You won’t see fashions by Kerry O’Brien ’93 on a runway in Paris. In fact, you aren’t supposed to see them at all. Her six-year-old company is aiming to reinvent the world of women’s undergarments.

The alumna didn’t set out to pioneer a line of mention-worthy unmentionables. After earning her BS in Business Communication, she fixed her sights on corporate public relations and accepted a position at Edelman Communications in New York City. By age 25, she had earned the title of vice president.

“When I graduated from Bentley, I felt completely prepared to start my career,” says the native of Burlington, Vt. “I didn’t just hit the ground running, but sprinting.”

Then came September 11, 2001.

The terrorist attacks on the United States prompted O’Brien, like many Americans, to re-examine personal and professional goals.

“September 11 was a wake-up call to start the next phase in my life,” says O’Brien, at the time a senior vice president at global public relations firm Weber Shandwick. “But I wasn’t sure right away what that next step would be.”

A Perfect Fit

One thing O’Brien did know was women’s clothing — in fact, her friends often sought her suggestions on the best garments to wear underneath their outfits. The experience inspired her next venture: writing a book for women filled with advice and practical tips on choosing underwear.

Six months into the project, O’Brien had a eureka moment. “I suddenly asked myself, ‘Why am I writing about this?’” she explains. “I should be doing this.’”

A company – her look enterprises – was born.

For her first fashion foray, O’Brien focused on a single item rather than an entire line. That product was “takeouts,” bra inserts made of silicone with creative packaging that mimics a restaurant to-go container.

“It’s hard to bring new products to the market,” she says. “Everything took longer than I thought it would.”

Big Break

O’Brien’s big break came was about a year in coming: Upscale retailer Henri Bendel signed on as her first client. Since then, the company has expanded to include the “commando” underwear line, camisoles, and other accessories; hosiery and slips are recent additions to the collection.

But witty product names and clever packaging can go only so far.  O’Brien’s company is known as the pioneer of “raw cut” underwear, which has no elastic or trim. The result is greater comfort and a smoother fit. All of the products are manufactured in the United States — a rarity in the industry.

Today, O’Brien’s wares are available in more than 1,200 boutiques and stores worldwide, including high-end retailers such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. The products have been featured on TV (The Big Idea: Donny Deutsch, The View, The Today Show) and in magazines (InStyle, Elle and Lucky, to name a few). Moreover, the business has become a family affair. O’Brien’s husband, Edward Biggins, left investment banking to join the team, which includes 14 full-time employees.

More innovative offerings are sure to come. “I’m constantly coming up with new ideas,” O’Brien says. “The process of going from a concept to an actual product is so rewarding.”

Check out the company’s wares at www.herlook.com.

A gift of $50,000 from Grant Thornton LLP will extend partnerships between Bentley University and nongovernmental organizations in Ghana such as the Mmofra Trom Center. The leading audit, tax and advisory firm, which has offices in 100 countries, is also collaborating with the campus chapter of Beta Alpha Psi to help train financial officers of student organizations.

Much of the funding opens doors for Bentley students to use their knowledge for the greater social good. Recipients of Grant Thornton Global Social Responsibility (GSR) Internship awards will work to improve transparency of their accounting systems.

“The expense of international travel, coupled with the missed opportunity to earn summer income, can be a real show-stopper for students – even for those with a deep interest in global social responsibility,” explains Professor of Management Diane Kellogg, program director of the Mmofra Trom Project.

Jay Garneau ’09 is a case in point. “My heart was set on going to Africa, but financially it was tough,” he says. “Backing out of [the internship] would have created a huge ‘what if’ that would have been with me for the rest of my life.”

Access to Opportunity

Thanks to the funding, Garneau was among four students who completed an eight-week GSR Internship in summer 2009. He and Andrew Josuweit ’09 worked at microfinance NGO Chapter 58 Trust, while Brian DiPasquale ’09 MSF delved into microfinance at ACCION International. Jacqueline Le ’11 interned at the Mmofra Trom Center, which provides access to education, health care, job-skills training, and other opportunities for orphans and their extended families.

The partnership between the Bentley Alliance for Ethics and Social Responsibility and the Mmofra Trom Center began in 2006. Students and faculty visit Ghana regularly to better understand developing economies and to work with the center. The GSR Student Travel Fund, started by Bentley faculty, is an additional resource that supports overseas opportunities.

On a more local level, the Grant Thornton Beta Alpha Psi Treasurer’s Training Program will serve students who have taken financial leadership roles in campus organizations. Company officials are teaming up with Beta Alpha Psi members to design and deliver training for student treasurers, focused on basic skills and best practices around topics such as budgeting, tracking expenditures, and making payments.

Creative Momentum

Grant Thornton builds on its roots as a small firm with a family mindset to embrace global values that promote collaboration, leadership, excellence, agility, respect and responsibility. Integrating corporate social responsibility is an ongoing priority, says Grant Thornton partner Andrew Wilson ’86.

“This gift allows us to support Bentley in a way that is creative and somewhat outside the box,” he notes. “The global aspect also builds awareness and gives students a flavor for businesses that operate in a multinational environment. The Beta Alpha Psi Treasurer’s Training Program takes our donation a step further by giving recent Grant Thornton professionals a chance to work directly with the students.”

Leonard Morrison, managing director of corporate relations at Bentley, sees an exciting momentum in the new projects underway.

