Class Notes
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PEN NAMES
Years Later About Vietnam
BY: Ron Fazio, MA’80 (Ruth)
PUBLISHER: The Author’s Point (Self)
The Book of James
BY: Ellen Green, MFA’15 (Flor)
PUBLISHER: Thomas & Mercer
1960s
1962
Donald Markmann, BS (Flor), and Barbara McCloskey Markmann, BS’64 (Flor), celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on August 14, 2025. Both educators, McCloskey Markmann was an elementary-school teacher and he was a middle-school teacher for 15 years and a school principal for 25 years mainly in Chester, N.J. While at FDU, Markmann was a member of the Devils men’s soccer and basketball teams. They have two children: Heidi Ann Markmann Healy, MBA’96 (Flor), and Donald John Markmann; and three grandchildren Ryan, Tim and Sarah.
1963
Barry Lee Coyne, BA (Metro), a freelance writer, wrote his autobiography, My Luv Affair with the World of Words, which talks about how he built his vocabulary. It was published by Arpress in October 2022. Coyne served as a United Nations press intern in 1962 and, a year later, landed a job as the first white reporter on a leading Black weekly.
Francis “Frank” Tepedino, BS (Ruth), an entrepreneur and attorney at law, is the retired founder, CEO and president of The Condor Group, a nationwide consulting company. He received his law degree from the University of San Diego (Calif.) School of Law. Tepedino attended FDU after being a U.S. naval officer and graduating from the Maine Maritime Academy with a degree in marine engineering in 1958. He writes that he was personally asked by Sylvia “Sally” Sammartino (FDU’s cofounder) to be the Rutherford Campus’s first men’s dorm proctor. He married fellow Rutherford student, Nancy Ellen Boyd, in March 1962. The marriage lasted for 18 years.
1966
Alex “Al” Smith, BS (Flor), was one of seven business and civic leaders from the Scotch Plains-Fanwood, N.J., area honored at the Good Scout Awards on May 6. He is a former mayor of Scotch Plains, serving from 2017 to 2020. He was a licensed professional engineer for 38 years, retiring from AT&T.
1970s
1973
Francis Ryan, Jr., BS (Ruth), has retired as senior insurance examiner from the Washington, D.C. Department of Insurance.
1975
In its advertising campaign for School Nurse Day on May 7, 2025, the National Association of School Nurses recognized Denise Makri-Werzen, BS, MS’90 (Metro). She has worked in the West Orange (N.J.) School District for 17 years. In 2022, she received her doctorate from Walden University. Makri-Werzen is president and event coordinator of the Essex County School Nurses and is the union representative for the West Orange Education Association and the Essex County Education Association.
1976
Dan Tomasulo, MA (Metro), spoke about “The Positivity Effect” at FDU’s LEAD NOW Workshops in February. A psychologist and lecturer/academic director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University, N.Y.C., he also wrote The Positivity Effect: Simple CBT Skills to Transform Anxiety and Negativity into Optimism and Hope.
1977
James Giles, BA, MBA’80 (Metro), celebrated his 70th birthday in August 2024. He writes that he has moved to Hammonton, N.J., known as the blueberry capital of the world, and is enjoying his new home in assisted living.
1979
Paul Dworkis, BS (Metro), was named executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO) of Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass. He has more than 40 years of experience in operations, technology, international business and facilities and administrative service. Dworkis previously served as vice president for administration and finance and CFO at Emerson College, Boston, Mass.
1980s
1980
Ron Fazio, MA (Ruth), wrote Years Later About Vietnam. Published by The Authors Point on February 14, the book is based on Fazio’s journal, which he kept during combat and while in Vietnam. He writes, “The journal ‘incorporates my letters home to my parents. I took photos in the mountains and jungles with my Kodak instamatic camera.’” A retired teacher from Manalapan (N.J.) High School, Fazio travels, plays golf and spends time with friends and family.
Michael Marsh, BS (Ruth), joined Princeton Global Asset Management as national managing director of nonprofit investment services. He founded this division and focuses on serving the outsourced chief information officer and investment consulting requisites of the national nonprofit community. Marsh was the founding national director of nonprofit investment services for the Rockefeller Family Office in New York City. FDU alumni who are on a board or who work at nonprofits may contact him at mrmjersey@gmail.com.
