Nichols College Magazine Spring 2011

NICHOLS COLLEGEMAGAZINE

Volume 5, Issue 3 | Spring 2011

Making it Happen in Manhattan

F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T

EDITOR

Susan Veshi

ON CAMPUS EDITOR

Dorothy Millhofer

CONTRIBUTORS

Brianne Callahan, Julie Errico, Hillary

Haynes, Christine Jankowski, Bill Pieczynski,

Ron Powers ’08, Ron Schmitt ’62 BA ’65,

Len Suprise

DESIGN

Patricia Korch

PRINTING

Finlay / Bloomfield, CT

COVER PHOTO

Tammy Woodard Photography

Worcester, MA

NICHOLS COLLEGE

PO Box 5000

123 Center Road

Dudley, MA 01571-5000

508-213-1560

8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., M–F

www.nichols.edu

Periodicals postage paid at Webster, MA,

and additional mailing offices.

NICHOLS COLLEGE MAGAZINE

(UPSP 390480) is published three times

a year by Nichols College, Dudley, MA.

POSTMASTER:

Send address changes to:

Advancement OfficeNICHOLS COLLEGE

PO Box 5000Dudley, MA 01571-5000

With the advent of spring,

Nichols College transforms

yet again. We await our lush

green campus to be in full

bloom and students out

enjoying the warm weather

as signs that the College is

ready to graduate another

class and bring a close to the

school year.

At Nichols, this season of

renewal also holds the prom-

ise of a new building on

campus – one that will further

distinguish our New England

village – and a new president

to lead the College on its

quest to further become a

premier business school.

We are on target to demol-

ish Alumni Hall in late March

to create the new Alumni

Hall, a modern campus center

that will serve the social and

co-curricular interests of our

students. The new facility will

occupy the same footprint as

its predecessor but, at 30,000

square feet, will double the

space. The building will

house office space for student

services, such as residence

life and career services; meet-

ing space; an alternative food

service; and the post office,

bookstore and radio station.

It will also feature a trading

room to engage students and

faculty. The center is expected

to open in the fall of 2012 and

to cost about $8-10 million.

With this project, along

with the addition of new and

renovated residence halls, the

construction of the Athletic

Center and multi-purpose

Vendetti Field, and the reno-

vation of other athletic facili-

ties, the “living” portion of

the College’s learning and

living environment is in

excellent shape. In the near

future, the College will turn

its attention to the academic

facilities, which have been

sufficient for our needs at this

time. In the meantime, our

oldest academic building,

Academy Hall, has been

recently upgraded with smart-

classroom technology, white

boards, and new paint, carpet-

ing and student desks.

Our pursuit of a new presi-

dent also remains on target.

We have employed the search

firm of Witt/Kieffer, which

specializes in higher educa-

tion leadership. The consult-

ants have spent considerable

time with the President

Search Committee, senior

administration, faculty and

staff to assess the organiza-

tional culture and unique

needs of Nichols to customize

their search. In accordance

with our original timeframe,

we hope to name the next

president of Nichols College

in late spring. In the mean-

time, we have established

a website to post periodic

updates which can be

accessed directly from the

College’s homepage at

www.nichols.edu.

In all other business, we

proceed with cautious opti-

mism (is there any other kind

these days?). Fall 2011 appli-

cations are tracking ahead of

last year, and we were highly

encouraged by the recent

results of the 2010 graduate

survey – of the 131 graduates

who responded (72 percent),

90 percent are currently

employed full time and earn-

ing an average salary of

$39,900. These outcomes

underscore the efforts of the

entire Nichols community to

prepare students to seize

opportunities and outshine the

competition in their profes-

sional pursuits. We are proud

of our graduates – they repre-

sent the College and them-

selves with distinction.

In this issue of Nichols

College Magazine, you’ll

read of other initiatives and

ways that Nichols is continu-

ing to make an impact on

students, graduates and the

community. We can all share

in the success of the current

state of Nichols College with

the knowledge that we are

keeping the institution strong,

facing our challenges with

innovation and resourceful-

ness, and securing a visionary

leader to move the College

forward.

NICHOLS COLLEGE MAGAZINE

Your Success Is Our Business

State of the College

Gerald Fels ’66, DBA (Hon.) ’07


1S p r i n g 2 0 1 1 NICHOLS COLLEGE M A G A Z I N E

15

4

O N C A M P U S

2 | Boffi is focused on student success2 | Extreme internship3 | New 4 + 1 MBA adds competitive edge3 | Like a good neighbor, Nichols boosts local economy4 | From Dudley Hill to Capitol Hill5 | Nichols College earns top scores in national survey

F E A T U R E S

6 | Nichols takes Manhattan10 | Nichols 2.0

A T H L E T I C S

12 | Trifecta: Postseason run brings home three TCCC titles13 | Carven departs after twelve seasons13 | Two top 1,000 in women’s hoops

A L U M N I

14 | A view from the hill15 | Taking stock: an ESOP tale16 | Class notes17 | Catching up with: Paul Gauvin ’72

18 | Catching up with: Elaine deCiutiis ’02 MBA ’03

22 | Nichols remembers 24 | Raising money with class

6

Cover: Nichols Madison Square Garden interns Kara Buckley,Justin Savoie, Alicia Stott and John Rivers.


C O N T E N T S

O N C A M P U S

2 NICHOLS COLLEGE M A G A Z I N E S p r i n g 2 0 1 1

Boffi is focused on student success

Nichols has taken the next step in its com-mitment to student success. Bill Boffi hasbeen named the College’s first associatedean for student success and retention. Inthis student-focused role, he will deter-mine ways to ensure a rewarding and productive educational experience for allstudents. He can tell you in his ownwords…

Vital Stats

Name Bill Boffi

Title Associate Dean for Student Success and Retention

Start Date Jan. 3, 2011

Reports to Dr. Brian McCoy, Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean

Age 43 years old

Residence Cranston, RI

Family Wife Monica and three children: Madeline (15); Ben (12) and Brett (6)

Education BA in mathematics from Providence College (1989), MBA from the University of RhodeIsland (1992)

Previous Position Dean for Student Recruitment and Retention

at Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, MA

Q: What does an associate dean for student success and retentiondo?

A: My objective as the College’s lead administrator for retention ef-forts is to build best practices to help the Nichols student thrive.With input and help from the offices of Academic Affairs and Stu-dents Services, my focus will be on designing, implementing andfacilitating a seamless model of integrated programs and servicesthat support academic and personal success for all students. Inaddition, I hope to provide the College with hands-on data analy-sis on student engagement, learning, and satisfaction.

Q: In your new position at Nichols, what do you see as your biggestchallenge?

A: The biggest challenge initially is to determine the factors that wecan influence to improve student persistence. Nichols is a verystudent-centered community and there are already many thingsin place to help students be successful at the College. The chal-lenge is to help identify the things we are doing well and to figureout how to move those things into the path of more students.

Q: What’s on your “to do” list for the next couple of months?

A: I am setting up meetings with my colleagues on campus whohave roles that impact our students. Again, I want to find outmore about what we are doing well so we can do more of it.

Q: How do you keep your energy and motivation up during a hardday of work?

A: Iced coffee and work that I’m passionate about, of course.

Q: How do you spend your leisure time?

A: My kids and their activities (dance, basketball, etc.) take up mostof my down time. My 12-year-old, Ben, plays on three basketballteams. I coach one and help out on the other two. This time ofyear is particularly busy. If I have a free hour or two, I read orwatch a basketball game, live or on television. I used to be an avidgolfer and hope to rekindle that passion.

Extreme internshipMaria Balabanova’11 landed a three-month internshipwith Red Bull inMoscow workingwith the energydrink giant’s areamarketing fieldmanager on the

2010 Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour. Set against the backdrop of16th century St. Basil’s Cathedral, the event, which combines theextreme sport of freestyle motocross and the bullfighting tradition,provided a unique summer learning experience for Balabanova,whose pre-event activities included tracking the distribution ofposters, banners, stickers, photo booths and free samples to uni-versities in eight marketing regions.

More than 500 tons of sand was dumped in front of the cathe-dral to develop the motocross. “We had two days to build it and

two days to clean it up,” she says. “It was anincredible venue and over 30,000 peopleattended the event.”

On campus, Balabanova spends her energy on her studies in internationalbusiness and accounting and on captain-ing the women’s tennis team. A citizen of Canada and Russia, Balabanova, chose Nicholsfor its business curriculumand its small, friendly cam-pus. She now has her sightsset on law school and wasplanning to take the LSATsin February. “I’m ready formy next challenge,” she says.

3

O N C A M P U S

For 2009-2010, Nichols Col-lege’s positive economic impacton its surrounding communi-ties topped $108 million, athree percent increase over theprevious year based on factorswhich include budget, capitalimprovements and studentspending and fees. In addition,it is conservatively estimated

that for the same period, stu-dent clubs and athletic teamsperformed over 6,000 volunteerservice hours, for an additionalvalue of $125,100.

“Our students, faculty andstaff are committed to sharingtheir time, talents and treasurewith those in need, includingthe Webster-Dudley FoodShare, Red Cross Blood Drive,Walk for the Cure, and the BisonReading Program,” notes Presi-dent Gerald Fels.

On campus, capital projectsover the past 12 years that haveenhanced the beauty, safetyand functionality of the Hillhave also had an impact on thelocal economy. “It’s our policyto buy goods and services fromthe surrounding communities,use local vendors and createjobs,” says Vice President for Ad-ministration Michael Stanton.“This focus helps the regionachieve long-term, sustainablegrowth.” Today, Nichols em-ploys 151 full-time and 141part-time individuals, withnearly 80 percent owninghomes and paying propertyand excise taxes to local towns.

According to Vice Presidentfor Enrollment and MarketingThomas Cafaro, Nichols isproud to educate students from

Auburn / 28

Charlton / 31

Douglas / 27

Dudley / 72

Holden / 18

Leominster / 12

Milford / 11

Millbury / 16

Oxford / 25

Shrewsbury / 22

Southbridge / 38

Spencer / 12

Sturbridge / 16

Sutton / 20

Uxbridge / 12

Webster / 53

Worcester / 90

Abington / 1

Ashford / 3

Ballouville / 1

Brooklyn / 8

Burlington / 1

Canterbury / 2

Danielson / 7

Dayville / 7

Hampton / 1

Moosup / 3

N. Grosvenordale / 18

Plainfield / 2

Pomfret Center / 3

Putnam / 26

Quinebaug / 1

Scotland / 1

Thompson / 15

Woodstock / 18

the surrounding region. “Almost97.2 percent of our students re-ceive some form of financial aid,”he says, with 38 percent of daystudents coming from two sur-rounding counties: Wo rcester

County, Mass., and WindhamCounty, Conn.

The amount of financial aidawarded for day and eveningundergraduate and MBA stu-dents from all sources for the

Like a good neighbor, Nichols boosts local economy

2009-2010 Nichols College Students from Windham County, CT: Total 118 Students

2009-2010 academic year totaled $31,866,743. And todate, over 103 commuter stu-dents with financial need fromthe towns of Webster and Dud-ley have received, or are cur-rently receiving, scholarships ofup to $20,000 from the Felsfamily.

