University of Redlands
Tuesday, April 21 - Colonel Billy Pope '01
Colonel Pope, United States Air Force, is the Chief of the Future Operations Division at the Headquarters for United States Cyber Command.
Friday, April 24 - James Fallows
Redlands native James Fallows is a staff writer at The Atlantic and has written for the magazine since the late 1970s. He has reported extensively from outside the United States and once worked as President Jimmy Carter's chief speechwriter. He and his wife, Deborah Fallows, are the authors of the 2018 book Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey Into the Heart of America, which was a national best seller and is the basis of a forthcoming HBO documentary.
Tuesday, April 28 - Laurie Harting
Laurie Harting '90 is a graduate of the School of Business and currently serves as the President and CEO Dignity Health, Greater Sacramento Division.
Thursday, April 30 - Eileen Mason '65
Interviewed by Dr. Joseph Modica, Director of the University of Redlands School of Music
Eileen Mason '65 had a successful decades-long career as a professional harpist, holding the principal role with the Indianapolis Symphony, the Kansas City Philharmonic, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra before retiring in 2002.
Tuesday, May 5 - John Lansville '94
Interviewed by Geoff Roche, Tennis Director at the University of Redlands
John Lansville is the Team Lead for Professional Tennis at the International Tennis Federation which is based in London. Previously he was the Director of the U.S. Tennis Association's National Training Center, directing player development operations at the National Training Centers in California and New York. He also oversaw the USTA's Player Services department and was the deputy tournament director for the US Open Jr. Championships.
Thursday, May 7 – Jim Messina
A friend of the university, Messina is a political adviser who was the White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations under President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2011 and served as the campaign manager for Obama's successful 2012 re-election campaign - called "the best run-campaign ever" by Google chairman Eric Schmidt. He is currently CEO of The Messina Group, where he advises presidents and prime ministers on six continents as well as some of the world's largest corporations.
Tuesday, May 12 – Representative Pete Aguilar ’01
Pete Aguilar ‘01 represents the 31st Congressional District of California. He was most recently re-elected in 2018 and serves on the House Appropriations Committee. In the 116th Congress, Rep. Aguilar holds the leadership positions of Whip of the New Democrat Coalition and Chief Deputy Whip in the House Democratic Caucus. Representative Aguilar previously served as the Mayor of Redlands.
Wednesday, May 13 - Eric Bridgeland, new Head Coach of University of Redlands Men’s Basketball
Interviewed by Mitch McClellan, Radio host for KMET 1490AM
Eric Bridgeland arrives at Redlands as an esteemed NCAA Division III men’s basketball coach with 20 years of head coaching experience. Most recently, he led the Whitman College (WA) Blues to three Northwest Conference (NWC) titles and six runner-up finishes while also qualifying for the NCAA tournament each of the past five years. Prior to coaching at Whitman, he served as the head coach at the University of Puget Sound (WA) for five seasons, leading the Loggers through a stretch of three consecutive NWC titles, three NCAA appearances, and a No. 8 national ranking. Overall, Bridgeland has coached one national player of the year, 12 All-Americans, six conference MVPs, and 40 all-conference selections. He also sent another student-athlete to the NBA combine as one of only five Division III players to be invited in the history of the league.
Thursday, May 14 - Christine Essel '79
Christine Essel has been the President and CEO of Southern California Grantmakers (SCG) since 2013. As president, she sets the strategic direction and priorities for the organization, overseeing programming, communications, member services and public policy. Prior to joining SCG, Essel held leadership roles in the government, corporate, philanthropic and nonprofit sectors, including the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency and Paramount Studios, where she has shaped legislation and public and corporate policy.
Tuesday, May 19 - Steve Moretti '96
Interviewed by Dr. Joseph Modica, Director of the University of Redlands School of Music.
Drummer/percussionist/producer Steve Moretti is a two time Grammy Award nominee and winner of two Telly Awards. Steve has had an extensive recording career playing on over 30 nationally released recordings and made his movie debut playing live in the 2014 Clint Eastwood film, “Jersey Boys.”
Steve is co-founder, President & CEO for Macon Pops, an innovative pops orchestra he created in his hometown of Macon, GA with his long-time collaborator, conductor/performer/arranger Matt Catingub. He also has a production company, Morettiman Music, which works with a wide range of projects and artists representing several musical genres. More about Steve can be found at stevemoretti.com.
Thursday, May 21 - John Olguin '87
Interviewed by Jeff Martinez, Director of Athletics
John Oguin has over 25 years of experience in the marketing and public relations industries, with a majority of his experience in the sports world. He is currently the Sr. VP of Marketing & Communications for Chip Ganassi Racing Teams. Before his time in racing, Olguin spent nearly 15 years in the Los Angeles Dodgers' public relations department, most recently as Vice President of Public Relations.
