Association news & class notes
2007
Martin Camper is in his ninth year as a professor of writing at Loyola University Maryland, and since 2021, he has directed Loyola’s Center for the Humanities. In January 2023, he became engaged to Jerry Schearer, who also works in higher education, as interim assistant vice president and dean of students at Kutztown University. They have three dogs: a boxer-pug mix named Joey, a Shiba Inu named Samson, and a Boston terrier named Photo. Martin continues to live in Baltimore.
Caitlin Potter Ciorletti is still teaching in the Philadelphia School District. She and her husband, Michael, and their daughter, Kelly, vacation each summer in the Adirondacks, trying a new lake every year. They recently purchased a new home in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania. Caitlin keeps in touch with her Omega sisters and looks forward to their yearly Moms’ Weekend in Ocean City, Maryland.
Britnie Greene Ehret had a second son, Daniel Andrew Ehret, on May 6, 2022. She is also staying busy with her toddler, Carter, and her business of renting out baby gear for traveling families in the area.
Rachael Dickey Gilde celebrated her ninth wedding anniversary with husband George Gilde. She recently started a new job with the Maryland Port Administration focused on outreach about the Port of Baltimore and the variety of ecological restoration work that is involved in maintaining shipping channels. She has had the pleasure of working with several McDaniel alumni in her field over the past five years and has loved seeing the wonderful professionals generated by the college. She and George have four beautiful children: Brayden, 19; June, 9; Levi, 5; and Maisie, 4. Things came full circle while taking stepson Brayden on college visits, including several stops at McDaniel. It was wonderful to be back and see how it’s grown!
By day, David Greisman is now the media relations manager for Capital Impact Partners, which helps close the racial wealth gap in communities throughout the United States. When he’s not working, David loves to hit the trails at national parks, visiting 18 of them since late 2021, including the Grand Canyon, Big Bend in Texas, and Haleakala in Hawaii.
Theresa Hess had been living and practicing veterinary surgery in snowy Syracuse, New York, for the past year and a half. She recently moved south again to Chattanooga, Tennessee, for a better job opportunity. In August 2022, Theresa lost the first dog she ever raised on her own to cancer. In October 2022, Theresa was awarded the McDaniel College Young Alumni Award. In November 2022, another sweet dog stole her heart with one pleading look to save her from euthanasia (she required surgery that her family could not afford). The surgery was a success, and she has been the best split-second decision Theresa has made in life to this point!
Chloe Watson Irla was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor of Art with tenure at McDaniel effective August 2022. She spent the fall of 2022 on sabbatical, and while it was a break from teaching, Irla kept busy by earning a professional certificate in client relations from AIGA, taking gardening and public art classes, and producing work for her solo exhibition at McDaniel during January 2023.
Scott Koleszar is keeping busy with the new addition to the family, Ryan Scott Koleszar, born Feb. 11, 2022. He and Lauren Schwartzbart Koleszar ’11 still reside in Sykesville, Maryland, which is close enough to the Hill to make routine visits. Scott also left the auto industry after 10 years and now works as an order manager for a tech manufacturer.
Matt Lufkin and Jamie Janowich Lufkin reside on the north shore of Massachusetts, with their two daughters. Matt is a senior product marketing manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific. He received an M.B.A. from Boston University in 2019. Jamie supports the U.S. Air Force as a defense contractor. You can find Matt at CrossFit and always working to accomplish his personal goals and build friendships. Jamie stays grounded with yoga practice, fitness, books, and trending television series. Both are enjoying their daughters’ activities, which include basketball, gymnastics, soccer, and school.
Kurt Rauschenberg, Sociology major and Army ROTC graduate, recently celebrated the birth of his son, Grayson. He also recently celebrated his military retirement after serving almost 23 years in the Maryland Army National Guard. This is very exciting for Kurt since he can now grow a full beard. He’s currently a public affairs professional for the federal government and has a part-time side business, called Paradigm Shift Communications, LLC, providing public relations consultation to local businesses and organizations.
