magspring2009

Volume 3 • Issue 3 • Spring 2009

M A G A Z I N E

The New Business Leaders:Entrepreneurs and Owners Under 40

NICHOLS COLLEGE

Volume 3 • Issue 3 • Spring 2009NICHOLS COLLEGEM A G A Z I N E

1 FROM THE PRESIDENT

COVER STORY

2 Molding New Business Leaders

FEATURES

6 Birckhead Honored for Lifetime Achievements

7 President’s Society Dinner 2008

ON CAMPUS

8 Presidential Leadership Takes Center Stage

8 Professor Tipper Awarded The Adèle Mellen

Prize

9 Good Neighbors Share Seasonal Joy

9 Coghlin Receives 2008 Isaiah Thomas Award

10 Sport Management Internships Assessed

11 Curious About the World

11 Operations Management Classes Rooted

in Reality

11 Nichols Offers Hospitality

11 Job Placement Strong for New Grads

ATHLETICS

13 Fall Sports Recap

14 Seniors Monte and Gervais Heat Up the Ice

15 The Pride of the Herd

ALUMNI

16 Homecoming 2008

19 A View from the Hill

20 Class Notes

22 Catching up with Thomas Franzese ’79

24 Catching up with Sharron McCarthy ’87

27 Nichols Remembers

Correction: In the Fall 2008 edition of Nichols College Magazine,

Donald F. Leonard, former faculty member, was inadvertently

omitted from the Donor Honor Roll. We appreciate his service

and support.

E D I T O R

Susan Veshi

C O N T R I B U T O R S

Thomas Cafaro, Brittney Case, Joe Cofield,Kristy Cullivan, Julie Errico, Hillary Haynes,Christine Jankowski, Dorothy Millhofer, BillPieczynski, Ronald Powers, Len Suprise

D E S I G N

Patricia Korch

P R I N T I N G

Kirkwood PrintingWilmington, MA

C O V E R P H O T O

Dan VaillancourtPatrick O’Connor PhotographyShrewsbury, MA

NICHOLS COLLEGE

PO Box 5000123 Center RoadDudley, MA 01571-5000508-213-15608:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., M–Fwww.nichols.edu

Periodicals postage paid at Webster, MA,and additional mailing offices. NICHOLS COLLEGE Magazine

(UPSP 390480) is published twice a year by Nichols College, Dudley, MA.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:Advancement OfficeNICHOLS COLLEGE

PO Box 5000Dudley, MA 01571-5000

Your Success Is Our Business

Cover (center): Kim McCarthy ’92Cover inset photos (counterclockwise): David Balducci ‘00; Jeff Johnson ‘90; BrendaBianculli ‘90; Jason Sardilli ‘98

Message from the President

1Spring 2009 Nichols College Magazine

Valuable Lessons

Nichols College has an impressive record of preparing

students for leadership roles. The new business leaders

featured in this issue of Nichols College Magazine

are a strong representation of our career-focused

approach, practical orientation to business education

and the academic enhancement opportunities we

give our students. They are also a testament to the

entrepreneurial spirit we inspire in many of our

students and the relevant tools, insider’s perspective

and supportive environment we provide to draw out

and nurture their interests and ideas. Today, these new

entrepreneurs and proprietors stand proudly among

the one in ten of our graduates who become presidents,

CEOs or business owners.

Whether our students find their niche in business

ownership or corporate America, they are meticulously

prepared to succeed. Our outcomes bear this out.

Even in this economic downturn, we continue to post

robust employment rates – 95 percent for the class

of 2008 earning an average starting salary of nearly

$40,000. Our ten-year average of 95 percent is a

reflection of our students’ ability to compete effectively

and to satisfy employers’ needs.

During these uncertain times, we remain especially

committed to our focus of developing tomorrow’s

business leaders. Our visionary PDS (Professional

Development Seminar) program is designed to build

job-seeking skills and confidence to complement a

comprehensive business education. We continue to

pursue specializations that tap into the changing needs

of the market, such as sport management, criminal

justice management and the newly approved

hospitality management. And we are building for

the future with a new master plan that will transform

the campus.

We are cautiously optimistic as we move forward, in

the knowledge that Nichols is a niche school with a

business focus that is in demand. Plus, we are good at

what we do. Our new leaders cite the value of their

Nichols education – the instruction, faculty interactions

and leadership opportunities. But Nichols also remains

a good value for the dollar. In an economy where

return on investment is dismal, our outcomes prove

our brand of education works.

Debra M. Townsley, Ph.D.

2 Nichols College Magazine Spring 2009

u

Stories by Julie Errico

David Balducci ’00

Molding New Business Leaders

continued on page 4

rom the first time David Balducci ’00

walked into one of Professor

Rick Hilliard’s management classes,

he knew he wanted to own a business.

“Professor Hilliard inspired me by

talking about the successes of his

businesses, how he approached them

and the individual projects he was

involved in. I knew this is what I wanted

to do as well.”

Balducci’s perspective is not unique,

says Professor Art Duhaime. “Each

semester we see interested students

already working on promoting their

companies and developing their

products and services, and the number

of students doing this seems to remain

constant.” In fact, 10 percent of Nichols

graduates become CEOs or business

owners, a number that has remained

constant in good times and in lean years,

says Duhaime. “Starting their own

business will always be an option for

those who enjoy the excitement of

running the show and making their own

decisions.”

The influence of their professors and

the real-world business experience they

offer are just some of the reasons that so

many Nichols alumni are inspired to

become business owners. ”Our approach

to developing entrepreneurs is multi-

faceted,” explains Duhaime. “Many of

our professors come from a business

background and have started our own

businesses. We know what it takes to

run a successful business. As a result,

we are able to provide the relevant

tools, resources and guidance for our

students.”

Such was the case for new business

owner Kim McCarthy ’92. “Professor

David Balducci ’00: He’s lovin’ it

While McDonald’s food and uniforms havechanged through the years, one thing has not.David Balducci still loves Big Macs. It’s a goodthing. Balducci has been working for the restau-rant chain since he was 16 years old. During hisyears at Nichols, he juggled living on campus andcarrying a full course load, specializing in manage-ment information systems, while working as anarea supervisor for four McDonald’s restaurants.

All of his hard work has paid off. Since then,Balducci has quickly moved up the ranks of thecorporation. Currently president of McDonald’sSellia Corp., Balducci, along with four other familymembers, owns 13 restaurants in the local Worces-ter and Central Massachusetts area.

As president, Balducci works on increasingsales, building community relationships and over-seeing the day-to-day operation. This involves con-stant interaction with managers, supervisors, andMcDonald’s corporate staff to constantly fine-tunethe operation and brainstorm ideas to build salesin the restaurants.

Owning and operating 13 restaurants has itsadvantages, says Balducci. “There’s a sense of sat-isfaction you get when you work for yourself whileat the same time knowing that you are building alegacy to pass on to your children.” An additionalbenefit, he adds, is the direct control he has overwhat happens within the company. “I am the per-son who is directly responsible for the final result.There’s no bailout process for us. Whatever theoutcome, I get a sense of pride when we succeedand am humbled if we fail.”

While Balducci may not eat a Big Mac everyday, he does eat daily at one of his restaurants.Fortunately for him, McDonald’s now offers amuch wider variety of foods than when he firststarted working there nearly 13 years ago.


Brenda Bianculli ’90: It all adds up

Since she was 17 years old, working with numbers has been a part of Brenda Bianculli’s life. Dur-ing her years at Nichols, she worked in various accounting departments to pay her tuition. By thetime she reached her senior year, she was working at a local accounting firm to get experiencefor one of the Big 8 auditing firms. However, after working on some audits for the firm, shebegan to question her choice of specializations, asking, “What have I done? I majored for fouryears in accounting and I don’t enjoy auditing work.” Fortunately for her, she discovered sheloved working on taxes.

After working as a CPA for several years, earning a master’s degree in taxation and becom-ing firm manager, Bianculli decided she wanted to pursue going out on her own and opened herown CPA business in 1997. Currently servicing 350 to 400 business and individual clients, thebusiness focuses on helping small-to mid-sized businesses and their owners with a variety ofbusiness, tax, accounting, and operational issues.

Although her goal for the year is to continue to add new clients, Bianculli doesn’t want tolose the personal touch. “For me, it’s about being able to offer every client, whether large orsmall, the same quality of service,” she says. “I try to treat every client as if he is my most impor-tant client.”

Owning her own business provides her with flexibility and gives her the control over howshe works and lives. However, owning her own business has pitfalls as well, she says. One is thatshe is always thinking about work even after hours and on the weekends.“The business is con-stantly on my mind. And, if a job doesn’t get finished, I have to figure out how to get it done.”

New Business Leaders


Larry Downs was instrumental in

giving me that entrepreneurial perspec-

tive,” she says. “He not only taught me

the tangible aspects of how to write

my own proposals and market my own

business, but he gave me the confidence

I needed to pursue my goals.”

ichols students are

practically oriented, much

like Nichols programs, so

their expectations reflect

this, says Duhaime. “We

teach them how to get started and where

they can go for support once they leave

our campus. We also encourage them to

keep in touch, so that many of us

continue to provide support to them as

alumni,” he adds.

“Nichols classes not only gave me

the background I needed to pass the CPA

exam and do the accounting and tax

work that I do, they gave me the skills to

run a business,” says Brenda Bianculli

’90. “My accounting professors were

always talking about real-life scenarios.

It wasn’t just textbook information.”

In addition to the support of faculty,

the Nichols curriculum provides a

concentrated focus on business and

entrepreneurial business ventures

as well. While students can take

Entrepreneurial Management as a

course, professors also bring the issue to

the forefront of many of their other

classes and continue to work with

students outside of class on their special

projects of interest.

Having relevant course work and

small classes along with the opportunity

to interact with professors in an intimate

setting has helped him become a more

diverse business partner, says Jason

Sardilli ’98. “Whether I am dealing

with customers, employees, organi-

zational issues or the current business

environment, no matter what adversity

I am faced with as a business owner, I

am able to deal with it because of the

preparation that Nichols gave me. It has

helped mold me into the person and type

of business owner I am today.”

Jason Sardilli ’98: A fresh perspectiveJason Sardilli was a senior at Nichols when he and his brother met to ask themselves, “What do wewant to do with our lives?” At that point, they knew that they both wanted to work in Sardilli Produce, the family business. However, recognizing the challenges that some family businesses face,they knew they needed to consider their individual roles within the company as well as how to makeit work for their family.

They decided that Jason would learn the operations side of the business and his brother, Devin,would take over as sales manager, and together they would try to grow the company. The company’sprimary business is providing fresh produce and dairy items to independent restaurants, chain restau-rants, colleges, and hospitals.

