Class Notes

Melissa Bloom, LA01, is in the planning stages of a journey from Maryland to California aboard her sailboat. She will be joined by first mate Matthew Pickar, LA01; her husband, Tom Spalding; and her loyal and enthusiastic pup, Ollie. The planned journey includes an initial sail to Delaware to pick up Ivey (Raymond) Helmick, LA01, and a daring trip through the Panama Canal before following the whale migration routes north to pick up Allison (Tannenbaum) Levy, LA01, in Long Beach and then concluding the epic journey with Elizabeth (Hazelton) Pearce, LA01, in San Francisco. To date, preparation includes a day sail from the vessel’s home port outside Baltimore during which first mate Pickar did a “really good job” steering the boat.

Paul Gassett, PMBA00, was named vice president at OBATA Design, where he manages client relationships for the firm’s ESG (environmental, social and governance) and sustainability reporting division. He writes that he leverages the skills he learned at Olin Business School to guide clients, including major Fortune 100 companies, in their sustainability strategies.

Melissa Kerin Reagan, BU99, was selected as LawWeek Colorado’s Top 2023 Women Attorneys. Reagan is a member in Sherman & Howard’s trial department, where she is a member of the firm’s data security and privacy group. She also serves as the firm’s chair of talent acquisition, inclusion and diversity.

Katie Ireland, PMBA99, has joined CRB as a senior packaging engineer. She has more than 20 years of experience across iconic global brands including Starbucks, Kellogg, Ford Motor Company, Unilever and Hershey. Ireland is helping clients seeking holistic packaging, equipment and line design that maximizes a product’s shelf life, safety, ease of use and marketing appeal.

Patti Bubash, GR96, recently participated in a 10-day Fulbright Association Alumni Travel Program in-site tour of Portugal and Spain, traveling from Lisbon to Madrid. She then traveled on a 14-day Faith Journeys tour to France and Italy to celebrate Fontbonne University’s Centennial Celebration, including trips to Paris, Lyon, Le Puy-en-Velay and Rome.

Daniel A. Schwartz, LW95, has been elected as a fellow of the Class of 2023 College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Fellows are recognized as distinguished members of the labor and employment community and have practiced labor and employment law for at least 20 years. Schwartz is an attorney with Shipman & Goodwin LLP. He is also the author of the Connecticut Employment Law Blog, which was named to the ABA’s Blawg 100 Hall of Fame.

Maggie Knaus, GF95, published her first children’s book, Eleanor’s Moon (Owlkids Books, August 2023), which she wrote and illustrated. The story is about Knaus’ eldest daughter, Eleanor, and Knaus’ father (Eleanor’s grandfather) and their connection to the moon, even when they are apart. Knaus writes that while the book is illustrated with her paintings today, her 30-year career as a professional photographer was molded by her experience at WashU.

Daniel Backman, EN95, vice president of operations at Clark, Richardson & Biskup (CRB), a full-service facility design, engineering, construction and consulting firm for the life sciences and food and beverage industries, was recently elected to the CRB board of directors. Backman and his wife of 26 years, Sheena, are the parents of a daughter and two sons, and reside in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Andy Mozina, GR94, GR98, authored his fourth book of fiction, Tandem (Tortoise Books, October 2023). In the book, the perpetrator of a fatal drunk-driving hit-and-run rationalizes a romantic relationship with the mother of his victim as a type of atonement.

Miriam Laugesen, GR93, associate professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, was awarded a Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship (2023–24) for research in Tokyo. She was also named a National Academy of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow 2023, which started in September. The fellowship includes an intensive three-month orientation followed by a nine-month assignment in a congressional office or the executive branch working on health-related legislation and policy development.