Class Notes Fall 2024

1960s

Ralph Lorenzetti ’69 was elected magistrate for a four-year term in the Court of Jefferson County, West Virginia effective January 1, 2025.

1980s

Steven Boyd ’81 retired from Roanoke City Public Schools ending a 21-year career as the senior aerospace science instructor for the Air Force Junior ROTC program at Patrick Henry High School.

Marc DiCocco ’84 retired from active duty in the Air Force and has been named the technical director for the Directorate for Test & Evaluation, F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, Arlington, Virginia. While in the Corps, he was 2nd Flight Commander in Squadron H and head fireman for the 'Flaming VT' crew.

Patrick Crow ’85 received a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling and is a primary therapist at North Palm Beach Recovery Center in West Palm. Beach, Florida.

Newlyweds John Tilton ’89 and Jessica were married on November 1 at Hahn Horticulture Garden.

A bagpiper in uniform, a man in a vest and kilt, and a woman in a red dress stand smiling in a wooded garden setting.

1990s

Maj. Gen. Doug Clark ’90 relinquished command of the 4th Marine Division on May 23, 2024, and then assumed duties as the Director of Plans, Policy, and Strategy (J-5) at U.S. Forces Korea at Camp Humphreys.

Brian Pessaro ’93 and his wife Debbie (Leiden) (VT '94) celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in June. After 21 years in Florida, they recently moved to Phoenix, Arizona where Brian now works as a principal planner for Valley Metro, the regional transit authority.

A mature couple stand arm in arm smiling with flowers in the background.

Maj. Gen. Kelly Dickerson '95 was promoted to major general in November 2024 and became the operations and training officer for the chief of U.S. Army Reserve, Lt. Gen. Robert Harter '88, who promoted Dickerson. Capt. Jacob Newman '14 pinned Dickerson during the promotion ceremony.

Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers ’96 took command of Special Operations Command Central (SOCCENT) in June 2024 and was promoted to major general on July 31. He is now in Beirut serving as co-chair for the implementation and monitoring mechanism of the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon.

Jeffers sits in a leather chair in his camouflage uniform.

Matthew Cosner ’97 received the Delores M. Etter Top Scientists and Engineers Award from the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for his work developing an uncrewed air vehicle station keeping model. The model runs twenty-times faster than previous versions and informed the Navy's decision for its future vertical lift aircraft.

Col. Greg Lowe ’97 retired after 27 years in the Air Force. His final post was as the commander of Air Force ROTC at Virginia Tech. Remaining in Blacksburg, Greg has been hired by Virginia Tech as the inaugural director of the Defense Civilian Training Corps. Virginia Tech is one of four universities that are part of this pilot program to develop future civil service leaders for the Department of Defense.

Three people in uniform hold a framed VT jersey that reads "Lowe"

2000s

Lt. Col. Deb Daley ’04 graduated with her Ph.D. in literature through the University of Kentucky in December 2023.

2020s

Riley Ripa ’21 has moved into a planning and roads forester role with Weyerhaeuser’s Carolina-Virginia Timberlands Division based out of Charleston, South Carolina.

Submit your deployments, job and rank changes, awards and honors, family announcements, photos, and other news at vtcc.vt.edu/classnotes.

Contact the Alumni Office

540-231-7431
vtccalumni@vt.edu

Mailing address

VTCC Alumni Office
CLMS Building (0213)
355 Old Turner Street
Blacksburg, VA 24061

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