Class Note 1977
Doug Mavor wanted a profession he would love so much he would work for free. He hit the jackpot with a 35-year career designing energy efficient buildings in the Rocky Mountains. Now retired, he pursues his “own version of Contractors Without Borders.” His volunteer exploits thus far include designing and supervising the construction of a log home for the king of Bhutan, assisting in the construction of the Khumbu Climbing Center near the Everest Base Camp, and helping to build a remote cabin in Alaska. His motto: “Will work for airfare!”
After raising five children and working 24/7 as a curriculum director in an elementary school district, newly retired Ellen Duke Spears is flabbergasted at her discomfort with relaxation. Writing, painting, sewing, and spending time with her three adorable grandchildren currently occupy her, but she’s “looking for my next adventure!”
Jean Rosston is counting her 30th year in Zurich, Switzerland: “There is culture, nature, good public transport, a clean lake, and a functional city.” Jean works as a conservator at the Kunsthaus Zurich fine arts museum, relying daily on her “Rassias-empowered foreign language skills.” She enjoyed a visit from Ted Lapres and his wife, Connie. To celebrate her 30-year jubilee, Jean took a month’s sabbatical and traveled to French Polynesia to explore the islands by expedition ship above and below the water, where she met, respectively, Christina Thompson ’82, a Polynesian historian and cultural expert, and five different species of “beautiful sharks.” Jean hopes to attend our 65th birthday celebration in Santa Fe and welcomes classmates in Zurich in the meantime.
Jim Guth and husband John traveled to Sicily with a Northwestern alumni travel group. (Yes, Dartmouth trips are way better, they admit.) They loved the food and a charming villa at the base of Mount Etna, but report that “Sicilian wine is awful!” (Jean disagrees!)
Scott Cameron has become the principal deputy assistant secretary for policy, management, and budget in the U.S. Department of the Interior in the Trump administration. Scott recognizes it’s a “stereotypically bureaucratically long title.” He coordinates agencywide policy on a host of issues, including budget, law enforcement, strategic planning, emergency response, and forest fires. Scott is helping to implement “the secretary’s vision to improve citizen service by aligning the boundaries of the regional offices of our eight bureaus.” He figures it will take “three years to institutionalize.”
Mark Berthiaume has organized the eighth annual Michael Brigham Memorial Fund Golf Event in honor of classmate Michael “Brigsy” Brigham, who died in 2011. The outing raises money for kidney cancer research. At this writing Fred Kramer, Doug Ireland, John Hart, Kevin Young, Brian McCloskey, Gary Rogers, Rory Laughna, Tom Barnico, and Pete Volanakis plan to attend. Mark notes, “It’s a time for all of us to remember a very special friend.” Gary recalls that he met Mike on their first day at Dartmouth when their dads dropped them off at Fayerweather Hall. The instigator of Senior Tails, Mike always “helped to bring people together.”
—Robin Gosnell, 31 Elm Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540; robins.nest@icloud.com; Eric Edmondson, Signal Hill Capital LLC, 425 California St., Suite 19, San Francisco, CA 94104; eweedmondson@gmail.com; Drew Kintzinger, 2400 M St. NW, Apt. 914, Washington, DC 20037; akintzinger@hunton.com
