A. Vincent Buzard ’64, leader of the Harris Beach PLLC Appellate Litigation and Advocacy Practice Group, became chair of the American Bar Association’s Council of Appellate Lawyers at the Appellate Judges Education Institute Summit held in New Orleans November 16 – 18.

Vince is a partner at Harris Beach in the Rochester, NY area office, and the founder and leader of the Appellate Litigation and Advocacy Practice Group.  After Wabash, he graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School.  Click here to read the complete news release.

Congratulations, Vince!

Photo courtesy of
Harris Beach PLLC.

Chris Atkins ’97 has been appointed director of the Office of Management and Budget in the new Gov. Mike Pence administration in Indiana.

Chris has prior governmental experience working for Gov. Mitch Daniels during his terms, as well as several national policy positions at the Tax Foundation and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).  After Wabash, Chris earned his JD and master’s degree in public affairs  from the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University- Bloomington.  Click here  to read more.

Congratulations, Chris!

Roy Sexton ’95, vice president of marketing and strategic planning for Trott & Trott, P.C. (Trott), a Farmington Hills, Mich.-based law firm serving the mortgage banking industry, was recently appointed to the Michigan Mortgage Lenders Association’s (MMLA) Southeast Chapter Board of Governors.

Roy will be busy during his two-year term as the chapter’s membership liaison. Click here to read more.

Congratulations, Roy!

Michael Bricker ’04 is the founder of PUP (People for Urban Progress) – the nonprofit whose proceeds help to improve Indianapolis urban life.  Start your holiday shopping today at noon by bidding via EBay on Super Bowl XLVI reclaimed items.  Here is the info, straight from PUP’s web site:

“GOODS FOR GOOD!

SUPER BOWL XLVI banners and signs launch for auction on EBay starting Nov. 21st at noon! LINK HERE.

We will continuously be posting new items over the next few weeks, so check back regularly. Banner fabrics vary, including vinyl, polyblend, and mesh. Select items feature the Lombardi trophy and the NFL logo.

Proceeds benefit PUP’s ongoing urban enhancement projects, among these include fabric processing, Bush Stadium seating, public space design, and solar farm research!”

In addition to the auction, PUP is working with IndyGo, promoting re-use of stadium seats from Bush Stadium.  Click here to see how you or your business can sponsor a seat for Indianapolis bus stops.

The PUP web site also lists other re-purposed items for sale – all for the good of Indianapolis.

Happy Shopping and Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Photos courtesy of
People for Urban Progress web site.

Mark Miles ’76 is named the new CEO of Hulman & Co., which owns Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the IndyCar series.

Mark is a board member of Hulman & Co. and a local economic development leader, and currently CEO of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership.  He served as chairman of the 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee and is a former CEO of the ATP Tour, which helps oversee men’s professional tennis.

Click here to read the press release from this morning’s announcement.

Congratulations, Mark!

Phillip J. Gutwein II ’96 was recently named Secretary as a new officer at Easter Seals Crossroads in Indianapolis.

Phil is an attorney and partner at Faegre Baker Daniels LLP in Indianapolis, specializing in Employee Law.  In addition to his board membership at Easter Seals, he is also a board member at Indiana Benefits Conference and Golden Hill Neighborhood Association, Inc.

Photo courtesy of
Faegre Baker Daniels LLP

Clay Gambetti ’09 was recently named a “2012 Up and Comer” in the under-30 category by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Clay was a Mathematics major at Wabash, earned an MBA from Bradley University in 2011, and then completed post-MBA courses in Finance at Harvard University.  Last April he joined the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Corporation, whose purpose is to attract and retain high-wage jobs and capital investment in Hillsborough County and the Tampa-St. Pete area.  Clay is a Business Analyst who has already completed a workforce project, “The Tampa Bay IT Gap Analysis.”

Clay is active in his new Tampa home area by working with Habitat for Humanity, a group he was involved with while at Wabash.

Congratulations, Clay!

Photo courtesy of the
Tampa Bay Business Journal

Neil Burk ’12 is the voice of local sports at The Paper of Montgomery County 24-7.  As the Sports Editor,  Neil covers local athletics, including at Wabash College, where he works closely with the Wabash sports information department.  His column will appear every Wednesday in The Paper.

Neil was a Rhetoric major at Wabash and is from Crawfordsville, so he knows the area well.  If you have comments or ideas for local sports features, you may contact Neil at nburk@thepaper24-7.com.

Photo:
Neil and Prof. Jennifer Abbott
at the Rhetoric Senior Banquet last spring.

Judge Tom Milligan ’63 and Coach Steve House were honored by the South Montgomery School Corporation at its 21^st annual Dollars for Scholars Banquet on November 9.  Each year, Southmont honors teachers with the South Montgomery Teacher of Excellence Award, and inducts additional member into its Dollars for Scholars Hall of Fame for contributions to the South Montgomery School Corporation schools and programs.

Hon. Tom Milligan ’63 is a graduate of Waveland High School, which was in southern Montgomery County, and went on to graduate from Wabash. He was an attorney in Crawfordsville for many years.  In 1974 he was elected Circuit Court Judge, serving from 1980-2004.  He was president of the Indiana Judges Association from 2001-2003.

Steve House graduated from Ball State University.  His educational career at Southmont began in 1977, including assistant principal and athletic director at South Montgomery High School and junior high principal.  He also coached wrestling, baseball, and elementary school football.  Coach House was assistant football coach at Wabash and Director of Student Activities and Coordinator of Special Events.  In 2012, he served as interim principal at New Market Elementary School.

Congratulations, Judge Milligan and Coach House!

Indiana native Ryan Feeback ’05 has been living and working in Nigeria since August, a long way from his Bluffton, IN hometown.

After Wabash graduation, Ryan earned a master’s degree in social work at Columbia University.  From there he moved up to management level in the Department of Veterans Affairs after working as an inpatient psychiatric social worker.  In spring, 2012, he went through a rigorous State Department hiring process to become a diplomat.  His first diplomatic assignment in August took him to Nigeria, where he adjudicates visas for entry into the United States, and cares for U. S. citizens who are overseas.  He is married and has a baby who was born just last spring.  Ryan will be on this assignment for two years and then return to the U.S. to await his next overseas assignment — wherever that may be in the world, it will still be a long way from Bluffton!