Class News: September 2022

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Class News, a monthly snapshot of everything from your fellow Tars’ life and family milestones to new personal and professional adventures.

Each month we’ll share a collection of the most recent submissions, so don’t forget to keep us up to date on your latest news.

Across the Arts

Peg O’Keef ’81 recently joined the official Marvel Universe as Runa, a shapeshifting Light Elf who’s not only appearing on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law—now streaming on Disney+—but also has a Lego action figure in her likeness.

This past summer, theatre grad Somar “Suki” Lanh ’14 created a video message on LinkedIn about how she and her creative team were unexpectedly laid off from a startup insurance company. Her video message went viral, as did her subsequent story about bouncing back to land an even better job within a month. In August, Lanh was featured in The Wall Street Journal and also appeared on the August 30 broadcast of Good Morning America. She is now a senior copywriter for Walgreens.

Drew Young ’21 was recently appointed artistic director and conductor for the Valley Chorale of Front Royal, a choral ensemble that has been singing in the Shenandoah Valley for more than 50 years.

Gatherings & Milestones

John Baker ’87 hosted an alumni gathering and memorial celebration during Alumni Weekend 2022 during which he dedicated a named bench in memory of two TKE fraternity brothers, Richard M. Burger ’85 and Thomas R. McDonnell ’87.

Kristen Dolson Hinrichs ’06 welcomed a baby girl, Holly Wren, on January 25, 2022.

Sarah Spurling ’12 graduated from the University at Buffalo with a master’s degree in social work.

Saabira Mohamed Houseknecht ’14 ’15MBA welcomed daughter Shai Ann to the world on July 20, 2022, in Winter Park.

At the Estate on the Halifax in Port Orange, Florida, Meredith Lax Richardson ’15 ’16MBA married fellow Tar Ken Richardson ’15MBA on May 21, 2022. The couple met while they both attended the Crummer Graduate School of Business.

Honor Roll

Richard Woltmann ’66 received the Florida Bar Foundation’s 2022 Jane Elizabeth Curran Distinguished Service Award in June for “his four decades of being a staunch advocate and effectuating positive lasting change for communities and underserved individuals.”

Mike Davino ’77 was recently elected to the Red Bank Catholic Athletic Hall of Fame for his contributions as a golfer, which included many championship wins. While at Rollins, he had top 10 finishes in the NCAA golf tournament, earned All-America Honors, and was named the outstanding senior athlete.

Onward & Upward

In June, Karen Thrun Heyden ’75 served as a soccer referee for the National Special Olympics summer games held at Walt Disney World Resort. She also officiated at the Special Olympics Unified Cup in Detroit, where teams from 20 countries participated.

Ellen McCoy Sharp ’96 accepted a position in January as vice president/assistant general counsel for Fifth Third Bank, where she’ll support middle market and international commercial lending transactions as well as global supply chain finance.

Jessica Van Pelt ’13 was recently promoted to director of advancement at the Art & History Museums of Maitland.