Where are they Now?
Where Are They Now?
1977
Richard Beshore '77 has been promoted to Yacht Broker in southwest Florida. Beshore, who also goes by Rick, graduated from then Stockton State College, with a bachelor’s degree in Business Studies.
1981
Dean Marcolongo ’81, Cape May County surrogate, was recently appointed by The New Jersey Supreme Court to serve on the Judiciary-Surrogate Liaison Committee. Marcolongo was recommended for service on the committee by Surrogate Michelle Gentek-Mayer, chief of the Surrogates Section of the Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. His three-year term will be effective immediately, ending Dec. 31, 2021. Marcolongo graduated from Stockton with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.
1982
Jim (James) Sabol ’82 is one of only 33 Certified Wildlife Biologists in the State of New Jersey. A former employee of the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, Sabol now volunteers as a NJ Conservation Corps member. He stays connected to his profession by assisting farmers and others to mitigate wildlife damage situations on a part-time basis and became a certified biology teacher in the state, having been employed as a full-time teacher as well as a home instructor for several school districts. Sabol received his bachelor’s degree in Biology from Stockton.
1986
Kurt Rataski ’86 joined Alliant’s Northeast team as senior vice president. The New Jersey property and casualty expert has a diverse background in sales, finance and consulting, and will deliver a full range of risk and insurance solutions to clients with operations in the Garden State and across the globe. Rataski received his bachelor’s degree in Business Studies from Stockton.
1991
Mark Deebold ’91 was named Atlantic County Teacher of the Year for 2018-2019. Deebold has worked in education for more than 22 years. Deebold graduated from Stockton with a bachelor’s degree in Historical Studies.
1994
Eric Reich ’94, president and founder of Reich Asset Management, introduced the Reich Report, a new weekly column for Catamaran Media. The column shares helpful information on a variety of financial topics including social security, estate planning mistakes, how to spot a recession, IRA mistakes and more. Reich became a Certified Financial Planner and earned his Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant designations from American College. Reich attended The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania to obtain his Certified Investment Management Analyst designation, as well. He has worked as a financial planner specializing in retirement for more than 20 years. Reich received his bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Stockton University.
1995
Tamar LaSure-Owens ’95 was named Teacher of the Year for Leeds Avenue School in Pleasantville. LaSure-Owens has started a ripple effect in other areas around the school to cross-curricular teach and incorporate black history into the state-mandated Amistad curriculum. She graduated from Stockton with a bachelor’s degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences. LaSure-Owens majored in Criminal Justice and received a certification in African American Studies.
Lt. Gregory Ciambrone ’95 was appointed police chief by the Hamilton Township Committee after a unanimous vote on July 1. He was subsequently sworn-in during a ceremony on July 2 at Township Hall. Ciambrone received his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Stockton.
1997
Stephen Peacock ’97 will be inducted into the Lakewood Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2019. Peacock was a star defensive lineman for the Lakewood High School varsity football team from 1979-1981. He currently works as an English Language Arts teacher at Lakewood High School and has been the “Voice of the Piners” as a PA announcer for the school’s past five basketball seasons. Peacock graduated from Stockton with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies.
2001
Peggy Gentile-Van Meter ’01 is serving a two-year term as Governor of the North Atlantic Region of Soroptimist International of the Americas. Since joining Soroptimist in 2006, she has held several board positions at the regional level, including governor-elect, district director and district secretary, and is also a member of Soroptimist International of Cumberland County (SICC) where she was honored in 2015 with SICC’s Soroptimist of the Year award for her hard work and dedication. Gentile-Van Meter is also a member of Lions International and the South Jersey Holocaust Coalition. Her other honors include induction into Cumberland County’s Women’s Hall of Fame in 2011, Cumberland Regional High School Teacher of the Year in 2006-2007, and Cumberland County Leadership Award in 2004. Prior to retiring in 2012, Gentile-Van Meter taught history for more than 34 years at Cumberland Regional High School. Additionally, from 2006-2017 she served as adjunct History professor at Cumberland County College. Gentile-Van Meter received her master’s degree in Holocaust and Genocide Studies from Stockton. When not doing Soroptimist work, she enjoys traveling, reading, volunteering and spending time with her family.
Craig Rudzenski ’01 recently opened relax: Float Spa in Doylestown, Pa. After suffering from a back injury at work he tried floatation therapy, and after a few sessions, recognized that more people needed to understand its benefits. Shortly after, he applied the knowledge he gained from both his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Stockton and his 17-year career with Sony PlayStation to open the new floatation spa. After only being open for five months, relax: Float Spa, which offers four custom-built, private float suites, has already won the Bucks Happening List 2019 in the "Best Day Spa" category. Rudzenski credits his education from Stockton for preparing him to face the challenge of opening his own business.
2002
Kristine (Cusick) May ’02 is lead counselor and co-lead science teacher at Sturgis Charter Public School West in Hyannis, Mass. US News and World Report ranked Sturgis Charter third on its top high schools in Massachusetts list. May also teaches International Baccalaureate Higher Level Biology and advises the school ROVers Club, which builds marine Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for competition. She received bachelor’s degrees in both Teacher Education and Marine Science with a concentration in Marine Biology from Stockton.
2003
Tamara deMent ’03, acclaimed jazz violinist, performed at Paris Bistro in Chestnut Hill, Pa. in July. deMent is a sought after and versatile musician noted for her dark, resonant tone and lyrical improvisation. She has been a featured jazz performer for events funded by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities, as well as Cape May Jazz Vespers, Jersey Shore Jazz Vespers and Cape May Music Festival. deMent received her bachelor’s degree in Studies in the Arts with a concentration in Theatre Studies from Stockton.
