Issue 4, 2023
Class Notes
1939
Esther Cooper Foreman, c’39, celebrated her 102nd birthday in July. She makes her home in Kansas City, where she retired after teaching kindergarten for 25 years. A graduate of KU and Kansas City Kansas Community College, she established the Cooper-Foreman Heirloom Garden at KCKCC and has traveled worldwide with several members of the college’s faculty and staff.
1946
Julia Kabance, ’46, a 109-year-old World War II veteran, in November received the Daughters of the American Revolution Distinguished Citizen Medal for her many years serving in the military and volunteering in VA hospitals and churches. She is the oldest member of the Prairie Band Pottawatomie Nation and the first Native American to receive this award.
1951
Gene Balloun, b’51, l’54, retired partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon in Kansas City, in November received the Breaking Barriers Adoption Award from Voice for Adoption, a national adoption advocacy group. Throughout his career, Gene has helped more than 1,500 foster children find permanent homes.
1958
The Rev. Patricia “Pasha” Hafer Buck, g’58, is interim chaplain at the Mayflower Community, a retirement residence in Grinnell, Iowa, where she and her husband, John, live.
John Feist, c’58, lives in Falls Church, Virginia, where he recently wrote and published two novels, Night Rain, Tokyoand Blind Trust.
1961
Delberta Hollaway Coonrod-Vannoy, d’61, in September received the Albert Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. Her career in education spanned more than 40 years and included roles in public schools and universities in Kansas, Nebraska, Indiana and Texas. Most recently she taught at Binh Duong University in Vietnam. She retired in 2002 as an educational consultant.
1967
Lloyd Free, g’67, g’69, PhD’70, a former assistant professor at the University of Michigan, wrote Bittersweet, which was published by Sugarhill Press in 2018. The historical novel celebrates the beatnik jazz and poetry scenes in San Francisco and Paris in the 1960s.
1968
M.D. “Mike” Michaelis, b’68, g’69, in October was elected vice chair of the KU Endowment board of trustees. He is president of Emprise Financial Corp. and has served on the Endowment board since 2003. In 2004, the School of Business honored him with the Distinguished Business Alumni Award.
David Preston, j’68, retired as chief pilot and director of flight operations at Russell Stover. He moved from Overland Park to Mesa, Arizona, in 2018.
1969
Donald Anderson, m’69, retired in 2018 after nearly 50 years as an anesthesiologist. He lives in Stillwater, Minnesota.
Mark Swanson, m’69, is a retired surgeon in Marshfield, Wisconsin, where he lives with his wife, Mary Jane. They have two children.
1970
Paul Gray, d’70, wrote Notes From Papa, his fourth motivational book, which was published in November. He and his wife, Margaret “Kitsy” Waggoner Gray, d’69, live in Lawrence and have three children, two of whom are Jody Gray White, d’01, g’03, and Jay, c’06, and six grandchildren.
Rusty Leffel, c’70, l’73, an artist and photographer in Mission Hills, was recently profiled in KC Studio magazine about his lively yard-art installations, which he creates to encourage conversation about global and social issues. Rusty is a former attorney and the inspiration for KU’s Rusty Leffel Concerned Student Award, which was established in 1973 by his fellow students and is awarded annually to student leaders. His wife, Paula Hauser Leffel, f’70, recently exhibited her paintings at HJ’s Youth & Community Center gallery in Brookside.
1973
Gary Flory, l’73, is director emeritus of the Kansas Institute for Peace & Conflict Resolution at Bethel College. He and Ann Sollenberger Flory, g’72, a retired librarian, live in McPherson and have three children.
Michael Mehl, c’73, retired after more than three decades with the federal government, including 30 years at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., and three years as the Kinnear Professor of Physics at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He is now a research professor at Duke University.
1974
Stephen Kunz, m’74, is a retired physician and lives in Overland Park with his wife of 44 years, Cynthia Stark Kunz, c’92. They have three children, two of whom are Eric, ’01, and Lara, ’09, and five grandchildren.
1975
Patricia Hirsch, c’75, l’79, s’98, lives in Newtown, Connecticut, where she retired as director of customer services at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Gale Sayers, d’75, g’77, in November joined 11 other running backs on the NFL 100 All-Time Team. Sayers in 1977 became the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s youngest inductee, a distinction he still holds.
1976
Dan Kaup, m’76, is a family physician at St. Mary Medical Center in Valparaiso, Indiana.
1977
Lon Dehnert, d’77, DMA’87, retired in August as assistant dean of the KU School of Education. He joined the school’s administrative team in 2012.
Michael Flowers, c’77, a retired brigadier general with 30 years of service in the U.S. Army, in December was inducted in the Washburn Rural High School Hall of Fame in Topeka. He currently serves on the Alumni Association’s national Board of Directors.