1983
Douglas Beck, BS (Metro), a senior-level finance executive and a Certified Public Accountant, has joined AiAdvertising, Inc. as chief financial officer (CFO). He was previously CFO of Shiftpixy, where he helped raise $10 million in equity and improved the company’s financial processes and SEC reporting.
John Harmon, Sr., BS (Ruth), delivered a keynote address, “Strengthening Advocacy: Advancing Equity and Shaping the Future,” at the Second Annual Action Advocacy Summit of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. (Bergen Passaic Chapter) held in April at the Metropolitan Campus. He is the founder, president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey.
1985
Dale Walsh, BA (Metro), author of Unraveling Schizophrenia: Dale Walsh’s Journey and Advocacy, was a guest on the Chris Voss Show podcast in February, where he talked about his journey from being hospitalized for a mental illness in 1975 to his current life as an author and mentor.
1986
Peter Fasolo, MA (Flor), former chief human resources officer of Johnson & Johnson, was among the speakers at the UNLEASH America 2025 — International Festival of HR held in Las Vegas, Nev., in May. He is on the board of trustees of Tufts University, Medford, Mass.
1987
Kenneth Johnson, MBA (Ruth), was appointed senior managing director and chief ratings officer at AM Best, Oldwick, N.J. He has 30 years of experience in the industry and credit analysis. Johnson joined AM Best in 2009.
1990s
1991
The Common Hours, a mystical time travel tale by Debra Krohn LeClair, MA (Flor), was published by PortalStar Publishing, New Hampshire, in November 2024. A psychologist, LeClair is the founder of re-Sourced and is the owner and principal of Full Spectrum Wellness LLC — both located in Bedford, N.H.
Mark Sapara, BA (Flor), is the associate vice president and senior adviser to the vice president of student life at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. He is also an adjunct professor in the theater department.
1993
Adele Gulfo, MBA (Flor), was appointed to the boards of NewAmsterdam Pharma Company N.V., a clinical biopharmaceutical company with offices in The Netherlands and Miami, Fla., and Tyra Biosciences, Inc., a biotechnology company based in Carlsbad, Calif. She recently served as chief executive officer, biopharma commercial unit, for Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc., in Fort Lee, N.J. In 2014, she received The PINNACLE Award, one of the most prestigious awards FDU bestows on alumni.
Danielle Weinman Lindner, BA, MAT’97 (Flor), and Steven Lindner, BA’91 (Flor), were both appointed to the Northeast Region Board of Directors by the American Friends of the Hebrew University.
Kevin Mahn, MBA (Flor), was among the panelists in the Madison Avenue Meets Wall Street Speaker Series, held in February at the Florham Campus. He is the president and chief investment officer at Hennion & Walsh Asset Management, Parsippany, N.J.
1994
Albert “AJ” Dejewski, MBA (Flor), senior vice president of marketing at MilkPEP, presented on “How MilkPEP is Modernizing Milk” at a webinar hosted by the Center for Dairy Excellence on January 21.
1995
Matt diLeo, (formerly Matthew Reciniello), BA’95 (Metro), was featured in Issue #49 of Create Magazine. diLeo was one of 25 artists who was interviewed and whose works appeared in the magazine, which “celebrates a rich tapestry of artistic voices, perspectives and techniques.” diLeo credits Marie Roberts, professor of fine arts, for influencing his artistry. “She emphasized the importance of authenticity and being mutable while engaging in the process of making art.”
1996
James Pruskowski, BS (Flor), is chief information officer and cofounder of 16Rock Asset Management, N.Y.C. He joined fellow alumni as a panelist in the Madison Avenue Meets Wall Street Speaker Series, which was held in February at the Florham Campus.
1997
Martin Krezalek, BA (Metro), was promoted to co-practice group leader, general litigation, at Blank Rome LLP in N.Y.C., effective January 1, 2025.
Sam Rockaway, BS (Flor), senior vice president of sales at REDCOM Design and Construction LLC, has been named one of the 2025 NJBIZ ICON honorees.
1998
Dorothy Kahlau, MBA (Metro), was among the honorees at the Fourth Annual PTCA (Pass the Crown Around) International Women’s Day brunch held on March 8 in Jersey City, N.J. She is first senior vice president and director of the Women in Business (WIB) program at Valley Bank in Bridgewater, N.J. The WIB is a national initiative dedicated to empowering women from across all career stages. Kahlau is part of the FDU Silberman College of Business Advisory Board.
