Peter Storm is back on a happy life track. He writes: "What makes me happy is that I have many opportunities to combine different aspects of work and personal life. In work, I try to create some sort of synergy between research, consulting, writing, teaching and coaching. My focus area is (still) the world of projects and change. What helps is that I relieved myself of naive success expectations, such as those regarding money and esteem. They come by themselves to the degree that I need them. In personal life, this has worked the same way. Having grandchildren helps, as does a partner with whom I can share every idea and concern. And also, getting in touch with very old friends again deepens the experience of life. Speaking of old friends: if anyone of you in the U.S. (or wherever else) happen to visit the Netherlands, I'd like to see you again. Just mail me at peter.storm@ou.nl."

	John Amiri '77
	Steve Dunn '77
	Harry Heifetz '77 and wife Janet
	Richard Sperling '77 and family

Steve Dunn updates classmates on his post-Kellogg life: "In the summer of 1977, my wife Carol (we were married during the summer between my two years at Kellogg and Carol taught high school biology in Skokie) and I moved downstate to Springfield, Ill., where I took a job as an analyst with the governor's bureau of the budget (I was a public management major at Kellogg). I thought I might be there a couple of years, but wound up staying with the state for 16 years. In my last two years there I was deputy administrator of Illinois' multi-billion dollar Medicaid program, responsible for implementing Illinois' first healthcare provider tax on hospitals and nursing homes. Needless to say, I wasn't the most popular guy in Illinois.

"When it was time to get away, I somehow still managed to find a job in the U.S. (barely) with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Maine, so we moved to beautiful Portland, Maine. I was there 10 years, serving five years as vice president of finance until we sold the company to Anthem BCBS (now part of Wellpoint) and I was once again out of a job. From a former employee (networking really works!), I found a job with an HMO back in Champaign, Ill., home of NU's Big Ten rival, the University of Illinois Fighting Illini. I wear orange to the football games (we have season tickets) except when they play NU, which is when I proudly wear my NU jacket, wisely purchased for $15 from the now-defunct Steve and Barry's.

"Today I work from my home in Champaign as director of reimbursement analysis for national PPO Viant, which includes the former Beech Street healthcare provider network. After postponing having kids for 12 years, my wife, Carol, and I are the proud parents of two sons, one a skateboarder/rock musician (bass guitar)/semi-serious college student, and the other an Eagle Scout (literally), who's a senior in high school. Carol teaches biology at a nearby community college.

"Yes, I'm very happy leading a quiet, middle-class life in a Midwestern college town, even though there are no mountains (unless you count interstate highway overpasses) and no beaches (unless you count the man-made one at Lake Shelbyville). Thanks to all those who contribute their notes. I love reading the news about our former classmates."

Bill Semmer is a partner with William Blair in Chicago and works in the firm's institutional equities group, selling equity research on growth stocks to institutional investors in Boston. Fidelity, Wellington Management and Loomis Sayles are among his clients. Bill writes: "Bear market notwithstanding, I still enjoy the business. Outside of work, my passion remains Northwestern football. I attend all the games and am involved in many volunteer activities with Coach Fitz.

"My wife Mary is a serial entrepreneur and sold her magazine, Chicago Home & Garden, to the Tribune Company two years ago. Mary is running several Web sites, including the recent launch of a personal document storage site called My-Personal-Files (my-personal-files.com). Mary is also a competitive horseback rider in her spare time. Our daughter Katie (25) attended Northwestern and now works with Starcom Worldwide in Chicago, helping manage the Oracle/SE Asia relationship. Mary and I have many fond memories of KGSM and our classmates. Hard to believe it's been 32 years!"

Although Bob Jones gave us an update in our last edition, for this edition he adds: "It was quite wonderful being in D.C. for the inauguration. Friends from Chicago that are political insiders stayed at my place, which made it doubly special. And how wonderful is it now having the incredible levers of presidential powers in the hands of someone intelligent and thoughtful."

Rich Sperling just retired after 27.5 years at Hay Group. He's incorporated as Sperling HR LLC, resuming his career as a consultant in human resources (job and organization design). Rich has been married for 32 years to classmate Dianne England. They have three children: Samantha (22), twins Rebecca and Mike (18) and one dog Woofie (5). They still live in Evanston after all these years.

Poul Iben Hansen wrote from his hotel room in Vienna, where he was on a job about renewable energy. For the last 10 years, Poul has worked as a consultant for microfinance, commercial banks and central banks and governments on World Bank and European Union contracts in all sorts of out-of-the-ordinary countries in Africa, Asia, Central Asia, the Far East, Eastern Europe and Russia. He has always had his family based in Denmark, where he has lived in the same house with the same wife for 25 years.

