Northern Magazine Fall 2009

northern kentucky university

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Enterprising

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Alumni entrepreneurs

Romance

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reds trainer Informatics building

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A m e s s ag e f ro m t h e p re s i d e n t “NKU is fostering entrepreneurialism across academic disciplines in ways never before imagined.”

We’ve just finished another beautiful summer at Northern Kentucky University, and it always amuses me when people ask what we on a college campus do during the summer. Some seem to think we turn off the lights, lock the doors and head to the beach. Well, as much as our faculty and staff probably wish that were true, I’ll tell you that things are just about as busy during the summer as they are during the school year.

Work is progressing on our new soccer complex.

NKU boasts two of the most successful soccer programs in the nation – with the men’s team having won three straight regional championships and advancing to last year’s national semifinals, and the women’s team with an all-time record of 200-47-13, it will be nice to provide these elite programs with a world-class facility on our campus.

This summer we received $7 million in support of our efforts to equip our informatics center thanks to the generosity of Griffin Industries. We broke ground on what will be called Griffin Hall in May. With a high-tech digitorium and a computer-assisted virtual environment, I can tell you that this building will be a game changer for informatics at NKU. And its impact will be felt far beyond our campus. Griffin Hall will provide a new venue for engagement with local business and governments. Companies will partner with our Infrastructure Management Institute to use this unique facility to develop products and foster new business. And the collaboration doesn’t stop there.

Local high-growth companies can use our Launchpad Program to assess technological needs and opportunities.

The possibilities are limitless for those with an entrepreneurial spirit.

We’re very proud of the entrepreneurial spirit on our campus. From the countless successes of our student body to the growth and progress of our Fifth Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute, NKU is fostering entrepreneurialism across academic disciplines in ways never before imagined. I’d like to acknowledge both the entrepreneurs in our classrooms and those who work tirelessly each day to make it in our sluggish economy. Times are tough, but you must maintain your entrepreneurial spirit – it will serve you well today and into the future. If you’d like to read more about some of our alumni entrepreneurs, I encourage you to check out a new book, Lessons in Entrepreneurship, that highlights the work of some of our most successful alumni.

Despite the economic challenges we are facing, I’m pleased to report that our enrollment numbers are strong. Our applications for the fall were up more than 35 percent, and our entering class was more diverse and better prepared. I’m thrilled to report that the number of first-year students scoring 25 or higher on the ACT has increased 33 percent over last year. We saw an increase of about 59 percent in applications from AfricanAmerican students and an increase of about 31 percent in applications from Hispanic students. Even in a sluggish economy, and despite our attempts to limit enrollment, we welcomed another record class.

With that, I wish you and your family the very best.

I hope you enjoy reading about some of the wonderful things we have going on, and I thank you for your continued support of Northern Kentucky University.

President James Votruba

President James Votruba with NKU soccer player Braden Bishop and graduate student Jessica Hare, who won the 2008 University Service Award sponsored by the NKU Alumni Association.

Co nt en t s

NORTHERN F a l l 2 0 0 9

regulars

features

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president’s page

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norse nuggets

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Dr. a.d. albright

Former NKU president dies at 96

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Dr. frank steely

University founder honored with portrait

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northern news

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informatics building

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enterprising 8

northern athletics

alumni journal

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class notes

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Groundbreaking for new facility

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NKU entrepreneurs have started businesses in a variety of industries

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alumni awards

Outstanding alumni honored

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staying in the game

NKU alum Mark Mann keeps the Reds on the field

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On t h e c o v e r :

Crystal Kendrick, founder of Voice of Your Customer, is one of the many NKU alumni entrepreneurs building their businesses in a down economy. More NKU entrepreneurs are featured beginning on page 16.

N o r t h e r n m a g a z i n e i s n o w o n l i n e ! Check out web-only features

at http://northernmagazine.nku.edu. There, you’ll find updates to these articles and additional information exclusive to the web.