Tuesday, May 26 – Eugene “Mitch” Mitchell '90
Interviewed by Scott Randolph, Department Chair of Business Administration and Management at the University of Redlands
Eugene "Mitch" Mitchell '90 is vice president of legislative and external affairs for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) and Southern California Gas (SoCalGas), Sempra Energy’s California regulated utilities. Mitchell is responsible for state governmental affairs for both California utilities and oversees external affairs activities for SDG&E; he is also a very active and involved member of the community.
Thursday, May 28 - Chuck Wilke '64 and Brian Murphy '04
Interviewed by Thomas Horan, Dean of the School of Business
Chuck Wilke '64 is the Founder and Managing Director at Meridian Capital. As a founding principal of Meridian Capital, Chuck has more than 20 years of experience in CEO-level operating positions. Before Founding Meridian Capital in 1995, he was president and CEO of Raleigh USA Bicycle Company, where he was responsible for the major restructuring of the business, including several M&A transactions.
Brian Murphy is President and Managing Director at Meridian Capital and also leads the firm’s Aerospace & Defense and Diversified Industrials practice groups. Over the course of his 15-year investment banking and strategic consulting career, Brian has advised clients across an assortment of industry segments, including aerospace, manufacturing and distribution, consumer products, technology, and telecommunications.
Tuesday, June 2 - Diane Adams '82
Interviewed by Professor Heather King of the Department of English
Diane Adams '82 is the author of two books with Chronicle Books (Love Is, and Two Hands To Love You), and three books with Peachtree Publishers (Zoom!, I Can Do It Myself, and I Want To Help). Love Is was featured in the Washington Post and chosen as an Amazon Book of the Year for 2017. Her books have been translated into 6 languages including Dutch, Korean, Japanese, French Canadian, and Chinese. Adams has also illustrated a book for The National Wildlife Refuge, entitled A Home for Salty.
Adams recently retired as Professor of Children's Literature and Expository Writing at CSU San Bernardino. She has six Board Books being released in 2021 Penguin Viking Books.
Thursday, June 4 – Steve Murow ’16
Interviewed by Thomas Horan, Dean of the School of Business
Steve Murow '16 is the Founder & Chairman of Murow Development Consultants. A dirt and site development expert, Murow specializes in managing land development and infrastructure construction projects, working with developers and municipalities. He received his BA in Business in 2016 from the University of Redlands and is currently pursuing the Master's degree in Organizational Leadership at the campus in Orange County.
Tuesday, June 9 - Amber Haukedahl '06
Interviewed by Dr. Wendy McIntyre, Professor in the Department of Environmental Studies
Amber is the owner of the first zero waste store in Minnesota, Tare Market. The mission of Tare Market is to fight climate change by providing people with access to plastic free and package free goods. Amber is a former AmeriCorps member, teaching environmental education to urban youth and children with special needs after graduation. She holds a graduate degree in Conservation Biology and began managing biological field stations in South America and Africa before returning to Minnesota to open Tare Market in April 2019.
Thursday, June 11 – Lt. Col. Mary K. Flatley ’97, ’20
Lt. Col Mary Flatley ’97, ’20 recently completed duty as the commanding officer of the Wounded Warrior Battalion - West, based in Camp Pendleton, CA. The Wounded Warrior Battalion's mission is to rehabilitate injured Marines and Sailors, strengthening their body, mind, spirit and family to return to full duty or transition into civilian life. Beginning as an Electrician's Mate in the US Navy, she attended Officer Candidate School for the US Marine Corps and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant upon receiving her BA in Spanish from the University of Redlands. She has served in the Marines for 23 years in a variety of service and leadership positions throughout the world, including becoming a certified linguist in Spanish, and serving a 13-month deployment in Iraq. She is currently pursuing the Master of Science in Organizational Leadership at the University of Redlands.
Tuesday, June 23 - Jeannie Kim '01
Jeannie Kim '01 is a former SFTS Trustee and a current University of Redlands trustee. Kim is the owner of SAMS Diner in San Francisco, a Mid-Market neighborhood eatery that serves classic American comfort food, as well as Asian-inspired dishes. In 2017, she opened the Fermentation Lab next door with so-called “Beer Chef,” Bruce Paton, which serves locally brewed beers paired with gourmet food.
In addition, Kim is an ordained reverend. She serves as the Associate Pastor of the Monte Vista Presbyterian Church, Newbury Park, CA, as well as the Director of Contemporary Ministry, Pine United Methodist Church, San Francisco. She earned her B.A., from Patton University and her MDiv from San Francisco Theological Seminary, now part of the University of Redlands Graduate School of Theology.
Tuesday, June 30 - Dr. Terry Cullen '78
Interviewed by Dr. Tim Seiber, Associate Professor of Science and Media Studies at the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies
Dr. Terry Cullen is a family physician who retired from the US Public Health Service as Rear Admiral in 2012 after leading multiple software development and deployment initiatives within the Indian Health Service, including five years as the CIO. Dr. Cullen then worked as the chief medical information officer for the Veterans Health Administration where she worked to develop a new model for field/community involvement in Health Information Technology. She is currently the Pima County Health Director in Arizona.
