1973
John West III [GradEd] was named the first male president of Nardin Academy, the oldest independent Catholic school in Buffalo, New York, in October 2014.
1974
Rudy de Leon Jr. [LibArts] was elected director of General Dynamics in October 2014. He served as undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness from 1997 to 2000 and as undersecretary of the U.S. Air Force from 1994 to 1997.
John Halcón [LibArts] was named president of the Governing Board of the Palomar Community College District, located in San Diego County, in December 2010. He is the first Latino to hold the post in more than 20 years.
Caitlin (Patti) Hicks [LibArts] wrote her first novel, “A Theory of Expanded Love,” which was published in June 2015 by Light Messages Publishing. The novel was named a Best New Fiction pick at iBooks. Hicks’ article “Sharpened Tongues” appeared in the fall 2010 issue of LMU Magazine.
1975
Joseph Page [BusAdm] received the 2015 Loyola Marymount University Distinguished Alumni Award on Feb. 11, 2015, at the California Club in Los Angeles. The award recognizes alumni for their professional accomplishments, leadership in the community, service to others, loyalty to LMU, and commitment to living the LMU mission.
1976
Michael Banner [BusAdm], president and CEO of Los Angeles LDC, a community development bank, was awarded the Urban Land Institute’s O’Donnell Award for excellence for his contributions with the organization’s Advisory Services Program to help underperforming real estate. He received the award in October 2014.
1976
Mark Manning [CFA] is vice president of business development for DyCFA Industries. He has worked in the cable television business since his graduation from LMU and is a 2008 inductee in the Cable Television Pioneers.
Richard Murphy [BusAdm] has been the mayor of Los Alamitos since 2012. He also serves as a director of the Orange County Sanitation District and Orange County Library Board.
1977
Debra (Hospy) Davenport [CFA, GradCFA ’81] was elected president of the Association for Women in Communication, Phoenix Metro Chapter, in October 2014. She has holds a post with the online faculty of Purdue University, for which she teaches graduate courses in strategic communications.
Peter J. Siggins [CFA] received the St. Thomas More Society of San Francisco’s St. Thomas More Award at the Diocese of San Francisco’s annual Red Mass for the legal profession. He was appointed a justice of the California Court of Appeal in 2006 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
J. Michael Thompson [LibArts] was appointed as vice provost for enrollment management at the University of the Pacific on September 5, 2014.
1978
Daniel Duffy [LibArts] retired after a 30-year career with the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department as a custody deputy. For the past 14 years, he was a background investigator. He also was a board member and president of the California Background Investigators. Danny Duffy, his son, was the winning pitcher for Major League’s Baseball’s Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of the American League Division Series and pitched in relief in two World Series games against the San Francisco Giants.
David Mirkin [CFA] received the 2015 Loyola Marymount University Distinguished Alumni Award on Feb. 11, at the California Club in Los Angeles. The award recognizes alumni for their professional accomplishments, leadership in the community, service to others, loyalty to LMU, and commitment to living the LMU mission.
1979
Erithe A. Smith [LibArts] received the African American Alumni Association William L. Strickland ’71 Excellence Award for outstanding professional achievements and commitment to the African American Community at LMU and beyond. She was giving the award at the African American Alumni Association Scholarship Fundraiser on March 14.
1981
Christlin Rajendram [CFA] is a rector of the Trincomalee Campus of the East University in Sri Lanka. Previously he was the dean of the Faculty of Communications and Business Studies.
1983
Kevin McDonnell [BusAdm, Law ’88] was named senior vice president and chief financial officer at JAMS, a mediation and arbitration services company headquartered in Irvine, California.
Carolyn Rowley [LibArts, GradLibArts ’88] is a doctor and founder and executive director of Cayenne Wellness Center and Children’s Foundation in Glendale, California. Rowley’s missionary experience in Kenya, East Africa, led her to create the Machao Orphanage Foundation in Makueni, Kenya, a nonprofit organization that provides housing for more than 80 children and other services.
1984
Jacquelyn Acosta [BusAdm] is director of administrative services for South Gate, California. Acosta previously was the director of finance and interim city manager for the city of Carson, California.
1985
Molly Lanzarotta [LibArts] was appointed director of strategic communications for the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in October 2014.
1988
Jovana Lara-Brooks [BusAdm] received the 2015 Loyola Marymount University Distinguished Alumni Award on Feb. 11, at the California Club in Los Angeles. The award recognizes alumni for their professional accomplishments, leadership in the community, service to others, loyalty to LMU, and commitment to living the LMU mission.
