National Commission for Cooperative Education

		FARAJ AALAEI Class of 1983 Wentworth Institute of Technology BS, Electronic Engineering Technology NOMINATED BY Dr. Zorica Pantic President of Wentworth Institute of Technology Centillium cofounder and CEO Faraj Aalaei is the guiding force behind the company’s successful track record as a leading innovator of high performance, cost effective semiconductor solutions for “last mile” broadband access deployments. Aalaei holds 2 patents and has spent 25 years at the forefront of technical advancements — from helping develop the world’s first broadband modem for CATV networks to the introduction of Centillium’s highcapacity convergent technology for DSL, optical, and VoIP applications. Prior to Centillium, Aalaei held several management and engineering positions where he applied his expertise to the development of DSLAM, Digital Loop Carrier, and FibertotheCurb products at Fujitsu; the first SONET system at AT&T in collaboration with NTT; and high speed twoway systems for CATV networks at Bell Labs.
		BRETT ALEXANDER Class of 1971 Northeastern University BA, Political Science NOMINATED BY Dr. Joseph E. Aoun President of Northeastern University Brett Alexander is an acclaimed producer at CBS News. Career highlights include being a founding producer of 48 Hours, winning five of his seven Emmy Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, the Ohio State Award, and the prestigious Lucius W. Neiman Fellowship from Harvard University. Alexander was named executive producer at CBS News Productions in 2001. He has developed programming for A&E, the Discovery Channel, ESPN, the History Channel, and TV Land. In 2004, he received his seventh Emmy Award for Inside Flight 93. In 2005, he received a fourteenth Emmy nomination for The 9/11 Commission Report. Alexander was the producer, director, and writer for The Real Malcolm X, one of CBS’s bestselling documentary videotapes. Alexander attended Northeastern on a Ford Foundation grant in 1966 and began his career on coop with Northeastern’s Radio Production Department and the Christian Science Monitor.
		FLOSS BARBER Class of 1975 Drexel University BS, Design NOMINATED BY Dr. Constantine N. Papadakis President of Drexel University Floss Barber is President and CEO of Floss Barber, Inc., an interior design firm she founded in 1986 on a shoestring budget with only a bicycle, a rented office, and enthusiasm. Today the firm offers a wide range of services and design solutions for casino, restaurant, hospitality, corporate, developer, and highend residential clients. Ms. Barber is considered a leader in the interior design industry and has been instrumental in designing many of Philadelphia’s “firsts,” helping define the social fabric of the city, including the first true espresso bar, the first ecologically conscious hotel, and office space for two major tenants in the first highrise built in West Philadelphia. She is currently designing one of the first casinos to be located within the Philadelphia city limits.
		SEAN R.H. BRATCHES Class of 1984 Rochester Institute of Technology BA, Business Administration NOMINATED BY Dr. Albert J. Simone President of Rochester Institute of Technology Sean Bratches is the executive vice president, sales and marketing for ESPN. Bratches now oversees all affiliate sales, advertising sales, research, marketing, and special events. Bratches serves on the ESPN Board of Directors. Prior to joining ESPN, Bratches was a regional sales manager for Storer Television Sales, Inc., where he was responsible for selling national spot advertising for the company’s television stations across the country. He is an officer and member of the CTAM Board of Directors, and sits on the Executive Committee. Mr. Bratches also serves on the WICT Strategic Advisory Committee and is an officer and on the Board of Directors for the T. Howard Foundation. He received a 2001 Vanguard Award for Young Leadership presented by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.
		GABRIELA CÁRDENAS Class of 2006 Tec de Monterrey Bachelor Degree, Organizational Psychology NOMINATED BY Dr. Alberto Bustani President of Tecnológico de Monterrey Graduated in December 2006, Gabriela Cárdenas was nominated for her outstanding performance and achievements obtained during her internship as the official speaker for the Internships Program graduation ceremony. During the six months that she collaborated as a fulltime intern in GRUMA, her work was excellent and the feedback received from the company highlighted her professionalism and personal quality. As part of the T&D Department in Mission Foods not only had she the opportunity to familiarize with the facilities in Dallas, TX, USA, but also to travel to Coventry, UK, where she was sent to represent the T&D area to implement training plans. At the moment she is working for HEB in the RH Department.
