The latest news and successes of Toro alumni.

Contents

• 1970s
• 1980s
• 1990s
• 2000s
• 2010s
• 2020s
• In Memoriam

Robert Maguire  (BA ’70) operates the firm Maguire Schneckenburger Legal Group in Akron, Ohio, which recently marked its 50-year anniversary.

John R. Ballard (BA ’70) was named President of Dakota State University by the South Dakota Board of Regents. He previously served as President of the National Intelligence University, and was the first provost of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Laleh Graylee (BS ’88) has been appointed interim vice president for administration and finance and chief financial officer for Cal State Fullerton.

Lisa Joins (BS ’87) was appointed Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia, Calif. She recently served as Vice President for Culture at Children’s Hospital
Los Angeles

Tan Sri Dr Azmil Khalid (MBA, ’86) has been appointed non-independent non-executive chairman of Malaysia Airports. He has previously served as president and CEO of The AlloyMtd Group and ANIH Berhad.

Dianne Costlow-Owens (MS ’95) retired from Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Corona Division after 39 years of dedicated federal service as Technical Director of Senior Executive Service. 

Eddie Manfro (MPA ’98) was appointed permanent City Manager for the city of Fullerton, Calif. Manfro had been serving as Interim City Manager since August 2025. 

Melanie Roberts (BS ’97) was named the Human Resources Director for The Port of Los Angeles. She will oversee city employment operations for the port’s nearly 1,000 employees.

Towalame Austin (BA ’04) completed the Six-Star World Major Journey at the Tokyo Marathon. Austin joined an elite group of runners who have finished all six major marathons — Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City.

Rosio Becerra  (BA ’05/MA ’09) was named interim Dean of Student Support Services at Fullerton College. Becerra brings nearly two decades of experience in community colleges.

Lisa Collins (BA ’06) has announced her retirement from Warner Bros. Discovery. After a successful career in the entertainment industry, Collins is pursuing her lifelong dream of living internationally, with plans to relocate to Portugal.

Shannon DeLong (MBA ’07) was appointed as City Manager for City of Cypress. DeLong is the tenth city manager in Cypress’ history and the first woman to hold the position.

Tim Garrison (MA, ’04) has been selected as the next principal of Hilder Pearson Elementary School in Poulsbo, Washington.

Brandy Renee Harris  (BA ’09) released a single, “I Wanna Be Your Man,” under her performing name Queen Lady Act. Harris is also a promotor, stand-up comic, and actress who has appeared on Abbott Elementary.

Shirley Jones (BS ’01) has been appointed to the California New Motor Vehicle Board. Jones had previously been serving as Chief Financial Officer at Car Pros Automotive Group.

Andreh Khachaturians  (MPA ’09) was named Chief Development Officer and member of the executive leadership team at Valley Community Healthcare.

Loren Ann Carino (BS ’11) was recognized by the LA Business Journal in their “Health Care 2025: Women of Influence” issue. Carino is a board-certified, adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner at Cedars-Sinai. She is a board-certified, adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner.

Joshua Clarke (BA ’15) was named Athletic Director at Chino Valley High School. Clarke previously served as a coach and AD at Saint Paul the Apostle School in Los Angeles and has over 18 years’ experience in both roles.  

Guillermina Esquivel  (MA ’14) recently co-authored a bilingual children’s book, Nelly at Bat, inspired by the story of former MLB player Nelson Cruz. The book is centered on confidence, perseverance, and resilience through baseball.

Brian Fernandez  (LMFT ’10) has published Deleting Anxiety: Why Your Anxiety Is Lying to You and How to Push Back, a book focused on anxiety management techniques for Gen Z and college students. 

Kendrick Jones (MS ’17) was recognized by California State Assemblymember Mike Gipson for his dedication as a school counselor at Barack Obama Charter School. 

Jeffrey Joyner (BA, ’10) was named the new head women’s soccer coach at the University of La Verne. He previously served as associate head coach at Long Beach State.

Jessica Ku Kim (BA ’17) was recognized at L.A. County’s 2025 Women’s History Month Celebration. She was honored for her leadership, dedication, and service to communities across L.A. County.

Ludivina Vasquez Snow  (BA ’12) joined Whittier Trust’s philanthropy department as Assistant Vice President, Program Officer. 

Michelle E. Stayner  (MA ’11, CA DC, LA DC1) started her own telehealth private practice as a licensed alcohol and drug counselor in the state of Massachusetts. Stayner specializes in telehealth individual counseling.

Melissa Bancroft (MA ’23) was appointed as Associate Director of the Donald P. & Katherine B. Loker University Student Union (LSU) at CSUDH. 

Marcelo Cowo (BS ’25) was hired as a Finance and Accounting Professional for the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Colorado, Boulder.  

Logan Miyamoto (BS ’25) was named assistant coach for the men’s and women’s golf programs at Charleston Southern University.