Toni-Lee Sangastiano, BA (Metro), and adjunct faculty member, Becton College (Metro), was part of a Banned Books Trading Card Project held at the Valley Cottage Library, New York, in September 2024. The exhibit featured reimagined cover designs and raised awareness about book bans. Sangastiano did a cover design of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.
Double Book Launch
Power couple Dina Deleasa Gonsar, BA’06 (Flor), and Brian Gonsar, BA’04 (Flor), have both published books in 2025. At the Kitchen Sink, a cookbook by Dina, the creator, writer and television personality behind the popular food blog “DishItGirl,” debuted in April. Brian is an award-winning producer of feature films, music videos, art installations and even a Super Bowl commercial. His breakthrough book, Dracula’s Brunch Club, a middle-grade graphic novel, was published by Oni Press/Simon & Schuster and will be available at Scholastic Book Fairs. Both books feature forwards by musician and actor Kevin Jonas of the Jonas Brothers. Jonas, their brother-in-law, is married to Dina’s sister Danielle.
2000s
2001
Shavonda Sumter, MBA (Metro), was a panelist at the Second Annual Action Advocacy Summit of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. (Bergen Passaic Chapter) held in April at the Metropolitan Campus. She is an assemblywoman for the 35th legislative district of New Jersey.
2002
Stefan Holzberger, MBA (Metro), has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer at AM Best, Oldwick, N.J. He will be responsible for AM Best’s ratings operations globally, including data management and systems, rating methodology and the ratings division.
2004
Katie Singer, MFA (Flor), was one of the panelists at an online roundtable on the book The Georgia of the North: Black Women and the Civil Rights Movement in New Jersey by Hettie Williams. Hosted by Black Perspectives, the award-winning blog of the African American Intellectual History Society, the discussion was held from January 21 to 28. Singer teaches in the African American Studies department at UCLA.
2005
Kelly Sutliff, BA, MA (Flor), is a licensed therapist and founder of Kelly’s K9s, Tails of Courage, a nonprofit that helps survivors regain their sense of safety and independence with therapy and trained protection dogs. Sutliff, an assault survivor, is a practicing counselor in Morristown, N.J., offering therapy for those coping with trauma, relationship issues, depression and anxiety. She is an adjunct faculty member at Kean University, Union, N.J., and Saint Elizabeth University, Florham Park, N.J.
2007
Aurelia Edwards, MA (Metro), is the founder and CEO of Standard Measure Technologies. She is also the creator of Nailstry, which uses AI to measure clients’ hands and nails, and uses this information to manufacture individually tailored press-on nails.
2010s
2011
Benjamin Chewey, BA (Flor), self-published his second book, Bloodoath of the Patriots, in March 2024. Chewey’s first book is American Tango. A graduate student in library science at Rutgers University, he is a substitute teacher and interviewer for the local Cranford, N.J., television station TV35.
Megan Crouse, BA (Flor), is a regular contributor to Military & Aerospace Electronics, Fierce Wireless, TechRepublic and eWeek. She has a decade of experience in business news and feature writing, including at Manufacturing.net.
Frank Lombardo, MAS (Metro), was sworn in as the new police chief of the South Whitehall Township Police Department, Allentown, Pa. He brings nearly three decades of experience from his career with the South Brunswick Township Police Department. Lombardo has a background in community services and operations.
Kori Davis Porter, MBA (Metro), senior vice president and head of business operations for the National Basketball Association (NBA), has joined the FDU Sport Management Advisory Board. An executive with experience in business strategy and sports operations, Porter brings a wealth of knowledge to the University’s growing sport management program. As SVP and head of business operations for the NBA, she plays a crucial role in shaping the league’s strategic direction, driving operational efficiency, and enhancing overall business performance.
Kushal Shah, MBA (Metro), is a senior business intelligence engineer at Amazon Web Services. A highly skilled data professional, he is known for his impact on data architecture, engineering and business intelligence. Shah has more than 14 years of experience in the industry.
Jennifer Shay, MA (Metro), was named head coach of the girls basketball program at Bettendorf (Iowa) High School. She previously coached the women’s basketball team at North Central College. Shay played professionally in Germany, Finland and Portugal and was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2024.
2012
Carla Novak, MBA (Flor), will lead RBC Wealth Management’s Pacific Northwest complex, which is made up of 10 branches. She joined the company in 2023 as director of its Tacoma, Wash., branch.