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Volume 7, No. 1 Editor

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Rob Pasquinucci ’09

designer Dionne Laycock ’90

copy Editor Tira Rogers ’01, ’05

photographer Timothy D. Sofranko

publisher Deidra S. Fajack Director of Alumni Programs Gerard A. St. Amand Vice President for University Advancement

CONTRIBUTORS Carolyn Blair ’07 Ashley Anglin ’09 Students in NKU entrepreneurship classes Vicki Prichard

Alumni association executive committee Christopher A. Sturm ’95, President Lee A. McGinley ’96, President-elect Gregory L. Cole ’82, Vice President Bryson P. Lair ’95, Past President

CORRESPONDENCE Northern Kentucky University Office of Alumni Programs 421 Johns Hill Road Highland Heights, Kentucky 41099 phone: (859) 572-5486 web: alumni.nku.edu e-mail: alumni@nku.edu NORTHERN is published three times a year by the Office of Alumni Programs at Northern Kentucky University for its graduates, donors and friends. Copyright 2008, Northern Kentucky University.

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NORTHERN NEWS

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Onward ye Norsemen win that game.

For the Gold and the White we cheer!

We will win over all shouting our mighty call That the victory is near!

So, onward ye Norsemen, get that ball, Now our glory is near at hand, For when the mighty all fall down, Still the Norse...Men Stand!

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PIKE (US 27) ALEXANDRIA

Geese

What is Dr. James Votruba’s middle name?

Watch out for’em.

And what they leave behind.

Virtual campus tour

NKU iPhone app

Graduate commencement

Workout gear

Want to see what the campus looks like today and how it’s changed since you were here? Visit NKU’s Virtual Tour, where it’s always sunny and just right for a walk around Northern Kentucky University. With 360 degrees of campus to explore, you can take a visit to the cool breezes by the campus lake or enjoy a walk down a tree-lined path to any of the buildings on campus. Visit http:// www.nku.edu/about/ virtualtour.php to see the online tour.

Students who are heading to NKU this fall have no excuse for getting lost on the way to class with the new iPhone application. Campus maps, NKU trivia, the alma mater and more are included in the app, which is available from Apple’s iTunes app store.

This spring, NKU held its first separate graduate commencement ceremony. During this special ceremony, those who earned graduate degrees were presented with academic hoods representing their discipline of study.

Moving the graduate ceremony to a separate time reflects the growth of NKU’s grad programs.

For more information, visit http://gradschool.nku.edu.

Want to show your NKU pride while working out? Visit http://alumni. nku.edu to order NKU performance shirts and pullovers. Purchase NKU ornaments, gift items and more at the online store, or stop by the NKU bookstore the next time you are on campus.

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I went to seven continents last year.

Who gets to do that?

NORSE NUGGETS

I have a cool job.

NKU science professor Hazel Barton, featured on ABC News

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NKU’s Center for Informatics will change Kentucky.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear

If you can imagine Lincoln without a beard, a foot shorter and as a 7-year-old boy, you start to see a whole different side of the guy who is on the penny.

A Day in the Life of NKU

Follow NKU on Twitter

Manning honored

NKU photography students under the guidance of instructor Chris Smith shot photos on campus for eight days (and nights) and have collected their images in a book available online. To order NKU 8.Days.2008, visit http://www.blurb.com/ books/671017.

Want to keep up with NKU happenings on your Twitter account? Follow @NKUedu for general university news and @NKUalumassoc for alumni events. And if you look at who @NKUedu is following, you’ll find more official NKU Twitter accounts to follow – everyone from The Bank of Kentucky Center to the College of Informatics, and the list gets longer every day.

Dr. Jimmie Manning, communication graduate program director, was recently honored by the Central States Communication Association with the Outstanding New Teacher Award. The award recognizes individuals early in their professional career who are showing distinction as teachers.

Manning also received the 2007 Kentucky Communication Association Graduate Mentor Award for outstanding mentorship of graduate students.

NKU theatre chair Ken Jones, whose play on Abraham Lincoln was endorsed by the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission

nku buzz

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NORTHERN NEWS

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NKU professor writes book on 1976 Reds Doug Feldmann, an NKU education professor, just published The 1976 Cincinnati Reds: Last Hurrah for the Big Red Machine.

The book documents the season of one of the greatest teams in baseball history. During the pursuit of a second-straight world championship in 1976, the “Big Red Machine” was fueled by all-time hits leader Pete Rose, slugger George Foster and allstars Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan

as well as a balanced pitching staff that had seven players notching double-digit win totals. The 102win regular season ended with the World Series sweep of the New York Yankees.

In addition to teaching at NKU, Feldmann is a part-time scout for the Reds and is the author of eight books covering topics such as the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Depression-era baseball.

