin joined the ASU geological sciences faculty. In
2003, she was appointed director of the Center for Meteorite Studies
and also became the first College of Liberal Arts and Sciences faculty member to be named a Dean's
Distinguished Professor.
Managing Director, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, CarrAmerica Realty Corp.
B.A. in political science, 1981
Linda Madrid is a senior manager at CarrAmerica Realty, which
owns, develops, leases and operates office space property in 12 markets throughout the United States. She received
her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1984.
Director of Homeland Security, Microsoft Corp.
B.S. in psychology, 1979
After a 22-year career as a Coast Guard officer and a short stint as
senior policy advisor to Sen. John Kerry, Tom Richey was hired by
software giant Microsoft in 2002. He is responsible for guiding
its Homeland Security leadership team in developing information
technology strategies that will help the government prepare for
terrorism.
2002 LEADERS
Justice, Arizona Supreme Court
B.S. in sociology, 1976; J.D., 1979;
M.A. in English, 1990
Earlier
this year, Rebecca White Berch became only the third woman to be appointed to the Arizona
Supreme Court. She is also the court's youngest member.
President, Action Consulting and Evaluation Team (ACET, Inc.)
B.A. in family resources and human development, 1997
In 1998, Stella SiWan Cheung founded ACET, an independent research
group in Minneapolis that specializes in evaluating educational and
community-based programs. She holds a master's degree from the University
of Minnesota.
President and CEO, RIBOMED
B.A. in chemistry, 1978
Michelle Hanna earned her doctoral degree in chemistry from the University of California, Davis, in 1983. In 1999,
she co-founded RIBOMED, a Phoenix company that develops novel genetics-based
products for diagnosing cancer and other diseases.
News Anchor, Los Angeles Telemundo station KWHY-TV
B.A. in Spanish, 1972; M.A. in Spanish, 1977
Jose Ronstadt has enjoyed an extensive career as a top-level
television executive and TV personality serving the Hispanic market. He also
is well known for his activism on behalf of Hispanic causes.
2001 LEADERS
Ph.D. Candidate in Public Administration
B.A. in women's studies, 1996; M.P.A, 2001
Kelly Campbell is a former public policy advocate for the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence. She has won a number of national and international awards for public speaking and has shared her expertise in the areas of domestic violence and sexual assault with audiences throughout Arizona.
(back to top)President and CEO, Salus Therapeutics, Inc.; Professor of Biology, University of Utah
Ph.D. in zoology, 1967
Richard Koehn has served in faculty
or administrative capacities at the University of Kansas, the State University
of New York at Stony Brook and the University of Utah. Earlier this year he
became president and CEO of an emerging biotechnology company in Salt Lake
City.
Judge, Maricopa County Superior Court
B.S. in political science, 1975
Maurice Portley earned his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1978. After practicing in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps, he became a partner in a Phoenix law firm. He was appointed to the bench in 1991 and has presided over civil, criminal and juvenile cases.
Executive Director, Arizona Humanities Council
Ph.D. in English, 1987
Dan Shilling has worked at the
Arizona Humanities Council, the state affiliate of the National Endowment
for the Humanities, since 1984. As a program officer, he developed several
projects that won national acclaim. In 1989, he was named executive director. Today, Shilling continues to create projects that nourish community identity.
2000 LEADERS
President and Executive Director, ASU Alumni Association
B.A. in political science, 1974; M.A. in communication, 1980; D.P.A., 1994
Susan Clouse Dolbert has been a regular presenter at conferences for 20 years, receiving top evaluations for her programs and expertise in alumni relations. She is a past president of the Associated Chief Admissions Officers of Public Universities. Currently, Dolbert is president and executive director of the ASU Alumni Association.
Vice President of Development, San-I-Pak Pacific, Inc.
B.A. in medical technology, 1974; Ph.D. in microbiology, 1979
Patricia Kimball is vice president of
development at San-I-Pak Pacific, the largest supplier of medical waste treatment
and handling equipment in the U.S., where she is responsible for starting
a division to provide equipment and personnel to hospitals for management
of their wastes on-site.
Founder and CEO, Infinite Humanity-Everyone Counts Network
B.S. and teaching credential in political science,
1973
David Morse is president and founder of Infinite Humanity-Everyone
Counts Network in Los Angeles, an e-business that interconnects people and
preserves family heritages, one person at a time, for future generations. Morse founded and, from 1987 to 1998, served as CEO of Mart Management International, Inc., which provided consulting, managing and co-development
services for international trade marts and design centers.