1978
Doug Barrington, j’78, who co-owns Team Barrington Real Estate in Topeka, was named 2019 Realtor of the Year by the Sunflower Association of Realtors and will serve as president of the association in 2020. He also leads the Kansas Association of Realtors as director.
M. Margaret Sheahan Moran, b’78, l’83, is deputy city attorney for Kansas City, Missouri.
1979
John Cessarich, c’79, retired in November as chief meteorologist at WYFF 4 in Greenville, South Carolina. His career with the station spanned 30 years and was celebrated with an on-air retirement party.
Susan Myres, b’79, a senior partner at Myres & Associates in Houston, is president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.
1980
Lorie Kuchem Bowman, a’80, in October was elected to the KU Endowment board of trustees. She is a principal architect and president of BBN Architects Inc. in Kansas City and Manhattan. Lorie also serves on the School of Architecture & Design advisory board.
1981
Nelda Schwinke Godfrey, g’81, associate dean of partnerships and practice at KU School of Nursing, was inducted as a fellow in the Academy of Nursing Education.
George Gomez, c’81, is an attorney at Tenopir and Huerter in Topeka. He lives in Lenexa.
Ron Hrabak, e’81, recently was awarded the Five Star Award, one of the highest honors for individual accomplishment at FedEx. He just completed his 12th year in the strategic projects department at FedEx Express in Memphis, Tennessee.
John Logan, j’81, l’84, is an attorney at Laff Gordon Bennett Logan in Denver. He specializes in commercial litigation, real estate, contract and employment law.
Caroline Bilderback Sosin, n’81, was promoted to senior RN manager of the NICU at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, Arizona.
1982
Steve Raymond, j’82, in October was inducted in the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame. In 1995 he co-founded Adaptive Spirit, which helps fund the U.S. Paralympic Ski Team, and he continues to lead the organization’s board of directors as chair. Steve also serves on the board of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation.
Mark White, c’82, l’85, lives in Houston, where he’s chief administrative officer at Baker Botts law firm.
1983
Michael Bohn, c’83, is athletic director at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Rick Embers, c’83, a’88, in September received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the KU School of Architecture & Design. He is principal at Pulse Design Group in Overland Park, where he has worked for more than 30 years.
Kim Martens, l’83, is an attorney at Martens Work Comp Law in Wichita, where he lives with his wife, Glenda.
Earl Richardson, j’83, l’08, is a photographer in Lawrence.
1985
Paige Vicker Butler, b’85, l’88, is deputy executive director at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School in Arlington, Virginia.
Michael Carothers, j’85, works at Fox Sports Kansas City. He and Karmel Crampton Carothers, c’85, m’89, live in Overland Park.
Jamie Koval, f’85, founding partner of brand and marketing agency VSA Partners in Chicago, received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the KU School of Architecture & Design in September. He also is founder and chief design officer of Cooler Screens, a technology company.
Laura Shaneyfelt, l’85, in September received the 2019 Robert L. Gernon Award for her commitment to legal education. She’s the Criminal Justice Act resource counsel for the Kansas Federal Public Defender Office in Topeka.
James Wright, l’85, is senior tax director at Aptean in Alpharetta, Georgia, where he makes his home with his wife, Susan.
1986
Deirdre Hajidimitriou Petersen, c’86, is firm administrator at Barnwell Whaley Patterson & Helms in Charleston, South Carolina.
1987
Peter Clouston, ’87, is a video and digital producer at Terracon and a camera operator for the Kansas City Chiefs. He lives in Lawrence.
J. Leon Greene, ’87, who joined the KU faculty in 1995, retired in July as associate professor emeritus in the department of health, sport and exercise sciences.
James Holt, l’87, is of counsel at Bruce & Lehman in Wichita.
Sharon Stephens, j’87, c’88, l’91, is an environmental consultant at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in St. Paul. She lives in White Bear Lake.
Patrick Sturgeon, j’87, is managing editor of college wires at USA Today Sports. He makes his home in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Brian Wertenberger, j’87, owns Fitness Machine Technicians. He makes his home in Gardner.
1988
Doug Barraza, a’88, is principal and recreation and wellness leader at SmithGroup, a design firm in Denver.
Born to:
Michael Frakes, c’88, and his wife, Malisa, son, Gabriele, July 23 in Boston, where he joins a brother, Charlie, who just turned 3. Michael is chief quality officer and director of clinical care for Boston MedFlight.
1989
Laura Bronson, j’89, lives in New York City, where she’s executive editor at Callisto Media.
Kathryn Ulrich Lask, c’89, l’93, is an attorney and professor in the paralegal program at Kansas City Kansas Community College. She lives in Overland Park and has two sons.
