Portland State Magazine Spring 2009

ALUMNI NOTES Peter Bitar '86 is ream leader for LunaTrex, a ream ofU.. rocker, robotics, aviation, energy, and propulsion experts pursuing the $20 million Lunar X Prize sponsored by Google. The winning team must land a privately funded spacecraft on the Moon by 2012. Bitar, an entrepreneur and inventor, is president and CEO of AirBuoy– ant in Anderson, Indiana. He has developed the VertiScooter, a rough terrain vehicle, and the VertiPod, a one-person flying platform. A licensed pilot, Bitar is also an aerospace and defense sector consultant for the Gerson-Lehrman Group. Dennis Ades MS '87 is a non-point source specialist for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Ades' position emphasizes federal land management issues through rhe governor's forest planning ream. Susan Beilke '87 is an Oregon Department of Fish and Thank you! Wildlife project manager for Burlington Bottoms wetlands 12 miles northwest of Portland. She has worked to protect and enhance the area's fish and wildlife habitat since 1994. Sonia Lynn Kingston '88 is a board member for Loaves & Fishes, a nonprofit rhar provides meals ro seniors living in Port– land. Kingston is also a member of the PSU Alumni Associa– tion. he lives in Portland with her husband, Harry. 1990-1999 Christine McCoy '90 is the commod ity manager in electronics for Tyco Electronics Corporation in Wilsonville. Michael Orendurff '90 is division di rector of rhe move– ment science laboratory at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas, Texas. Congratulations to our 2009 honorees Charles Jordan TriMet Albina Community Bank Dean Lawrence Wallack and the PSU College of Urban and Public Affairs thank our partners for their generous support of the seventh Urban Pioneer Awards. Your contributions help educate the urban pioneers of tomorrow. Grand Sponsor Dean's Circle Sponsors RUSSELL FELLOWS PROPERTIES, LLC GreenBuilding Services~ NECA IBEW ~~ Norris& Steven! ••• SCHLESINGER COMPAfllj t: 24 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE SPRING 2009 - WILLIAMS• DAME Orendurff is a founding mem– ber of rhe Gair and Clinical Movement Analysis Society and has had three best-paper nominations from rhe society. Char Tong MSW '90 has been appointed to rhe board of direc– tors of rhe Oregon Attorney General 's Sexual Assault Task Force. Tong is director of mental health programs at Northwest Human Services, a nonprofit health care and social services agency in Salem. Ron Deisher '91 is a board member for rhe Port Townsend Marine Science Center in Port Townsend, Washington. Deisher, a retired health care admin istrator, lives in Port Ludlow with his wife, Ann. He volunteers for several marine en– vironment and nonprofit orga– nizations in rhe area and is also an avid boater and fisherman. Daniel Russell '91 and his wife, Joy Russell '94, are senior pastors at rhe Barrie Ground Foursquare Church, in Barrleground, Washington. John Wolf'91, MA '94 is a PhD candidate in anthropo– logical sciences ar Stanford University. Wolf has conducted field surveys and excavations in rhe Pacific Northwest, Kingdom ofTonga, and in rhe Peruvian Andes. Mario Au MBA '92 is board vice president for the Organ i– zarion of Chinese Americans in Seattle. Au is a claims ream manager for Scare Farm Insurance. Born and raised in Hong Kong, he now lives in Olympia, Washington, with his wife and two children. Melissa Bosworth MPA '92 is program manager for the Oregon Geriatric Education Center at Oregon Health & Science University. Ronald Farnsworth '92 has been honored by rhe Port– land Business journal as one of rhe 2008 Forty under 40. Farnsworth is executive vice president and chief financial officer ofUmpqua Holdings Corporation and Umpqua Bank in Portland. He lives in Scappoose with his wife, Toni. Ken Kissir '92 is a board member of the Multnomah Educational Service Dis- trict in Portland. Kissir is an attorney in Gresham. Jose Pinomesa '92 has been owner ofJose Mesa Auto Wholesale in Portland for the past 18 years. Pinomesa was vot– ed 2008 president of the Oregon Independent Auto Dealers Asso– ciation in Salem. He and his wife, Josephine, have two chil– dren, Francisco and Madeleine. Mary Pfauth '92, PhD '02 is a research associate at the PSU Center for Lakes and Reservoirs, where she works on aquatic invasive species. George Cheshier '93, MST '95 is a professional pianist and organist. Cheshier teaches private piano lessons at C lassic Pianos in Portland and at the Portland Parks & Recreation Community Music Center. He is also the accompanist for the Holy Family Parish and a mem– ber of the jazz trio Organized. Anthony "Ray" DeMarco '93, MS '98 is a federal projects administrator with Portland Public Schools, where he supervises a migrant project created by PSU Prof. Joan Strouse. Through rhe project, 135 Portland Stare education students tutored children in 45 Portland schools last rerm. DeMarco recently celebrated his 60rh birthday ar rhe P U Simon Benson House. He lives in Portland with his wife, Jane. Brett Langer '93 is an account executive investment adviser for 1he Summit-Financial Strategies, a financial invest– ment firm in Beaverton.