EMP-29
Dear Fellow EMP29ers — THANK YOU to all of you who responded to my request asking you to fill us in on where you are and how you’ve been. It was wonderful to hear from you and to be back in touch.
Those of you who didn’t respond — you may still be a bunch of deadbeats, but you’re lovable deadbeats. Hopefully we’ll hear from you next time around. So without further introduction, following is news from around the class and around the globe.
From Larry Birch: “All is well with me. Update is boring as I am enjoying my job a lot. I have a great team and a great family so what else can I say? And funny comment about the retirement account as I try not to worry about it because I NEVER intend to retire! A reunion would be great — and I would be happy to help you plan it.”
Larry has now put himself on the hook. If there isn’t a reunion, I’ll no longer be solely to blame for it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Larry!
From Jeff Miller: “Hope all is well. New position as of Feb. 1. Still passive owner of DGY Motorsports.”
Apparently Jeff is a man of few words. Was he always?
Marten Hoekstra became CEO of Emerging Global Advisers, a young emerging-markets asset management company. The company’s products are EGShares exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and the firm will offer the first complete set of global emerging-market sector ETFs. Marten’s family continues to live in New York and welcomes an opportunity to see EMP-29 visitors when they are in town. He adds that he gets to Evanston more often now that he has a daughter in her sophomore year at Northwestern.
Congratulations on your new position, Marten. Pack your bags, folks, we’re all heading to New York for breakfast!
You can always depend on Ralph Lambka to respond to requests for information. Ralph writes: “I am still at Cisco as a major account manager (three years now), and business is going OK. So still able to pay the bills and enjoy life. The exciting news is around my family. My oldest daughter and her husband in Philadelphia just welcomed our first grandchild into the world! Oliver David Hardin was born May 13. Mother and child are doing very well.
“Daughter No. 2 Carolyn and her husband celebrated their first anniversary in May. Carolyn is a mechanical engineer and graduate of the University of Illinois, and is working for John Deere’s construction equipment division in Dubuque, Iowa. Her husband Jonathan is also a mechanical engineer with a master’s degree in industrial engineering, and is also working at Deere. Carolyn has her name on six patents around the new diesel/electric front-end loader Deere is introducing. (I am not sure I can even spell patent correctly....)
“Finally, our youngest, Don, just finished his second year of medical school at Rush University in Chicago. He is doing well and took his first board exam in June. To paraphrase a comment my oldest heard from a fellow traveler when recounting her good fortune: ‘We have been truly blessed.’
“As far as any retirement plans, thanks to stock-market volatility and college costs, that is a ways off. And anyway, my wife Margaret is not ready for me to slow down as it would get in the way of her normal routine! As for a mini-reunion, let me know what folks think. It would be fun to get together again.”
Congratulations, Grandpa Ralph! We hope you are having a wonderful summer enjoying your new little bundle of joy!
Jeff Buchta was promoted to vice president of sales for WS Packaging Group, one of the largest label companies in the United States, with 17 plants in the United States and Mexico. Jeff comments that he thoroughly enjoys his job and the company he works for. Jeff celebrated his 35th anniversary with his wife Cindy with plans celebrate in Italy.
And in other news from Jeff: “We had a challenging 2010, as our grandson (3) spent six months at Duke University going through a stem-cell transplant to cure a very rare genetic disease called Chronic Granulomatous. He is back home in Wisconsin and continues to get good reports at his weekly checkups at Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee, Wis.
“If anyone knows how to contact Erwin Thomas, please let me know. I cannot track him down.”
We’ll keep your grandson in our thoughts and prayers, Jeff.
Jon Blomberg has lived in Lugano, Switzerland, since 1997 with his wife. Jon works for Duferco, which supplies the oil industry with various steel products. He is active in Kellogg’s European alumni chapter, and is a member of the Kellogg Alumni Council in Europe. Jon adds: “Our two kids are going to university (they used to run around the hallways of the Jacobs Center!).”
Class, I casually informed Jon that I have invited everyone to stop by his home the next time you all swing through Europe. Jon graciously agreed to put each and every one of us up for the duration of our stays. At least I think that’s what he agreed to.
From Chuck Weinles: “I am still working at Oce (a division of Canon), managing a sales group. Mariette and I just got back from a trip to Rome and Florence. It was the first time in months that we saw the sun every day for 10 days. It’s been a brutal winter and spring here, as you know. We are looking forward to a great summer in Chicago and would love to have a mini-reunion!”
It sounds like you enjoyed a lovely spring, Chuck!
We’re very fortunate to hear from two seemingly long-lost classmates, Doug Kasl and Clyde Harrison.
Doug writes: “I am in my 36th year at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and currently responsible for the supervision of regional banks in the 7th District that have $10 and $50 billion in total assets. After July, due to the Dodd-Frank Act, which expanded the Fed’s role in the financial system, I will have responsibilities for savings-and-loan holding companies. I am also responsible for technology support for our department, with a total staffing of approximately 525.
“Dana and I just celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary. Our twins are grown and on their own. Our son Matt is a first lieutenant in the Marines and is stationed at Camp Pendleton in California and due to deploy to Afghanistan in November. Our daughter Emily is in a doctoral program in zoology at Texas A&M University.”
We’ll keep your son in our thoughts throughout his time in Afghanistan, Doug.
And from Clyde: “In 2005, I had the great opportunity to join and lead an up-and-coming restaurant concept, as well as a coffee shop concept located here in Albuquerque, becoming the president/COO at Flying Star Cafes Inc., Satellite Coffee, Rio Chan Foods and Rio Chan Brands. Both are committed to providing top-quality products and service to our guests, while supporting the community we live in through fundraising and awareness initiatives. Check out more information about the companies at flyingstarcafe.com and satcoffee.com.”
Can’t you just see Clyde basking in the New Mexico sunshine with that never-ending smile on his face?
Before signing off, I’d like to know what happened to all of the women in our class? Don’t any of you have anything to tell us about? I keep in touch with some of you and I know you’re not shy. I hope that the next time around we hear from more of you. The above sounds pretty slanted toward the males in the class.
As for me (Kim), life has been a bit challenging lately but still very good. My husband Dave and I are still in Chicago. Our son Ian just turned 12 and his little brother Luke turned 8 in June. Trying to balance a career, school and sports schedules, and a marriage, all while launching a new business has, for the most part, kept me out of trouble. I hope to make a bit of progress on at least inquiring about a mini-reunion and will be back in touch with you later in the summer.
Until then, be safe, be well, and enjoy life!