“Having a firm like Grant Thornton behind initiatives at Bentley may drive other organizations to think about how they can support broader society and future leaders,” he observes. “Grant Thornton’s mission is in line with many of the goals at Bentley, so it’s a terrific fit.”

A new set of Bentley Fund donor recognition societies broadens and deepens recognition of alumni, parents and friends who support the university. Replacing the President’s Club Leadership Society, the different circles, councils and societies share a fundamental message: Every donor is valued and important.

“Our donors were telling us it was time to update our gift recognition program. Leadership donors asked for more categories of support – a broader array of giving levels to help advance the mission of the university,” explains John W. Mosser, vice president for development, corporate and alumni relations. “Our donors also asked us to share more stories about the immediate impact of their Bentley Fund gifts on expanding educational opportunities for students.”

The feedback spurred Mosser and his Development colleagues to action.

“We wanted to recognize anyone who makes any kind of gift,” says Bill Bennett, managing director of the Bentley Fund. “ We are saying to every donor, ‘Your gift is a tangible expression of your loyalty and school spirit. Each and every gift makes a difference and we appreciate it. Thank you!’”

Unique Character

The retooling efforts created two levels of donor recognition societies. The “Loyalty to Bentley” societies recognize donors of gifts up to $2,499. Leadership-level gifts of $2,500 or more are acknowledged through the “Bentley Founders” recognition societies.

In naming the new societies, the Development staff set aside the Olympics-inspired names of former President’s Club giving levels – bronze, silver, gold – in favor of those that hew more closely to the unique landmarks and traditions of the university. For example, the Loyalty to Bentley series begins with the Blue and Gold Spirit Society, then moves “up campus” through the Bentley Bridge Society (named for the familiar landmark over Beaver Street) to the Quadrangle Society to the uppermost Clock Tower Society.

At a higher level, the Bentley Founders Leadership Donors Recognition Societies are a nod to the students who, in 1917, volunteered time and money to help Harry Clark Bentley build his school of finance and accounting. Those first donors called themselves the Bentley Associates – now the first rung of the Bentley Founders leadership ladder.

“We want to tie our history to our future,” Mosser says of the Associates designation. “Those students in 1917 banded together to help further the school’s mission. That’s what alumni, parents and friends do today, and we want them to know we appreciate it.”

Consistent Commitment

As always, matching gifts from employers and other organizations count toward determining donor recognition levels. So, for example, a $2,500 commitment matched at 100 percent would bring a donor into the Dean’s Council.

Two other societies round out the new structure: the Emerging Associates Club, for alumni who donate $1,000 in any of their first five years after graduation; and the Cornerstone Community, whose members renew their support of Bentley for three or more consecutive years.

“Donors who give every year are the cornerstone of Bentley’s financial strength,” says Bennett.  “This type of consistent giving is what allows Bentley to build the quality and innovation in all our educational programs.”

Development team member Megan McAuley ’98, ’04 MBA is coordinating the new recognition societies.

Bookended by good works and academic pageantry, a three-day tribute to service and leadership drew hundreds to Bentley this spring. Alumni, business and education leaders, and special guests joined campus community members for outreach to local and global causes, the annual Bentley Leadership Forum, and the presidential inauguration of Gloria Cordes Larson. Here are the highlights.

The celebration of service, on Wednesday, March 26, engaged students and others in a range of worthy activities:

• Assembling 1,000 packets of educational supplies for children in the United States and other countries including Armenia, Cambodia, Niger and Ukraine
• Selling 700 specially designed “Bentley Serves” T-shirts to help defray the cost of supplies for the educational packets noted above
• Fashioning bracelets from kiln-fired beads made by the children of the Mmofra Trom Center in Ghana, to sell and market to jewelry stores
• Collecting close to 1,100 T-shirts with the Bentley logo for donation to the Friends of the Shattuck Shelter and the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans
• Creating colorful, informative poster displays of volunteer projects sponsored by student organizations and the Bentley Service–Learning Center
• Learning about activism and women’s issues in North Africa through a panel presentation by Tunisian women

Corporate responsibility is the rule, not the exception, according to business, academic and government leaders who took part in the fourth annual Bentley Leadership Forum. The half-day event took place on Thursday, March 27, presented in cooperation with TIME magazine.

Gloria Cordes Larson, Bentley president, and Edward McCarrick, TIME magazine president and worldwide publisher, welcomed 550 attendees. The keynote speaker was Patty Stonesifer, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, who joined TIME Deputy Editor Romesh Ratnesar in a “conversation” that addressed the forum theme: the Global Imperative to Serve the Public Good.

“How do you have a career that is both successful in the business sense, but also makes an impact on the community and gives back to the world?” Ratnesar asked on behalf of college graduates preparing to enter the work force. Stonesifer acknowledged the movement toward corporate responsibility among employers, because “to get the right employee base, you have to have it. Every corporation has assets that can and should be used not only to further the self-interest of shareholders, but to further our shared responsibility to leave the world a better place. It’s growing conversation in corporate board rooms.”

She reflected, too, on the attributes of good leadership, including “the ability to look harsh reality in the face and still believe in the necessity of moving forward and doing what you can.” Her own work includes spearheading Gates Foundation initiatives to prepare American students for college and to create alliances for developing malaria and AIDS vaccines.  “Resilience . . . is what’s necessary to change the world.”

