Connect 78 The Dartmouth Class of 1978 Newsletter June 2008 Our 30th Reunion: June 12-15 It’s not too late to decide to attend!
To register and pay, go to http://www.dartmouth78.com/ Need to be persuaded? Tom Swartwood: Above (l-r): Dusty McQueen, Check out some of the Flew to historic Duane Peterson, Mark & activities at Easton, Md., for a Karen Frank, Win Craven, groom Dave Speer, and Ginnie occasion: the http://www.dartmouth78.com/ joyful McQueen. (Not pictured: postcards/ wedding of Dave Speer (at bride Renee DeCroes.) long last) to Renee DeCroes. ______Win Craven, Don McQueen and his wife Ginnie, Duane Tom Hopkins: I am planning Peterson (on his way to to attend the 30th Reunion and Welcome to Our New Costa Rica for a sabbatical!), looking forward to catching Class Secretary— Karen & Mark Frank, Hope up with our classmates. David Hov! Dobrow and husband, as well as Frank Hathaway ’79, wife After several years as a Many thanks again to Maggie Lisa, witnessed the blessed lawyer and then over 15 years Fellner Hunt for 11 years of event (touch and go when the in investment banking, I service as our class secretary. minister forgot the readings) started a private equity and Dave Hov has volunteered to and celebrated with advisory firm in 2003 which take over. Let him know reminscencing, dancing and has been an interesting and what’s up with you at lots of laughs. good experience. Our family [email protected]. [email protected] is doing fine: our oldest child, Amanda, just finished 2 Connect 78 her sophomore year at Rich Lougee: Cheers from My wife, Pat, is a sixth- Princeton; Jeff will be a Andy Cutler and me atop the grade teacher here in West freshman at Dartmouth in the Zugspitz, Germany's highest Lebanon. fall; and Sarah still has a peak, in February on a trip couple of years to go in high with Rich "Boomer" Son Tim (27) is an ensign school. All of their activities Akerboom ’79 to visit Goop in the U.S. Coast Guard, son have kept my wife and I very in Munich and Garmisch. Kevin (22) lives in Hawaii, busy. Goop has landed as coach of and daughter Abby (20) is the Jesenice professional finishing her sophomore year Like many of us, we are hockey club of Slovenia at UNH. looking forward with mixed which plays in the Austrian 8 Timothy Ave emotions to when our Hockey League. We actually W. Lebanon, NH 03789 youngest child goes off to did some skiing on what was [email protected] college in a couple of years. a fine day in the Alps, then it was back to the Hofbrauhaus Finally, over the last few John Carney Helps to celebrate Fasching. years I have also been able to Bring Offshore accomplish a long term goal of running several marathons, which has been both fun and rewarding. I hope that everyone is doing well and look forward to the reunion. 30 Colchester Road New Providence, New Jersey 07974
John Myer: I am practicing law in Seattle at AXIOS Law Group, a boutique intellectual property firm where I am the corporate attorney. On a personal level, I remarried in 2002, and my wife, Elise Friedbauer, is a member of Princeton’s class of ’78. Tim McNamara: I am in my Wind Power to eighth year as an Associate Delaware Recently, the Seattle area Director in Dartmouth’s Real Dartmouth alums organized a Estate Office, where I am A note from Delaware Lt. chapter of the Dartmouth responsible for the planning, Gov. John Carney: Entrepreneurial Network. design, permitting, and Our first event will be held construction of housing for Earlier this year, I secured a on May 1, and will feature graduate students, faculty and commitment from Babcock Dartmouth alumni who staff. and Brown, the parent helped grow Amazon.com. company of Bluewater Wind, to make Delaware the regional hub of their offshore 3 Connect 78 wind operation if their Webmaster Recommended for parents proposal to construct a wind Owen Astrachan of, and students entering grades 202 Longwood Dr. 7-11 this fall, it’s designed to farm off our coast is Chapel Hill, NC 27514 familiarize parents and students approved. The benefits of 919.660.6422 (w) [email protected] with the college admission this commitment are process, from researching and threefold: Newsletter Editor visiting schools, preparing for Brooks Clark interviews, and completing the First, it will lock in clean, 5325 White Horse Road application, to financial aid Knoxville, TN 37919-9344 renewable energy at an news and the first-year 865.632.8027 (w) transition. Early planning helps [email protected] affordable price for years to students increase their come. Chaplain competitive edge in college The Rev. Scott Axford admissions. Second, it will create good, 155 Power St. Participation is free but space quality jobs for Delawareans. Providence RI 02906-2024 is limited and registration is 401.454.1636 (h) required. To register, go to In order to create a [email protected] workforce to fill those jobs, www.alumni.dartmouth.edu/reun ions + click