2014
Matthew Loscialo, AA’13, BA (Metro) has a love of landscape photography. He started Vacation Trip Guides, specializing in ocean and river cruises, all-inclusive resorts and Florida theme parks. The Better Business Bureau approved business is accredited by the American Society of Travel Advisors.
John Penney, BA (Metro), is captain of the South Brunswick (N.J.) Police Department. A 24-year veteran, he is the deputy coordinator for the Office of Emergency Management and oversees the Bureau of Public Safety.
2015
Ellen Green, MFA (Flor), is the author of Murder in the Neighborhood: The true story of America’s first recorded mass shooting, which happened in East Camden, N.J., in 1949. She is also the author of Silent Redemption and The Book of James.
2016
Anthony Spadaro, BS (Flor), was a panelist in the Madison Avenue Meets Wall Street Speaker Series at the Florham Campus in February. He is a senior vice president at Bank of America.
Katerina Hatzis Tribuzio, MHS/PharmD (Flor), was included in the Greek America Foundation’s “Forty Under 40” Class of 2024. She is the director of regulatory affairs and oncology team lead at Merck.
2017
Jason Carroll, BA, MAS’18 (Metro), was inducted into the FDU Chiefs Circle at a ceremony held in November 2024 at the Florham Campus. He is the police chief of Barnegat Township, N.J.
Erin Manansala David, BSN (Metro), and her husband, Roseller Dan David, announce the birth of their daughter, Sierra Lei, on January 2. Manansala David is a nurse practitioner and international board-certified lactation consultant at Artemis OB/GYN in Union, N.J., while her husband is a pharmacist at Hudson Regional Hospital in Secaucus, N.J.
Przemyslaw Rozestwinski, MS (Metro), was ordained to the priesthood on May 17 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia, Pa. He celebrated his first mass as an ordained priest on May 18 at St. Adalbert Church in Philadelphia. Born and raised in Poland, Rozestwinski moved to the Netherlands with his family in 1989 and went to high school there. He came to the United States as an exchange student and attended FDU.
Noelle Shirey, BA, MA’18 (Flor), and Robert Loneker, BA, BS, MS’16 (Flor), were married on December 21, 2024, at the Florham Campus. Their reception was held at the Olde Mill Inn, in Basking Ridge, N.J. Shirey is the assistant director of advancement – marketing and communications at Newark Academy, Livingston, N.J. Loneker is a computer scientist at the Department of Defense and adjunct faculty at the Florham Campus.
2018
Colleen Brady, BA (Flor), and Charlie Hudson, BA (Flor), are behind the award-winning documentary “Firebird: Built to Burn,” which is available on Prime Video and Apple TV. “Firebird” was directed by Brady and produced by Hudson. Brady’s directorial debut, “Geronimo: The Series,” won Best Documentary Series at the 2020 Astoria Film Festival. Hudson won Best Director at the 2020 Point Lookout Film Festival for his short film “High Street.”
Lee Cohen, PsyD (Metro), has been named the School Psychologist of the Year by the New Jersey Association of School Psychologists “for going above and beyond in his service to students and to the school community.” He joined West Orange (N.J.) Public Schools as a school psychologist in 2001.
Adam Emmons, BA (Metro), was promoted to sergeant at the Manchester Township (N.J.) Police Department at a ceremony held on January 13 in the Municipal Complex Civic Center. He started his law-enforcement career in 2002 eventually taking on a variety of roles such as arson investigator, humane law enforcement officer and narcotics officer.
Clarissa Maldonado, BA (Flor), MA’21 (Metro), and Jacob Huynh, BA, MAT’19 (Flor), were married on December 12, 2024, at the Olde Mill Inn, Basking Ridge, N.J. Maldonado is the assistant director of new student orientation at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, and Huynh is a software engineer at FD Software Enterprises, LLC.
Olivia Mazzaferro, BA, MAT’19 (Flor), and Kevin Sinclair, BS’16, MS (Flor), were married on February 16 at the Stone House at Stirling Ridge, Warren, N.J. Mazzaferro teaches social studies at Governor Livingston High School, Berkeley Heights, N.J., and Sinclair is a financial planning and analysis manager at Anticimex, Basking Ridge, N.J.
2019
Mike Hall, MBA (Flor), is a solo bassist who combines elements of flamenco-style strumming, slapping and two-handed tapping. He cofounded the pop-rock band Running Late in 2009 and launched his solo career under the name “Mike Hall Bass.” He’s covered Billie Eilish’s “my future” and DragonForce’s “Through the Fire and Flames.”