Providing Direction, Taking Action
The Leadership Forum also featured a panel discussion moderated by Bentley Professor of Management and Sociology Tony Buono, who coordinates the college’s Alliance for Ethics and Social Responsibility. Participants included two former U.S. ambassadors: Swanee Hunt, founding director of the Women and Public Policy Program at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and Charles Stith, director of the African Presidential Archives and Research Center at Boston University. The third panelist was Carol Cone, chairman of Cone Communications, which specializes in cause-related branding and strategic philanthropy.

The three explored how all types of organizations can infuse their business model with socially beneficial outcomes. Speakers also addressed the challenges ahead for a generation of leaders who see social responsibility as the norm. The role of current U.S. presidential candidates in shaping expectations and delivering demonstrable results was another topic of discussion.

“What America does matters,” said Stith. “We live in a multipolar universe where there are different countries and different sectors that impact significantly on the ebb and flow of everything that goes on.”

Looking Toward Tomorrow
The forum closed with a luncheon honoring the Tomorrow25: notable young leaders chosen in an international competition that Bentley sponsors each year. The group comprises high school juniors who demonstrate initiative, citizenship, intelligence, technological savvy, cultural awareness, social responsibility, and a dedication to making positive things happen in their schools, communities and the broader society.

The luncheon keynote speaker was Michael Brown, co-founder and CEO of youth service corps City Year. “You are the walking, talking ripples of hope, and together you are a mighty current,” he told the group. “The world is truly going to be in good hands when it’s in yours.”
Brown called for establishing a year of service as “the very centerpiece of American democracy in the 21st century. I have learned, time and again, that young people have an almost limitless power to connect, to engage, and to inspire.”

Highly motivated and achievement oriented, finalists in the Tomorrow25 international leadership competition for high school juniors are poised to have their pick of colleges. Christopher Carroll, Jewel Cash, Amy Dombrowski and Joshua Fischler chose Bentley.

“I was applying to an environment, not just a school,” says Cash, a freshman from the 2006 pool of Tomorrow25 winners. “The professors, students, and staff all seem genuinely happy to be here.”

The college’s Summer Transition Education Program (STEP) figured into Cash’s decision as well. “The STEP students and [director] Claudette Blot gave me a family at Bentley, and helped me see that I could excel here.”

Dombrowski, too, first learned of Bentley through the Tomorrow25 program. “I was incredibly impressed by the technology, and by the high percentage of new graduates who find work in their chosen fields,” she says of arriving on campus in 2005 to accept the award.

At Boston Latin Academy, Cash was a student representative to the Boston School Committee and a member of the Boston Student Advisory Council. She also served as an informal teacher to neighborhood kids, coaching them in dance and academics.

Since enrolling at Bentley, she has redoubled her efforts to mentor young girls of color, through the Mary McLeod Bethune Institute at Northeastern University. The institute offers weekend classes and activities free of charge to girls from Boston. Cash herself attended regularly from age 7.

“It’s a sisterhood,” she says. “I found mentors there, and opportunities. Now I want to serve as a role model for girls.”

The workshops that she teaches run the gamut from career development to community activism to money management to public speaking. Cash hopes to bring fellow Bentley students to the institute as volunteers.

Dombrowski earned Tomorrow25 recognition in part for contributions to the Amnesty International chapter at Mercyhurst Preparatory School in Pennsylvania. She also was vice president of the school’s Holocaust Project and Shoah Project.

College has found her diving into a new set of issues, for example, raising funds for cancer research and supporting victims of sexual assault. The work involves serving on the executive boards of the Women’s Center and Colleges Against Cancer.

“My grandmothers and my family taught me the power of the individual to rise above obstacles,” says the Bentley sophomore. “They showed me that it’s worth fighting for causes.”

Bentley inaugurated its seventh, and first female, president on Friday, March 28, with upward of a thousand guests on hand for the historic occasion. Trustee chairman J. Terrance Carleton ’77 formally installed Gloria Cordes Larson, whose appointment took effect on July 1. Her inaugural address embraced the theme of connection. 

“One of my most important roles as president is to further Bentley’s connections to the worlds I know: the worlds of business, education, government, law, nonprofits and [the broader] society, and to draw on my experiences to represent these worlds here,” President Larson said. “I want to enhance the connections that already exist with our many constituents and partners, and help build new ones in the singular ways we are so well positioned to do.”

Ethical lapses, financial scandals, and other corporate ills lend new urgency to the college’s mission to prepare “forward thinking and dynamic next-generation leaders,” she observed.

“These are ethically grounded leaders who combine left-brain analysis and business process skills with right-brain qualities of creativity, empathy, and an appreciation for other perspectives. These are leaders who will create and help build better organizations and better communities wherever in the world they go.” 

Purposeful Focus 
Before taking the podium, President Larson was welcomed by special guests representing the different communities of her past and present. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick spoke for the public service community. He praised the president’s skill at “moving easily from issue to issue without losing focus or purpose, because she understands both intellectually and intuitively the inherent interconnectedness of it all. She joins compassion, pragmatism, and a palpable love of life to her intelligence – making for an enviable and unusual blend. Bentley is wise indeed to have placed her at the helm.”

Other speakers were Rosabeth Moss Kanter, the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, representing the academic community; and Cleve L. Killingsworth, chairman and CEO for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, who offered greetings from the business community.

The Bentley community was also well represented. 

“You came to us from a world far different than academe, but bringing an enthusiasm and excitement for what you saw in us – and a way of looking at what we do in a different light,” observed faculty spokesman Joseph Newpol, chairman of the Faculty Senate and professor of taxation. The administration and staff representative was Julianne Britt, director of purchasing, administrative and campus services. “Know that we stand with you,” she said, “and that we look forward to a future illuminated by your commitment to innovation, creativity, and a better world.”

