Freddy Puza
Freddy Puza ’00 (B.A. theatre arts) was elected to Culver City’s city council in November 2022. He is the first openly LGBTQ+ council member in the city’s history.
Grad Year: 2000
Class Notes
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Ruthanne Salido
Ruthanne Salido ’00 (M.A. communications-journalism) was promoted to director of the Los Angeles Times’ multiplatform desk, overseeing all copy editing and serving as co-chair of the Standards and Practices Committee.
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Timothy Espinosa
Timothy Espinosa ’00 (B.F.A. theatre arts-musical theatre) joined Boston Conservatory at Berklee as chair of theatre. Espinosa will oversee the musical and contemporary theatre programs, and advance the conservatory’s mission of providing students with training and professional development opportunities.
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Russell Lahodny
Russell Lahodny ’00 (B.A. communications) took over as the president and CEO of the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce in 2020 and celebrated 20 years in the chamber industry earlier this year. Lahodny is tasked with helping create a strong local economy for the county.
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André Stephens
André Stephens ’00 (M.A. speech communication) was named president of Fresno Pacific University. Stephens, who has three decades of experience in Christian higher education in California, previously served as vice president for student development at Biola University. Stephens holds a Ph.D. in education, with an emphasis in higher education administration/student affairs, from Claremont Graduate University.
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Rashid Ismail
Rashid Ismail ’98, ’00 (B.A. business administration-management information systems, MBA) was appointed chief operating officer for Accurate Background, a privately held provider of compliant background checks, drug and health screening, and monitoring solutions. Ismail will lead the organization’s strategic growth and innovation plans, while implementing operational initiatives to ensure continued success and profitability.
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Paul Chu
Paul Chu ’00 (B.A. business administration-finance) was appointed vice president of business development for Phanes Therapeutics, a biotech company focused on innovative drug discovery in immuno-oncology.