Debra McMahon gave a short update: "I am still working as an independent marketing strategy consultant in the D.C. area. I have managed to find some clients who are targeting government business — the only growing sector it seems. My daughter is graduating from Notre Dame this year and targeting a job as an editor. If that doesn't work out, she has let me know that it may make sense to go to grad school. It solves her problem. Not mine for sure."

Michael Hentschel writes: "I'm an 'accelerator' in a year during which everything seems to be decelerating rapidly (if there is any velocity in the first place). After 30 years of technology-based companies in which I have held or advised virtually every managerial role, with many super-growth clients, I am something of a turnaround consultant this year. The challenges for smaller companies this year may be greater and more widespread than I have ever encountered.

"An example of what I do: I start with a 'strategic audit' of each company, doing initial data mining and executive interviews in each of the key disciplines (management/strategy, marketing/sales, operations/IT and finance/partnering) in a week, and then start implementing solutions. Acceleration is more needed than ever, but solutions often require financing, which is tough even in normal times (we have raised more than $100 million), so emphasis these days is on increasing sales and reducing costs (cost cutting alone never creates success, just survival).

"Fighting fires, without a lot of free time, I relax in my archaeology hobby or monitor the incredible political dimensions of this period. As a German citizen still and legal alien in America after 40 years, with an economics/business background and as a big fan of '24,' I am endlessly fascinated by the dynamics of American world politics and the brand here of social capitalism. I am by the way firmly on the capitalistic side, regulated smartly by enlightened and honest bureaucrats (which seem to be in short supply) to limit the excesses of unaffordable idealism and human greed (self-regulation is clearly not enough). Importantly, regulation must not become government interference that leads businesses to make all sorts of wrong decisions."

John Amiri writes: "Here's my past 32-year history, in a nutshell: After graduating from Kellogg in 1977 (I was going by my Persian name then, 'Hooman' Amiri), my wife and I moved to my birth country, Iran. I spent a year completing my compulsory military service while my wife (a Minnesota native) worked at an unbelievable job as one of the curators of the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. After refining my military skills of marching and saluting, I went into the private sector working at one of Iran's largest companies, Melli Shoe Company, a multinational production, distribution, retailing and exporting conglomerate.

"Iran's Islamic Revolution in 1979 changed everything. After staying and struggling through the hardships that came with the social upheaval, I was able to secure my exit papers and my wife and I moved to Minneapolis with only a couple of suitcases and a Persian rug! I spent two years working in public relations as an account executive and then realized that we really wanted to move to the West Coast. In 1981, we moved to San Francisco and I was hired as director of marketing for Dakin, the world's largest 'plush' toy company at that time.

"In 1985 I was recruited by Parker Brothers in Beverly, Mass., as their director of marketing on the 'Nerf' brand of toys, as well as a couple of smaller categories. Although I hated to leave San Francisco, this seemed like a good career move at the time. Shortly after joining that company, the parent company General Mills decided to divest itself of its toy (Parker Bros. and Kenner Toys) and apparel businesses (Izod and LaCoste), and to get back to its core business of cereals and food products. As a result, Parker Brothers began a downward spiral and eventually closed down a couple of years later. (Today, Parker Bros. is a 'brand' owned by one-time rival Hasbro Toys).

"From 1987-90, I headed up marketing management at Superior Brands in the Boston area and then Paramount Greeting Cards in Pawtucket, R.I. Always entrepreneurial at heart, I worked on a business plan for an import and distribution company in the field of kids' accessories. In 1990, with funding and management involvement from old high school friends, we launched Zodax, where I currently hold the position of executive vice president of strategic business development.

"While Zodax had its roots in the children's category, we quickly explored other businesses and migrated into the home décor and candle fields. Zodax is a leading player in the industry, known for its trend-forward designs and extensive product line. Our main channel of distribution is the specialty retail market — gift shops, home stores, furniture retailers, hotels, spas, restaurants and other mainly independent 'mom and pop' stores. We also develop many private label programs (candles, fragrance diffusers, gift sets, etc.) for national chains such as Bed, Bath & Beyond, Restoration Hardware, Tommy Bahama, Target, Smith & Hawken and others. We own one of the few candle manufacturing factories in the United States and my current activities revolve primarily around developing new business avenues for this facility as well as other new sources of revenue for the company."

