Eight to Be Inducted Into Shaker Alumni Hall of Fame

Eight distinguished graduates of Shaker Heights High School will be inducted into the Shaker Heights Alumni Association Hall of Fame on Monday, October 13, in recognition of their accomplishments in public service, entertainment, and medicine.

This year’s inductees are:

Peter Bergman, ’57, is co-founder of the classic American comedy ensemble, The Firesign Theatre. Firesign Theatre is responsible for twenty-three best-selling albums, including three Grammy nominees. Their PBS television special “Weirdly Cool” premiered nationwide in 2001 in over one hundred American markets, including Cleveland. The group has a regular segment on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and recently released the album, “All Things Firesign.” Bergman attended Yale University, taught economics there as a Carnegie Fellow and attended the Yale School of Drama as a Eugene O’Neill Playwriting Fellow.

Marcia Fudge, ’71, is mayor of Warrensville Heights. Fudge became interested in political activities at an early age. Influenced by her mother, who was a labor organizer, young Marcia tagged along on the March on Washington and campaigned for Carl Stokes when she was a student at Shaker. After graduating from Cleveland Marshall Law School, she joined the office of then-County Prosecutor Stephanie Tubbs Jones and became Tubbs Jones’ Chief of Staff in Washington when she was elected to the House of Representatives. In 1999, Fudge was elected mayor of Warrensville Heights.

Jerry Heller, ’58, has had a significant role in shaping trends and musical movements for five decades. He was responsible for bringing Elton John and Pink Floyd to the United States for their first U.S. tours. He also represented such artists as REO Speedwagon, Boz Scaggs, the Guess Who, Marvin Gaye, and Van Morrison. In the mid-80’s he worked to broaden the audience for rap. He managed the groups NWA and Public Enemy. He is now involved with Latino rap as chief operating officer of Hit a Lick Records.

Ed Kovachy, ’64, is a psychiatrist, executive coach, and mediator in Menlo Park, California. Kovachy’s education includes a BA, JD, and MBA from Harvard, an MD from Case Western Reserve, and a psychiatry residency at Stanford. His clientele includes Silicon Valley CEOs and venture capitalists, Stanford professors, and artists. His community activities include fundraising for Harvard; coaching youth soccer, basketball and baseball; and serving on the board of Mid-Peninsula High School, a school for students who “fall through the cracks.” In addition, Dr. Kovachy has been a newspaper columnist, and last year he co-produced the hit Off-Broadway musical “Jolson and Company.” His parents, Edward and Evelyn, continue to reside at the family home in Shaker Heights.

Freda Levenson, ’69, is a member and past president of the Shaker Heights Board of Education. She attended Wellesley College and the University of Michigan Law School, and was formerly a litigating partner at Altheimer and Gray, a commercial law firm in Chicago. Upon returning to Shaker Heights to raise a family, Freda turned her energies to civic activities, serving as chair of Shaker Heights school levy campaigns in 1994 and 1995. She was the founder of A Night for the Red and White, the annual benefit for the Shaker schools, and serves as a Trustee of the Shaker Schools Foundation, the Fund for the Future, and the Shaker Family Center. Levenson contributes additional time to the Shaker schools as a classroom volunteer for the Ohio Reads program and lunchtime activities.

Kathy Urdang Mulcahy, ’73, graduated from Wharton School of Finance in economics and is a self-employed certified public accountant. Her first public official position was as the Tax Administrator of Orange Village, a position she held for eleven years. She has been elected to two terms as Mayor of Orange Village and is seeking a third term this fall. She says, “I have found great satisfaction in helping the residents of my community, having an impact in both meaningful and small ways and having the opportunity to interact with all levels of government. Especially rewarding has been the many activities we do with students, such as Future Leaders’ Day, Government Day, student mentoring and senior projects."

Nancy Silber Pickus, ’52, is the “founding mother" of the Shaker Heights Alumni Association. She started with a dream, recruited volunteers, and oversaw the writing of the bylaws and the incorporation of the organization. She developed handbooks and policies for class reunion groups. She was custodian of reunion committees’ funds, and was the source for labels, envelopes and stationery. She managed the mailing list and served as mentor and guide for all alumni related activities. Along with her involvement with the alumni, Nancy was a PTA leader, coordinator of school volunteers for the District, school levy campaigner and a trustee of the Shaker Schools Foundation.

Lawrence Singerman, ’61, is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University, Wayne State University Medical School and the residency program in Ophthalmology at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Cleveland. His research interests include studies on macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Lawrence is founder and president of Retina Associates of Cleveland. He is Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Case Western School of Medicine. He has been honored for outstanding contributions in ophthalmology by the American Society of Contemporary Ophthalmology, has been honored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and received the J. Donald Gass Medal for Outstanding Contributions in the Study of Macular Diseases.

The ceremony begins at 9 a.m. Monday, October 13, in the Large Auditorium at Shaker Heights High School, 15911 Aldersyde Road. It is free and open to the public.

The Hall of Fame is a project of the Shaker Heights Alumni Association, a volunteer organization representing more than 30,000 Shaker graduates around the world. Since the first Hall of Fame ceremony in 1983, more than 150 graduates have been inducted in recognition of their achievements in the arts, business, education, entertainment, human services, medicine, science, and volunteerism.

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