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Winter 2016-17 Class Notes

Winter 2016-17 Class Notes

March 1, 2017 at 5:05am


1990s

Albert J. Primo ’93 was named chief innovation officer at accounting firm Kaufman Rossin. Primo was also appointed to the advisory council at Xero, a New Zealand-based software company that develops cloud-based accounting software.

Marcos M. Brito ’94 joined City National Bank as a senior corporate banking relationship manager.

Patricia M. Siles ’94, MAcc ’96, a certified public accountant, is secretary of the Zoo Miami Foundation Board of Directors.

Elsa Jaramillo-Velez ’95 is the human resources director for the City of Coral Gables. She joined the advisory board for FIU’s Master of Public Administration program.

David E. Hollander MS ’97, a certified public accountant and principal at Morrison Brown Argiz & Farra, was named vice-chairperson of Florida Atlantic University School of Accounting advisory council, which provides guidance to the school to prepare students for accounting careers.

France-Luce Benson ’99 was named one of six winning playwrights at the 2016 Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival, the nation’s premier short play competition. The winning scripts will be published by Samuel French in the 41st annual edition of its Off Off Broadway Plays collection. Benson’s play, “Risen from the Dough,” was inspired by every Haitian bakery she had ever visited, from Flatbush Avenue in New York City to Miami’s Little Haiti.


2000s

Bernardo L. Piereck ’01 was made a partner at the law firm Dechert, LLP. He deals with clients on issues related to mergers and acquisitions, divestiture, joint ventures and securities.

Erika Maldonado ’02, MS ’04 was promoted to weekday evening news anchor at Univision WGBO-Channel 66 in Chicago after working 10 years as a general assignment reporter. “Erika is an outstanding, award-winning journalist who has covered some of the most important stories in Chicago for the past 10 years,” said Univision Chicago news director Teri Arvesu.

Rubi Hurtado ’03, ’14 participated in a global field course in India. Through the program, she explored sacred groves and forest temples of the Western Ghats; examined the multifaceted relationship between people and nature; and addressed sustainability for the future.

Edmond F. Kenny ’03 was appointed senior director of alumni relations at Kentucky Wesleyan College.

Sean P. Gazitua ’04 was promoted to president and CEO of WTDC, a foreign trade zone and logistics company in Miami. He is active in the FIU Alumni Association and Sigma Phi Epsilon Alumni Volunteer Corporation.

Apphia C. Campbell ’06 was featured in American Theatre Magazine in the December 2016 “Role Call: People to Watch” spotlight. Campbell has toured Europe and Asia with her one-woman play, “Black is the Color of My Voice,” inspired by the life and the music of Nina Simone. In the feature, Nate Jacobs, founder and artistic director of Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, calls Campbell “a true professional, a God-given actress.” 

Richard A. Garcia ’06 joined City National Bank as vice president of the home association team.

Julio B. de Blas MBA ’07 is regional engineer for South Florida at Professional Service Industries in the geotechnical and construction services departments.

Viviana Jordan ’07 was elected first vice-chair of the Miami-Dade County Commission for Women, on which she has served three terms. Jordan also serves as vice president of the FIU Young Alumni Council.

Hanadys Ale ’08, MD ’13 completed her residency at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and became the first to hold the hospital’s allergy and immunology fellowship.

Jose Ripol ’09 was named among the top 50 advertising creatives in the country by AdWeek.


2010s

Nalisa S. Saati ’10 helps at-risk students in Miami-Dade make strides toward success as program director of the Miami-Dade Urban Debate League. The league recruits students from lower-income neighborhoods and provides access to mentors, tutors and scholarships.

Sarena Bahad ’10, MBA ’13 launched the new Snapchat channel @WomenInTech, which profiles women in the field from around the world.

Antonina Kulchitskaya ’11 took second place in the social sciences category at the Florida Statewide Graduate Research Symposium for her presentation on “The Four Problems of Mind-Uploading.”

Jairo Pava ’11 is a software test engineer at the South Florida tech company Ultimate Software. He began teaching part-time at FIU in Fall 2016.

Maritza A. Haro ’11, JD ’15 is an associate at the Bercow Radell & Fernandez law firm, where she works on cases involving land use, zoning, and developmental and environmental law.

Tiffany C. Huertas ’11, a reporter for KGBT-TV in Harlingen, Texas, received the Lone Star Flag and a senate proclamation for her work in the Rio Grande Valley in October 2016.

Isa Maza ’12 and Silvy I. Revilla ’12 (now Maza) were married in New York City on Oct. 8, 2016, surrounded by family and friends, many of whom are also alumni of FIU. Isa, center-left, and Silvy, center-right, are pictured at their wedding with fellow graduates of FIU.

Nathalie Louie ’13 and Alexander Louie ’14 welcomed the birth of their son, Jacob Alexander, on Jan. 29, 2016.

Tatiana Pandiani ’13 directed Princeton’s Summer Theater 2016 opening show, Stephen Sondheim’s “Assassins.” One reviewer called her production “smooth and assured.”

Jean-Baptiste M. Ramet MS ’14 joined Marcus & Millichap as a commercial real estate investment broker.

Hellen Rivas ’16 was hired as an associate producer at NBC Universal Media.