“We have always believedthat business education isn’tconfined to a classroom,” saysPresident Fels, “and that beinga good neighbor is seriousbusiness. We remain steadfastlycommitted to our region.”

New 4+1 MBA addscompetitive edgeDean of Graduate & ProfessionalStudies Larry Muller has announced the creation of anaccelerated, full-time, 4+1 MBAbeginning in the spring 2011 semester. The program targetsundergraduate business stu-dents who thrive on the chal-lenge of earning a bachelor’sdegree and a master’s degree inbusiness administration in justfive years.

“With a resounding endorse-ment by our business faculty, weanticipate the program to be ahuge success,” says RayanneDrouin, director of enrollmentand marketing for Graduate &Professional Studies. “We al-ready have 20 seniors in thepipeline.”

The benefits of the 4+1 MBAinclude a 10 percent reductionin the cost of graduate course-work (given to all alumni), a co-hort learning model which es-tablishes strong partnershipswith classmates, and the advan-tage of entering a career pathwith an advanced business de-gree. In addition, existingNichols day students may takeadvantage of the benefits of be-ing a full-time student includingcampus housing, student serv-ices and athletic eligibility.

In the executive search in-dustry, an MBA is seen as havingparticular value for those pursu-ing the title of CEO. The NicholsMBA Program, which began in1975, has conferred more than1,882 degrees to Nichols gradu-ates who number among theone in 10 who become a CEO,president, or business owner.

“Based on valuable feedbackfrom our current business stu-dents, their quest for an MBA ispart of an intentional career pathstrategy,” notes Drouin. “TheNichols business student is look-ing to learn skills that they canapply right away at work, increas-ing their value as a new hire.”

Our students, facultyand staff are

committed to sharingtheir time, talents and treasure with those in need...

It’s our policy to buygoods and servicesfrom the surroundingcommunities, use local vendors and create jobs...

2009-2010 Nichols College Students from Worcester County, MA: Total 689 Students

4+1MBANICHOLS COLLEGE

S p r i n g 2 0 1 1 NICHOLS COLLEGE M A G A Z I N E

4

This winter break was not politics as usual for senior DavidJay Janjua and sophomore Stefany Mendez. The two tookadvantage of programs offered by The Washington Center

and sponsored by the Robert C. Fischer Policy and Cultural Instituteto learn more about civic engagement in our nation’s capital.

For Janjua, it was a chance to deepen a strong personal interest in politics. The Dean’s List honoree and commuterstudent was awarded a $2,000 scholarship to participate in Politicsand the Media, a session on how candidates use new media to by-pass traditional news gatekeepers.

A typical day began at 8:30 a.m.with many distinguished speakers,such as United States Assistant Sec-retary of State for Public Affairs P.J.Crowley, CBS journalist and modera-tor of Face the Nation Bob Schieffer,and contributing news analyst for National Public Radio and the Fox NewsChannel Marvin Kalb.

“The morning sessions were myfavorite because I got a chance to askquestions of people with rare insight who are in the thick of things,”says Janjua. “I left with a greater appreciation for news reporters, whogenerally want to make a difference by shining a light on the truth.”

The program made a big impression on Janjua. In his essay as-signment, he wrote, “Partisan lines are so deep they have hindered

From Dudley Hill to Capitol Hill

civility. Thequestion then is,why? Manypoint to newmedia and itsshift in how peo-ple get theirnews, how fastthey get it, andthe subsequentpolarizing effectsof its delivery.” Conversely, he continues, technologies, such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, give politicians direct access to theirsupporters. “Sarah Palin exemplifies a politician who knows how touse the internet – a single tweet from her can command the news fora whole day,” he comments.

Using the experience as an opportunity to network, Janjuahanded out business cards printed with a quote from Leonardo daVinci: “People of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things hap-pen to them. They went out and happened to things.” That sums upJanjua’s belief about seizing every opportunity that comes his way:“I hope these scholarships to the Washington Center continue.”

David Jay Janjua

NICHOLS COLLEGE M A G A Z I N E S p r i n g 2 0 1 1

Stefany Mendez (second from left) with her new friends and(top row, fourth from right) with Egyptian Ambassador to theUnited States, Sameh Shoukry.

Mendez, president of the sophomore class and a resident as-sistant in Remillard Hall, attended an intense, two-week program,entitled Camp David III, where participants negotiate their ownpath to Israeli-Palestinian peace.

“We listened to keynote speakers every day so that we had abetter understanding of the complexities and history of the con-flict,” says Mendez. Part of the curriculum also included watchingthe documentary film Promises; touring the embassies of Israel,

Egypt and France; and visiting the home ofthe Syrian Ambassador Dr. ImadMoustapha.

Participants then used a modelsimulation of an international sum-mit to negotiate an Israeli-Palestinianpeace following the footsteps ofCamp David I. “Because I hold strongreligious convictions myself, in thesecond week, I assumed the role of EliYishai, an uncompromising Israelipolitician and head of the Shas Party,”

says Mendez. Yishai currently serves on the Knesset as deputyprime minister and minister of internal affairs.

“At the end of the seminar, we had an agreement for a two-state solution, with neutral custody over the old city ofJerusalem,” she says. “But, those two weeks made me more awareof government engagement and how difficult it is to please any-one when trying to resolve a conflict.”

Rooming and interacting with other students proved to be an“incredible experience” for Mendez. “Many came from eliteschools and after some initial trepidation, I learned how to holdmy own in conversations about the day’s activities over dinner inour apartment,” she says. Every night, the roommates baked andate cookies as they wrote in their journals, a requirement eachevening during the two weeks of study. They also soaked up themany historical and cultural sights Washington has to offer.

“For me, this trip was life changing because I made some re-ally great friends and am more confident about understandingcomplex global issues,” Mendez says. “Most importantly, I have anew-found appreciation of being a business major!”

Editor’s note: The College is grateful to Charles Zabriskie, a memberof the Fischer Institute Advisory Board, for helping to subsidize thescholarships to The Washington Center programs.

5

O N C A M P U S

Stefany Mendez

Nichols College earns top scores innational surveyNichols College ranks among top colleges in the 2010 National Sur-vey of Student Engagement (NSSE) released by The Carnegie Foun-dation for the Advancement of Teaching, showing superior marks inthe level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning,and student-faculty interaction.

Every year NSSE asks fourth-year students at hundreds of col-leges and universities to reflect on the time they devote to variouslearning activities to determine student success in college. Nicholsscored higher in key categoriesthan the average of 13 of its peercolleges and higher than the NSSE2010 average.

Here’s a sample of the indica-tors that Nichols graduates will besuccessful in the workplace.

37% 26% 35% 28%

Solving ComplexReal-World Problems

Very Often

NICHOLS COLLEGENew England Private

Carnegie

NSSE 2010 Average

60% 40% 54% 40%

Acquiring Job or Work-RelatedKnowledge and Skills

Very Often

58% 36% 45% 36%

Speaking Clearlyand E�ectively

Very Often

60% 44% 53% 44%

Working E�ectivelywith Others

Very Often

Nichols scored higher in key categories

than the average of 13 of its peer colleges

and higher than the NSSE 2010 average.


NicholsTakes

Manhattan “If I can make it there, I’llmake it anywhere,” croons

Frank Sinatra about his desire to

be “king of the hill” in New

York, New York.

Indeed, New York City, the

largest metropolis in the United

States, has world-class venues

for any college intern seeking

an experience that says to

prospective employers: “I’m the

real deal” and “I’m ready for

anything.”

That’s why bus trips to New

York City give Nichols students

vital opportunities for meeting

and networking with alumni,

interviewing for internships,

and examining life’s possibili-

ties. In November, such a bus

trip included visits to Wall

Street, MTV, ESPN and Madi-

son Square Garden (MSG),

where Nichols’ students vie for

coveted intern positions.


By Dorothy Millhofer

The Garden of OpportunityCompeting with candidates from larger schools,

Nichols sport management majors have secured

an unprecedented 38 placements at MSG in the

past 10 years.

“Our students have an opportunity to work

with major league teams in the challenging MSG

environment,” says Sport Management Program

Chair Colleen Colles. “Their record of success

demonstrates the value of our unique sport

management program which builds on a rigorous

undergraduate business curriculum.”

As a corporation, Madison Square Garden

Inc. has powerful brands strategically aligned and

integrated to drive revenues in three business

segments: MSG Media, MSG Sports, and MSG

Entertainment. In the fall of 2010, three Nichols

sport management majors, Alicia Stott, Justin

Savoie and John Rivers, interned at MSG Sports,

which owns and operates sports franchises and is

home to the Knicks, Rangers and Liberty.

As well, Nichols senior Kara Buckley

interned with the human resource director of

MSG’s worldwide entertainment business, which

markets roughly 900 concerts and events each

year and has exclusive co-booking agreements

with Boston’s Citi Performing Arts Center/Wang

Theatre, and an ongoing partnership with Cirque

du Soleil to create new content a nd productions.

Buckley leveraged knowledge from both of her

majors, sport management and human resource

management.

Targeting Internship PlacementThe interview process is rigorous. It took Stott eight

separate MSG interviews to get the right offer in the

Season Subscription Department on the 14th floor.

“I wanted to be with sales because I wanted experi-

ence with the three professional teams,” says Stott,

who was responsible for tracking and distributing

sales reports for approximately 40 salespersons.

Rivers completed three interviews before he

landed a position reporting to the vice president of

marketing for MSG Sports Properties. His respon-

sibilities included researching college basketball

and helping to manage several tournaments with

Division I teams, including the Jimmy V Men’s

Basketball Classic, MSG Holiday Festival, and

Maggie Dickson Classic. “With my passion for

college basketball, I couldn’t have been happier,”

he says.

Savoie was deliberate about his internship

choice. He already had experience with the AHL

Worcester Sharks working game night. As a logical

next step, he landed a marketing position with the

NHL New York Rangers in two key areas: social

media communications and fan club development.

Reporting to the manager of marketing

programs for the Rangers, Savoie worked close

to 60 hours a week posting scores and statistics,

press releases on community service initiatives

and updates on players.

Meeting the ChallengeThe experience of working at “The World’s Most

Famous Arena” could be a bit daunting. “When

I first started, I was so intimidated to answer the

director’s phone,” Buckley says. “Not only did it

ring off the hook, but I was taking messages from

very senior people, including CEOs and vice pres-

idents.”

Buckley’s greatest test was helping to recruit

600 people for four shifts of the Radio City

Christmas Spectacular, including cashiers, porters,

night cleaners and dancers. “It was exhausting

work because I had to make sure drug tests and

background checks were completed on each

person hired.”

As a rabid Red Sox fan, Buckley found it

really tough to be surrounded by Yankee fanatics.

However, she greatly appreciates the benefit of

establishing a vast network of contacts for employ-

ment opportunities down the road, even if some of

them don’t share her team loyalties.

