2000
Jennifer Djang-Riccio ’01M started her own business: Jennifer’s 360 Wine Tasting, LLC where she educates and has fun with wine.
Rebecca Valk has been reappointed to the position of City of Poughkeepsie Corporation Counsel by Mayor Yvonne Flowers. She was first named to the position by former Mayor Rob Rolison in 2021. Rebecca currently serves on the Board of Anderson Center for Autism and Anderson Center Services and is the corresponding secretary of the Mid-Hudson Women’s Bar Association. She is also a past president of the Dutchess County Bar Association and a former board member of the Anderson Foundation for Autism.
Aisha (Wright) Kutter is working as the Residential Energy Efficiency program manager at Central Hudson Gas & Electric.
2001
Julie (Rubinstein) Bronder left her job as a digital media producer at the Big Ten Network in Chicago, in March of 2022, after 14 years. She and her husband, along with their dog, moved to Barcelona, Spain, and lived there for 13 months while traveling to visit other cities and countries. They are now back living in Chicago and looking for the next adventure.
Stephanie (Marks) Leavitt is proud to announce her oldest daughter graduated from Marist in 2022 and also graduated from UConn in 2023 with her master’s degree in social work.
Jennifer Rossignol ’01MA and Steve Coogan ’99 celebrated the birth of their second child in July 2023.
2002
Benjamin Brenkert was ordained to the transitional diaconate in the Episcopal Church, Diocese of Long Island, then priesthood in September 2024. He is also a tenured school social worker assigned to four New York City public schools in Brooklyn, an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John’s University, and an author. His clinical expertise is in school social work and palliative and end-of-life care. He actively supervises graduate students of social work during their field education, including students from Fordham University and Columbia University. Benjamin is also a scholar of the Newport Sex Scandal, 1919-1921. He is published by the Gay and Lesbian Review Worldwide, The Advocate, Out Magazine, The Washington Post, the New York Daily News, the Huffington Post, the Daily Beast, and other outlets. Brenkert is thankful for the love and support of his husband, Willian, their families, the members of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, and his many friends and companions that have accompanied him throughout his discernment. Brenkert knows his parents, Albert and Loretta are looking down on him from above with joy and gratitude and encourage him onward towards his ordination to the priesthood.
2003
John Gray is creating the largest try-it- to-buy-it bottle shop in New Jersey.
Edward Williams branched out on his own in early 2023 to create Macklyn Sports Media Consulting (named after his two daughters). This was after 16 years at NBC Sports. Through his new company, he’s also taken on the role of chief content officer for Sportstopia Media Group, which just launched a new fantasy sports and gaming analysis site called Sportstopia.io.
2004
Kelly Dooley is celebrating 20 years at Anderson Center for Autism this year. Also, Anderson Center for Autism is celebrating their 100th year! Huge year for the nonprofit!
Christine Gillette (MA) is excited to announce her daughter Zoe is a Marist freshman!
2005
Caitlin (Donahue) Goldstein is celebrating 15 years as an attorney. Currently, she works as a court attorney for the New York State Court system where she had the pleasure of working alongside Chief Clerk William Kalish ’70 for three years. She also had the pleasure of sharing a law practice earlier in her career with fellow Marist alumnus Dennis Dowd ’98.
Nicolette (Rabadi) Jaze ’12MPA was named Head of Sustainability and ESG at Galvanize Climate Solutions’ newly launched venture, Galvanize Real Estate (GRE), after spending more than 15 years in various roles in sustainability at Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs and Moody’s. GRE is a real estate investment vehicle focused on profitably decarbonizing existing assets and is the third investment strategy by Galvanize Climate Solutions, an investment management platform started in 2021 by Tom Steyer and Katie Hall. GCS is differentiated because it blends climate science and business acumen in a manner that amplifies the impact investors can have on both profits and planet.
Caitlin (Halligan) Tolchin and her husband Shaun welcomed a daughter, Olivia, on Nov. 11, 2020. They recently moved to a new home in Bronxville, New York.
2006
Courtney (Giardina) Foutz lives in North Carolina and in 2023 published her 9th novel, “Wrench Toast,” the third in a three-book cozy mystery series, all available on Amazon.
Mark Gildard married Kate Budzinski ’10/’13MPA on June 24, 2022, in Troy, New York. Several fellow Red Foxes were there!
Melissa Mazza married James Thompson of Cold Spring Harbor, New York, on Aug. 27, 2023.
Kathryn Lamanna and her husband, Raymond, welcomed their second child, a son, Ethan Michael in November 2021.
Angela Gallo got married on Sept. 2, 2023, in Norwalk, Connecticut, to Brandon Ferraro, class of 2007 graduate of James Madison University. To celebrate, in attendance were 2007 grads Katie Dos Santos, Mark Louie, Allison White (Boyd), Colleen Walley, Kathryn Piola, Kristi Loeffler (Mihal), John Larocchia, Juliana Easlon, Cassie Benito, Erin Tyrol, Rachel Newman, Kristen Lima (DeMeo), Lindsey Cobb, Trisha Larocchia (Seminara), and Mike Lima.
2008
James Bogusky accepted a position as a controls system lead at CBRE for the Amazon account at Rock Tavern, New York.
Kate (Zweifel) Ehoff is celebrating a recent promotion to marketing communications manager at BEGA North America, an architectural lighting manufacturer. You can find some BEGA lights on the Marist campus!
2009
Sarah Briggs ’13MA married Bryan Cooper on July 15, 2023, at Ventosa Vineyards in Geneva, New York.
Sarah (Tierney) Dustin ’10M accepted a new position as Associate Director of Career Development at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York.
Jared Katchmar moved to San Diego County and now resides in Oceanside, California.
Margeaux Lippman and Christopher Allen-Poole welcomed daughter, Cecilia Irene, on March 15, 2023.
Alicia (Criss) Madden was appointed chief of operations at Bousquet Holstein PLLC, effective Jan. 22, 2024.