Plagiarism films and lessons to educate students NKU film students have collaborated with the school’s W. Frank Steely Library to unveil Creative Thinking, an educational copyright and plagiarism website for junior high through freshman college students.

Funded by a grant from the Cincinnati Bar Foundation, Creative Thinking films, lessons and activities are designed to educate teens and young adults about plagiarism and copyright law. The website is http://creativethinking.nku.edu.

Ford, Huckabee to headline NKU Alumni Lecture Make plans now to attend the NKU Alumni Lecture Series featuring former Congressman Harold Ford, Jr., (D-Tenn.) and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (who vied for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination). The event is November 18 at 8 p.m. in the Student Union ballroom.

For more information or to order tickets, visit http://alumni.nku.edu. no rthe r n

Film festival NORTHERN NEWS

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Mark WasicSko: new dean of College of Education and Human Services Dr. Mark Wasicsko has been named dean of NKU’s College of Education and Human Services. Wasicsko has served as The Bank of Kentucky Endowed Chair and Professor of Educational Leadership at NKU since fall 2005 and will continue to hold the endowed position as dean.

Wasicsko has previously served as dean of Eastern Kentucky University’s College of Education, and his career in higher education has included service as dean of education and provost at Texas Wesleyan University, dean of education at Lynchburg College and provost at Aurora University. He earned his Ph.D. in foundations of education from the University of Florida in 1977.

Zaniello retires

When he arrived on campus in 1972, Tom Zaniello didn’t think he’d be sitting in his office 37 years later recalling a long career at Northern Kentucky University.

“The idea of coming to NKU was a little scary to me,” Zaniello said. “I grew up in the New York City area, with all the prejudices of that particular set of people about the Midwest (and the South for that matter). So here I was coming to a place that was called, by some people, the ‘Southern Midwest,’ so it was scary on two levels.”

Zaniello was one of a group of founding professors who arrived in Highland Heights to find the beginnings of a campus in the early ’70s. Many, like Zaniello, were fresh out of graduate school and happy to have an opportunity.

Despite coming to NKU at such an exciting time, Zaniello

High school juniors or seniors interested in filmmaking should make plans to attend the NKU Media Arts Festival October 23 in NKU’s Student Union. This event includes a film competition, workshops with area film professionals, the opportunity to network with other filmmakers and the possibility of winning fabulous prizes!

Learn from the pros, meet new friends and experience a real film festival all in one day. For more information, visit http:// nkuconnections.nku.edu.

didn’t think he’d be around for long.

“I assumed that this would be a fascinating story I’d tell my buddies in New Jersey, about my trip to the ‘Southern Midwest,’” Zaniello said with a chuckle.

But Zaniello and his wife, Fran, who also worked at NKU, began to like the school and the region.“I was struck by the ease at which we can live here and build a family and build a university.”

For many of Zaniello’s years here he directed the honors program on campus. His office in the honors house on campus (the former president’s residence) along with the nature of the honors program gave him a chance to develop strong relationships with students, especially when he worked with students on their honors capstone projects.

“A lot of those become very memorable,” Zaniello said. “As their faculty mentor, I have a contact with their mind and their abilities that goes beyond the classroom.”

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Visit http://northernmagazine.nku.edu for more photos of Zaniello’s career. fa l l 2 0 0 9

NORTHERN ATHLETICS

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Meier era ends for norse

Jane Meier announced earlier this year that she will step down as NKU’s athletics director. She leaves behind an athletics department that has emerged as one of the nation’s best during her tenure and a legacy of winning the right way.

“I feel very good about this decision and the time was right, but I have loved working at NKU,” Meier

said. “I will always be grateful to NKU and those who gave me the opportunity to be the athletics director 21 years.”

Jane Meier has been the face and foundation of Northern Kentucky University’s athletics program during the past 21 years as the Norse’s athletics director.

Under Meier’s watch, NKU has emerged as a national force at the NCAA Division II level and established itself as a dominant program in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Meier began her career at NKU in 1978 as the volleyball head coach. She also coached both softball and women’s basketball before becoming NKU’s athletics director in 1988.

Under Meier’s leadership, NKU has won two NCAA Division II national championships and captured 20 regional titles. NKU has also won 61 GLVC regular-season or tournament championships during her tenure.