on the "Admis-sions Babcock and Brown made an Co-Head Agents Bill Daniel Workshop Registration" link. additional commitment to me 4002 Bennedict Lane Please note: this workshop is of a $150,000 grant and its Austin, TX 78746 not intended to promote your expertise to create a regional 512.306.7936 child's Dartmouth application, [email protected] training program in nor will your participation in the program be shared with our Elissa VonHeill Hylton partnership with Delaware Admissions Office. For info, Tech. 68 Dorchester Rd. Darien, CT 06820 contact [email protected] 203/655-2961 or call (603) 646-9159. The third benefit is that it [email protected] allows us to get in on the ground floor of an emerging Reunion Giving Co-chairs industry. Steve Mandel [email protected]
Barbara Dau Southwell [email protected] m
Class Officers Reunion Co-Chairs President Todd Anderson David Corey [email protected] 4134 Ottawa Avenue South Saint Louis Park, MN 55415 Steve Adnopoz [email protected] [email protected]
Treasurer Mike Pittenger Kristin Yost McChesney Treasurer & Registration 214 Hillwood Ave [email protected] Richmond, VA 23226 ______804.285.1095 At Reunion: [email protected] Admissions Tips Class Secretary David Hov During reunion, the Office of 7840 Virginia Oaks Drive Alumni Relations and the Gainesville, VA 20155-2835 Admissions Office are offering a 571-261-3580 half-day workshop on "Navi- [email protected] gating College Admissions." 4 Connect 78
In The Nick Of I’ll bite. How long does a power nap last? Time, It’s Marriage “Oh, probably 10 minutes,” For Lowery Chongchua says. “He’s amazing By Hearne Christopher Jr. how he does that. I haven’t KansasCity.com mastered it yet, but he’s got it down. He can go to sleep in a After a six-month romance, the minute and wake up nine legendary Chiefs kicker is minutes later. I can’t do it yet, looking at an early 2009 but I see the value in it, so I’m wedding to former ABC San practicing.” Diego newscaster Phoebe Chongchua (right, with Nick). Not that Lowery is perfect. His “No, he wrote me a poem,” single shortcoming? “Whenever “He was out here a couple I make the protein shakes, the weekends ago, and I was teasing Chongchua says. “He writes me a poem every day. I never would kitchen is always clean. him about being a kicker, and so Whenever he makes them, he said, ‘You try it,’” Chongchua have guessed that a football player wrote poetry. I mean, I’ve there’s always a dust trail all says. “And I did pretty good, over the counters.” pretty good — I’m not sure if not met many men that write my balls would have made it poetry, certainly not ones that I Lyrics by Nick through the uprights, but give dated. … He’s extraordinarily me some time.” talented.” The Lowery love poem that started it all: Next up: a move from Phoenix What Chongchua sees in Nick Flying in time the Kick? to San Diego for Lowery and surfing lessons from Connecting the rhyme “He’s in my hall of fame,” she Chongchua’s 4-feet-9-inch-tall, To a single moment says. “I mean, he’s a fantastic 13-year-old daughter, Siena. A blinking sign guy, and I feel so blessed. I have Western Auto a daughter, and he’s a terrific “I’ll make sure he’s safe, and my Circling the city role model for her.” daughter is a junior life-guard,” Lights and stars Chongchua says. “And I think I Dancing in panorama These days Chongchua can make good incent-ives to Winking at us concentrates on motivational make him learn how to surf. I’ll Would that we learn endeavors. wear a tight bikini.” And embrace more Each other’s noble core “I’m a writer, and I’ve written a Lowery’s finest attribute: “I As outward we reach book called If the Trash Stinks think what I enjoy most about For the heavens Take It Out,” she says. “It’s him is the mental stimulation,” That they might teach basically how we get through Chongchua says. “We connect at Us to soar periods in our life that are such a high level and the Ricki Fairley-Brown spiritual side. You know what? different and if we’re going Presides over Black through a great period how to I’m such a Type A personality, stay on track.” and I’m very high-energy. And Alumni of Dartmouth Nick does this thing where he Association The couple’s brief first date went can power nap, so he’s teaching down in the Westin Crown me how to power nap and let go. Ricki Fairley-Brown is serving Center. Did Lowery jet out to It’s something I’ve never been as president of the The Black San Diego for date No. 2? good at.” Alumni of Dartmouth Association (BADA), which held 5 Connect 78 its18th reunion held over "I've seen her grow, and it was Memorial Day weekend. good to see it all culminate into A number of alumni and staff this award that I believe fits her have gotten personally involved In a May 27 article by Julie perfectly," Obeng-Aduasare, in a project to substantiate the Kim of The Dartmouth, Ricki whom Kasitaza mentors, said. preeminence of Dartmouth in