Class Notes - Sac State Connection - June 2008

1950s                                                                                                                                   
Richard “Dick” Vinci, ’55, B.A., Physical Education, has retired after 50 years of being a coach and a math and computer science teacher in the Pueblo (Colo.) Public Schools. During that time, Vinci was a basketball official for high school, junior college and college games. He retired the first time in 1994, but became bored and decided to teach math at Pueblo Community College and Colorado State University-Pueblo part-time for 13 years. Vinci has been married for 50 years to Mae, and they have three sons and two grandsons.

1960s
Rona Commins, ’68, B.A. and ’83, M.A., Music, recently celebrated her 20th year teaching music in a summer travel study program in Florence, Italy. To mark the occasion, Commins gave a recital accompanied by a reception at the Chies Evangelica in Florence last summer. She has taught classes and given concerts and master classes for Sac State, San Francisco State, American River College and Brigham Young University. For contributing 355 hours of service for the year 2006-07, Commins was given an award by the Mu Phi Epsilon International Music Fraternity. She lives in Sacramento with her husband, Richard.

1970s
Alan Hilton, ’70, B.A., Political Science, ’74, M.S., Learning Disabilities, earned a doctor of education degree from USC in 1980. He has retired as the director of the San Luis Obispo County Special Education Local Plan Area. His retirement concludes 36 years in special education teaching and administration that also included 17 years training special education teachers at three universities. Hilton has published more than 60 professional articles, coauthored two books, and served on numerous state advisory boards. He has returned to his home in Santa Cruz, where he provides special education consultation to school districts on a part-time basis and works on his two Ford “Woodies.”

1980s
Madeline Kellner, ’83, M.B.A., has been elected to the Novato City Council. By day, she runs a management consulting practice, Kellner and Associates, helping non-profit, public-sector and healthcare organizations improve their operations. It’s based in Novato, where Kellner and her husband, Clint, make

1990s
Richard L. Williams, ’95, B.S., Business Administration, is the e-commerce director for Lexus of Sacramento. He lives in Sacramento.

2000s 
Ben Thielen, ’02, M.A., Government, lives in Washington, D.C. and is a policy analyst for the Federal Aviation Administration.

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