Student government presidents Michael Caliva ’08 BS and Daniel Berlin’08 MBA/MSHFID spoke, respectively, for undergraduates and for graduate and doctoral students. Caliva praised the president as “someone who will challenge us as individuals and as an institution.” Berlin acknowledged her impact as a role model. “Our graduates will leave with a more well-rounded view of business, recognizing that it’s not just about greater profits,” he said. “It’s also about giving back to the community,”

Privilege and Responsibility
Alumni Association President Paul Mastrocola ’90 extended a welcome from the 45,000-member community of Bentley graduates. “As alumni we have witnessed the incredible growth and development of the college. … Under your able leadership, the Bentley Alumni Association can become one of the most dedicated and loyal in higher education.”

After a videotaped biographical tribute, the new Bentley leader accepted the presidential robe and medallion bearing the college seal. “Yours will be the great privilege and responsibility of leading this college and its graduates to be responsible global citizens,” said Terry Carleton. “We are confident that your enthusiasm for the Bentley mission, your concern for the dignity of all, and your wise and prudent management will enable the fulfillment of this institution’s great promise for years to come.”

President Larson noted her gratitude to Bentley leaders past. Three former presidents – Gregory Adamian, Joseph Cronin and Joseph Morone – joined her on stage. 

“I am so privileged to join Bentley at this propitious time,” she said. “What we do at Bentley matters, and we can make it matter more. … I pledge to devote my whole being to realizing our goals, and look to all of you as my indispensible partners.”

There’s a window on the second floor of the Bentley Library that overlooks the Waltham neighborhood where Joseph Romanowski ’87 grew up, and where his parents still reside. That happy fact was the final inspiration for Joe and his wife, Renee (Dugas) ’87, to choose the conference room as the focus of their recent gift to Bentley.

“There are so many ways to give back to the college,” Joe says, noting that a student scholarship or a named room in the library were top choices for his family. “Once we took a tour of the new library, it became the clear winner. We were both very impressed.”

The renovated library is completely revitalized, he says, with amenities that include a café, extensive DVD and video resources, and technology to check out books and other materials electronically. The Romanowski Room is one of several spaces in high demand by students seeking meeting space for the group projects that have become central to most Bentley courses.

“It’s not the same library we had as students,” says Joe, who now makes his home in Medfield, Mass. “It is much more open and comfortable, with more resources at your fingertips. This is a great asset for all alumni to use.”

Risk and Reward
The Romanowski Room is dedicated to Joe’s parents, Lois and John, whom Joe credits for making his success possible.

“My parents put me through school, and taught me to save at an early age,” he says. “My father taught us about investments, CDs, and other ways to save. Graduating debt free allowed me to take risks.”

Those risks have paid off.

Joe chose Bentley because it offered one of the few programs at the time that combined business and computing. After graduating with a degree in computer information systems, he joined classmate and fellow CIS major Michael P. Sullivan to launch Steelpoint Technologies. The company developed electronic discovery software for the legal market, attracting venture funding as well as Fortune 100 customers.
 
E-mail archiving company Zantaz merged with Steelpoint in 2004. Three years later, the merged firm sold to Autonomy, a publicly traded company based in Cambridge, U.K. Joe served as vice president of product strategy until last October, when he stepped down to spend more time with his family and to plan his next venture.

Family Dedication
Joe and Renee’s extended family turned out in force for the dedication of the Romanowski Room last November.

“The college was surprised at how many people came,” Joe says. “There were brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and lots of kids from both sides of the family. It was a great day.”

Joe and Renee hope that the name of the room will be a source of pride for their sons: Conner, age 13; Mitchell, 10; and Joey, 6. (The 10-year-old is already talking about Bentley, they report.)

Long-term Commitment
The Romanowskis say that making a significant gift to Bentley has been long-time goal. Both have been members of the President’s Club for many years, and Joe was president of the Alumni Association in 2006-2007. The soccer team, which Joe played on as a student, is another beneficiary of the couple’s support.

“Bentley has given us a lot,” Renee says. “We started our lives together there. It has a special place in my heart.”

The benefits of staying connected to the school continue to grow, Joe adds. Attending Bentley events, for example, has enabled the couple to built friendships across alumni classes.

“We’ve been extremely impressed with the leadership of Joe Morone and Terry Carleton over the past few years, and we’re very excited to support President Larson,” he says. “Her energy and passion are infectious. We feel she is the right person at the right time to represent the next phase of Bentley’s growth.

“We’re happy to be able to give back to a college that seems to keep giving to us.”

Alumni employees of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and the Deloitte Foundation have successfully completed a $500,000 fund-raising campaign to support the renovated Bentley Library. 

The lead gift came from trustee William Freda and his wife, Angela, both members of the Class of 1974. Bill Freda is a vice chairman of Deloitte & Touche USA LLP. Scores of Bentley alumni and friends at Deloitte subsequently joined the effort and pledged $250,000; all gifts will be matched by the Deloitte Foundation.

A dramatic $16 million expansion and renovation, in 2005-2006, has put this Bentley resource among the finest and most technologically advanced business college libraries in the country.

“Just as envisioned, the library has truly become the academic hub of the campus – for faculty and students, including those pursuing degrees in accountancy and in business through our PhD program,” says President Gloria Cordes Larson. “The space is magnificent and gets extensive use. It also has proved to be a significant draw for prospective Bentley students.”

