1988

Hello again. Hope you’re all surviving the economic downturn and our (for those in the United States) ongoing war against terrorism. I know I share your pride in the world’s resolve in these matters. I feel the stress, and feel the love. I’m proud, concerned, but have good thoughts about the future, for sure.

Tony Dominguez wrote to us all, via my e-mail account. He married MariCarmen De Obaldia in 1997, and is still general manager for Alimentos del Istmo in Panama City, a snack manufacturer, which now is Pepsico via the International Division of Frito Lay. A couple of years ago he picked up Costa Rica as well, so his role is becoming muy grande! Tony reports that Alimentos del Istmo are market leaders, focused on finding new and more profitable distribution formats. That’s great, but listen to this. On Dec. 27, Tony was ratified by the Panamanian National Assembly to become one of the 11-member Board of Directors of the Panama Canal Authority, a post he was honored with a year ago, by the President of the Republic of Panama! This is a nine-year term, which is longer than Friends has been on TV! Importantly, the board will have to decide in the next couple of years on the future of the Panama Canal, i.e. type of expansions to handle the maritime commerce. Currently, only Panamax ships fit, with 35 percent of the ships under construction characterized as “Post Panamax,” which means they do not fit through the Canal locks. I know we’re the smartest class to ever graduate from Kellogg, but let’s face it, you guys did not know this until now, Si? Stay alert here, I might give you a pop quiz. Anyhow, when Tony settles into this important assignment, he’s happy to arrange visits for any of us that travel there.

Dennis Sheehan wrote from the upper Northwest. In true Intel fashion, he’s taken his sabbatical finally, a nine-week respite between Independence and Labor days. While pondering the future of silicon and integrated circuits, he got his golf handicap down to 3, a result of constant playing, and golf trips to Salt Lake and Brandon Dunes in Oregon, which he highly recommends for you duffers in the audience. He had to go back to work, awwww, which is still marketing director for Cellular Communications Division, developing chips for my kind of products. Meanwhile, he’s enjoying his three girls, who are in 7th, 5th and 4th grades, and his lovely bride Mary, who had some quality time with Dennis during the summer re-charge.

Brent Koehler checked from his new abode, Minneapolis, spending much time settling into their new home in the tundra. This is the Brent’s childhood homeland, so he and Becky and their two boys, 8 and 4 years of age, are enjoying Brent’s reconnections to old friends. For now Brent has his personal management consulting shingle out, and is pretty busy, with much work with Silicon Valley-based high-tech companies in the area. He’s still an avid biker, something he’s been doing for a few years, and took a 100km. trip to a vacation cabin with an old bud.

Bob Wolfe is certainly on a new track. After 12 years of consulting, he’s now with eONE Global, a senior exec in one of the operating companies. For those keeping score, eONE is a new business partially spun out of First Data Corporation to focus on providing emerging e-payment solutions for businesses and governments. Little less travel and voila, Bob’s coaching traveling soccer teams and boys rec teams. Bob, Katina, and their three children 10, 9, 7 years of age, are traveling through Vermont, Florida, Cape Cod of late.

Have not kept you in touch with the world wind Proudfoots for a while. Actually Mark and Hanne Proudfoot and children 7-, 4- and 2-years-old, have been settling (yes, Proudfoot and settling used in the same sentence) into Reading, Pa. Their house required a lot of work and they’ve put an addition on it with space for the kids and a home office. Hanne and Mark have bought into a business that supplies specialty oils to industrial uses like rubber and adhesive manufacturers.

Scott Ableman has been riding the perfect telecom storm in ’01, as senior VP of marketing at Winstar. In December, after trials, tribulations, and consternation, they were purchased out of Chapter 11 by IDT Corporation. Good news for the past holidays, IDT wants Winstar to pick up their pieces where they left off, so Scott’s working some magic for 2002. He’s living in Virginia with wife Debbie, and their two children, ages 3-and-a-half and 7.

