CLASS NOTES
1950s
Rolland Todd (1958) was inducted into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame.
1960s
Jerry Black (1969) was inducted into the Liberty Union High School District Athletic Hall of Fame in Brentwood after coaching 19 years for Liberty High.
Lawson Fusao Inada (1960) was scheduled to have his award-winning 1997 poetry book, “Drawing the Line,” featured in the History Book Club by Orange County Regional History Center in Orlando.
Joaquin Patino (1969) was featured on 23 ABC in Bakersfield for his part in preserving the history of Chicano culture in Kern County through an independent magazine called El Mensaje.
Michael Tritico (1965), an environmentalist who hopes to bring government and public attention to potential contamination in Little River in Westlake, Louisiana, was featured in the media.
1970s
Nicholas Ambriz (1972) featured his paintings and photographs that capture the mystical atmosphere of the summer season at the Agora Gallery in New York in June as part of his exhibition, “A Midsummer’s Dream.”
Ken Brown (1974) was named Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance 2023 Vintner of the Year.
Joe Del Bosque (1975) was selected as Farmer of the Year by the Los Banos Downtown Association.
Danny Frigulti (1973) released his third book, “Exposed: The False Faith Healing-Prosperity Gospel.”
Michael Gallo (1973), a third- generation farmer and businessman from Livingston, was named a Significant Sig by Sigma Chi, one of the fraternity’s highest honors.
Rhonda Herb (1977) published the historical novel, “The Jewel of Paradise,” in 2022.
Sharon Lamb (1972) was honored with a surprise ceremony at Red Bank Elementary in Clovis on June 2. The 2022-23 yearbook was dedicated to her for 50 years of service in Clovis Unified School District. She has taught kindergarten at Red Bank since the school’s opening in 1991.
Theravada Bhikkhu Ven. Ajahn Suchart Abhijato Maha Thera (1972), of Thailand, was featured in the Sunday Observer for his effective Dhamma teaching methods and meditation practice.
1980s
Robert A. Barton (1984) was reappointed to the Board of Parole Hearings by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Tamara “Tami” Bohannon (1987) was featured in Arizona Foothills magazine as the president and CEO of Foundation for Senior Living.
Marcus Bursik (1981) is now on the advisory board for Rockland Resources Ltd. in Vancouver, Canada.
Bob Cabral (1984) is now a consultant on the winemaking team at Bricoleur Vineyards in Windsor.
Jay Gill (1988) was appointed to the board of directors for United Security Bancshares, the parent company of United Security Bank.
Nancy Hollingsworth (1982) retired as president and CEO of Saint Agnes Medical Center in Fresno.
Vachik Javadian (1983) is vice president of applications engineering at ERP Power.
Terri Kim (1988) published her new book, “The Enlightenment Stories Represented in the Samgook Yusa and the Princess Bari.”
James M. Lindsay (1989) was appointed chief of enforcement by The Fair Political Practices Commission.
Teenie Matlock (1983) retired after 20 years at UC Merced, where she was founding chair for the Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences, the first McClatchy chair in communications and vice provost for academic personnel.
John Mattern (1988) joined the Friends of Mendocino College Music Program and Friends of Mendocino College Recording Arts Technology.
Eric McAfee (1986), a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who has founded eight companies including Aemetis, which develops agricultural waste into low- carbon biofuels, hosted a Q&A session during the Scottish Business Network event in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Robin Johnston McGehee (1988) joined the City of Fresno’s Office of Community Affairs as a liaison for the LGBTQ+ community.
John M. Melikian (1984) is now executive director for University Enterprises, Inc. at Sacramento State.
Greg Montez (1987) is now technical service and field development manager for Alpaugh, a supplier of crop production products based in Ankeny, Iowa.
Nejat Neisan (1985), an engineer who established the OMIS Corporation and developed a liquid crystal display panel that is used in screen monitors today, was included in Marquis Who’s Who as one of America’s most accomplished innovators.
Rick Schuil (1982) is the co-founder and chairman of the board for Schuil Ag Real Estate in Visalia.
1990s
Eileen Apperson (1993) was a guest speaker for Valley History Talks hosted by the Kings County Historical Society.
Brad Ardis (1993) is president of Huff Construction in Modesto.
Thad Avery (1996) is now city engineer for the city of Clovis.
Judith Cagle (1992) is now on the board of directors for Bear Valley Community Services District.
Rudy Cardona (1995), a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force, is now principal of Porterville Military Academy.
Beatriz Chaidez (1992) is now interim chancellor at San Jose Community College.
Ondine Chattan (1997) had three of her wines showcased at the inaugural Naked Wines tasting tour in Kenwood.
Gina Cuttone (1994) is the owner and president of Barthuli & Associates Insurance Services, Inc.
Bradley J. Dandridge is the interim chief of the the Santa Maria Fire Department.
