’60s
Richard W. Arndt ’60 received a Doctor of Humane Letters honorary degree from Thomas Edison State University, where he has served with distinction on its Board of Trustees since 1993. During his tenure on the board, Arndt was executive vice president and CEO of the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) New Jersey Division from 1990 to 2000. Prior to that, he held a number of executive-level positions with ACS during his 37-year career before he retired. Arndt resides in Hillsborough, N.J., with wife Elsa; the couple enjoys spending time with their son James, daughter-in-law Denise and grandson Gabriel.
Daya Devi-Doolin ’62 authored Grow Thin While You Sleep, which shares her experiences in treating and overcoming life’s challenges by recognizing the connection between faith and health.
Bob Meinzer ’66 is fronting a rock band in his spare time. Meinzer is a former president of Phi Kappa Psi and has returned to Rider for a number of reunions over the years. He continues to work as a medical education consultant for the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians while living in Minnesota.
David Silverman ’68 has retired after 47 years of editing trade magazines and books. He spent the last 17 years as editor of Sound & Communications magazine, which is published by Testa Communications. At his retirement celebration during InfoComm International, the audiovisual industry’s biggest convention in June, he was honored for his many years of support to the industry. Prior to Sound & Communications magazine, he edited professional photographic magazines for more than 30 years, and was publisher of the flexographic printing industry’s official journal.
Richard Young ’68 co-authored Railway Security, a book that discusses and assesses the security risks facing railways. Several years in the making, the book originated from a research grant that Young and his co-author received from the Citizens for Rail Safety. The book was published by Routledge this past August.
’70s
Arthur Draznin ’73 recently joined Cushman & Wakefield, a global commercial real estate firm, as executive managing director. His activities include advising corporate tenants and landlords on their real estate requirements, specifically in the areas of leasing, purchasing and consulting. Draznin has been a resident of Short Hills, N.J., for 30 years and previously worked for Newmark Knight Frank.
Barbara Lettiere ’79 became in October 2017 the 10th president, and the first lay president, to lead Immaculata University. She earned a bachelor’s in mathematics from Immaculata in 1972, a master’s in economics and statistics from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s in business administration in decision sciences and finance from Rider. She is also a member of the National Association of College and University Business Officers.
’80s
Charles K. Miller ’82 was appointed chief financial officer of NCWC Inc., one of the most prominent administrators of automotive service agreements in the world. Previously, Miller was the CFO of Tekmark Global from 1997 to 2017 and served on the boards of several notable organizations, including Tekmark Global Solutions, InterCloud Systems and Notis Global Inc. Miller graduated from Rider with a bachelor’s in accounting and a master’s in business administration. He is a certified public accountant and boasts more than three decades of experience.
Gary J. Pruden ’83 was appointed to the board of directors of Motus GI Holdings, a medical technology company with subsidiaries in the U.S. and Israel. Pruden most recently served as executive vice president and worldwide chairman of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices group. Pruden earned his bachelor’s in finance from Rider and served on the University’s Board of Trustees from 2011-15.
Maria Grandinetti ’89 was granted tenure and promoted to associate professor of nursing at Wilkes University. Grandinetti earned her bachelor’s in business administration in finance from Rider. After receiving a second bachelor’s, in nursing, from Seton Hall University, she earned a master’s in nursing education from Wilkes University and a doctorate in nursing education from Widener University. Grandinetti began teaching at Wilkes in 2008. She teaches at both the undergraduate and graduate level and is the coordinator of the accelerated baccalaureate-nursing program.
’90s
Melissa Wenczel Gurick ’91 has joined the faculty of The Pennington School, a coeducational school with college preparatory curriculum for students in grades six-12. She joined the school’s Cervone Center for Learning, an academic support program for intellectually capable students with diagnosed learning difficulties. Gurick earned her bachelor’s in special education from Trenton State College and her master’s degree as a reading specialist from Rider. Prior, she was a special education teacher in the Hopewell Valley Regional School District for over 25 years, where she was awarded Teacher of the Year honors in 2013.
Tracey Destribats ’93 is the new owner of Eet Gud Bakery in Hamilton, N.J.
Joseph McDougall ’93 was named global refinish senior vice president and president at Axalta Coating Systems. In this new role, McDougall is responsible for Axalta’s global refinish business, which provides coatings, application technologies and service and support resources to customers in the collision repair and vehicle aftermarket sectors in more than 130 countries. McDougall graduated with a bachelor’s from Rider and a master’s in business administration from The Pennsylvania State University.
