1986

Thanks to your efforts, our class had one of the longest class updates in the last issue of Kellogg World. I hope we can keep that up. I’ll start with an update from Doug Allen, who caught us up on the last 10 years of his life in the last issue, then decided to change everything for this issue. The Allens had a great summer vacation at Sea Island, Ga., with several other Kellogg alums. They flew back to O’Hare, because that’s where they live—not in the airport, but in Northbrook, a suburb north of Chicago. In June, Doug quit his job at AIG to accept a position as a senior portfolio manager in the private placement division of Allstate Investments. The move has gone well. Doug has been able to catch up with a few alums and get into downtown Chicago. His kids are excited about seeing snow for the first time. Ignorance is bliss.

Marlon Brownlee joined Liz Claiborne in North Bergen, N.J., as part of their management information organization group, an internal department that looks at the business strategically and at how the computer systems should be deployed. As always, Marlon is telling the marketing people that they don’t have a clue as to how to run a business. LC has been a client of Marlon’s twice before. They figured it was cheaper to hire him than to pay his consulting bills. He and the family are happy that his long hours at the airports and in airplanes are over for awhile. He is enjoying his 25-minute commute to the office. Marlon was recently elected co-president of the PTA, so take that, Mr. Baker.

In March, Lori Collins took a four-week language immersion program at Institut France (in France) to learn Russian or Spanish or something. Then in May she went back to France for a bike trip and to give Lance Armstrong a few pointers. She did not meet the future Mr. Collins, but she did interview a few candidates. Also in May her company, LendingTree, was acquired by Barry Diller (Expedia, Ticketmaster and hotels.com, to name a few). This was a great relief because they were tired of being on Fortune magazine’s list of Internet companies ready to flame out. Lori reports that in 2001 they were listed as closest to the sun. In June she decided to give something back to the world and went to Morocco to work at an orphanage with a group of missionaries. She says it was an incredible and humbling experience. She did none of these things with Cindi Bigelow, but thinks they would have been more fun with her. Lori keeps in touch with a few classmates and recently took a business trip/vacation to Wyoming with Mr. Brad Kime as her guest at a banking meeting, after which they explored the Grand Tetons.

From Miami, Willy Kotas has become my mentor. He is working on marketing consulting projects and is an adjunct professor at three local universities. After five years in Hong Kong, Cecilia Fabrizio got tired of waiting for her custom-tailored suits and moved to Greenwich, Conn. She left Hong Kong before the SARS outbreak, so you can shake hands with her. Her children (5 and 7) are learning the pledge of allegiance and transitioning from apartment life to a house and yard. She and Ron miss the opportunities to travel in Asia, but are enjoying life on the tollways and being closer to family and friends.

Eugene von Kamarasy left Germany for a short vacation to the ancestral farm in Carbondale, Ill. After a few days in Carbondale Eugene remembered why he went to school to get an MBA. While he was there, Clifton Chang and family (the wife, Connor and Owen) visited Eugene and his son, Laurence. They all went horseback riding and rock climbing.

Craig Brennan has finally submitted an update. He finally has done something worth reporting. For the last three years Craig has been president and CEO of Brio Software. In August, Brio was sold to Hyperion, a good deal for all. Craig “retired” for a few months in Peru to spend a hot summer on the beach. He had a recent dinner with Nikki Pope (they split the check) and often sees Kirk Elliot, who is in Chinese Medical School in San Diego. Time to go sailing, Kirk! Craig was a guest speaker at the Kellogg High Tech Forum a few months ago and saw many Kellogg alums. He hopes to lead another major enterprise software company soon.

Garrett Gifford is doing well in Littleton, Colo., and hopes John McDonough will submit an update soon. I do want to learn more about John’s groovy glasses. Oyvind Solvang and his brother-in-law, David Lubar (also known as brother of Susan Lubar-Solvang), are starting a ferry business. They plan to start the first high-speed car ferry service in the continental United States between Milwaukee and Muskegon, Mich. Oyvind is working on priority seating for classmates—twice the price, but you get your own life jacket.

ony Mann was disappointed that the last issue of Kellogg World had three pictures of Cindi Bigelow and none of Tony and his family from their trip to Alaska. Tony, the problem was that in the picture you submitted we could not tell which was the 48-pound salmon and which was you. This magazine requires that everybody be identified. Fred O’Connor agrees with Tony that Cindi looks too good and must be like Dorian Grey. Is there a portrait on the wall at Bigelow Tea that is aging? Fred is enjoying his new position at DHR International and would love to get search assignments from classmates.

Nikki Pope is still looking for and accepting donations to the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund Auction. So far the only classmate who has stepped up is Cindi. Giving might be the key to looking young. No gift is too small (or too large). Nikki has decided to return to school for her third and final year of law school. I think it would be nice if Craig, Tom Moore and a few other classmates donated a car to Nikki’s fund-raiser. I’d donate mine, but I’m not sure what the market is for a 17-year-old Honda Accord without air.

Tony Mann reports that Shaun Holliday has been named president of International for Pepsi Bottling Group. Previously, Shaun has been in the chips with Frito-Lay and has been on top of the foam at Guinness. No word on whether faithful spouse Chris Holliday ‘87 bothers to unpack anymore after several moves around the world.

Cindi was too busy to submit an entry this time around. Due to the void left by Martha Stewart’s crumbling enterprise, Cindi is stepping in as the new diva from Connecticut. We cannot change the name of this magazine to Bigelow World, because that will be the name of her new TV show and monthly magazine. I bet you didn’t know that although some teas cause stains, others can remove them. Get a subscription now while rates are low. All kidding aside, Cindi is a great person, and the letter I received from her attorney was printed on really good paper.

Personally, my car trip to Cudahy was so much fun that this fall I will drive all the way to Madison, Wis. More than 90 miles! I have been spending a lot of time trying to organize a new promotional agency. I am banding together a group of independent consultants with different marketing specialties. We are based in Milwaukee, Chicago and Salt Lake City. Things are going a little slow so far. We should have stationery selected in a few months. We are called Cream City Marketing and Promotions. Please consider us; we can use the business. I saw John Baumann ’85 in June for a golf outing. John and his wife, Lisa, allowed me to sleep in the house this visit, since I have my snoring under control. I will be skiing in Deer Valley (with Kevin Damon, I hope) and Whistler/Blackcomb this winter. In the meantime, I am consulting and teaching and enjoying the drought. I don’t have to cut grass that does not grow. Hope you all are having a great fall.

Dave Vogdes writes: “I have accepted a new role at Dell as the finance director and chief financial officer of South Asia, which includes our businesses in India, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and a few others. So I’ll be spending a lot more time on the road, but still will be based in Singapore. Recent family vacations have included Beijing and the Great Wall of China, Thailand, Malaysia and Bali. Life in Asia continues to be a really terrific experience in every way.”

Katharine P. Salovaara Brower was promoted to president of The Education Center, a privately held education publishing company in Greensboro, N.C., specializing in supplemental resource materials for preschool through grade 6. Katharine has been with the center since 1994. Since 1999 she has been executive director and general manager of magazine publishing.