Thursday, July 9 - Amin Alarrayed '96
Interviewed by Mara Winick, Professor of Business Administration and Management
Amin Al Arrayed is CEO of Edamah, the real-estate arm of the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Amin leads a portfolio of modern luxury properties in the leisure and entertainment sector. He has 20 years of experience in banking, real estate investment, and real estate development including as CEO of First Bahrain Real Estate Development Company, Head of Retail and Placement of Reef Real Estate Finance, and Regional Head of Retail Banking at Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK). In addition, Amin worked at the Central Bank of Bahrain, and the international Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C.
Tuesday, July 14 - Eddie Loussararian '02 (MBA)
Interviewed by James Spee, Professor, School of Business
Eddie Loussararian is the author of leadership books 64 Life Hacks For Success and When Bosses Go Wild. He earned his MBA from the University of Redlands and has spent his career improving operational workflows and understanding how leaders can overcome tough obstacles individually, for their teams, or for their entire organization by building team unity and establishing a happy work environment. He has held such positions as Professor of Leadership and Hospitality, Director of Training, Internal Audit Manager, and District Manager. He is a recognized expert at developing and implementing highly effective training programs, including his company’s University program, which has been ranked in the top 50 worldwide for the last three years by Training magazine.
Monday, August 17 - Kevin Runbeck '79
"Dispelling Myths of the 2020 Vote"
Interviewed by Renee Van Vechten, Professor of Political Science
A fourth generation Arizonan and Chi Sigma Chi brother, Kevin graduated in 1979 from the University of Redlands with a B.A. in Economics. He brings nearly five decades of election experience to what has grown to be Runbeck Election Services, Inc. Founded by Kevin and his father, Chuck Runbeck, as CEO he has taken the company from a small printing business to a full-service election printing, equipment and software company. They provide election services for over 20 states and a third of the country’s electorate.
Tuesday, August 18 - Marjetta Geerling '95
Interviewed by Daniel Kiefer, Professor of English at the University of Redlands
Marjetta Geerling is a 1995 graduate of the Johnston Center for Integrated Studies where she designed her B.A. in Women's Culture and Creative Expression. Her first novel, Fancy White Trash, was a 2009 Best Books for Young Adults and Rainbow List selection. Writing under the pen name Mara Wells, she has a new romantic comedy series out from Sourcebooks-Cassablanca. Cold Nose, Warm Heart was released in January 2020, A Tail for Two and Paws for Love will be released in September 2020 and February 2021, respectively. Marjetta holds an M.F.A. in Writing from Spalding University and is currently an Associate Professor of English at Broward College.
Tuesday, August 25 - Brian Bogert '07
Interviewed by Jill Robinson, Professor of Management
Brian Bogert is a passionate human behavior and performance coach, speaker, business strategist, top sales professional and philanthropic leader who believes in helping growth-minded individuals make their best even better. Brian teaches how to leverage radical authenticity and awareness to create the intentional life you’ve been dreaming of, but have struggled to create. His revolutionary strategy, embrace pain to avoid suffering, has helped individuals and companies break beyond their normal to achieve the success in life and business that they’ve always wanted.
Thursday, September 10 - Faith Winter '02
"Translating Your Environmental Values Into Action"
Interviewed by Dr. Wendy McIntyre, Professor of Environmental Studies
Faith Winter '02 has been elected since 2007 and has served as a City Councilor, Mayor Pro-Tem, State Representative and now State Senator. She has focused on policies that focus on combating climate change, creating more just and fair workplaces and policies to deal with sexual harassment. Faith also has a long legacy of supporting women’s leadership. Faith has trained thousands of women across the country to run for office first at The White House Project, then as the founding Executive Director of Emerge Colorado and now as the National Training Director for VoteRunLead. When she isn’t governing, campaigning or training Faith can be found hiking, backpacking, camping and paddle boarding with her husband, two kids and two dogs in the great outdoors of Colorado.
Tuesday, Feb. 9 - Karisa Schroeder '18 "Marketing with a Purpose"
Interviewed by Professor Avijit Sarkar, University of Redlands School of Business
Karisa Schroeder is a 2018 graduate of the University of Redlands School of Business. She holds an MBA in Location Analytics, with 10+ years of professional marketing experience. In her time at the U of R, Karisa led as the inaugural president of the Delta Mu Delta Honor Society - Omicron Theta Chapter. Academically, she focused on raising spatial awareness in the business community, working on the Spatial Business Initiative and earning the GIS Excellence in Business Award. Karisa’s experiences with the U of R have translated well into her current professional role, managing Esri’s extensive Data and Location Services product marketing portfolio, while driving business intelligence with data.
