RE LOG - Spring 2017

SPRING 2017 Ransom Everglades LOG 51 successful entrepreneur and own two com- panies that do two totally different things. I was a tax and corporate lawyer for some time, but I have not practiced law for more than 20 years.” Stephen Lackey has become vice chairman of BNY Mellon, Pennsylvania region, and taken a new strategic client management role within its global client management group. http://bit.ly/2cpiCH2 Jeri L. Wolfson unveiled special works from her collection as part of an exhibit entitled “The Pursuit of Abstraction” at the Wolfsonian on Oct. 13, 2016. Head of School Penny Townsend attended the event sponsored by Bacardi, Funding Arts Network and Northern Trust. Wolfson introduced the show and Wolfsonian Curator Matthew Abess explained the col- lection. Among those in attendance: Terry Schechter (Parent of Alumni - PAL), Louis Wolfson (PAL), Jeri Helfman (PAL), Jenna Helfman ’10 , Jayne Abess (PAL), Arthur Agatston (PAL), Marianne Divine (PAL), Eric Vainder (CP), RE Director of Alumni Relations Vicki Carbonell Williamson ’88 and RE Director of Advancement Greg Pollard. Caron Cole ’75 provided the deli- cious catering. 1976 Robert First writes, “I am a software engineer working at LexisNexis and live in Raleigh, NC. I have been married to a fantastic women for 30 years and we do not have any children. We met practicing the martial arts at the University of Florida back in 1980 and we have been teaching martial arts together, after work, for the past 30 years. We do this as our labor of love; we have never charged for any of our classes. She is also a software engineer. My life since RE has been full and exciting. After college I lived in Boca Raton, Fla., until 1995 when I moved to Raleigh in the dot com craze. I have had several careers including owning a beach service, a health club and a restaurant all while being a stock broker and finally a software engineer for the past 18 years. I was not a great or even a good student in my days at RE but even so, RE allowed me to be me and I will always cherish that.” Joanna Rago writes, “I’ve been trying to recall the roots of my ‘service’ work. I believe it began when I attended St. Stephens Episcopal Day School and our 6th-grade class (1969-70) went to Key Biscayne to pick up trash. ( Betsy Burnett Knoblock ’76, Sue Crocker Hansen ’76, Debbie Turner ’76 and Tommy Noto ’76 were classmates there and at RE.) I can’t recall if this was connected to the first Earth Day in 1970 but it was the end of my being a ‘litterbug’ and perhaps the seeds of my work in environmental stewardship. Since then I have volunteered throughout most of my life – at Everglades School with the St. Alban’s school project and in a variety of schools and organizations in college and beyond. One of the most memorable opportunities was serving for many years as a volunteer mas- sage therapist with Boulder County Hospice in the ’80s. In 1996, I started Loveland Youth Gardeners (a nonprofit organization in Loveland, CO) to serve young people, primarily at-risk and special needs youth, who face extra challenges in their lives. I served as Executive Director until the end of January 2015. The mission of LYG is to cultivate skills, stewardship and service in young people through sustainable garden- ing and healthy living practices. I’m very proud that LYG continues to grow and thrive and I’m especially proud of former students who have continued to serve their communities beyond their participation in LYG. Environmental stewardship has been a lifelong passion for me, and much of my current paid and volunteer work is focused in this area by assisting local organizations with conservation and stewardship efforts. In addition, I am involved with the local Episcopal church community garden, pro- viding fresh produce for low-income resi- dents. I recently helped with the Homeless Count in our community. It is connected to the annual national project with Coalition for the Homeless. Like a multitude of others who give their time, I know that my life is richer because of these opportunities!” 1977 Tom Flipse writes, “We have a new baby. Thomas Matthew Flipse born August 11, 2016, 7.8 lbs., 21 inches.” Lisa Shaw writes, “I’m living in Barcelona with my three kids, Sophia (16), and twins Owen and Charlotte (12), and savoring lots of fun adventures, European travel and good eats. We’re enjoying the exposure to new cultures, languages and a different perspective on the U.S. from afar. Call us if you come to town! I’m looking forward to our April 2017 40-year reunion event! I hope most of you will join, too, since this milestone promises to be a relaxed weekend filled with fun memories.” 1978 Marina Angleton writes, “I am the Founder/Lead Writer of The Write Essay. As the recipient of nine Emmy Awards, I believe that television writ- ers are powerful storytellers. I assembled a talented group of writers and founded my company 11 years ago with two goals: help students tell their stories and realize their college acceptance goals. We’ve been very success- ful, but I felt the need to aid those who are less fortunate. Recently, I learned that many inner-city schools do not have the capacity to help students navigate the process. Some high schools have only one adviser for 400 high school seniors! I arranged to have our writers donate time to help these students write their essays and fill out applications. The stories they tell us and the obstacles they have overcome are heartwarming. As we watch ‘our kids’ head off to college, I am proud that we are able to play a small part in helping them reach their dreams!”