Before 1988, NKU had a total of 17 NCAA Tournament appearances. Since Meier’s arrival as athletics director, NKU has had 76 NCAA Tournament appearances. Included in that total are 13 trips to the NCAA Division II Final Four.

“Jane Meier has led the NKU intercollegiate athletics program with vision, integrity, courage and a deep understanding of the role that athletics plays in the life of a university,” NKU president Dr. James Votruba said. “Jane has ensured that the education and welfare of our student-athletes was always the foremost consideration.”

Eaton named

NKU AD

Scott Eaton, Ph.D., was announced as NKU’s new athletics director July 27. Eaton has worked at NKU as an administrator since 1998. During his career at NKU, Eaton has played key roles in the academic, compliance, budget, event management and facility areas.

Prior to NKU, Eaton worked at Brown University in Providence, R.I., as special assistant to the athletics director and assistant men’s basketball coach.

Eaton graduated from Bowdoin College in 1986, where he was a student athlete. He later earned master’s degrees from both Fitchburg State College and Springfield College before receiving his doctorate from Boston University.

“I am both honored and excited about the opportunity,” Eaton said. “While this marks the end of an incredible era, it provides us an opportunity for

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a new beginning for NKU athletics. The standards of excellence and the core values that have guided NKU to both local and national success, and respect as an institution, will remain the same,” Eaton added.

“Those values will guide our athletics department into the future, where we intend to further that success, excellence and growth in the classroom and on the playing field.”

NORTHERN ATHLETICS

Soccer sets sights on GLVC NKU senior Braden Bishop is back for the fall soccer season and hopes to return to NCAA tournament action as the team did last fall. The team is nationally ranked going into play this season.

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New soccer stadium Work has begun on a $6.5 million soccer stadium adjacent to The Bank of Kentucky Center, ending a 10-year period of Norse soccer playing off campus in Wilder, Ky. Plans for the facility include seating for 1,000 spectators and an artificial playing surface that will contain a fully lighted, World Cup-style 120-yard by 80-yard competition field. Other amenities include concessions and restroom facilities, coaches’ offices and four team locker rooms plus officials’ dressing rooms, full athletic training facilities, laundry, equipment storage, and a press box and media work area to facilitate radio and television broadcasts.

The stadium will also include the “Founders’ Suite,” a 1,000 square-foot luxury box that includes a walkout deck that overlooks the field and will provide exceptional amenities for spectators to the game as well as meeting space on non-game days.

Soccer alumni: Kickin’ it old school NKU alumni soccer players recently returned to campus to take on the current NKU women’s varsity team. The group had so much fun that they held another game in August. For more information, call the NKU athletics office at (859) 572-5193. Alumni team players were: Andrea Allen, Eva (Broeg) Crone, Nikki (Hemsath) Ives, Jayme Light, Jeanna (Martin) Linenkugel, Amy Martini, Megan (Zalla) Melton, Jennifer (Wilhelm) Moeller, Kendra (Zinzer) Mossburger, Kristen Noakes, Kelly Oberschlake, Sara Raaker, Lisa (Geiman) Resing, Tricia Ruark, Robin Schwalbach, Robyn Withers.

WE B E X TRA

Visit http://northernmagazine.nku.edu for a photo gallery of the alumni soccer game.

Softball

The awards continue to roll in for the Northern Kentucky University softball team, as Jessica Farris was selected to the Daktronics Division II All-Midwest Region first team, while Ashley Gates garnered second-team honors. The All-Midwest team is voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America. fa l l 2 0 0 9

Former NKU President A.D. Albright Dies at 96 12

Photo credit: Schlachter Archives

NKU’s second president, Dr. A. D. Albright, passed away April 10. He was 96. His wife, Grace, also died August 17 as this issue went to press.

Albright, who was NKU president from 1976 to 1983, took over NKU at perhaps the most critical period in the university’s history, guiding it to maturity. Under his leadership, enrollment doubled to more than 10,000 while $40 million in construction gave an identity to the sprawling campus.

“I cannot fully express the deep sense of loss our university is feeling,” said Dr. James C. Votruba, NKU president. “I visited Dr. Albright earlier this year, and he demonstrated the same wisdom, insight and humility that characterized his leadership at NKU. “The university’s early years were full of challenges, and he approached each one with a steadfast commitment to core academic values,” Votruba added. “And he had a deep respect for the faculty and staff, who were responsible for moving the university forward.”