Stott enjoyed developing and tracking boister-

ous sales competitions, including the Ryder Cup,

with teams designated as USA and Europe, and

checking in people to tour a model of the new suite

design, part of an $850 million Garden renovation.

Savoie monitored the Rangers’ Facebook

MSG interns learn to balance workand life demands in the Big Appleand shine in this environment. At right, Alicia Stott (third fromright) takes a breather with co-workers; (far right, from top) Kara Buckley, Justin Savoie, Stott,and John Rivers.


account with 137,971 Ranger “friends” and the

Twitter account with roughly 100 tweets a day.

The Rangers use social media to quickly share

information and build relationships with fans, as

well as gather real-time market intelligence and

feedback. With Facebook’s 250 million and

Twitter’s 175 million registered users, the

Rangers have a very engaged audience.

Rivers was impressed by Sports Properties’

astute marketing plans which used the large elec-

tronic marquee on 7th Avenue, placed ads in

Metro North trains, and affixed roof banners atop

taxis. In addition, he thoroughly enjoyed watch-

ing several professional basketball games, such

as the Miami Heat or the Boston Celtics playing

the New York Knicks, and volunteering at an

auction dinner at Chelsea Piers where he got to

chat with prominent Division I basketball

coaches.

“Just as I learned that relationship building

with outside vendors is paramount to MSG tour-

nament bookings,” says Rivers, “so are strong

contacts within the industry essential to landing

a first job.”

Home Away from HomeWhen not working, Buckley hunkered down in

comfort at the pricey New Yorker Hotel located on

34th Street, kitty corner to the mammoth Macy’s.

During a recent $70 million renovation, several

floors of the hotel were remodeled for students

needing single rooms for a semester of study. “It

was a short walk to work,” says Buckley, “and at

night, I used the exercise facilities to wind down.”

It took Rivers a couple of weeks to get over

the culture shock of being in such a large city. He

lived in Brooklyn at University Place on McDon-

ald Avenue, a residence for college students that

cost him the same as room and board at Nichols.

”I didn’t feel isolated because I worked 11 hours

a day. And it was very convenient because right

across the street was the F subway line into

Manhattan.”

Stott and Savoie rented a $900 a month apart-

ment with parking in Newark, New Jersey, which

was a challenging commute. “I had to take three

separate trains to get to the Garden,” says Stott,

“and it took anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour

each way.”

“What surprised me the most about this

internship experience is that I succeeded in getting

myself to work and paid bills without my mom’s

help,” says Stott. Clearly, pride and satisfaction in

being independent is also a benefit of internships.

N I C H O L S T A K E S M A N H A T T A N

The Key to the City

On November 9, three busloads ofNichols students descended on NewYork City to visit alumni, interview forinternships and otherwise learn whatit takes to make it in Manhattan.

Among their stops were Neil Holt ’76,executive vice president, MTVMusic/Entertainment Networks; Paul Figueiredo ’01, account executive, ESPN; and the offices ofRobert N. Weibel ’88, executivedirector, JP Morgan Securities Inc.

Need for More Avenues of ExperienceExperiential learning is one of the cornerstones

of a career-oriented education, and since intern-

ships are a graduation requirement for students

specializing in sport management, Nichols

objective is to ensure that there are innumerable

avenues for this critical hands-on training.

Manhattan has been an important venue for

building relationships and character and testing

student mettle in the multi-billion dollar, global

sport industry. Is it time for Nichols to take on

Boston? While interns have been placed with the

New England Patriots, the Boston Red Sox and

the Boston Bruins, the pickings have been slim.

Remarks Colles: “I hope that our increased

curriculum emphasis on sponsorship and sales

will open up new opportunities in nearby

Boston.”


“ It’s all about your relationshipsand reputation. Your inter-personal interactions and skillswill keep you at the level youare, take you down and out orelevate you to levels you neverdreamed possible.”

Neil Holt ’76 Executive Vice President,

MTV Music/Entertainment Networks

“The demands and com-petiveness in New York arewith you every day, andyou need to believe inwhat you bring to thetable, take advantage ofthe opportunities you aregiven and deliver results.”

Paul Figueiredo ’01Account Executive, ESPN

Thomas E. Franzese ’75, director of Lazard Asset Management,in Rockefeller Plaza

All of this information and more is becoming more

available through Nichols use of social media

such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Nichols social media usage is all about building

relationships and sharing information, says Claudia

Snell, director of web/social media. "Social media such

as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube offer opportunities

for users to not only view content but to respond as

well. As we incorporate more voices via social media, it

helps everyone to feel more connected.”

While Nichols started using Facebook to promote

the College several years ago, it has only been within

the past year that visitor participation has begun to

increase significantly, says Snell. “The number of visi-

tors responding to a Facebook page has increased about

56 percent from what it was six months ago. Facebook

contin-

ues to

play an important role in driving traffic to the Nichols

website and is within the top five of referral sources to

the Nichols website.”

Social media play a very important role in Nichols’

overall communication strategy, says Tom Cafaro, vice

president for enrollment and marketing. “Our primary

audience, 18-22 year olds, embraces this form of

communication. If we want to reach them, we need to

incorporate this into our strategy. From a competitive

standpoint, other organizations are utilizing social

media and therefore, we need to use it to our advantage

as well.”

Alumni Relations is one campus group that hopes to

enhance its communication through social media. At the

beginning of 2011, it rolled out a new alumni commu-

nity web page. “This new venue provides us with an

opportunity to communicate with alumni in ways that

haven’t been available before,” says Bill Pieczynski,

vice president for advancement.

“In designing this new website, we tried to simplify

the communication process,” says Brianne Callahan,

director of alumni relations. “The response to the site

thus far has

been very

positive,” she adds. For example, the site provides users

with the ability to register and pay for events online.

Want to find out who is

coming to homecoming, read

the latest play-by-play details

of a Nichols game, learn

who is coming and going on

campus or view a video of

an on-campus event?...

www.facebook.com/Nichols.College

http://community.nichols.edu


Nichols 2.0By Julie Errico

10

11

In addition, alumni and other members of the Nichols

community can access information about other alumni, see

who is coming to homecoming and other events and sign up

for new programs such as “Take a Bison to Lunch.”

Like Alumni Relations, Nichols Athletics Communica-

tions has also increased its presence via social media. Via

the Nichols College athletics web page, Nichols sports fans

can sign up to receive text messages with scores of games,

access game play-by-plays, or link to the Nichols College

Bison channel on YouTube.

Social media are having an impact in the classroom as

well. Each semester, more professors are incorporating

social media through presentations, projects and class

assignments. For example, a number of English professors

are using Wikis or blogs that allow students to publish and

comment on fellow classmates’ writing assignments. The

result of this type of interaction is a more involved student,

says Luanne Proko, assistant professor of business commu-

nication. “Students seem more engaged in class and the

subject material. They enjoy the experimentation and debat-

ing the issues that arise as a result of social media.” In addi-

tion to class-related communication, students are using

social media to keep in contact for other purposes.

Part of Snell’s goals is to get students more involved in

producing social media material from a student’s point of

view. Students who study abroad have created blogs about

their experiences. As a result, blogs are making internships

and study abroad programs more accessible and are allow-

ing students to keep in contact with family, friends, and

faculty. In preparation for graduation and their job search,

students are practicing their interviewing skills on Skype

and as well as Interview Stream and Focus V2, new soft-

ware programs Career Services has purchased. Students are

also establish-

ing LinkedIn

profiles to allow for networking for jobs upon graduation.

Whether it is communicating with prospective or

current students, alumni or other important constituencies,

Nichols will continue to use social media to communicate

its message, says Cafaro. “Social media will be a major part

of our communication strategy. We will still use traditional

communication methods but recognize that tools such as

Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube will be important commu-

nication tools for the future.”

www.youtube.com/user/nicholscollegebison

“Facebook continues

to play an important

role in driving traffic

to the Nichols website

and is within the top

five of referral sources

to the Nichols website.”

http://twitter.com/Nichols_college


12

A T H L E T I C S

Five of six fall teams advancedto postseason play in 2010, withthe Bison hosting – and winning– three The CommonwealthCoast Conference champi-onships. The men’s soccer andwomen’s tennis teams earnedTCCC crowns for the first time intheir programs’ histories, whilethe golf team took home theTCCC title for the second time infour years.

The golf team battled ex-treme weather conditions in-cluding fog, wind, rain and hailthroughout its conference invi-tational on October 21, and satthrough a 17-minute weatherdelay for a late-afternoon stormthat rolled through the par-72,6,483-yard Green Hill GolfCourse in Worcester. But the Bi-son rallied to combine for a 313to finish five strokes ahead of

defending champion Endicott,placing all five golfers in the top10 to win the event. All fourscoring players carded below an80 in the invitational, led bysophomore Nick Deni, seniorJon-Paul Chouinard, and first-year Brian Sears, who eachscored a 78 (+6) to tie for third.Senior Dan Cafasso finished onestroke back in a tie for eighthplace with a 79. Senior captainJosh Paulhus tied for 10th withan 80.

Two days later, the top-seeded women’s tennis teamdefeated Roger Williams, 5-0, atthe Francis W. Robinson Courtsfor its first-ever TCCC title andautomatic trip to the NCAAChampionship Tournament inthe spring. TCCC Player andRookie of the Year Anna Dyakivclinched the match with a 6-1,

6-2 win at top singles, settingthe Bison’s single-seasonrecord for singles wins and finishing out the fall at 16-0.The Bison led, 3-0, after dou-bles play, getting their lastpoint from Dyakiv and MariaBalabanova at the secondflight. The pair battled it outfor an 8-5 win, their record16th of the season. Nicholsdid not allow a point through-out the conference tourna-ment, defeating all opponentsby a score of 5-0, and set sev-eral program records throughthe fall, including tying thesingle-season wins recordwith a 16-2 fall slate.

Just two weeks later, Nichols had its second NCAATournament-bound team ofthe fall – and just the fifth inschool history – when the top-seeded men’s soccer team

Trifecta: Postseason run brings home three TCCC titlesposted a dramatic penalty kicks victory over Gordon in theTCCC Championship game onVendetti Field. In front of acrowd of over 1,000 people, theBison battled to a 1-1 scorethrough 110 minutes of play be-fore ousting the Scots, 3-1, inpenalty kicks, to earn their first-ever TCCC title. Gordon shot firstin the PK round, with goalkeeperBrendan Hamilton making ahuge stop on the Scots’ first attempt. All-American DavidJohnson converted for Nicholsbefore Hamilton stonewalled theScots in round two. All-TCCCmidfielder Mark Capitanio putthe Bison up, 2-0, but the Scotscut the lead in half with a third-round strike. Danny Smith edgedNichols back ahead to close outthe round and Hamilton madethe stop in the fourth round toclinch the title.

(Above left) The golf team battled the elementsand the defending champs to prevail in the TCCCtournament, while women’s tennis (above) setschool records and men’s soccer (left) capitalizedon home field advantage.


13

A T H L E T I C S

After 12 years at the helm of theNichols College football pro-gram, head coach Bill Carven'94, announced his resignationon December 13, citing familyreasons.

