October 14, 2016
Class Notes: 1990s
’90
Joseph B. Goho ’90 & ’98G of Lincoln, R.I., started his 18th year as the principal of North Providence High School. Under his guidance, the NPHS Class of 2015 achieved the highest graduation rate of any public high school in Rhode Island, as 98 percent received diplomas. Goho teaches in PC’s School of Continuing Education’s Teacher Certification Program and in the Graduate Program in Education Administration and the Providence Alliance for Catholic Teachers (PACT) program. He is the husband of Melissa A. Goho ’99G & ’14G, who is the principal of Birchwood Middle School in North Providence.
’91
Patrick J. Dwyer ’91 of Key Biscayne, Fla., the managing director/wealth management at Dwyer & Associates in Miami, was ranked No. 5 by Forbes on its 2016 list of America’s Top Wealth Advisors. Advisors selected had a minimum of seven years’ experience in the field and were chosen based on qualitative and quantitative data. Dwyer was rated Florida’s top advisor in 2016 for the fourth time in eight years by Barron’s and was ranked among Barron’s top 100 advisors nationally for the 10th consecutive year. He is a member of the Private Banking and Investment Group of Merrill Lynch, where he has worked since 1993.
Linda Rekas Sloan, Esq. ’91 of West Greenwich, R.I., was nominated the president-elect of the Rhode Island Bar Association and will begin serving a one-year term as president on July 1, 2017. The association serves approximately 6,500 attorneys. She has been practicing law since 1994 and works as the underwriting counsel and assistant vice president of business development at the Fidelity National Title Group in Providence. The group is composed of the Chicago Title Insurance Company, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company, and Fidelity National Title Insurance Company.
Kristina M. Whiton-O’Brien, LICSW ’91 of Kingston, Mass., was honored by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women as one of the Commonwealth’s “Unsung Heroines of 2016.” According to the commission, honorees are “incredible women” who have been nominated by local legislators legislators for their contributions to their community and the Commonwealth. A lifelong social worker who has spent her career advocating for child welfare, mental health access, and human services, Whiton-O’Brien is the assistant director for online program advising and field education in the Boston University School of Social Work. At BU, she advises and teaches ethics to graduate students. She is a volunteer with the National Association of Social Workers and serves as first vice president for its Massachusetts chapter.
’92 (25th Reunion — June 2-4, 2017)
Lt. Col. Bennett W. Walsh ’92, U.S. Marine Corps (retired),of Springfield, Mass., was sworn in as the superintendent of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker. He directs a facility that has 265 long-term care beds and 30 private rooms for veterans and that serves approximately 2,200 veterans a year through its in-and out-patient services. On Aug. 31, he was honored for his military service during a “Hats Off to Heroes” tribute by the Boston Red Sox at the team’s home game against Tampa Bay. Walsh retired from the Marines in August after 24 years of active duty, including tours as an infantry platoon commander in Mogadishu, Somalia, and as a commander of combat deployments in Iraq, combat operations in Afghanistan, and humanitarian assistance/disaster relief in Japan.
’93
Christopher J. Cummings ’93G & ’98G of Holliston, Mass., was appointed the first president of St. Peter-Marian Central Catholic Junior/Senior High School in Worcester, leading a new model of governance that replaces the headmaster model. As president, he is the school’s chief advancement officer, working with several constituencies, including alumni and community organizations, and building broad financial support to make Catholic education accessible to more families. He previously served as the director of career and technical education in the Waltham Public Schools.
Dina M. Mastellone, Esq. ’93 of Franklin Park, N.J., a partner in the law firm of Genova Burns LLC in Newark, was named by Super Lawyers to the 2016 Top 50 Women’s List in New Jersey. Candidates are nominated by peers and evaluated in 12 areas, such as major settlements, involvement in the legal community, published writings, and certifications. She also was elected chair of the Women in the Profession Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association. She previously served as chair-elect, vice chair, secretary, and section trustee. At Genova Burns, she is chair of the Human Resources Training & Audit Programs Group and a member of the Employment Law & Litigation Practice Group.
David Sherry ’93SCE of Pennington, N.J., was named chief information security officer at Princeton University. He is responsible for developing university policy and strategy in matters of information security, including data governance, risk assessment, incident response, and business continuity, as well as university-wide compliance requirements. He previously worked for seven years in a similar role at Brown University.
Dana Smith ’93 of Warwick, R.I., was chosen vice president of human resources at Peabody Properties, Inc., a full-service real estate management firm based in Braintree, Mass. He is responsible for implementing strategies for employee engagement and relations, policy, procedure, education and career path development, and hiring, among other duties. He previously served as vice president of human resources at TYCO Simplex/Grinnell.
’94
Nicole V. Balthazar, D.M.D. ’94 of Mattapoisett, Mass., was elected chair of the Cape Cod District Dental Society, an affiliate of the Massachusetts Dental Society and the American Dental Association. As chair, she leads an association of 265 dentists, hygienists, assistants, and dental office staff dedicated to improving the oral care of citizens across 25 cities and towns. Balthazar, who has a private dental practice in Sandwich, is a clinical faculty member in the New York University Lutheran Dental Medicine Program and the Cape Cod Community College Dental Hygiene Program.