Dr. Patrice L. High ’94 joined Lexington Medical Center’s network of care at Palmetto Family Medicine in August to provide comprehensive care to patients in Northeast Columbia, S.C. Dr. High earned her osteopathic medical degree from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. She then completed a family medicine internship and residency at Community Hospital of Lancaster in Lancaster, Pa., where she also served as chief resident.
Colleen (Lanigan) Rand ’96 and Ellsworth W. Rand III are living the retirement dream in New River, Ariz.
Monica McClintock ’99 completed her first volunteer abroad experience in August 2017 in an orphanage in Ghana, West Africa. The trip was an extension of her master’s thesis, which addresses the question of whether volunteering abroad is a way to develop leaders. McClintock earned her master’s from Fielding Graduate University in 2016.
’00s
Michael Amoroso ’00 was appointed senior vice president, Americas Commercial, Oncology Business Group. Amoroso will lead Eisai’s Americas Oncology Commercial team in creating and driving commercial strategies for the company’s approved products, pipeline assets and late-stage compounds approaching the commercialization stage. He received a bachelor’s in biological sciences from Rider and a master’s in business administration from the New York University’s Stern School of Business.
James K. Wilson ’00 was appointed as director of chorale at Berks Youth Chorus (BYC), a premier choral ensemble for youth in grades three through 12. Wilson previously served as interim director of chorale since May 2017 and started his work with BYC as a staff assistant in 1992. This past summer, Wilson retired from his teaching position at Schuylkill Elementary School, where he taught for 36 years. He received a bachelor’s and a master’s in music education from West Chester University and a master’s from Westminster Choir College.
Mark Kadetsky ’02 was appointed by the Egg Harbor Board of Education as district supervisor of fine and performing arts in August 2017. Kadetsky has directed bands and orchestras in the Egg Harbor Township School District in New Jersey for more than 20 years. He holds a bachelor’s in music education/string bass from The College of New Jersey, a master’s in educational leadership from Rider and a doctorate in music education from the Shenandoah Conservatory.
John Anker Bow ’03 was cast as George in the national fall 2017 tour of the musical Kinky Boots.
Dr. Daria J. Newfeld ’03 is an assistant professor at Albright College, where she was reminded about her Terrorism Revolt and Political Violence class taught by Dr. Jonathan Mendilow. Newfeld graduated from Rider with a bachelor’s in finance.
Julie Veloz ’03 was recently included as one of “15 Top Women in Leadership Roles” at leading companies by FindSpark, a certified women-owned business and leading job placement organization.
Michael Kneller ’07 became principal of North Brunswick Township High School on Nov. 1, 2017. Kneller has been at the school since 2002. His previous role, from 2014-17, was the high school’s assistant principal and social studies supervisor. Kneller graduated from Rutgers University in 1998 with a bachelor’s in history. He received his teaching certificate from Kean University and a master’s in educational administration from Rider.
Yoo-jin Muhn ’08 was introduced as the artistic director of Tucson Masterworks Chorale in November 2017. Muhn studied composition at SookMyung Women’s University in Seoul and earned her master’s with distinction in sacred music from Westminster Choir College. She also earned a master’s degree in choral conducting from the University of Cincinnati and a doctorate of musical arts in choral music from the University of Southern California.
’10s
William M. Gruccio ’10, ’11 was sworn in as a member of the Board of Trustees of Cumberland County College in New Jersey at the board’s annual reorganization meeting on Nov. 16, 2017. Gruccio graduated from Rider with a master’s in business administration and has been a realtor associate with A.R. Fanucci Real Estate since 2010.
Jaishree “Joy” Saxena ’12 of Educational Testing Service (ETS) was elected president of the Child Care Connection’s Board of Trustees. Child Care Connection is a nonprofit that seeks to ensure the quality, availability and affordability of child care in the Mercer County, N.J., community. Saxena joined ETS in 2012. Saxena was previously a senior analyst with Citigroup Investment Bank (now Citi, Inc.). She earned a bachelor’s in physics from Ohio Wesleyan University and a master’s in educational administration from Rider. She is currently studying management at Harvard University’s Extension School.
Kyle van Schoonhoven ’13 was one of 11 recipients of a 2018 San Francisco Adler Fellowship. The Adler Fellows join a multi-year, performance-oriented residency that offers intensive training, coaching, professional seminars and a wide range of performance opportunities to advanced young artists. Van Schoonhoven is a second-year San Francisco Opera fellow who participated in the Morela Opera Program in 2016, where he was selected for the fellowship.
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