Beyond Books and Bytes
In planning the renovation, Bentley officials surveyed students on the amenities beyond academics would make the building more accommodating for long hours of research and study. Chief among the recommendations: a state-of-the-art café with top-shelf refreshments, large LCD monitors featuring business news and entertainment channels, and WiFi access to the Internet.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony on February 29 formally dedicated the library’s hugely popular Deloitte Café. The naming recognizes not only the successful fund-raising campaign, but a long-standing, multifaceted partnership between Bentley and Deloitte. The event brought together Bentley administrators and faculty, Deloitte employees, and several current students who have accepted internships or full-time positions at the firm.

Bill Freda addressed the crowd.

“The people of Deloitte who stepped up to this challenge are graduates of what clearly is one of the nation’s pre-eminent business colleges,” he said. “The value they bring to Deloitte as contributors to our success is beyond measure – so it is with real pride and gratitude that Deloitte now gives back to Bentley.

“We constantly seek those who will build and renew Deloitte. Our support of the Bentley Library makes a statement that we fully expect to welcome more alumni to our ranks this year, and well into the future.”

More than a million visitors have passed through the library doors since it re-opened in spring 2006. The café has been a particular hit, serving up 67,000 bagels, 17,000 cups of orange juice, 38,000 cups of coffee, and 45,000 sandwiches in the past year alone.

The Bentley Fund has a new director. William Bennett joined the Development, Corporate and Alumni Relations division in the spring semester after 18 years at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., where he was director of alumni relations and the Clark Fund.

A priority on Bennett’s to-do list is helping to build alumni participation in the Bentley Fund. Annual donors to the fund support all areas of campus life: scholarships and financial aid, academic programs, faculty research, technology initiatives, student organizations and activities, and more.

The spring also brought a promotion for Development team member Megan McAuley, a Double Falcon who earned her Bentley BS in 1998 and MBA in 2004. She joined the Alumni Relations staff in 1999 and, in 2004, began working with the President’s Club. McAuley has played a key role in expanding the ranks of this giving society, which comprises annual donors of $1,000 or more. For more information:

Bill Bennett
Tel: 781.891.2040     E-mail: wbennett@bentley.edu

Megan McAuley
Tel: 781.891.2067    E-mail: mmcauley@bentley.edu.

IN AND AROUND BOSTON

Harbor View of History
The Wharf Room of the Boston Harbor Hotel was the dramatic setting for an enlightening evening with acclaimed author and renowned historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. Held on May 6, the event featured a cocktail reception, dinner, keynote address and book signing. Topics of discussion included the primary attributes that voters should look for in the next president of the United States.  

Recognizing the Future
Leaders from the Class of 2008 enjoyed a celebratory dinner recognizing their commitment and dedication to Bentley. Hosted by Young Alumni Association, the April 10 event drew more than 50 alumni-in-waiting to the Chateau Restaurant in Waltham, Mass.

A Step Ahead
Reebok International CFO Joe Keane addressed the importance of mentoring and leadership in supporting creative, successful employees, at an alumni gathering on March 13. More than 70 grads and guests attended the event, which took place at Reebok headquarters in Canton, Mass.

Recipe for Success
Sue Schochet ’87, founder of Healthy Habits Kitchen, conducted a workshop on March 11 for alumni and friends. Attendees learned to create quick, affordable and nutritious meals from the company’s ready-to-assemble ingredients. Event sponsors were the Bentley Women’s Alumnae Chapter and eWomenNetwork, a leading resource for female business-owners and professionals.

Business Matters
Two late winter events brought alumni to the Post Office Square offices of Boston Private Bank & Trust Company. On February 7, more than 75 Bentley grads attended The Private Equity Markets: An Insider’s Perspective, a presentation featuring moderator Nick Hofer, title to come, and Christine Flaherty ’99, assistant vice president. On March 5, the company welcomed more than 50 alumni and guests to the first in a series of luncheons. The featured speaker from Bentley was Wilder Teaching Professor Aaron Nurick, who addressed  “emotional intelligence.” Flaherty collaborated with her alma mater to host the events.

IN NEW ENGLAND AND BEYOND

Finance in the Footlights
More than 60 alumni and guests were on hand for an April 23 event at the famed New York Theater District restaurant Sardi's. Chip Wiggins, professor and chair of the Finance Department, highlighted Bentley programs developed through an ongoing collaboration by his department and the campus-based Hughey Center for Financial Services.

Market Savvy in Nashua
More than 70 alumni and friends gathered on January 31 at the unique G.M. Roth kitchen and bath showroom in Nashua, N.H., for a presentation on marketing strategies in today’s global economy. Hosted by Ted Gorski ’85 and Gerry and Sandra Roth (parents of Taylor ’10), the event featured guest speaker Ian Cross, Bentley senior lecturer in marketing and director of the Center of Marketing Technology.

Sunny Receptions
Receptions in Florida brought out alumni and friends from around the Sunshine State. Events took place in Tampa; Palm Beach; Vero Beach, hosted by Mike Kelley’76; and Naples, hosted by Class of 1979 grads Jim and Lyn Ackroyd. Attendees heard the latest news from campus and met Bentley President Gloria Cordes Larson.

While pundits hold forth on the global implications of the credit crisis, New Hampshire State Treasurer Catherine (Laffin) Provencher ’85 is using her office to build a better financial future – one saver at a time.

