1985

Adnan Rukieh wrote to say that he and Jim Homes '86 met in Pasadena this winter to watch Adnan's undergrad alma mater, Michigan, play USC in the Rose Bowl. They met out in L.A. the day before the game, with Jim flying in from St. Louis and Adnan from Winston-Salem. Despite the Michigan loss, they enjoyed the California weather and festivities with other Wolverine faithful. Jim, by the way, grew up in Ann Arbor. Adnan is still living in North Carolina, where he's been running his own consulting business for about nine years now. He focuses primarily on health-care management issues, working a lot with hospitals and physicians on strategy, marketing and new business development.

Jennifer Bates Gerst is a full-time mom to three kids (boy and girl twins, 13, and a 5-year-old girl). The family lives in Moraga, Calif. Jennifer has turned a passion into a little business, Custom Card Designs, in which she teaches rubber stamping and card-making classes at local recreation departments and in her home. In addition, Jennifer sells her greeting and note cards on consignment and via mail order, and represents a company that sells stamping and scrapbooking supplies. The business has really taken off this year and she loves it! Never one to miss a good marketing opportunity ... after all she did go to Kellogg! Jennifer invites anyone who is interested in getting a free sample of one of her original cards to email her at jbgerst@comcast.net. On the social side, Jennifer sees Kathrine Tabern Jansen and Maureen Collins once a year at a girls' weekend. In 2004, they are heading to Santa Fe, and in 2003, they met in Carmel, Calif. And Jennifer and her husband Tony continue to explore Bay Area restaurants several times a year with Keecy Hadden Weiner and Wayne Weiner, who live just 10 minutes away.

Rob Ahrensdorf has become corporate director of marketing for Shamrock Foods Co., the seventh largest food service company in the country. The private company focuses on serving the Southwest and Rocky Mountain states, and is a more than $1 billion firm.

Finally, we have some sad news to report to the Class of 1985. Classmate Gail Dorros has passed away after a fight with breast cancer.