Sardilli started working in the family business full time, two days after graduating from Nichols. “I remember when I came into my first day of work. It was very exciting to start working with myfamily to try to make it into something that we knew could be successful,” he says. And successfulthey are. The brothers have built the company into a flourishing business which employs 52 peopleand services 300 customers throughout all of Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and NewYork’s Westchester County.

As director of purchasing, Sardilli controls the quality of the produce coming into the facility alongwith selecting farmers that grow the highest quality produce. “I am basically like a stock trader,” heexplains. “Every day the commodities are changing based on weather and supply. It’s strictly supplyand demand economics. I buy products from all over the world. When you sit down and look at howfood gets from the farm to the plate and the path it takes to get there, it is pretty interesting.”

ucontinued on page 6

continued from page 2


Kim McCarthy ’92: On the moveKim McCarthy started her business, Generations onthe Move, as a result of personal experience andfeedback from family and friends. “Every time Italked with people, they told me how stressed outthey were about having to move their parent orloved one either to a smaller home, assisted living,or their own [children’s] home. About five yearsago, I was in the same situation with my father. SoI decided to start looking for some way of helpingpeople during this trying time.”

Officially opened for business since January2008, the company’s services range from helpingclients and their families sort through and coordi-nate the contents of their home to helping themset up their new residence. In order to promote hernew business, McCarthy spends quite a bit of timemarketing and networking with healthcareproviders and organizations such as the localChamber of Commerce and other professional or-ganizations.

In addition to helping others, McCarthy saysshe enjoys the flexibility of owning her own busi-ness. “I’ve been a stay-at-home mom for about 10years and wanted a business that allowed me tomake my own schedule. I like being able to deter-mine the direction of my business while still havingtime for my family.”

Finding a need in the marketplace and trying tomeet that need has been the key to McCarthy’ssuccess. “The biggest response from my businesshas been from adult children in the ‘sandwich’ generation who are looking for assistance due tolack of free time, distance between them and theirparents and commitments to their own family,“ she says. “I am the link that allows them to be with their parents on an emotional level while I take care of the physical needs. It is very satisfy-ing for me to know that I can help my clients in apractical way.”

Jeff Johnson ’90: SoaringGrowing from a one-person cleaning business to one with 180 employees who maintain 75buildings from Worcester to Boston, Eagle Cleaning has experienced tremendous growth sinceJeff Johnson founded the company in 2000.

“It was scary at first, but also very exciting,” he says.“In the first few months I did the clean-ing myself while working full time trying to build my business.” By the end of year, he had hired30 employees and began focusing on improving the company and creating a niche which wouldset it apart from the competition.

The cleaning business appealed to him for several reasons: the industry had tremendousgrowth potential and was recession resistant. Johnson also recognized the opportunity to build astable workforce within the company.

In the commercial cleaning business approximately 85 percent of employees are part timecreating turnover issues and ultimately poor performance, says Johnson. As a result, the companydecided that the majority of its staff would be full time, receiving higher wages than the industryaverage and full benefits including health insurance, vacations, bonus incentives, educational reimbursement and profit sharing. “We have been working hard every day to find ways to keepour employees satisfied and buildings cleaned at the highest level possible,” adds Johnson.

Starting his own company and building it from the ground up has been a satisfying experi-ence, says Johnson. “The benefits of owning a business are that there is no ceiling of opportunityfor growth and income potential. The key is to hire good management and train them well. I amvery passionate about my company and love the daily challenge to make my company bettertoday than it was yesterday.”

The approach has worked well. In 2008, Eagle Cleaning generated more than $4 million insales and Johnson’s goal for 2009 is to reach $5 million.


On Campus

Birckhead Honored forLifetime Achievements

With a distinguished banker for a father and

a gifted musician and artist for a mother,

Oliver W. Birckhead Jr. was destined to

be a Renaissance Man. His own career in

banking spanned five decades and during that

time, he lent his practical business sense, his

no-nonsense attitude, his wide-ranging talents

and his indomitable spirit to any number of

causes from business development to human

services to the arts to education. He has

been recognized by the Cincinnati Chamber

of Commerce, Ohio Governors, the Urban

League, the State of Israel, Children's

Hospital, and by President Gerald Ford

for leadership in the National Alliance of

Businessmen.

And on October 17, 2008, Birckhead ’42

H’07 added another honor to his impressive

cache: the President’s Medal for Distin-

guished Leadership.

Recognizing a lifetime of achievement in

corporate sector leadership, the award is the

latest accolade from Nichols which has also

honored Birckhead with the Outstanding

Alumnus Award, the honorary Doctor of

Business Administration degree and

induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

"Tonight, the President's Medal goes to

one whose reputation for sustained success,

innovation, and leadership in his industry are

without peer," said President Debra M.

Townsley, PhD, as she presented the award

at the annual President’s Society Dinner.

Citing admiration and great affection for

Nichols’ own, Townsley recounted the life

of Birckhead, one of Nichols’ most

distinguished and deserving graduates.

Brooklyn-born and Westchester-bred,

Birckhead entered the banking business in

1937 with the Peoples National Bank and

Trust Co. He served as assistant national

bank examiner in the second district of New

York and at Chemical Bank before joining

the Central Trust Company in Cincinnati. In

1968, Birckhead was a founder of the Central

Bancorporation and served as its CEO until

his retirement. During his tenure, total assets

of Central Bancorporation surged from $500

million to more than $5.5 billion, making it

the largest bank in Cincinnati at the time of

his retirement. The company merged with

PNC Bank in 1988, resulting in a $43 billion

regional banking company. Birckhead was

vice chairman and director of PNC Bank

until he retired from the board.

A real estate developer throughout his

career, Birckhead led the development

of the Central Trust Center, now PNC Bank

Center, and the landmark Chemed Center. A

founding member of the Cincinnati Business

Committee, he also led the financing for

the Cincinnati Coliseum, raising some $14

million. This was among the landmark

business projects in Birckhead's career, and

it brought to Cincinnati Paul Brown's

Cincinnati Bengals in the mid-60s.

Birckhead is fond of referring to others as

“great Americans,” but his colleagues and

fellow volunteers will attest that he is the

great American. He served in the United

States Air Corps from 1942 to 1946. As an

accomplished pianist and painter, Birckhead

has made significant contributions to the arts,

serving as vice president and trustee of the

Cincinnati Art Museum for 15 years. His

passion for helping others led to stints on the

boards of the Salvation Army, the Cincinnati

Council on World Affairs, Boys’ Club, the

Cincinnati Association of the Blind, and the

Children’s Dental Care Foundation.

A graduate of the Trinity Pawling School,

where he became treasurer, trustee and a

founding member of the school's Investment

Committee, Birckhead served on the original

Board of Advisors at Nichols and currently

shares his expertise as an ex officio member

of the Board of Trustees’ Finance Committee.

Birckhead makes his home in Cincinnati

with his wife, Jane (a Nichols College trustee

since 2007), and has two sons, Oliver III and

Randall, who also attended Nichols College.

He’s also made a home at Nichols which

is immensely proud of his lifetime achieve-

ments and the contributions he’s made to

his profession, his community and his alma

mater. Even when he concludes his visits

with his signature “Birckhead’s outta here,”

we know he’ll always be back.

Trustee Jane Birckhead, Oliver Birckhead,

President Debra Townsley

Meet other young alumnibusiness owners….

Dylan E. Bond ‘93Bond Financial Services,

Longmeadow, MA

Focuses on helping people at or nearretirement grow, protect, and pres-erve their assets for themselves andfuture generations.

William P. Daly ‘94Dunkin Donuts/Daly/Kenney

Group, LLC, New Bedford, MA

Dunkin Donuts/AlphaRock LLC,

Sarasota, FL

Owns and operates two networks ofDunkin Donut shops in New Bedfordand the Fairhaven, Massachusetts,area and a network of stores in theSarasota, Florida, area.

Brian E. Fish ‘96Oh Yeah Comfy Inc., Gorham, ME

Designs and markets high-end casual furniture that is hand-craftedin Maine and sold throughout theworld.

Michael W. Frisbie ’90 Hunter Development Co. LLC,

East Longmeadow, MA

Provides end-to-end developmentand construction services topetroleum companies throughout the northeast United States.

Robbie P. Munce ’99 MBA ’01Munce Superior Oil, Gorham, NH

BRC Fireplace Technologies LLC

Munce's Real Estate Ventures LLC

Distributes a full line of petroleumproducts, covering all of Maine, NewHampshire, Vermont, and parts ofMassachusetts, and employs over200 from convenience store cashiersto hazardous materials transportdrivers.

Stephen Buchalter ‘90Enterprise Cleaning Corp.,

Worcester, MA

Provides commercial contract clean-ing for more than 185 facilitiesthroughout New England.

Are you a Young Alumni Business Owner(YABO)? If so, join others by addingyour name and contact information atwww.nichols.edu/yabo.

New Business Leaderscontinued from page 4


On Campus

7

The annual President's Society Dinner on Friday, October 17, 2008,

had a fantastic turnout and was a wonderful evening with alumni,

friends, parents, students, faculty and staff.

This year marked the presentation of the second President's Medal

for Distinguished Business Leadership to Oliver W. Birckhead Jr.

'42 H '07, retired chairman and CEO of Central Bancorporation,

Central Trust Company in Cincinnati (see page 6).

Your support has allowed our president, faculty and administrative

leaders to concentrate on what Nichols does best – transformation

and growth.

With your President's Society membership, we invite you to

celebrate with us at the next President's Society Dinner on Friday,

October 18, 2009. Become a new member or renew your membership

in the President's Society and help us to sustain our

remarkable success.

President’sSociety Dinner2008

Henri David Jr. ’64, Jerry Fels ’66, Bob Dorsey ’73,

Marty Power ’78

Michael Jones ’69, 2008 President’s

Society Chair, with wife, Karen

Trustees Bob Miller, Mary DeFeudis

Ryan and Michelle Fasold ’03, 2008 Nichols Fund

Chairs, with Dean Brian McCoy


On January 20th Nichols studentscrammed into Daniels Auditorium towatch CNN's coverage of the swearing

in of Barack Obama as the 44th president of theUnited States. Business students expressed bothhope and uncertainty as they reflected on theirown commitment to sacrifice for change.

During the long season of 2008 presidentialpolitics, as candidates squared off on the econ-omy, Iraq and taxes, Nichols students becameinformed players through a variety of campusactivities.

Just-in-Time CourseIn the fall, Professors Mary Trottier and PaulLambert offered a three-credit course, Hey Mr.(Madam) President: Choosing Someone WhoCan Do It Right. Students examined the prob-lems unique to each president's administrationand looked critically at the values, beliefs andissues that matter to Americans.

Campus-wideThe eighth annual Cross Campus Critical Issues(CCCI) Program focused on presidential leaders.

