Portland State Magazine Winter 2007

Pamela Miller Pamela (Gesme) Miller '84 is che new assistant dean of devel– opment and externa l relations foe the school of engineecing at University of Ca li fornia, lrvine. She was previously director of external relations at the PSU Maseeh College of Engineer– ing and ompucer Science. Rev. Ruth Miller PhD '84 is rhe new head of Unity by the ea church in Gleneden Beach. She is the ficst official church leader the congrega– tion has had in years. ln addition to her wock at the chu rch, Mi ller writes books on watershed management and research groups. Gail Schwartz '84 has returned to Portland after 20 years in Los Angeles. She earned a master's in ethno– musicology from UCLA in 1992 with a specialty in music of the Middle East. Ramon Torrecilha '84, MS '86 is executive vice president for institutional advance- ment at Mi lls College in Oakland, Cali fornia. He and his staff were helpful to the A lumni Office in scouring locations in the Bay area for the September alumni event. Tom Benson '86 is the new principal at Solana Highlands Elementa ry School in San Diego. Benson, who most recently was at the Minnesota Department of Education, said he was attracted to Solana Beach because of its rich his– tory of academic excel lence. Steven L. Patterson '86 was named vice president and genera l counsel of Oregon Mutual Insurance Company. Patterson will be implementing best practices in che legal area with corporate divi- sions in Cali forn ia, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Liane Welch '86, MS '95 became director of the Til– lamook County Department of Public Works in October. Welch made the transition from the Portland Public Works Department, where she served as principal engineer overseeing a $16 million budget and 102 employees. Maryann R. Beebe '87 earned her second doctorate, an Ed.D. with distinction, from George Wash ington University in May 21. She is a director of marketing training in the U.S. Human Health Division at Merck & Co., Inc., and lives in North Wales, Pennsylvania. Bob Willoughby MPA '87 was named city managec of Florence, Oregon. 1990-1999 Debra Louise Callender '91 has worked for the city of Beaverton for the past IO years. Previously with the eighbor– hood Program, she's now at rhe Public Works Department in the engineeri ng division. Her daughter Rosa, who attended the Helen Gordon Center wh ile Debra completed her degree at PSU, is now workin g as a personal a sistant and nanny for a family in Las Vegas. Gundula O'Neal '92 works at Baker High School and splits her time as a careec counseloc and Ii fe science teacher. Joseph "Jay" Schenck '92 is owner of Schenck Contracting and has been in rhe contcacc– ing business for the past 10 years. Schenck, his wife and their two children recently moved co Athena, where he plans to renovate an old hotel. ALUMNI NOTES To honor his memory, Rhoda has created a scholarship through a charitable gift annuity with the PSU Foundation. The principal of the gift annuity will eventually go to PSU's School of Business Administration to create the " Robert Deane Clapperton Memorial Scholarship" for an accounting major who is also a long distance runner. In addition to honoring her husband and supporting a future student, Rhoda enjoys a fixed interest rate of 6.2 percent, a charitable income tax deduction, and a guaranteed life income with its partially tax-free payments. She also appreciates being able to give back to Portland State University in such a meaningful way. For more information on how a gift annuity or other planned gift options might apply to your estate plans, please call Mary Anne Rees at 503-725-5086, e-mail her at mrees@pdx.edu , or visit our new estate planning Web site at www.pdx.edu/giving/planned . WINTER 2007 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 23