“I've had the tremendous honor of being a part of devel-oping student-athletes atNichols College for the last 15 seasons – it has and alwayswill mean a lot to me,” said Car-ven. "Now, it is time to turn myattention to my family.”

Carven departs after twelve seasons

A 2002 inductee into theNichols College Athletics Hallof Fame, Carven is the sec-ond-winningest coach in pro-gram history. In his first sea-son at the helm, when he wasthe youngest head footballcoach in the NCAA, Carvenbrought the Bison to their firstwinning season in seven yearsand was named the WorcesterArea Football Coach of theYear. He went on to bringNichols to five straight win-

Carven, speaking to his team, was thesixth head coach in Nichols footballhistory since the school became a four-year institution. He joined the programas an assistant coach in 1996 and wasnamed head coach in 1999, assistantathletic director in 2001 and associateathletic director in 2009. A four-yearquarterback, he still holds schoolrecords for both highest passcompletion in a season and career.

This season, two lady Bison reachedthe 1,000 career point milestone. OnDecember 2, senior forward JessicaNelson scored her 1,000th careerpoint while recording a double-double in the game with 19 pointsand 12 rebounds, hitting the scoringmilestone from the free-throw linelate in the second half. Her achieve-ment was some con-solation as the Bisonwere edged late atWestfield State, 52-60.

On January 27, senior guard AshleyRobidoux scored her1,000th career pointas the Bison defeated


Two top 1,000 in women’s hoops

ning seasons, the school's firstECAC Northeast Championshipgame appearance and the 2001Boyd Division title. He had sevenwinning seasons and coachedover 65 conference all-stars and twoGolden Helmet Award winners.

“I am proud of Billy and allthat he has been able to accom-plish at Nichols. It has been aprivilege to work with him and Iwish him and his family all thebest,” said Director of AthleticsCharlie Robert.

Carven had a few thanks ofhis own. “I want to thank theNichols College community, theplayers who I have had the op-portunity to coach, all the par-ents who have sent their sons toour program, and the talentedcoaches with whom I've had thepleasure of working.” He added,“I am proud of our program andam honored to have been a partof it as a player and coach fornearly two decades.”

On January 24, Robert an-nounced that Kevin Loney, de-fensive line coach at Division IIUpper Iowa University, will bethe new head coach of the Bisonfootball program.

Western New EnglandCollege, 62-48. Ro-bidoux converted thefirst basket of the gameto reach the milestoneand finished the gamewith a total of 13 pointsand eight rebounds.

She was honored at the followinghome game versus Curry College whereshe got a standing ovation before thegame started. Nelson and Robidoux arethe 10th and 11th players in women'sbasketball history, respectively, to score1,000 points as a Bison.

Ashley Robidoux

Jessica Nelson

Nichols College invites alumni and friends to explore the beauty of southernItaly in November. In partnership with World Cultural Tours, the trip featuresstops in Sorrento, a lovely old town of exquisite gardens that is built along acliff that includes historic buildings, bountiful orange and lemon trees, andexcursions along the majestic Amalfi Coast; and Rome, a bustling city sur-rounding the famed Vatican City that is rich in culture and legendary history.

Blue Grotto on the Isle of Capri, National Archaeological Museum inNaples, Ruins of Pompeii by Mt. Vesuvius, vineyard tour with wine tast-ing, Positano, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill and Coliseum ( one of themost incredible pieces of architecture in all of Italy), boutique shopping,dining, and more.

Roundtrip airfare, seven nights’ accommodations, professional tourguide, breakfast daily, welcome dinner, two additional dinners, farewelldinner, entrance fees and guided sightseeing, luxury motor coach, andporter service.

For more information or to make your reservation, please callWorld Cultural Tours toll free at 877-218-8687.

*The price will be determined once the flights are booked, and will be around $2,100.

14

A L U M N I / C L A S S N O T E S

Last June I returned to campusfor the first Forestry Reunion.For many of the over threedozen foresters who returned, itwas their first trip back in over40 years. Although most still

live in the Northeast, somecame from as far as Florida, Cali-fornia and Washington.

Even though some of us hadchanged over the years, it didn’ttake long to renew old acquain-tances. From spending mostmeals together to staying in theCopper Beech residence hall, wehad plenty of opportunities dur-ing the weekend to get caughtup with each other and swapstories about our days on theHill. Some were even true.

One of the highlights of theweekend was the appearance ofJohn Katori at Saturday’s gather-ing and dinner at The Lodge. Asit turned out, it was the last time

A View from the HillRon Schmitt ’62 BA ’65

we would see John, but we will always remember his com-ments, especially when hecalled the foresters, “The greatestgroup ever to attend Nichols.”(We all will miss him. He waswhat Nichols is about.)

When we said our goodbyeson Sunday, we vowed to meetagain in two years. So, for all youforesters and woodsmen’s teammembers, make a note to keepJune, 2012 open for our next re-union. The actual dates will befinalized shortly; therefore, it isimportant you keep Alumni Re-lations informed of your currentinformation.

During our time on campus,we had the opportunity to seeall of the changes that havetaken place. While we were im-pressed with the physical condi-

tion of the campus, we realizedthat there was a need for moreimprovements to its appear-ance. So, with the approval ofthe College, we created theForestry Fund with that aim inmind. Everyone is invited andencouraged to give to the fund.Along with your donations, afew of your fellow foresters willmatch donations up to $12,000.Your contributions will make adifference at Nichols.

Looking back on the re-union, I’m saddened that I didn’tkeep in closer contact withmore of my fellow foresters.They helped make my years atNichols some of the best yearsof my life. Thanks fellows, and I’llsee you in 2012.

ravello

rome

the vatican

southern italy in november. . .


sorrento

15


Afew years ago, SamHaines ’73 began think-ing about the future ofhis company. From its

humble beginnings as RawlingGear, a ten-man operation serv-ing a New England market forcustom gear products that waspurchased by Haines’ father inthe late 1960s, to the acquisi-tions of Oliver Gear in 1973 andNixon Gear in 1978, Haines created Gear Motions Inc. andhad now realized his vision ofbuilding a diversified network of companies with a nationalsales force and marketing pro-gram and annual sales topping$14 million.

Carefully considering the options, Haines decided that instead of selling, he’d makeGear Motions Inc. a 100 percent employee-stock-owned plan(ESOP). “When companies aresold, many times they arebought by financial buyers orcompetitors. In either case, thefirst interest of the buyer is notthe employees of the companyor the community in which it’slocated,” says Haines, who be-came president of Gear MotionsInc. in 1985. With an ESOP, em-ployees at Gear Motions Inc. arelikely to keep the jobs they’vecreated, and the business islikely to stay in the communityand in the hands of people whohave helped build it to what it istoday. In addition, Haines be-lieves that through this process,he is able to leave the companywith a defined transition plan.

The transition plan, which began in 2005, was finalized onDecember 9, 2010, when Hainesled the final sale of stock. In thefive years since the plan began,the company’s stock has in-creased 53 percent (from $8.63-$13.17), an impressive numberconsidering the significant dropin the economy.

Throughout the years, Haineshas been constantly involving

his approximately 75 employeesin the decisions that have di-rectly affected their jobs, fromsharing the company financialsto annual goals and objectives.“We believe that keeping every-one informed, involved, andnow having financial stake inthe future, just seems like theright next step, and one wehope will result in a strongerand more successful company,”he says.

Though the transition wassuccessfully completed, therewere a few challenges along theway. Haines remarks that sinceESOP is an IRS-ERISA product,there are many governmentrules and regulations that comewith it. “I’m always amazed bythe amount of paperwork andrequirements,” he notes. Sincethere were so many regulations,Haines made sure that his em-ployees were prepared andwere ready to take on a greaterrole in the business of Gear Motions Inc. Another challengewas the amount of “surprises”Haines experienced in theprocess. “When entering some-thing new, there are lots of things that you don’t know,but working through those isthe real interesting part of it,” he says. “Eventually it just becomes part of the process,and you learn as you go. Look-ing back, I absolutely think it’sworth it,” he adds.

Now that the transition iscomplete, Haines has alreadytransitioned out of his opera-tions role as president, but hiswork with Gear Motions Inc. isnot nearly finished. He will con-tinue as chairman of the boardand chief financial officer. Despite being out of the day-to-day operations, he will keepbusy with the financial side ofthe business, leading acquisi-tions and integrations of newcompanies.

~ Ron Powers ’08

Taking stock: an ESOP tale

Sam Haines ’73, chairman of the board and CFO of Gear MotionsInc., developed a business plan for the company while a graduatestudent at Babson College. Under his leadership, sales for thecompany have increased by over $10 million since 1973.

What is an ESOP?Reprinted with permission from In Motion, Gear Motions Inc.’s newsletter

A Retirement Trust Fund with assets invested in the stockof the company

A Defined Contribution Plan (similar to 401k but with onlyone investment)

An opportunity for employees to have an ownership stake

A tax- free legal entity that owns, but doesn’t manage thecompany

Like all other retirement plans, the ESOP is regulated bythe Federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act(ERISA).

The employees do not have to buy the company’s stockwith their own money. The company borrows the money forESOP (from a bank typically), which purchased the Haines’stock. As that loan is paid down every year, an equivalentamount of stock is transferred to employee accounts.



16

John Vanderveer and his wife,Jeanne, have been married for58 years. He celebrated his 92ndbirthday in October.

Class Scribe: Stanley Finn70 Franklin St.Northampton, MA 01060-2039413-586-0886

Class Scribe: Robert Risk309 Conestoga Rd.Wayne, PA 19087-4009610-688-8242

Class Scribe: Tom Bartsch303 Archers MeadWilliamsburg, VA [email protected]

From the Class Scribe…

My November letter produced afew responses, which I appreci-ate. Some of the notes werelengthy, so I condensed them.Jim Coley says he is still in the

Connecticut Yacht Club, U.S.Power Squadron, and the VFW.He is going to pull out his “N”sweater and wear it to home-coming on Oct. 1, 2011.

A note from Bob Nelson’swife, Trudy, informed me that

and friend, Don Schafer, livesfive minutes from me. I followNichols sports when I can locatethe scores in our papers.”

1956Class Scribe: Arthur Fries917 Jordan Ct.Nipomo, CA [email protected]

Class Scribe: Kent TarrantP.O. Box 496Hampden, MA [email protected]


Marty Leach passed away lastfall. Marty was an outstandingbaseball and basketball playerwhile at Nichols and a life-longsports enthusiast…and an ar-dent Red Sox fan. We will all re-member Marty’s on-court lead-ership as Nichols won the NewEngland Junior College Champi-onship in 1957. He attended our50th reunion and was an earlysupporter of our scholarship ef-forts. Dave Flemingwent toMarty’s wake and reported ahuge turnout of friends payingtheir respects. He was a loyalalumnus and will be missed byus all.

