Alumni Class Notes

  • Cheri Pridgen ’83 recently accepted a position as General Manager with Curtis Media Group, the largest privately owned broadcast company in North Carolina. Curtis Media Group owns and operates several radio stations in Raleigh and throughout the state, as well as provides digital and event marketing services to their clients.

  • Charley Johnson ’69, CEO of OptiCat LLC, received the Triangle Award from the Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association. The award is given periodically to a person or organization to honor selfless contributions to the vehicle supplier industry. Johnson was presented the award in September at his office in Maryland. “Charley’s decades of exceptional leadership and dedication to the supplier industry embody the spirit of the Triangle Award,” said Bill Long, President and CEO of MEMA. Not intended to be presented annually, the Triangle Award is presented when truly deserving candidates are found—those who have worked tirelessly, behind the scenes, and out of the spotlight and whose contributions have advanced the supplier industry.

  • Chaitenya Razdan ’05, Founder and CEO of healthwear company Care+Wear, was recently featured in the March 2023 issue of Inc. magazine, in an article titled “How Tube Socks Inspired Chaitenya Razdan to Launch a Medical Device Company.”

  • Shirley Romig ’00 (Darden ’05) has been appointed to the board of directors of MamaMancini’s Holdings Inc., a leading national marketer and manufacturer of fresh deli prepared foods. Shirley brings more than 20 years of operations and public company corporate governance experience to the MamaMancini’s board. Shirley most recently served as CEO of Mixo, a startup building a new social commerce platform that simplifies digital food content creation. Since 2019, she has served on the board of directors of the public company LOVESAC, an omnichannel home furnishings company, where she chairs the Nominating & Governance Committee. Prior to founding Mixo, Shirley was VP, Global Operations East and Canada for LYFT, where she led rideshare and fleet services operations for the eastern United States and Canada. Earlier in her career, she served in senior management positions at leading consumer brands, including Equinox Fitness, Hudson’s Bay Company, and Saks Incorporated. Shirley also brings significant consulting and financial analysis experience to the board, having begun her career in senior roles at consulting and financial services firms such as Publicis Sapient, Pali Capital, Kurt Salmon, and Kaiser Associates.

  • Dominic Law ’09, CEO of Neopets Metaverse, spoke at the FOMO Asia Genesis Conference March 23 to discuss “Game-Fi: How to Make it Work.”

  • Kelly Shen ’92 is the new Chief Data Officer at T. Rowe Price, a global investment management firm and a leader in retirement services. As Chief Data Officer, Shen sets and operationalizes T. Rowe Price’s strategy to leverage data as an asset. She ensures that the firm delivers timely, accurate, and reliable data to the workforce to enable analytics, reporting, and insights to drive business. Shen will also lead the establishment of a centralized data team to serve and facilitate the firm’s data needs. Shen has over 25 years as an experienced data and analytics leader. Most recently, Shen served as Senior Managing Director and Chief Technology and Data Officer at CPP Investments, Canada’s largest pension plan, where she led technology, data, cybersecurity, and innovation efforts.

  • David Meredith (M.S. in MIT ’03) was named “Best CEO 2022” for his work at Boomi, in the Largest Company Category, alongside some of the biggest corporations like Google, Microsoft, and IBM. The annual ranking derives from 15 million anonymous ratings from employees across 70,000 companies. As stated on their website, “Every year, Comparably celebrates the companies and leaders deemed as the most exceptional in 16 categories by those who know best–employees.” In 2022, Comparably also awarded Meredith “Best CEO for Diversity,” and recognized Boomi for “Best Company Culture,” “Best Company Career Growth,” and “Best Company Happiness.” David previously ranked in the Top 50 for “Best CEO 2020” also in the Largest Company Category during his tenure as a NASDAQ public company CEO in the Russell 1000 Index.

  • Edmund Whitson ’85, a leading financial services attorney, has joined the McGlinchey Stafford’s Creditors’ Rights, Financial Restructuring, and Bankruptcy group as a Member (Partner). Resident in Tampa, Ed focuses his practice on complex legal matters spanning the corporate life cycle, from transactions and commercial litigation to creditors’ rights disputes, workouts, and related matters.

  • Phil Augusta Jackson ’06, Creator and Executive Producer of NBC’s “Grand Crew,” recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about elevating Black winemakers and honoring Black friendship in the sitcom. Now in its second season, “Grand Crew” is based on Jackson’s “real-life hanging out, discovering wine at a wine bar, and having close bonds” with his group of friends.

  • Jack Murray (A&S ’16, M.S. in Commerce ’17) has been promoted to Senior Vice President on the Investment Banking team at Skyway Capital Markets. He will continue leading transactional progression and business development efforts across all industry sectors. Mr. Murray joined Skyway as an Associate in 2017. Since then, his role has continued to expand to include deal marketing, sponsor coverage, business development, pre-market deal support, as well as managing Skyway’s internship program.

