EMP-53

Greetings EMP-53! Hope this finds everyone happy and enjoying having your lives back. By the time you read this, we will have graduated almost one year ago. It’s hard to believe, but a good reason to have a party. Luckily, Kellogg is doing it for us! (Good thing they didn’t leave it to the 53 social committee ... ) Reunion is April 30 to May 2 at Kellogg! Sign up at alumni.kellogg.northwestern.edu/reunion.

Here’s the latest news: Half the class has moved ─ go figure. Steve Shiflett writes: “Cheryl and I have moved to San Francisco with Kraft Foods. We officially landed in our home in November. I recently was promoted to director of strategy, planning and information with Kraft for the Safeway region. That’s about it. We will always miss Chicago and the friends we made ... just not the winter!”

Patrick Linnihan and family (whom I saw in August all wearing the same T-shirts ─ the kids looked so cute they could have been the next “Brady Bunch”) moved to Milwaukee with a Pfizer promotion.

Julie Einstein has left us for more snow ─ although she didn’t know that when she agreed to move to Washington, D.C., for Pulte Homes as vice president of marketing and segmentation for the Northeast area. Speaking of which, Pulte has become something of an EMP-53 alumni club. Former classmate Mark Thomas EMP-54 was already with Pulte when he lured Julie and Lauren Darnell to the club. Lauren bought a new house in the Chicago area to accommodate his new job, and was promptly relocated to San Diego, where he and his family now reside. His new role is vice president of operations, San Diego. Back to Mark (who if you will recall transferred into EMP-54). He is area president for Pulte and living in Dallas.

Yukio Matsui planned to move to Munich at the end of March to join the headquarters of Fujisawa Healthcare Inc. as senior director of corporate and market planning. He hopes you will look him up if you are in Munich.

Michael Samaritano wrote way back in October that “we started our next ex-pat assignment here in the Republic of Texas. Did you know that Sam Adams is an import in Texas?” Look him up if you are in Houston.

Philip Pang writes: “My family and I moved back to Shanghai in July. Last summer was hot and humid, and broke the city’s 50-year heat-wave record. Our lovely daughter, Amy, who was the first EMP-53 baby, is now almost 2 years and 2 months old. She is growing very well and has learned to speak many Shanghai dialects. Please tell our classmates if they plan to come to China to let me know and I’ll be more than happy to help!”

And speaking of China, Melissa Macek, Gary Raju EMP-54, Peter and I went to Beijing in November for our own little GIM trip ─ and it was just extraordinary.

On another note, our very own life-saving doc, Deepak Mital has become chairperson of the pancreas transplant subcommittee of the Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network of Illinois for 2004-2005. Deepak also was elected to the executive committee of the Indian American Medical Association of Illinois for 2004.

Pam Alexa (now Moreno) EMP-53 with husband Bruce on their wedding day

Pam Alexa is now Pam Moreno ─ congratulations! She married Bruce Moreno and moved to Philadelphia with a new role as product director, mycology franchise for Janssen Pharmaceuticals.

Rob Nelson announces that he is now at the American Board of Medical Specialties HQ in Evanston as the head of business development.

Derinda Ehrlich started in a new position with Motorola Computer Group in Tempe, Ariz., and reports she and Jim have bought a house there. She writes: “I can’t quite reveal what I am managing, but rest assured, I will be using all I learned at Kellogg and then some. Jim, my husband, who, as most of you know, received a liver transplant in March of 2003, is enjoying better health than he has in 20 years.” Derinda, on behalf of the class, we are thrilled that Jim is well.

Michael Sarlitto and Dan Roman formed SummitPoint Management LLC, a business operations and management consulting practice in Chicago. SummitPoint provides operations-based due diligence and advisory services to firms seeking to assess investment risk or enhance business value in connection with mergers, acquisitions, performance improvements, turnaround, and workout situations. Mike and Dan are having a great time with it and acquired clients within weeks of opening the doors!

Lots of baby news! Grace Patricia Birck was born Jan. 23 to Beverly and Bill Birck. She is, of course, the cutest baby in the whole world, according to her dad.

Christopher Michael Merfeld joined Carolyn and Mike Merfeld on Jan. 17. I understand through the grapevine that he is already programming. Congratulations, Mike and Carolyn!

Ash Krishnan announces that “Rushil” Ashok Krishnan, weighing 7.5 pounds, was born July 3.

Glenda Hunter EMP-53 with husband Mike and new addition David Michael

Glenda Hunter and her husband Mike had their first ─ David Michael Hunter ─ on Jan. 21.

Also from the Group Formerly Known as H, Bill Rogers writes that life with two kids is a bit overwhelming, but his kids are the joy of his life. He now answers promptly to “dada.”

I’m working on some hospitality industry acquisitions and consulting on marketing while continuing to develop my own business plan. Please take care and keep in touch! Hope to see you at reunion ─ there’s bound to be a Bar Louie night somewhere in there. Cheers.