Dave and I, along with DonClaprood, George Butler andArt Rizy got together at theWorcester Club for some Christ-mas cheer and to discuss theClass of ’57 Scholarship Fundwhich exceeded the $25,000goal and will be matched by ananonymous donor, bringing thefund to over $50,000. A scholar-ship will be awarded this year toa student who best matches theachievement criteria set by thecommittee. The next meeting isset for the Publick House onApril 27 at noon. All ’57 alumniare invited and encouraged toattend. Please drop me an emailif you plan on attending.

ment of the Criminal JusticeManagement Program. He mar-ried his high school sweetheart,has three children, six grandchil-dren, and one great-grandchild.Don Wochomurka, who re-

sides in Bloomfield, CT, saysboating and traveling are nowbehind him, but he finds himselfvery lucky to be enjoying lifewith his wife of 58 years. Theyhave four children and sevengrandchildren, all of whom liveclose.

An update from Wes Armstrong: His first wife, Barbara, passed away in 1990.They had five children, who areall happy and well, and scat-tered all across the country. Heand his second wife, Lorraine,will be celebrating their 10thanniversary. Wes resides justsouth of Wilmington, NC.

In an email, Ken George says:“After graduating from Gettys-burg in ’53, I went into the serv-ice, came back and started a rewarding 30-year career inbanking, with the last 10 yearsas CEO. I’ve been married for 54 years to a nurse/artist and have four children, ninegrandchildren and two great-grandchildren. I’m happily livingin North Carolina.”

John Love asked why I movedto Williamsburg, VA. There aremany reasons, including toomuch snow and high taxes inRye, NY. Here we have a gatedcommunity, three golf courses,16 tennis courts, and manypools.

Best to you all! I thank you foryour notes and am sorry I couldnot print them entirely.

Daniel Berman shares that henow has seven grandchildren,and is still working full time,with no retirement plans, “Godwilling.”

A note from Donald Siegel:“Greetings to my Class of ’54classmates. I am retired and liv-ing in Carmel, IN. My classmate

Bob passed away two weeks be-fore Christmas in 2009. We willmiss him at the reunion. I alsoreceived a note from BillRoberts’wife, Joan, who in-formed me that Bill passed awayrecently after a year of declininghealth. Bill and Joan have twodaughters.Bill Cairns is living in Arling-

ton, VT. After graduating, hewent into the Army as a cryp-tographer with Supreme HQ Al-lied Powers Europe. He lived inParis for a couple of years,worked with the Orvis Co. andfinally started his own fly-casting instructional school.Roger Casavantwent to one ofBill’s first classes. Bill, still mar-ried, has three children plusgrandchildren. He says he isfeeling well and keeps active.Pete Polstein notes that he

retired in 1995 as senior vicepresident of Alexander &Alexander, a large insurancecompany. He continues to con-sult on off-shore reinsurance. Hehas two daughters, and he stillplays guitar with a blues band inNYC. He was in the service from1952-55, stationed in the Philip-pines.

In a three-page letter, JohnLovewrites that after gradua-tion, he got his BA at ColoradoCollege, but the Army had otherplans for him. He returned toColorado in 1956. He worked forWebb & Knapp in New York asassistant manager for leasing.He had three children andmoved from Wilton, CT, toChatham, MA. Later, heswitched horses and went withMerrill Lynch. In 2002, he de-cided to pack it in and moveback to the Cape to retire.Jim Dunbar tells me that he

is not retired yet, but very busykeeping an eye on his corpora-tion, Dunbar Armored Inc.,which he started 55 years ago.He has 5,000 employees, 1,400trucks, and 85 company facto-ries across the U.S. The companyis headquartered in Hunt Valley,MD. Jim was on the NicholsBoard of Trustees for many yearsand sponsored the develop-

1940s

1950s



17

hard to keep up with his com-ings and goings. John says thatthey are still trying to play ten-nis, get naps in and occasionallydo something educational. All iswell in deepest SW Florida, butdon’t tell anyone.Sandy Tuttle and his wife are

great-grandparents. Grandson,Eric, and wife, Christian, had ababy boy, Oscar. The Tuttles arein Florida for the winter but willbe traveling to Philadelphia inMay to celebrate Sandy’smother’s 97th birthday, thenback to Ohio for the summer.Harvey Gluck sends his best

A message from Charlie Howe’62…

Not sure if you recognized KenBeyer ’60 in the last NC Maga-zine. Same old Ken. I don’t seemuch change in him, mainly be-cause I see him just about everyyear in Naples. Normally, thefirst thing out of his mouth is,“Charlie, how nice of you tobring your daughter [Kate] tothese events.” According to JohnGirvin, his sometimes tennispartner, Ken has been doing alot of traveling, and it has been

Catching up with Paul Gauvin ’72

“We’re in the beauty business,” says J.Paul Gauvin ’72 when asked to de-scribe his work. As president of HenriEnterprises Inc., Gauvin took over thesecond generation family businessthat encompasses the Henri Schoolof Hair Design and W.S. Beauty Sup-ply, and has left a mark that has beenanything but cosmetic.

The company was started in 1950by Gauvin’s father, Henri, a hair-dresser, and flourished in the salonbusiness – at one time operating 20beauty salons throughout New Eng-

land. As the company grew so did its staffing needs, so a school wasadded to furnish the salon division. Eventually, the economy got thebest of the salon business, and with only six left about five years ago,Henri Enterprises transferred ownership to another company. But bythen, under Gauvin’s direction, the wholesale supply division hadevolved to an established and successful operation.

With his late father and brother, who runs the school, both hair de-signers, the beauty business may have been in Gauvin’s blood, but fol-lowing graduation from Nichols College, the general business majoropted for a different path. “I had interviewed at several companies,” hesays, “but my father gave me the opportunity to build up the supplydivision. It was an opportunity to build something from scratch,something that I could accomplish, and I was lucky to have it.”

In his 40 years in the business, Gauvin has grown W.S. Supply froma small local store to a full-service supplier serving professionalbeauty salons, barber shops and nail salons in three states, with sixoutside salespeople and one large store. Even as the competitiongets stiff, Gauvin remains confident. “The trend in our industry is bigconglomerates buying up smaller distributors,” he explains. “Whenthese big companies come in, they don’t provide the same type of

service that we do, so we’re finding that this gives us an opportunityto do what we do best, service our customers.”

In his native Fitchburg, Mass., and northern Worcester County,Gauvin has also garnered a reputation for community service. As an11-year-old boy, he remembers delivering baskets with his father topeople who needed “food and sustenance” at Christmastime. The ex-perience left an impression. He has served leadership volunteerroles with the region’s Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce andmany other organizations. His work with the Salvation Army has ledto a 25-year-plus stint of delivering or preparing meals for shut-inson Christmas, enlisting the help of his family, including his wife, Pa-tricia, and his four children, Bryan, Alicia, Jonathan, and Melissa,when they were living at home.

For his extraordinary volunteerism and commitment to the NorthCentral Massachusetts community, Gauvin was awarded MountWachusett Community College’s Harold E. Drank Citizen of the Yearin 2009. His personal and profes-sional accomplishments were alsorecognized with a Nichols AlumniAchievement Award in September.

While his undergraduate daysmay be far behind him, Gauvinmaintains strong ties to Nicholsthrough the Underhill Gang, a bandof friends from the now non-existentUnderhill Dormitory. “We’ve stayedin touch over the years and got to-gether several times a year beforewe started our families,” Gauvin says.“Now that we’re empty-nesters, we’rehoping to rekindle those get-togethers.” They have also been faithfulparticipants in the Alumni Golf Tournament for the past 15 years.“This past year we had a good turnout,” he adds, “We reminisce andhave a great time.”

to everyone. He commentedthat I am the same as I waswhen we attended Nichols, al-ways actively involved. Thanks,Harvey.Buzz Bardsley says that he’s

freezing his behind off up inConnecticut. He will be headedto California in January for aweek in the Bay area and thento Acapulco in February. There islight at the end of the tunnel.He was planning to spendChristmas in Narberth, PA, withhis son’s family. He’s hoping tostay as long as his approval rat-ings hold up. He inquired if any-

one was on Facebook.Howard Rubinwishes every-

one a happy and healthy NewYear.

It was certainly nice to see thecontinued support from theClass of ’59 in the annual report.Thank you, Ray Pecor (ScholarsSociety), Leo Marshall (Presi-dent’s Green Circle), James Wagner (President’s Silver Cir-cle) andMoe Knudsen (Acad-emy Associates). And to every-one else, thank you. As with lastyear, let us all help to creategreat opportunities in 2011.


Gauvin celebrates his recent AlumniAchievement Award with family.

Catching up with Elaine deCiutiis ’02 MBA ’03

18


Class Scribe: Charlie HoweMay-September212 22nd St.Surf City, NJ [email protected]

October- April17468 Cornflower Ln.Punta Gorda, FL 33955941-575-8150

While watching the NCAALacrosse Final Four last year, Igot to thinking about SteveCook ’63, who, during my dayson the Hill, was perhaps thebest attack man I had everplayed with. Steve had the abil-ity to put the ball wherever hechose, whether he was shootingright or left handed. He was thego-to guy on our attack, whichincluded John Wadder and LyleFox. The ’61 team won sevengames with only two losses.That was the year we traveled to


It was certainly sad news to hearabout the passing of John Katori. Over the past threeyears, John, Barbara, Kate and Iwould get together in Florida,either for dinner or at a ballgame in Cape Coral when hisdaughter, Kristina, was coachingthe SUNY New Paltz women’ssoftball team. We also had thepleasure of dining with Johnand his 1961-62 basketball teamat The Lodge during homecom-ing two years ago, and then a

1960s

Since her graduation from Nichols College with her MBA in 2003,Elaine deCiutiis has consistently demonstrated her leadership skillsin both her career and volunteer service. While working as an assis-tant vice president/branch manager at The Washington Trust Co., deCiutiis served on the board at the TseTse Gallery and the NicholsAlumni Board. However, in her current position as a senior financialanalyst at General Dynamics Electric Boat (EB) she feels she has hadthe most impact. In 2009, deCiutiis, along with several of her EB col-leagues, co-founded the New England Shoreline chapter of Womenin Defense, a 25-year-old national organization which supports theadvancement and recognition of women in all aspects of nationalsecurity, including the defense industry: contractors, governmentemployees, and the military.

In less than a year, the chapter has grown to more than 80 mem-bers and has organized several successful events. The organizationhas been a valuable resource at EB, which builds submarines for theU.S. Navy, where women make up approximately 11 percent of theworkforce. It provides a venue for women just starting out in theircareers to network with those who paved the way before them.“When we founded this organization, we received a lot of positivefeedback from new and potential members because they were oftenlooking for mentorship or guidance from other women who haveexperience in their particular field,” says deCiutiis, who currentlyserves as the chapter’s co-president. “Electric Boat senior and execu-tive management recognize the need to support women within theorganization and have encouraged our efforts,” she adds.

WID, which is actually a non-gender-specific organization, givesfellow employees of different backgrounds the opportunity to gainanother perspective of current issues impacting the industry. Withmembership open to government and military personnel, and an EBstaff with expertise as diverse as engineering and finance to qualityassurance and submarine construction, this diversity can be astrength but also provides a welcome challenge not only for deCiutiis but other women as well.

