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Chagrin Falls Alumni Association

Keeping Tiger Pride Alive

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Dr. Eric Pamer

Class of 1973

Dr. Eric “Rick” Pamer is an infectious diseases expert and currently the Faculty Director of the Duchossois Family Institute at the University of Chicago where he is a professor in the Departments of Medicine, Microbiology, and Pathology.  As a physician and scientist, Rick specializes in immune defense against infections associated with cancer treatment and whose research focuses on the microbiome’s impact on resistance to a wide range of microbial pathogens.  The institute is dedicated to investigating and developing new knowledge about the human biological defense systems, including the microbiome, and their therapeutic and commercial potential for preventing disease and maintaining lifelong wellness.  He came to Chicago from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, where he has served as head of the Division of Subspecialty Medicine since 2011 and director of the Lucille Castori Center for Microbes, Inflammation and Cancer since 2010. He joined Memorial Sloan Kettering in 2000 as chief of infectious diseases and has served as professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine since 2001. Prior to his tenure in New York, he worked at Yale University from 1992 to 2000 as an assistant and associate professor of infectious diseases and immunobiology.

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Rob Crombie

Class of 1970

Selected by his classmates as “Most Artistic,” it is not a surprise that Rob Crombie has become one of the most sought after oil painters in our region.  However, Rob took a break from the brush for nearly 30 years for a career in the print world and to raise a family.  Once he returned to his passion, he would find joy and an opportunity to give back.  He travels quite a bit to small villages in France for inspiration.   His work is on display in Cleveland, St Remy France, South Carolina as well as in Summer shows around the region. While garnering success as an artist, Rob has gone above and beyond to open the world of art to adults and children throughout Northeast Ohio. He is a popular instructor at the Valley Art Center and gives considerable time to art groups as well as students in public schools to support their efforts to learn to paint.  Rob has also made it a priority to work in our most underserved schools in Cleveland and Akron where children may be most inspired and helped.

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Dr. Bill Albers

Class of 1970

Dr. Bill Albers was an orthopaedic surgeon for over 30 years.  For 23 years he had a private practice in Lynchburg, Virginia.  During that period, Bill volunteered as a coach in both basketball and softball at his daughter’s school, Holy Cross Regional School.  The school earned three state titles in girls’ basketball and four in softball.  Bill was voted the “State Coach of the Year” on three occasions and the school would later name their athletic field area, “William E. Albers Field.”  For nearly a decade, he successfully juggled a number of roles when he and his wife moved to Tennessee where he joined Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics.  In addition to his work as a surgeon, he wrote three chapters in what is regarded as the preeminent text on orthopaedic surgery, Campbell’s Operative Orthopaedics.  Bill also taught 2nd year residents trauma surgery at the University of Tennessee Methodist Hospital and was voted as the “Teacher of the Year” by the residents.

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Lisa Gorretta

Class of 1972

Lisa has had a successful career as a businesswoman, entrepreneur, consultant, professor, president, and official to name a few. Upon graduation from OSU Lisa went to work for the family manufacturing company.  They added a horse products division to Gorretta Machine and Mfg Company called “Paddock Products” that designed, produced and marketed stable equipment. When the company was sold Lisa started a tack shop in all products for the Sport Horse enthusiast. It was nationally recognized as one of the top 100 tack shops in the US. After selling that business, she started her consulting firm, The Paddock Group LLC, specializing in equestrian based businesses. She specializes in equestrian retail but also works with startup companies bringing new products to the market.  Lisa does some career coaching for young professionals finding their pathway as trainers, instructors or officials. She has served as an Entrepreneur in Residence and as an Adjunct Professor teaching Management of Equestrian Activities for Lake Erie College.  Another important aspect of her career is that of show official in the sport of Equestrian. She has been a Technical Delegate for the United States Equestrian Federation for the Dressage discipline for over 35 years. She is considered an expert, nationally and internationally, in equipment and rules and regularly conducts continuing education forums for dressage judges and technical delegates on competition rules, equipment and professional conduct, ensuring that competitions are run in compliance with current rules, thus providing a level playing field for all competitors, with the welfare of the human and equine participants considered at all times.  She has officiated at several major international competitions, notably serving as the assistant Chief Steward for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada and the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil. Lisa is also an active volunteer in sport governance, serving as Co-Chair of the Dressage Sport Committee and as a member of the Board of Directors for the US Equestrian Federation. She serves currently as the President of the United States Dressage Federation, a 33,000 member non-profit organization based at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington Kentucky and dedicated to the sport of Dressage and the recognition of the achievements of its members. She is the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the US Dressage Finals, a national head-to-head dressage competition for Adult Amateur and Professional competitors.