Its first speaker,Professor HansDespain, re-viewed the eco-nomic policiesof both JohnMcCain andBarack Obamaand told stu-dents that they"need to wakeup politically." Another CCCIspeaker, ScottRitter, a formermarine and UNweapons in-spector to Iraq

from 1991 to 1998,stated that Ameri-

can presidential politics is a "silly season”because candidates skirt issues that so desper-ately need leadership and engagement.

The culmination of theCCCI Program was an Elec-tion Night Bash in DanielsAuditorium where studentslistened to debates on Mas-sachusetts propositions asthey watched state returns.

Presidential Polls Just prior to the election,students had an opportunityto participate in a 2008Nichols Presidential Poll. Professor Lambert an-alyzed the results and announced, "As Nicholsgoes, so goes the nation," with Obama handilydefeating McCain by a vote of 51 to 29 percent.Begun by History Professor Edward Warren in1976, the poll offers insight into how theNichols community feels about key issues.

In addition, Psychology Professor Arthur McGovern compiled a new study on how CEOsof Fortune 1000 companies and Nichols stu-dents rank, in order of importance, 10 leader-ship traits valued in the next president of theUnited States. While both CEOs and studentsagree that “honesty and integrity” are #1, therewas quite a difference in the rest of the re-sponses. The corporate leaders rank “being decisive" as #2 and "moral character" as #3.Our business students chose "ability to commu-nicate well" as #2 and "intelligence" as #3.

"One key to modern-day leadership seemsbeing sensitive to how America's collective psy-chology and social context shape its leadershipneeds," says McGovern. "The historical electionof a black president demonstrates a profoundshift from a bureaucratic leadership model to amore interactive, collaborative one."

A Look at Lincoln On November 10th Chief Justice of the SupremeCourt of Rhode Island Frank J. Williams spokeon "Lincoln and Leadership." Williams, ascholar who has amassed a private Lincoln col-lection which ranks among our nation's largestand finest, stated: "Leadership requires that youstay the course even when you have to standalone. It requires a commitment to mission even

Presidential Leadership Takes Center Stage

Student David McLean

is all smiles.

Professor Mary Trottier, who chaired theNichols Election Night Bash, looks assurprised as President-elect Barack Obama

The Wales-based Edwin Mellen Press re-cently published Dr. Karen Tipper’s JaneWilde’s Letter to Lotten von Kraemer,1857-1885, the first of a multi-volume series. Lady Wilde, Oscar Wilde’s lovingmother, was a fiery poet and Irish patriot.The book was awarded The Adèle MellenPrize for its distinguished contribution toscholarship.

Professor Tipper AwardedThe Adèle Mellen Prize

when presented with personal and profes-sional obstacles.

"On February 12, 2009, our nation willcelebrate the 200th anniversary of AbrahamLincoln's birth," said Williams. "Do you thinkhe [Lincoln] ever imagined there would be anAfrican-American president elected by theUnited States?"

On Campus

COGHLIN RECEIVES2008 ISAIAH THOMASAWARD Trustee James W. Coghlin Sr. ’67 hasbeen named the 2008 recipient of the Isaiah Thomas Award by the Telegram & Gazette and honored at an awards pro-gram in Mechanics Hall on February 26th.The Isaiah Thomas Award, presented since1950, is given to a person in Central Mas-sachusetts who has made an outstandingcontribution to society.

"Jim Coghlin exemplifies the essence of a Nichols College alumnus – a strongbusiness foundation, a drive for excellenceand a steadfast commitment to the better-ment of community. As well, he is a dedi-cated and valued Nichols trustee, and weare deeply appreciative of all he has doneto strengthen this college," said PresidentDebra M. Townsley. "He well-deservesthis wonderful honor."

Nichols does a yeoman’s job with seasonal tradi-tions that have become an anchor of support toour neighbors in surrounding communities.

It starts in October when 100 children from theWebster-Dudley Boys & Girls Club trick-or-treat acrosscampus. The event was organized by the Arts and Enter-tainment Club and included pictures in front of ConradHall with President Debra Townsley and a Halloweenparty in the Bison’s Den.

Another staple is our Tickets for Tots Program, a popular way for students to donate a holiday toy to a child in need in lieu of paying the fine on a parkingticket. Says Jack Caufield, director of Public Safety, “We consider a ticket paid-in-full for each unwrapped, non-violent toy donated with a value of $10.00.” The Nichols Student-Athlete Advisory Council supplemented the Tickets for Tots drive this season by collecting bags and bags oftoys dropped off to the Public Safety Office during finals week by student-athletes Tim Smith and

MaryLynn Skarzenski.

The last tradition of giving before New Year’s isour faculty and staff donation of food stuffs dur-ing the annual Christmas party organized byHuman Resources Director Rick Woods. DonnaFarrow, director of the Webster-Dudley FoodPantry which received all of our toys, cash con-tributions and foodstuffs, sent a note of thanksto the College: “We are able to help our neigh-bors in crisis because you care.”

Good Neighbors Share Seasonal Joy

Left: President

Debra Townsley

and the Boys &

Girls Club

Below: Tim Smith,

MaryLynn

Skarzenski, Jack

Caufield

President Debra Townsley,

Donna Farrow, Rick Woods

On Campus


On Campus


An increased number of business gradu-ates are entering the sport industrywhich has experienced dynamic growth.

To ensure a competitive edge, Nichols sportmanagement majors are required to completeboth a sport management internship and an internship portfolio.

As part of this focus, Nichols Sport Management Chair Colleen Colles recently co-authored "Outcome Assessment: The InternshipPortfolio" with Jo Williams from the Universityof Southern Maine, which appeared in the Fall2008 issue of Academic Exchange Quarterly.The purpose of the study was to develop aframework for assessing learning outcomesusing 15 student portfolios submitted byNichols juniors and seniors who completed internships of at least 400 hours.

The study found that portfolios did showthat students had learned broad-based skillsand curriculum content within the practicallyoriented framework of the internships. Withinthe sport management discipline, internshipportfolios provide a valuable assessment toolthat can highlight a range of student skills aswell as link theory with practice. Large sportingvenues look at these portfolios to determinewhich entry-level sport managers understandthe complexities of the business world and candevelop strategies for success.

Junior Melissa Mansfield thrived in her recent internship and believes her portfolio developed from the experience will be a key toher success in landing an entry-level position.“While here on campus, I kept in touch with myformer high school hockey coach, and he wasinstrumental in getting me an interview withthe New York Islanders’ internship coordinatorat their corporate headquarters in Plainview,N.Y. She told me that she gave me the intern-ship position because she thought I presentedmyself well.”

Mansfield worked 40 hours a week fromMay 19 to August 14 as an intern in customerservice and ticket sales. She feels it was thechance of a lifetime because it gave her an

opportunity to network. Her responsibilities included sending out mailers to season ticketholders, making phone calls to set up inter-views, cold calling businesses for event sponsorship opportunities, and participating inthe Prospect Camp at Ice Works in Syosset. Sheparticularly loved playing goalie during staff icetime at the Nassau Coliseum.

“For my internship project,” says Mansfield,“I researched which of 74 promotional eventswere the most successful and found out thatthe mini camps targeting 6-12-year-old kidswere the most successful in promoting the teamand increasing ticket sales. The Islanders appre-ciated this feedback.”

Right now, Mansfield is taking a sport fi-nance class and a coaching class, enjoying both.“I loved my internship” she says, “and hope toeventually land a position with the New York Islanders working with community youth promoting ice hockey.”

Melissa Mansfield shows off her

portfolio in front of Davis Hall.

Sport Management Internships Assessed

Within the sport management discipline, internship portfolios provide a valuable assessment tool that can highlight

a range of student skills as well as link theory with practice.

Nichols College continues to find ways to grow diver-sity on campus and promote student-run clubs whichshare unique backgrounds and perspectives. Last fallHardik Kohli ’09 from New Delhi, India, started theInternational Student Association on campus.

“ISA demonstrates that our students want to ex-pose each other to their own diverse experiences,”says Associate Dean of Business Libba Moore.“Today’s business education isn’t world-class if itdoesn’t include exposure to a diverse world.”

“ISA adds a new level of richness and depth to the Nichols College learning experience,” addsClub Advisor Susan Wayman, who feels the club complements Nichols’ dual degree program withEuropean University, the Fischer Institute’s affiliation with Regent’s College in London, our Interna-tional Business Program, and academic enhancement programs such as student business trips to locations as far away as Beijing.

“We hope that ISA helps Nichols students see themselves as global citizens,” says ISA PresidentSamantha Grenier,“as well as expand their cultural sensitivity in an increasingly cross-culturalbusiness environment.”

(L to R) ISA President Samantha Grenier,

Ji-Young Kim, Secretary Alicia Abrams, Nick

Bessette, Lindsey McKellick, Hardik Kohli,

Vice President Jessica Lundberg, Matt

McManus, Danny Tamayo, Lindsey Johnson

Curious About the World

Some trace the beginnings of operations man-agement to Adam’s Smith’s division of labor in his 1776 book The Wealth of Nations and Eli Whitney’s effort to solve operation manage-ment issues in 1798. But it wasn’t until the

Operations Management Classes Rooted in Reality late 1950s when business scholars took a very serious look at the importance of viewingproduction operations as systems.

Each semester Management Chair ArtDuhaime asks his students to roll up their

sleeves and review business operations in thereal world.

Students work in teams to analyze opera-tions in local businesses, from manufacturers of saws, gaskets, and glass containers, to a dairyfarm and boutique hotel. Presentations arefilled with textbook concepts such as supplierrelationship management, inventory manage-ment, benchmarking, outsourcing, just-in-timeproduction, and third-party logistics.

“To develop business leaders who can driveorganizational performance, we need to supple-ment classroom learning with field work on issues facing managers today,” says Duhaime. “It keeps us practically focused, and we end up with great discussions about each companyreviewed.”

Professor Art Duhaime (center) with a few

of his Operations Management students

On Campus


On Campus


Nichols Offers Hospitality

Nichols graduates will soon have the opportunity to shine in an-other industry, as the College’s Board of Trustees recently approveda new business specialization, hospitality management.

The hospitality field offers opportunities in a number of venues: hotels, restaurants, casinos, convention centers, theme parks, cruiselines and travel and tourism. The US Department of Labor projectsjobs in the industry to grow faster than the average for all occupa-tions through 2014. What’s more, people with a college degree inhotel or hospitality management are expected to have the best op-portunities at upscale and luxury hotels.

“There is a need for graduates in this field and an interest onthe part of our students,” says Alan Reinhardt, PhD, vice presidentof academic affairs. “Also, revenues at these sites continue to risedespite downturns that may occur in the greater economy.”

The hospitality management specialization at Nichols will require knowledge and understanding of a variety of business disciplines including management, marketing, accounting, financeand strategy. Among the proposed courses are introduction to thehospitality industry, resort and conference management, facility operations, human resources, and issues in the industry. The special-ization would also require an internship.