2005
Frank Luna ’05 was named a new external affairs consultant at Jersey Central Power & Light, serving as a liaison with elected officials and supporting local community involvement activities, serving much of Monmouth County. Luna was district chief of staff for Congressman Tom MacArthur and served as his campaign manager in 2014. Prior to that, he worked at The Anchor's Bend in Asbury Park, the New Jersey Republican State Committee, and as director of constituency outreach in the office of Governor Chris Christie. Luna received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Stockton.
Susan Adelizzi-Schmidt ’05, president of Suasion Communications Group, received the prestigious New Jersey Tourism Excellence Award in the Digital Outreach category from the New Jersey Tourism Industry Association in May 2019. In October 2019, she was also awarded an Excellence in Communications Award at the 2019 Downtown New Jersey Conference for her agency’s work on Downtown Haddonfield’s Communications Campaign. Adelizzi-Schmidt received her master’s degree in Business Administration from Stockton.
Brett Steinberg ’05 was named general manager of Carlisle Coatings & Waterproofing where he will oversee sales, marketing, technical services and customer service. Steinberg received his bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Stockton.
Katie (Fatzinger) Hubner ’05 and her husband, Carl, opened a College H.U.N.K.S. Hauling Junk and Moving franchise near Atlantic City. The franchise – which has been featured on "Blue Collar Millionaire," "Shark Tank" and other primetime shows – provides local moving, junk removal, donation pickups, general labor and more. Hubner received her bachelor’s degree in Business Studies from Stockton.
2006
Jessica (Eisenstein) Sawyer ’06 graduated from Stockton with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Performance. After several years as a high school drama teacher, she left the classroom and is now the owner and director of Drama Kids of Medford, Voorhees and Williamstown. Drama Kids uses drama activities to build self-esteem, self-confidence, collaboration and creativity skills in children and offers classes throughout South Jersey.
2007
Steven Couras ’07 relocated to the Rittenhouse Square-area of Philadelphia and started a new job as the director of Residence Life at the Curtis Institute of Music. He recently brought fellow Philadelphia-area Ospreys together for a happy hour event to celebrate Ospreys Give, Stockton's giving day. Couras challenged fellow alumni at the event to make a gift to Ospreys Give, and his goal was met. Couras received his bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Stockton.
2008
Belinda Chester ’08 started a new column in the Atlantic and Cape May County Currents and Gazettes, “Cultivating Thoughts.” The editions come out weekly in The Press of Atlantic City. Chester is currently the Master Gardener Program Coordinator for Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Atlantic County. She graduated from Stockton University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Studies.
Nicole Stephens ’08 participated in the second annual Dancing Under the Atlantic City Stars fundraiser on Nov. 2 for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. Stephens studied a range of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, modern, hip-hop and acrogymnastics for over 25 years. She graduated from the Southern New Jersey Academy of Performing Arts, where she majored in dance and furthered her education at Morgan State University, majoring in psychology while performing on the marching band’s dance line. She continued her education at Stockton where she was a member of the All-Star dance team, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
2014
Jennifer Boyer ’14 and Devon Murden ’16 were married May 2019. They “met, fell in love, and built an amazingly supportive group of friends at Stockton.” Several Stockton alumni attended the wedding. Boyer received her bachelor’s degree in Marine Science with a concentration in Marine Biology; and Murden received his degree in Studies in the Arts with a concentration in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts.
Nathan Lepore ’14 and Sara Kosch ’16 met at Stockton during their first semester at school and became instant best friends. Lepore graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and now works for Merrill Edge as a Performance Analyst. Kosch received her bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management and is currently the marketing coordinator for The Smile Center of NJ dental offices. These two Stockton Sweethearts were married on Jan. 26, 2019, at The Carriage House in Galloway, close to their Stockton roots. They currently live in Mount Laurel, with their furbaby, Daisy, and Nathan's 8-year-old daughter, Melanie.
2015
Nicholas LaFata ’15 was sworn in as a new member of the Monroe Township Police Department. He was administered the oath of office at a monthly council meeting surrounded by family, friends and fellow police officers. LaFata graduated from the Cape May County Police Academy and graduated from Stockton University with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. He worked as a park ranger for Middlesex County before joining the Monroe Township Police Department.
2016
Mario Giordano ’16 and Noelle (Gibson) Giordano ’16 wed on July 21, 2018, at the Camden County Boathouse. They met during their junior year when Noelle began working at Mario’s family’s restaurant, Cousin Mario’s, located in Mays Landing. After graduation they continued to live near Stockton, where Mario successfully ran his own construction company. They recently relocated to South Florida after Noelle accepted a job offer as the marketing coordinator for Palm Beach Atlantic University. At Stockton, Mario received his bachelor’s degree in Business Studies and Noelle received her bachelor’s degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management.
Stephen DeCasien ’16 is currently finishing his master’s degree in Ancient History at the University of South Florida. Since DeCasien graduated from Stockton, he has been attending school at the University of South Florida and participating in the 2018 Summer Session at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. He plans to further his education this fall at Texas A&M University, pursuing a degree in Nautical Archaeology. DeCasien graduated from Stockton with a bachelor’s degree in Historical Studies.
2018
Marc Ellsworth ’18 participated in the most recent controlled burn of dead trees and bramble with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, recording data for the school’s forest management plan near Stockton University. Ellsworth received his bachelor’s degree in Environment Science from Stockton.
Lorena Hernandez ’18 was sworn in as a special law enforcement officer II in Vineland. Hernandez earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Stockton University.
Jude Navas '18 returned to Stockton in October to promote his self-published children's book "What's the Fuss?" Navas was featured in the Emmy-winning NBC documentary "Jude's Journey." His book uses the story of the friendship between a pizza and a pineapple to address issues of difference and acceptance. Navas received his bachelor's degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management Studies from Stockton.