Votruba said that Albright’s leadership traveled well beyond campus: “He helped shape Kentucky higher education and he impacted countless lives through his devotion to education.”

Former NKU Board of Regents Chair Ken Lucas said Northern’s second president will be missed. “A.D. Albright did a great service for the university, serving as president at a turning point in our university,” said Lucas, a former Kentucky congressman. “He was a real gentleman and very scholarly. He was a perfect match for us. Higher education in Kentucky has lost a real pioneer.”

At the end of NKU President Frank Steely’s tenure (1970-75), the Board of Regents looked for someone to take the university to a new level. They turned to Albright, who was 63 at the time.

While NKU’s newness brought with it some challenges, Albright felt it offered greater advantages.

“The institution is not set in concrete,” Albright exno rthe r n

plained while in the seventh year of his tenure. “It does not have 100 years of history to overcome that we can’t develop innovative and imaginative programs to address our current needs and the future. We are not steeped so heavily in what was.”

Dr. Thomas Zaniello, outgoing director of the NKU honors program, recalled the early days of Albright’s tenure. “He sat down with us for a number of weeks and said, ‘Let’s not talk about past problems,’” Zaniello said. “‘What do we have to do to make this a good and exciting place to teach in?’ I felt that was a tour de force.

I remember coming back from one of the meetings and saying to a colleague, ‘I think we’re going to be OK.’” During his presidency, Albright set four major academic goals: developing a high-quality undergraduate program; enhancing professional studies in fields such as law, education and nursing; promoting research and other services for the community; and experimenting with innovative programs.

Among many initiatives, Albright helped to establish the honors program at NKU. “We were an open-admission university in the 1970s and ’80s, and the honors program was an excellent way, and still is, to attract outstanding students who might sway away from a state university,” said Zaniello.

“I served on the Board of Regents during the last five years of the Albright presidency,” said Dr. Jeffrey Williams, chair of the NKU Department of History and Geography. “He brought a professionalism to the president’s office that won a lot of respect from the faculty. It was reassuring to work with a man who took into account all of the university’s constituents and brought a balanced response to the needs of the campus.”

By the time Albright decided to relinquish the presidency in late 1982, all four of his goals had been accomplished. He took particular pride in the fourth mission, pointing to experimental courses, such as one on business ethics created by combining business and philosophy classes, that have earned NKU a reputation for a progressive curriculum.

Dr. A. D. Albright and his wife, Grace.

Frank Steely University founder honored with portrait story Rob Pasquinucci

When W. Frank Steely arrived in Northern Kentucky as NKU’s first president, there was very little “university.”

In fact, his first night in the region was spent on the floor of the living room of a house on the corner of what would become the NKU campus, and his first office was a walled-off portion of a room at the school’s Covington campus.

When Steely resigned as president in 1975, the campus was flourishing with six buildings, 6,000 students and 150 faculty and was well on its way to becoming the major metropolitan university it is today.

This summer the NKU community took time to recognize Steely as his portrait was dedicated and put on display in Steely Library, a building named after him.

“I consider Dr. Steely the human cornerstone of this university. He was a tireless and tenacious Founding Father.” said James Votruba, NKU’s president. “We have much to thank Frank Steely for as the first leader of a magnificent project known as NKU, a project that continues today.”

A native Kentuckian, Steely earned degrees from the University of South Carolina and UK before earning a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Rochester in 1956. He was dean of Clinch Valley College of the University of Virginia when the Board of Regents recommended he be named NKU’s (which was known as Northern Kentucky State College at the time) first president.

Like most public university presidents, Steely was confronted with the challenge of lobbying the state legislature for support. One of his first acts after being appointed president was to rent a Jeep to drive through snow-covered hills from his home in Virginia to Frankfort to attend a state legislature debate on funding for NKU. The next order of business for Steely was hiring faculty and administrators. James Claypool was named admissions director; Ralph Tesseneer from Murray State became the VP for academic affairs; and R. Kent Curtis was the first registrar. Within a year, 37 new faculty were

on campus. Among the early faculty members was Tom Zaniello, who remembers coming to the crowded, growing campus and working with the new president.

“One of Dr. Steely’s greatest strengths from a faculty perspective was that he let us go our own way academically,” said Zaniello, retired director of the honors program and one of the founding faculty members. “He recognized that the faculty represented a really large and competent group of skills.”