The ardent advocate of financial literacy helps adults and high school students across the state become more adept at handling their money. As she puts it: “We want to raise awareness of the importance of getting a financial education.”

Specifically, Provencher works with the state legislature to find ways to promote financial responsibility. Though she was originally drawn to the topic by an interest in encouraging retirement savings, the issue has taken on greater urgency with ongoing turmoil in mortgage and credit markets.

One highlight of her education campaign has been a trip to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., for the launch of Financial Football: an interactive, NFL-themed money management video game sponsored by Visa. New England’s six state treasurers attended the event, accompanied by student teams that competed against one another, with coaching from several Patriots players.

“The message is about being smart when it comes to finances,” Provencher explains. “Your credit score is going to follow you longer than your GPA.”

The high schoolers who participated were impressively knowledgeable on credit and debit cards, compound interest rates, and apartment lease terms, according to Provencher.

“These are students who are already very tuned in,” she says. “Obviously, our challenge is how to reach the students who aren’t tuned in. That’s where we’re focusing our efforts.”

Right Place, Right Time
Provencher’s work on financial literacy is the latest chapter in a public service career that began as soon as she earned her BS in Accountancy.  

“I was recruited right off the Bentley campus to the New Hampshire Office of Legislative Budget,” says Provencher, a resident of Merrimack who has lived in the Granite State most of her life. “It wasn’t my long-term plan to be in public service, but after a few years I knew this was where I wanted to be.”

By 1997, the alumna had advanced to become the state’s director of audits, a position she held for nine years before assuming her current post. Along the way, her volunteer efforts have benefited local schools, libraries, and town committees, with special focus on the schools that her two children attended.

These contributions earned Provencher the prestigious Caroline Gross Fellowship for 2006. The annual award, which recognizes outstanding public service in New Hampshire, enabled her to attend a three-week program for state and local government executives at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Ambitious Plans
Sworn in as state treasurer in January 2007, Provencher assumed responsibility for a 26-member staff and more than $300 million daily in cash management and investment. She has wide-ranging plans for her initial two-year term.  

“I have a lot I want to accomplish,” she says. “As we seek to add services without burdening the taxpayer, there are areas to add efficiencies.”

Historical precedent suggests positive prospects for her re-election, as long as Provencher continues to do a good job.
“I’ve found where I belong,” she says. “I’ll probably be doing some kind of public service for my entire career.”





 

History weighed heavy on Jarrod Marchesi ’09 as he took the mound at Bleecker Stadium in Albany, N.Y., this past April. The righthander had a chance to become the first Bentley pitcher to win eight games in a season – but doing so would require ending a string of misfortune at the College of Saint Rose diamond.

Though primarily a relief pitcher at the time, Marchesi made two starts in his freshman and sophomore seasons – each against Saint Rose. The Peabody, Mass., resident doesn’t sugarcoat the result. “Both times I got shelled.” 

His third outing proved the charm. Marchesi pitched a complete-game shutout to earn a place in the Bentley record books.

It was a dominant relief appearance in the 2007 season finale that prompted coach Bob DeFelice to give Marchesi a shot in the starting rotation. The outcome has been remarkable. 

“I’m not a big stats guy,” says DeFelice. “But looking at his numbers, you can’t help being impressed.”

Along with the record-breaking win total, the gaudy numbers include an earned run average of 2.38. Marchesi finished his junior season as the team’s all-time career leader in winning percentage (.681) and ERA (2.87).

“He’s not an overpowering pitcher, but he can throw strikes,” the coach observes. “He’s a guy you root for.”

Springtime at Deloitte is tax time. But for senior tax manager Dana Story ’96, ’99 MST, it’s also lax time: the start of another lacrosse season for urban youth in Boston.

Story is in his fourth season volunteering as a coach for MetroLacrosse, which serves 500 boys and girls in eight urban communities. Fielding 30 teams for students in grades five to 12, the program applies the RESPECT model of character education (responsibility, effort, sportsmanship, participation, enthusiasm, communication, teamwork).

“To teach someone lacrosse and see them appreciate it – that’s a wonderful thing,” says Story, a former Bentley midfielder who started his own lacrosse career at St. Sebastian’s School in Needham. “This was a great opportunity to give back to the community through a game I love.”

During weekly games and practices, MetroLacrosse coaches teach themes from the RESPECT model. For instance, Story has addressed the topic of responsibility and what it means for his players: arriving on time, bringing their equipment, and helping teammates on the field. The team then reviews successes of the day and identifies areas for improvement, along with discussing other ways to be responsible (e.g., doing homework, participating in class).

“I stress to the kids that this isn’t just a game,” explains Story, whose players hail from Mattapan and Hyde Park. “When you take these skills and use them off the field, they create opportunity. You can be successful.”

One shining example is a player whose history of disciplinary problems made expulsion from the team seem likely. But Story recognized that MetroLacrosse might be one of the few positive influences in the young man’s life.

After a season of guidance, the player rebounded to become part of the MetroLacrosse Scholastic Placement Program. Selected athletes gain an opportunity for placement in private school, along with guidance for transitioning to Boston public high schools.

“He listened to the life lessons and character education that we put into the program,” Story says with obvious pride. “It really works.”

Story isn’t the only Falcon on the MetroLacrosse sideline; fellow coaches include Eric Hiatt ’97, Matt Ehrlich ’98, Mark Rollins ’00 and Scott Yavarow ’03. 