Tom and Diane Collins MacDonald checked in from Oregon as well. Tom is GM of the advanced components division of Intel’s enterprise products group. This group designs and markets computer chips for servers/workstations. The division developing the Infiniband technology (this is what he was managing last year) was merged into a larger division in June. So, now the division has hundreds of chip-masters, spread across five states. This is leading to a bit more travel, but hey, like Tony Dominguez, Tom’s job got to be muy grande! Diane is incredibly busy with their four children (9, 3.5, 6.75, and 1.25 (yes, used my Pentium to calculate these decimals). The family was blessed when they learned that their youngest, originally misdiagnosed with a chronic hearing loss, actually regained his hearing, and behaviors and learnings are on target. In a year full of stress and anxiety, great news ’88ers, Si? Otherwise, the MacDonalds again visited Kona Village in Hawaii, and the Oregon coast and Laguna beach trips, truly settling into a West Coast lifestyle, which is OK by them.

Amy Wahlert Principi checked in from Mount Prospect, Ill. She and husband Joe spent a week in England and Scotland this summer, mastering subways and theater schedules. Amy’s doing desktop publishing, publicity and bookkeeping work for church and school, playing the role of relief pitcher for everyone except the priest. They have two children, ages 10 and 7, creating the opportunity for Amy to be a soccer and piano mom.

Heather Donnelly just started a part-time consulting gig with the parent company of her old firm. Good stuff, flexible work hours, feeds her brain. She and Chris just bought a ski house in Maine, so pray for deep powder and drawn butter.

Tom Blaige sent a note informing us that he has joined the Chicago-based investment bank Lincoln Partners. He is serving as managing director for the plastics, packaging and building products group. “The firm expanded by 50 percent, to 23 bankers, in 2001,” writes Tom. Tom may be reached via e-mail at tblaige@lincolnpartners.com.

The Fred Nelson family dropped a line from New Jersey. Fred is still doing management consulting in healthcare related areas, mostly selling his ideas to large pharmaceutical concerns on marketing/commercial aspects. Fly fishing is big for him these days, as is skiing with Debbie and their two boys, 12 and 8 years of age. They said they were planning some home renovations in their note. For those that know Fred and Debbie is this a surprise, Si or no? They’ve been vacationing in North Carolina.

Heard from the our friends up north in Wisconsin. Pat Ciriacks, Kelly and their two children, 8- and 12-years-old, took a few nice trips this year, and their Christmas letter included views of San Francisco and Oahu, which looked very nice here this evening while I type, 15°F, mid-February in Chicago! They bid on some Packers tickets at an auction, and had a chance to see the Packers play, not an easy thing to come by. Pat is GM of APW Oak Creek, a $40 million electronic circuit assembly and integration business. Has cut down travel, so like others I’ve written about before, he has expanded his role in coaching, for Pat its basketball and volleyball. Pat’s son out-fished him on a family outing last year. I suspect Pat’s psychiatric therapy sessions must be complete by now. Actually, I’m sure he was bubbling with pride, like a good Wisconsin beer.

We finally made it to the Wisconsin Dells — three days of non-stop water slides and eating. Speaking of eating, I’ve been in a weight loss contest at work. There’s a $200 entry fee, 10 people playing, and winner takes all. I’m down 32 lbs. (too many pizzas last year), and I’ll let you know next time if I won. It will be tough. I heard one of the competitors living in Singapore hired a personal trainer. Wonder if Candygrams delivers there? At Motorola, I’m in a great sector that has great leadership, and our cell phones for 2002 are, well, great. It’s been tough going for the firm, but I’m proud of where we’re going. I’m developing business in Asia, been to China, Hong Kong, and Japan three times in past six weeks, making me unpopular at home, although I bear gifts. Rosemary and Jamie are having good years teaching and learning.

A week after the terrible Sept. 11 events, Jamie asked us to come outside with her to belt out a rendition of God Bless America, for all to hear. It was a fun family moment, but more than that, it was wonderful to know that she was feeling what we were feeling — an incredible sense of pride to live in America, to be free to sing loud and proud, and even poorly (Steve). Moments like this provided some levity, and sanctuary, at an otherwise tense time. I bring this up since I submitted my class notes just prior to the event, so I’ve not had a chance to say to you all that maybe your family was personally impacted by the 9-11 tragedy, and Rosemary, Jamie and my thoughts are with you. We were all part of the tragedy in some way. Fondest regards ’88.