Class Notes, Spring 2020

60s

Estelle McDoniel ’61 of Tucson, Arizona, wrote the biography of the late Alene B. Duerk, the first woman to reach admiral rank in the U.S. Navy. The book is titled “Registered Nurse to Rear Admiral, A First for Navy Women.” Duerk received an honorary degree from BGSU in 1973. McDoniel earned a Bachelor of Science in education.

John Allen ’62 of Ruther Glen, Virginia recently retired from umpiring baseball and softball after 63 years. Allen started umpiring in high school in his hometown of Maumee, Ohio, continued during his time at BGSU, and started the Fredericksburg (VA) Umpires Association in 1966. He has a Bachelor of Science in journalism.

John K. Hartman ’67,’77, ’78 of Powell, Ohio, was awarded the Ashland High School Distinguished Alumnus Award. Hartman’s career included teaching journalism at BGSU, serving at the Toledo Blade as a copy editor and teaching at Central Michigan University from 1984 to 2015. Hartman is a three-time Falcon, earning a Bachelor of Science in journalism, as well as his master’s and doctorate in communication.

Jim Hruska ’68 of Tucson, Arizona, was inducted into the Army ROTC Hall of Fame in 2019. He is a Vietnam veteran who retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel and has received many awards including a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart. Hruska received a Bachelor of Arts in American studies.

70s

Rick DeMoss ’70 of New Riegel, Ohio, was recognized for having coached high school basketball in Ohio for 50 years. He received a Bachelor of Science in education.

Michael Matre ’74 of Fairfield, Ohio, published his memoir, “Why I Never Had Kids.” The book is available in paperback and e-book formats. He has a Bachelor of Science in journalism.

Wayne Saalman ’75 of Ireland recently published his fourth book, “Crimson Firestorm Mars,” a thriller drama-comedy about astronauts and the space race to Mars. He received a Bachelor of Liberal Studies.

Jim Powell ’76 of Indianapolis. has published a collection of his short stories, “Only Witness,” with a few stories being set at or around BGSU. Powell also recently retired from teaching creative writing at IUPUI. He earned a Master of Fine Arts in fiction writing.

William Mihalo ’77 of Munster, Indiana, retired from Northwestern University, where he served as a senior high-performance computing engineer. He has a doctorate in sociology.

Lu Ann Gaskill ’78 of Henderson, North Carolina,was honored with the title of professor emerita at Virginia Tech. She is a professor in the Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in fashion merchandise.

80s

David Sabbath ’80 of Columbus major and recently started Generation Hops, a television journalism series that is researching the emergence of the craft beer industry. Sabbath is the director and host.He received a Bachelor of Arts in communication.

Cary McGehee ’84 of Huntington Woods, Michigan, is a part of a team of attorneys representing the citizens of Flint, Michigan, in a lawsuit against the State of Michigan, the United States and the Environmental Protection Agency for the actions regarding the water crisis in Flint. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in communication.

Lisa Miragliotta-Van Scyoc ’86 of Avon Lake, Ohio, recently became the director of the Baldwin Wallace University Women’s Chorus and began her third year as supervisor of the Student Teachers in the Music Education department. Scyoc received a Bachelor of Music in music education.

Derick Gant ’88 of Toledo recently published his first book, “The 24K Life Code.” He has a Bachelor of Arts in communication.

90s

Janelle Chiasera ’91 of North Haven, Connecticut, was recently appointed dean of the School of Health Sciences at Quinnipiac University. Previously, she served at the associate dean for the School of Health Professions at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Chiasera earned a bachelor’s degree in clinical laboratory science.

Catherine Smith ’91 of Elyria, Ohio, was hired as the first female executive director of the Precision Machined Products Association (PMPA). She received a Bachelor of Science in education.

Gloria Kreischer-Gajewicz ’94, ’19 of Bowling Green received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching. She teaches science at Bowling Green High School. Kreischer-Gajewicz earned a Bachelor of Science in science education and graduated in December 2019 with a doctorate of education in leadership studies.

Todd Kleismit ’96 of Columbus was awarded the inaugural Kleismit Award for Extraordinary Leadership by his colleagues on the Leadership Ohio board of trustees. Kleismit served as board president for three years. He earned a Bachelor of Science in journalism.