Walid Saad (BA ’26) received a full scholarship and stipend to pursue graduate studies at Harvard Divinity School. Saad will study philosophy and religious ethics, and plans to attend law school upon completing his degree.

Alumni

Darryl Brown (MA ’95) 1956-2026. Brown started his career as an engineer in the aerospace industry. He spent 17 years working for various aerospace companies before beginning his second career as a high school math and special education teacher. His passion in life was spending time with his family. Brown also loved to travel, especially cruising anywhere with a warm climate. He loved the ocean and spending time gardening and creating beautiful landscaping plans. In retirement, he took up bird-watching.

Judith Green (MS ’93) 1950-2026. Green had a long and fulfilling career as a nurse with Kaiser Permanente, where she dedicated herself to caring for others.

Susan Klodt (MA ’86) 1945-2026. Klodt spent most of her 33-year career teaching second grade for the Long Beach Unified School District. Driven by her belief that education is a fundamental right, she worked to ensure that everyone had the opportunity to learn, regardless of their background. Klodt was a TV and movie buff, with Star Trek standing at the top of her list. For years, you could be sure to spot her at every local Star Trek event or convention. 

Wilma La Cava (MA ‘94) 1941-2022. La Cava served in the Women’s Air Force before starting her nursing and teaching careers. She earned her master’s degree at CSUDH while working as a registered nurse for Kaiser Permanente, then taught Nursing at Riverside City College. La Cava received numerous awards for her work in education and provided nursing education scholarships to student nurses for years. In her later years, she enjoyed travelling, especially to Barbados. La Cava loved hybrid tea roses and grew dozens of varieties over the years. 

Amy Miller (CRDT ’06) 1956-2026. As an Air Force spouse, Miller became active in the Officer Spouses’ Club and was instrumental in raising funds used to provide scholarships to Air Force dependents. Later, Miller was a third and fifth grade teacher until transitioning into the role of Magnet Coordinator at Park Western Place Elementary.

Glenn John Oamilda (BA ’70) 1944-2026. Oamilda started his career as a legislative aid for Hawaii Sen. Mike Crozier. He was actively involved in community service projects that contributed to the welfare of Ewa Beach residents and the West Oahu area. His hobbies included doing home projects, wood working, bonsai trees and collecting baseball cards.

Allen R. Plitt (BA ‘76) 1942-2023. Plitt served his country in the United States Air Force at numerous bases, in conjunction with the Boeing Company, and in the United States Civil Service. He was a passionate model railroader, loved classical music, and played the oboe and clarinet.

Doron Selinger (CRT ’04) 1971-2026. After becoming a Licensed/Certified Prosthetist-Orthotist, Selinger built a career helping others regain mobility and independence. He also competed in Paralympic cycling, winning a gold medal in track cycling at the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta and earning three medals, a silver and two bronze, at the 2000 Games in Sydney.   

Garey Thompson (BS ’00) 1967-2023. Thompson dedicated his professional life to helping others, especially at-risk youth. Beginning in 2010, he was a dedicated member of D’Veal Family and Youth Services, where he held various roles including Behavioral Specialist Supervisor. He actively participated in community outreach projects, always striving to improve the lives of those he served. Thompson was known for his vibrant personality and zest for life. He loved to travel and was a dedicated fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and Raiders. 

Ronald Thompson (MBA ’79) 1938-2026. Thompson worked at the Aerospace Corporation as a member of the Gemini Launch Vehicle team and progressed to become Principal Director of Space Transportation Systems, Space Launch Operations, which included working with the NASA Space Shuttle. An avid athlete, Thompson channeled his skill into coaching youth sports. He enjoyed spending time in the mountains hiking, camping, and fishing, and also enjoyed gardening and photography.

Cynthia Vest (BA ’85) 1946-2026. Vest worked for Western Airlines, General Electric, and Toyota Motor Sales, where she spent much of her career supporting dealer technology and software implementation projects. She retired in 2006 as a project manager, having helped guide Toyota through several important technology transitions. In her personal life, Vest loved cooking, gardening, skiing, reading, crossword puzzles, traveling, and spending time in the mountains. She was especially known for her beautiful gardens, and her generosity in sharing the garlic and vegetables she grew. Art was her greatest passion, though. Vest worked in many media, including watercolor, drawing, sculpture, pottery, and pastel art. 

Faculty

Carol Dee Guze 1935-2026. Guze taught at the university level for 40 years at several institutions, primarily as a Professor of Biology at CSUDH. She enjoyed working closely with students, mentoring and motivating them. Guze concluded her professional career working as a medical genetic counselor at Martin Luther King, Jr Community Hospital in Los Angeles. She concluded her professional career working as a medical genetic counselor at Martin Luther King, Jr Hospital in Los Angeles. Among her many interests were education, biology, women’s and civil rights, yoga, birding, and lichens. Guze enjoyed traveling and visited Africa, Cuba, India, China, Europe, and South America (including a trek to Machu Picchu).

Share your own Class Note! Share your career, family, or personal news with us at alumnirelations@csudh.edu.

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