		JOHNNY CARINO Class of 1981 Johnson & Wales University BS, Culinary Arts NOMINATED BY Dr. John A. Yena Chairman of Johnson & Wales University Johnny Carino ’81 somehow finds time to do the many things he loves. He’s become famous in Texas for his cooking show, Break Me off a Piece of That, which airs on PBS. Apart from the show, Carino’s “day job” as Field Executive Chef for Sara Lee developing products for restaurants using the Sara Lee line of products allows him to travel and work with great chefs all over the country. Carino fills his “free time” giving back to the community as a volunteer firefighter in Manchaca near Austin. He studied culinary arts at Johnson & Wales University in the Advanced Standing Program. He has worked in the industry for over 20 years, holding positions with Brinker International and Carlson Restaurants Worldwide. Currently, Carino is completing a set of DVDs showcasing his PBS show, featuring some of his favorite shows and recipes.
		DWIGHT D. CARLSON Class of 1967 Kettering University BS Industrial Engineering NOMINATED BY Dr. Stanley Liberty President of Kettering University Whenever you visit a selfserve gas station, you’re touching a tech advancement by Dwight D. Carlson, a graduate of Kettering University. This inventor and entrepreneur developed the first microcomputer for dispensing selfserve gas, a technology now used worldwide. Carlson is Chair and CEO of Coherix Inc., in Ann Arbor, MI, and Singapore. The company provides hightech opticalbased measurement and inspection products for automotive and semiconductor industries. He also founded Perceptron, a company that pioneered the development and introduction of laserbased metrology. His advisory board work includes Samuel Zell and Robert Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies; former chair of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center; cochair of the National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing; and he has served on the advisory board of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
		TERRANCE R. DOHERTY Class of 1970 Rochester Institute of Technology BS, Marketing NOMINATED BY Dr. Albert J. Simone President of Rochester Institute of Technology Terrance R. Doherty is the National Sales & Marketing Manager of converted products for Huntsman Corporation. He is responsible for all sales and marketing efforts associated with the sale of printed polyethylene packaging for bakery, textile, rice, sanitary overwrap, and frozen food applications. Prior to the Huntsman Corporation, Mr. Doherty served as the National Marketing Manager in the Design and Product Division of Mobil Chemical Company in Pittsford, NY. Before joining Mobile Chemical Company, he served as a sales representative for consumer products, Western NY State, for the Kimberly Clark Corporation in Neenah, WI. Mr. Doherty graduated from RIT in 1970 with a bachelor of science degree in marketing.
		MICHAEL L. EAGLE Class of 1970 Kettering University BS Mechanical Engineering NOMINATED BY Dr. Stanley Liberty President of Kettering University Michael L. Eagle is a noted advocate for professional coop. A 1970 graduate of Kettering/GMI, he is Chair of Kettering’s Board of Trustees and has served in key leadership and volunteer roles for 15 years. Additionally, he has been a mentor and friend to coop students and alumni through the years at multiple companies. Today, he is the Chairman of the Board of Favrille Inc., a cancer treatment company. Formerly, he was Vice President of Manufacturing for Eli Lilly and Company and former CEO of IVAC Corporation. Currently he serves on the Board of Directors of Radiant Medical, SiegelRobert Inc., Somaxon Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Micrus Endovascular, Inc., as well as Favrille, and is a founding member of Barnard Life Sciences, LLC.
		TED ENGLISH Class of 1976 Northeastern University BS, Business Administration NOMINATED BY Dr. Joseph E. Aoun President of Northeastern University The CEO of Bob’s Discount Furniture, Inc., in Manchester, CT, Ted English got his start in retail on a coop job at the venerable Boston, MAbased Filene’s department store. The popular and affable executive is widely recognized for his exceptional ability to grow promising young companies. Prior to joining Bob’s — an expanding chain throughout the Northeast — English was president and CEO of Framingham, MAbased TJX Companies, Inc., the largest offprice retailer in the world. In his 22 years with the $14.9 billion apparel and home furnishings company, he worked his way up to CEO. In his five years at the helm of TJX Companies, Inc., English was credited with increasing revenues by more than $6 billion and opening more than 900 stores worldwide.
