Horace Mann - Spring 2017 - 50

Class Notes

expand Americans' access to cultural resources.
The Prison University Project was recognized
with the 2015 edition of this annual award "For
transforming the lives of incarcerated people
through higher education." The citation from the
White House further reads: "Its programs offer opportunity and inspiration to their students,
providing an example for others to emulate."
Livestreamed from the White House the ceremony can be viewed here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2016/09/22/
president-obama-awards-arts-humanitiesmedal. Read more at: http://www.horacemann.
org/cf_news/view.cfm?newsid=938

1984
Alex Counts stepped down as the President

and CEO of Grameen Foundation in November
2015 after founding the organization in 1997
and guiding its growth from an initiative
launched with a $6,000 seed grant into a global leader in international development with
a $20 million annual budget. In March 2016
Counts became the fourth president and CEO
of the American Indian Foundation (AIF), the
leading U.S. philanthropic organization working in the U.S. and India. Counts writes that
he is also "working on a mid-life memoir, even
as I take on this exciting new role." Counts
posted a blog based on his remarks at a dinner
in his honor on November 5, 2015 in which
he described his journey with the Grameen
Foundation: http://www.grameenfoundation.
org/blog/celebrating-journey-final-remarks#.
WCC4RE3FBv4
Alex' friend Paul Hilal, who was then on the
Grameen Foundation's Board of Directors, was
among the speakers at the tribute dinner.

1985

sion featured author Dara Horn, renowned
cookbook author Joan Nathan, author/
psychologist Dr. Ruth ("Dr. Ruth") Westheimer
and internationally-acclaimed artist Tobi Kahn.
Each reflected on the Genesis "origins" story
from the perspective of their specialties and
had contributed to Reading Genesis, the anthology that Dr. Kissileff recently edited. Beth
is also author of the newly-published novel
Questioning Return. (See Bookshelf, page 37).

1987
Save the Date, October 14, 2017,
for HM Homecoming and the
30th Reunion of the Class of 1987.
Scott Schwager writes that he is "living and
working as an artist in London" and "would
welcome catching up with other HM alumni in
UK or Europe."

1988

David Mandel, executive producer and showrunner of "Veep" accepted the hit show's Emmy
Award for Best Comedy on September 18, 2016,
with a speech that had the audience howling. Among cast members, executives, crew
members, and former bosses, Mandel also
thanked his agent's Instagram, and dedicated
the award to "chubby Jews from the Upper
West Side, wherever you are." https://www.
msn.com/en-us/tv/emmys/emmys-2016-thebest-speeches/ss-BBwkexR#image=10

Authors Dara Horn, Joan Nathan and Dr. Ruth Westheimer
and artist Tobi Kahn participated in a discussion on Genesis
led by author/editor Beth Kissileff, Ph.D. '85 (holding her new
book Reading Genesis) in September 2016.

Gina Pellegrini, Anna Taruschio, Patrick Ying, Dante Paradiso
and Jon Bing

Beth Kissileff, Ph.D. led a discussion on Genesis
and new beginnings before Rosh Hashanah/
Jewish New Year on September 27, 2016 at the
Skirball Center in Manhattan. The discus-

Dante Paradiso published The Embassy in
October 2016 (See Bookshelf p. 38). He read
excerpts from the novel that is based on his
own experience in the Foreign Service during

Horace Mann Magazine Spring 2017

the siege of Liberia in 2003 at a book launch
in Manhattan on Oct. 10, 2016. A number of
HM friends were in attendance, including Gina
Pellegrini, Anna Taruschio, Patrick Ying and
Jon Bing. Dante is a writer, lawyer, and career
Foreign Service Officer now serving in Hong
Kong. He has served extensively in Africa and
Asia. He is the author of The Pure Life, a Novel
(2005), and has contributed opinion pieces to
the online editions of Foreign Affairs, National
Geographic Voices, and, through the Tribune
News Service, the Miami Herald, the Tampa
Tribune, the Akron Beacon Journal, and
Newsday, among others. Prior to joining the
U.S. Department of State, Paradiso practiced
financial services and bankruptcy law with
Goodwin Procter LLP in Boston. He is a recipient of the State Department's Heroism Award
(group) and Superior Honor Award, and the
U.S. Army's Superior Civilian Service Award.
When not on assignment Dante makes his home
in Portland, Ore. with his wife, son, and dog.

1989
Michael Rakower was named a "Top 100"

attorney for the second consecutive year on
the 2016 Super Lawyers list. For the third year
in a row, his firm, Rakower Law, was recognized as one of 50 law firms in New York with
a premier practice, and was listed among
an elite subset with a top business litigation
practice. The Huffington Post featured an
article by Jennifer Melamed Iannuzzi titled
"When I Realized Inclusion in the Classroom
Wasn't Right for My Daughter" www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/when-i-realized-inclusionin-the-classroom-wasnt-right_us_57fb641e4b)
Iannuzzi is the co-founder and vice president
of the SMS Research Foundation http://www.
smsresearchfoundation.org which supports
research related to Smith-Magenis Syndrome,
a complex developmental disorder that affects
multiple organ systems of the body. Jennifer
co-created the foundation after her daughter
Sydney was diagnosed with SMS in 2007 at
age 2. The alumna realized there was a paucity
in the amount of clinical research being performed for SMS and felt that an organization
was needed with the sole purpose of furthering the progress in SMS. Since its founding
the SMS Research Foundation has created
greater urgency around the need for new and
continued science investigation by raising
over $750,000 toward SMS research. As the
Huffington Post wrote, you can learn more and
"Follow this journey" on Strength for Sydney at
livingspecialneeds.com.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2016/09/22/president-obama-awards-arts-humanities-medal https://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2016/09/22/president-obama-awards-arts-humanities-medal https://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2016/09/22/president-obama-awards-arts-humanities-medal https://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2016/09/22/president-obama-awards-arts-humanities-medal http://www.horacemann.org/cf_news/view.cfm?newsid=938 http://www.horacemann.org/cf_news/view.cfm?newsid=938 http://www.grameenfoundation.org/blog/celebrating-journey-final-remarks#.%20WCC4RE3FBv4 http://www.grameenfoundation.org/blog/celebrating-journey-final-remarks#.%20WCC4RE3FBv4 http://www.grameenfoundation.org/blog/celebrating-journey-final-remarks#.%20WCC4RE3FBv4 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/when-i-realized-inclusion-in-the-classroom-wasnt-right_us_57f2b641e4b0f482f8f0bab3 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/when-i-realized-inclusion-in-the-classroom-wasnt-right_us_57f2b641e4b0f482f8f0bab3 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/when-i-realized-inclusion-in-the-classroom-wasnt-right_us_57f2b641e4b0f482f8f0bab3 http://www.smsresearchfoundation.org http://www.smsresearchfoundation.org http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/emmys/emmys-2016-the-best-speeches/ss-BBwkexR#image=10 http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/emmys/emmys-2016-the-best-speeches/ss-BBwkexR#image=10 http://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/emmys/emmys-2016-the-best-speeches/ss-BBwkexR#image=10 http://www.livingspecialneeds.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Horace Mann - Spring 2017