Alumni 1954 H. Donald Winkler was honored by Marquis Who’s Who in its recently released book “A Lifetime of Achievement, Our Collection of Prestigious Listees,” for he was recognized for his “lifetime achievements and unwavering excellence” in book authorship and university public relations over the past 50 years.
Dr. Steve Webb was named the 2022 Illinois Superintendent of the Year by the Illinois Association of School Administrators. He was also honored with the 2021 Nick Derzis Safe School Leadership Award by the National Association of School Resource Officers.
Glen Kinder was promoted to branch chief at the U.S. Forest Service in Eddyville, Ky. Danita Smith was named the 2021 National Black Nurses Association’s Nurse Entrepreneur of the Year. She is the founder and owner of My Blooming Health Mobile, LLC.
2004 Jarrett Ford was promoted to deputy police chief in Alton, Ill.
1960
Susan Harbaugh is mayor of Red Bud, Ill.
2005
Harry Statham was recently named to the Small College Basketball National Hall of Fame Class of 2022 and the American Midwest Conference Hall of Fame. He was the head basketball coach at McKendree from 1966-2018.
Megan (Weiler) Connelly is director of development at the St. Louis Society for the Blind and Visually Impaired in St. Louis, Mo.
2007
1965 Tom Pile was recently named to the Edwardsville High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He was the head baseball coach at EHS from 1981-98.
1986 Carolyn (Yorko) Beal was named Faculty Member of the Year at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville, Ill. She is the early childhood education program coordinator.
1987 Dr. Jeff Dosier is the chief financial officer for East St. Louis School District 189.
Lindsay (Weathers) Fark, M.A.Ed. ’11 is principal at Freeburg Primary Center in Freeburg, Ill. He is the superintendent at Goreville Community Unit School District, school resource officer, and founder of Safe Secure/ School Systems. In July, he was elected to a three-year term on the executive committee of AASA, The School Superintendents Association.
1997
Julie (Muskopf) Dengler retired in 2021 after 34 years of teaching from Lebanon Elementary School in Lebanon, Ill.
Kerri (Zeisset) Thaler, M.A.Ed. ’11 was named a 2021 Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award winner. She is a special education teacher at Central School District in O’Fallon, Ill.
1991
Kelli (Jackson) Barbour is principal at Triad High School in Troy, Ill.
1992 Christie Cange finished a six-year journey in August to run 100 half marathons in all 50 states and D.C.
24
2002
2000 Jen (Franz) Stratton now serves as chair of the Continuing Advisory Committee for Special Education for the State of Texas, appointed by Governor Greg Abbott. She is the director of communications at Family Hospital Systems in Cedar Park, Texas.
Rachael (Ostertag) Wilcox received the 2020 Missouri NEA Horace Mann Friend of Education Award and was a 2020 Missouri Teacher of the Year finalist. She was recently hired as the director of social emotional learning at the Washington School District in Washington, Mo.
2008 Sarah (Haas) Ayran is the theology teacher for 5-8th grade at St. John Neumann Catholic School in Maryville, Ill. Tami Hudson, M.A.Ed. retired in 2021 after 26 years of teaching from O’Fallon Township High School in O’Fallon, Ill. Jayme (Blandford) Novara co-authored the book, An Introduction to World Mythology. It is in its second edition and sold on Amazon. Tina (Napper) Tebbe is director of communications at McKendree. Daniel Toberman is principal at Collinsville High School in Collinsville, Ill. Brandon Woodrome, M.A.Ed. is the 2021 Illinois Principal Association’s “Principal of the Year” for the Southwest Illinois Region. He is the principal at Mascoutah High School in Mascoutah, Ill.