Jeff Weicksel writes: "I'm now entering my second full year as a youth pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Northville, Mich. The last year has been such a rewarding and fulfilling experience, I just know in my heart that this was the direction that I was being called to go. I think sometimes I work harder now than I did during my career at Ford Motor Company and Ford Credit. This is a 'job' that I can't seem to put down as there's always something special to attend to. We all know how difficult the economic conditions have become, particularly for the state of Michigan and the domestic auto makers, and more than once I've sensed in my heart that I am extremely lucky and blessed to be where I am, doing work that I love doing (even if it doesn't come easily at times) and feeling the acceptance I have from the youth that I work with. They just want someone to take an interest in their lives — are we really any different from them in that way?

"For now, I know this is where I am supposed to be — and I plan to use all that I've been given (including all those analytical skills from the Northwestern GSM!) to try to reach the kids in our church and our community with a message of hope and purpose that makes sense for their lives now more than ever. What a huge responsibility that is…."

Jean Williams reports from Hickory, N.C.:"I have three sons in college, at the University of Georgia, Clemson University and the University of Florida. My husband is in the furniture industry. I have been primarily a homemaker for the past 23 years, although I am the bookkeeper for our church and have maintained my CPA license. I am just beginning to resurrect a 'career' in accounting this tax season. I am happy beyond measure with a wonderful family."

Dave Adolphson writes: "As I press on to start up software as a service business and turn around a 30-year-old human resources and payroll software company, I often recall entrepreneurship and organization development subjects from Kellogg. Who could have predicted the downsizing, rightsizing, technology bubble, offshoring and global financial meltdown that have occurred since our era at Kellogg? Even so, many of the things we studied have become commonplace, such as partnering among enterprises.

"It's been great to see the strides that Kellogg has taken over the years and the improvements in the athletic program. I have an athletic program of my own, keeping fit by riding a road bike on a 15-mile circuit, weather permitting. My wife walks three miles a day around the lake we live on in the land beyond O'Hare. Beyond work, music is my passion — another NU connection — I play violin in two orchestras led by conductors who trained at Northwestern."

Harry Heifetz writes: "My primary job as compliance officer for Midwest College of Oriental Medicine has to be one of the world's greatest part-time jobs with close to full-time pay. I also subcontract with other CPA firms as a compliance audit specialist.

"Then there is HLTA aka Harry's Little Travel Agency. My wife of 13 years, Janet, and I own about five different weeks of timeshares and we sell our extra weeks that we don't use. We seem to be traveling for a week or a long weekend at least every other month. We have season tickets to the Northwestern basketball games and have attended every Big 10 tournament since it has started. We made it to the bowl games in San Antonio and Detroit. We are members of several Chicago museums and attend plays and concerts on a regular basis.

"In addition, I am active on the governmental accounting committee of the Illinois CPA Society and serve as treasurer for my condo association where I am responsible for keeping about a half a million dollars invested in certificates of deposit. I also manage my mom's investments and take care of her finances. The bankers love me since in total for the condo, Mom and a few others, I purchase more than $1 million in certificates of deposit each year with maturities of 15 months or less."

Chris Galvin writes with an update on his companies' initiatives: "We gained momentum in the second half of 2008. Harrison Street Real Estate Capital was one of three or four handfuls of real estate private equity firms globally that was able to raise more than $500 million in real estate private equity during the second half of 2008. Against a $300 million target, Fund II closed at $431 million with a $45 million direct-investment vehicle with a Fund II investor. As in Fund I, the investment targets are medical office, student housing, senior housing, self storage, and boat storage. Between both funds, approximately $1.6 billion in assets are under management.

"Harrison Street Capital also founded Hengsoft Inc., an embedded real-time software productivity enhancing software-tools business. Its objective is to enhance the quality, cycle time and ability to manage the writing of highly complex 'machine code' (so-to-speak) software programs for MRI machines, airbag controllers, multi-core microprocessors and complex network telecom applications. Hengsoft Inc. has employees in the Ukraine, Russia, U.S. and hiring in China began last year.

"As NAVTEQ's chairman for the last four years, we closed on Nokia's largest acquisition in its history with the purchase of NAVTEQ for $8.1 billion in cash in July. It achieved a cash-in-hand 255 percent four-year return on investment for NAVTEQ shareholders. Bankers tell us that the NAVTEQ sale to Nokia was the No. 1 strategic corporate disposition in the world in the second half of last year.