“Lacrosse taught me how to be part of a team and allowed me to be a leader – both skills required for the business world,” reflects Story, who joined Deloitte in 2001. “Sports have given me much more than just the experience on the field.”
 

Kristin Nava ’01, ’02 MSFP combines her business skills with a passion for the entertainment industry as a commercial talent agent. But landing that dream job involved a few plot twists.

A native Californian, Nava returned after graduation and started work at Los Angeles-based Abrams Artists Agency – a bi-coastal talent agency that provides theatrical, commercial, print, literary, voice-over, and children’s services. Her job was in the mailroom.

“I pulled headshots off shelves and sent them out to casting directors, photocopied scripts, and made sure there was fresh coffee in the kitchen – even if it was 6:30 p.m.,” Nava says. “This was a job where you had to put your ego aside or you’d never make it.”

When a theatrical agent fired two assistants in two days in the middle of pilot season, she seized her chance. “I jumped both feet in, knowing I’d have to swim – or I’d sink quickly,” says Nava, whose immediate predecessor had lasted a scant 90 minutes.

Swim she did, for 18 months. Nava read feature film scripts and TV show pilots, called out auditions, and readied auditioning actors with scripts and dialogue. Her work put Nava on the management radar screen and generated an invitation to join the Commercial Department.

 “Since commercials deal with advertising, the move seemed like a better fit with my education,” explains Nava, who would become a commercial agent six months later. In the position for three years now, she represents actors who range from new graduates with theater and acting degrees to well-established celebrities.

Her communication skills are essential for the daily back-and-forth with clients, casting directors, producers, and ad agency executives. Bentley courses in tax law, advertising and negotiation have helped in the contract and negotiation responsibilities of her job. The alumna calls on her financial planning background to discuss whether clients should be incorporated for tax purposes. Finally, her Bentley years spotlighted the importance of networking.

“Los Angeles is huge, but the entertainment industry is really small. It’s definitely who you know that helps personally and professionally,” says Nava, whose career plans include heading a department or owning her own agency. 

For now, it’s 10- to 11-hour days at the office, and nights and weekends on call, to place the 700 actors she represents in commercials and spokesperson campaigns. “I feel good about giving them the opportunity to just be actors, instead of actors with other day jobs. Bottom line, it gives me great pleasure seeing them work.”

In November 1997, Christopher Watts ’03 suffered a spinal injury that left him quadriplegic. Today, he’s busy making a life despite the physical limitations – and working toward the day that he will walk again.

Since the accident, which occurred during his junior year at Bentley, Watts has proved exceedingly adaptable. He honed skills as an auditory learner because reading textbooks was cumbersome and note taking, impossible. He switched his major from finance to marketing when he could no longer work a calculator. And he struck out on his own in business when a conventional job hunt was frustrating at best.

“I went for interviews without telling people I was quadriplegic, and they always stopped in their tracks when I showed up,” says Watts. “So I started explaining my situation beforehand and nothing ever turned up. I had no other choice but to start my own business. I’m not making a lot of money, but I’m being productive.”

Watts designs web sites out of the Marshfield, Mass., home that he shares with his parents. Despite having limited use of his upper body, he can type with one pinkie and use a trackball mouse. Software such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking9, a speech-recognition program that types up to 160 words per minute, helps to ease the day-to-day challenges.

Fitness is among the 32-year-old’s greatest passions. His doctors advise staying in peak physical condition, so he’ll be a prime candidate for stem cell therapy or another treatment that may come along.

“Being able to get stem cell treatment and fully take care of myself – cooking, dressing and bathing – would be leaps and bounds better than where I am now,” he says.

In the meantime, a wheelchair that tackles stairs and uneven terrain allows Watts to get around more independently. He is grateful to fellow alumni who contributed toward the recent purchase.

Next up: Raising $15,000 to buy a bicycle equipped with functional electrical stimulation (FES). The technology allows people with little or no leg movement to pedal in place via electrical impulses sent to their muscles. The FES bike has proved effective in building muscle mass and, for some patients, in returning sensation to limbs. With some of his Alpha Gamma Pi fraternity brothers, Watts aims to set up a nonprofit organization that would solicit funds to purchase FES bikes for himself and other quadriplegics in Massachusetts. The work helps him stay positive.

“If I was negative and angry, my situation would be worse,” Watts observes. “Instead of dwelling on what I can’t do, I focus on what I can do.” 

Learn more about the alumnus’s fund-raising projects and other work at cwattshappening.com.

Marriages
Jennifer L. Bethke ’04, ’07 MBA to Tad M. Jones ’03, ’06 MST on May 11, 2007.
Meghan A. Faria ’04 to Patrick J. Martin on September 8, 2007.
Kara F. Jamrok ’93 to Robert E. Burgess Jr. on June 9, 2007. 
Miranda E. Kilmer ’02 to Peter R. Velonis on October 13, 2007.
Danielle M. Landry ’02 to Scott C. Morgan ’00 on June 23, 2007.
Dino LaPaglia ’98 to Julie A. Hamilton on June 16, 2007.
Jeanne M. Murphy ’95 to Roger L. Donoghue Jr. on September 28, 2007.
Melissa Nazar ’05 to Robert M. Cibelli on November 17, 2007.

