Alumni Class Notes

Shannon Nash (McIntire ’92, Law ’95), a Partner at AI governance intelligence company Alpha, has been named to Women We Admire’s list of Top 50 Women Leaders in Finance for 2026.

Shelby Davis (A&S ’21, M.S. in Commerce ’22), Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Northern Neck Electric Cooperative, recently volunteered with the Team USA Welcome Experience ahead of this year’s Winter Olympics, gaining a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on the preparation that supports America’s athletes. Held during the final week of January, the Welcome Experience is the central hub where athletes collect their gear from Team USA partners, with activations from Ralph Lauren, Nike, SKIMS, and others. Davis contributed to logistics, from packing and organizing athlete kits to staging Opening and Closing Ceremony outfits in dressing rooms and taking inventory of hundreds of apparel items.

Erin Bailey (M.S. in Global Commerce ’19), Project Manager and Market Account Manager for Olympic & Paralympic Partnership at Allianz, carried the Olympic Flame in Lake Garda, Italy, on its journey across the country last month. The Torch Relay is a tradition dating back to the origin of the Games, and the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Torch Relay elevates the scale, with over 10,000 Torch Bearers journeying across the 110 provinces of Italy. Bailey returned to Italy to support the Olympic Winter Games in February.

Marisa Drew ’86, Chief Sustainability Officer at Standard Chartered, has been named to Sustainability Magazine’s 2026 Top 250 Leaders list.

Veni Dhir ’12, Director at ADP Ventures, has been named to Alpha Partners’ 2025 Rising Star Pre-Partner Venture Investor list. Recognizing the next generation of venture capital talent whose work helps drive firm strategy, founder relationships, and early company success, the list highlights pre-partner investors whose judgment, curiosity, and commitment play an essential role in sourcing great companies and supporting founders through the earliest stages of their journey. The list is entirely community-driven, with honorees nominated by peers who have worked with them, learned from them, or been impressed by their contributions.

Yvette Sadler Butler ’87, Founder and CEO of fintech platform Hive Wealth, has been named to the third annual UrbanGeekz 50: Gamechangers in Tech, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship List, which highlights leaders building the products, platforms, and movements shaping today’s innovation economy. Before founding Hive Wealth, Butler served as President of SVB Private Banking & Wealth Management and previously as President of Capital One Investing, the first major bank to launch an in-house robo-advisor. She also co-founded what became Merrill Edge, which now manages over $350 billion in assets, and led investor marketing at E*Trade. Butler serves on the boards of Voya Financial, Synctera, and Hillcrest Finance, and is treasurer and director of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation, continuing her commitment to inclusive wealth creation at scale.

Dana Hartz ’01 has been named Associate Vice President of Finance for United Educators (UE). Hartz joins UE with extensive experience in accounting and financial reporting, including insurance company filings. She most recently worked for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including as Head of the Division of Corporation Finance’s  Knowledge Management Office. There, she was responsible for the day-to-day operations, strategy and leadership of the office. Prior to that, she served as Director of External Financial Reporting for E*TRADE, a Senior Staff Accountant in the SEC’s Office of Life Sciences and Insurance, and a Senior Associate for PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she audited insurance companies.

Eric Olson (M.S. in MIS ’93) has been appointed Chief Corporate Development Officer (CCDO) at REI Systems, a technology service provider with 35 years of delivering innovative solutions that advance government. In this role, Eric leads the development and execution of REI’s mergers and acquisitions strategy, with a focus on strengthening capabilities in mission-critical areas, expanding REI’s presence across defense and national security markets, and building a scalable platform for long-term, strategic growth. A veteran of more than 30 years in the federal sector and IT consulting industry, Eric previously served as CEO of Buchanan & Edwards, where he oversaw significant expansion and strategic acquisitions supporting national security, intelligence, and civilian missions. He also held senior leadership positions at ECS Federal, InfoReliance, and other consulting firms, where he led growth initiatives in digital modernization, cybersecurity, and advanced analytics.

Sharis Essayan (M.S. in Global Commerce ’22) joined Deloitte in fall 2025 as a Consultant in the company’s Berlin office.

Jackie Krese ’85 is starting a new position as Head of Fund Finance Syndications at Wells Fargo.

Spencer Cummings ’06 (M.S. in MIT ’18) is joining the Google Public Sector team to continue serving meaningful federal missions from the technology side.

Elliot Rosenberg ’13, Founder of credit card points travel concierge Stratys, was featured in a Jan. 1, 2026, Wall Street Journal article titled “Want a Free Luxury Trip? Talk to a Credit-Card Rewards Consultant.”

Walt De La Vega (M.S. in MIT ’21) started a new position as Major Incident Manager at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Blake Showers ’21 married Nalleli Bustos Cuellar in June 2025. Their journey, which has taken them across countries and cultures, has grown into a life built on patience, laughter, and unity. Showers is grateful for the lessons, friendships, and foundation given to him by UVA, and he carries them into this next chapter with the love of his life.

Crystal Piercy (BIS ’24, M.S. in MIT ’24) started the new year as Help Desk Manager at the University of Virginia’s School of Education.

Steven Gordon Krug ’86 was awarded the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History from the University of Georgia. Krug specializes in colonial and early American history, with an emphasis on the intellectual origins of republicanism and its influence on national economic development. His dissertation examined the evolution of the Virginia plantation economy during the Jeffersonian era.

Emily Wright Winans ’22 and Nick Winans (Engineering ’22) were married in Tuscany, Italy, Aug. 31, 2025. Ms. Winans met Mr. Winans in college at a Super Bowl mixer between her sorority and his fraternity, following in the footsteps of her parents, who also met at a UVA fraternity house.

Andy Claybrook ’78 retired in December from 45 years of service as a CPA, the last 28 years of which he spent as a self-employed personal financial specialist and certified financial planner. He has lived in Franklin, TN, since 1982. He and his wife, Rene, have eight grandchildren, all boys. He and Rene are looking forward to spending more time with them, traveling, and relaxing.

Jenn Juarez ’19 has been promoted to Vice President at Goldman Sachs.

Zachary Anderson ’24 has been promoted to Director at The Genau Group Realty Advisors.

Nathan Kim (M.S. in MIT ’12), Director of Technology/Head of Engineering for Public Sector at Publicis Sapient, has been named a 2025 Accelerate 125 Award winner, contributing to meaningful digital modernization across federal health.