		MICHAEL GRAVES Class of 1958 University of Cincinnati BS in Architecture NOMINATED BY Dr. Nancy Zimpher President of the University of Cincinnati Michael Graves began his distinguished career working for architect Carl Strauss as a coop student at UC. He went on to earn his masters in architecture from Harvard University, studied at the American Academy in Rome, and received an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts in 1982. In 1964, he founded Michael Graves & Associates, a worldrenowned architecture, planning and design firm specializing in the design of everything from corporate offices to museums to home furnishings sold at Target. His many wellknown projects include Sotheby’s Tower in New York City, Walt Disney Company headquarters, and the American Embassy in South Korea. Mr. Graves and his firm have received over 180 awards including the American Institute of Architects highest award, the Gold Medal, in 2001.
		ANTHONY GRAZIANO Class of 1990 Pace University Bachelor of Business Administration NOMINATED BY Dr. David A. Caputo President of Pace University “In 1986, I entered Pace on a scholarship and enjoyed the benefits of Pace’s outstanding faculty. My own learning experiences in the professional world began with Pace and cooperative education. My initial internship with Laventhol & Horwath, an international accounting firm, allowed me to gain appreciation for client deliverables and working hard to meet or exceed deadlines. My coop positions helped me to differentiate myself when interviewing for entrylevel positions and gave me a significant lead in areas such as contributing to team success, quality, and personal responsibility.” Currently a partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Anthony Graziano services the insurance industry practice and focuses on SarbanesOxley compliance, working with several SEC registrants. He is also a member of the Pace University Lubin School of Business Alumni Board.
		FRANCESCA HAUSER Class of 1990 Pace University Bachelor of Business Administration NOMINATED BY Dr. David Caputo President of Pace University Fran Hauser serves as President for PEOPLE Digital. Prior to that, she was the General Manager for Time Inc. Interactive (TII). Fran was a Vice President in the Programming group at AOL; VP, General Manager of Moviefone and AOL Movies. Fran worked at CocaCola Enterprises, Ernst &Young,andPriceWaterhouse.“My coop internship taught me early on the importance of emotional intelligence in one’s career: the ability to read a situation and know how to react in the most productive manner possible, the skills necessary to influence and persuade others, and, having a deep understanding of your own strengths and weaknesses. … I believe significantly contributed to the successes that I have had thus far in my career.”
		JAMES W. HEALY Class of 1954 Northeastern University BS, Mechanical Engineering NOMINATED BY Dr. Joseph E. Aoun President of Northeastern University Founder and former president of Healy Systems, Inc., in Hudson, NH, James Healy surprised even himself with the talent for drafting and 3D visualization he discovered as a firstyear engineering student at Northeastern. Healy went on to design, patent, and manufacture several environmentally friendly vaporrecovery systems currently in use in more than 10,000 services stations in the U.S. and thousands more offshore. Healy’s first coop job was at the Armstrong Rubber Company, where he was lucky enough to be doing “real engineering” on his very first coop. There he discovered a love and talent for engineering, which led him to Arthur D. Little in Cambridge, MA. After eight years, he struck out on his own and founded Cambridge Engineering, which he later renamed Healy Systems.
		CRISTINE HURLEY Class of 1989 Northeastern University BS, Business Administration NOMINATED BY Dr. Joseph E. Aoun President of Northeastern University Like most college freshmen, Cristine Hurley was unsure what she wanted to do when she first arrived at Northeastern University in 1984. Thanks to coop, she quickly put a newfound passion for business to the test, with jobs at IBM, Deloitte & Touche, and Clairol/BristolMeyers. Hurley knew she had found her niche. After graduating from Northeastern, Hurley worked for Ernst & Young and the Walt Disney Company. In 1998, she joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as director of finance and accounting. She quickly rose through the ranks, first to CFO, then vice president. In 2005, she became senior vice president and CFO, one of just a handful of women to ever hold such a high position with a major league sports team. In 2007, she left the Los Angeles Dodgers to join the National Basketball Association as vice president of team finance.