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Mark Gebler

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1975

Community Service Award
Like many fathers in Chagrin Falls, Mark Gebler became involved in the youth programs of his sons (Scott ‘00, Brett ‘02, and Zak ‘05) from Indian Guides to football and wrestling. However, Mark not only took lead roles in these ventures, he continued on with them when his sons went on to high school and college. His volunteerism began with the Chagrin Valley Jaycees where he was Co-Chairman of Blossom Booths and Games from 1983-86. He was also Chairman of Blossom Time Run water stops for 14 years. His efforts were recognized in 1995 with the Chagrin Valley Jaycees Distinguished Service Award as the Outstanding Jaycee. From 1989-93 he was Nation Chief for the Geauga County YMCA Indian Guides. His duties included promoting, organizing events, including field trips for approximately 225 youth members and their fathers. His efforts were also felt in the Chagrin Athletic Association. During the 1990s, Mark was the Head Wrestling Coach and Commissioner of Wrestling building the program from 16 wrestlers to 61. Additionally, he was a Head Football Coach in CAA at this time. He would later volunteer as a football coach on the CFMS staff for 12 seasons. Further, he has continued to volunteer as the Head Statistician for the CFHS Varsity Football Team, a role he began in 1997. Mark had a 36 year career in the postal service with 10 years as the Postmaster of Chagrin Falls. A highlight from his career was overseeing the naming of the Chagrin Falls Post Office to the Sgt. Michael M. Kashkoush Post Office Building. Michael Kashkoush ‘01 died while in combat in Iraq, while serving in the U.S. Marines. Mark continues to volunteer in a number of roles in Chagrin today with his wife Debi Shukys Gebler ‘75.

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Tim Swan

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1975

Tim has been a leader in commercial real estate in Denver, Colorado for over 30 years with over $7.5 billion in transactions covering more than 34 million square feet. Early in his career he held the roles of President of The Denver Solar Energy Association & Partner at East-West Energy Co. (Denver, Colorado). Before recently retiring, Tim was Managing Director, CBRE Capital Markets Group, Colorado Region. Tim closed more than $1.37 billion in sales volume in 2007, including the Blackstone Denver CBD Office Portfolio for $770 million. This portfolio sale surpassed the highest recorded commercial transaction in Denver’s history by a factor of three. His success was noted with being honored with Commercial Real Estate Association Denver Chapter’s “Investment Broker of the Year Award” on three separate occasions. Tim also received the “Heavy Hitter” Award from the Denver Commercial Real Estate Association multiple times. Outside of real estate, he has been an avid volunteer for such groups as National Association of Office & Industrial Parks, Project Healing Waters, Colorado Association for Viticulture & Enology, the Denver International School, & The Cultural Food Guild. What has given Tim the most pleasure is mentoring young people, whether they are just starting in their careers or are high school students in maximizing their potential.

