Class Notes

Class Notes

1960

Walter Kehm (LA) writes, “Hi guys.  Living in Calabria, Italy, now for two months exploring hill towns.  Matera is my home base.  On to Alberobello and Martina Franca for a day of walking and living simply. Ciao."

1963

Frederick Gerty (FRM) has downsized and moved from New York to Mountain City, TN, to a ranch house on five acres. He's now close to his daughter and the Cherokee National Forest and Watauga Lake. The land includes a small woodlot with mature and overmature white pines, all tall and straight, no weevil damage, and some oaks. He'd planned to do a shelter wood harvest last fall, but Hurricane Helene arrived and blew all the large trees down, leaving them tangled on the ground. Now he's left with a salvage operation for the magnificent logs and hopes to get them out before they rot.

Curt Reese (PSE) writes, "Brenda and I are fine; we moved to a retirement community in Appleton, WI in January. Enjoying leaving maintenance to others."

1972

Paul Chakroff (EFB) writes, "Seven years ago, my wife Marilyn Shook Chakroff (BS 1972, MS 1976) and I retired to Portugal from our home in the US Virgin Islands. I enrolled in the University of Lisbon to study for a PhD in Climate Change and Sustainability and was awarded my PhD Summa Cum Laude in January 2025. I will be teaching a course next fall on my findings at Washington College in Chestertown, MD, where we also own a house. Our plan is still to reside half time in Portugal and half time in Maryland. Marilyn is writing her memoir, and I am writing papers for publication. Friends Gary Jacob '72 and wife Linda SU '73 visited in January as well."

1975

Ed Czyscon holding ESF flag in Vallingby, Sweden

Ed Czyscon (LA) writes, “In 1974, I did my ESF School of Landscape Architecture Off-Campus Study in Stockholm, Sweden. My study was on the New Town Development of Vallingby, a town about 8 miles outside of Stockholm. After 50 years, I finally got to revisit Vallingby, Sweden with my ESF gear.”

1976

Laurie Weiss (FRM) writes, “ESF seems so long ago, but I often think of the people I met there. As for me, after a short, 8-year career with Crown Zellerbach (you can guess what happened there, in the mid-80s), I went back to school for an MBA and transferred to the high-tech industry. I’ve been “retired” for a while now, having quit that after 19 years; culture changed, and it wasn’t fun anymore. So, I started bookbinding; several of my artist’s books have been exhibited and are in private and special collections. I’m still living in beautiful western Oregon, on the northwest end of the Chehalem Mountains, making books, walking my dog, beekeeping, gardening, playing golf, traveling, visiting with friends… I understand now why my retired Dad was always too busy for a visit when he just had to pick up something at the cleaners. I hope my ESF friends are also doing well.”

1978

William Foxenberg (CHE) writes, "Retired in 2019 after 40 years in O&G where I used my Chemistry degree to my benefit. Had great professors to establish the foundation. Been based in Houston for most of that time. Son just graduated from UT and is in Dallas. Cheers to my fellow classmates."

1981

Ann Wood (EFB) writes, "Hello to those who might remember me. Still working for the US Army Environmental Command in San Antonio, TX as the Chief of the West and Pacific Division. But looking at retirement sometime soon. A shout out to the gals of Redfield Place and to the woodsmen team way back when. Spectacular memories and I hope you all are having fantastic lives!"

1982

Todd Makenzie (CHE) writes, "Greetings fellow chemistry alumni and faculty, it's nice to see a few of those still kicking. A special hello to Paul Carlow for spending two days on phenol formaldehyde chemistry. I worked with them for 35 years. "

1985

James Galvin (ES) writes, "After a turbulent career, I’m retired. The son that was born during my last semester is now a Major in the Marine Corp. The son born after is fighting fires and serving casualties in Delaware. ESF and Marshall Hall was 40 years ago but still created some of my fondest memories.”

1986

Gary Lipp (EFB) writes, "Stepped down after 4 years of being the President of our Alumni Association. I really enjoy helping our amazing unique institution and anything I can do to bleed a little more of my green blood, I will do it. Very proud to be a Stumpie (Mighty Oak)!"

2004

ESF alumni at adult leadership training course, Wood Badge

 

Kimberly Cargill (EFB) writes, "The amazing thing about ESF is that when you run into other alumni out in the world you immediately have a connection. That's something that's really special and rare about this college that you just don't see in many other places. I really love that about ESF. I recently was on staff for an adult leadership training course through Scouting America, called Wood Badge. Several of us realized that we are ESF alumni and took this picture together!”

Photo caption: Pictured (left to right): Kimberly Cargill '04 EFB; Brendan Flaherty, '19 Forest Ecosystem Science; Spencer Wells '23 ERE; Steve Haller '08 NRM; Mike Cargill EST '04 NRM '06

2008

Kristy (Blakely) Schmitt (EST) has been employed as the Programs Manager at the Buffalo Museum of Science working closely with several fellow Stumpies both at the Museum and Tifft Nature Preserve. She welcomed her second daughter, Rowan, on the summer solstice of last year. Her oldest daughter, Linden, turns 9 this summer.

2009

ESF alumni at 2024 Joint Meeting of MAWWG and NEBAWWG

Portia Osborne (EFB) writes, “I wanted to reach out to share the attached picture that we took at a recent wetlands meeting after realizing that 5 of us in attendance were ESF alumni! It was a great chance to connect and share memories of our time at ESF. It's inspiring to see the great work that ESF alums are doing!”

Photo at the 2024 Joint Meeting of the Mid-Atlantic Wetlands Workgroup (MAWWG) and the New England Biological Assessment of Wetlands Workgroup (NEBAWWG), held Nov. 12-14 in Northampton, MA. 

Pictured (left to right): Greg Podniesinski, Ph.D. (ES) '96, now at Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program, Laura Shappell, B.S. (EFB) '06, now at New York Natural Heritage Program, Portia Osborne, B.S. (EFB) '09 and M.S. Ecology '11, now at National Association of Wetland Managers, Jessica Bouchard, M.S. (Plant Science and Biotechnology) '13, now at New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau, Amanda Pachomski, M.S. (Fish and Wildlife Biology and Management) '17, now at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Wetlands Inventory]

2012

David Enden (EFB) is Communications Director at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge and writes, "We rescued many of the cats from the bad guys in Netflix’s ‘Tiger King,’ and recently took in all of Carol Baskins’ cats as she closed her doors. Through that acquisition, we built over 30 new exotic cat habitats in just under a year."

2016

Cara Keogh Specht and Aileen Gray

Cara Keogh Specht (FRM) and Aileen Gray '15 (NRM) reconnected at the recent Trees SC spring Arborist Workshop. Aileen was a speaker, presenting on "Right Tree, Right Place - Utility Planting Guidelines." It was a pleasant opportunity for them to catch up during the event.

2025

Anna Carman (EST) writes, “Taking a break to get more experience in environmental journalism and save money to do environmental volunteering worldwide. Through that, I hope to write and publish more stories and soon find a journalist job that I love.”

 

 


 

Share your updates with us

We love hearing about all the exciting things happening in the lives of our alumni community. Whether you've started a new job, achieved a career milestone, or have special news, we'd love to share your story.

 

We welcome photos with your class notes! Please email any high-quality images to alumni@esf.edu