Over the next year, the College will recruit a chair to develop theprogram with the hopes of introducing the new specialization in the2010-2111 academic year.

Job Placement Remains Strong for New Grads

Despite a tight job market, 95 percent of Nichols Class of 2008 found em-ployment within six months of graduation with an average starting salaryof $40,000.

"Our 10-year average job placement history of 95 percent demon-strates the great value of a Nicholseducation," states President DebraM. Townsley. "As a private businesscollege, we are committed to provid-ing professional and career prepara-tion and its ability to realize a returnon educational investment to our students and their parents. With thetough economic times ahead, I amvery proud of our steadfast focus on preparing graduates to enter careers critical to American society –as leaders in providing solutions."

Construction crews working on Copper Beech II were eager to install thebuilding’s roof before the onslaught of winter. Nichols’ newest residencefacility is scheduled to open for the fall semester.

The Sprouting of Copper Beech II


Athletics

Football (2-8, 0-7 NEFC Boyd)

The Bison struggledthis season, but sawseven players earnpost-season honors.Junior LawrenceScott (Oxford, Mass.)led the NEFC andranked eighth in thenation in kick-returns,was named an ECACDIII New England All-Star, earned NEFC First-Team and All-Worcester Area Second Team honors. Senior linebacker Josh Harris (North-bridge, Mass.) was named NEFC and All-Worcester Area First Team while junior defen-sive lineman Bill Hassett (Oxford, Mass.)earned All-Worcester Area First Team and NEFCSecond Team honors. Junior running back An-thony Pillari (Lumberton, N.J.) was named tothe NEFC First Team and the All-Worcester AreaSecond Team. Junior offensive lineman BrandtGenga (Middletown, R.I.) was named to boththe NEFC and All-Worcester Area Second Teams.Senior running back Robert Morris (Mel-bourne, Fla.) earned Second Team All-Worces-

ter Area honors, andsenior safety DavidMcLean (San Anto-nio, Texas) wasnamed to the NEFCSecond Team.

Golf

The Bison had anothertremendous season,winning top team

honors in seven of 11 events, and taking homethe Division III title at the NEIGA Championship.The Bison placed fourth overall among all threedivisions – the best finish ever at the champi-onship. Junior Pat Pio (Somers, Conn.) placedin a five-way tie for eighth place on the individ-ual leader board and senior Chris Healy(Charlton, Mass.) finished tied for 15th as bothtook home All-New England honors. Nichols finished second at the TCCC Championship,paced by Pio, Healy and junior Shawn Santos(Agawam, Mass.), who finished second, thirdand fourth respectively.

Men’s Soccer (11-10-1, 6-6-1 TCCC)

The Bison won seven of its last 10 games andmade their first-ever TCCC Championship andECAC Tournament appearances. The seventhseed in the TCCC tournament, the Bison upsetsecond-seeded Roger Williams, 1-0, in the open-ing round and third-seeded Curry in the semifi-nals, 2-1, before losing 3-1 loss to top-seededWestern New England College in the title game.In the ECAC New England Championship Tour-nament, the Bison fell to Eastern ConnecticutState, 5-0. The team was extremely young –Nichols was led in scoring by a trio of first-yearplayers in David Johnson (Canterbury,Conn.), Brian Sanz (Framingham, Mass.), andMark Capitanio (Mansfield, Mass.)

Field Hockey (9-10, 5-3 TCCC)

The team held home field advantage for theTCCC playoffs, but was edged by sixth-seededSalve Regina, 2-1, in penalty strokes in the quar-terfinals. The Bison clinched the third seed inthe tournament with a 4-1 win at Western NewEngland College in the regular-season finale,snapping a four-game skid. Sophomore EileenClinton (Londonderry, N.H.) paced the of-fense with 22 points on eight goals and six as-sists, while Sarah Bailey (Athol, Mass.) addedeight goals and three assists for 19 points. Senior back Brittney Case (Cambridge, N.Y.)anchored the defense and also picked up fivegoals and an assist. Junior goalkeeperMaryKate Bednarz (Springfield, Mass.)posted the third-best goals against average inthe league at 1.83. Case and senior midfielderJackie Dwyer (Enfield, Conn.) earned FirstTeam All-TCCC accolades, while Bednarz andClinton were awarded Second Team honorsfrom the league. Case also earnedLongstreth/NFHCA Division III New EnglandEast All-Region Second Team accolades.

Women’s Soccer (10-8-1, 6-6-1 TCCC)

The Bison returnedto the TCCC playoffsafter a three-yearhiatus, but fell totop-seeded Endicott,1-0, in the quarterfi-nals. First-year mid-fielder ChelseaShaughnessy (Hali-fax, Mass.) totaled

25 points on 10 goals and five assists, rankingin the league’s top 10 in goals. All-TCCC SecondTeam honoree Kaila Gray (Pembroke, N.H.)recorded eight goals and a pair of assists. TheBison outscored opponents 51-25 on the sea-son, and set a program record for goals in agame in an 11-2 win over Becker on Sept. 25,part of a four-game win streak during whichNichols posted three shutouts and outscoredopponents 27-2.

Women’s Tennis (10-6, 6-4 TCCC)

The team set a program record for wins in aseason, and Head Coach Paul Brower becamethe winningest head coach in program history,wrapping up the season with 32 career victo-ries. The Bison claimed home court and thefourth seed in the TCCC tournament, but wereousted in the first round by fifth-seeded RogerWilliams, 5-4. Four players earned All-TCCChonors, including career singles record holderJessica Porter (Melrose, Mass.), whowrapped up her career with 43 singles wins,and junior Molly McGuire (East Sandwich,Mass.), both of whom earned First Team singlesaccolades. Porter picked up First Team honors atdoubles with first-year player Chelsey Miller(Salem, Conn.) Miller also earned a spot onthe Honorable Mention squad at singles. JuniorMaria Balabanova (Moscow, Russia) wasawarded Honorable Mention in singles, and indoubles with McGuire.

Nichols College is a member of the East-ern Collegiate Athletic Conference(ECAC), The Commonwealth Coast Con-ference (TCCC), New England FootballConference Boyd Division (NEFC) and theNew England Intercollegiate Golf Associ-ation (NEIGA).

Men's Soccer Team makes it to the TCCC Finals

Lawrence Scott

Chris Healy

Kaila Gray

Fall Sports Recap

Athletics


Few college hockey players score 100 points intheir careers. Far fewer college hockey teamshave two 100-point scorers on a team at onetime. But at Nichols College, the men’s hockeyteam has both, in senior forwards AnthonyMonte and Ryan Gervais.

The pair, both from the Chicago suburb ofNorthlake, Ill., knew of each other grow-ing up. “We met playing baseball whenwe were really young. Then, there was abig gap,” explains Monte. “Then weplayed against each other in youthhockey. So we knew of each other, but Iguess our official meeting came in jun-iors.” The high-scoring duo becamefriends when they played for theChicago Force of the Central StatesHockey League.

Monte and Gervais, both in theirthird year as assistant captains, were re-cruited to come to Nichols together, andwhile the opportunity to build a hockeyprogram was indeed a draw for both, the Col-lege offered much more. Gervais liked the busi-ness curriculum and campus layout, whileMonte enjoyed the small class size.

“By us, a lot of people go to Northern Illi-nois University,” says Monte.”My sister and acouple of my best friends went there. When Iwent to visit and sat in on some of the classes,there were about 500 people, and nobody askedquestions.”

In four years skating for Head Coach LouIzzi, Monte and Gervais have led a renaissancein the Nichols College men’s hockey program,which hadn’t finished over .500 in 28 seasonsprior to the arrival of their recruiting class.

Their start at Nichols was strikingly similarto that in Chicago. The Bison finished 18-7 intheir rookie campaign – a marked turnaroundfrom a 4-17-2 record the season before –and returned to the playoffs after an 11-yearabsence.

“We did pretty well our first season [inChicago], which was the first year the team wasin existence,” Gervais relates. “It was kind ofthe same feeling as our first year here – build-ing a program. We bonded as a team and feltlike a family right off the bat, just like our fresh-man year here. It was easy to become friendsright away.”

The wins kept coming for the Bison. Thenext season they returned to the postseason,

suffering a lopsided loss to Curry College in the quarterfinals, much like the season beforewhen they dropped a four-goal game to UMassDartmouth.

In 2007-08, however, Nichols made its mark,winning a program-record 20 games, led byMonte’s league-leading 51 points. The Bison re-

turned to the play-offs, this timewinning their quar-terfinal and semifinalgames before facingoff with UMass Dart-mouth in the pro-gram’s first-everECAC Northeastchampionship game.Gervais put up animpressive 41 pointson the year, and net-ted the game-

winning goal againstBecker College in theopening round of theplayoffs.

The Bison, how-ever, saw their seasoncome to an end with16.9 seconds left inthat championshipgame when UMassDartmouth broke a 3-3tie to win its third-straight ECAC Northeasttournament title.

It seems like the line mates would feel areal sense of accomplishment for all thatthey’ve done in their time on the ice at Nichols.But Monte indicates that while personal accom-plishments, like being second on the school’sall-time points chart, are nice, the team’sachievements lie still ahead.

“It’s a good step in the right direction to ac-complishment,” he comments. “The champi-onship game last year was a big dent in ourcollege hockey lives. For basically two-thirds ofthe game we outplayed the other team, and Ithink we deserved to win. The regular season isstill going on. We know we can win games, weknow we’re going to win games. It’s just when

it gets down to it, I think for everybody, espe-cially on last year’s team, accomplishment isgoing to come after the third period of the[championship] game.”

With the toughest part of the Bison’s sched-ule coming up – they close out the regular sea-son with eight-straight league games, with fiveon the road – they know that this is when it“gets down to it.”

“We knew coming in it would be a chal-lenge. We had that in our personality, like ‘Let’sdo this, we want to take it on,’” says Monte ofwhen he and Gervais joined the Bison back inthe fall of 2005.

With four other seniors – goaltender KeithFink, and defensemen Jeff Bieber and GlenCacaro along with captain Cole Ruwe – aspart of the leadership core, the team is a tight-knit group, ready to take on the next step.

“The same guys that sit next to each otherin the locker room aren’t the same guys that sitnext to each other on the bus or at the dinnertable,” comments Monte. “I think we’re allpretty good friends, some better than others,

but I guess just as seniors we share alittle bit more – we’ve seen each otherevery day for the past four years.”

“I think we’re pretty tight, too,”adds Gervais. “We’ve been here sincethe beginning, since the first day andfour years later we’re still here. I thinkif any of us left, it’d be different.”

But what is that next step? In unison, the pair answers simply,

“Championship.” And after that? “If we win the conference then we

get the NCAA bid and we’ll take it onegame at a time,” says Monte. “But tasting de-feat last year is in the back of our minds.”