Rossana D’Antonio (1988) was reappointed to the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists, where she has served since 2020.
Sonia De La Rosa (1998) is now chief administrative officer for Monterey County.
Edward Gomes (1995) is now superintendent of Selma Unified School District.
Raymond Greer (1994) is now a primary care mental health integration psychologist with the Greater Los Angeles VA health care system based in Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo.
Miguel Guerrero (1994) is now superintendent of Lemoore Union High School District.
Michael S. Hartley (1991) was reappointed to the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists.
Bobby Jones (1991), a former professional boxer and two-time Junior Olympic champion, is the owner of BBQ Bob restaurant and catering in southwest Fresno.
Donald Ryan Kenedy (1995), an English professor at Moorpark College, published his new novel “Blameless” in October.
Adam LaZarre (1997) is the winemaker at Broadside in Paso Robles.
Richard Lunsford (1990) is chief financial officer for Best Formulations LLC, a leading pharmaceutical manufacturing company.
Matt Macia (1992) is now chief risk officer for Peoples Bank, headquartered in Marietta, Ohio.
Kim Mohr (1999) is director of public relations for Envision Health.
Tony Niemotka (1999) is now executive vice president of community health for Medicus IT.
Shannon Wentworth (1992, ’97) opened Wentworth Law Firm in North Fork.
Julianne Williams (1996), along with 19 inspirational authors, published the book, “You Can, You Will: True Stories of Finding Hope Through Grief and Mental Health Journeys.”
Debi Younger (1991) is now principal of Sparta Elementary in Belton, Texas.
2000s
Eiji Akaboshi (2006) is associate winemaker for Freeman Vineyard in Sebastopol.
Ethan Chatagnier (2005) won the Golden Poppy/Octavia E. Butler Award for his novel “Singer Distance,” which was also listed as a best book of the year by NPR and PopSugar.
Gayle Copeland (2005) is now Park University’s dean of the College of Education and Health Professions.
Geno Delerio (2007), of Delerio Construction LLC, was listed as one of Fresno’s eight best general contractors by Home Builder Digest.
Derek Elrod (2008) is a partner at Bridgewealth Advisory Group, LLC and chairman of the board of the Financial Planning Association of Central California.
Barry Falke (2001) was named CEO for the American Red Cross for the states of Missouri and Arkansas, as well as southwestern Illinois and parts of eastern Kansas.
Neil Gibson (’05) is now principal officer of the American Institute in Taiwan (Kaohsiung Branch).
Pilar Christiana Graham (2006) was featured in the Monterey Herald for her collection of poetry, “Currents.”
Christopher Harris (2003) is a licensed realtor at Guarantee Real Estate focusing on properties based in Visalia.
Gilbert Infante (2005), of Elk Grove, was appointed to the Board of Parole Hearings.
Travis Isbell (2009) is now director of esports at Michigan Tech University.
Darren Maxfield (2007) will be operating as a real estate agent, specializing primarily in residential sales, for Sierra Nevada Properties.
Daniel Medina is an internationally published editorial cartoonist and is the staff editorial cartoonist for TK News.
Will Oliver (2009) is now president and CEO of the Fresno County Economic Development Corporation.
Rick Perea (2001) is now director of risk for FGI Worldwide’s credit insurance brokerage and risk advisory division, based in Boca Raton, Florida.
Brittany Richards (2008) is a winemaker for High Wines.
Belen Sanchez (2001) is owner and broker of Belen Sanchez Insurance Agency Inc. in Fresno.
Mark Sanchez (2004) is superintendent and president of Southwestern College.
Shimel Her Saychou (2002, ’18, ’23) is now inaugural program director of the Southeast Asian Student Success Center at Fresno State.
Meghan C. Sherry (2005) joined the employment law firm LightGabler in Camarillo.
Andrew Smith (2000) is now chief financial officer for John C. Fremont Healthcare District.
Matt Studwell (2006, ’08), a former thrower on the Fresno State track and field team, is now director of facilities and operations for the Arizona Cardinals, Insignia Event Services.
2010s
Jorge Angeles (2013) is now weed management and ecology adviser for Tulare, Kings, and Fresno counties for the UC Cooperative Extension.
Darlene Avila (2018) is now digital marketing manager for The California Table Grape Commission.
Stacey Balkun (2014) is the coordinator for the graduate and undergraduate English programs at the University of New Orleans.
Elisa Blair (2015) runs a private practice providing couples therapy, and therapy for individuals who have had trauma.
Kyle Campbell (2015) published his book, “Beyond Belief.”
Joe Castelan (2016) and Kris Daniels began hosting the “New Kiss Country Morning Show with Kris and Joe” from 5-10 a.m. on 93.7 Kiss Country in Fresno.
Michael Cook (2015) received the James F. Whitley Founders Scholarship through the Wine Society of Texas Scholarship Program.