		MIKE LAZARIDIS D.Eng. (Honorary), University of Waterloo, 2000 L.L.D., McMaster University, 2005 NOMINATED BY Dr. David Johnston President of Waterloo University As President and CoCEO of Research in Motion (RIM), a company he founded while a coop student at the University of Waterloo, Mike Lazaridis has spearheaded the development of the BlackBerry® wireless devices and other revolutionary communication tools. RIM came into being as a coop project and today employs almost 1,500 coop students each year! Mr. Lazaridis is a community leader and passionate advocate for education and scientific research, having made founding contributions to UW’s Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC), and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. Now serving as UW Chancellor, Mr. Lazaridis has received numerous honors for his achievements, including Officer of the Order of Canada, Canadian International Executive of the Year Award, Canadian CEO of the Year Award, and TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
		LEE LEWIS Class of 1999 Johnson & Wales University BS, Marketing NOMINATED BY Dr. John A. Yena Chairman of Johnson & Wales University Lee Lewis entered Johnson & Wales University in 1995. He became actively involved in campus life joining the American Marketing Association, Collegiate Ambassador Team, yearbook staff, Campus Herald staff, Delta Epsilon Chi, and the Student Government Association. In addition, he chaired the Clubs and Organizations Committee for the Student Government Association and sat on the Executive Committee for the Collegiate Ambassador Team. He served as a Senior Class President, ’99 and received the Senior Service Award in that same year. In 1998, Lewis accepted an intern position for Junior Achievement of Rhode Island, Inc. Upon graduation, Lee accepted a fulltime position with JA as a marketing and special events manager and has since been promoted to the president and chief staff officer.
		MANNY MARCANO Class of 1982 Rochester Institute of Technology BA, Engineering Technology NOMINATED BY Dr. Albert J. Simone President of Rochester Institute of Technology Manny Marcano, President of EMA Design Automation, has over 20 years of experience in the Electronic Design Automation (EDA) industry and over 30 years in electronic technology. His foresight and leadership has transformed his small upstate New York Value Added Reseller into a powerhouse EDA company, providing solutions for the electronics industry across all of North America. Recently he acquired technology that has enabled EMA to be a manufacturer of EDA software for the global market. A veteran of the USAF, Manny holds a BS in business management from the University of Maryland and a bachelor of engineering technology degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. RIT’s coop program provided Manny the opportunity to explore different engineering environments and technologies.“No doubt, the coop experience afforded me a variety of career choices and provided clarity for me to set personal goals and choose a career path.”
		GARY S. MAY Class of 1985 Georgia Institute of Technology BS, Electrical Engineering NOMINATED BY Dr. G. Wayne Clough President of Georgia Institute of Technology Dr. Gary S. May is Professor and Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. May serves as the chief academic officer of the school. He received his BS in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech in 1985 with the coop honor for his work at McDonnellDouglas Corporation in St. Louis, MO. He received his MS and PhD degrees in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of California at Berkeley in 1988 and 1991, respectively. He has authored over 200 technical publications and contributed to 15 books on computeraided manufacturing of integrated circuits. In 2000, he was selected by the National Academy of Engineering to participate in the Frontiers of Engineering Conference as one of “the nation’s top 100 engineers between the ages of 30–45.”
		WANDA MOSBACKER Class of 1934 University of Cincinnati BBA in Commercial Engineering NOMINATED BY Dr. Nancy Zimpher President of the University of Cincinnati As a student during the Great Depression, Wanda Mosbacker gained valuable work experience through coop, which helped her land a job with The Kroger Company after graduation. Eight years later she joined the Professional Practice faculty at UC. As professor, director, and then associate dean of Professional Practice she worked to ensure students received the same valuable coop experiences she did. Mrs. Mosbacker authored numerous articles and consulted with colleges and universities interested in establishing coop programs. In 1976, she was awarded the Dean Herman Schneider Award, the International Cooperative Education Association’s highest honor. Mrs. Mosbacker is listed in many publications including The World Who’s Who of Women, Outstanding Educators of America, and the Dictionary of International Biography.
		PHILLIP R. MOTZ Class of 1969 Kettering University BS Electrical Engineering NOMINATED BY Dr. Stanley Liberty President of Kettering University Phillip R. Motz, a longtime supporter of Kettering University’s Electrical and Computer Engineering department, earned the first of his five patents only four years out of college. That creativity and inventiveness helped define a 37year career at Delphi Delco Electronics Systems. In the mid1970s, he was one of the principal engineers who worked on the development of the General Motors Custom Microprocessor, which eventually led to the development of the Motorola 6801 in 1973, Motorola’s first singlechip microcontroller. This eventually led the hugely successful 68HC11. His awards include the 1989 “Boss” Kettering Award for Innovations in Engine Controls, the 1996 Golden Bulldog Award, and induction into the Delphi Innovation Hall of Fame. He is a Delphi Technical Fellow and dedicated volunteer on an academic advisory board at Kettering.
