1975

Vernon Baker II has been named senior vice president, general counsel and secretary of Meritor Automotive Inc. in Troy, Mich. Previously he was vice president and general counsel for corporate research and technology at Hoechst Celanese Corp. He earned his J.D. from American University in 1978.

In August UTCI announced the appointment of Glenn Reed as executive vice president and general counsel. Previously Glenn practiced law as a partner with Gardner, Carton & Douglas in Chicago, where he maintained a corporate securities, corporate finance and general corporate practice. He headed the firm's venture capital practice, and worked extensively with financial services firms and public companies. He was also a member of the firm's management committee. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1978.

Greg Mutz, CEO and president, said, "Glenn brings a broad range of experience from his law practice that included all types of financing, initial public offerings and mergers and acquisitions that will help UICI grow its increasingly diverse group of financial businesses."

After four years as a high-ranking appointee in the Clinton administration, Hoyt Zia has been named executive director of the Honolulu-based Pacific Telecommunications Council, an international organization focused on telecommunications and information systems issues in the Pacific Hemisphere.

"I'm pleased to be back in Hawaii and look forward to involving the council in developing telecommunications and technology-based solutions for Hawaii and the Pacific region," Hoyt said. "The council, with its expertise and international membership, is uniquely able to contribute to our local and regional communities, and I hope we can be a resource that business and government will use."

Hoyt returns to Hawaii after serving as chief counsel for export administration in the Department of Commerce. He handled negotiations and discussions on export control issues in Asia, represented the United States at international conferences on trade policy, dealt with the business community on export control policies and advised on related national security and foreign policy issues.

Hoyt, an attorney, has also served as counsel for companies such as Motorola and AMFAC/JMB Hawaii. In addition to his professional experience in the Asia-Pacific region, he holds a longstanding interest in regional issues, policy, and practices. Nationally recognized for his active role in the Asian-Pacific-American community, he was a founder and the first president of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and served on the board of the Japanese American Citizens League, Honolulu chapter.

He majored in East Asian studies at Dartmouth, served in the U.S. Marine Corps and earned his J.D. from the UCLA School of Law in 1981. He is married to attorney and Honolulu native Leigh-Ann Miyasato; they have children Emily 10 and Rory 7.

I am sad to report that we have lost another classmate. Tris Coffin passed away on August 1. At Dartmouth Tris was a member of Tabard. He was also a disk jockey for WDCR, and a member of the Dartmouth Players and the Dartmouth Summer Repertory Cos. He majored in psychology, took a Tucker Fellowship and went on to obtain an M.A. in teaching from Emory. He devoted his professional life to the education field. He served Dartmouth as a class agent during the 1980s. Tris never married nor had any children. At the time of his death, he was living in Atlanta. His only survivor is brother David R. Coffin of Wallingford, Conn. Tris will be missed.

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