Paul Rupp, c’89, l’92, is a corporate business development adviser at Chevron in Houston, where he lives with his wife, Lucia.
Dionne Scherff, c’89, l’91, an attorney at Joseph, Hollander & Craft in Kansas City, was named to the 2019 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers list. She specializes in criminal defense.
1990
John Barbian, l’90, is political economic chief for the U.S. Department of State at the Consulate General in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Emerick Cross, c’90, g’06, was appointed by Gov. Laura Kelly in August to the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission. He currently serves as director and commission liaison for the unified government of Wyandotte County and the Kansas City, Kansas, County Administrator’s Office.
Kelly Donohoe, c’90, g’92, a former KU quarterback, is the new head football coach at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City. For the past 20 seasons he coached at Blue Springs High School, where he led the team to four state championships. Kelly is a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.
Kathy Hime Wagoner, d’90, in October was named Hays Post Teacher of the Month. She has been teaching for 28 years and has spent her entire career at Hays High School.
1991
Darren Black, c’91, l’93, lives in Fairway, where he’s national practice leader at Risk Strategies, an insurance brokerage and risk management firm. He oversees the national professional liability practice group.
Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau, j’91, is the U.S. Consul General in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She previously served in the same role in Lahore, Pakistan.
James Whittaker, c’91, g’00, lives in Lawrence, where he’s a financial adviser and principal at GP Strategies. He’s also a cycling coach at Velotek Performance.
1992
Alexandra Goodpasture Reilly, c’92, recently earned national certification from the American Banker Association as a certified financial marketing professional. She is vice president and agency principal at Banktastic, a marketing agency for financial brands.
Karen Whipple, ’92, retired in October after nearly 20 years as an accountant at the KU Alumni Association. She and her husband, Don, assoc., recently moved to Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
1993
Beth Anderson Easter, c’93, is community bank president of INTRUST Bank and oversees consumer operations in Lawrence and Topeka. She has been with the bank since 2011.
Richard Salmen, g’93, lives in Olathe, where he’s president of Family Investment Center.
Brian Smith, b’93, lives in Olathe, where he’s vice president of operations at Cobalt Iron, a cloud-based data protection provider.
Melanie Stuart-Campbell, d’93, a language teacher in Topeka, wrote Learn Spanish with Pictures: Easy, Visual Lessons to Master Basic Grammar and Vocabulary, which was published in November by Rockridge Press. It’s her second book.
Amy Schwartz Walker, b’93, was promoted to vice president of remote tax preparation at H&R Block in Kansas City.
1994
Michelle White Bowman, j’94, in November became a member of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System. She previously served as state bank commissioner of Kansas.
Don Cawby, g’94, is finance director for the city of Shawnee.
A.J. Cleland, c’94, manages accounts at E2 Lending. He lives in Denver.
Larry Kleeman, b’94, c’94, l’97, is an attorney and municipal adviser at Ranson Citycode Financial in Wichita.
Jennifer Klemp, c’94, g’99, g’03, PhD’08, associate professor of medical oncology at KU Medical Center, is leading a $2.25 million National Cancer Institute grant-funded study on survival rate disparities in rural parts of Kansas. She shares principal investigator duties with Allen Greiner, m’95, g’00, associate professor of family medicine and community health.
1995
LaRisa Chambers, c’95, lives in Goleta, California, where she’s a senior gift officer at Cottage Health.
Molly Fogarty, c’95, is senior vice president of corporate and government affairs at Nestlé in Washington, D.C.
Paul Ling, g’95, g’97, l’02, lives in Olathe, where he’s senior director and corporate counsel at Evergy.
Married
Matt Eblen, e’95, g’00, to Liz Johnston, Aug. 10 in Kansas City. They make their home in Roeland Park, where Matt is a project manager at McClure Engineering.
1996
Karen McGaughy Lavendusky, f’96, directs space management at KU. She commutes from De Soto.
Janith Lewis-Bryant, l’96, is senior assistant general counsel at Dallas Area Rapid Transit. She lives in St. Paul, Texas.
Daniel Mudd, j’96, makes his home in Hong Kong, where he’s general manager of Burt’s Bees Asia.
1997
Brad Allen, c’97, executive director of the Lawrence Public Library, in August was appointed by Gov. Laura Kelly to the Humanities Kansas board of directors.
Clay Barker, l’97, is deputy general counsel for the Kansas Secretary of State. He and Laura McKnight Barker, l’94, live in Leawood.
Jeannette Blackmar, g’97, g’99, g’16, is executive director of the Lumberyard Arts Center in Baldwin City. She previously directed the city’s Chamber of Commerce.
Erica Smith, f’97, makes her home in Mooresville, North Carolina, where she’s an online merchant at Lowe’s.
