Portland State Magazine Winter 2012

Cary Ecker '86 has been promoted from senior account executive to vice president of marketing at Washingron Casualty Company in Maple Valley, Washington. The company provides medical professional liability cover– age to hospitals, healthcare facilities, and physicians in Idaho, Oregon, and Wash– ington. Ecker and his wife, Regina, live with their two Siberian huskies in Duvall, Wash ington. Cary Ecker '86 Robert Gould '86 is chair of the Oregon Peace Institute, which he cofounded with former Oregon Rep. Elizabeth Furse in 1984. He is also chair and cofounder of Portland State's Graduate Program in Conflict Resolution and former chair of PSU's Philosophy Department. Steve Brown '87 is lead singer and songwriter for the Califor– nia band There Be Pirates! 1he band has released two CDs and has toured the United Kingdom for the past three years. Brown also is editor of The Sun Runner Magazine and president of the Ca lifornia Deserts Visitors Association. Brown writes, ''I've definitely put what I learned from PSU to work. My time at the Vanguard eventually translating into me running a regional magazine, and my hi tory degree is helping me with my investigative journal– ism work." Marian Houston Fenimore MSW '87 is executive direc– tor ofJewish Family & C hild Service in Portland. Send your news to: Donna Harris, Alumni notes editor ONLINE www.alumni.pdx.edu E-MAIL psualum@pdx.edu MAIL Portland State University Office of Alumni Relations PO Box 751 Portland OR 97207-0751 Mark Summers MSW '87 is cofounder oflnternational Talk Like a Pirate Day, a parodic holiday that rakes place on Sep– tember 19. He and his friend, John Bauer, started the holiday in 1995 and have received much publicity through the years. Lorie Wigle MBA '89 was honored in 2011 with an Award for Innovation in Sustainability by Su ra inable Bu iness Oregon. Wigle, who is the general man– ager of the Eco-Technology pro– gram office at Intel in Hillsboro, also was named one of the Top 10 Women in Sustainabil ity by PINK, an Atlanta-based mul– timedia Internet company that aims to help women become more successfu l in their careers and lives. She is also president of limare Saves Computing Initiative, a nonprofit group of eco-conscious consumers, busi– nesses, and conservation organi– zations dedicated to improving power efficiency and reducing energy consumption. 1990-1999 Thomas Favara '90 is a vertical marker specialist in the public education and government department for Associated Business Systems, a provider of printer products based in Port– land. Favara also enjoys watch– ing his son play in the Portland Youth Philharmonic. PSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Tamara "TJ" Newby '90 has written a book about the education system, G.P.S. - G.A. TE. way: Charting the Coursefor 21st Century Public School Reform, Langdon Street Press, 2011. Newby was a member of the Porcland State Alumni Association board. She lives in Montana, where she enjoys walking, gardening, reading, music, travel, and rain. Sandra Ahlquist MSW '91 is an associate professor of socia l work at Warner Pacific College in Portland. Ahlquist is credited with the creation of the social work major at Warner Pacific. Through a mental health orga– nization ca lled Telos Interna– tional, she has taught courses in Albania. She enjoys travel, hiking, garden ing, and bird watching. Linda Bailey '92 earned her doctor of musical arts degree in Aure performance from University of Washington. Bailey's dissertation was tided , "After Hours: Five Encores for Flute and Piano," a history and analysis of David Schi ff's work for Aure and piano. Ir includes a practice guide. Mark Peden '92 owns Broad– band ERA, a wireless and mobile telecommunications consulting firm in Beaverton. Peden also is a partner in and member ofKeirersu Forum, an angel invesror network; a partner with Social Venture Partners; and a principal of Angel Oregon. Martin Mense MS '93 is a scientist working in the ion channel drug discovery program for Synta Pharmaceutical in Lexington, Massachusetts. Mark Ray MS '94 has been selected 2012 Washington State Teacher of the Year by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Ray is a reacher and librarian with Sky– view High School in Vancouver, Wash ington. Claire Bell '95 is a consultant for Water the Bamboo Center for Leadership, a motivational organization in Portland. Previ– ously, Bell was the director of mediation serv ices at Resolu– tions Northwest in Portland. Phillip King '95, MS '02 is dean of academic foundations and connections at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City. Previously, King was the director of enrollment and retention management for the college of arts and science at Florida International University in Miami. He has also been director of aq uatics and recre– ation at Mount Hood Commu– nity College in Gresham. Armando Laguardia EdD '95 is an associate professor with the department of reaching and learning at Washington State Un iversiry-Va ncouver. Laguar– dia researches public policy and its impact on low-income and minority students in public schools as well as college pa rrici– parion and success of minority and Latino students. Donald Nasca Jr., MBA '95 has developed an on line nonprofit organization ca lled ThePorralUSA.org that helps individuals and organizations develop their own micro– organization website. Previously, Nasca worked as development and underwriting director for KBP radio, and he was one of the cofou nders of Portland State radio station KPSU. Cindy Raz '95 is director of organ izational develop– ment at Lake Oswego-based ErhicsPoinr, a governance, risk, and compliance software and services company. James Teeter MS '95 has been promoted to vice president of engineering and operations at Portland's Azuray Technologies, a solar technology company. Teeter is a member of the PSU Maseeh College of Engineering W INTER 201 2 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE 23