Heather Forsythe’93 visited Pisa on a recent trip to Italy.
	Scott Sedlik ’93 visiting Albert Manzone ’93 in Zurich
	Scott Sedlik ’93 visiting Albert Manzone ’93 in Zurich

1993

Scott Sedlik was on a two-week business trip in Germany this past winter and was able to spend a wonderful weekend with Albert Manzone, his wife Nathalie and their three children: Charlotte, Clemence and Philippe. Scott writes: "Albert is doing well and even joined me on a morning run past sheep and horses on the meadows near his home. He continues to live the ex-pat life and recently joined a health care company as a senior exec."

As for Scott, he has lived in the Seattle area with his wife Kathleen and son David (13) since graduating from Kellogg. As a serial entrepreneur, Scott has held vice president of marketing roles for four early stage technology companies and one public company since leaving Kellogg. He is now in his sixth year as vice president of marketing at a technology startup licensing traffic information for navigation systems to companies including BMW, Audi, Ford and Garmin. He travels extensively building the business globally, including a trip he was on to China as he wrote this update.

Scott is on a running team with Mike Vila, who also lives in Seattle, and they compete together every year in the Hood to Coast relay race. Scott also went to a wonderful Kellogg alum wine tasting event at the home of Steve Loeb and Dianne Loeb in October.

As of January, Jeff Gath has a new position as vice president and chief information officer for Amcol International Corporation, based in Hoffman Estates, Ill. He is responsible for developing their global IT strategy and managing the day-to-day operations of their information and manufacturing technology systems across 17 states and 23 countries. AMCOL International Corp. is a leading international producer and marketer of value-added, specialty minerals and related products. Major markets served include metal casting, detergents, pet products, building materials and personal care. AMCOL's transportation segment acts as a servicing operation for other business segments and outside customers. Congratulations to Jeff!

In 2006, Dave Mullarkey moved from New Jersey to the San Francisco Bay Area to join a private, venture-backed drug development company, Dow Pharmaceutical Sciences. Dow was acquired in late 2008 by Valeant Pharmaceuticals where Dave subsequently stayed on to head up marketing for the dermatology business. Last fall after a merger with Biovail Pharmaceuticals, Dave was named senior vice president, dermatology at Valeant and general manager of Coria Laboratories (the U.S. dermatology business). The company has a broad portfolio of prescription, over-the-counter and cosmeceutical products for skin, hair and nails. Dave connects with Lee Hansen and his family in the Bay Area or Tahoe a few times a year and sees Sheila Kennedy on the medical meeting circuit. He lives with his wife Kim and their three girls (6, 9 and 12) in Menlo Park, Calif.

Melissa Edison Barnes has been a full time mom to her three children since she and her business partners sold their e-mail marketing service firm eight years ago. Her youngest (4) is getting ready for kindergarten next year so Melissa was ready for something new, but she still wanted to be available for her kids. So last spring she started Take the Day!, which produces unique t-shirts and other fun stuff for toddlers, youth, women and men. Products are sold through the website taketheday.net as well as a growing number of retail outlets across the states. Melissa writes, "I would love to invite all my Kellogg classmates to visit the site to check out the product and let me know if they think a store near them simply needs to carry the Take the Day! brand."

Andy Whitman reported back from his trip to India — one week of work and two weeks traveling with his dad. "Amazing," he says. One of the highlights was bumping into the Jain high priest (who asked to pray for them) at one of the temples: "It's great to have someone chant in Hindi on our behalf. I'll take all the help I can get!"

Since the last class notes update, I (Heather Forsythe) had the chance to visit Italy for 10 days with a friend over Thanksgiving. While I've been to Italy many times, I hadn't yet focused on visiting the many small hill towns. We set up base camp in Montepulciano and Siena, and explored from there, eating our way through Tuscany. Beautiful … and delicious! I spent Christmas in Florida with my family, where we celebrated my parents' 50th anniversary. I made it back home to the Bay Area just in time to ring in the New Year with Diana Chiou in snow-covered Yosemite, still my favorite place on earth.

Many thanks to Scott, Jeff, Dave, Melissa and Andy for their updates. Please remember these Class Notes are only as good (and as long) as the submissions you send in. Looking forward to hearing from you next time!

Melissa Edison Barnes ’93 and her family, wearing her “Take the Day!” line of t-shirts.