the noted that BADA is involved in "She's been a role model to me." world of skiing the College's presidential search This group plans to publish a process, pointing to the growth BADA hosts alumni on book, and create a film of the College and increased campus for similar reunions two documentary, on this subject. diversity as key factors that to three times each year, Fairley- They invite all alumni to join should be considered during the Brown said. them in helping to uncover search. "I was really awed to be in the interesting stories and facts to "Clearly, the priority is presence of Dartmouth's black properly tell all aspects of this someone who supports diversity, alumni and see how far they've previously untold tale! You may as President Wright did," she come," Obeng-Aduasare said. know things that have never said. "BADA's involvement in the been written down, are long lost, black community has helped BADA has aimed to bring or are happening right now. The empower us in our endeavors. alumni together to support black material coming is a fantastic The reunion is important students at Dartmouth since its statement on how Dartmouth has because there are a lot of alumni inception in 1972, according to impacted skiing and the lives of here this weekend I would not Fairley-Brown. skiers though out the world! You have met any other way." can see more details on this "Our mission for the future is Simon Trabelsi '08 said a project at clearly the same as our mission panel of students who described for the past -- to foster diversity their Dartmouth experiences to at the College, support the the alumni was a particularly students and to continue our important part of the reunion. mission of supporting African American students on campus," "They can see the legacies she said. they have left behind," Trabelsi said. "We're sitting here where The association, for example, they were sitting 15, 20 years helped fund 15 students' plans to ago. "Trabelsi added that the travel to Chicago to work in an reunion provided networking AIDS clinic in June, according opportunities for black students. to Yaa Obeng-Aduasare '10, who
group of Chinese CEOs, a lot of as were many of the managers of Buffett (Warren, Germans, a housewife, finance BRK’s portfolio companies. And not Jimmy) students, and at least one devout Buffett responded to every Christian. There were no hotel question; although Charlie often On May 9 Tom Swartwood made vacancies within 60 miles of the stuck to his trademark line of “I a pilgrimage to see and hear Qwest Center. I came away from have nothing to add.” When Warren Buffett, the Oracle of the whole event with an optimistic Munger did have something to Omaha, in person. Despite the outlook for my future and the add, however, he pulled no derisory comments of his dear future of my children. punches. Buffett was generally wife: optimistic about opportunities for I was the guest of my good friend Berkshire and for the country; Ooh, maybe you can touch the from Birmingham, Alabama, John hem of his robe. Maybe you can Munger was less sanguine and T. Bird, author of a biography of clearly frustrated by some of the wash his feet. I mean, c’mon, Twin Killing: The Bill Mazeroski what’s the big deal; you can read “stupidest” things he has ever Story and a new book titled encountered: the ethanol craze and all his comments afterward and Fuchsia Shock2, a guide to 151 watch it on YouTube too. It’s just the subprime mortgage debacle commonly misspelled words and which he described as “sweeping like the time you interrupted Pat how to remember to spell them Riley at that bar on the Upper bums off Skid Row and giving correctly. He first became a them mortgages.” East Side, Berkshire Hathaway shareholder He made the 130 mile trip in about some years back when he accepted Buffett looked a little frail when he two hours, and here are his notes: a share of BRK stock in lieu of a walked by in the Exhibition hall cash payment for editing the first where about a dozen of BRK’s For more wisdom like this, visit edition of Of Permanent Value: portfolio companies exhibited their Tom’s blog: The Story of Warren Buffett. He wares. He was hale and hearty on http://thepointergroup.blogspot.com/ later secured financing for the stage though, and neither he nor Mazeroski book with that one Munger missed a beat during their Although the whole Berkshire share, and today is the happy 6+ hours’ of interaction with Hathaway thing was a little cultish, owner of a B share. Small world. investors. One must wonder how it was a great experience. For long they will be around: in fact, Now, I have attended plenty of anyone in the finance business or the first question centered on interested in the stock market, it is annual meetings, and read about succession plans. a must. 31,000 happy (except for a many more. None celebrated, and few members of the Klamath most failed to acknowledge, the