CEO and Executive Vice President, eBay Inc.
B.S. in economics, 1976
At eBay Inc., Brian is leading the emerging e-commerce arena, overseeing international outreach,
marketing and customer support efforts. Prior to joining eBay,
Swette was executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Pepsi-Co., Inc. where he was responsible for worldwide marketing
and advertising efforts for all of Pepsi-Cola's brands.
1999 LEADERS
Group Vice President, Regions, BP Amoco
Ph.D. in chemistry,
1980
Following a research position at Standard
Oil of Ohio (Sohio), Gary Dirks moved to a marketing position.
When British Petroleum (BP) purchased controlling interest
in Sohio, Dirks undertook a series of marketing positions
in the U.S. that were followed by positions in strategic planning in the United Kingdom
and Belgium. Prior to being appointed group vice president, regions of BP Amoco, Dirks held the positions of president of BP China and president of BP Asia Pacific.
Cinematographer, Production Still Photography
B.A. in sociology, 1978
Melinda Sue Gordon is a still photographer and cinematographer. Her still work is primarily for feature films and can be seen in "The Mystery of Men," "Patch Adams," "The Truman Show," "Unstrung Heroes," "Field of Dreams," "Raising Arizona," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and others. She has exhibited both her personal and film work since 1978. Gordon is one of the founding members of the Society of Motion Picture Still Photographers.
(back to top)Vice President, BlackRock Financial Management
B.S. in physics, 1981
When Congress canceled funding for the Superconducting Super Collider Laboratory, where he worked, Irwin Sheer made a career transition. He joined Timber Hill Inc., a market maker in equity options, as their advanced software development group leader in 1994. In 1996, he joined BlackRock Inc., one of the premier fixed income asset managers in the U.S., where he now holds the position of vice president. Sheer is responsible for building valuation and term-structure models that are used to manage risks on over a half trillion dollars worth of securities.
Chairman and President, Empire Southwest Co.
B.S. in sociology, 1963
John Whiteman is chairman and president of Empire Southwest Co., the
Caterpillar dealer for Arizona, southeastern California and part of Mexico. Empire
is ranked in the top 10 of privately-owned businesses in Arizona. Whiteman is on the board of directors of the Mesa Chamber of Commerce, the Western Caterpillar Dealers Association, and the Board of Trustees for the Phoenix Art Museum. In addition,
he is founder, past board chairman
and current board member of the Arizona Museum for Youth, an internationally
known fine-arts museum for children.
1998 LEADERS
President, Park Scientific Instruments
Ph.D. in chemistry, 1981
Gary Aden is president of Park Scientific Instruments, a ThermoSpectra
company, which manufactures scanning probe microscopes.
He began his career as a staff chemist at Rockwell and later changed to instrumentation development, working as a staff scientist for Princeton Gamma Tech and then
Kevex. Aden became vice president of research and development at Kevex
in 1986 and president
in 1988. In 1991, he was asked to be president and CEO of
a new startup, TopoMetrix; at the same time, he founded a successful San
Francisco-based video/multimedia company. He joined ThermoSpectra Corp. in 1997, helping rebuild several of their operations.
Founder, President and CEO, DELSTAR Group
B.A.E. in physical education,
1968
Pam Del Duca is the founder, president and CEO of the DELSTAR Group, which
owns and operates successful retail specialty shops in airports, four- and
five-star resorts and destination locations in Arizona, Northern California,
and Washington, D.C. Del Duca and DELSTAR have won
national acclaim for creativity, innovation and community service. In 1990,
at her direction, DELSTAR created a model for how small businesses can contribute
to civic well-being. She designed a program
in which DELSTAR formed partnerships with three nonprofit organizations to
train and employ minority and economically disadvantaged individuals in the Phoenix
area.
President and Director of Research, R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates
Ph.D. in anthropology, 1979
R. Christopher Goodwin is president and director of research of R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc., a preservation planning and research and compliance firm
with offices in Maryland, Louisiana, Florida and Washington. Goodwin is
recognized as one of the nation's leading experts in cultural resource management.
He has been a contractor to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Naval Facilities
Engineering Command and the Department of Defense on numerous projects.
Goodwin has published widely in the fields of prehistoric and historic
archeology and ethnohistory.