In the back of fans’ minds is how AnthonyMonte and Ryan Gervais helped turn aroundthe Nichols men’s hockey program to bring itnot just steps ahead, but strides.

At press time, the Bison were ranked14th in the USCHO.com Division III poll and posted a 20-3 record, whichtied the program record for wins in a season.

Seniors Monte and Gervais Heat Up the Ice

Top: Anthony Monte

Right: Ryan Gervais

Athletics


BISON Pride, a program designed to encourage goodsportsmanship by student-athletes, coaches, and fans ofNichols College athletics, was officially adopted as theNichols College athletics sportsmanship program code onApril 11, 2008.

In August, plaques, posters and banners displayingBISON Pride were posted throughout the athletic center,including offices, locker rooms and competition sites, aswell as around campus, extending the program to the entire campus community. Athleticteams display the BISON Pride motto on their practice gear, and the code is present at athleticevents – both on game programs and in cheers heard from the crowd. At the bottom of everyBISON Pride poster and plaque is a quote from Henry Ford: “Coming together is a beginning.Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

The sportsmanship program code, unveiled by the Student Athlete Advisory Committee atthe annual networking dinner states, “All as one (Student-athletes, Coaches, Faculty, Staff, andFans) we unite through NICHOLS COLLEGE athletics, to represent our community by:

Business – Applying ourselves to all matters in and out of the classroom;

Inspire – Encouraging teammates and opponents in a positive manner;

Strive – Making steady efforts toward a common goal;

Opportunity – Creating advantages for others through benevolent acts; and

Neighboring – Benefiting and accepting individuals within our campus and surrounding community.”

The BISON Pride initiative has led to the creation of The Herd, a fan support group whichheld its first rally on December 8th to encourage members to cheer in a positive manner. Therally featured a lip-synching contest won decidedly by the men’s lacrosse team, and openedwith an address from Director of Athletics Charlie Robert, who talked about fan sportsman-ship behavior.

For the Nichols College community, where “Your Success is Our Business,” the BISON Prideinitiative shows that good sports-manship, both on and off the court,is business as usual.

The Pride of The Herd

Senior point guard MaryLynn Skarzenski(Woodbridge, N.J.) became the 11th player inNichols women’s basketball history to score1,000 career points on Nov. 22, as part of a 16-point night against Worcester State in the con-solation game of the 28th annual WorcesterCity Tournament hosted by WPI. Skarzenski,who reached the milestone by sinking a pair offree throws at the 16:51 mark of the secondhalf, added seven steals and four assists on theday to lead the Bison to an 81-61 victory overthe Lancers. She came into the 2008-09 seasonholding the program records for assists (489)and steals (309) and needed just 36 points tohit 1,000 at the start of the year.

The men’s lacrosse team took

the trophy for the lip-syncing

contest sponsored by BISON

Pride at the The Herd’s first

rally in December. Members of

the Nichols Herd must abide by

these ABCs: (A) No alcohol or

illegal substances at games; (B)

Make sure your behavior is

positive as you cheer on your

team and (C) Be respectful of

the other team.

1,000 Points


The festivities began on Friday with a golf tournament for ice hockeyalumni, at Dudley Hill Golf Club. Later that night, the Alumni Awards &Hall of Fame Dinner in Daniels Auditorium featured Stephen A. Davis ’80

who was awarded the Alumni Achievement Award and Henri M. David Jr. ’64who was awarded the Ken Thompson Service Award. During the evening Rita A. Gatzke, a Nichols employee, was recognized with the posthumous awardingof honorary alumna; and Ryan Ankstitus ’01, Kevin Latraverse ’79, ChrisMcWade ’81, Julie (O’Brien) Barker ’00, and Brian St. Peter ’03 were in-ducted into the Nichols College Athletic Hall of Fame. Also on Friday night, cele-brating their 5th reunion, the Class of ’03 met for dinner at Sakura Tokyo inWorcester, Mass.

The following morning, President Debra Townsley welcomed alumni at thePresident’s Breakfast where she shared the latest Nichols news. Tours wereavailable on the beautiful fall day as alumni were able to see not only the entire campus, but the new suite-style residence facility, Copper Beech I. Therewere also plenty of sporting events for alumni to enjoy as women’s tennis,men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, and football were all in action. Laterthat night, the Class of ’48 celebrated their 60th reunion with a dinner at ThePublick House in Sturbridge, Mass.

President Townsley with Bob Green ’48

and wife Rose, and Larry Student ’48

and wife Barbara

Ken Thompson

Award winner

Henri M.

David Jr ’64

with wife

Elizabeth and

President

Townsley

Class of

’83

Ice Hockey

Alumni

Homecoming Weekend 2008 saw

Lee McNelly ’69

with wife Nancy

Family of senior

defensive back

Terrence Mayrose ’09

u

u

u

u


Mark your calendar for Homecoming 2009!Homecoming weekend 2009 will be held on Friday, September 25th andSaturday, September 26th. We will be celebrating reunions for classes that end in “4”or “9.” If you are a member of a reunion class and wish to help, please contact us at [email protected] or toll free at 866-622-4766.

New Athletic Hall of Fame

member Kevin Latraverse ’79

and family

Class of ’0

3

New Alumni

a record number of alumni return to the Hill!

Paul Newman MBA

’01 and family

Kathryn Mitchell ’06

reuniting with a friend

u

u

Baseball alumni

showing Bison

Pride

u

u

Tailgating with

the Class of ’03

u


As business professionals, we all know the importance of word of mouth

marketing. We now call on you, our Nichols College alumni, to start

spreading the word on our behalf. Your own professional and personal

accomplishments demonstrate how your Nichols career-focused education

prepared you to succeed in the real world. As a Nichols graduate, you can

now provide the one-on-one attention and encouragement that can make

a difference.

If you know of a student in your area considering Nichols, share your

experiences on the quality of the campus and community environment,

your interaction with our experienced and accessible faculty members,

the camaraderie of the athletic teams or the clubs you may have joined,

and, in general, the opportunities you had to learn, lead, participate

and play.

We ask that you help us recruit the next generation of Nichols College

graduates. We cannot over emphasize how powerful and positive an

impact you can have on prospective students and their families.

The best business college value in New England offering:

n A career-focused business education

n Accessible and mentoring faculty and staff

n Friendly, welcoming environment

n Affordablility through grants and scholarships

n Competitive advantages for success upon graduation

Nichols College strives to developtomorrow’s leaders through a dynamic, career-focused business education.

n 1 in 10 of our graduates becomes a CEO,

corporate president or business owner

n 95% of our 2008 graduates were employed in

work related to their majors within 6 months

of graduation, earning an average salary

of $40,000


Spread the word!Call 800-479-3379 or email [email protected], to request more information.

If you would like us to make contact with a student that you believe would be a

good match for Nichols, let us know by going to www.nichols.edu/alumnifriends

and clicking on the “Refer-A-Student” link.

Nichols College is the best businesscollege value in New England...


If you are one of the record number of alumni who

were able to make it back to the Hill this fall for

Homecoming, then I’m sure you witnessed the

contagious excitement and energy around campus. I was thrilled to reconnect with

former classmates and meet new members of the Nichols family. The highlight of

the day for me was witnessing how much fun the members of class reunion years

were having, many of whom had not seen each other since graduation.

Yet, reunions do not have to happen on only one weekend per year. In fact,

reunion plans are currently underway for forestry alumni, hockey alumni, lacrosse

alumni, members of the Nichols Fire Department, the Rugby Club, the women’s

soccer and softball teams, and members of classes ending in a “4” or a “9.” The

class reunions will take place during Homecoming 2009 on September 25 and 26

while the volunteers planning the affinity reunions mentioned above have chosen

dates/times of year that work best for their participants. For example, lacrosse

alumni will meet for the second year in a row at Gillette Stadium to attend the

NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships and a dinner reception on campus, while

softball alumni plan to meet up for a home game in the spring.

The success of class reunions and affinity reunions depend heavily upon the

efforts of the alumni volunteers who organize them. I’d like to recognize the

volunteers who helped make Homecoming 2008 such a fun weekend for their

former classmates and/or teammates: Diane Bellerose ’88, Susan (Lundie)

Demel ’83, Michael Donehey ’83, Jessica Fiore ’03, Robert Green ’48,

Jennifer Mackin Gustafson ’98, John Harrison ’68, David Rice ’80, and

Alvah Rock ’63.

If you’d like to plan a class reunion or a gathering with former teammates or

club members please let me know. I am always happy to help. As always, I am

open to all ideas and/or questions; feel free to share them with me. This is our alma

mater, and each member of our alumni body can make a positive difference for

Nichols. I look forward to another successful year of alumni receptions, reunions

and gatherings.

I can be reached toll free at 866-622-4766 or via email at [email protected].

Connect to yourclassmates online

Facebook – www.facebook.com

To join Facebook, follow the instructionsprovided on the Facebook website.

Once registered, you can join the Nichols alumnigroup by typing “Nichols Bison” in the searchbox on the top right-hand side of the page.“Nichols Bison” will appear as the first result inyour search with the NC Logo as the profilepicture. Click “Add as Friend” to join the group.Once we receive your request we will confirmyour membership.

LinkedIn – www.linkedin.com

To join LinkedIn, follow the instructions on theLinkedIn website.

Once registered, you can join the Nichols groupby clicking “Groups” on the left-hand side menu.On the next page you will see a search box onthe right-hand side; type “Nichols College” andthe Nichols group will appear first on your searchresults. You will see “Kristy Cullivan” listed asthe owner of the group and you should click“Join the Group.” Once we receive your requestwe will confirm your membership.

MySpace – www.myspace.com

To join MySpace, click the “Sign Up” tab on theright side of the MySpace website.

Once you have an account, you can type“Nichols Bison” into the search bar at the top ofthe page. Before you hit “Search,” you shouldclick the drop down menu that says, “Web” andthen click on “People.” “Nichols Bison” will bethe first result on your search page, with ConradHall as the profile picture. Click “Add to Friends”to join the group. Once we receive your requestwe will confirm your membership.

A View from the HillBy Kristy Cullivan’00 MBA ’02

Director of Alumni Relations

Alumni


Please send your news directly to your

class scribe. If you do not have a class

scribe, news may be forwarded to

[email protected]. Digital images

are preferred, but please do not crop

them! The higher the resolution the

better – 300 dpi (dots per inch) is best.

Digital images may be sent directly to

the Alumni Relations Office –

[email protected]. Prints may be

sent to: Nichols College, Alumni

Relations Office, P.O. Box 5000,

Dudley, MA 01571.

1940 C l a s s S c r i b e

Richard McLellan

3436 Button Bush Dr.Zellwood, FL 32798-9620407-886-5539

[email protected]


Stanley Finn70 Franklin St.

Northampton, MA 01060-2039

413-586-0886

1949Robert C. Luse shares that he and his

wife are entering their eighteenth year

of operating a bed and breakfast

business located in the beautiful historic

Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.


