University of San Diego | Alumni Honors 2013

Teresa Liberatore Gase’s parents provided her with an education from the University of San Diego and with the example of service to the community and the importance of being involved.

Once Gase becomes involved, her commitment is unflagging. In many ways, Gase can be defined by her propensity for long-term commitment. Her teaching career has spanned 39 years — including 37 years at St. Michael’s School in Poway, Calif., where she’s now instructing the children of her former students.

In 2013, she’ll celebrate 37 years of marriage to her husband, James Gase ’73 (BA), ’81 (MEd). She has sung in her parish’s church choir since 1977, has lived in the same home for 25 years, and has even been a member of the same gym since 1997!

Even her connection to the University of San Diego goes back to when she was in elementary school. Little did she know, when she attended a special event at USD in the fifth grade, that it was just the beginning of a lifelong relationship.

Although many alumni say “giving back” is their primary purpose for returning to campus, Gase jokes that her original reason for becoming involved was purely self-serving. She wanted to make sure she and her classmates had a place to meet for their class reunion. Pulled in by the momentum of her fellow alumni, she became part of the homecoming committees. In 1991, she was invited to join USD’s Alumni Board of Directors, where she remained for two decades.

She served as its president from 1999 to 2000 and, during her tenure, also served on many committees including the Leadership Committee, the Homecoming Committee and the Wine Classic Committee, just to name a few. She has also helped out with events such as the Final Feeding Frenzy and previously was a member of the Alumni Council for the School of Leadership and Education Sciences.

Gase values her years on the board as a time of personal growth, of making lifelong friendships, and yes, of “giving back” to the university.

Bishop Charles Francis Buddy Award

Enrique Morones Careaga ’02 (MSEL)
President/Founder, Border Angels

Enrique Morones Careaga was born in San Diego, but has always been proud of his Mexican roots. His parents, both born in Mexico, instilled in him strong family and spiritual values. His Catholic school education played a key role in his work as president and founder of Border Angels, a nonprofit organization established in 1986 to prevent the deaths of individuals traveling along the United States and Mexico border.

Careaga has a long history of firsts. He was the first U.S.-born citizen to receive dual nationality with Mexico in 1998, directly from president of Mexico, Ernesto Zedillo. He was the first person to create and direct a Latino marketing department in major league sports, as the vice president of Latino marketing for the San Diego Padres from 1995 to 2001. He was the first person to be re-elected as president of the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a position he served in from 1996 to 1998. He was the first U.S.-born man to receive Mexico’s National Human Rights Award, presented to him in 2009 by Mexico’s president, Felipe Calderon.

Careaga is also the founder of Mexico’s Border Commission, established in 2003 under Mexico’s president, Vicente Fox. He founded the House of Mexico in Balboa Park in 2002, and in 2008, co-founded the Friends of Friendship Park. In 2006, he founded the historic Marcha Migrante, an annual march to support immigration reform and to remember those who died trying to cross the border.

Border Angels has been internationally recognized for “saving migrant lives.” Its mission statement: If I was hungry, did you give me to eat, thirsty did you give me to drink, from Mathew 25:35, exemplifies what Border Angels is all about — loving our fellow man.

He has debated immigration issues in national and international media — including, the “Today” show, “Sabado Gigante,” NPR, “Larry King,” “Lou Dobbs,” “The O’Reilly Factor and HBO. He has spoken at universities across the country, hosted students from around the world and was featured in four films and the best-selling book, The Power of One, the Border Angels Story.

Chet and Marguerite Pagni Family Athletic Hall of Fame

Alison Cox ’01 (BA)
Women’s Rowing

Alison Cox started her rowing career as a walk-on at the University of San Diego and developed into one of the most successful Torero athletes ever, becoming the first and only women’s rower in USD history to earn All-America honors when she was named Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) second-team All-America as a senior in 2001.

Cox earned All-West Coast Conference honors in 1999, 2000 and 2001, becoming the first Torero rower to garner three career All-WCC nods. She also took home a trio of WCC Most Valuable Oarswoman awards, in addition to being selected to the CRCA Division I All-Region first team in 2001.

In 2000, Cox was a member of the United States’ Under-23 rowing team and, upon graduating in 2001, joined the U.S. senior rowing squad, where she helped the women’s eight claim gold at the 2002 World Championships; multiple World Cup gold medals; and a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Following the Olympics, Cox took a hiatus from formal competition before rejoining the U.S. team in 2010, where she won a bronze medal at the 2010 World Championships. Altogether, Cox was a six-time member of the U.S. women’s rowing squad, winning 11 gold medals in various national and international competitions.

