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• HOMECOMING SEPT. 21, 2002

• FAMILY WEEKEND OCT. 25-27, 2002

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Robert Understein ’63, who serves on the McIntire School’s Advisory Board, has been named CFO of Las Vegas-based Mego Financial Corp. Mego Financial, established in 1969, is a developer and operator of vacation ownership resorts and developed and undeveloped real estate properties and is a provider of consumer financing to purchasers of leisure properties. The company recently announced plans to launch a new corporate identity, including a change in the corporation’s name to Leisure Industries Corp. and an associated change in ticker symbol (LESR). The change is part an overall restructuring and repositioning of the company as a full-service, vertically integrated travel and leisure services provider. Under Understein’s leadership as CFO, Leisure Industries will take a more strategic approach to financial policy and capital raising to leverage its strong base in the leisure business. Understein has directed venture capital and syndicated real estate financing projects for such prominent hotel chains as Holiday Inn, Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt. He has also led equity-raising efforts and managed investments for various ventures in real estate, communications, and other businesses.

Andy Downing ’78 “retired” as President and COO of Metro Information Services in January 2002. His retirement didn’t last long; he started GlobeMed Resources, an international medical staffing company in May 2002. Mr. Downing addressed McIntire’s entrepreneur class in spring 2002.

John Dick ’79 and Mary Valenta announce the birth of their second child and son, Evan Charles, born Feb. 4, 2002. John is EVP and CIO of Regions Financial Corp., in Birmingham, Ala. They relocated to Birmingham from Detroit, where John held a similar position with GMAC. 

Peter J. Dunne ’80 has been promoted to General Manager of the South Florida Region of Kelmscott Communications LLC, consisting of Franklin Graphics, Trade Litho, and Lauderdale Graphics. In addition to graduating from the McIntire School, Peter also received an MBA from the University of Miami. He was recently CFO of the South Florida Group. Kelmscott is a nationwide printing and graphics arts firm.

Mike Sumner ’80 recently stepped down as Chairman of the Coweta County Board of Education after four years of service. He continues to serve on the board of one of the fastest-growing school systems in the Southeast. Sumner also serves on the Board of the University of Georgia Law School Alumni Association. 

James Toups ’80 recently announced that East Coast Fire Protection (ECFP), a company he founded in 1997, has been named the Metropolitan Richmond “Impact” Company of the Year for 2001 by the Metropolitan Richmond Chamber of Commerce. This is in recognition of ECFP’s rapid and profitable growth to seven offices and 370 employees over the past four years. The “Impact” award comes on top of Toups and ECFP receiving the year 2000 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Commercial Services division for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“These awards reflect the effort and energy of an excellent management team,” Toups says. “It also reflects highly upon the outstanding educational foundation I received from McIntire and the University of Virginia. Life safety is what ECFP is about, which is rewarding in itself. It is also exciting to be a Virginia-based high-growth business.”

Toups is President and CEO of ECFP, a provider of fire sprinkler and fire alarm installation and services for commercial, residential, industrial, and municipal customers from offices in Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; Richmond, Va.; Roanoke, Va.; Chesapeake, Va.; Raleigh, N.C.; and Atlanta. Without office space when founded, ECFP’s management team met its first week in the eating area of a local McDonald’s each morning.

Jennifer and Robert Lendler.

Jennifer L. Kutcher ’86 and Robert W. Lendler were married Sept. 8, 2001. Jennifer is a Management Consultant for PricewaterhouseCoopers, specializing in the gaming and hospitality industry. Robert is a Quality Assurance Specialist/Developer for Vertex Inc., a software company. After a honeymoon in Venice, Portofino, and Lake Como, the couple returned to Philadelphia, where they now reside. 

Neil Wilkin ’86 (Darden/Law ’94) has been named President of Roanoke-based Optical Cable, in addition to his duties as CFO. The company manufactures and markets a broad range of fiber optic cables for high-bandwidth transmission of data, video, and audio communications over short to moderate distances.

Melissa Snelson ’90 joined Stonehill Group LLP, a Minneapolis consulting firm, as a Principal in January 2002. She continues to practice in litigation consulting and expert witness testimony. 

Lisa Morowitz Hopp ’91 and her husband, Craig, are pleased to announce the birth of their second child, Leah Regan, born March 20, 2002. The Hopp family lives in Mill Creek, Wash. 

David Mele ’92 (Darden ’99) and Jennifer (Ryan) Mele ’92 are proud to announce the birth of their second child, Kyle Ryan, born March 24, 2002. Kyle joins big sister Katie, age 2, in the Mele family. David, who completed his MBA at Darden in 1999, is a New Ventures Director with Landmark Communications, in Norfolk, Va., and Jennifer is a busy stay-at-home mother.

Cassandra Cannova Pettit ’94 is expecting her second child in September 2002. She is currently working in New Business Development for Davis Advertising while pursuing a master’s in education. Pettit lives in Gainesville, Va.

Carter Townsend ’95, “after leaving my gig as guitar roadie for Eddie Van Halen,” he says, is developing financial software for FactSet Research Systems in San Francisco. He’d love to hear from his fellow “fish” at carter_townsend@hotmail.com.

Eric Modell ’97 left PricewaterhouseCoopers and joined his father in business, making Eric the fourth generation in the family business, Gerald Modell Inc., as a diamond importer and jewelry wholesaler/retailer. Says Eric, “I’ve taken valuable lessons from both my years at the Comm School and PricewaterhouseCoopers and am trying to introduce a nineteenth century company (we were established in 1893) into the twenty-first century. Needless to say, I work much harder now than ever before, but I must admit, I am enjoying myself more than I ever thought I would.” Eric plans to continue supporting the Modell Family Scholarship at the McIntire School and is proud to be able to help a growing number of students. 

Bryan Van Vranken ’97 will be a member of the Class of 2004 at the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business.

Kailyn Tan ’99 has been working as a consultant in New York the past 3 years. She will attend the University of Michigan’s MBA program starting in September 2002 and plans to focus in general management and corporate strategy.