		WILLIAM H. OSBORNE Class of 1983 Kettering University BS Mechanical Engineering NOMINATED BY Dr. Stanley Liberty President of Kettering University William H. (Bill) Osborne believes that to remain a leader, you have to think like a challenger and reach higher. That’s his philosophy as President and CEO of the Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd. Born in Detroit, Osborne earned the first of his three degrees at Kettering University. Today he leads Ford of Canada’s operations and affiliates, which include the national headquarters, three regional offices, two branch offices, five vehicle assembly and engine manufacturing plants, two parts distribution centers, Ford Credit, Jaguar, Volvo, and Land Rover. His previous assignments included Executive Director, Ford Pickup Truck and Commercial Vehicles, with oversight for all business and product development for FSeries, Super Duty, Ranger, Econoline, and commercial truck products.
		PAUL W. RICHARDS Class of 1987 Drexel University BS, Mechanical Engineering NOMINATED BY Dr. Constantine N. Papadakis President of Drexel University In 2001, NASA Astronaut Paul W. Richards served as a mission specialist on the space shuttle Discovery, the eighth shuttle mission to visit the International Space Station. During the mission he performed a sixhour spacewalk. Mr. Richards began working for NASA in 1987 and was selected for the space program in 1996. After completing two years of training he was qualified for flight assignment. He currently serves as Observatory Manager for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite R Series (GOESR). Mr. Richards’ achievements have been recognized with the Drexel Presidential Medal; the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal; several Goddard Honor Awards; the NASA Manned Flight Awareness Award; and multiple NASA Outstanding Performance Awards. He attributes much of his professional success to insights he gained from cooperative education.
		RHONDELLA D. RICHARDSON Class of 1990 Northeastern University BA, Journalism NOMINATED BY Dr. Joseph E. Aoun President of Northeastern University As a member of Team 5 Investigates,WCVBTV Channel 5’s investigative unit,Rhondella Richardson is a familiar face to most Bostonians. She served as coanchor of the weekend edition of the EyeOpener and Sunday 10AM and Midday newscasts.She joined the station as a general assignment news reporter.Prior to joining theABC affiliate,Richardson worked as a reporter at KINGTV,the NBC’s Seattle, Washington affiliate and market’s number one station.Richardson also cohosted the Lou Rawls Parade of Stars United Negro College Fund Telethon; was a reporter at WJARTV in Providence,RI; and was a reporter atWMURTV in Manchester,NH,covering the presidential primary.Richardson got her start on a coop job as an assignment desk assistant at WHDHTV in Boston.Other coop experiences included being a producer and reporter for Cablevision’s The Neighborhood Network News from 19881989; a news assistant for WGBHTV’s Nightly Ten O’Clock Newscast in 1989; and the recipient of theWCVB Leo Beranek Fellowship in 1990.
		RONALD S. RICOTTA Class of 1979 Rochester Institute of Technology BA, Business Administration NOMINATED BY Dr. Albert J. Simone President of Rochester Institute of Technology Mr. Ricotta is the President and CEO of Century Mold Co., Inc. Mr. Ricotta is also CoCEO of Parlec, Inc., a $30 Million manufacturing company. Mr. Ricotta is also a cofounder and a current director of Echx, Inc., a national payroll company. Prior to Century Mold, Mr. Ricotta was Chairman and CEO of Nationwide Precision Products, a $70 Million, 400employee contract manufacturing company. Mr. Ricotta utilized his cooperative education to experience both national and local public accounting firms. He serves on various local boards including Chairman of the HSBC Regional Advisory Board and serves as a director of EChx, Inc. Mr. Ricotta has set up an endowed scholarship at RIT in his name in support of students from the College of Business who are from the Rochester area. He is a member of the Nathanial Rochester Society.
		JOHN D. RITTENHOUSE Class of 1958 Drexel University BS, Electric Engineering NOMINATED BY Dr. Constantine N. Papadakis President of Drexel University As the former Senior Vice President and General Manager of General Electric Aerospace, John D. Rittenhouse oversaw a $5billionayear aerospace business that included a $1billionayear spacecraft manufacturing component as well as space communications responsibility for NASA’s Space Station. Prior to his involvement in aerospace, Mr. Rittenhouse had positions including Division Vice President of the RCA Picture Tube Division, encouraging video technologies that helped pave the way for modern multimedia devices. Coop assignments helped Mr. Rittenhouse earn his way through college and, as is sometimes the case, also helped him to understand what he did not want for a career. Still, while on coops at a power company and mechanical design shop, Mr. Rittenhouse learned many technical concepts that proved useful later in his career.