Time sure has flown by for Josh Russin and Maggie Lebherz. Josh and Maggie still enjoy running their specialty retail shop, L.O.V.E., in historic downtown Frederick, Maryland, and are spending as much time as they can with their 4-year-old son, Orion. Over the summer of 2022, they acquired a beautiful, wooded property in northern Frederick County to tent camp, hike, and fish when they can. They love swimming in the stream on their property, clambering over boulders, and looking for animal footprints. Orion loves camping and has become quite the naturalist and outdoor explorer. Josh continues to remain in touch with other Class of 2007 alumni, including Sean Maslin, Andy Cummings, Rob Goeke, Steve Furst, and Beth McLane Angleberger. Even though he missed the Class Reunion in 2022, he hopes to return to the Hill this fall!
Samantha Hemler-Parthree Schlitzer added a four-legged fur baby to her family in May 2021! River, a female boxer pup, adds excitement and warmth to the home and is currently in training to be a service dog. Just one year later, Up Schlitz Creek made its maiden voyage on Lake Marburg in Codorus State Park! The 20-foot Bennington pontoon boat is a wonderful place to spend lazy summer days with friends and family. In August 2022, Samantha decided that 13 years in municipal government was enough, and she shifted her career focus back to forward-facing customer service. She found a new position at Doceo, a technology service company based in York, Pennsylvania, and it has been an amazingly rewarding experience! Samantha still maintains her position as a communications officer with the Department of Campus Safety and looks forward to reaching the 20-year milestone in 2024.
Jon Silverman got engaged on April 1, 2022, to Adden Laughlin, of Sherborn, Massachusetts. Jon asked Brian Hartwyk ’08 be one of his co-best men. Jon also hosted a couple of McDaniel Budapest students in Los Angeles. It was great to reconnect after all these years.
Kathleen Woodward has been a physician assistant since 2009 (“14 years, holy smokes!”), but she recently moved from a position in trauma/general/vascular surgery to critical care (ICU) medicine in the fall of 2021 and still dabbles in surgery from time to time. While her marriage ended in an amicable divorce in 2021, she is still out living her best life and proving that just because it didn’t work out the way you planned doesn’t mean it didn’t work out for the best. Even though they are all scattered around the U.S. these days, she keeps in touch with her McDaniel roomies: Chelsea Phillips Clark, Lindsey Grieb Graves, Melissa Magnuson Salemie, Heather Williams Barton, and Melanie Scocco Greenway and looks forward to their get togethers — whether they are virtual or in person.
Jeff Zamostny was promoted to the rank of professor of Spanish and appointed director of the Office of Undergraduate Research at the University of West Georgia. His co-edited volume “Towards the Digital Cultural History of the Other Silver Age Spain” came out in 2022.
As for me, Chelsea Phillips Clark, my husband, Phillip; daughter, Emma; and I moved into our dream home in Westfield, Indiana, the week of Thanksgiving 2021. We have spent the past year settling in and making updates, including recently renovating the entire kitchen ourselves. Phil and I have also been busy growing our business and team, as our consulting organization, ENABLE Special Needs Planning, has expanded, and now serves families with loved ones with special needs nationwide. We recently joined a 12-month mastermind group for entrepreneurs and have been enjoying traveling to quarterly live events in Scottsdale, Arizona, in addition to traveling around the country to present planning-related workshops at several national conferences every year. We can’t believe our baby girl is already 3 years old. She’s frequently begun insisting that she’s a “big girl” and needs to transition from her crib to a “big-girl bed,” but this mama isn’t quite ready to believe it! I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with most of my NV 191 roomies (Lindsey Grieb Graves, Kathleen Woodward, Melanie Scocco Greenway, and Heather Williams Barton) along with other 2007 grads at our 15-year Class Reunion in April 2022 — and Emma surprised us all by loving the Green Terror mascot.
Chelsea Phillips Clark2007 Class Reporter14926 Warner TrailWestfield, IN 46074chelseajclark86@gmail.com301-606-0746