As a senior financial analyst, deCiutiis is responsible for specialprojects, analyzing and preparing internal and corporate financialreports by collaborating with involved departments to meet com-petitive deadlines. Her position also requires her to coordinate and

facilitate confidential data between departments, working with vari-ous levels of management and to communicate effectively withpeers, department managers and senior-level managers. Network-ing with fellow employees at chapter events has helped her efforts.“I have been at Electric Boat for three years, and am considered rela-tively new to the company…. I’m off the street from the banking in-dustry, so WID has given me the opportunity to meet others withinthe company and industry,” says deCiutiis.

Networking also gives members an opportunity to find mentorswithin the company. “To find a woman as a mentor, if someone has already broken ground, it helps each of us find our footing in a similar career path,” says deCiutiis. Establishing a more formal mentorship program for the members of WID is a priority for deCiutiis in 2011.

As the chapter continues to grow and expand to the other defense-industry-related companies in the New England Shorelineareas, deCiutiis will undoubtedly continue to contribute her leader-ship skills to a number of areas, including the sustained success ofthe Women In Defense chapter at Electric Boat.

~ Julie Errico

Elaine DeCiutiis (front row, far right), co-president of the Women in Defense chapter,with the Board of Directors: (back, from left) Julie Bliven, director of programs andevents; Annette Seling, co-president; Regina Pedroso, secretary; (front, from left)Virginia Andrea, treasurer; and Erin Joyce, membership director. Not pictured: CarmenMazurek, director of communications.

nice breakfast at his home inCharlton on Sunday. John be-gan teaching at Nichols in Sep-tember of ’58, just as many of uswere adjusting to college life.For us, it was a short four-yearstay; for John, it was the begin-ning of an outstanding tenure,which ended when he wasnamed professor emeritus uponretirement. The Nichols andWebster communities are cer-tainly proud of all that he hasaccomplished, and especiallygrateful for his friendship.


19

year for them, with good healthand plenty of time for travel toEurope. They hit the Henley Re-gatta, and John says, “It doesn’tcompare to Lake Webster.”Rene Langevin says, “Every-

thing is still moving along here inWebster. I have a 9-year-oldgrandson who shoots a basket-ball like Freddie O’Connor.”

FromHugo Pagliccia ’63:“Spent time in Hingham, MA,with my son, Bud, and family. Hisson is in his second year atNichols. Like us, he really likesNichols. Carol and I have beenblessed with our third great-grandchild, a baby girl, Ella.Talked to John Turro over the hol-idays. He is disappointed with theGiants, but still goes nuts overUConn sports. JT and wife, Adelle,visited on Nantucket over thesummer. We had a great time.”

Kate and I are back in PuntaGorda, FL, for the winter. In December, Kate was one of fourartists chosen to exhibit in theGoff Gallery of the local VisualArts Center. Her 20-plus paint-ings were a big hit. One of thepaintings included a greenwoodie and a maroon woodie atthe beach. Using a picture, shepainted Henri David’s ’64 carinto the piece. At the same time,one of her paintings was se-lected and exhibited in a “Facesand Figures” juried art exhibit.Starting in February, we get backto sailboat racing. Hope that mybody holds up for another year.

Congratulations to the Class of’62 for again being the class withthe highest percentage of partic-ipation in annual giving to theNichols Fund. Keep up the goodwork, but be mindful that theClass of ’69 is getting close. Also,thank you, Alan Peterson (Presi-dent’s Green Circle) and toCalvin Hills, Ken Ingraham, Dick Knoener, Dick Makin,George Withington and PaulZimmerman (all President’s Sil-ver Circle) and to everyone else.Let’s keep leading the way in2011, both in participation andgiving.

Make a note to attend Home-coming 2012.

Class Scribe: Bruce I. Haslun

16 Gilder Point Ct.Simpsonville, SC [email protected]


First, a profound sadness cameover me on December 30, whenDave Lombard ’65, called to tellme of Professor Katori’s death.He taught many of us muchmore than the basics of ac-counting. I have lost someone Ihad great respect for. NicholsCollege has lost a friend, profes-sor, alumnus, and ambassador. Iknow I am not alone when I sayI’ll miss him. On behalf of theclass of 1963, I send our heart-felt condolences to Barbara,Kevin and Kristina. Perhaps it issome small help to know othersare thinking of you.

I had a wonderful week-earlyChristmas present: got the re-sults of my first PSA since twomonths of radiation treatments.We were shooting for a score of 3. Doctor said anything lowerthan that would be icing on thecake. The cake came back not

only iced but ala mode…rackedup a 0.875!

Had nice notes from WarrenBender ’64 (brother-in-arms)and John Andersonwishing mewell. I appreciate hearing fromyou, John. Maybe next article, I’llhave more to report on John,since he turns 70 soon. Beenthere, done that, and I can tellyou, you are right to look for-ward to it. Seventy is a goodone. Well, heck, they’re all goodones (unlike some of the emailjokes from George Euler! Justkidding, George. Thanks forthinking of me.)

Have an invitation from JackLubbers and wife, Theresa, toattend Jack’s 70th birthdayparty, mid-April, in Charleston,SC. The good Lord willing, I’llsure be there and will reportback to y’all next time.

Got a good, long letter fromStan Urban, who, between hur-ricanes, earthquakes and dysen-tery, had me much concerned.Guess I need not have worried.Stan was married on December6, 2010, to Nicole, first marriagefor both. They continue to live inHaiti. They are very involvedwith a Catholic mission and areon the board of directors ofFriends of the Orphans. He wasin Milan, Italy, as part of thiswork and got to meet the Pope.They have been involved inbuilding hospitals and schoolsand recently received a dona-tion of $250,000 to buy food for those in need. A note of bad news: Stan’s dad went tomeet our maker just three daysshy of the wedding. He was 98 years old.Dave Schemm ’61, Ed

Mazzetta ’64 and Coach JohnTurro ’62 continue to stay intouch. The Turros spent threegreat days with Hugo Paglicciaand wife, Carol, on Nantucket.Coach has heard from CharlieHowe ’62, Ace Peterson ’62 andBuzz Bardsley ’59 (denizen of T-Hall for two years.)

Carol and I leave Jan. 15 forparadise, a.k.a. Galley Bay, An-tigua, where I’ll celebrate my73rd birthday. We come home

Long Island to take on CW Post and Adelphi. There is, un-fortunately, a sad part to mystory. According to the alumnioffice at Deerfield Academy,Steve died a number of yearsago. “Cookie,” thanks for thememories.

After a trip to northern NewJersey for Christmas, which in-cluded 30 inches of snow in theyard and the furnace running24/7, Dick Makin is happy to beback in southwest Florida forthe winter. The great thingabout the visit was spendingtime with all of the children and grandchildren. He and Pamare doing fine, and we look for-ward to getting together at theNaples alumni gathering onFebruary 17.Pete Juddwrites that this

past October he and Paul “PZ”Zimmerman played in a mem-ber-guest golf tournament athis community course onDataw Island, SC. They won thepractice round outright of all 72teams. In the two-day tourna-ment, they won their flight andwent on to participate in theshoot-out, where they wereeventually eliminated andended up in third place overall.Nice going. In January, Pete andPat will be off to Hope Town,Abacos, in the Bahamas, ontheir 41-ft. sailboat. They have amooring and have spent thepast two winters there. Mike Krasner, who at Home-

coming 2009 hooked up withhis college roommates, JohnFrantzis and John Turro, reminded me that our 50th reunion will be next year. Whowould have imagined?John Dolan and wife, Anne,

write that the New Year is aboutto start with fond hopes fortheir kids and grandkids (withone more on the way). He andAnne will be leaving for theWest Coast in January for amonth to check out the variousarea wines. They are thinkingabout buying a house in Port-land so that they can staylonger and see the kids grow.They said that 2010 was a good

We’d like to hearfrom you!Please send your news directlyto 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 thebetter – 300 dpi (dots per inch).

Digital imagesmay be sent directly to: [email protected]. Printsmay be sent to:

Nichols CollegeAlumni Relations OfficeP.O. Box 5000Dudley, MA 01571



20

on Jan. 29. Art Tozziwrote in hisChristmas card that his daugh-ter, son-in-law and grandkids aremoving to Spartanburg, SC, justa hop, skip, and a jump fromSimpsonville, so a get-togethercould be in the cards. Hope y’allhad a wonderful Christmas andhave much good to look for-ward to in the New Year.

Class Scribe: Warren Bender3604 Kingsley Dr.Myrtle Beach, SC [email protected]


I hope y’all enjoyed the NewYear and had a great Christmasseason. Things are not only slowjob-wise, I have nothing to re-port aside from me hoping myNY Giants go further than theydid in last year’s playoffs. MyMets tanked again, and theKnicks look like they may becoming around the bend. By thetime you read this we will knowfor sure. I've been down here inthe beautiful south for 40 yearsand just can't shake the three ofthem.Bob Hood '66 now has a win-

ter home in Florida, but still getsto enjoy his summers on Can-dlewood Lake in Connecticut.He came by Myrtle Beach forthree weeks on his way down inOctober. We got plenty of beachtime and two rounds of golf in.

I'm adding this after just read-ing of John Katori's suddenpassing. He coached us in bas-ketball during my sophomoreyear. John and Barbara stoppedin Myrtle Beach twice in recentyears on their way back fromtheir Florida winter retreat. Lilaand I really enjoyed their com-pany, and I actually got to knowhim better than when I was atNichols. I was on the Hill for my45th reunion in '09 when theyhad us over for breakfast on theday we were leaving.

John devoted himself to theschool and never missed an op-portunity to promote it to thosewho were not familiar with

manager after becoming a CPAin 1985. In 1989, he joinedMatka Corp., a small computerrental and leasing company inWest Simsbury, CT, where hehelped launch New Englandsatellite offices, including hisown in Northborough, MA. Aftergetting his MBA, he was pro-moted to vice president of theAccounting Systems Group,which he was influential in cre-ating, and developed a small taxand accounting practice, whichhe worked mostly on weekends.In 1991, he joined NewCorrPackaging, the largest manufac-turer of corrugated sheets inNew England, and is currentlyvice president of finance.Among his hobbies are golf,cheering on the Red Sox and Pa-triots, gardening, cooking, fish-ing, hunting, real estate, travel,and music. In 2008, he sold thetax portion of his practice toform Dubble D & the KhaosJunkies, which plays at local areaclubs and has just released theirfirst album, “What’s on the Way.”More information is available athttp://khaosjunkies.com/.

to 8 years old. Two live in south-ern California, one in Portland,OR, and four in Seattle. Jim hasstayed active in the hiking andbackpacking arena. He says,“There aren't many places herein the NW I haven't been. I do acouple of service trips each yearfor a non-profit group calledWilderness Volunteers [wilder-nessvolunteers.org]. They dowork-party type trips in nationalparks and wilderness areasthroughout the U.S. I'm also anactive road biker (pedal type)and enjoy longer distance ridesaround the NW.”David Weyant says his news

is that his youngest daughter,Mandy, is getting married nextJune in Texas.