J. Max Van Hoose, g’97, was promoted to executive vice president of Harps Food Stores, a 91-store grocery chain based in his hometown of Springdale, Arkansas. He’s been with the company since 1997.
Tanya Wilson, l’97, is senior counsel at Husch Blackwell in Kansas City. She and Richard, assoc., live in Stilwell.
1998
Alan Carr, j’98, is executive director of the Kansas City Kansas Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Alexandra Lussier Philip, b’98, ’07, directs client services at LionShare, a health care data analytics and marketing agency. She lives in Olathe.
Wendy Rohleder-Sook, c’98, l’01, is assistant professor and director of pre-law/legal studies at Fort Hays State University in Hays.
Nicole Mehring Schmidt, e’98, is senior director of development at Central Square Technologies. She and Zachary Schmidt, e’97, ’02, a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, live in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
1999
Guiseppe “Jon” Bonacci, b’99, chief financial officer at GLY Construction in Bellevue, Washington, recently was named a shareholder of the company.
Mark Keeton, c’99, PharmD’02, directs service reliability at IdeaTek TelCom in Buhler.
William Lewis, l’99, is special counsel at C. Tumey Law Group in Houston, where he makes his home with his wife, Darcy.
Jen Silvers, j’99, lives in Chesapeake, Virginia, where she’s district vice president of YMCA of South Hampton Roads.
2000
Matt Nyberg, b’00, a shareholder at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck in Denver, in October was elected to the board of directors of Team Breckenridge Sports Club, a nonprofit organization that supports young athletes.
2001
Monique Centeno, c’01, is a judge in the 18th Judicial District in Wichita. She was a trial attorney at Wall Huntington Law Firm.
Dustin Engelken, m’01, is a pulmonary critical care physician at Alaska Native Medical Center in Olympia, Washington, where he lives with Michelle, m’04.
Matthew Gaus, c’01, l’06, is associate litigation counsel at the Kansas Board of Healing Arts in Topeka. He commutes from Lawrence.
Chadron Patton, c’01, l’10, is senior associate general counsel at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. He lives in Lenexa.
Megan Hoss Pedersen, c’01, g’08, lives in Lawrence, where she’s senior director of surgical clinics at Lawrence Memorial Hospital. She’s been with the hospital for eight years.
Emily Schutte Vijayakirthi, c’01, l’04, is senior attorney and assistant compliance manager at Black & Veatch in Leawood. She and Victor, g’10, an IT applications manager at Sprint, live in Overland Park.
2002
Jennie Neumann Carter, b’02, l’04, is an attorney at Counts Law Firm in Prairie Village.
Doug Herbers, e’02, g’06, lives in San Diego, where he works at Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific.
Jerrihlyn Miller McGee, n’02, g’05, DNP’15, was promoted to vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion at KU Medical Center. She has been a clinical assistant professor and director of graduate leadership programs in the School of Nursing.
Sara Ott, g’02, is city manager of Aspen, Colorado.
Stephanie Stewart Pedersen, l’02, is senior director of Medicaid market development at Express Scripts. She makes her home in Aurora, Colorado.
Matthew Stratemeier, c’02, l’05, is vice president of Gradient Financial Group in Topeka. He lives in Lawrence.
2003
Eric Aufdengarten, l’03, is associate general counsel at KU. He commutes from Lenexa.
Jeff Boschee, d’03, in June will be inducted in the North Dakota Sports Hall of Fame. A Valley City, North Dakota, native, he played basketball for KU from 1998 to 2002 and helped the Jayhawks advance to the Final Four during his senior year. He’s the head men’s basketball coach at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin.
Michele Casavant, PhD’03, is assistant dean of the KU School of Education. She has been with the University since 2003.
Brian Iverson, g’03, is senior commercial relationship manager at INTRUST Bank in Lawrence.
Amber Lutz-Sewell, d’03, co-owns Lutz Plumbing in Shawnee.
Maria Lara Ojeda, g’03, is assistant city manager of American Canyon, California.
2004
Julie May Austin, c’04, is associate athletic director of marketing and licensing at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.
Jerald Cook, b’04, l’09, is an attorney at Cook Law Firm in Leawood. He lives in Stilwell.
John Tyler Marshall, e’04, a’06, lives in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, where he’s managing director of New York City-based design and architecture firm Workshop/APD.
Travis, f’04, and Brooke Wehner Russell, j’03, co-own Public at the Brickyard in Wichita.
2005
Jon Cline, c’05, g’09, l’09, makes his home in Houston, where he’s senior corporate counsel at Hines, a real estate firm.
Ben Gholson, a’05, an architect and senior associate at Cooper Carry in Atlanta, was part of a team that won the 2019 Radical Innovation Award in October.