Robert Risk309 Conestoga Rd.

Wayne, PA 19087-4009

610-688-8242

F ro m t h e C l a s s S c r i b e …

I can gladly report that I have heard

from the following classmates in the

past six months and they are all doing

well: Charlie Foote, Dick Kosse, Al

Hanlon, Allan Dunn, Bob Bacon,

Charlie Bernard, Whip Crossman,

Alden Ingraham, Bill Sprague, Harry

Rogers, Walt Peters, Fred Levitan,

Dave Graham, Bill Swett, Tom


Roger Parker

HC 67 Box 6

Nogal, NM 88341-9700

505-354-0539

[email protected]


William Gallagher

7122 Oak Fairway

Tulsa, OK 74132

[email protected]


I recently received a wonderful note

from Bob Benowitz who shared a

thank-you note to the Class of 1954

from Ryan Edwards, the first recipient

of our $2,500 scholarship.

I would like to share the student’s

note:

“Thank you for your generous

support of students at Nichols College.

As a recipient of the Class of 1954

Scholarship, I feel very fortunate to have

been selected. I am currently a junior at

Nichols College and I am majoring in

economics and marketing with a minor

in sport management. This scholarship

will be very helpful to me in continuing

my education. I thank you again for your

generosity.”

Ryan is a bright student at Nichols

and is active in the Legal Studies Club,

treasurer of the Student Government

Association, and someday wants to

become a CEO of a Fortune 500

company.

We are the first class to offer such a

scholarship at Nichols College. I ask at

this time for my class members to

continue to support our alumni fund and

build it up to $50,000 so that we can

double our scholarship to $5,000 and

eventually help it reach a point to pay

for most of the student’s tuition.

(Remember to specify “Class of 1954

Scholarship” on your gift.)

And class members, do your best to

make our 55th class reunion in

September 2009.

I would also like to share that I just

celebrated my 48th wedding anniversary

on November 25, 2008.

Hyland, Jeronimo Esteve-Abril,

Homer Jones, Guy Dyer, Bob Hill, and

Bill Lawson.


Tom Bartsch30 Archers Mead

Williamsburg, VA 23185-6582

757- 221-8199


Hope you all had a pleasant 2008! I did

hear from a few, but wish I had heard

from more of you with even a short note

or email.

Ed Dana retired a number of years

ago, settling down at The Landings in

Savannah, GA. He is enjoying the area

very much.

I received a note from Dorothy Lott

informing me that Bob passed away

earlier in the year.

Ralph Bates was a great source of

information. He lives in Manchester,

MA, and is enjoying his retirement

years. He recently made a very generous

contribution to the Jimmy Fund in

Boston. He told me that Steve Miller is

retired and living in Centerville, MA.

He also filled me in on Jack Talbot who

lives in Chicago as well as Sarasota, FL.

He spent many years with Xerox and

Ralph says he enjoys a good cigar.

Bill Roberts retired from Crum &

Forster as underwriting manager in

1995. Married 53 years, he has two

daughters, five grandchildren and three

great grandchildren. He enjoys retire-

ment in the North Georgia Mountains

and bi-yearly trips to the beach.

As for me, I retired in 1993. Peg and

I moved from Rye, NY, to Williamsburg,

VA, to a community called Kingsmill,

where the LPGA has their tournament

every year. I am enjoying golf, tennis

and courses at the College of William

and Mary. We recently took a trip to the

Black Sea with stops in Istanbul, Russia,

Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, and south

to Israel, Cyprus and Egypt.

That is about it for now, but please

drop me a line for the next issue of

Nichols College Magazine.

Alumni / Class Notes




Bruce I. Haslun16 Gilder Point Ct.

Simpsonville, SC 29681

[email protected]

Charles R. “Pete” Smith recently

completed a 160-page book titled

A Postcard History of Marion,

Massachusetts, time span 1900-1950,

published by the Sippican Historical and

Preservation Society and Spinner

Publications Inc.


Warren Bender3604 Kingsley Dr.

Myrtle Beach, SC 29588-7714

843-215-1277

[email protected]


Talk about bad timing. One week after

my scribe notes were due for the

previous edition of Nichols College

Magazine, I had contact with some of

the Goodell Hall gang and not enough

time to submit. Here is the latest on my

“REDS” stool mates.

Barry “Gordo” Gordon spent 20

years with Champion Int. Paper in sales

and management. He worked in Ohio,

Chicago, St. Louis, and Dallas. For the

past 13 years he has owned a small retail

operation selling kites, banners, wind

socks, and the like in the St. Louis area.

Easing away from it to travel more, he

and his wife, Susan, visit kids and

families in St. Louis, San Antonia, and

Jacksonville, FL.

Harvey “Earl” Sykes is presently an

accounting executive with BG Balmer &

Co., which is a division of Univest

Insurance. He and his wife, Gloria, are

coming up on their 30th anniversary and

have a 28-year-old daughter. He is

looking to retire in the next couple of

years after 40 years in commercial

insurance.

Carl “Gillis” Gilbert (my “roomie”)

has been retired from Bristol Meyers

since 2001 and is really enjoying the

retirement scene. He works part time at a

golf course, enjoying the luxury of


Charlie Howe

May-September

383 North 3rd St.

Surf City, NJ 08008-4926

[email protected]

October- April

17468 Cornflower Lane

Punta Gorda, FL 33955

941-575-8150


I’ll start off with an administrative note.

You may be wondering why your emails

got bounced back from me. Well, a

rainstorm wiped out my browser and we

are in the process of buying a new lap

top. In the meantime the “tele” still

works and US Postal is still delivering

no matter where we may be.

Kate and I had a busy summer on

Long Beach Island. Aside from a

pacemaker replacement, knee surgery,

and a recurring bout with gout, the old

“whale” is on the move and looking

forward to a winter of sailboat racing in

southwest Florida. For all of you die-

hard Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox fans,

there is always 2009. GO PHILLIES!

If your winter plans call for a visit to

SW Florida, please call or stop by and

visit. In late February we usually have

an alumni gathering in Sarasota and

Naples, which has always been a great

time. A note to my friend Bruce Haslun

and the class of ’63: Sorry we missed

your reunion. Kate and I are hoping to

get back to the Hill this year.

What a great tribute to Dave

Lombard ’65 in the last issue of Nichols

College Magazine. From us to you:

Thank you for all that you and Susan

have done for Nichols, and the great

example you have set. It’s an honor to

have known you.

To my classmates, hoping that you

and yours are in good health and

enjoying a full life. Till next time…

Don’t forget your donation to the

Nichols Fund. Thank you Ale

[Peterson], Dick [Makin], and George

[Withington] for your President’s Circle

gifts to Nichols.

1955John Katori was

inducted into the

Bartlett High School

Sports Hall of Fame.

A 1949 graduate of

Bartlett, Katori

played football,

basketball and

baseball, and was

awarded the American Legion Good

Citizen Award in 1949. According to the

Hall of Fame Committee, “John Katori

seems to have changed each community

in which he has been a member. His

dedication and commitment to the local,

educational, and athletic communities

are unparalleled.” Katori is also profes-

sor emeritus at Nichols, where he taught

and coached for more than 40 years.


Arthur Fries

225 Via San Remo

Lido Isle

Newport Beach, CA 92663-5511

949-673-7190

[email protected]


Kent Tarrant

45 Valley View Dr.

P.O. Box 496

Hampden, MA 01036-0496

413-566-5130

[email protected]

1958Harold P. Jurgens reports that he is

alive and well at 70 and living in Cairo,

NY. He has two children and two

grandchildren and enjoys retirement by

traveling across the US in his motor

home. He sends his regards to the Class

of 1958 and hopes everyone is doing

well.

u

John Katori



having free golf. He also volunteers his

time to AARP during tax season. He and

his wife, Betsy, are lucky to have most

of their family close to them so they get

to see the grandkids that range from 3

months to 7 years. Carl, like me, was

blessed to beat prostate cancer in 2004.

Bob “Gas” Gascoyne enlisted in the

army right after graduation under the

College Option Program. Then he

attended the Infantry Officers Candidate

School as a sergeant, was commissioned

as a second lieutenant, and completed

airborne training. He then returned home

to marry his high school sweetheart,

Marion, all some 42 years ago. In the

service he was decorated many times

including the Vietnam Cross of

Gallantry and two Bronze Stars. He

received an honorable discharge as a

first lieutenant. His working career

began in operations and, after working

for several known companies (Abbot

Labs, 3M, Cooper Labs), he retired as

the division vice president of logistics

for the Konica-Minolta Co. Bob and

Marion lived in Wayne, NJ, for 40 years

and have two daughters and four

grandchildren. They have moved to Ft.

Myers, FL, and spend time visiting

family in Maine and Texas.

Lila and I had the pleasure of

meeting up with the Gascoynes, Gilbert,

Mike McCarthy, and Lew Gelman ’65

and his wife, Carol, for dinner in New

Jersey in September when I was on the

way back from New York for my 50th

high school reunion. All my “Nicky

Mates” looked great and the evening

was most enjoyable. We are all hoping

to make the 45th next year on the Hill.

Curtis F. Stiles is chairman of the

Adirondack Park Agency. He worked for

Xerox Corp. for over 30 years serving as

president and general manager for US

Operations for Xerox Business Services,

VP of US Customer Operations, and as

VP for Worldwide Document Services.

When he retired in 1996 he started

Saranac Software Inc., where he served

as president and CEO. Stiles lives on

Upper Saranac Lake in Franklin County

with his wife, Susan.

Donald G. March says that he is

enjoying retirement and was recently

awarded emeritus membership in the

C a t c h i n g U p Wi t h

Thomas Franzese ’75Allendale, New Jersey

Tom Franzese is a director at Lazard Asset Management, a company that

specializes in financial advisory and asset management, operating in 41 cities

across 24 countries. Just his past December, Franzese hosted a group of Nichols

marketing students at his office in New York City’s Rockefeller Center, where he

discussed the marketing industry, possible career paths, and his Nichols

experience.

My Nichols education helped me… tremendously. I graduated with a BSA inaccounting, but also took many other courses in finance and marketing. These

additional courses gave me the confidence to move from an accounting career to

a marketing client servicing career on Wall Street. For the last 22 years, I have

been working with institutional clients and prospective clients at Lazard Asset

Management in New York City. There were tough times, but my football

experience at Nichols gave me a “work hard never quit” winning attitude which

helped in my successes.

My advice to students is: Besides the obvious advice to work hard and be all you

can be, do not settle in a career or position you are not comfortable with.

Remember, if you enjoy what you do, you will excel at it.