Brenna Flynn (2019) is now director of food safety and quality assurance for Braga Fresh.
Jose Garcia (2017) is now a science instructor at Matilda Torres High School in Madera.
Giuliano Galdi (2017) is now an agronomy and crops adviser for the UC Cooperative Extension in Merced County.
Marcy Guthrie (2013) is now principal for Gardnerville Elementary in Gardnerville, Nevada.
Esra Hashem (2013, ’16, ’21) is now director of strategic communications at Fresno State.
Zachary Hill (2011), a former Fresno State football player, now serves as the team physician and orthopedic surgeon.
Josh Hokit, a former Fresno State and San Francisco 49ers running back, signed a multi-fight mixed martial arts contract with combat-sports promoter Bellator MMA.
Megan Lausten (2013) is the marketing manager at International Agri-Center, where she is responsible for marketing, communications and brand management for the organization’s programs including World Ag Expo.
Adam Mortanian (2010) is now managing director for PACT Capital Inc.
Lisa Munro (2013) is now director of development for the United States Equestrian foundation.
Troy Polnitz (2012,’15) is now diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Agrace.
Michael Raymon Bliss (2018) is now grower services manager for California Citrus Mutual.
Lucca Petrucci (2016) was the keynote speaker for the 10th annual Rainbow Graduation Celebration at Fresno State.
Christopher Rodriguez (2019, ’21) portrayed Shadow Edgar in Stewart Copeland’s “Tell Tale Heart,” and the demon in Deborah Kavasch’s “Annabel” world premiere with Opera Modesto.
Francisco Rojas (2017), director of operations for CalBurton, Inc., which uses technology to locate underground pipes, was included in Marquis Who’s Who.
Chad San Juan (2012) is the supervisor of the California Accidental Release Prevention Program for Kern County Public Health.
Stephanie Soto (2017) is now retail marketing manager for The California Table Grape Commission.
Taniece Thompson-Smith (2015) was named Abilene Independent School District’s Elementary Teacher of the Year.
Erik Valencia (2014) is the president and CEO of the Greater Reedley Chamber of Commerce.
Edgar Vargas (2010) is a senior product designer at Canvas.
Jacob Vazquez (2016), a Butte College professor and former Fresno State offensive lineman, received the Young Teacher of the Year Award by the California Agricultural Teachers’ Association.
Dan Ward (2014) completed a four- year residency training program in emergency medicine at UCSF Fresno.
Michael Watson (2012) is the head of global customer evangelism at Eightfold, a company specializing in AI- enabled talent intelligence platforms.
Derick Webb (2015) is the owner and winemaker of Lumberyard Cellars.
Ashlee (Garcia) Wolf (2010) is now director of philanthropy and communication for the Marjaree Mason Center.
2020s
Inderpreet Bal (2020) is now in the UCSF San Joaquin Valley PRIME class of 2024.
Emily Diacono (2022) is a coach for Orlando Thunder water polo.
Eric Ebert (2020, ’22) is now a counselor for college relations and outreach at Fresno City College.
Jake Haener, the star Fresno State quarterback, was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round.
Kendrick Liu (2021) is a project engineer for Alten Construction in the Bay Area.
Alexis Elisa Macedo (2021) is the playwright and producer of “Chicana Legend” in Atlanta.
Hector Mendoza (2020) is a reporter at KTVB in Boise, Idaho.
Fidel Moreno (2021) is the new morning and noon news anchor at KDBC-TV in El Paso, Texas.
Jordan Pulido (2020, ’23) was accepted into the Disney College Program.
Linda Ramos (2020) is now an officer with the Fresno Police Department.
Vincent Titiriga (2022) is now a member of the Castaic Union School Board in Santa Clarita.
Bulldog Born, Bulldog Wed
Albert Cano (1994) married Mike Swain (1987) on July 3 in Palm Springs. (photo B)
Mario Gomez (1999) married Brenda Gonzalez on July 12 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. (Photo by Jamie Cadiente, Modern Milestones Hawaii.) (photo G)
Dominico Johnston (2007) and Molly Fagundes-Johnston (2005, ’14) welcomed their third child, Maximo McNeil, on July 9. Also pictured are Joseph Frank (4) and Dominic (2). (photo D)
Gabriana King (2016, ’18) married Justin Wiekamp on June 3 in Las Vegas. (photo C)
Kendall Mitsuoka (2008) and Megan Mitsuoka (2010) welcomed the birth of their second child, Grayson Katsumi, on December 3, 2022. (photo F)
Nikko Motta (2013) and Taylor (Thompson) Motta (2013, ’15) welcomed triplets, Eliana Neva Motta, Jaxon Rolando Motta and Malachi Miles Motta, on July 22. (photo E)
Jocelyn Estrada Sepulveda (2016) married Luis Sepulveda (2016, ’23) on July 17. (photo A)