Ronald Huston Jr., c’05, l’09, is a staff attorney at YoungWilliams. He lives in Shawnee.
Brandon Snook, f’05, recently performed in “Looking at You,” an opera featured at HERE Arts Center in New York City. He makes his home in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Laci Wright, j’05, is a digital marketing specialist for the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park.
Born to:
Elaine Fukunaga, f’05, and her husband, Christopher, son, Baley, July 27 in Bulach, Switzerland, where he joins a sister, Aspen, who recently turned 2.
2006
Anna Kowalewski Lloyd, c’06, l’09, lives in Chicago, where she’s executive director at the Chicago Committee, a nonprofit organization that provides networking opportunities and support for minority lawyers.
Quinton McElhaney, l’06, is an e-discovery consultant at Wiley Rein in Washington, D.C.
2007
Katharine Fisher Dernier, l’07, lives in Kansas City, where she’s underwriting counsel at First American Title Insurance Company.
Deanna Hanson-Abromeit, PhD’07, is associate professor of music education and music therapy at KU. She lives in Lawrence with her husband and their two children.
Alonzo Jamison, c’07, is section manager at Hallmark Cards in Lawrence. He and Colleen Rodgers Jamison, f’87, live in Tecumseh.
Whitney Novak, j’07, l’14, recently moved to Washington, D.C., where she’s a legislative attorney at the Congressional Research Service in the Library of Congress.
Joshua Roehr, d’07, manages consumer marketing at Kansas Speedway. He and Kelli Nuss Roehr, c’07, director of Educare Kansas City at KU Medical Center’s Project Eagle, live in Gladstone, Missouri.
Eric Schlickman, a’07, lives in Wheaton, Illinois, where he owns 302 Wheaton, a burger restaurant.
Megan Simpson, f’07, l’12, is compliance and privacy business partner at Saint Luke’s Health System in Kansas City.
Sarah Sims, c’07, ’08, directs engagement and accessibility at the Missouri Historical Society in St. Louis.
Lucas Thompson, c’07, is president of Ad Astra Insights. He lives in Los Angeles.
2008
Amber Clifford-Napoleone, PhD’08, is professor of anthropology and director of the McClure Archives and University Museum at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg.
Catherine Wilcox Fuller, s’08, s’09, l’14, is assistant attorney general in the Texas Office of the Attorney General. She and her husband, Levi, live in Georgetown, Texas.
Eric Jorgensen, j’08, lives in Los Angeles, where he’s associate creative director at Critical Mass, a digital-experience design agency.
Matthew Meyer, c’08, l’12, is vice president of CAC Specialty, an insurance brokerage and investment banking company. He lives in Centennial, Colorado.
Glen Stansberry, c’08, is a web developer at KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park.
Born to:
Andrew Sherwood, j’08, and his wife, Kayla, twins William and Adelaide, Oct. 21, in Plano, Texas. Andrew is a leadership gifts officer at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Eric, g’08, and Jordann Parsons Snow, c’08, son, Henry, Aug. 28 in Prairie Village, where he joins a sister, Nora, who just turned 5.
2009
Jessica Shannon Burtin, j’09, l’12, is an attorney at Ascension Via Christi in Wichita.
Brendan Fletcher, l’09, is a compliance specialist at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in Denver.
Ashley Epperly Schubert, l’09, is a dispute resolution and policy specialist at the Colorado Department of Education. She lives in Denver with her husband, Cameron.
Timothy Spencer, c’09, u’10, coordinates grants at KU. He and Kim Adams Spencer, c’07, ’11, live in Lawrence.
Darrell Stuckey, c’09, in October was inducted in the Ring of Honor at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium during the KU Homecoming game. He was a safety for the Jayhawks from 2006 to ’09 and went on to play professionally for the San Diego Chargers.
2010
Jenny Brockel, j’10, is a flight attendant for Sun Country Airlines. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Kevin Hardy, c’10, j’10, covers business for the Kansas City Star.
Erica Braker Potter, b’10, is a marketing and communications specialist at Allied National. She and Samuel, c’17, live in Overland Park.
Kate Renner, g’10, g’12, an associate at HKS in Washington, D.C., received the Young Architect/Designer Award from the KU School of Architecture & Design in September.
Mario Rodriguez, c’10, ’14, is a home-equity mortgage representative at CommunityAmerica Credit Union. He lives in Kansas City.
Adam Samson, j’10, is assistant athletic director of media and communications at Missouri Baptist University in St. Louis. He and his wife, Megan, live in Maryland Heights, Missouri, and have a son, Benjamin, who recently turned 3.
Jenny Conner Smith, b’10, l’13, works for the city of Shawnee as assistant city attorney.
