Spring 2009

As I reviewed my material for this issue I realized most of the credit goes to LinkedIn (If you haven’t checked it out – do – and send me an update)!

Chris Reddy connected via LinkedIn with a long overdue (just kidding, Chris) note: “My wife Mary and I moved to Rochester in '81 and in ‘96 I joined Kodak in IT support. After 12 years, I left Carestream Health (Kodak Health Division) and joined Entre Computer Services as an IT Analyst. In January I was laid off when the company lost a B&L contract and cut way back – as low man on the totem pole...chop! ) Oh well, life goes on. I’ve been using LinkedIn to re-connect with SLU and hometown friends. Just today I heard from Rudy Schlobohm, Gary Webb, you and your sister, and waiting to hear from a few more - great idea this LinkedIn. Several times a year we get together with John (SLU-76) and Charity (? ) Johnson and Jim and Robin (?) Drago to catch up. Our Daughter Kate is a second grade teacher, son Ryan is a District Manager for Aldi's and my youngest is in school studying to be a pastry chef - move over Chef Duff! That's all for now... next report in another 32 years - no, just kidding!” Thanks, Chris!

My sister Holly Steuart Robertson and her husband Steve were happy to discover some special SLU friends living close by in PA: Dave and Sue Ellison Lackmann. Dave and Holly reconnected on Linked-In and found they live only an hour from each other! Dave is President of Burnham Commercial, a leading manufacturer of industrial, commercial and residential gas fired boilers. Dave and Sue have a 15 year-old daughter Jen. Sue is a health educator at The Wellness Center Health Campus at Lancaster General Hospital and also serves as the coordinator of the Safe Kids program in Lancaster County. Sue told Holly that Safe Kids focuses on child safety advocacy, such as encouraging the proper use of car seats. They all had a great time catching up after many years and planned to meet again soon!

Bill Sauter, an Edward Jones financial advisor in Okatie, S.C., was named a principal in February with the firm’s holding company, the Jones Financial Companies. He was one of 25 individuals chosen from more than 36,000 associates across the globe to join the firm’s 310 principals. In addition to his economics degree, Bill holds the AAMS, CRPC and CFP professional designations. Bill joined Edward Jones in 1994 and was named a regional leader in 2006; the company ranked No. 2 on FORTUNE magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For 2009” and is headquartered in St. Louis.

Bill Snipes sent an update from his home in Obama’s birth state that his February was highlighted by a visit from his older daughter from California. His wife Heather and younger daughter will start training for canoe-paddling season next month; Bill reports that, “it's a big sport here in d'islands during the summer.”
On the nonprofit/volunteer side, Bill said he hopes that Maui United Way will make its fundraising goal, despite the economy, so that they can continue to award money to deserving agencies.

And to close on a final LinkedIn note: Jill Scott Jablonski from Rochester (where the “wind was whipping”) notes “her twin daughters, Laura and Paige are graduating in May (oh my, that was quick) from Marywood College and are now in the hunt for jobs.” How many of us can relate? My son Drew is graduating from William & Mary and is in the same hunt. Yikes - it’s scary out there!