		STUART SCOTT Class of 1988 and 1990 University of Louisville BA and MS, Engineering Mathematics and Computer Science NOMINATED BY Dr. James R. Ramsey President of University of Louisville “The computer man inside the computer business” is how Stuart Scott describes his role as corporate vice president and chief information officer (CIO) at Microsoft Corp. A fast learner, rapid corporate riser, and effective leader, Scott’s success stems from his earliest days as a cooperative education student at General Electric Appliance Park in Louisville, KY, while attending the University of Louisville’s Speed School of Engineering in the 1980’s. He was named one of the top 100 CIOs in 2003 by CIO Magazine. Scott supports cooperative education by speaking to groups across the country and recruiting young people to work at Microsoft, including those from University of Louisville.
		STEPHEN L. SQUIRES Class of 1970 Drexel University BS, Electrical Engineering NOMINATED BY Dr. Constantine N. Papadakis President of Drexel University Dr. Stephen L. Squires is an independent consultant after five years as Vice President and Chief Science Officer for the HewlettPackard Company. He joined HP in 2000 after serving seventeen years with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) following ten years of service with the National Security Agency (NSA). Dr. Squires credits his coop engineering intern position with NSA for providing him with the extraordinary opportunity that became the foundation for his career path. He considers the coop tours with the NSA advanced research groups as a privilege where he had access to the most advanced computing and communications technologies in support of the national security mission. Dr. Squires received an Outstanding Achievement Award from the NSA for each of his four coop tours.
		CARLA SULLIVAN Class of 1995 Long Island University — C.W. Post Campus BS, Marketing NOMINATED BY Dr. David J. Steinberg President of Long Island University — C.W. Post Campus Carla Sullivan is a Group Account Director at Eastwest Marketing Group. She graduated C.W. Post in 1995 with a degree in Marketing. During her tenure, Carla completed four unique internships. She attributes her success today to her experiences that the coop program afforded her. She has worked at such esteemed agencies as DDB worldwide and Renegade marketing Group, a Dentsu company, leading her to her first hire at a smallintegrated agency Bezos/Nathanson Marketing Group. BNmg was acquired in 2005 by Eastwest Marketing Group. She has worked on such brands as Lockheed Martin, AnheiserBusch, Panasonic, Ramada Worldwide, Howard Johnson hotels, and many more. She is a member of the C.W. Post Employer Advisory Board, and the proud mother of 3yearold twins.
		EFREN VACA Class of 1986 Long Island University — C.W. Post Campus Bachelor Degree, School of Communications NOMINATED BY Dr. David J. Steinberg President of Long Island University — C.W. Post Campus A 16year veteran of Young & Rubicam, a marketing communication company, Efren Vaca has a deep background in both direct marketing and advertising. Efren began his Y&R career with Chapman Direct, in 1989, joining Wunderman in 1997, and moved to Y&R in 2000. Before Y&R, Efren was Sales and Marketing Manager for Liberty Telephone & Cable. Efren is a Green Key award recipient and Magna Cum Laude graduate of L.I.U., C.W. Post Campus. While at C.W. Post, Efren participated in an internship with NYC Public Relations firm BurnhamCallaghan Associates, “Opened (and closed!) a Broadway show, attended a variety of NYC publicity events, had my name in Playbill—allinall wonderful experiences where I was able to learn from, and work with, true professionals in the field.”
		ELISABETH K. VANZURA Class of 1987 Kettering University BS Mechanical Engineering NOMINATED BY Dr. Stanley Liberty President of Kettering University If you watch TV commercials, you’ve seen the imaginative work of Elisabeth Vanzura. Remember the ‘dadada’ VW commercial featuring two grungy kids, a stinky chair, and a VW? Or the sassy abilities of the HUMMER? They are a small part of her creative contributions. Elisabeth’s career began as a Kettering coop student working in sales, marketing, engineering, and design at General Motors. After graduating, she became a product planning manager at GM and served in many planning and marketing roles. Today, she is the global marketing director at Cadillac. She was inducted into the AAF Advertising Hall of achievement and has earned numerous advertising and marketing awards but one of her proudest achievements is a partnership between HUMMER and the American Red Cross to support relief and recovery infrastructures.
