Kayvon Sarmadi ’10 traded his first stocks at just nine years old, launching a strong interest that is paying off in big ways. Now a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services, Sarmadi has built a $1 billion book and was recently featured in Forbes.
Growing up in Roanoke, Sarmadi was introduced to sales through his family’s car dealership business. He frequently attended sales meetings and learned the importance of client relationships. [NL1] Sarmadi arrived at Roanoke College with a strong foundation in financial literacy and continued that growth through his years in Salem, studying business administration while also participating in the men’s soccer team.
After graduating, Sarmadi persuaded his employer, UBS, to let him begin building his own repertoire of clients and financial assets. Sarmadi’s philosophy and success relies on investing in his client relationships, and his Forbes feature, published in August, [NL2] emphasizes the importance of in-person interactions.
Outside of the financial world, Sarmadi enjoys spending time with his two children and cheering on the men’s Arsenal soccer team. Sarmadi isn’t the only Maroon in his family. His uncle, Kevin Midkiff ’85, and brother, Omid Sarmadi ’18, are fellow graduates. Omid is also a financial advisor at USB on Kayvon’s team.
Anne Roemer ’97 will become William and Mary’s new chief human resources officer this November after spending the last 25 years at NASA, where she currently serves as their deputy chief human capital officer.
Her career at NASA began in 2000 as a presidential management fellow at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. She continued to take on new roles and responsibilities, which led to overseeing the Astronaut Selection Program. Before taking on her current role with NASA, she was the human resources director at Johnson. Roemer is the recipient of NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal and their Exceptional Service Medal.
At Roanoke, Roemer was a member of Chi Omega and graduated with a degree in international relations. She is a current member of the Cornerstone Society. She went on to earn a masters’s in international administration from the University of Denver. She is married with twin daughters.
David Hammel ’94 was recently named interim principal at Waccamaw High School in Pawleys Island, South Carolina. While he intended to return to Waccamaw as a chemistry teacher for the 2025-26 school year, his plans shifted when his dear friend, the principal at Waccamaw, resigned from his position to focus on his health. Hammel was then selected to serve as interim principal for the school.
Hammel knows the position well as he served as principal at the same school for 10 years previously, from 2008-2018. Since 2018, he’s worked in the school district’s office, as a teacher at Georgetown High School and, most recently, as executive director of Teach My People, a nonprofit after-school program. Though his plans changed, Hammel’s vast experience in education and administration will allow him to give Waccamaw High School the support and foundation needed to navigate this transition.
At Roanoke College, Hammel obtained a B.S. in chemistry. He went on to obtain a master’s from the University of South Carolina and a doctorate from Liberty University.
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