Hello EMP-56! Summer is at hand and the class of EMP-56 is moving right along with work and family.

	Brian Bancroft EMP-56 with his wife, Jackie, and children, Gabrielle and Jack
	Ping Yu EMP-56 with wife Karen and daughter Natalie, while on vacation in China
	Ping Yu and Shumin Wang, both EMP-56, shared dinner together in China.

Brian Bancroft continues to be challenged at Oil Dri. While continuing to lead the procurement operations, he is now getting more deeply involved in the P&L side of the business. His expanded role takes him to Montreal, Canada and Wisbech, U.K., frequently. Recently, Brian and his wife, Jackie, celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary in Montreal. Congratulations on both fronts, Brian!

Dan Masterson's company, EMD Technologies, has been very busy, with more than 30 patent applications on file and more in the works every day. They are focusing on their Guardian Angel¨ electrical outlet, Guardian Angel¨ child stroller, packaging improvements and air fresheners. Check out their Web site at emdtech.com to see video of the electrical outlet in action. Keeping future Kellogg alumni safe is important, and we are glad to know that you are enjoying the entrepreneurial life. Way to go, Dan!

Dave Pidduck and his family are on the move again with Baxter, this time headed to Zurich, Switzerland. Dave is now the vice president of marketing in Europe for one of their divisions. He, with wife Bonnie and kids Ben and Will, are moving this summer and are already looking forward to the European experience. And, hope to see a bit more of Theo Frutiger!

Evan Wonacott is still building his business in China, spending most of his time in Qingdao and Beijing. He sends a warm EMP-56 invitation out for visitors.

Matt DesRosiers is working hard and continuing to travel extensively, recently working in Soldotna, Alaska to start a service hospital there. He also took the opportunity to do some halibut fishing in Homer while there. The next Kellogg World edition will surely have a "big fish" story from him!

Mike Dvorak and his wife, Maureen, celebrated their silver (25th) wedding anniversary with a trip to Las Vegas, Lake Mead, Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. They are also proud to report that their son, Mitch, is now a graduate from Purdue University, while Andy is studying in Ireland. Mike is continuing to be challenged as the director of marketing and strategic accounts at Indianapolis Power & Light.

Nurzhan Kapparov and his family have been very busy since graduation. Now at KazMunaiGas E&P, an $11 billion producer of crude oil and gas (second largest in Kazakhstan), he is head of the Moscow office and working on mergers and acquisitions with a focus on business development across Russia. In addition to completing many acquisitions in 2007 and targeting for 2008 (see their Web site for a full list), Nurzhan has been studying at the Russian Gubkin Oil and Gas University and expects to earn a degree in managing oil and gas production in summer 2009. They are currently relocating to Moscow.

Ping Yu, his wife, Karen, and daughter Natalie (3) are all doing well and recently traveled to China to visit with family and friends, including Shumin Wang. Ping continues to travel to China and was in Zhangzhou in May.

Rob Stoppek and his wife, Laura, are enjoying their European assignment in the northern region of Emilia Romagna, Italy. He is working for Sauer-Danfoss as global director, supply chain and continuous improvement, and they are living on the hillside of Bologna overlooking downtown.

Todd Chalem has returned to independent trading and is putting plans together to start a new investment group by the end of 2008. If you're looking to connect and get some insight into the equity market, check out his blog at Vestopia.com.

Finally, I'll offer a quick update on me, Deb Robbins. My career path continues to be interesting and I have recently accepted a global assignment as the vice president of sales and product marketing at KONE, focused on new elevators. This role will keep me traveling, spending time in Helsinki, Shanghai, and locations across Europe, when I'm not at home in Guilford, Conn.

Life after Kellogg graduation continues to be exciting for us all. It is wonderful to hear about everyone's news and even better to see photos of our growing families and travels. Please keep the updates coming my way! On a personal note, I am truly looking forward to catching up with our many EMP-56 classmates who are now working in assignments abroad. It is a global business world we work in and this can be seen just by our Kellogg World updates over the last few years. For the next edition, I'd like to prepare a "Where's EMP-56" list, so please keep me up to date on where you are! Enjoy the summer, my friends!