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Jonathan Engel

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1973

Jonathan has been fortunate to pursue two careers unified by a single passion — to promote informed decision-making in a complex world. He began as a journalist for several respected news organizations, working in the 1970s and 1980s for the Des Moines Register in Iowa, Reuters and Dow Jones in London and the International Herald Tribune in Paris. At Reuters in the 1990s, he served in several senior editorial posts, including Global Editor at Reuters Television, the first worldwide TV network dedicated to market-moving financial news. He also helped integrate traditionally separate news units in the new position of Manager of Multimedia News Production. As news organizations and other information providers embraced digital production, media consumers struggled to cope with floods of easily published but poorly defined content. Information overload became a common complaint. Jonathan helped pioneer new techniques for organizing, classifying and linking information for more effective Web-based search, navigation and delivery. Eventually, he set up his own information architecture consultancy in 2003, InfoArk Ltd., to assist a variety of organizations, including global companies, UK government agencies and influential charities. He has worked for Unilever, Cambridge University, Times Newspapers, the National Health Service, Oxfam International and children’s charity Barnardo’s. Additionally, he has been a member of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers & Commerce (RSA).

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William “Skip” Church

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1971

Skip has had a prolific career both in front of and behind the television camera. While still attending Western Kentucky University, he became the youngest sports director of a commercial television station in the country at age 20. (WBKO-TV) He would go on to be a sports anchor, producer, and feature reporter. Skip has been honored with two Emmy Awards, five Emmy nominations, and the Associated Press Sports Feature of the Year. For the past two decades he has overseen his video production company, Skip Church Enterprises. He produces a wide range of programs from national documentaries to corporate videos, with many of his video productions winning a Telly award, an honor for the very best film & video productions. A significant part of Skip’s life has been with giving back. He has served on the Board of Directors in Connecticut for both the Special Olympics & United Way. Skip even hosted the first-ever live televised Special Olympics Event. His civic duty is most notably recognized in regards to drinking and driving due in part to his youngest son Dustin bing killed by a drunk driver in 2004. Skip drafted and promoted the passage of legislation that strengthens drunk driving laws by requiring convicted drunk drivers to use an ignition interlock device that prohibits engine starts for those that are impaired. In the first two and a half years of the program, those devices have prohibited engine starts more than 105,000 times, which averages to 115 less impaired drivers on a daily basis. Skip and his wife Colleen, who is the National President for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, also created a summer day camp for children in honor of their son, called Dustin’s Place.

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Scott Lax

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1970

Scott has had a rich career as an award-winning writer, novelist, a produced playwright, an essayist, columnist and features writer, educator, and a film and television writer. Before he became a full-time writer and educator, Scott was a salesman, as well as a professional drummer who drummed with Bo Diddley, among many other musicians. Scott has authored two novels, “The Year That Trembled” and “Vengeance Follows,.” both of which take place in a fictional version of Chagrin Falls. The former was named Vermont Book of the Year, Runner-Up & one of 1998’s “Milestones in Fiction” by the Denver Post. He would later be a source-writer and producer of a feature film based on “The Year That Trembled.” Scott would go on to earn four first-place international film festival awards for his role in the film, including the 2002 Midwest Filmmaker of the Year from the Cleveland International Film Festival.. His adaptation of his novel was produced as a stage play twice at Cleveland’s University School, in 2003 and 2013. His college alma mater, Hiram College, where he delivered the commencement address in 2001, named him along with thirteen others as their “Most Illustrious Alumni.” He has also been recognized as the 1992 Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference Bernard J. O’Keefe Scholar in Nonfiction and the 1998 Sewanee Writers Conference Walter E. Dakin Fellow in Fiction. “Vengeance Follows” was called “a minor masterpiece of suspense and human nature by The Midwest Book Review, who also called Scott, “A master wordsmith of the first order.” Scott has also earned awards from the Ohio Professional Writers Communication Contest and the Ohio Excellence in Journalism. Currently, he is on the liberal arts faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Art, where he teaches screenwriting. Scott recently wrote a feature for ESPN on the Cavaliers 2016 NBA Championship, which ran on SportsCenter the day after the final victory.

