Class Notes

Influence Your Luck: An Employee’s Guide to Building a Successful Career cover

Name: Fred DeBolt

Class Year(s): 1991

Note: Fred DeBolt MS ’91 just published a career guidebook entitled, Influence Your Luck: An Employee’s Guide to Building a Successful Career. Over the last 25 years of Fred’s working life, Fred began counseling colleagues who sought advice to help them with their careers. Over that time, Fred kept a journal of notes, phrases, quotes, anecdotes, strategies, and messages, not knowing what to do with them one day. With encouragement from Fred’s wife, Fred finally pulled all that mess together in a published book. Influence Your Luck was a phrase Fred used constantly with people to help them understand all the things they could do to positively impact their career growth and trajectory. Fred thinks it can help anyone regardless of what phase of their career they are in, whether just starting out, or in the sunset, of an already successful career.

Submitted on: March 10, 2025

Name: Kayla Nussbaum

Class Year(s): 2019

Note: Kayla Nussbaum BS ’19 and Matthew Mokary BS ’16 first crossed paths at RIT through the Society of Software Engineers (SSE). What began as a shared passion for technology soon turned into something more, and before they knew it, they had fallen in love. Their journey together recently reached a beautiful milestone as they tied the knot on January 5, 2025, in New Jersey. Surrounded by their closest RIT friends and past colleagues, they celebrated the next chapter of their lives with joy, love, and a touch of Tiger pride.

Submitted on: March 7, 2025

Name: Tim Wallenhorst

Class Year(s): 2009

Note: Tim Wallenhorst BS ’09 was recently named marketing director at Nestle USA. Tim is responsible for growing the DiGiorno and California Pizza Kitchen brands. He lives in Cleveland with his wife and three kids and loves getting to eat and sell pizza for a living.

Submitted on: March 7, 2025

New Hampshire’s Mt. Samuel Adams in background

Name: Michael Dailey

Class Year(s): 1981

Note: Michael Dailey BS ’81 retired in 2023. Mike volunteers as a naturalist at the Appalachian Mountain Clubs’ lodges and backcountry huts.

Submitted on: March 5, 2025

Keith J. Koster BS ’09, Commander of The American Legion Department of NY

Name: Keith Koster

Class Year(s): 2009

Note: Keith J. Koster BS ’09 was elected Commander of The American Legion Department of New York at the 106th Annual Department Convention, held July 17-19, 2024, at the Niagara Falls Convention Center. While in office he has completed travel to all 62 counties in New York State, sharing the message, Be The One, an effort to reduce veteran suicide through education and breaking the stigma associated with suicide. Through effort to educate, they are hoping that veterans will - win the war within, when struggling with mental health issues. While traveling the state, Keith also promotes, The American Legion grassroots efforts through legislative programs. Keith recently returned from the Washington D.C. Conference held February 22-26, 2025.

Submitted on: February 28, 2025

Megan Charland, executive director, Strand Center for the Arts

Name: Megan Charland

Class Year(s): 2008

Note: The Board of Trustees of the Strand Center for the Arts (Plattsburgh, NY) has announced the appointment of Megan Charland BFA ’08 to the position of executive director of the organization. Charland has been with the SCA as the artistic programming director since 2022 and has been instrumental in strengthening the SCA’s connection to the community and advancing its mission. Charland is a 2008 graduate of the College of Art and Design (formerly CIAS) where she earned her BFA with a major in fine art photography and minor in art history. Charland went on to graduate from Visual Studies Workshop in 2013 with a MFA in visual studies and has spent nearly 18 years working in the visual arts field with a focus in community arts. To learn more: Megan Charland appointed as Strand’s executive director: https://suncommunitynews.com/news/115017/megan-charland-appointed-as-strands-executive-director/. The Art of Leadership: https://www.calameo.com/read/000257732c187e340daed.

Submitted on: February 26, 2025

Name: Erin Maher-Moran

Class Year(s): 98, 04

Note: Erin (Maher) Moran BFA ’98 had quite a year in 2024. She was named Higher Ed AV Media’s AV Professional of the Year: https://higheredav.com/2024-higher-ed-av-awards-winners/ and also took over as Chair of the Higher Education Technology Managers Alliance (HETMA). She was also selected by EdTech Magazine as one of the 30 Higher Ed IT Influencers to Follow in 2024: https://edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2024/09/30-higher-ed-it-influencers-follow-2024. Erin capped off the year by finishing her master’s degree in Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. This is shaping up to be another great year for Erin since she has been called one of the Top 50 voices to follow in higher education for 2025 by: vevox.com https://www.vevox.com/blog/top-50-voices-to-follow-in-higher-education-for-2025.

Submitted on: February 26, 2025

Name: Amy Bridger

Class Year(s): 1993

Note: Amy Bridger BS ’93 maintained her academic career and advised entrepreneurs for years. She decided to create a start-up company of her own. Farmstead Scattering Garden is a mail-in service for spreading cremated ashes on a working farm in northwestern Pennsylvania. They are a fourth-generation farming family who has owned and operated a farm on this site since 1963. Experiences can be customized by designating the timing of the scattering, weather conditions, or enhanced experience options. For example, clients can choose to have ashes scattered on a particular day, during a snowstorm, or on a trail ride via horseback. Clients and or their loved ones can keep up-to-date on farm events through their Facebook page, Farmstead Scattering Garden.

Submitted on: January 30, 2025

Name: Helaina & Sean Kolonay

Class Year(s): 2014

Note: Helaina (Hummel) Kolonay BS ’14, MS ’16 and Sean Kolonay BFA ’14 welcomed their son, Quintin in January 2024.

Submitted on: January 22, 2025

Eric Rakov BFA ’96 with one of his award winning collages

Name: Eric Rakov

Class Year(s): 1996

Note: St. Augustine’s Butterfield Garage Art Gallery will present work from Eric Rakov BFA ’96, their February 2025 featured artist. His exhibit opens on the first Friday Artwalk, February 7 from 5-9 p.m. Eric will give a short artist talk at 6 p.m. to share his journey and discuss his technique. Eric Rakov is an award-winning collage artist who primarily uses recycled magazines as his palette to create vibrant impressionistic artwork. He applies the media in a painterly style, building colors in layers, creating dark shadows and bright highlights. Eric’s subjects range from tabletop still-life scenes to vignettes from his international travels.

Submitted on: January 12, 2025