By 1971, ground was broken for the campus. At the time, NKSC students were packing the Covington campus, spreading to temporary classrooms and nearby buildings. Steely’s office at the time was a converted beauty salon, complete with mirrors.

In Steely’s book, The Birth of a University, he discussed the struggle to fund and build the university. As plans for buildings were being developed, he suggested classical revival architecture, as he was familiar with in Virginia.

But the modern tone of the buildings had a purity of line to blend with future construction, Steely said at the time.

As the campus was built, Steely joined students in various events including the annual Bathtub Regatta race across what was then called Lake Inferior (it’s now called Loch Norse). Steely was the only participant allowed to use a motor on his “boat.”

Steely joined the faculty in 1975 after resigning as president. He retired from the faculty in May 2001. In recent years, health problems have kept Steely away from campus, but members of his family were on hand in June to see the portrait of NKU’s founding father unveiled.

Left to right: Barbara Steely, William Steely, Martha Pelfrey, Shalma Prince, Iosetta Steely and Lisa Steely stand by the portrait of NKU President Frank Steely. fa l l 2 0 0 9

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Gov. Steve Beshear joins NKU President James C. Votruba at the groundbreaking for the NKU College of Informatics building.

Story Ashley Anglin More than 40 years ago, computers on NKU’s new campus needed to be installed with heavy lifting equipment and took up large hunks of space. The university’s founders very likely couldn’t dream of a day when computers would be as common as (and the size of) a notebook.

NKU broke ground this summer on a new building that will harness the emerging digital age to revolutionize the learning process and provide the region with highly skilled workers with expertise in the latest technology.

“Informatics is the digital intersection of the arts, sciences and professions, where digital tools are used to extend these fields and bring them together,” said Dr. Douglas Perry, NKU no rthe r n

dean of informatics. “Informatics achieves this by developing and applying the theories and technologies of computation, information and communication to new situations and environments.”

NKU’s students will be able to take advantage of the two-story digitorium, which will be the physical and technological center of the new Center of Informatics building. Inside, the digitorium is completely reconfigurable, equipped with A/V and related technology to watch, interact with, and create information and knowledge in a comprehensive learning environment.

“The digital technology incorporated into this stunning building – most notably the digitorium – will bring informatics to our students through demonstration, development, collaboration, simulation, representation and performance,” Perry said. “The Center for Informatics will be an entirely new environment in which students can learn, grow and play in the best sense of the word.”

NKU’s program is distinguished by its focus on the business application of research and product development, and NKU has achieved the designation of graduating more information-related students than any other university in Kentucky.

“The Center for Informatics at NKU exemplifies how business and academia can partner to maximize the impact of technology on student learning and achievement,” said Frank Muehleman, VP and general manager of Dell North America Public Business Group.

Gail Wells, provost and vice president for academic affairs at NKU, said the school’s vision is to prepare all students in all fields with the informatics tools they need to be successful.

“Our goal is for informatics to be the signature program for this university,” said Wells.

The NKU Center for Informatics will house some of the most advanced technology in the Midwest region, and that technology will be available for public and business use. The center will feature a computer-assisted virtual environment, known as CAVE, that will be available for businesses to use for product development. The CAVE located at NKU’s Center for Informatics will be one of the only CAVEs available for public use.

The College of Informatics was founded in 2005 through the reorganization of three departments – business informatics (or information systems), computer science and communications.

“NKU’s Center for Informatics will change Kentucky,” said Steve Beshear, the governor of Kentucky. “I am confident that Kentucky is going to lead the way out of this recession.”

WE B E X TRA

Visit http://northernmagazine.nku.edu to watch a video about Griffin Hall.

Turning earth: Associate Provost for Information Technology Tim Ferguson helps break ground on Griffin Hall.

Griffin Industries gift will equip new center NKU received a $6 million gift from Griffin Industries to support the university’s efforts to equip its new NKU informatics center with some of the world’s most advanced informatics instrumentation. The gift will be matched by $1 million from the commonwealth of Kentucky’s Comprehensive University Excellence Trust Fund, bringing the total impact of the gift to $7 million.

The facility, scheduled to open in fall 2011, will be named Griffin Hall. NKU is in the process of raising $17.3 million to complete and equip the building, supplementing the $35.5 million allocated by the state for its construction.

