Alumni News & Notes
2000
Letal Algazy joined Goldberg Segalla as partner of the firm’s Workers’ Compensation practice group in Garden City, N.J. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Rockefeller College and a law degree from New York Law School.
2001
Lucille Dadd recently joined Harter Secrest & Emery, a full-service business-law firm with offices across New York State. The firm’s director of Legal Recruiting and Professional Development, she previously served as major-gifts officer and assistant director of Development at the University at Buffalo Law School and individual gifts officer with Roswell Park Alliance Foundation.
2002
Ken Countermine was promoted to team leader of Community Bank N.A.’s Albany Commercial Banking team.
2003
Martin Frick is the managing director of Temenos. He is leading the banking software company’s expansion in Australia, Japan, Singapore, and China.
Harold Moore was appointed chief technology officer of New York State’s Office of the Governor. He has provided technology solutions for the NYS Executive Chamber for 17 years.
Cheryl Beamon was appointed executive director of the New York City Administration for Childrens Services Workforce Development Institute.
2004
Yvonne Obeng-Curwood was named assistant vice president of Claims at GEICO’s Houston office. Previously, she served as liability director for the company’s Seattle operations. She began her GEICO career in 2004 as a claims-service representative at the Woodbury, N.Y., regional office.
Meghan McNamara joined Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, as a partner in the firm’s Albany office. She represents clients in matters involving New York regulatory bodies in the health-care space.
Christopher Parisi is senior vice president, financial adviser and family wealth adviser of The Dotzler Parisi Group at Morgan Stanley in Little Falls, N.J. He was named one of “America’s Top 500 Next Generation Wealth Advisers” by Forbes.
2006
Ryan Roberts was promoted to partner at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP in Washington, D.C.
2009
Travel writer and blogger Jessica Festa has been featured in numerous media outlets, including The Washington Post, Buzzfeed, Bravo, and Huffington Post. Her love of travel started when she participated in UAlbany’s Study Abroad program.
Tisha Lewis Ellison is an associate professor in the Department of Language and Literacy Education at the University of Georgia. She is a recipient of numerous awards, including the 2018-19 Sarah Moss Fellowship and the 2017-18 UGA Early Career Faculty Research Award.
2010
Deirdre Barthel is director of intergovernmental and legislative affairs at the NYS Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services.
2011
Alina Pedraza is the CEO and lead trainer of Fused Fitness, a New York City bouquet fitness studio that prides itself on true results with a family and kindness mindset (www.fusedfit.com).
Lynda Holt earned a doctor of education in higher-education leadership from the University of New England.
Inspired by Harvey Milk ’51, Kevin Ricupero launched a film and event production company, xLab Productions, in Brooklyn in 2016. This year, he wrote, directed, and produced “Humans of Pride,” the official documentary project of WorldPride 2019/Stonewall 50. www.humansofpride.com
2013
Amanda Miller joined Barclay Damon as an associate in the Albany office in March. She is a member of the torts and products liability defense and professional liability practice areas.
2016
UAlbany baseball alum William Miller is a territory sales manager for Altria, Inc., in Connecticut.
Sean Collier worked with fellow members of the Peace Corps to raise funds and construct a medical facility in a rural African community where the closest medical professional previously was 15 miles away and only accessible by foot.
Ashley Chontos received international recognition for confirming that Kepler Space Telescope’s first discovered planet candidate, Kepler-1658b (KOI 4), is indeed a real world. Her first authored paper, The Curious Case of KOI 4: Confirming Kepler’s First Exoplanet, was accepted for publication by The Astronomical Journal. Ashley is a graduate student at the University of Hawaii.
2018
Hallie Landwehr is a case manager at LaSalle School in Albany, and serves as per-diem waiver service provider for Northern Rivers.
2019
Naji Simmons teaches English in grades 7-12 in Los Angeles as part of Teach For America’s 2019 cohort.