Co-manager, Bluestem Capital Company
B.S. in political science, 1974
Upon graduation from the School of Law
at the University of South Dakota in 1977,
Steve T. Kirby joined Western Surety Company as senior claim counsel
and secretary. In 1992, he founded
Kirby Capital Corp., a venture capital firm in Sioux Falls. He is currently
president of Kirby Capital as well as co-manager of Bluestem Capital Company,
a private equity investment firm with over $100 million under management.
Kirby also served as the 35th Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota from
May 1993 to January 1995. He remains active in civic affairs in the state
of South Dakota and the community of Sioux Falls.
Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, Nike, Inc.
B.S. in political science, 1983
Vada O. Manager is senior manager in Nike's corporate communications
division, specializing in corporate strategy and global manufacturing
practices. He has an extensive background in corporate, political and
professional sports communications. Manager served as press secretary
and advisor to former Arizona governors Bruce Babbitt and Rose Mofford and
served in senior communication roles in every presidential election since
1988. Manager also has served as an advisor to Major
League Baseball, the PGA TOUR and Major League Soccer.
Principal, Manera Inc.
M.A.E. in geography, 1963; M.A. in geography, 1967; Ph.D. in geography, 1982
Paul Manera has been principal of Manera, Inc., consultants in water resources,
since 1962. During his career, he has completed the design, specification
writing and supervision of the drilling, construction and testing of more
than 800 production, test, recharge, monitoring and piezometric wells. Manera is a fellow of the Geological Society of America.
Vice President, Turner Group Services
B.A. in Spanish, 1981
Andrea Schaffell is vice president of Turner Group Services. In her previous role of vice president, administration and group controller, she oversaw the operational accounting needs for TBS SuperStation, TNT, a documentary
production entity, the Goodwill Games and sports production. She continued
to add other business lines, including
Cartoon Network, international networks in Europe and Asia, television feature
productions and cartoon productions. Schaffell was integral to the purchase
of Hanna-Barbera in 1991.
1997 LEADERS
Former Vice President and Senior Exploration Advisor, Union Texas Petroleum
B.S. in geology, 1960
During his 23 years with Union Texas Petroleum (UTP), Joel Empie
served in many capacities, including staff geologist;
general manager, exploration and production; vice president, U.S. exploration; and
vice president, exploration (worldwide). When Empie retired in 1996, he was
vice president and senior exploration advisor. UTP is a U.S.-based independent oil and gas company with worldwide
operations.
Chairman, President and CEO, Andrew Corporation
M.S. in physics, 1962; Ph.D. in physics, 1966
Since 1983, Floyd English has been chairman, president and chief executive officer of Andrew Corporation, an international supplier of antennas and transmission lines to the telecommunications industry. He also has held positions at Sandia Laboratories and Collins Radio Company. In 1975, English formed Darcom, Inc., a data telemetry company, which subsequently merged with Farinon Corporation.
Chief Scientist and Co-founder, HNC Software Inc.
B.S. in mathematics, 1971; Ph.D. in mathematics, 1974
Robert Hecht-Nielsen is co-founder of HNC Software Inc. and currently serves as
its chief scientist. HNC Software develops, markets and supports intelligent
client-server software solutions for mission-critical decision applications
in real-time environments. Prior to the formation of HNC, Hecht-Nielsen founded and managed
the neurocomputing research and development programs at TRW and Motorola. He is the author of over 60 technical reports
and papers on artificial neural systems, pattern recognition, signal processing
algorithms and artificial intelligence as well as the textbook "Neurocomputing"
(Addison-Wesley, 1991).
General Manager, Advanced Technologies Operations, Intel Corporation
B.S. in chemistry, 1976;
Ph.D. in chemistry, 1981
At Intel, Cheryl Shavers is responsible for the structuring of
strategic alliances and the development of manufacturing infrastructures for
technology investments involving systems and manufacturing equipment. She also manages business operations of future generation devices for PC platforms
as well as custom peripheral chipsets that fit into Intel's strategic wafer
investment objectives. Shavers is a registered patent
agent with the Patent and Trademark Office of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Executive Vice President, Marketing, Visa International
B.S. in home economics, 1968; M.S. in home economics, 1971
As executive vice president of marketing for Visa International, Jan Soderstrom
is responsible for all international marketing activities with a focus on ensuring Visa's worldwide brand success. She develops
targeted global marketing programs and oversees international market research
and management, including Visa's sponsorship of the Olympic Games, brand management,
international advertising and marketing, public relations and external
communications.