Jason Graff ’97 of Richardson, Texas, recently published his debut novel, “Stray Our Pieces” and second novel “Heckler.” He has a Bachelor of Arts in communication.

Rachel Gregg ’97 of Graytown, Ohio,has been named an associate in Mannik & Smith Group, a law firm out of Maumee, Ohio. Gregg earned a Master of Arts in Guidance and Counseling.

Matthew Pesci ’98 ’00 of Rossford, Ohio, has been named an associate in Mannik & Smith Group, a law firm out of Maumee, Ohio. Pesci earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and a master’s in geology.

Bill Peterson ’98 of Flagstaff, Arizona, recently was hired as the next director of the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Previously, Peterson was vice president of the Arizona Historical Society. He received a doctorate of American cultural studies.

Michelle Venorsky ’98 of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, launched a small hybrid public relations and social media engagement agency named Hello. Her team now consists of 10 women who have supported brands such as Nestle and American Greetings. She received a Bachelor of Science in journalism.

Jason Lady ’99 of Beachwood, Ohio, has been selected as an Ohio author for the 2020 Ohioana Book Festival in Columbus. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in telecommunication. 

00s

Paul Shipp ’02 of Cleveland recently join Buckley King, a law firm in Cleveland, Ohio. Shipp has experience in commercial litigation and criminal litigation, but primarily focuses on advising and white-collar criminal litigation. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English.

Rema Ina ’04 of Cleveland recently became partner at her law firm, Gallagher Sharp. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication.

Erin Curley ’05 of Oregon, Ohio, recently started her own architecture firm, Engage Studio Architects, LLC. She is one of Toledo’s 20 under 40 award recipients for 2019 and serves as the president for BGSU’s Architecture Advisory Executive Board in the School for the Built Environment. She has a Bachelor of Science in technology.

Molly Luetke ’05 of Toledo was recognized as one of Toledo’s 20 under 40 in 2019. Luetke works at Madhouse and is co-organizer of TEDxToledo, along with serving many other local organizations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in technology.

Jennifer McCary ’05 of Perrysburg, Ohio, was recognized as one of Toledo’s 20 under 40 in 2019. McCary serves BGSU as chief diversity and belonging officer. She is a two-time TEDx speaker and sculpture artist. McCary earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art education and a Master of Arts in college student personnel.

Brian Miller ’08 of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who majored in construction management, is celebrating his company’s fifth year of business. NNI Construction focuses on national retail roll-out programs, including the Planet Fitness franchise. He holds a Bachelor of Science in technology.

Gaven Smith ’08 of Perrysburg, Ohio, was recognized as one of Toledo’s 20 under 40 in 2019. Smith is an investment executive at Fifth Third Bank and is in the top 10% of investment executives in his company. After the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, Smith joined the military and served four years of active duty and four years reserved duty. He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom I and II for 23 months. Back in his community, Smith is involved with Wreaths Across America Hancock County and Flag City Honor Flight. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. 

Hayley Ford ’09 of Tallmadge, Ohio, started a position at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services as a human services program consultant. Ford reviews Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Programs (SNAP) through counties and offers guidance to make sure state policies are being followed. She received a Bachelor of Human Development and Family Studies.

10s

Kathleen Schnerer ’15 of Perrysburg, Ohio, was awarded the 2019-20 Ohio String Teachers Association (OSTA) New Teacher of the Year. She is Perrysburg School’s orchestra director. She has a Bachelor of Music in music education.

Greg Braylock Jr. ’16 of Toledo was recognized as one of Toledo’s 20 under 40 in 2019. Braylock is the vice president of operations at ProMedica and serves as the campus executive at ProMedica Flower Hospital. He has also been recognized by 50 Healthcare Leaders under 40 and as Toledoan of the Year Leadership Award. He has an Executive MBA.

AdamSmidi ’20 of Sylvania, Ohio, was recognized as one of Toledo’s 20 under 40 in 2019. He is the chief executive officer and principle owner of Joe’s Autos, as well as teaches business communication at BGSU. In 2018, Governor John Kasich appointed him to the BGSU board of trustees as graduate student representative. Smidi is working toward a Ph.D. in organizational communication.