1990
Katherine Cobb [CFA] is senior vice president of advancement for Great Hearts Academies, which is based on Phoenix, Arizona. She oversees development, communications, public affairs, and marketing efforts for the network of nineteen classical, liberal arts public charter schools.
1991
Zoë Hammatt [LibArts] was named director of the Division of Education and Integrity in the Office of Research Integrity, an office in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in August 2014.
1992
Joseph DeStefano [LibArts, GradSciEng ’99] graduated magna cum laude from the Master of Traditional Oriental Medicine Program of Emperor’s College in Santa Monica, California. He completed residences in integrative medicine at the Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center at Providence-St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank; the Venice Family Clinic's Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center; and the HIV+ Clinic at Being Alive Los Angeles in West Hollywood.
Daniel Kim [BusAdm] is the senior vice president of private banking for Bank of Hawaii. He was honored in March by the Hawaii Business Magazine as one of the 20 for the Next 20 for 2015.
1993
Effie T. Brown [CFA] was the Mistress of Ceremonies for the 2015 African American Alumni Association Scholarship Fundraiser held on March 14, 2015.
Renata Simril [LibArts] was named the Los Angeles Times senior vice president and chief of staff in October 2014. She former was senior vice president of external affairs for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Trevor Ward [SciEng] and Angela Romero were married in June 2014 in Orlando, Florida.
1995
Roxie Cunningham-Hartwig [SciEng] opened Hartwig Health in June 2014, a family medicine office in Spokane, Washington, that specializes in women’s health, preventative care and sports medicine.
Jennifer (Lester) de Mahy [BusAdm] is senior marketing manager for Edwards Life Sciences, in Irvine, California.
1996
Evelynn Gray was born to Donna (Varner) [LibArts, M.B.A. ’05] and Eric Gray [CFA ’99] on Feb. 3, 2015. She came into the world with beauty and grace at 6 lbs, 15 oz.
Seaton J. Curran [SciEng] was named a shareholder in Howard & Howard, a law firm in Royal Oak, Michigan, in December 2014. Curran’s practice is in intellectual property, particularly U.S. and foreign patent applications with a focus on mechanical, electrical and computer technologies.
Monica Vargas [BusAdm] received the 2014 National Forum for Latino Healthcare Executives (NFLHE) Leadership Award on March 12. Vargas is CEO of Sierra Medical Center in El Paso, Texas.
1997
Shonda Buchanan [LibArts, GradLibArts ’03] is interim chair of the Department of English and Modern Foreign Languages at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. She has been teaching at Hampton, one of about 100 historically black colleges and universities in the United States, since 2004.
Kent Jancarik [LibArts] married Judith Haggerty in North Bethesda, Maryland, on Dec. 13, 2014. Richard Robin, S.J., presided over the ceremony. Kent works for Merck Serono, a German biopharmaceutical company, as senior director for global public policy. They live in North Bethesda, Maryland.
Sharon Stefan [SciEng] was promoted to associate professor in the Department of Mathematics at the CyFair campus of Lone Star College in Texas. She has started a service learning program with the Harris County Library in Cypress, Texas, that draws community college students interested in teaching careers to create mathematics games for children ages 3-10.
Chad Zdenek [SciEng] accepted a board position as Learning Chair for 2014-15 with Entrepreneurs’ Organization, a nonprofit organization with offices around the world that provides learning and growth opportunities for entrepreneurs. He is responsible for organizing Los Angeles chapter events.
1998
Maya Xiomara was born to Ana (Tellez) [LibArts] and John McKey on Jan. 26, 2014. She was born healthy at 6 lbs., 6oz. and 19 ½ in.
1999
Natalia Ava born on Sept. 22, 2014, to Patricia (Espinoza) [BusAdm] and Eduardo Rios [BusAdm]. She joins big brother Mateo Aydin. Natalia’s godmother is Maiene Almaguer Gorbea [LibArts].
Yolanda Dawson [GradEd] published her first book, “Chosen by God, Overlooked by Man: Women of Faith Moving in the Supernatural Gifts of God.” The book encourages women of faiths to recognize their God-given office and take action in promoting the kingdom of God.
2000
Roman Alejandro was born to Rozalyn (Lucero) [BusAdm ’00] and Alejandro Corona on Sept. 25, 2014. He was born at 7 lbs., 12 oz. and 20 in.