Wade Whiting, l’10, is district attorney of Crook County in Prineville, Oregon.
Nick Woolery, g’10, lives in Baytown, Texas, where he’s assistant city manager.
2011
Alex Aguilera, l’11, is assistant general counsel of litigation and compliance at Leggett & Platt in Carthage, Missouri.
Sonia Hall, c’11, PhD’16, is president and CEO of BioKansas in Mission.
Estelle Johnson, c’11, is a professional soccer player for the New Jersey-based Sky Blue FC and the Cameroon women’s national team. She was a defender for the Jayhawks from 2006 to ’09.
Janelle McCoy, g’11, directs engagement at Bernstein-Rein in Kansas City. She makes her home in Tonganoxie.
Matthew Nahrstedt, a’11, is a senior project associate at MIG in Pasadena, California.
Jake Silverman, c’11, is a lobbyist and political strategist at Strategic Capitol Consulting in Chesterfield, Missouri. He lives in Wildwood.
Sumere Smith, h’11, g’13, lives in Durham, North Carolina, where she’s a medical records administration specialist.
Connor Treanor, g’11, manages projects at TreanorHL, an architecture firm in Lawrence.
Mary Tunakan, b’11, l’14, is an attorney at Creative Planning Legal in Overland Park.
2012
Sarah Bell, g’12, PhD’19, is a development officer at the Watkins Museum of History in downtown Lawrence.
Matt Franzblau, g’12, is a development officer for the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County in Boca Raton, Florida. He also serves as vice chair of communications on JNFuture’s national board of directors and chair of the local Broward chapter.
Brian Gardiner, b’12, l’16, is an attorney at McDonald Veon in Overland Park.
Brian Greer, g’12, PhD’14, is assistant professor of pediatrics at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He also is assistant director of Children’s Specialized Hospital-Rutgers Center for Autism Research, Education and Services.
Weston Pletcher, j’12, is assistant director of communications for Wichita State Athletics. He and Lyndsay Leisinger Pletcher, ’11, a human resources generalist at the university, live in Park City and have a son, Payne, who turns 1 in March.
Jud Travis, c’12, is a self-employed comedian in Los Angeles.
Marcy Farguson Vandament, c’12, g’14, PhD’19, has accepted a two-year post-doctoral fellowship in pediatric neuropsychology at Sutter Medical Foundation in Sacramento, California.
Joe Watson, b’12, is senior finance manager at Molson Coors in Denver.
Andy White, c’12, is a photographer at KU.
2013
David Austin, l’13, works as a law clerk at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Ohio in Cincinnati.
Erin Borry, PhD’13, was promoted to associate professor of political science and public administration at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She also directs the university’s master of public administration program.
Casey Cox Combs, c’13, AUD’17, is a clinical audiologist at Mid-Kansas Ear, Nose & Throat Associates in Wichita.
Jared Doke, g’13, is a program specialist for the National Alliance for Public Safety GIS Foundation in Washington, D.C. He lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Robert Domsch, g’13, l’13, is vice president of regional operations at Mariner Wealth Advisors in Overland Park, where he lives with Ashley Speck Domsch, n’09, who works at Children’s Mercy Hospital.
Jenna Christophel Driskell, c’13, is an attorney at LeBaron-Ramos Law Firm in Kansas City. She lives in Leawood with her husband, Hank.
Tyler Dumler, l’13, is a program specialist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington, D.C.
Justine Greve, g’13, coordinates research at Jackson County Family Court in Kansas City.
Henry Kapka, c’13, is a project manager at Pace Analytical Services in Lenexa. He lives in Leawood.
Grady Millikan, g’13, lives in Manor, Texas, where he’s a data analyst at ScaleFactor, an accounting software company.
Brooke Anderson Parker, g’13, manages learning and development at water.org. She lives in Olathe and has two daughters, Maggie and Molly.
James Rankin, l’13, is chief operating officer and chief compliance officer at ChangePath in Leawood. He and his wife, Melissa, make their home in Prairie Village.
Shannon Collins Schroeder, c’13, lives in Houston, where she’s an associate at Locke Lord.
Christopher Teters, e’13, l’16, is assistant attorney general at the Kansas Attorney General’s Office in Topeka.
2014
Edward Bain, l’14, is assistant counsel for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County in Kansas City.
Perry Brill, c’14, manages Brill Eye Center in Mission.
Immanual Chioco, c’14, lives in New York City, where he’s a law clerk for the New York State Unified Court System.
Peter Conley, l’14, is a trial attorney for the Death Penalty Defense Unit, a division of the Kansas Board of Indigents’ Defense Services, in Topeka.
Austin Drake, b’14, is a portfolio adviser at Sterneck Capital Management. He makes his home in Topeka.
