Good Career News:
Spring Edition
Welcome to our initiative to celebrate the good career news our alumni have to share. The goal of this effort is to help celebrate the accomplishments of our alumni and remind Owls that Temple has their back for their whole career, whether that's celebrating their good career news or offering them career support through Temple's Alumni Career Services! 🦉
Spring 2025 Featured Alumni
Christopher Alexy,
LAW ’87
After 35 years as a trial prosecutor—including leading the Violent Crime Bureau—Christopher joined the Appellate Bureau at the Office of the Chief State Attorney in Hartford, Connecticut.
Garry Cole, CST ’10
In November 2024, Garry received the David Rittenhouse Award for Excellence, the highest honor from the U.S. Military. He was recognized for his groundbreaking research in anti-counterfeit detection with the U.S. Secret Service.
Jerimiah Daley,
CLA ’88
In November 2024, Jerimiah was honored by Camden County Commissioners for two decades of service addressing substance use in the region. He retired in October 2024 from his role as Executive Director of the Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA.
Anne DeSalvo, TYL ’71
Anne, a veteran of Broadway, film, and television, continues to create and teach. She has three films premiering in 2025—Stay with Me, Judge No Book, and Double Exposure—and currently teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
Bria East-Guess, EDU ’18
Bria founded Cognitive Connection to offer counseling and coaching to underserved inner-city youth and adults. In 2024, she launched a partnership with Renewing Mindsets, the second-largest ADHD testing provider in Philadelphia, to expand access to diagnostic and mental health services.
Nyla Ford, SMC ’23
Nyla completed her first feature-length film, which premiered at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, one of Philadelphia’s largest congregations. She recently wrapped filming on a television series set to release on Tubi in summer 2025.
Gerald Gebhart, LAW ’08
Gerald was named a partner at LaMonaca Law. Known for his litigation skills in family law, he has been recognized multiple times by the Delaware County Daily Times and serves as President of the Delaware County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. He is also active in his community as a firefighter and board member.
Aurora Kripa, CLA ’05
Aurora was named the next President and CEO of KenCrest, succeeding fellow Temple alum Marian Baldini upon her retirement in December 2024.
Ina Malloy, TYL ’82
After 40 years of teaching photography and digital art, Ina retired and began volunteering as a professor with the AFSO Afghan Female Student Outreach program. Since 2024, she has taught virtual digital art classes to Afghan women who can no longer attend university due to political restrictions.
Cathy McVey Palmer, CLA ’96
Cathy received the Frank Long Award of Writing Excellence from the Philadelphia chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for her contributions to strategic communication.
Krysta Pellegrino,
SMC ’00
Krysta was promoted to Chief Growth Officer at Supreme Group, a platform company delivering top-tier marketing and communications services to life science organizations. She previously served for eight years as Chief Client Officer at Health + Commerce, which was acquired by Supreme in March 2024.
Sharon Refsin, EDU ’92
Sharon was named 2024 Educator of the Year by her peers at JVB Wicoff Elementary School in Plainsboro, New Jersey. The honor was celebrated with a school breakfast, a district-wide event, and a dedicated parking spot in her name.
Morgan Rupp, FOX ’21
In 2024, Morgan was promoted to Senior Manager of Operations at Amazon, recognizing her leadership and operational expertise.
Stephen Shuman,
DEN ’82
Stephen was inducted into the International College of Dentists, recognizing his contributions to the dental profession.
Christopher Sooy,
FOX ’12
Christopher is a licensed real estate agent specializing in consulting for developers, investors, and traditional buyers and sellers. In 2024, he founded True North General Contractors LLC, quickly gaining a reputation at the New Jersey shore for high-end custom carpentry.
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