  • Chris Nassetta ’84, President and CEO of Hilton, has been elected National Chair of the U.S. Travel Association (USTA). He may serve up to two consecutive one-year terms in the role. Nassetta will lead USTA’s executive board and board of delegates, as well as work with USTA President and CEO Geoff Freeman and the executive leadership team, to carry out the organization’s mission of increasing travel to and within the United States and establishing the travel industry as a significant contributor to the country’s economy.

  • Ronde Barber ’97 was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023. The Roanoke native who earned ACC Rookie of the Year honors in 1994 when he joined the UVA squad—and has since had his jersey number 19 retired by the Hoos—will now forever be enshrined at Canton, OH, as well for his accomplishments as a Defensive Back. A five-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All-Pro, and Super Bowl XXXVII champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Barber is the only player in NFL history with more than 40 interceptions and 25 sacks.

  • Frank S. Macgill ’91 has been named a 2023 Georgia Super Lawyer. Frank was recognized in the practice area of Estate Planning and Probate. Attorneys are selected based upon peer review, professional achievements, and independent research. Frank currently works at HunterMaclean, a business law firm with offices in Savannah and St. Simons Island, GA.

  • Chris Nassetta ’84, CEO of Hilton, discusses the challenges of being career-driven, how to ask for help from unexpected sources, and the advice he gives his own six daughters in a Jan. 31 CNBC article titled “Don’t Make this Common Career Mistake in Your 20s, Says the CEO of Hilton.”

  • Gloria Felicia ’17, CEO and Co-Founder of a business-to-business AI copilot for data entry (currently in stealth mode), co-hosted the 2023 Startup Revolution: Generative AI in San Francisco, CA, on Jan. 30. Participants had the opportunity to hear from leading experts and network with like-minded entrepreneurs, as well as pitch their AI startups to top VCs.

  • Todd Triller ’86 (Law ’89) has rejoined Vinson & Elkins as a Partner in the M&A practice in the New York office. Triller returns to the firm from The Carlyle Group, where he was Managing Director and Co-Head of Energy Credit. Triller has more than 25 years of experience advising and overseeing investment funds in M&A and alternative finance transactions, particularly in the energy and infrastructure sectors. He has worked with leading players in this space, including Ares Capital, Barings, EIG Global Energy Partners, The Carlyle Group, Apollo Global Management, Goldman Sachs and TPG. Triller, who was a Partner at Vinson & Elkins from 2011 to 2017 before joining The Carlyle Group, focuses on advising investment funds in complicated alternative finance transactions. He also has experience counseling private equity, credit funds, and financial institutions in connection with a range of energy transactions, including renewables, sustainable fuels, power, midstream and upstream oil and gas.

  • Andrea Lawrence ’88 has been named Senior Vice President, Senior Wealth Advisor at Bryn Mawr Trust, in Berwyn, PA. Lawrence provides comprehensive wealth advisory services to clients and works collaboratively with all divisions of the bank to achieve clients’ goals and objectives. Most recently, Lawrence provided family office and philanthropy consulting services through Tapestry Advisors LLC, which she founded in 2007, and also served as COO of the Quantitative Foundation through Tapestry. Prior to that, she worked for Ballamor Capital Management and Calibre, among others. A former CPA and practicing attorney, she also worked at Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young LLP. Lawrence is a resident of Kennett Square, PA, and serves as treasurer of the University Barge Club of Philadelphia.

  • Khalil Andraos ’06, Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Financial Advisor, was recently named to Forbes’ 2022 100 Top Next Gen Wealth Advisors list. Andraos is a Certified Financial Planner, a designation awarded by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. He also holds a Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation.

  • Hong Paterson ’93, CFO and COO at Green Climate Fund, spoke at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week’s inaugural Green Hydrogen Summit on Jan. 18, joining leaders from policy, business, technology, and civil society to discuss the latest trends shaping the world’s hydrogen agenda.

  • Alice Tomdio (M.S. in Accounting ’09), CFO of leading pan-African cryptocurrency exchange Yellow Card Financial, discusses her optimistic outlook for crypto on the African continent in 2023 in a Jan. 11 Bizcommunity article titled “#BizTrends2023: The Future of Crypto in Africa.”

  • Jomaree Pinkard ’01 has transitioned from a decadelong role serving as Hella Cocktail Co.’s CEO to CEO and Managing Director at Pronghorn, after Pronghorn’s recent capital investment in Hella. Pronghorn, an independent company dedicated to expanding diversity within the spirits industry by cultivating and investing in the next generation of Black founders, executives, and entrepreneurs, will provide access to its supercharging services, designed to help continue scaling Hella’s business. Before joining Pronghorn, Pinkard spent 10 years creating and developing diversely owned craft beverage company Hella Cocktail Co. During that time, he helped usher the company through several strategic brand iterations and groundbreaking product innovations. His finance acumen enabled the brand to build capacity and capabilities at a premium level, starting with zero dollars and no account distribution. During his tenure as CEO, Hella Cocktail Co. grew from a mason jar to a national multimillion dollar venture built on a foundation of inclusivity and inspired confidence.