Alumni Class Notes

L. Michael Gracik ‘75 was named the Virginia Society of CPAs’ outstanding member for 2020. Gracik is the second member of that class to receive the award. Harry D. Dickinson ’75 (M.S. in Accounting ’76) received the award in 2018.

Robert H. Roane ’14 and Alexandra Smyre (A&S ’14) married Oct. 10, 2020, in front of friends and family, including the groom’s father, Robert C. Roane ’78, and sister, Caroline Roane (A&S ’10). The couple lives in Arlington, VA.

Khalil S. Andraos ’06 is an accomplished financial adviser for Bank of America Merrill in Reston, VA. In 2020, he was named a Top Retirement Consultant by the Financial Times magazine for the fourth consecutive year, adding to his previous professional honors from Forbes as a Top Next Generation Wealth Advisor and a Best-In-State Wealth Advisor. A native of Springfield, VA, Andraos holds the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor® designation, among others, and is Senior Vice President of The Andraos Group. He specializes in consulting on defined contribution and corporate retirement plans.

Noah Kaufman ’99 and his wife, Rachelle Lasken Kaufman (A&S ’02), welcomed a boy, Saul Robert. Saul joins big brother Benjamin. The Kaufmans live in Arlington, VA. Noah works as a Systems Accountant (Project Manager) at the Department of State, is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Maryland Global Campus, and coaches wrestling. He recently re-published a book, Life Lessons from the Wrestling Mat: Successful Strategies Gleaned from Three Decades of Coaching and Competing, which includes lessons he learned from his time on the UVA wrestling team. He has published three other books. Rachelle is an author, and has written several books as part of the Kaufman Green Guide series.

Marc Lefar ’85, McIntire Advisory Board member and CEO of RentPath, is the inaugural recipient of Atlanta-based nonprofit Open Doors’ Threshold Award for his work fighting homelessness. Lefar envisioned an app that could match people who desperately need affordable homes with properties that are eager for new residents. Lefar recruited teams of volunteer software engineers and product experts to effectively build the digital marketplace, known as the Property Navigator App.

Shalaka Laxman ’14, Product Manager at Deutsche Bank in London, and Varun Saxena, Vice President at J.P. Morgan, started Strawberries & Cream, a nonprofit party collective and community, two years ago. Until the COVID pandemic, they hosted several events in different quirky locations, each time raising about £1,000 for charity. They held their first virtual art auction July 19, auctioning 16 paintings and raising £1,115 for Black Minds Matter (BMM). Deutsche Bank then matched the donation up to £1,000.

Rachel Perini CFA ’03, is Executive Director, Institutional Client Coverage at UBS Asset Management. She is a finalist for the 2020 Women in Investment Awards, presented by U.K. magazine Investment Week, in partnership with HSBC Global Asset Management. The awards recognize and celebrate the achievements of women in the fund management industry. Recipients will be announced in December.

Josh Weiss ’07 recently launched Reggie, the first dog supplement brand built to form a lasting regimen with you and your dog. Reggie’s veterinary-approved functional soft chew supplements include Multivitamin for Dogs, Morning Hip + Joint with Glucosamine, Omega 3 Fish Oil Skin + Coat, and Anytime Calming.

Jeannette Lichner ’79 (M.S. in Accounting ’80) joined the board of the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates the financial services industry, as a Non-Executive Director. This role is in addition to her Non-Executive Director roles at Miller Insurance Services; the Local Trust, which supports 150 of the most left-behind U.K. communities; the International Women’s Forum UK; and Elucidate GmBH, a startup regulatory technology company. She is also an executive coach and has published numerous articles on leadership, governance, and personal finance. She and her husband reside in London, where she has lived since 1984.

Hong Paterson ’93 is Chief Financial Officer and Director, Support Services, at Green Climate Fund. She is based in Songdo, South Korea.

Anant Das ’19 recently launched Broadway Boxed Up, a subscription box service bringing theater closer to homes of subscribers by mailing them merchandise, while elevating the voices of BIPOC and Deaf/HoH industry professionals through educational features, articles, and virtual events.

Ivy Tao Li ’10 and her husband, Sean Chen (A&S ’06), are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Kyle, born in April 2020. The family lives in Hong Kong.

Matthew Kinderman (M.S. in Commerce ’17) and Juliana Green (M.S. in Accounting ’17) were married July 23, 2020, in Washington, D.C. Matthew is a Senior Business Analyst with Capital One; Juliana is a Senior Associate with Unovis Asset Management.

Rodney Hobbs ’94 placed second on “Wheel of Fortune” Oct. 7, 2020, as he solved puzzles to win more than $15,000! The accomplished actor and human resources professional is no stranger to game shows—he has also won the Showcase Showdown on “The Price Is Right”!

Janet Lee ’00 (Darden ’07) is a Chief Brand Catalyst specializing in scaling small brands. Now in Seattle, she previously served as Director of Marketing for PepsiCo in London. Lee recently participated in a Gooder Podcast by Diana Fryc. In the episode, the two dove deep into the intersection of the innovative entrepreneurial mindset and big consumer packaged goods operational prowess. Lee shared her insights on what they both can learn from each other on the path to delivering healthy food, beverage, and wellness options to consumers. (Listen to the podcast here.)

Cassandra Enyan (Mensah-Abrampah) ’08, Head of Android Platform Partnerships, Ghana and Tanzania, at Google, and her husband, Eugene, are delighted to announce the birth of their daughter, Laura Ewurabena Ntsefoa Enyan, born during the summer of 2020. Laura joins her big brother, Kwesi Jaden Enyan, who is 2 years old.

Matthew C. Meade ’06 has embarked on a new chapter in his professional career. Says Meade, “After nearly 10 amazing years at JPMorgan Chase & Company, working with extraordinary and brilliant colleagues and making friendships that will last a lifetime, I started Chapter 4 of my career in fintech at Bloomberg LP, where I will be a Product Management Leader.” He has also self-published a book, Wisdom on the Way to Wall Street, as a way of giving back to the community, offering step-by-step instructive lessons for young professionals on how to build a successful career.

Matthew Bulloch ’05 has been elected to the board of directors of M R Products Inc. He is currently the President of TentCraft in Traverse City, MI.

Gwin Myerberg ’03, Global Head of Client Relations and Communications at Southeastern Asset Management in London, along with her colleagues, interviewed Margaret Casely-Hayford CBE for a Price-to-Value Podcast, offered by the value equity investment firm. The group had a broad-ranging discussion on topics including the biggest challenges obstructing diversity in corporate boards and how to address them and how the recent spotlight on racial injustice may help drive structural change. (Listen to the podcast.)

David Meredith (M.S. in MIT ’03) is CEO and Board Director of Everbridge, which has been recognized in the Gartner Market Guide for Social Distancing Technology.

Katrina Liao (M.S. in Accounting ’05), an Investment Principal at Coller Capital in London, is serving as a mentor in the Women Societies Alliance 2020-2021 Mentorship Scheme, which connects female working professionals and female students seeking to excel in the business and finance industry.