Kudos! September 2026
September 9, 2026
By
W&M Alumni Magazine
Congratulations to William & Mary alumni who are making moves in the world! This is where we celebrate awards, job changes, promotions, recognition and other career and civic engagement news we collected between June 2 and Sept. 1. For more updates from your classmates, check out the Class Notes.
If you would like to submit an item for Kudos, email the W&M Alumni Magazine staff at alumni.magazine@wm.edu. We will also share your news with your class’s reporter.
Awards, Recognition and Accomplishments
Fiona Davis ’88 received Kappa Kappa Gamma’s highest honor, the Alumnae Achievement Award, recognizing her accomplishments and service. The bestselling author is known for uncovering overlooked women’s stories through the history and architecture of iconic New York landmarks. Her eight novels have been translated into more than 20 languages.
Jeremy Hopkins J.D. ’02, with Cranfill Sumner LLP in Raleigh, North Carolina, was listed in Best Lawyers 2027. He practices eminent domain and condemnation law.
William Iannaccone ’17 served as a producer on the film “Primetime,” a crime thriller that will premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Sept. 5 before its nationwide theatrical release on Sept. 25.
Laura Croghan Kamoie M.A. ’94, Ph.D. ’99, a New York Times bestselling historical fiction author, was recognized when her newest novel, “A Founding Mother: A Novel of Abigail Adams” (2026, co-authored by Stephanie Dray), was selected as a Reese’s Book Club pick.
La Tienda, an alumni-owned and operated online retailer of Spanish food and other products, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Joe LaFond M.Acc. ’08, chief financial officer, shared that the company will be featured at Williamsburg’s Occasion for the Arts on Oct. 3–4. Founded by the late Don Harris ’57, P ’91, P ’94, P ’98 and Ruth Harris P ’91, P ’94, P ’98, the family business is owned and operated by Tim Harris ’91 and Amy Brown Harris ’91, M.A.Ed. ’96; Jonathan Harris ’94 and Stacey Reid Harris; and Chris Harris ’98 and Rian Harker Harris ’98.
Bill Lawrence ’90 is named in Emmy nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series for “Shrinking” and Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction or Reality Series for “Shrinking — In It Together,” a behind-the-scenes short-form documentary following the making of the show.
Jonathan Leahy ’00 received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music Supervision as one of the music supervisors for the Netflix series “Nobody Wants This,” which also received a nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Wade Minter ’97 was highlighted by The News & Observer of Raleigh, North Carolina, during the Carolina Hurricanes’ run to the Stanley Cup Final. Minter serves as the team’s arena announcer and helps create the game-day experience for Hurricanes fans.
Jamie Oskin ’03 launched Little Koala, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based children’s wellness brand, in mid-July with its debut product KIDS Throat Armor — BLIS K12 probiotic.
Spencer Salusky ’26, who studied theatre and English at W&M, is portraying John Adams during Philadelphia’s semiquincentennial celebration. He is part of Historic Philadelphia’s Once Upon a Nation program — a series of performances staged throughout the summer and beyond in Philadelphia’s historic district and at Valley Forge.
Job Changes and Promotions
Gillian Barr ’90 was called to be Episcopal campus minister at Clemson University and associate rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Clemson, South Carolina.
Dereck Basinger ’16 was hired as an assistant U.S. attorney in St. Louis, joining the civil division. He previously completed a clerkship with U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp in the Eastern District of Missouri.
Erica Bakies ’12 joined Moore & Van Allen as a national security and government contracts partner in August, coinciding with the opening of the firm’s Washington, D.C., office, its second location outside the Carolinas.
Devin DeBacker ’08 was named a Rising Star in National Security by The National Law Journal as part of its 2026 D.C. Legal Awards. A partner at Covington & Burling LLP and former senior national security official at the U.S. Department of Justice and the White House, he was recognized as one of the most promising attorneys age 40 and under for his influence in Washington and beyond.
Jim Dougherty ’87 joined Smith Currie Oles, a national construction and government contracts firm, as a partner in its Washington, D.C., government contracts practice. In his previous role, he represented federal contractors in the IT services, software and defense sectors on bid protests, False Claims Act matters, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) compliance and small business rules.
Ann Fairchild J.D. ’96 became president and CEO of Siemens USA, the largest market globally for parent company Siemens AG. Siemens USA employs more than 50,000 people in all 50 states and Puerto Rico and generated $24 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2025.
Steve Forthuber ’82, P ’19, P ’22 is president and CEO of Eastern operations at RadNet, which was recognized as one of Time’s “World’s Most Impactful Companies of 2026,” ranking 124 out of nearly 10,000 companies. RadNet completes more than 11.5 million outpatient imaging procedures annually and operates 440 imaging centers.
Robert Gaudette ’95 became NRG Energy’s new chief executive officer on April 30. With over 25 years at NRG, he has run the company’s power generation portfolio alongside its commercial and wholesale businesses. He most recently served as executive vice president and president of NRG Business and Wholesale Operations.
Joe Jordan ’95, P ’25, P ’28 was recently named CEO of Domino’s Pizza, Inc. He has spent nearly 15 years in leadership roles across Domino’s marketing, U.S. and international operations, technology and franchisee support.
Vincent Litwinowicz ’26 accepted a position with U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District as a legislative intern in Washington, D.C.
Amy Longyear ’96 launched an AI consultancy, Altivant Advisory.
Carlos Noel ’23 is the assistant music director of the winning team for the 2026 International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella competition: The Nor’easters. He previously competed in this competition when he was an undergraduate at William & Mary.
Bob Pavey ’64, P ’90, P ’91 was honored by the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) with its prestigious Venture Vanguard award on May 14 at the Rosewood in Menlo Park, California. The award recognizes people who have helped shape the venture capital industry and strengthen America’s innovation economy. He is a partner with Morgenthaler Ventures and managing partner of Pavey Investments. He is past president and chairman of the NVCA.
Todd Pfannestiel Ph.D. ’01 was named the 16th president of Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri. He brings more than 27 years of distinguished higher education leadership experience, having served most recently as president of Utica University. His appointment follows a comprehensive national search process.
Meghan Ewell Powers ’05 started a new job as senior manager for customer data and personalization at Stanley Black & Decker.
Karen Quesenberry ’07 recently became donor relations coordinator at the Augusta Health Foundation after 16 years as an elementary schoolteacher. In her new role, she helps expand access to high-quality, compassionate healthcare while continuing to serve her community.
Bobby Scott ’98 was promoted to president of Capes Shipping Agencies, a subsidiary of Norfolk, Virginia-based freight forwarder and customs broker CV International.
Brian Waterfield ’15, M.Acc. ’16 is the new chief financial officer for Colonna’s Shipyard Inc.
Nancy Richards West ’72, P ’99 received the People’s Choice award for Best Artist at The Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Chincoteague Island Easter Decoy & Art Festival.
Monica Wharton J.D. ’01 has been declared one of the “Top Women Leaders of Memphis for 2026” and is the executive vice president and chief operating officer for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, a nonprofit healthcare system based in Memphis, Tennessee.