Class Notes, spring 2023

May 3, 2023

Alan Miller (MPP '74) was a visiting adjunct professor in the School for Environment and Sustainability at U-M during the fall semester, teaching a half semester course on adapting to climate change.

Steven Mehlman (MPP/JD '80) retired at the end of 2022 after 42+ years practicing real estate and business law and utilizing his public policy training as a volunteer on various City of Walnut Creek and Contra Costa County (CA) commissions. In March, he finished training and became a court appointed special advocate for foster youth. He is very pleased to also mention that his daughter, Haley Mehlman, accepted a position in the Psychology PhD program in Social Psychology at the U-M starting this summer.

After 18 years as a professor at the University of Washington, economist Mark Long (MPP '96) began a new position as dean of the School of Public Policy at the University of California, Riverside in January.

Jonathan Clark (MPP '03) was accepted to USAID's foreign service and will deploy from Sacramento to Guatemala City in April along with his wife, Katherine; their 3-year-old son, Theron; and 4-month-old daughter, Genevieve. Jon will be working in the economic growth office on initiatives related to the White House root causes strategy, DFC activity, and other economic growth programming.

Dimitri Shanin (MPP/MS '06) was recently promoted to a new role as senior director of environmental sustainability and compliance at Raytheon Technologies Corp.

Chris Dorle (MPP '07) and his wife, Areeta (MPH '09), moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and welcomed their second son, Neel Gabriel Dorle, on December 3, 2022.

Molly Maguire (MPP '11) recently started a new position as state and federal policy director with the Campaign for College Opportunity in Sacramento, CA.

Headshot of Joseph Person
Person

Joseph Person (MPP '11) started a new job as director of marketing and strategy at Aledade, providing value based contracting to independent primary care physicians.

Jonathan Moore (MPP '12) was appointed as policy advisor in the Immediate Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Matthew Filter (MPP '13) started a new role as the economic development manager for Durham County, North Carolina.

Profile of Ingrid Tighe
Tighe

Ingrid Tighe (MPA '13) recently took the helm as the president of the Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center (The Center). The Center offers manufacturing consulting services dedicated to supporting small and medium-sized Michigan manufacturers to work smarter, compete, and prosper. Ingrid is responsible for The Center's statewide network of five offices; its innovation and growth strategies; and for building and maintaining relationships with Michigan's industry clients, partners, and state and federal governmental stakeholders. Ingrid serves as the official representative of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Network in Michigan. Previously, Ingrid served as director of economic development for Oakland County.

Madelynne Wager (BA '13) co-founded a new company, Levity, which "offers safe, legal psychedelic assisted therapy to executives in an effort to address the growing mental health crisis in the workplace."

Ryan Etzcorn (MPP '16) left his position at the Ford Foundation's Beijing Office in China and moved to become a senior associate at GreenPoint Group, a strategic advisory firm in Beijing and Washington, DC.

Brian Garcia (MPP/MBA '16) recently joined the board of Common Defense, a veteran-led grassroots organization committed to engaging, organizing, training, and mobilizing veterans to elect accountable leaders and promote progressive values.

Henry, Olivia, and Lena - Class of 20?? babies
From left: Henry, Olivia, and Lena

Sam Geller (MPP '17) and his wife, Theresa Munaco (JD '16), welcomed their first child, Lena Gillian Munaco Geller, to the world at U-M's Von Voigtlander Women's Hospital on December 8, 2022. Between parental leave and a frigid winter, mom and dad have spent lots of time cuddling the new child while watching the U-M men's and women's basketball teams this winter.

Pete Blank (MPP '18) and his wife, Kellie, welcomed their first child, Olivia "Ollie" Hazel, on October 8, 2022. Ollie and family currently reside in Lancaster, PA but have plans to move back to Michigan in 2023 to be closer to friends and family.

Alli Berry and friends celebrate Oberon Day in Washington D.C.
Berry and friends

Alli Berry (BA '19) shared that she and a group of alumni, now working at Deloitte, gathered at The Midlands in Washington, DC to celebrate Oberon Day this Spring! The group included Tom Aiello (BA '19), Ethan Hopper (BA '19), Alison Christiansen (MPP '21), Chadd Dowding (MPP '21), Ryan Fogarty (MPA '22), Pete Fritz (MPP/ MBA '10), and Brook Sinclair (MPA '19).

Jai Singletary (MPP '19) and Luz V. Meza (MPP/MA '18) married in her hometown, Jalisco, Mexico, on December 17, 2022. In attendance were fellow Fordies Ginelle Sánchez-Leos (MPP/ MSI '18), Daniela Oliva (MPP '17), Eduardo García (MPP '17), Nashaira Ofori (MPP '16), Reginald Ferrell (MPP '19), José Lujano (MPP '19), Chigozie Okwu (MPP '19), Paula Avila (MPA/MA '20), Stephen Oliphant (MPP '19), Sanjay Jolly (BA '12), and Kevin Mersol-Barg (BA '13).

Kevin Finnegan (MPP/MBA '21) and his wife, Anna Henriquez, welcomed their first child, Henry Roman Finnegan, in December 2022. Henry's first activity at home was changing into his Michigan outfit on New Year's Eve to cheer on the Wolverines!

Stephanie Iovan testifies on behalf of Planned Parenthood at Michigan House and Senate
Iovan

In March, Stephanie Iovan (MPA '21) had the honor of testifying alongside Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan at Michigan House and Senate health committee meetings in an effort to repeal the state's 1931 abortion ban. It's on its way to the Governor!

Ryan Fogarty (MPA '22) married Tim Abbott (M.Mus. '10) in Washington, DC on December 3, 2022, surrounded by their family and longtime friends. Ryan and Tim live in DC. Ryan works for a consulting firm and helps lead the firm's internal Fordies group.

Yuki Ura (MPA '22) started a new job as a M&E analyst at the UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development in Rome where he is endeavoring to strengthen results monitoring and reporting through the project cycle, support knowledge flows, and help to instill a culture of learning and results-based management. He enjoys raising his 13-month daughter, who was born while he was at Ford School. Ciao!


More in State & Hill

Below, find the full, formatted spring 2023 edition of State & HillClick here to return to the spring 2023 S&H homepage.