Victoria Sheridan, BS (Flor), and Henry Lockwood, BS, MS’20 (Flor), were married on May 18 at the St. James the Apostle Roman Catholic Church in Springfield, N.J.
Jeorgi Smith, BA (Flor), competed on season three of “The Floor,” a game show hosted by Rob Lowe. She appeared on episode 7. The show featured contestants assigned to a specific trivia category. Smith’s category was Tony Award winners. A director, teacher and choreographer, she won the New Jersey Broadway World Award for Best Direction of a Musical for “The Little Mermaid” at Brundage Park Playhouse, Randolph, N.J. “The Floor” is streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
2020s
2020
Marissa Pinto, BS (Flor), and Michael Neumann, BS’18 (Flor), were married on March 22 at The Church of the Nativity, Fair Haven, N.J., and had their reception at the Shadowbrook at Shrewsbury.
Jacob Simon, MSA (Metro), is the new head coach of Seton Hall University’s cross country programs. Previously, he was head cross country and assistant track and field coach at Southern New Hampshire University.
Ashley Volpe, BS, PharmD’23 (Flor), and Liam Kelleher, BS (Flor), were married on April 12 at the Renault Winery in Egg Harbor City, N.J.
2021
Mia Capozzoli, BS (Flor), and Richard Bennett, BA’25 (Flor), were married on April 12, 2025, in Islamorada, Fla.
Mark Durwin, BA, MSM’22 (Flor), is an intramural sports coordinator at Western Connecticut State University, Danbury, Conn. Durwin is also an MLB gameday monitor, managing up to six game streams simultaneously for MLB.TV customers.
Brianna Harris-Bissell, BS (Flor), and Austin Bock, PharmD (Flor), were married on February 7, 2025, at Park Chateau, East Brunswick, N.J.
Nicole LaMorte, BA (Flor), and George “Nate” Peacock, BA (Flor), were married on May 2, 2025, in Chesterfield, N.J.
Mila Momphotes, BS, MBA’22 (Metro), business development coordinator for the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges, received the “30 Under 30” award in 2024. Momphotes expanded local business partnerships, secured resources for youth programs and grew membership. She also helped establish bilingual resources for outreach to the Hispanic community.
2023
Marc Cohen, MPA (Metro), has written for The Defence Horizon Journal, including articles on “Sri Lanka, A Cautionary Tale” and “Deterring a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan.” His novel, Of Angles and Saxons, came out in 2016. He was nominated for FDU’s American Society for Public Administration Student of the Year award in 2023.
Magdeline Diaz Hurtado, MSN (Metro), joined Crystal Run Healthcare and will be seeing patients in Middletown, N.Y. A board-certified family nurse practitioner, she specializes in gastroenterology.
Spencer King, BS (Metro), plays professional soccer in Honduras with the Lobos UPN (Universidad Pedagógica Nacional Francisco Morazán) football club.
Scott Macfie, BA, MAS’24 (Metro), was inducted into the FDU Chiefs Circle at a ceremony held in November 2024 at the Florham Campus. He is the Kearny, N.J., police chief.
Tristan Miranda, BA (Flor), is a police officer for the East Windsor (N.J.) Police Department. He previously worked at the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department, New Brunswick, N.J.
Jayden Spratley, BA (Metro), reimagined a cover design for Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead as part of the Banned Books Trading Card Project at the Valley Cottage Library, New York, in September 2024.
2024
Stacey Brown-Downham, MA (Flor), an elementary literacy interventionist at J.F. Tatem Elementary School in the Haddonfield (N.J.) School District, was recognized by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) as Camden County’s Teacher of the Year for 2024–25.
Geovanny Buitron, MAS (Metro), was promoted to sergeant in the Fair Lawn (N.J.) Police Department and has been assigned as a supervisor in the patrol division. He joined the department in 2016.
Jason Haase, MPA (Metro), joined the Essex (N.J.) County Prosecutor’s Office as a detective in January 2025. He was previously a sheriff officer at the Essex County Sheriff’s Office.
Elizabeth Nesius, MFA (Flor), was appointed dean of Western Technical College’s General Studies Division. She was previously interim dean of humanities, business and social sciences at Rowan College of South Jersey in Burlington County.
2025
William Modica, BS (Flor), joined the Professional Fighter League’s Global Partnership Marketing Team as an account executive.