"Also, having sold more than 99 percent of our family-wide zero-basis Motorola Inc. holdings over two years by the fall of 2006, Gore Creek Asset Management achieved top quartile performance in 2008 among the 300 largest U.S. endowments against which we compare.

"Also, an investment was made in Cleversafe Inc., a Chicago startup, which has successfully applied the concept of 'packet-switching' to large-scale digital storage.

"Three books were published by the Galvin Projects (our think tank): The Genius of People by Robert W. Galvin about the Scottish enlightenment influence and America's founding fathers; Perfect Power by Robert W. Galvin and Kurt Yeager about the redesign of the electrical grid; and Mobility First by Sam Staley and Adrian Moore, with a forward by Robert W. Galvin, which is about a new vision for transportation congestion relief. We are thankful our new activities are on a positive track at this time."

Charles Levine writes: "I tried to retire in 1996, after a three-year stint as senior vice president of Octel. I failed. After about four months, I joined a start-up as the senior vice president of sales and marketing to a limited partnership backed by three cable companies and Sprint, called Sprint PCS. This firm grew to more than $10 billion in four and a half years. I became president of it in 2001 and retired in 2002, after Sprint bought out the other limited partners and integrated the company into the mother ship. (Unfortunately, Sprint decided that the old long-distance telecom culture was the one that ought to proliferate, driving most of the entrepreneurial PCS types out. Those of you who follow the telecom market can see how well the decision worked out.)

"My 're-retirement' was the best decision of my life. I built a ranch in the Northern California wine country, with a couple of horses and a couple of cats, and began volunteering in the California Park system as a mounted ranger. I've also accepted a number of board positions in my spare time. I am currently the chairman of Sierra Wireless in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Openwave Systems in Redwood City, Calif. In addition, I serve on the boards of RCN in Washington D.C., and Sagem Wireless in Paris. Locally, I am on a couple of not-for-profit boards, including the Valley of the Moon Natural History Association and the Mounted Assistance Unit of the California State Parks.

"Most importantly, I am newly married. On Feb. 14, Elisa Stancil and I married after a whirlwind courtship of 20 years."

Bill Borders writes: "Since the fall of 1977, I have been in Tell City, Ind., working for the family business, Swiss Plywood Corporation. We manufactured furniture, primarily in the music trade, like piano and organ cases and speaker cabinets. Among our better-known products, for any rock or jazz fans, were the cabinets for the Hammond B-3 organ and the Leslie Speaker. I saw one of our B-3s on stage with the Boss at the Super Bowl halftime. Note the use of the past tense. Unfortunately, our business came to an end in 2008 when we announced our closure. What is next? Not sure, but going to find work somewhere.

"I have been heavily involved in education and not-for-profit work for years, as a volunteer, director and even a couple of stints as a part-time high school teacher. I am currently an adjunct professor of business for Oakland City University. I married Mary Jo, whom I had dated while at Notre Dame in 1984, and we have two sons. Thomas is a recent graduate of Wake Forest University and now gainfully employed. Patrick is a sophomore at Wake. Why Wake? Who knows? First ones in our family to go there. First ones in our whole county to go there. But we love it. Gorgeous campus and great education. Mary Jo is an adjunct professor at a college in Owensboro, Ky. So there it is: 31-plus years of Bill Borders in two paragraphs. Not really exciting stuff, but not much exciting happens in Tell City, Ind."

Scott M. Taylor writes: "I've four passions in my life: family, work, sport and research.

"Family: I've been married to Anne Hunter for five years. I've known Anne for 27 years and even tried to date her in the early '80s.That was a no go. We reconnected on a street corner in downtown Minneapolis and the timing was right. Between us, we have four children who are up and out and all quite wonderful and doing interesting things (air traffic control, human resources, purchasing for Northwestern University and software management).

"Work: I have the best job in the whole world. I work for the state of Minnesota as a mentor to small business owners. I teach them skills they need to be more successful, most often in a one-on-one format. I feel I really make a difference in people's lives.

"Sport: I love the sport of curling ... yes; I know that Jay Leno calls it the 'Al Gore of Olympic sports.' Its blend of strategy, athleticism and team dynamics make for a perfect match. I've dragged Anne and family into leagues, tournaments and social events.

"Research: In 1981, I had a near-death experience. It was so outside my concept of what was normal I didn't speak about it for over 15 years. Then as I started researching my dissertation, I discovered that there were others like me. I've since become recognized in the field and speak all over the country on the topic. I'd love to hear your story, if you have one."