Craig’s Creations, owned by R. Craig Fowler, enters its 27thyear in business in 2011. His an-tique silverware and windchimes are in 39 states, 19 coun-tries, and in 2006, were featuredin the movie When a StrangerCalls.

John Threlfall recently openeda new firm, Atlantic Intermedi-aries LLC, located in Essex, CT.He also reports that his oldestdaughter, Kimberly, got married.Rob “Rookie” Keating is gen-

eral manager of Birchwood Ten-nis and Fitness Club in ClarksSummit, PA. He lives with hiswife, Sarah, and children, Taylor(5) and Isabel (8), in the EndlessMountains.

David DiPilato MBA ’92writesthat he has been married to hiswife, Cyndi, for 27 years. Follow-ing graduation, he began a career in public accounting withGreenberg, Rosenblatt, Kull, &Bitsoli, PC, and was promoted to

Nichols. He is truly an exampleof "being a part of the Nicholsfamily." Our heartfelt sympathygoes to Barbara and family.

“And the Beat Goes On"

Class Scribe:Robert Kuppenheimer

4627 Tremont Ln.Corona del Mar, CA [email protected]


Gil Rochonwrites that he andhis significant other, Trudy St.Pierre, just returned from an 11-day cruise to South and CentralAmerica. This trip makes eightcruises in the last six years forthem.

This fall, while attending arally for Scott Walker, now gov-ernor of Wisconsin, featuringNew Jersey Governor ChrisChristie, Richard Bauzenbergersays he was pointed out in thecrowd as the lookalike of the“desperate liberal, Jon Corzine.Preferring not to have that asso-ciation,” Richard says, “I shortlythereafter shaved off the beard.”

Jim Jacksonwrites thathe sold hisinterest inhis CPApractice,Jackson,Morgan &Hunt, to

his two junior partners and willcontinue to work there parttime for a couple of years. Afterthat, he plans to “dabble on afew boards, continue to farm myGranny Smith apples in easternWashington, do some work for afew favorite clients, and gener-ally get caught up with the realpart of life.” Jim and his wifehave a 70-year-old home inWest Seattle that he says hasnot been updated in as manyyears following its feature inSunset Magazine about 65 yearsago. They will be restoring it,along with the neglected gar-dens. They have seven grand-children, ranging from newborn

William Wood ’69 and his wife, Donna,with granddaughter, Alexandra Elizabeth

1970s

David DiPilato ’82 and his band at IrishTimes in Worcester.

Richard Bauzenberger ’69


1980s


21

Class Scribe:Diane (Bellerose) Golas

90 Lebanon St.Southbridge, MA [email protected]

Framingham-based technologymarket data firm InternationalData Corp. has promoted KevinCapalbo to assistant vice presi-dent of its customer solutionspractice. He has held sales jobswith IDC since 2000 and is partof the company’s events andcharity committee. He lives inShrewsbury.

Class Scribe: Donna Small4905 Bay Harvest Ct.Clemmons, NC 27012-8245336-712-1053 (home)336-692-5157 (cell)[email protected]

Scott Devens MBA has been appointed general manager ofthe new application division ofTalend. He has over 24 years ofexperience in the technology in-dustry. Most recently, he wasvice president of worldwidesales and field operations forProgress Software, vice presi-dent and executive officer atIONA Technologies, and he heldvarious senior managementroles in sales and finance withEMC and Data General.

Class Scribe:Danielle (Troiano) Sprague

20 Stagecoach Rd.Leominster, MA [email protected]

Dave MBA ’99 and Brooke (Upton) ’98 MBA ’02 Sokolnickiwelcomed Allison Rose on Dec. 23, 2010, joining big sister,Sarah Jane (2).

Class Scribe:Emily (Seiferman) Alves

[email protected]

Michael Bovenzi MBA hasjoined Rollstone Bank & Trust ofFitchburg as a commerciallender and vice president. Hehas 10 years of experience incommercial banking. In his newposition, he will be responsiblefor developing new commercialbusiness, with a focus on theWorcester market, and assistingcurrent customers.

Melissa(Turner)McGuirkMBA ’08and herhusband,Michael,welcomedtwins onAug. 17,2010. John“Jack” Ed-mund II wasborn at12:50 p.m.

and Avery Frances was born at12:52 p.m.

Class Scribe: Andrea [email protected]

Jen Caissie MBAwas sworn inas a member of the Governor’sCouncil on Jan. 6 during aninauguration ceremony at theState House. She is believed to be the first woman to everhold the 7th District seat on

the Council since its inceptionin the 1780s and one of two Republicans elected to servesince 1992. Caissie is an attor-ney in private practice with theMichael Caplette Law Office inSouthbridge, MA, and is chair ofthe Oxford Board of Selectmen. Steven Taylor is currently

employed as a dual-rate dealerin the Table Gamer Departmentat Mohegan Sun.

Class Scribe: David Twiss978-979-7658 (cell)[email protected]

Stephanie Zaccaria is engagedto John Clune of Valley Cottage,NY. She works for Frenkel Bene-fits LLC in NYC, and is complet-ing her master’s degree in ele-mentary education at Mercy

Class Scribe: Michael Donehey508-376-5469 (phone)509 376-5043 (fax)[email protected]

Class Scribe:Rose (Cummings) Mamakos

3 Woodland Ave.Kingston, MA [email protected]

Class Scribe: John P. Donahue10 Corsham Dr.Medford, NJ 08055-8434609-257-8191 [email protected]

William Martin MBA ’92washired as vice president andsmall business relationshipmanager for the Worcester re-gion for TD Bank. In his new po-sition, he will oversee smallbusiness lending and businessdevelopment in Sturbridge,Auburn, Shrewsbury, Westbor-ough and Milford. He hasworked in banking for 22 years,most recently as a vice presi-dent in commercial lending atMillbury National Bank and Peo-ple's United Bank.

Class Scribe: Susan Zimonis18930 Misty Lake Dr.Jupiter, FL [email protected]

Robert Babcockwas namedmarket president for Centraland Western Massachusetts forTD Bank. In his new position, hewill manage the bank's retail,commercial, and small-businessbanking and lending teams. Hehas more than 25 years of expe-rience in commercial banking inMass. He joined TD Bank in 2001and has served in a variety ofcommercial lending leadershiproles, including most recently asregional vice president for Cen-tral Massachusetts.

2000s

Allison Rose Sokolnicki

Jen Caissie MBA ’00

1990s


Join the Nichols College Online Community athttp://community.nichols.edu


22

College. Her fiancé works forPepsi Co. in Somers, NY, and iscompleting his MBA at Mercy. A July 2011 wedding is planned.

Lauren (Carvalho) and Richard’09 Kallianidiswelcomed theirfirst child, Grace, on Oct. 9, 2010,six weeks early.

Class Scribe: Erica [email protected]

Douglas Glassman MBA andStephanie Foster were marriedAug. 14 at the Pinehills Golf Clubin Plymouth, MA. The coupletoured Italy on their honeymoonand currently lives in Waltham,MA. He is a business analyst atthe TJX Companies in Framing-ham and she is a registerednurse at Winchester Hospital.

Class Scribe: Katelyn [email protected]

of Laconia Industrial Develop-ment Corp., and on severalboards and community organi-zations. Survivors include hiswife of 57 years, Phyllis; children,Jane, Sally, and Allen; and sevengrandchildren. He was prede-ceased by his siblings, Williamand Jane.Joseph M. McDonough ’51, ofStonington, Conn., died Nov. 24,2010. After being honorably dis-charged from the U.S. Air Force,where he served in the KoreanWar, he joined the family insur-ance business until he was ap-pointed by Governor Ella Grassoas deputy commissioner of con-sumer protection. He was amember of the Hartford GolfClub, Hartford Lions Club, andthe Gaming Commission for theMashantucket Pequot Reserva-tion. Survivors include his wife,Ruth; children, Val, Lee, Jay, Jon,and Mary Jo; nine grandchildren;and a brother, E. Merritt. He waspredeceased by his brother,Charles.William E. Roberts ’51, ofJasper, Ga., died Oct. 9, 2010. Fol-lowing working as an M-1 rifleinstructor at Fort Dix, N.J., duringthe Korean War, he worked as anunderwriting manager withCrum & Forester Insurance for 25years. Survivors include his wifeof 55 years, Joan; children, Eveand Doris; five grandchildren;four great-grandchildren; andsiblings, Eleinore, Doris, Carol,and Paul.Francis O. Mansfield ’54, ofBridgewater, Mass., died Dec. 12,2010. He was a longtime mem-ber of Halifax Country Club,where he established the OneArm Golf Championship. He alsodabbled in lobster trapping, icefishing, and most currently,owned greyhound racing dogs.Survivors include his wife of 51years, Isabelle; children, Jeffreyand Joanne; and two grandchil-dren. He was the brother of thelate John and Elizabeth.Kenneth S. Baum ’58, of Wood-stock, Conn., died Dec. 12, 2010.He worked as a manufacturer'srepresentative for several furni-ture companies in North Carolina

and Marsha; and seven grand-children. He was predeceased bytwo sisters, Betty and Marjorie.John R. Balzac ’50, of Scarsdale,N.Y., died Sept. 30, 2010. Follow-ing Nichols, he partnered withhis brother, Richard, in the familycoffee importing business,Balzac Bros. & Co. Survivors in-clude his wife of 52 years, Marcia;children, Kathleen and Patricia;six grandchildren; and siblings,Delores, Mary, and Ralph.Russell E. Dodds ’50, of Peter-borough, N.H., died Oct. 30,2010. After joining the U.S. Ma-rine Corps, he worked as an in-surance sales executive withJohn Hancock Mutual InsuranceCo. In 1983, he purchased thePeterborough Basket Co. Sur-vivors include his wife of 57years, Joan; children, Linda andWayne; and a granddaughter.Albert J. “Jack” LaBonte ’50, ofSomersworth, N.H., died Dec. 31,2010. For 44 years he worked incommunity services in the pri-vate and public sectors, andupon retirement in 1993, as ex-ecutive director of the Somer-sworth Housing Authority.LaBonte continued to serve thecommunity following retirementand was an active member ofthe Governor's Council on Agingand a recipient of the State ofNew Hampshire's Vaughn Awardin 2002. Survivors include hiswife of 58 years, Pauline; chil-dren, William and Beth; fourgrandchildren; two great-grand-children; and brother, Richard.John A. Veazey ’50, of Laconia,N.H., died Dec. 2, 2010. He servedin the U.S. Air Force during theKorean War. For eight years dur-ing the 1960s and 1970s, he wasan aide to Brig. Gen. HarrisonThyng and traveled extensivelyin Europe and the Middle East.Veazey was president and ownerof the Boulia-Gorrell Lumber Co.,and was honored as Lumbermanof the Year by Northeast RetailLumbermen's Association in2001. He also served as a mem-ber of the Legislature and of theLaconia City Council, interimmayor, selectman, tax assessor,police commissioner, president