Santiago T. Duarte [BusAdm] recently started a law firm, Duarte Law Group, in Santa Ana, California, that specializes in criminal defense and immigration law.
Claudine Cazian Britz [CFA] received the 2015 Loyola Marymount University Distinguished Alumni Award on Feb. 11, at the California Club in Los Angeles. The award recognizes alumni for their professional accomplishments, leadership in the community, service to others, loyalty to LMU, and commitment to living the LMU mission.
Robert Mills [GradCFA] was named senior vice president for alternative series, late-night programming at ABC Entertainment at ABC in February 2015.
2002
Gil Anthony Duarte [LibArts] was elected to the Board of Education of the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District in 2013. He is president of the board for 2015.
Ross Miller [BusAdm], former Nevada secretary of state, joined Fine Entertainment in Las Vegas as vice president of business development and general counsel.
2003
Kahlil Joseph [SFTV] had an exhibition of his work called “Double Conscience” open at MOCA Grand Avenue in Los Angeles in March. The show included his short video “m.A.A.d.” Joseph’s “Until the Quiet Comes” won the Special Jury Prize at 2013 Sundance Film Festival.
Diana (Corral) [LibArts] and Robbie Lee [LibArts] welcomed their daughter, Gabriela Layla, on Oct. 26, 2013.
2005
Joseph Francis Braun was born to Jazmin Jimenez [LibArts ’05] and Michael Braun [LibArts ’99, GradEd ’08] on Feb. 23, 2015.
2006
Mahina (Cumpston) [BusAdm] and Lucas Sayin [BusAdm '08] welcomed their second daughter, Ke kai Malié Carolina Everly, on July 27, 2014 in Honolulu. She weighed 6 lbs., 10 oz. and was 20 in. long. Kekai joins big sister Ke`alohilani Amelia Jade.
Christian M. De Larkin [LibArts, GradEd ’08, Ed.D. ’13], was honored at the African American Alumni Association Scholarship Fundraiser held on March 14, receiving the African American Alumni Association Arising Leader Award for exemplary professional leadership and commitment to the LMU community.
Mikaela Hoover [CFA] appeared in the movie “Guardians of the Galaxy” in the role of assistant to Nova Prime.
Hector Leanos [SciEng] and Allison Nassour [BusAdm, GradBusAdm ’09] were married on July 26, 2014.
Nick [SFTV] and Erin (Burns) Zangari [CFA ’07] welcomed their son, Christopher Henry, on Nov. 10, 2014.
2007
Jason Mann [SFTV] won the Project Greenlight film competition for his short film “Delicacy.” Established four years ago by actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, the HBO competition invites young filmmakers to submit their films with the winner filmmaker being given an opportunity to direct a feature film.
2008
Rocio Marquez [BusAdm] is a finance assistant at Participant Media, where he assists entertainment professionals by booking tours, scheduling promotional shoots and managing sponsorships.
Scott Reeves Eastwood [CFA] appeared as Sgt. Miles in the World War II film “Fury,” which was released in October 2014.
Noah Preston [LibArts] was promoted to vice president for A&R of Def Jam after having worked at the company since 2009. Preston will discover, sign and develop artists on the DEF JAM roster, as well as oversee the creative process of their recordings.
Ashley Rosales [SciEng] participated in Miami University’s Earth Expeditions global field course in Borneo during the summer of 2014. The course focused on efforts to preserve Bornean species along the Kinabatangan River in Sabah on the island of Borneo.
2009
Brittany Fetkin [CFA] was a contestant on the 2015 TV series “The Bachelor.”
Max Gibson [CFA] and Will Bundy [LibArts ’12] founded Wine and Bowties, an online magazine about art, culture, music and ideas (wineandbowties.com).
2010
Mahtem Shiferraw [LibArts] was named the winner of the 2015 Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets. The award is presented by the African Poetry Book Fund and Prairie Schooner, the literary magazine published by the University of Nebraska Press and the creative writing program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Heather Wolfson [GradBusAdm] was appointed senior director of Community Partnerships of the Jewish Federation of San Diego County in February.
2013
Tommy C. Chang [Ed.D.] was named superintendent of Boston Public Schools in March. He had been instructional superintendent in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
2012
Lahiri Ware [CFA] debuted in November 2014 in a one-man show titled “Catch 23: A Tale of Learning and Growing” by Dean M. Shapiro. The production explores the experience of an aspiring actor in New York City.
2014
Ted Guerrero [BCLA] began pre-service training in March for a stint as a Peace Corps volunteer and will serve in Indonesia.