Class Note 1995
Issue
Nov - Dec 2015
This summer we had a small but mighty pop-up mini-reunion in Walnut Creek, California. Sara (Wasserbauer) Carlson, Craig Sakowitz ’93, Geoffrey Dolan and I met up and talked late into the night over beers and apps (the analog, edible kind) and had a great time. If you’d like to plan an impromptu gathering—a.k.a. pop-up mini—in your area, please contact our new mini-reunion chair, Tara Gulla, at taraleighgulla@gmail.com and she can get you set up. Let’s keep the momentum of our 20th reunion going!
The next time you fly a kite, think about Geoff Dolan. At our pop-up mini he talked about his fascinating work at Makani Power, a company developing airborne wind turbines or “energy kites” that operate at higher altitudes and use more cost-effective materials than windmills. Makani’s goal, per the company website, is “to make energy kites and widespread clean energy a commercial reality.” Really cool stuff! Makani Power was founded in 2006 and acquired by Google [x] in 2013. Perhaps someday we’ll all have these energy kites flying over our homes and businesses and powering our lives. Check out Geoff’s company website at www.google.com/makani.
I recently started a new job at WGBH, directing the PBS station’s major annual giving program. The work we do in public media and education is amazing and I feel so fortunate to be building my career at this diverse, dynamic place. Downton Abbey fans, I don’t have any spoilers to share but I will say that we’re throwing a heck of a party for the sixth and final season on December 5 at our Boston headquarters if anyone’s interested in meeting some talent from the series (Mr. Carson may be there…). I also owe heartfelt thanks to Natalie Herring, Lauren Lieberman, Rebecca (Slisz) Blank and Alyse (Kornfeld) Streicher. The conversations I had with you at our reunion about this opportunity—and how I might make my case to take on the role with the part-time schedule that would allow me to be home for the school bus—made all the difference. Onward!
Because of my new role and the proverbial fire hose from which I currently am drinking, this column deadline snuck up on me, so I’m sorry that the content is rather spare. For future columns, I offer this: In my job I work closely with our remarkable board members who dedicate so much of their time and talent to WGBH’s mission, and I would love to celebrate our classmates’ nonprofit service in upcoming columns. Where are you volunteering? What causes are meaningful to you? Please write in with your thoughts and let’s spread the word about the organizations we support that help make the world a better place. And of course, keep your news coming!
—Kaja (Schuppert) Fickes, 2 Bishops Lane, Hingham, MA 02043; kaja.k.fickes.95@dartmouth.edu
The next time you fly a kite, think about Geoff Dolan. At our pop-up mini he talked about his fascinating work at Makani Power, a company developing airborne wind turbines or “energy kites” that operate at higher altitudes and use more cost-effective materials than windmills. Makani’s goal, per the company website, is “to make energy kites and widespread clean energy a commercial reality.” Really cool stuff! Makani Power was founded in 2006 and acquired by Google [x] in 2013. Perhaps someday we’ll all have these energy kites flying over our homes and businesses and powering our lives. Check out Geoff’s company website at www.google.com/makani.
I recently started a new job at WGBH, directing the PBS station’s major annual giving program. The work we do in public media and education is amazing and I feel so fortunate to be building my career at this diverse, dynamic place. Downton Abbey fans, I don’t have any spoilers to share but I will say that we’re throwing a heck of a party for the sixth and final season on December 5 at our Boston headquarters if anyone’s interested in meeting some talent from the series (Mr. Carson may be there…). I also owe heartfelt thanks to Natalie Herring, Lauren Lieberman, Rebecca (Slisz) Blank and Alyse (Kornfeld) Streicher. The conversations I had with you at our reunion about this opportunity—and how I might make my case to take on the role with the part-time schedule that would allow me to be home for the school bus—made all the difference. Onward!
Because of my new role and the proverbial fire hose from which I currently am drinking, this column deadline snuck up on me, so I’m sorry that the content is rather spare. For future columns, I offer this: In my job I work closely with our remarkable board members who dedicate so much of their time and talent to WGBH’s mission, and I would love to celebrate our classmates’ nonprofit service in upcoming columns. Where are you volunteering? What causes are meaningful to you? Please write in with your thoughts and let’s spread the word about the organizations we support that help make the world a better place. And of course, keep your news coming!
—Kaja (Schuppert) Fickes, 2 Bishops Lane, Hingham, MA 02043; kaja.k.fickes.95@dartmouth.edu