Without offering details Buffett tribe1) Berkshire Hathaway shareholders as Berkshire does. repeated prior statements that they investors crammed the Qwest Remember Robert Nardelli, former have identified a number of able Center in Omaha to listen to CEO of Home Depot and former successors and indicated that the Buffett and Charlie Munger, Vice candidate for GE CEO? He simply company would like break down Chairman hold forth. Heck, refused to take shareholder the functions he serves into a t 60,000 people crowded into Yankee questions at his last Home Depot least two or three distinct positions. Stadium to see the Pope , and he’s Annual Meeting and many But for now, Buffett and Munger only been on the job a few years. members of HD’s Board of are clearly in control. Directors chose to stay home and The two senior execs (and I mean Following are excerpts from the avoid all contact with owners of senior; Buffett is 77 and Munger is Q&A session. 84!) respectfully responded to their company. Granted, Buffett unscripted, unfiltered audience and his sidekick, Munger, fielded Buffett: mostly softball questions and rarely questions. Questioners included a Berkshire will not be able to 9-year- old and a 12-year-old, a missed a chance to promote Sees candy, Wrigley gum and Coke as sustain the double digit returns it community college teacher who got has generated to date; the universe the biggest laugh of the day, a the keys to longevity. The entire board was in attendance3, though, of potential deals for them is just 1 too small (because of the size They were protesting a needed to move the needle). hydro power facility; Dave 2 I bet you did not know how Sokol, CEO of MidAmerican to spell “fuchsia” which is Energy handled their derived from the name of questions with dignity and the scientist Fuchs. made me wonder aplomb. He’s on the short 3 Including Bill Gates, 2nd momentarily about the low list to succeed Buffett. richest man in the world, level of security. 7 Connect 78
The country will be better for our exhibition hall: Fruit of the Loom, children and grandchildren. Dairy Queen, Justin Boots, Acme Brick, Ginsu Knives, Geico, Sees If you could buy 10% of one Chocolate, Mars/Wrigley = a real person, who would you buy? slice of Americana). Surround yourself with that kind of person. They are going to Europe: Germany, U.K and a couple others Nobody has proposed a windfall to get the word out that BRK is profits tax on corn or soy beans. interested in buying family owned All 3 presidential candidates are businesses with strong good; the country will prevail. management. “We are the best place for those companies to go.” If someone walked into this arena weighing 300-350 lbs, I’d know he At the average age of 80, we're was fat…we’re looking for fat (Buffett and Munger) aging at the companies; that is, companies fat average rate of only 1 1/4% per with potential.1 We stick to what year. That's a lot better than we understand…I’ve never done a younger people. deal where after the fact more due Munger: diligence would have helped avoid a loss, but it might have cost us a Use up coal first; oil and gas have few winners. other and more important uses. We need a strong head of Ethanol is one of the stupidest regulation, not more agencies or a things he’s seen; not quite as bad more complex regulatory structure. as sweeping bums of Skid Row and giving them mortgages, but Suppose your dad told you could close.In the end we will be left have any car you want, but it with only the sun; we should be would be the only car you ever got. developing ways to tap into it. You’d take care of that car. You only get one body and one mind; “Assets beyond reach” Munger take care of it (as he snacks on used this phrase to describe the Sees chocolate and Coke). derivative securities many financial institutions carry on their balance A brand is a promise. (Hard not to sheets. They are only good until be impressed at the selection of reached for, then they recede just brand names present in the beyond the grasp of the institution. 1 Referring to BRK’s I do not think we'd have this mess PetroChina trade, Buffett if women were running all the explained that after reading financial institutions2. the annual report and CEOS have a moral duty to be based on his knowledge of underpaid; they should refuse to the oil & gas business, he accept disproportionate concluded that PetroChina compensation. was worth about $100 BB, but the market cap was only $35 BB. BRK invested $500MM and cashed out for $4 BB four years later. It 2 He actually said this at the didn’t matter if the real Wesco Annual meeting the value was $95BB or Wednesday after the BRK $105BB; just like it doesn’t meeting, but it illustrates matter if the guy weighs his frustration with the 300 or 350 pounds; mismanagement he sees as PetroChina was fat with the root cause of the potential and skinny on risk. mortgage mess.