		MICHAEL J. WILLIAMS Class of 1980 and 1983 Drexel University BS, Finance MBA, Business Administration NOMINATED BY Dr. Constantine N. Papadakis President of Drexel University Michael J. Williams is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Fannie Mae, a shareholderowned company that expands affordable housing and brings global capital to local communities to serve the U.S. housing market. As COO, Mr. Williams oversees technology systems, business operations and operations risk management, enterprise data, human resources, corporate facilities and corporate procurement. He previously served as Executive Vice President, Regulatory Agreements and Restatement, President of Fannie Mae eBusiness and Senior Vice President of eCommerce. Mr. Williams also has held leadership roles in the Single Family and Corporate Information Systems divisions of Fannie Mae, focusing on the development of industry leading technology tools. Prior to joining Fannie Mae in 1991, Mr. Williams worked for KPMG Peat Marwick and the DuPont Company.
		TERRENCE WILLIAMS Class of 1989 Johnson & Wales University BS, Hospitality Management NOMINATED BY Dr. John A. Yena Chairman of Johnson & Wales University Terrence Williams is the Vice President, Human Resources for The New York Times Company’s Regional Media Group. Mr. Williams is responsible for leading human resource initiatives for the Group’s 14 daily newspapers. He had been Director, Talent Acquisition since 2006, after serving in the Production department as Director of Development. Before that, he was Director, Business Development for NYT Professional Exchange, Inc. Mr. Williams joined the Company in human resources for the Times Company’s Shared Service Center in 1998. Before joining The Times, Mr. Williams worked in human resources for Sentara Health System. He held several leadership positions in the hospitality industry for PepsiCo, Hyatt Hotels, and Disney.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE DIVISION
		JEFF WOLNITZEK Class of 1981 University of Cincinnati BS, Construction Management NOMINATED BY Dr. Nancy Zimpher President of the University of Cincinnati In 1987, Jeff Wolnitzek founded Spectrum Interiors, a company ranked among the top 15 drywall and ceiling contractors in the country by Engineering News Record. Jeff has also acquired three other companies including Stewart Iron Works, an architectural steel fabricator established in 1886 which is responsible for iron work installed at such landmarks as Alcatraz, the Panama Canal, and Procter & Gamble’s Ivorydale facility. Jeff also maintains a strong commitment to community. He has served on city council since 1988 and he strongly supports Redwood Rehabilitation, an organization supporting disabled individuals. In 2001, Spectrum Interiors established a scholarship fund to benefit students in the UC Construction Management program. In 2004, Jeff was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from UC’s College of Applied Science.
		SVETLANA ISAKOVA Class of 2001 LaGuardia Community College A.A.S., Paralegal Studies NOMINATED BY Dr. Gail O. Mellow President of LaGuardia Community College Svetlana Isakova graduated with Honors from LaGuardia Community College and later received her bachelor’s degree with honors from New York City College of Technology. Svetlana interned at the Administration for Children’s Services, part of the City of New York’s Family Court Legal Services Division. Svetlana was offered a fulltime paralegal position at the agency after completing her coop. The mission of the Family Court is to unite families and ensure the well being of children. Svetlana plays a critical role in supporting the entire legal process and the mission of the Family Court. She credits her coop internship experience for supporting her professional growth and career direction and currently supervises and mentors coop interns from LaGuardia Community College.
		JOHN ZEMEK Class of 1990 AS, Arts NOMINATED BY Dr. Mary Spilde President of Lane Community College Mr. Zemek is the founder and Executive Director of Applied Scientific Instrumentation, Inc. Established in 1990, ASI provides precise instrumentation products in the areas of microscope automation and imaging for science. John earned an Associate of Arts degree from LCC and then bachelor of science degrees in both finance and business at the University of Oregon. John’s involvement with coop is extraordinary. Not only does he provide excellent worksite learning experiences for students, he has built his workforce by retaining the interns as full time employees—ten of his fifteen (or 66%) of his employees are former electronics and drafting coop students from Lane! In addition, John was selected as 2007 Coop Employer of the Year by the Northwest Career Educators and Employers Association.