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Dr. Christine Schomisch Moravec

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1975

Dr. Christine Schomisch Moravec is a Staff Research Scientist and Director of Basic Research in the Kaufman Center for Heart Failure at the Cleveland Clinic. Christine is also one of three Associate Directors of the Bakken Heart-Brain Institute and holds secondary appointments in the Department of Molecular Cardiology and the Center for Integrative Medicine. Her specialty interests include heart failure, cellular malfunction in cardiac dysfunction, drugs that may improve contractility of the failing heart, and remodeling of the failing heart using both surgical and psychophysiologic interventions. Dr. Moravec also runs the human heart tissue bank at the Clinic. Christine was named an Established Investigator of the American Heart Association. In addition to her research work, she holds academic appointments at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and at Cleveland State University. Christine serves as Chair of Graduate Studies within the Lerner Research Institute and as President of the Board of Directors of the Northeastern Ohio Science and Engineering Fair, a regional science fair held each spring for 600 students from the Cleveland area. Widely published in peer-reviewed scientific journals such as the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Circulation,Circulation Research, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology, Dr. Moravec has authored numerous journal articles and abstracts describing work in her laboratory. She serves as a reviewer for scientific journals including Circulation, Circulation Research, the American Journal of Physiology, Cardiovascular Research, the Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology and the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and is a member of local and national AHA peer-review study sections. Dr. Moravec has been invited to present her research at national and international meetings and conferences. Christine has also earned the Outstanding Educator Award from the Lerner Research Institute at the Cleveland Clinic.

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David Kravitz

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1975

David Kravitz is an entrepreneur and inventor who has served in various senior executive, directorship, and advisory positions throughout his career in the life sciences. For over 20 years, his focus has been in the fields of trauma and transplantation medicine, women’s reproductive health, therapeutics adherence, and regenerative medicine. David is a co-inventor of several dozen medical technology patents and is a founder of numerous med tech companies, including Organ Recovery Systems, where he served as Chairman and CEO. In 2004, he was named to Fast Company magazine’s “Fast 50” list of global entrepreneurs/innovators. He presently serves as CEO of Lifeline Scientific, Inc., a company that he co-founded. David has extensive background in mergers and acquisitions, has led companies through international, public, and private institutional financings. Additionally, he has led the development, regulatory approvals, and launches of several global medical technologies, including the market leading LifePort family of solid organ recovery and transport systems. LifePort is a standard of care in clinical transplantation worldwide and has been prominently recognized for its industrial design and engineering. His accomplishments include design excellence awards from the Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry (MDEA Critical Care/Emergency Products category), an exhibition at the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Popular Science Magazine’s breakthrough technology BOWN Award, and selection into the permanent Collection of The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. David’s medical technology developments in transplantation have been widely studied and published in leading peer reviewed scientific journals including the New England Journal of Medicine. Throughout his career, he has remained active in early childhood education, having founded a Montessori-based preschool in his local community. Also, he is a publisher of books, innovative products, and curriculum in the field of early childhood literacy. David presently serves on the board of directors of several companies in the life sciences.

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Dr. James Thobaben

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1974

Dr. James Thobaben is a professor and Dean of the School of Theology and Formation at Asbury Theological Seminary, one of the largest such institutions in the U.S. In addition, he currently oversees Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment, managing the decanal accreditation process for the institution. His academic fields are bioethics, social ethics, and sociology of religion. His special research interests include disability issues (especially traumatic brain injury related), social benefit from and concern with genetically-modified non-human organisms, the spiritual and cultural meaning of pilgrimage, ecclesial architecture, and rural life. As well as working full-time at Asbury, he serves as the pastor of a small, rural church, is a part-time professor in the University of Kentucky, College of Public Health, an adjunct professor at Trinity International University, and operates a small tree farm. Dr. Thobaben was Visiting Ethics Scholar in Molecular Biology at the University of Missouri. He is the recipient of several teaching grants for instruction on American rural life. His work, Healthcare Ethics: A Comprehensive Christian Resource, is used as a primary bioethics text in several graduate programs across the U.S. For both academic and spiritual reasons, Dr. Thobaben has twice walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostela and several of the long pilgrimage routes in Great Britain. Prior to assuming his current position, he was vice-president of a physical rehabilitation facility centered on the treatment of those with traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. His academic degrees are from Oberlin, Yale, and Emory.

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Dr. Thomas Martinko (Col. Ret.)