Cox, a native of Turlock, Calif., graduated in 2001 with a BA in communication studies and a minor in business administration. While currently living in New York, Cox has parlayed her education into a variety of marketing, consulting and philanthropic positions. She also is currently a member of a variety of committees focused on expanding the sport of rowing — including the U.S. Olympians Association, the National Rowing Foundation Board of Directors, Row New York and RestoreOurShore.

Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award

College of Arts and Sciences

Christopher C. Grant ’94 (BA), ’96 (MEd)
General Manager, Cleveland Cavaliers

Chris Grant was named general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers in June 2010. He originally joined the franchise as the vice president of basketball operations/assistant general manager in July 2005.

As general manager, Grant leads the basketball operations group in the day-to-day activities of the team — including all aspects of scouting, basketball personnel, player acquisitions and the operation of the Cavaliers’ NBA Development League affiliate, the Canton Charge. Grant also supervises the athletic performance training team that cares for the medical needs and physical development of each player. In addition, he spearheaded the design and construction of the Cleveland Clinic Courts, the Cavs’ player development and training center — one of the most technologically advanced team development centers in pro sports.

Community involvement is also integral to Grant’s focus. He guides the player appearance committee for the business side of the organization. In 2011, he joined the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital Leadership Council, as well as the national advisory board of the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), a nonprofit organization that transforms the culture of youth sports by giving all young athletes the opportunity for a positive, character-building experience.

Prior to joining the Cavaliers, Grant spent nine seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, where he was promoted in 2004 to vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager.

Grant graduated from USD where he spent three seasons on the basketball team. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in educational leadership.

He and his wife, Kelly, have three sons, Cameron, Boden and Hudson.

Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award

School of Business Administration

Jacqueline F. Akerblom ’84 (BBA)
Southern California Practice Managing Partner, Grant Thornton LLP

Jacqueline Akerblom is the managing partner of the Southern California practice of Grant Thornton. Grant Thornton LLP is the U.S. member of the firm, Grant Thornton International Ltd, and one of its six global audit, tax and advisory organizations. It has offices in 50 U.S. cities and consists of more than 500 partners. The Southern California practice has offices in Los Angeles, Irvine and San Diego.

Akerblom has nearly 30 years of experience working principally with technology and industrial companies as both an audit and corporate finance partner.

She is an elected member of the firm’s Partnership Board, which is charged with governing the firm on behalf of its partners. In her role as managing partner, Akerblom leads and manages a staff of more than 300 professionals who provide specialty services in audit, tax and consulting.

She spent more than three years based in Grant Thornton’s London office, heading the U.S. transaction services team there. She spent 14 years based in the firm’s Silicon Valley office, in San Jose, Calif., and has served as the engagement partner on a number of the firm’s largest clients. She also has worked extensively with both complex public and private technology companies throughout her career.

Akerblom previously served the firm as the national managing partner for international client service, and as one of two U.S. partners on the Grant Thornton International Board of Governors, as well as the national managing partner for women’s initiatives and programs.

She holds a BBA in Accounting from the University of San Diego.

Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award

Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science

Karen “Sue” Hoyt ’06 (PhD), FNP, FAAN
Emergency Nurse Practitioner, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Mary Medical Center

Karen “Sue” Hoyt, PhD, FNP, FAAN, is an emergency nurse practitioner at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, Calif., and the former director of the Master’s Entry Program in Nursing at the University of San Diego.

Dr. Hoyt served as co-editor of the Emergency Nurses Association’s Trauma Nursing Core Course, which has been taught worldwide to more than 500,000 nurses. After her term president of the association, she co-edited the Emergency Nursing Core Curriculum, the official core curriculum publication for the Emergency Nurses Association and its 40,000 members.

Dr. Hoyt expanded emergency care and developed the nurse practitioner role in emergency care. She is a past chair of the Nurse Practitioner Committee at the association. She spearheaded The Delphi Study on Competencies for NPs in Emergency Care and served as the ENA representative to the national group that published the Consensus Model for APRN Regulation.

Dr. Hoyt also conceptualized and implemented a two-day course for emergency nurse practitioners. She established the first Advanced Emergency Nursing Journal, a peer reviewed journal. Her cumulative work has advanced nurse practitioners in emergency care and led to the recognition of emergency nursing as a specialty by American Nurses Association in 2011.

Dr. Hoyt has received numerous honors and awards, some of which include: the Special Recognition Award for passage of The National 9-1-1 Bill; the ENA Kelleher, the Emergency Nurses Association’s highest award; as well as its Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also recognized by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners with a State Award for Excellence, and by the California Association for Nurse Practitioners with the Nurse Practitioners of Distinction Award. She also received the Sigma Theta Tau International Award for Excellence in Nursing Clinical Practice.

Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award

Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies

James T. Waring ’04 (MA), ’73 (JD)
Executive Chairman and Co-Founder, CleanTECH San Diego

James Waring is the executive chairman and co-founder of CleanTECH San Diego, a not-for-profit formed to stimulate the creation and expansion of a clean technology business cluster in the San Diego region. CleanTECH was built on the premise that resources decrease as demand and populations increase. Therefore, societies must learn how to do more with less and become sustainable.

Prior to co-founding CleanTECH San Diego in 2007, Waring worked for Jerry Sanders, the City of San Diego’s former mayor, as the deputy chief operating officer for land use and economic development. In this position, Waring managed three city departments: development services; city planning and community investment; and real estate assets. He currently serves as a mayor’s appointment to the San Diego Housing Commission. In 2012, Waring was appointed to the California Transportation Commission by California Gov. Jerry Brown.

Waring was a practicing attorney for more than 20 years, and has been a principal in FI Financial, a real estate investment firm, since 1991. He has served on the boards of numerous nonprofit organizations and academic institutions, including the San Diego Natural History Museum, Francis Parker School, the University of San Diego’s Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies and River Network.

Waring received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Southern California and both a juris doctorate and a master’s degree in peace and justice studies from the University of San Diego.

Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award

School of Law

Jan I. Goldsmith ’76 (JD)
City Attorney, San Diego

Jan Goldsmith was appointed as a San Diego Superior Court Judge in 1998. He spent his first six years on the bench handling criminal and civil trials. He spent his final years assigned to an independent civil calendar. He retired in December 2008 to assume the office of city attorney for the City of San Diego.

Goldsmith, who graduated magna cum laude from the University of San Diego in 1976, began his legal career with Seltzer, Caplan, Wilkins & McMahon and eventually established his own law firm, specializing in business litigation.

Goldsmith served as deputy mayor of Poway from 1989-90, and then as mayor from 1990 to 1992, until he was elected to the state assembly.

Goldsmith served three terms in the California State Assembly, representing the Northern San Diego City District, which stretches from Mira Mesa to the Escondido border. During his career in the assembly, he held various leadership positions, including majority floor leader, member of the Rules Committee, chair of the Banking and Finance Committee and vice chair of the Committee on Judiciary.

Once he was appointed to the bench, Goldsmith chose to share with students a blend of politics and law in a class called, Law and Political Process, which, among other courses, he taught as an adjunct professor at three San Diego law schools, including at the University of San Diego.

Among other awards, Goldsmith received special recognition from the Children’s Lobby, affiliated with the USD School of Law, for his legislative work on behalf of foster children.

Goldsmith and his wife, Christine, have three children, now ages 29, 26 and 21.

Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award

School of Leadership and Education Sciences

Jeffrey A. Carlstead ’04 (EdD)
Owner/Manager, Carlstead Inc. Hotel Development & Management

Jeff Carlstead, EdD, has 45 active years in the hospitality industry. Born in Chicago, Ill., he earned his bachelor’s degree in hotel administration from the University of Denver. Carlstead opened and managed several Holiday Inns in the Chicago and southern Illinois suburbs before founding Inn Development and Management, Inc., a hotel management, development, construction and advertising company, where he worked with 19 properties including Holiday Inn, Crown Plaza, Best Western and Hampton Inn brands. He was awarded several Holiday Inn awards including, Outstanding Manager, Developer of the Year, and the Modernization Award.

Carlstead moved to La Jolla in 1987. He developed and managed the daily operation of the Hampton Inn-San Diego/Kearny Mesa, which opened in 1989. The hotel has won numerous awards, including the Hampton Inn’s Top Three Award, Inn of the Decade, the San Diego Business Journal’s Total Excellence in Management Award, the San Diego Convention Center and Visitor’s Bureau’s Finest in Service Award, Promus Hotel’s Top Seven and Top Ten awards and Hilton Hotel’s Pinnacle Award, Top 20 Pride Award and its Circle of Excellence Award. Carlstead remains active in the daily management of the hotel.

Carlstead earned his MBA with a concentration in real estate from National University and a doctorate in leadership studies from the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES) at the University of San Diego. Carlstead also served as a founding member of the SOLES Dean’s Advisory Board and has taught as an adjunct professor in the Department of Leadership Studies.

Carlstead and his wife, Eugenie, have four children, Brian, Sarah, Natalie and Kevin and two grandchildren, Kate and Shelby. Eugenie and he created the La Jolla Yoga Center in 2009. In his spare time, Carlstead enjoys golfing, running and practicing yoga.