Births
To Sean T. Burns ’94 and wife Kathleen, Chicago, Ill., a son, Liam Michael.
To Kalpana (Daryanani) ’99 and Puneet Chandhok ’99, Hoboken, N.J., a son, Sameerk.
To Kristin (Lewitz) ’95 and husband Christopher E. DiStefano ’95, Longmeadow, Mass., a daughter, Gracie Ann.
To Stephen R. Nani ’93 and wife Kerri, Cranston, R.I., a son, Trent Jacob.
To Stacey L. (Connors) Noel ’98 and husband Brian, Burlington, Mass., a son, Connor Robert, on October 20, 2007.
To James C. Oates ’98 and wife Stephanie, Leesburg, Va., a son, Ryan James.

1934   
Chester W. Johnson

1936   
James G. Ross

1937   
Louis T. Falcone Sr.

1939   
Frank S. Eaton
Norman Lenox
Caesar L. Zani

1940  
John Majtan

1941   
Richard M. Wheeler

1942   
Kenneth F. Kane
Edward Laats

1947   
Robert H. Jacobson
Roy A. Jacobson
J. George Moquin
Donald  F. Prideaux

1948   
George W. Drake
Robert W. McLeod
Byron H. Wetherell

1949   
Walter S. Kostigen

1950   
Richard L. Ledin
David W. Power
Louis R. Soccorso
Gordon A. Wilson

1951   
Chester A. Baran
George A. Bartlett Jr.
Bennie W. Lavernoich
Donald F. MacLeod
John A. Seyffert

1952   
Anthony J. Bille
John B. Watt

1953   
Edward A. Getman

1955   
Thomas F. Hannon
Vincent A. Polito
F. Leonard Tracy

1956   
Richard F. Connolly
Wilfred F. O. Garside
Richard E. Keene
Russell R. Squires Jr.

1957   
Hymen J. Weiner

1958   
Edward R. Donovan

1959   
Robert J. Phalan

1960   
Chester E. Baker
Jerry A. Sansiveri

1961   
William A. Fredericks

1968   
Raymond H. Matson

1969  
Wim Portier

1972   
Robert N. Southworth

1975   
Roger S. Paul

1977   
Kevin H. McAree

1982   
Faith A. Swanson

1985   
Richard J. Bonasera ’MST

1986   
Carole I. Littman

1987   
Virginia E. Rattray

1989   
Mark T. Fenton ’MBA

1993   
Amanda M. Puopolo

Louis T. Falcone Sr., a member of the Class of 1937 and one of the college’s leading benefactors, died peacefully on February 26 in Sarasota, Fla. He was 91.

 A practicing certified public accountant for more than 60 years, Mr. Falcone founded his own firm, L.T. Falcone PC; son Louis Jr. ’94 MST now heads the company. It is based in Milton, Mass., where Mr. Falcone and his family lived for several decades before moving to Florida 10 years ago.

The Falcone Family Foundation has advanced the philanthropic interests of the alumnus; his wife, Barbara; and their children. Here, their generosity has benefited the Bentley Fund, the Adamian Academic Center, successive capital campaigns, and other college initiatives.

Mr. Falcone was part of the Harry C. Bentley Society Founder’s Circle of leadership donors for many years, and a lifetime member of the President’s Club. In 1996, the Hillside residential complex on campus was renamed the Falcone Apartments to honor the family’s longstanding commitment. Bentley further recognized Mr. Falcone’s personal and professional achievements in presenting him with the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1997.

1977 | 1981 | 1983 | 1984 | 1987 | 1991 | 1993 | 1994

1977
The Broker’s Council of Eastern Massachusetts for Century 21 has elected David W. O’Neil, North Reading, Mass., as president. The alumnus is principal broker at Century 21 Spindler & O’Neil.

1981
Adele M. Annesi, Ridgefield, Conn., has won the 2007 AnyTime Award for her work as lead editor with the international IT analysis firm Gartner Inc. in Stamford. The honor recognizes her work on the company’s Alternative Delivery Models Special Report.

Sinai Foundation board chairman Stephen J. DeCesare’MSF, Sharon, Mass., was honored at the “Stepping Out with Sinai” event, held in May 2008 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston. The foundation lauded DeCesare’s many years of service to New England Sinai – a long-term, acute-care hospital. The alumnus is senior vice president for Eastern Bank.

1983
25th Reunion Class
UST Global has welcomed Thomas H. Esperson, Salem, Mass., to the post of chief technology officer. The company is a leading provider of IT services and business process outsourcing solutions for Global 2000 enterprises.

1984
William M. Parent, Walpole, Mass., has been named partner and chief investment officer at Grail Partners LLC, a merchant bank that specializes in financial services and related technology companies.

1987
Jose A. Hernandez, Tokyo, Japan, has been promoted from chief operating officer to president for American International Group Inc.

TranS1 Inc. has tapped Joseph P. Slattery, Poolesville, Md., for its Board of Directors. Slattery also will chair the Audit Committee for the company, which is located in Wilmington, N.C.

1991
Sarah M. Place, Raleigh, N.C., has been named to the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Council on Economic Education. She will support the organization’s mission by focusing on critical strategic issues, and by assisting with fiscal oversight, fund raising and community outreach. Place is president and CEO of Place Trade Financial Inc.

1993
15th Reunion Class
Moving forward to address growing worldwide demand for cyber security and technology services, Industrial Defender Inc. has appointed Donald A. Simoneau, Bedford, Mass., as senior vice president of worldwide operations.

1994
Mark A. Lundin’MSA, ’98 MSCIS, Clayton, Calif., has been elected partner at KPMG LLP. His focus will be on information security, secure electronic commerce, and outsourcing service providers.