My classmates would be surprised to learn…that I have a wife, Lauren, of 17

years, a son TJ, (16), and a daughter, Samantha (12). TJ is a junior at Don Bosco

Prep in New Jersey where he was the starting slot back on the nationally ranked

state champion (three years in a row) football team. He also plays baseball for

Don Bosco which will start the year as one of the top 10 high school programs in

the country. Samantha is an outstanding basketball and volleyball player. She

also dances and is the apple of my eye.

Thomas Franzese’75, center, with Nichols’ marketing students at his office in New York



National Association of Electrical

Distributors, an award given for his

years of service to the industry.


Frank Cianflonec/o Maxiglide

Box 415

Stow, MA 01775

978-897-2317

[email protected]


Robert Kuppenheimer4627 Tremont Ln.

Corona Del Mar, CA 92625-3130

[email protected]

David Weyant and his

wife, Judy, enjoyed

a relaxing vacation in

Aruba in 2007.

1970Willi J. Benoit writes that his son, Will,

was married on Jan. 26, 2008, to a

“beautiful and smart young woman from

Phoenix.” Will is a 2003 graduate from

Emerson College and his wife is a 2007

graduate from the University of Arizona.

They reside in Somerville, MA.


Donald Jaeger8 Lord Joes Lndg.

Northport, NY 11768-1571

[email protected]


Craig EdwardsP.O. Box 244

East Walpole, MA 02032

339-364-1810

[email protected]

Mark Sarkisian Jr. was elected to the

Board of Governors at the Pleasant

Valley Country Club and is on the Board

of Directors for the Auburn Chamber of

Commerce.


William Fraser

12915 Letando Ln.

Cypress, TX 77429-3554

281-376-5922

[email protected]


Michael Donehey

508-376-5469 (phone)

509 376-5043 (fax)

[email protected]


Hello all! For those of you who were

unaware, the Class of 1983 had a 25-

year reunion this past homecoming. I

made the trip up and had a great time

with the classmates and friends that

attended. First, Sue Lundie [Demel]

deserves kudos for taking the reins and

coordinating the event from afar –

Texas. Thanks Sue! Also we should

thank our Alumni Director Kristy

Cullivan’00 MBA’02 who made sure

everyone was enjoying the day. My

vehicle was chosen as the home base

and, after the engineering feat of placing

the banner, we were in business. Beers,

burgers and a few cigars were on the

menu. Stopping by were classmates

Deb Carpenter [Goldberg], Fran

Tarpey, Sean and Michaela Clancy,

Gene Ferrari, Todd Zeidenberg, Paul

Gaffney, Dan and Pam Murphy,

fellow yard dog Tim Morrell. Also

stopping by for an adult beverage were

Jim Brennan ’84 and Jessica Mustone

’82. The weather was great, and the

campus looked wonderful. As always

these events seem to fly by too fast and,

although we did not want to leave, we

were finally kicked home by Nichols

security. By the way, in the haste of

leaving, someone left their cooler which

I have (sorry, beer is gone). I’d highly

encourage you to try and make a

homecoming soon; it really is a good

time.

The last edition of Nichols College

Magazine listed all class donations in

the annual report. Nice to see the Class

of 1983 was the top class in dollars

raised – by far. Our percentage of con-

tributors was small, but thanks to the

efforts of Donna and Randy Becker,

Ed Dixon, Tom Baker, Ted Dumas

and the rest of our supporters, we topped

out at #1! Let’s see if we can stay #1

in 2009.

Finally, please make note that I have

had a change of email address and it is

listed above.

Have a safe and healthy New Year.


John P. Donahue

10 Corsham Dr.

Medford, NJ 08055-8434

609-654-4809

[email protected]


Susan Zimonis

18930 Misty Lake Rd.

Jupiter, FL 33458

561-707-8781

[email protected]


Douglas Lojko writes that he and his

wife, Debbie, have three children, Erika

(17), Dan (14) and Nicholas (10). He hasClass of ’83 at Homecoming 2008

u



worked for Allstate Insurance for 21

years as a sales manager in charge of

new agent recruiting and training for all

of New England, with lots of traveling.

(Doug says he likes the idea of the

Bahamas over Maine.) He also reports

that his daughter is in the process of

applying to colleges and, yes, Nichols is

one of her choices. “I was blown away

when I went back on campus....so much

has changed,” he says.

Maureen “Moe” (Gilbert) Shields

writes that she settled up north in

“freezing cold” New Hampshire. She

and John have been married 20 years

(“yikes”) and have two kids, Erin (14)

and Jack (11). Moe stopped working

after she had Jack and has enjoyed life

as a “domestic engineer.” She also says

she keeps in touch with the girls of

Merrill through email and get-togethers

about once a year.

Paul “Wigs” Wigglesworth has

been married to Darlene for 19 years and

they have a daughter, Brittany (15), and

a son, Jack (12). After Nichols, Paul

worked at Coopers & Lybrand for 10

years. He met Darlene while working

there. (“She was a client and I broke

the independence rules and asked her

out on a date,” he says.). Paul was a

controller for a few years and, in 2000,

he started Career Moves, LLC

(www.careermovesllc.com), which is

a recruiting firm specializing in ac-

counting and finance positions. He also

shares that when he left Nichols, he

rented a house with EJ Landry, Dave

Bedard and Dick Anderson.

“Interesting times,” he comments,

“especially the time we had a big party

and Donny Allison (the Llama) drove

from R.I. to attend. I better not start with

the stories.....”

Brian Zippin writes that he worked

for the Monarch Life Insurance Co., but

after a year realized that selling life

insurance was not in his future. He

worked for a small family-owned

company in the sale of low voltage

products, such as burglar alarms, home

theatre, etc., to builders and consumers.

The company was sold in 1992. Brian

moved to Moscow in 1994 to work with

his brother-in-law who started a real

C a t c h i n g U p Wi t h

Sharron McCarthy ‘87Bedford, New Hampshire

Sharron McCarthy is the president of

McLean Communications Inc. located

in Manchester, N.H. In that role, she

serves as publisher of numerous

periodicals including New Hampshire

Magazine, New Hampshire Business

Review, Parenting NH Magazine,

and New Hampshire Home Magazine.

She is also currently working on a

publication targeted toward “baby

boomers.”

Originally from Sturbridge, Mass., McCarthy graduated from Nichols with a

BSA in marketing. She has been in the publishing business for 24 years while

holding sales and marketing management positions, and presently resides in

Bedford, N.H., with her family.

My Nichols education helped me… set the pace for practical businesssituations, especially courses in management, accounting, advertising and even

psychology. The small classroom environment, attention from professors, and

the real-life case studies were outstanding. My internship at a local advertising

agency introduced me to media sales and served as my springboard into

publishing. I was primarily a commuter to Nichols, and the balancing act

required while working nights prepared me well for the rigors of selling

advertising and eventually running a company.

My advice to current students: Have a good time at school, but don't forgetwhy you're there. There is something to learn in every course you take, even the

ones you don't like. Having the ability to converse about many topics is often

what gets you ahead and makes positive impressions. Seek out a mentor, that

one professor who aligns with your own sensibilities, and really tap into what

he/she has to offer. Don't shy away from the tough stuff; ask for help when you

need it. Do an internship even if it is unpaid! This is one of the best things you

can do to have a leg up in an interview situation.

My classmates would be surprised to learn: My life hasn't evolved in a

traditional fashion. I commuted to Nichols (except for one semester) and paid

my own tuition. I got married young, lived in California, traveled the world,

moved many times, and have been able to work my way up in a profession that

I love, allowing me to create a work environment that has resulted in the launch

of several successful publications. Life throws some curveballs; I had to have

open heart surgery in 2003 to correct a congenital heart defect – something I

never expected to endure. In 2005 we had our first child, Lana Jade, and I am

now expecting our second baby in July. We'll be celebrating our 25th wedding

anniversary with a 3 month old and a 3 1/2 year old and are thrilled!



estate company there. He lived there for

about five years until his first child was

born. In 2001 he purchased a small

business in East Granby, CT, that sells

residential appliances to builders,

remodelers and some retail. Brian has

three children, ages 11, 8, and 1. He

says, “All in all, life is good and I am

fortunate.”


Diane Bellerose

90 Lebanon St.

Southbridge, MA 01550-1332

508-764-6077

[email protected]

Diane Bellerose, CPCU, is engaged to

Christopher Golas. She is a personal

lines insurance underwriter at Travelers

of Massachusetts, and he is employed at

the Office of Information Technology

at UMass Amherst. A September 2009

wedding is planned.


Allison Kierce

1804 Shawan Ln.

York, PA 17402

717-757-3949

[email protected]

Denis Dillon

MBA was named

a director at

McLane Law

Firm, the largest

full-service law

firm in New

Hampshire. He

has been with

McLane since

2003, handling all

aspects of federal and state taxation

including income, estate and gift. He

also advises clients on sophisticated tax,

business, succession and estate planning.

In addition to his MBA, he received a

BA from Assumption in 1981, a JD from

WNEC in 1992 and an LLM from

Boston University in 1999.


Donna Small

4905 Bay Harvest Ct.

Clemmons, NC 27012-8245

336-712-1053 (home)

336-692-5157 (cell)

[email protected]

Kenneth R. Snell was promoted to vice

president/portfolio manager at US

Trust/Bank of America in the Private

Wealth Management Division in Boston.

1992

Michael Ehlers and his wife, Pamela,

announced the birth of Samantha Riley

on Apr.18, 2008, weighing 8 lbs., 5oz.,

and measuring 20.5 inches long. The

growing family resides in Ipswich, MA.

Samantha was baptized on Oct. 4,

accompanied by godfather Clifford

Whynott Jr.

Cliff and Donna (Cross) Whynott

recently hosted a Class of 1992 reunion

at their home in Ipswich, with fellow

alumni Karl and Julie (Alarie) Doane;

Pete Soper and his wife, Tammy; and

Michael Ehlers and his wife, Pamela.


John J. Lareau

Tax Manager

Greenberg, Roseblatt, Kull & Bitsoli, PC

508-791-0901

[email protected]


Danielle (Troiano) Sprague

553 Grafton St.

Shrewsbury, MA 01545

508-845-6604

[email protected]


Chris Saengvanich

40 Chestnut St.

Apt. 2

Melrose, MA 02176

[email protected]

Jennifer (Richardson)

and Gerren Kopcinski

announced the birth of

their third child, Grace,

born Apr.10, 2008. She

joins big brother, Gerren

Reid (7), and big sister,

Abigail (4). The family

resides in Dracut, MA.


Gary Watson

25 Lakeside Ave.Webster, MA 01570

508-943-5504

[email protected] u

Denis Dillon

Grace Kopcinski

The Ehlers: Pamela, Samantha Riley and

Michael



1997C l a s s S c r i b e

Colleen (Reilly) Saengvanich

40 Chestnut St.

Apt. 2

Melrose, MA 02176

[email protected]


Emily (Seiferman) Alves

[email protected]


Tony Volpone

[email protected]

Melissa Turner MBA ’08 and Michael

McGuirk were married on Sept. 19,

2008, at St. John’s Parish in Hopkinton,

MA. Nichols graduates in attendance

included Lisa LaBranche and her

fiancé, Jimmy, as well as Jeff Haffty

’98 and his wife, Sarah. Following a

honeymoon in the Caribbean, the

McGuirks returned home to Hopkinton.


