Portland State Magazine Fall 2007

ALUMNI NOTES Making food her business Tyson Foods convinced Oregon native Michelle Bond to move to its Arkansas offices. MICHELLE A. BOND, MBA '06, never pictured herselfliv– ing in the middle of the Ozarks, bur that's where she is after being recruited by Arkansas– based Tyson Foods. When headhunters approach– ed her about working there, she was hesitant. Place had been important to the South– ern Oregon native. She picked Colorado State Universiry "ro be in the mountains" and the master's of business administra– tion at Portland Scare for her return to the Northwest. Bur after Tyson Aew her and her mother to Springdale, Arkansas, to tour the surroundings, "I fell in love with the area," she says. Northwest Arkansas, it turned our, was "full of young transplants, nor a deep South atmosphere." Several ocher 'Ob 1980-1989 Richard P. Sorensen '80 is a security officer with Valley Merchant Police in alem. He recently qua lified fo r recertifica– tion as a funeral service practi– tioner. He is a lifetime member of the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice. Mike Story MFA '80 show– cased six of his pencil draw– ings ofsoldiers ar a gallery in Hillsboro during Memorial Day weekend. Story, an artist and metalsmith, served in the US . avy from 1958 to 1962. Hamad Al-Khalifa '81 has been named Qatar's new ambassador to Lebanon. AI-Khalifa was rhe Qarari ambassador to Djibouti, and prior to that he was rhe deputy chief of mission with rhe Qatar Embassy in Washington, D.C. Christine Riley '81 has been selected as serried minister at the Unitarian Universal- ise Community Church of Washington Counry. Michelle A. Girts '83 is president ofEnTranRighr, LLC, a business consulting service in Vancouver, Washington. Lisa Parsons '84 wrote a book of poetry and plays tided Sins & Words from the World pub! ished on the digital press lulu.com in December 2006. She has given poetry readings and has been involved in numerous art shows over the past year. William D. Weber '84 is a physician with the Oral and Maxi llo-Facial Surgery 26 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE FALL 2007 large corporations have sales and marketing offices there, catering ro Arkansas-based Wal-Mart. Bond lives rwo miles from work, where she is assistant product manager, a market– ing position in which she is responsible for a core group of items and also is in charge of all Tyson coupons. "I love it; my job is great," says Bond, who gained valuable training and experience in PSU's Food Industry Leadership program, where she earned a certificate in food market- ing and logistics. That program "caught my attention," she recalls, when she was seeking a school to pursue her master's. While at Colorado State, she studied abroad for a rime at the Universiry ofWales; her major was in food science and nutrition. Bur Bond decided she didn't want to work in a laboratory, and would obtain a business graduate degree. While at Portland State, she completed her degree at night while working "beyond full rime" in customer relations, sales, and merchandising for Moonstruck Chocolate Co. Bond says she has made "tons of friends" in Arkansas, and her only complaint is the state's hot, humid summers. Bur she likes "anything outdoorsy. Ir's beautiful." ■ BY CLIFF COLLINS Associates of Manhattan in New York. Weber, his wife, Elisa, and their two children, Hannah and Abigail, live in Westchester County, New York. Mike Hedrick MS '85 won the 2007 George and Miriam Phillips Outstanding Professor Award from Ca li fornia State University, East Bay. The award is given to a facu lty member who exemplifies excellence in reaching, prominence in his or her field, and service to the university. Hedrick, who joined the faculty in 1995, is a professor in the depart– ment of biological sciences. Farid Piroozmandi MS '85 graduated with his Juris Doctor– ate from the Seattle University school oflaw this past spring. Piroozmandi plans to practice intellecrual property law. Leona D. Mathews MBA '86 is director of practice management ar Rady Children's Hospital, the only hospital dedicated solely to pediatric care in San Diego. Liz Farruggia '87 joined The Partners Group, a financial and insurance advisory firm, as an account manager for the central and eastern Oregon region. Richard Turnock MBA '89, a retired Portland Gen– eral Electric employee, rook Spanish classes at PSU this year in preparation for travels in Mexico. He and his wife, Rebecca, enjoy volunteering in their Spanish immersion classroom and also raking care of rheir rwo grandchildren.