Alumni Relations was informedthat former trustee and classscribe, Richard “Dick” McLellan’40, died Dec. 16, 2010. No otherinformation was available.Howard L. Bickford ’47, of PortSt. Lucie, Fla., and formerlyNashua, N.H., died Jan. 7, 2011.He was a World War II veteran ofthe Army Air Forces. Bickford wasone of the developers of Port St.Lucie proper, vice president ofGeneral Development Corp.,general manager of FloridaHome Finders retail sales divi-sion, and one of the founders ofPort St. Lucie National Bank, nowknown as Seacoast NationalBank. He was a longtime sup-porter of the Salvation Army andwas on the board of directors forthe Port St. Lucie branch since1998. He is survived by hisgrandson. He was predeceasedby his wife, Theodora; and sons,Howard and Theodore.Wilbur F. Charter ’47, of Mel-bourne, Fla., and formerly New-ington, Conn., died Dec. 20,2010. He was a member of theU.S. Navy, and served in theSouth Pacific theater duringWorld War II. Charter was afounding member of theWethersfield, Conn., VolunteerAmbulance Corps in 1956. Healso volunteered for children’s lit-eracy programs at elementaryschools in Connecticut andFlorida. Survivors include hiscompanion, Teresa; children,Linda, Ronald, James, Karen, andScott; 13 grandchildren; and sixgreat-grandchildren. He was pre-deceased by his wife, Mary.Walter E. Bennett ’48, of Fitch-burg, Mass., died Dec. 5, 2010. Hewas president of the George S.Carrington Co. in Leominster forover 25 years, until his retirementin 1991. Bennett served the com-munity in many ways, including,as city councilor, member of St.Camillus Church Parish andFitchburg Lions Club, and boardmember of the former WallaceCivic Center, former WorcesterNorth Savings Bank, and KellyWood Products. Survivors in-clude his wife of 62 years, Agnita;children, Walter, Deborah, Linda,

A L U M N I / C L A S S N O T E S N I C H O L S R E M E M B E R S

Grace Kallianidis

2010s



Walter M. Moynihan ’85, ofDudley, Mass., died Sept. 19,2010. He worked at PenskeTrucking as a project manager. Inaddition to his longtime com-panion, Kathleen Paradis, heleaves his brother, John. He waspredeceased by his siblings, Peter and Elizabeth. Colleen L. O'Brien ’98, of Charl-ton, Mass., died Nov. 27, 2010.She worked for Unum DisabilityInsurance for 29 years, most re-cently serving as assistant vicepresident. O’Brien was also in-volved in charity work, servingagencies such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Junior Achievement,Girls Inc., Worcester CommunityAction Council, and United Way.She is survived by her mother,Marie; husband, Paul; daughters,Jillian and Lisa; and siblings,Cathleen, Maureen, Eileen, Christine, and James.Trustee Emeritus Lovett C. “Pete”Peters H ’04, of Chestnut Hill,and recently, Westwood, Mass.,died Nov. 11, 2010. Peters joinedthe Board of Trustees in 1988,and his extreme generosity tothe College has allowed theschool to grow in multiple areas.Following graduation from Yalein 1936, he embarked on a longand successful career as a finan-cier and philanthropist. DuringWorld War II, he was assigned tothe Army Air Corps to financeproduction of the U.S. AviationIndustry, including such legendsas the DC-3, B-24 and B-17. Fol-lowing the war, he held positionsat Laclede Gas in St. Louis, andContinental Oil (now Cono-coPhillips) in Houston, where herose to executive vice president.In 1966, he moved back to Mas-sachusetts, first as president ofthe Cabot Corp., and later asprincipal of Peters Associates. In1988, he founded the Pioneer In-stitute, a think tank focused onfree market solutions to theCommonwealth’s public policyissues. Peters was predeceasedby his wife of 70 years, Ruth; anda son, Charles II. He is survived bychildren, Ruth, Daniel, andSamuel; seven grandchildren;one great-grandchild; and a sis-ter, Maude.

Former Trustee Albert H. CurtisII, formerly of Weston, Mass., andExeter, N.H., died Sept. 22, 2010.He worked for New England Mu-tual Life Insurance as vice presi-dent. Curtis was past master ofSt. John’s Masonic Lodge inBoston. In addition to serving onthe Nichols Board of Trustees, hegave his time to the boards of

New England Baptist Hospitaland The Medical Foundation. Hewas predeceased by his wife of69 years, Anne; and a son, Al-bert. Survivors include his chil-dren, Paul, Eugene, Diane,Penny, Alan, and Jon; ninegrandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

selling to retail stores throughupstate New York. Most recentlyhe worked for Tonche Transit inMt. Tremper. Survivors includehis mother, Marion; his wife of 36years, Kathleen; children, Brooksand Eliza; and sister, Merideth.Thomas J. Kilinsky ’60, of NorthGrosvenordale, Conn., died Nov.4, 2010. He was a certified under-writer and special services man-ager for the American MortgageProtection Insurance Agency inWareham, Mass. Survivors in-clude his former wife, Beverly;and sister, Patricia.Russell G. Massey ’71, of SouthGrafton, Mass., died Dec. 20,2010. A custodian for the GraftonPublic Schools for the past tenyears, he also worked part timeat Stop & Shop. He previouslyworked for Prime Computer forseveral years. In addition to hismother, Phyllis, survivors includesister-in-law, Jeanne; andnephew, Mark. He was prede-ceased by his brothers, Mark andCharles.Terrence P. McKenna ’73, ofMoultonborough, N.H., died Oct.5, 2010. He had a long career infinance, working for StrombergCarlson, General Dynamics, andas president and CEO of Environ-mental Systems Products in Hartford, Conn., retiring in 2001.Survivors include his wife of 25years, Rita; his children, Kaitlin,Maura, and Sean; and brothers,James and Robert.Stacy L. Asal ’82, of Danielson,Conn., died Dec. 25, 2010. Shewas employed as a substituteteacher in the Killingly schoolsystem. Survivors include hermother, Doris; son, Hunter; sib-lings, Janice, Pam, and James.She was predeceased by her sis-ter, Elizabeth.Barritt E. "Barry" Curtis Jr. ’83,of Ayer, Mass., died Oct. 1, 2010.He worked for many years as anauto appraiser, most recently for the Arbella Insurance Co. Survivors include his parents,Marlene and Barritt; former wife,Susan; children, Steven andSarah; stepfather, Kenneth; andstepbrother, Kenneth.

N I C H O L S R E M E M B E R S

John N. Katori ’55 MBA ’81, professor emeritus and mentorto accounting students at Nichols College for nearly a halfcentury, died Dec. 22, 2010, at his winter home in Venice, Fla.His sudden death generated an outpouring of gratitude andremembrances from alumni who were impacted by his com-passionate and dynamic teaching.

Trustee Randy Becker ’83 MBA ’96, who, with his wife,Donna ’83 led a campaign recently to raise funds for the Katori Scholarship, said, “Professor Katori gave his all to helpstudents succeed in the accounting profession throughout hislong and illustrious teaching career. We all have our own sto-ries of how his teachings have stuck with us over the years.Personally, I thank John for helping ignite the passion for busi-ness in my heart.”

Bruce Haslun ’63, in his class scribe column (see page 19),summed up the sentiments of many in the Nichols commu-nity when he wrote: “Nichols College has lost a friend, profes-sor, alumnus, and ambassador.”

Katori joined the faculty in 1958 and held the distinction ofbeing the only professor to teach at the associate’s, under-graduate and graduate levels. He founded the AccountingClub and went on to serve as its advisor for 37 years. His othercontributions to the school include coaching the men’s varsitybasketball team, serving on the Faculty Senate, chairing theAccounting Department for 15 years and serving as a memberof the Academic Review Committee. His involvement with theschool earned him an Alumni Service Award in 1994, and,upon his retirement in 2000, he received an honorary Doctorof Science in Business Administration degree and the rank ofprofessor emeritus.

He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Barbara, an honoraryalumna of Nichols; and children, Kevin ’93, his wife, Jennifer’93 MBA ’02, and Kristina ’98. He also leaves his Nichols familywho celebrated his life and honored his memory at a campusservice on Dec. 30.

24

Y o u r S u c c e s s I s O u r B u s i n e s s

It all started over casual lunches at the Publick

House in Sturbridge – a group of 1957 classmates

gathering quarterly to plan for their upcoming 50th

reunion in 2007. “We were just look-

ing for a reason to meet,” admits Kent

Tarrant, the reluctant ringleader. While

chatting about their Nichols days,

reviewing updated rosters of class-

mates, and enjoying fellowship (and

wine), this dedicated core of volun-

teers – George Butler, Don Claprood,

Dave Fleming, Art Rizy, and Tarrant –

set out to permanently endow a fund

that would immortalize their class and

help a current Nichols student in need.

This year, the class accomplished

that goal, raising over $25,000 to fund

the Class of 1957 Scholarship.

“What brought us together is

age,” says Tarrant of the initial meet-

ings. “When you start to celebrate your

50th reunion, you’re more apt to reach back and remember people. The

amount of money and the number of donors from the Class of ’57 up to the

scholarship idea was next to nothing. It took the reunion to say, ‘Let’s get

back together.’”

Claprood adds, “We all got to the point, the stage in life,

when it’s time to give back.”

Giving back to create a scholarship seemed to be a natural

choice for the group. “I didn’t get any help when I went here,”

says Fleming. “I like what the College has done and thought it

would be nice to help somebody that needs help.”

A scholarship also seemed to best represent their sense of

gratitude toward their alma mater. “Nichols gave us the opportu-

nity to get an education that we might not have had otherwise,”

comments Rizy. Tarrant agrees: “Colonel [Conrad] took a

chance on us. The ones that stuck around did better than they expected.”

In that spirit, the classmates hope to award the scholarship to a Nichols

junior who has exceeded the College’s expectations.

With pride in their accomplishment of being only one of two Nichols

classes to endow a scholarship, the band of five continues to meet for lunch

and welcomes others to join them.

Are they planning anything big for the 55th reunion?

“To be here, hopefully,” laughs Butler.

Raising moneywith class

“Whatbrought ustogether is age...”

Standing tall, the core of volunteers from the Class of ’57has encouraged classmates to give back. They are (fromleft) Don Claprood, George Butler, Dave Fleming, KentTarrant and Art Rizy.


S T A Y C O N N E C T E D

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1951: Afternoon at Bazzie’s

1936: Nichols Orchestra

1976: Footba ll

1996: Campus Fever 2006: Candid

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Dudley, MA 01571-5000

Your Success Is Our Business

Wear in the World…?Nichols College invites you to submit

snapshots sporting Nichols gear in your

favorite travel spots. The winners will

be published in future editions of the

magazine. All entries will be posted on

community.nichols.edu.

Smile and say, “Bison!”

Former Nichols staffer Bernice Sheldon stays trueto the College and the environment with herreusable Nichols “Green Campus” bag.

Submit your photo to [email protected] today!

Nichols College Magazine Spring 2011

Documents

Transcript of Nichols College Magazine Spring 2011