’95
Jennifer E. Curtis-Whipple ’95 of South Weymouth, Mass., a native of and longtime educator in Weymouth, was named the city’s schools superintendent and signed a three-year contract. She was hired as a kindergarten teacher in Weymouth in 1995 and has risen through the ranks, becoming principal of Academy Avenue Primary School and later, assistant superintendent. She directs a district of approximately 6,500 students in 12 schools.
Eileen M. Danahey, C.P.A. ’95SCE of Attleboro, Mass., became the first woman in the 95-year history of St. Anne Credit Union to be appointed both president and chief executive officer. With approximately $865 million in holdings, St. Anne has more than 3,100 members and is the largest credit union in southeastern Massachusetts. Danahey previously served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Metro Credit Union in Chelsea.
Lawrence P. Filippelli, Ed.D. ’95 & ’00G of Smithfield, R.I., was promoted from assistant superintendent to superintendent of the Scituate School Department. He has served Scituate schools for 17 years. He leads a district with five schools, approximately 1,400 students, and approximately 255 faculty and staff. He has taught in PC’s Graduate Education Administration Program since 2011. He is married to Stephanie A. Filippelli ’00SCE, who works as the administrative coordinator in the College’s Center for Teaching Excellence.
’96
Melanie L. Johnson Dumas ’96 of Corona del Mar, Calif., was promoted to assistant vice president for training, Life Insurance Division, at Pacific Life Insurance Company in Newport Beach. She is accountable for creating professional development opportunities and a training pipeline, and for developing and implementing training courses and curriculums. She joined Pacific Life in 2013 as the director of sales training and development.
Christopher M. Kennedy ’96G of Florence, S.C., was named associate provost for academic affairs at Francis Marion University in Florence. A professor of history and the director of Graduate Programs, he joined the Francis Marion faculty in 2006. Previously, he taught as an adjunct professor at Providence College from 1999-2005, teaching Development of Western Civilization, School of Continuing Education, and graduate history courses. His main research interests are in early modern and modern Irish history, and the history of the British Empire. He is the husband of Brigid Kennedy ’05SCE.
Kara Kolomitz, Ed.D. ’96G of Natick, Mass., the vice president of student affairs and enrollment at Regis College in Weston, Mass., was one of 23 senior-level, higher-education administrators chosen nationally by the Council of Independent Colleges to participate in the 2016-17 Executive Leadership Academy. Professionals selected are vice presidents or cabinet members who may wish to consider a presidency of an independent college or university. She began her career at Regis in 2001 as director of community living and has advanced to roles as assistant dean and dean of students to vice president of student affairs and to her current position.
Natalie G. O’Brien ’96 of North Smithfield, R.I., a history teacher at North Smithfield High School since 2000, was one of three teachers nationally to earn the Teacher of the Year recognition from the American Lawyers Alliance. The non-profit organization annually honors teachers for outstanding contributions in the field of law-related education. O’Brien teaches American History and Civic Education courses, as well as Advanced Placement courses in U.S. Government and Politics. For the last nine years, her freshman-year students have won the state’s “We the People” competition and competed in the national finals in Washington, D.C.
Eileen Madda Sethna, J.D. ’96 of Chicago, Ill., a principal with Chuhak & Tecson, P.C. Attorneys at Law in Chicago, was named to lead the firm’s 28-attorney Banking Practice group in Chicago and New York. A bankruptcy attorney and a seasoned trial lawyer, she has been with Chuhak & Tecson for five years and serves as a special assistant attorney general for the State of Illinois.
’97 (20th Reunion — June 2-4, 2017)
U.S. Army Major Michael P. Manning ’97 & ’08Hon. of North Kingstown, R.I., gave the keynote address at the Hingham, Mass., Memorial Day observance and the commencement address at the Theological Institute for The New Evangelization in Brighton, Mass. A 19-year Army veteran, he is the secretary of the general staff for the Rhode Island National Guard. He has served deployments in Germany, Kosovo, Iraq,
Afghanistan, and Central America. He is the husband of Meg T. Manning ’98.
Lisa Manso, SPHR, SHRM-SCP ’97 of North Attleboro, Mass., was elected the president of The Association for Healthcare Human Resources Administration of Rhode Island for 2016. The association is a local chapter of The American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration of the American Hospital Association. She is a talent acquisition partner for Care New England, based in Providence.
’98
Jeffrey T. Bradley ’98 of Attleboro, Mass., was appointed digital and event marketing manager of Bristol County Savings Bank, a full-service financial institution founded in 1846 and based in Taunton, Mass. He is responsible for managing the bank’s website, social media presence, events, and public relations. He previously worked with the Pawtucket Red Sox minor-league baseball team.
Brian P. Corrigan, J.D. ’98 of Garden City, N.Y., joined the Estate Litigation Department of Farrell Fritz, P.C. as a partner in the firm’s New York City and Uniondale offices. He previously served as a partner at Holland & Knight in New York City, where he had practiced since 2001. Corrigan, who was selected to the New York Metro Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, is the vice chair of the New York State Bar Association’s Trusts
and Estates Section’s Committee on Legislation.
’99
Kimberly A. Tarasiak ’99 & ’01G of Douglas, Mass., was promoted from loan origination manager to associate vice president of loan origination for the Milford Federal Savings & Loan Association. She is responsible for managing the underwriting and processing of mortgage and consumer loans. She has served Milford Federal since 2001.
This story originally appeared in the Fall 2016 issue of Providence College Magazine.
