Maxwell Class Notes
Diana Rocco ’02 B.A. (PSc)
is co-anchoring News 4 San Antonio Today, a broadcast based in San Antonio, Texas.
Maryangel Rodriguez ’16 B.A. (IR)
manages the Washington, D.C., office for the Obama Foundation and is in the liberal studies master’s degree program at Georgetown University.
Lauren (Hill) Rose ’14 M.P.A.
was promoted to assistant city manager for the city of Sachse, Texas.
Stasha (Fyfe) Santifort ’02 B.A. (PSt)/ ’06 M.P.A.
was selected as one of City and State New York magazine’s Responsible 100. The award highlights those who are dedicated to helping others and exemplify the optimism and idealism that make New York a national leader, especially as partisan gridlock hinders the nation’s ability to contend with an unending pandemic, heightened racial tensions and a rising climate crisis.
Brooke Schneider ’21 M.P.A.
was appointed senior public information officer by Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh ’05 M.P.A. in November 2021. In this role she is responsible for planning, preparing and communicating critical information on government activities, services, programs and projects to Syracuse residents.
Brian Selmeski ’02 M.A. (Anth)/ ’07 Ph.D. (Anth)
was named associate vice president for learner success for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System.
Layla Mahdieh Sharaf ’17 B.A. (IR)
has begun a new position as director of the Civic Leadership Program at the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans, a Washington, D.C., organization which seeks to include Iranian Americans at all levels of the democratic process.
Peter Simmons ’98 M.P.A.
was named chief administrative officer of the town of Amherstburg in Ontario, Canada.
Stephen Soble ’72 B.A. (Hist/PSc)
is on the board of directors for TerraScale, an organization which aims to accelerate the transition to a more sustainable planet through large-scale green infrastructure and technology development globally. TerraScale is located in Culver City, Calif.
Bree Spencer ’11 M.P.A.
was confirmed to the Milwaukee Fire and Police Commission. Spencer was previously the policing program manager for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a national coalition of civil rights groups.
Satoshi Sugiyama ’18 B.A. (IR)
started a new job as an automobile and mobility technology correspondent for Reuters in Tokyo in January 2022.
Kevin Sutherland ’09 M.P.A.
is the new town manager of Bar Harbor, Maine.
Ryan Suto ’13 J.D./M.A. (IR)/M.S.P.R. (IR)
was appointed senior policy advisor for FairVote, a nonpartisan organization that seeks better elections for all. It is based in Takoma Park, Md.
Evan Theis ’06 B.A. (PSc)
and business partner Alexis Grenell have started Pythia Public, an organization that shapes public agendas for public and private sector clients.
Dennis Vicchiarelli ’20 E.M.P.A.
has been appointed managing director of research and strategy at JLL Jones Lang LaSalle in Chicago. In his new position, Vicchiarelli focuses on real estate activity in the Chicago region, serving as a market expert and partnering with the business community and public sector.
Barbara Vorhees ’70 M.A. (Hist)
has received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine from North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper. The award is the highest civilian honor in N.C.
Kathleen Walpole ’12 B.A. (Hist/PSt/PSc)
accepted the position of Central New York Humanities Corridor program manager in the Humanities Center in the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University.
Ann (Bodie) Ward ’47 B.A. (Soc)/ ’49 M.A. (Soc)
is celebrating the 75th anniversary of her Syracuse University graduation from her home in Alexandria Bay, N.Y. While a student, she was involved with the Daily Orange student newspaper and served as president of the women’s student government. She says “Syracuse University and the Maxwell School were pivotal in my life. The five years getting my two degrees showed me the path and taught me skills that enabled me to succeed in life.”
Scott Zuchorski ’98 M.P.A.
is Fitch Ratings’ new global group head of infrastructure and project finance. Fitch Ratings is an international company that provides credit ratings and credit-related research.
Christopher Alexander ’15 B.A. (PSc)
was confirmed by the New York State Senate as executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management.