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1974

Dr. Thomas Martinko had a lengthy and decorated military career, which has been followed by heading two separate pediatric units at prestigious universities. Tom earned the rank of Colonel of the Medical Corps of the US Army and was deployed overseas on several occasions including stays in Honduras, Germany, and Afghanistan. During his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, Joint Services Commendation Medal, the Order of Military Medical Merit, the Combat Patch, the Afghanistan Service Ribbon, the Government War on Terrorism Ribbon, and the Armed Forces Reserve Ribbon. Tom has been published and made several presentations on adolescent and sports medicine, the prevention of sexually transmitted infections, and smoking cessation. He is a member of many medical organizations, including being a Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics. Currently, Tom is a Associate Professor and Director of Adolescent Medicine in the Division of General Pediatrics at the University of Florida, which are positions he previously held at the University of South Alabama. Additionally, He has devoted many hours to youth programs, and is an Eucharistic minister. Recently, Tom was keynote speaker of the 2014 Chagrin Falls Memorial Day Program.

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Dr. Bruce Campbell

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1973

Dr. Bruce Campbell has been a career diplomat for the United Nations with a focus on reducing poverty and addressing humanitarian suffering. His efforts began when he worked with Salvadoran refugees in Honduras. Bruce met his wife at Harvard when he was getting his second master’s degree, their union transcends past the typical marriage, as they frequently travel on humanitarian missions together. They would work together in Honduras, Lebanon, Pakistan, the Netherlands, Ghana, Nepal, Eritrea, Zimbabwe and Vietnam. During the time of Israeli occupation in southern Lebanon, Bruce was director of a 40 bed hospital for Palestinian refugees. He was most likely the last remaining U.S. male in Lebanon at the time and was briefly taken hostage by a militia group. His next post was directing a medical program for Afghan refugees, which provided clinical services to 1,100 patients a day. During that time, his wife Ellen directed a Health Education Resource Center for which provided services to three million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. Bruce also worked for the Royal Tropical Institute of the Netherlands as a technical advisor and consultant. He would go on to be Chief Technical Advisor for the Ministry of Health in Ghana for 4 years and in Nepal for 7 years. During that time, both countries witnessed significant reductions in Maternal and Child Mortality. Between 1984 and 2014, he led or participated in over 120 technical missions to more than 25 developing countries. One of his proudest achievements oversaw a program during the time of the sharpest decline in HIV prevalence in the history of the epidemic in Zimbabwe. After 30 years abroad, living in nine countries, Bruce is now in New York City as Director of United Nations Population Fund – Technical Division, where he leads a team of 90+ professionals who provide policy and technical advice to 6 regional and 129 country offices.

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Charlie Hartsock

Chagrin Falls Alumni Hall of Fame
Class of 1979

Charlie has had an outstanding career in film, television and commercials on both sides of the camera. His career started in Chicago where he was a member of The Second City. While there, Charlie also held the titles of Creative Director and Head Writer. He then went on to commercials and television. Three of his commercials have won top prizes at the Cannes International Advertising Festival, while he also had recurring roles on Spin City, Arrested Development, and According to Jim. Currently, Charlie develops and produces motion pictures for, and with, his partner at Carousel Production, Steve Carell. He has been Executive Producer of Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011) and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), and Showtime’s Inside Comedy series. Charlie was also the founding member of Burpee’s Seedy Theatrical Company, the nation’s longest active college improvisation group.

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    Contact Info:

    alumni@chagrinschools.org

    440.247.4387

     


    CFAA Alumni Director:

    Brian McKenna '88

    Office Manager:

    Jana Young ‘82

    Find Us:

    Chagrin Falls Alumni Association

    400 East Washington Street
    Chagrin Falls, OH 44022

    We invite you to join the growing numbers of volunteers who are helping to ensure a bright future for the CFAA and Chagrin Falls Schools. Whether it is through your time or resources, all of us appreciate your generous gifts. To become more involved, contact the Alumni Association. We look forward to your comments, questions, and suggestions. Don’t forget that we appreciate your help in making the CFAA run successfully with the donation of your annual dues of $20 or more.