Philip Gonzalez, c’14, lives in Lawrence, where he’s a billing specialist at The Hartford.
Ciara Malone, c’14, l’17, is an attorney at Cohen & Cohen in Washington, D.C. She lives in Arlington, Virginia.
Benjamin Martin, c’14, s’17, is a social worker at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City, where he lives with his partner, Zeb Duncan.
Laura Minton, g’14, curates exhibitions at the Fralin Museum of Art at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
Katie Rowe, e’14, is a chemical engineer at Honeywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies in Kansas City. She lives in Olathe.
Mark Savoy, l’14, lives in Denver, where he’s a criminal defense attorney at the Colorado Legal Defense Group.
2015
Montana Astorga, c’15, is a medical technologist at Quest Diagnostics in Lenexa.
Kurt Blankschaen, g’15, is assistant professor of philosophy at Daemen College in Amherst, New York. He and his partner, Robert Withrow, make their home in Williamsville, New York.
Jeffrey Carmody, c’15, l’19, is a research attorney for the Kansas Court of Appeals in Topeka. He lives in Lawrence.
Julie Etzler, j’15, lives in Wichita, where she’s a digital marketing coordinator at INTRUST Bank.
Taylor Hatfield, c’15, directs operations for Wichita State University women’s softball program.
Julia Johnson, b’15, lives in New York City, where she manages customer service at Braze, Inc.
Lauren Longbine, j’15, is director of Midwest promotion for Sony Music Entertainment.
Travis Machelek, g’15, was promoted to town administrator of Estes Park, Colorado. He previously served in an assistant administrator role.
Hugo Macias Jr., g’15, is a high school professional communications teacher at Uplift Education in Dallas. He makes his home in Garland, Texas.
Nicole Multer, c’15, l’18, is an attorney at Rasmussen, Dickey & Moore in Kansas City.
Mitchell Spain, g’15, is a ceramics artist in Johnston, Iowa.
Teresa Martin Stanfill, DNP’15, directs nursing practice at St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, Idaho.
Anthony West, b’15, is a real estate agent at John Moffitt & Associates in Kansas City.
Alyse Zadalis, l’15, works at Black & Veatch in Overland Park, where she’s dispute resolution counsel.
Married
Liesel Reussner, c’15, to Sean Callahan, assoc., June 1 in Lawrence. They live in Richmond, Virginia, where Liesel works in marketing and design at Thrivident.
2016
Molly Bernard, c’16, is a meteorologist at KETV in Omaha, Nebraska.
Perry Ellis, ’16, in May was inducted in the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame. He played basketball for the Jayhawks from 2012 to ’16 and was the 2016 Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year. After playing briefly in the NBA’s G-League, Perry has joined the KU basketball staff as video coordinator.
Matthew Frederick, c’16, l’19, lives in Lawrence, where he’s an associate at Fagan & Emert.
Tom Joyce, b’16, directs sales at Naologic, a business management company. He makes his home in Kansas City.
Anna Lavigne, j’16, l’19, is an associate at Niedner Law Firm in St. Charles, Missouri. She lives in St. Louis.
Morgan Linder, c’16, lives in Walla Walla, Washington, where she’s an assessment and communication coordinator at the Walla Walla County Department of Community Health.
Michelle Marron, c’16, s’17, is a youth community support worker at Cornerstones of Care in Kansas City.
Sage Morander, b’16, works at Teak Media + Communication in South Boston, where she’s an account executive.
Senushi Jayaratne O’Sullivan, m’16, is a hospitalist at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Michael Portman, j’16, lives in Kansas City, where he’s a communications and public relations specialist at GlynnDevins.
Jessie Pringle, c’16, l’19, is an assistant revisor at the Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes in Topeka. She commutes from Lawrence.
Megan Ryan, e’16, is a process automation engineer at Integrated Project Services in Overland Park.
Zach Stegenga, b’16, lives in New York City, where he’s a business development associate at Leonis Partners.
Maureen Weber, m’16, is a hospitalist at Wright Memorial Hospital in Trenton, Missouri.
2017
Cole Anneberg, j’17, coordinates marketing at the Hawes Group in Vancouver, Washington.
Chad Archibald, l’17, lives in Dallas, where he’s staff counsel at Allstate.
Ethan Brown, l’17, is an associate attorney at Stockton & Stern in Gardner.
Molly Bybee, g’17, is a music therapist at Paul’s Run, a retirement community in Philadelphia.
Nathan Kakazu, l’17, lives in Kansas City, where he’s an associate attorney at Blake & Uhlig.
Alison Peterson Tyler, j’17, is a community manager at SecurCare Self Storage in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
2018
Courtney Coppinger Barnes, c’18, is a footwear and gear specialist at Run Flagstaff.