Andrea Sacco

[email protected]


David Twiss

978-979-7658 (cell)

[email protected]


Princess Tucker

Revenue Examiner

CT DRS

860-961-2734 (cell)

860-848-1471 (fax)

[email protected]


Kim (Serino) Krumsiek

[email protected]


Erin Chenette

87 Tory Fort Ln.

Worcester, MA 01602

781-939-1723


Michelle Brown

[email protected]

Angela Rousseau married Steven

Chaves on Aug. 30, 2008. She currently

works at Meditech as an applications

specialist, and he is a software engineer

at Raytheon. The couple resides in

Clinton, MA. Sarah Aquafresca was

the maid of honor and Jason Monteiro

’06 was also part of the wedding

ceremony.


Erica Mello

[email protected]

Christopher J. Melendez has been

promoted to senior accountant with

Greenberg, Rosenblatt, Kull & Bitsoli,

PC, one of the largest independent

accounting firms in Worcester. He has

been with the firm since he graduated.


Ashley [email protected]

Christopher

Montgomery

joined Barnum

Financial Group as

a financial services

representative

working in their

Wethersfield, CT,

office.


Kristin [email protected]

Melissa Turner and husband Michael

McGuirk

Angela Rousseau’05 and husband StevenChaves

ChristopherMontgomery


Nichols Remembers

Orencio L. Garcia ’38 of Hialeah, FL,died Apr. 8, 2008. His son, Oscar,reports that his father had very fondmemories of his time at Nichols.

Robert W. Johnston ’38 of Sarasota, FL,died Dec. 5, 2008. He is survived by hiswife, Noni (he was preceded in death byhis first wife, Nona); sons, Paul andThomas; a daughter, Judith; threegrandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

James A. Falconer Jr. ’41 of Dennis, MA,died Oct. 12, 2008. He served aboard asub chaser in the US Navy during WorldWar II as a radioman, First Class, in theSouth Pacific. He moved to Cape Codfollowing his retirement from the foodindustry and enjoyed gardening andgolf. Survivors include his wife of 62years, Patricia; a sister, Barbara; threechildren, James, Haidee, and Susan; five grandchildren; and a great-grand-daughter. He was predeceased by hisbrother, Thomas.

Ralph L. Deutsch Jr. ’50 of Asheboro, NC,died Nov.15, 2008. He began his careerin the family-owned furniture manu-facturing company in Ramseur andestablished Randolph FurnitureDistributors and his own sales agencyafter the sale of the family business.Honored with several awards forachievement in his industry, he was anactive member of the Virginia-CarolinasHome Furnishings Association for morethan 30 years. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Barbara, and asister, Audrey. Survivors include hiswife, Jeanette; sons, Michael and wife,Sharon, Robert and wife, Anne;stepdaughter, Lisa and husband, Lucas;four grandchildren; and a brother, Peter

Deutsch ’55.

Robert S. Floyd Jr. ’50 of Winthrop, MA,died Jan. 29, 2008. He was theproprietor of Ritz Restaurant in Revere,and a US Navy Korean War veteran. He was a member of the BeachmontVFW, Kiwanis Club and Orioles Club.Survivors include his wife, Mary;children, Katherine Camacho andhusband, Paul, Patricia, Robert III,Thomas, John and wife, Roberta, Daniel,Mary M. LaMarra, Eileen, ElizabethCasey and husband, John; and 14grandchildren. He was predeceased by ason, Michael.

Robert M. Lott Sr. ’51 of Levittown, PA,died Jan. 19, 2008. He worked for 30years as a data processor at US Steel -Fairless Works and, upon retiring, servedas a courier for several businesses. A USCoast Guard, he was a veteran of WorldWar II. He is survived by his wife,Dorothy; two daughters, Beverly andhusband, Richard, and Leslie; son,Robert Jr. and wife, Regina; fourgrandchildren; a great-grandchild; and asister, Millicent. He was preceded indeath by a granddaughter.

Ronald M. Lancaster ’60 of El Paso, TX,died Aug. 11, 2008. He served in the USNavy, Air Force and Army, from whichhe retired. For several years he workedas an insurance adjuster in the Bangorarea and earned a license as achiropractor. Living in Mexico, hebecame active in farming, retailing andrestaurant businesses. He is survived byhis wife, Manuella; daughter, Lisa;sister, Beverly; a granddaughter; andgreat-grandson.

Joseph T. Maurello ’63 of Shrewsbury,MA, died Dec. 30, 2008. He was thepresident of Jo-Ton Inc., which operatedas the Slack Shack stores, for over 20years. He was also sales manager forSeaboard Folding Box Co. in Fitchburg.Survivors include his wife, Arlene; ason, Anthony and wife, Jennifer; twodaughters, Jennifer and Marcie; threegrandchildren; two sisters, Patricia andMarjorie and husband, Francis. He waspredeceased by a sister, Roberta.

Hebert H. “Bart” Pease ’64 of NewBritain, CT, died Aug. 25, 2008. Heworked for the State Department ofHealth and, upon retirement, launched acareer as a successful poet and author,producing many books of poetry. Inaddition to his mother, his survivorsinclude a son, Thomas and wife, Joanne;and two brothers and their wives, Colinand Pamela, and Sam and Sarah.

Stephen L. Sala ’69 of Fort Myers, FL,died Oct. 1, 2008. He owned manybusinesses in Connecticut and Floridaand, for the past 14 years, served as asingle copy carrier for The News-Press.He is survived by his wife, Barbara;daughters, Yvonne and Cathleen; threegrandchildren; and a brother, David.

Stuart Andrew Loveridge ’80 of ParisHill, CT, died Oct. 25, 2008. He was abusiness owner and an avid golfer whoenjoyed traveling and boating.Predeceased by his wife, Anne, he issurvived by his parents; and threesisters, Tracey, Elinor and Margot.

John M. Bartlett Jr. MBA ’91 formerly ofNorth Falmouth, MA, died Dec. 24,2008. He served in the US Navy in theSouth Pacific during World War II,retiring from the Naval Reserve ascaptain in 1980. He worked at MorganConstruction Co. and as a townselectman. He was predeceased by hiswife, Genevieve; and leaves two sons,James and wife, Janet, and Joel andwife, Wendy; a daughter, Lisa; twograndchildren; and a brother, Robert andwife, Elva.

Robert R. Riopel ’94 of Charlton, MA,died Dec. 28, 2008. He was a US Armyveteran of the Vietnam War and workedas a chef at the Atrium Restaurant inWorcester for several years. Previously,he was a manager at White TowerRestaurants in New Jersey, Connecticut,and New York. He is survived by sevensiblings, Warren, Walter, Paul, Barbara,Joanne, Suzan, and Carol; and his long-time friend, Claire. He was predeceasedby two brothers, Nelson and Douglas.

Dr. George P. Winston, professor atNichols College, of Grafton, VT, diedDec. 3, 2008. He taught English for 25years and served as chair of the newlyformed English Department and later of the Division of Humanities. Duringthis period, he also authored a book onJohn Fiske, post-Civil War Americanphilosopher and historian. On hisretirement from Nichols in 1985, thegraduating class dedicated theiryearbook to him, calling him a “manwho has set his goals high and has notsettled for anything less than accom-plishment.” He was also asked to givethe Commencement address, becomingone of only two members of the teach-ing faculty ever to give this address.Winston served in the US Army AirForce during World War II. He and hiswife, Jean, were accomplished artistswhose paintings and landscapes can befound in many Dudley homes. He issurvived by his wife.

Marianne Gruskin, widow of Matt Gruskin ’54,

didn’t attend Nichols College but remains a

steadfast supporter of the Nichols mission because

of its role in Matt’s life. Matt, who passed away

unexpectedly in June 2005, was just a “boy from

Brooklyn” when President Col. James Lawson Conrad

and Basketball Coach Hal Chalmers took him under

their wings. (The Colonel’s influence was so strong

that the Gruskins named their second son, James

Lawson.) Marianne is proud of how Nichols helped

shape Matt’s life and propelled him to personal and

professional success. The College had remained

intertwined with Matt throughout his life, long after he

graduated, especially through his sustained friendships

with classmates here and abroad.

Those close relationships Matt formed on the Hill

inspired Marianne to surprise Matt and his classmates

on the occasion of their 50th Class Reunion with a

scholarship in their honor. Also, a plaque inscribed

with the classmates' names was placed in Alumni

Hall. “Marianne has treated Nichols as if it was her

alma mater,” says Bob Benowitz ’54, a long-time

friend of the Gruskins. “We are fortunate to have her

involvement.”

Through her assistance, the scholarship became

permanently endowed last year and was awarded to

a deserving student this fall. The scholarship remains

a proud achievement for the Class of 1954, and

Marianne hopes classmates, spouses, and children will

continue their support of this important effort.

For more information on how to contribute to or create a named endowed fund, contact Joe Cofield, Vice President for Advancement, at 508-213-2428 [email protected].

“I established the Class of 1954 Scholarship because ofMatt’s wonderful experiences with the students,

professors and staff of Nichols.”

Ryan Edwards ’10, the first recipient of the

Class of 1954 Endowed Scholarship, hails

from Waterbury, Conn., and is majoring in

economics and marketing with a minor in

sport management. He is vice president of

the Legal Studies Club and treasurer of the

Student Government Association. His favorite

part of Nichols has been the interaction with

the professors, and he hopes to use his

Nichols education to become a CEO of a

Fortune 500 company.

“I feel very

fortunate to have

been selected as a

recipient of the

Class of 1954

Scholarship. This

[scholarship] will

be very helpful to

me in continuing

my education.”

Nichols College Magazine Spring 2009 28

[email protected]

Stay Connected!

Moments in TimeYour alma mater and classmates want tokeep in touch with you! Sign up for thealumni email newsletter Nichols &Sense by sending your email address to:[email protected].

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Dorm Life 1954

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Senior Trip to Newport, R.I.1999

P.O. Box 5000

Dudley, MA 01571-5000


NONPROFIT

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

N READING MA

PERMIT NO 121

It’s time to tee up for the Annual Alumni Golf Tournament, July 18, 2009, at the Dudley Hill Golf Club.Registration forms are available on the web. It fills up fast, so set your team now. Or join as a single andwe’ll find a team for you. Don’t miss out on this great event!

Also, mark your calendars for the Alumni/Seniors Wine and Cheese Reception, April 29, 2009, at 5 p.m.in the Lombard Dining Hall. Call 866-622-4766 for details.

magspring2009

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