Khashan Culmer

. . ............ , J01A.V1Itali~m 'be~t of' Lifetim e Achievement Award books in a se ries called" Finance from the Texas City Manage ­ for Kidz" (Fintclligence Publish­ ment A ssociation in 2006. ing). 1l1e books, which cover Blood-sucking vampires, international art thieves and lingerie-wearing football players have all been prey to Michael Mooney'o ('09 basic financial concepts such as M.J.) wants versus needs, goods and fascination with obscure characters. services, scarcity and value, bud­ Edwavd Serna, AL-t~tiVl geting and money management, are for children as young as 5. :: was named the 1991 Texas David Wehmeyev (M.Ed.), first executive director. He was CavvolltoVl :: h as published}tlst previously the Texas Department Waitingfor the Bel/! Stories & Ad­ ofTransportation's as sistant ventures of an Elementary School executive director for suppOrt Principal (Ta te Publishing). H e operations and headed the s hares tales from his 18 years transition team that moved motor of experie nce as an elementary vehicle services from T xDOT to school administrator. The srories the new T xDMY. featu re pig-kissing fundraisers, kamikaze hugs, advice for surviv ­ ing dismissal car lines and more. "I try to write stories that connect disparate parts of society, and I try to tell them in a way that will change how they are viewed," Mooney says, attributing his success to the Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Lloyd Reiter, Journalism_ GaiVle~\)ille :: As a student, he wrote about fired 60 Minutes producer Mary Mapes for the Mayborn magazine. He did not imagine an immediate decorated writing career - he was just hoping to get a job. In contrast, his many honors include awards from the Florida Press Club and the Society of 1992 was named Judey Dozeto, Ab!~tiVl :: executive vice duction manager / print buyer for presiden t and Steve Jackson Games, where she is pro­ chief credit officer for all eight manages the general produc tion Professional Journalists, and he was a runner-up for the Sex Positive locations of the First State Bank schedule of all printed materi­ Journalism award for his investigative story on prostitutes. of Gainesville. With this als and games and negotiates position, he was elected to the contracts with printers. She is the bank's board of direcrors and also former marketing coordinatOr for Died" - as a dream. Days later, he won The Best American Sports will continue serving as a Capital Metropolitan Transpor­ Writing 2009 honor for "Royal Flushed," about poker players in Florida. commercial lending officer at the tation Authority. Mooney describes his most esteemed award - The Best American Crime Reporting 2009 honor for his D Magazine story, "The Day Kennedy Mooney told the Neiman Foundation, "When I got the news that my main branch. He is married to JFK story was selected for Otto Penzler's anthology, I was pretty sure it Mavy Reitev ('88), who teaches was my friends playing some sick prank on me." third grade in the Lindsay LSD. 1995 Lauderdale, Fla., Mooney is gaining entry into the best of journalism Emily Whitlock today. He dreams of reporting for Rolling Stone, GQ or Texas Monthly, Adamo ('95 Currently a staff writer for the Braward-Palm Beach New Times in Fort aspiring to be like his heroes - Gary Smith, David Grann, Mark Boals, Pva~aoh Pamela Colloff, Skip Hollandsworth, Gay Talese and Michael Lewis. RaVlcho PaLo~ Vevde~, Calif. :: a "Compared with them," Mooney says, "any successes I've had are like grains of sand on a wide beach." - Khashan Paitier L. Dheeviya (Ph.D.), M.S.), Fovt Worth :: is a professor of finance at California CPA who was hired as senior tax State University at Dominguez manager at Sanford, Baumeister H ills, has published 20 children's & Frazier PLLC. She has 15 ........... ....... . -