Alyssa Bauer, l’18, lives in Chicago, where she’s a project manager at Cook County Circuit Court.
DongJoo Kim, l’18, is an associate at Love & Blomquist in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. He and his wife, June, live in Overland Park.
Nicholas LaPonte, g’18, l’18, is a staff attorney at GEICO. He and his wife, Katherine, make their home in Kenmore, Washington.
Keegan LeFevre, b’18, lives in Hesston, where he’s a financial representative at Everence Financial Advisors.
Christopher Mantei, l’18, is a staff attorney for the KU Medical-Legal Partnership in Kansas City.
Victor Monteith, l’18, is an assistant state attorney at the Florida Office of the State Attorney in Clearwater.
Svi Mykhailiuk, c’18, plays basketball for the Detroit Pistons. He was a guard for the Jayhawks from 2014 to ’18 and was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2018 NBA draft.
Bridget Patti, ’18, is a research project specialist at KU’s Center for Public Partnerships & Research.
Andrew Pipes, l’18, is an associate at Coan Payton Payne in Fort Collins, Colorado. He and his wife, Shannon, live in Loveland.
Jason Rohloff, g’18, is a budget analyst for the city of Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Jasmyn Wimbish, g’18, lives in Chicago, where she’s an NBA writer for CBS Sports.
Born to:
Michelle Von Ruden, g’18, daughter, Emily, July 6 in Willard, Wisconsin.
2019
Zach Baden, l’19, lives in Overland Park, where he’s an associate attorney at Watco Companies.
Katie Bernard, c’19, j’19, is a crime and cops reporter at the Kansas City Star. She lives in Overland Park.
Erik Blume, g’19, l’19, directs business management services at the KU Bioscience & Technology Business Center in Lawrence.
Zack Brenner, b’19, is a project manager at software developer Epic. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin.
Eric Buckels, b’19, makes his home in Shawnee, where he’s a client relations manager and product consultant at Fountain City Consulting.
Elissa Burr, d’19, lives in Rosemount, Minnesota, where she’s an associate territory manager at Vita Solutions.
Karlee Canaday, l’19, is an attorney at Martin Pringle in Wichita. She lives in Valley Center.
Miguel Chavez, j’19, is the Kansas market manager for New Belgium Brewing Company.
Raffaele Cipriano, DMA’19, conducts the Overland Park Orchestra.
Ramsey Fowler, l’19, is a communications and outreach specialist for the U.S. Department of Defense in Washington, D.C. He and Konner McIntire Fowler, l’19, live in Alexandria, Virginia.
Matt Hamm, e’19, lives in Cleveland, where he’s a project engineer at MMC Contractors.
Soohun Jang, l’19, is an attorney at LIG Nex1, an aerospace manufacturer and defense company in South Korea.
Sarah Kovalesky, g’19, is a career coach at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.
Hannah Larson, c’19, lives in Apple Valley, Minnesota, where she’s an analytical chemist at Pace Analytical.
Taylor LaRue, b’19, is a business adviser at the KU Small Business Development Center in Lawrence.
Nick Lewis, c’19, lives in Farmington, Missouri, where he’s a programmer at KTJJ radio station.
Christalah Lyons, c’19, a former shooting guard for KU, is a member of Olimpia CSU Brasov professional women’s basketball team in Romania.
Sarah Medlock, n’19, is a registered nurse at Via Christi Hospital in Manhattan. She recently graduated from the KU School of Nursing in Salina, one of nine students who made up the first nursing class on the campus.
Nancy Musick, l’19, is a term law clerk at the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. She and her husband, Theodore, live in Roeland Park.
Zach Reyes, b’19, is an information security analyst at DefendEdge, a cybersecurity firm. He lives in West Chicago.
Reed Ripley, l’19, is an associate attorney at Morris Laing Evans Brock & Kennedy in Wichita, where he lives with Mary Leathers Ripley, d’12.
Justin Schmidt, g’19, works as a program manager at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.
Mikaela Steutermann, b’19, lives in Kansas City, where she’s a financial analyst at Tradebot Systems.
Danon Taylor, ’19, manages college outreach and online programs at KU. She lives in Lawrence with her daughter, Olivia.
Owen Taylor, d’19, is a third baseman for the Grand Junction Rockies, a minor league affiliate of the Colorado Rockies professional baseball team.
Timothy Wealton, g’19, is a teacher in Elmhurst, Illinois. He lives in Wheaton and has a son, Elliot.
Cody Wright, l’19, is an attorney at Evans & Dixon in St. Louis.
ASSOCIATES
Cynthia Jewell, assoc., is assistant to the director of the Las Vegas Executives Association.
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