“Today, we celebrate a vision – not just the vision that we have for this facility, but the vision that Griffin Industries has for this region’s future. Our friendship with the Griffin family has always been strong, and today we take that relationship to the next level,” said NKU President James Votruba at the groundbreaking ceremony.

Robert Griffin, CEO of Griffin Industries, said the company saw this as an “extraordinary opportunity” to impact the region’s future. “We are very excited about this opportunity to invest in NKU and to help to position the community and region at the forefront in the field of informatics,” he said. “This is an opportunity not only for NKU and its students but also for Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati businesses.” Griffin emphasized that NKU informatics graduates will be well positioned to take local companies to new heights in terms of technology and expertise. “The company and the region are going to get the benefit out of this, too.

That’s exciting.”

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Enterprising

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The enterprising eight alumni featured here are just some of the NKU graduates who have successfully started their own businesses. These are an excerpt of alumni featured in a new book written by NKU students that helps tell the story of NKU entrepreneurs who have started businesses in a variety of industries. The book will be used in the Fifth Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute at NKU. To learn more, visit http://northernmagazine.nku.edu.

Listen to your Inner Voice Crystal Kendrick founder of The Voice of Your Customer story Carolyn Blair Typically, the biggest struggle for budding entrepreneurs is not starting their businesses but persuading customers to use their services or buy their products. However, Crystal Kendrick, founder of The Voice of Your Customer, had the opposite problem when she started her company: Her business grew too quickly. “We had customers before we could invoice, so we were on the good side of business,” Kendrick said. no rthe r n

For someone who appears to be a natural at business, it is remarkable to discover that she “never had an entrepreneurial spirit.” Originally from Philadelphia, she grew up watching her grandmother, who owned a travel agency, work what appeared to be nonstop.

“She actually had a home office and her phone was always on,” Kendrick said. “She never seemed to have a day off.” Additionally, she had an uncle who owned a number of businesses in the Cincinnati area, and although she had immense respect for them and their endeavors, it just was not the life she pictured for herself. “My dream was to work in corpo-

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Have a network of people who believe in your vision

rate America and be there until I retired,” she said.

Working for General Cable did give Kendrick the security and compensation she craved, but it could not quell a recent and budding desire for independence. With a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Temple University and a master’s degree in business from Northern Kentucky University, coupled with years of experience in both of those industries, Kendrick felt well equipped to take on the challenge of starting her own company. She did not have to search far for her business idea: Turning her part-time hobby – secret shopping – into the marketing firm The Voice of Your Customer proved to be the perfect marriage of her background and individual strengths.

The start-up years of The Voice of Your Customer transpired like one long contradiction, but with remarkable results. “When many people start a business, they start with a business plan, but our business plan came after the customers,” Kendrick said. “When word got out that we were available and were certified as a minority business and a government entity, opportunities just really started coming our way.”

As the customers and business came pouring in, Kendrick began to add more services, including mystery observations, compliance, research, training and social marketing campaigns. Extraordinarily, in a society driven by instant gratification, Kendrick’s customers worked with her to develop strategies and encouraged her to take time and develop her services. To top it off, Kendrick did not even need to take out a loan to start her business; she used her personal savings and has since paid herself back. “We are not rich by any means, but we are not poor,” she said. “We have no debt.”

It almost seems too good to be true, but Kendrick said if the timing is right and the business is presented well, it is quite possible to have an experience like hers. “It was the perfect time for me,” she said. “We also made good decisions on where to invest: in our website, in our marketing campaigns and in our infrastructure.” After the initial influx of customers and rapid growth of services, Kendrick has focused on developing her strategic plan and understanding her target market, which includes government agencies, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and locally owned, family-run businesses. “Today I feel we have the organizational structure that is required for us to grow and move forward,” she said.

The Voice of Your Customer currently has five employees, but they often work with groups of temporary recruits on different contracts. “We do a lot of niche marketing and programs like street teams and focus groups that require us to have large numbers of a specific population at a specific time,” she said. One month Kendrick may be working on a university campus leading a social marketing campaign with dozens of college students, and the next month she could be doing compliance checks for government agencies, sending young adults who are under the age of 21 into stores to determine if the clerks will sell alcohol to minors.

As with so many successful entrepreneurs, Kendrick is a selfdescribed workaholic who hopes to find more time to spend with her family. “I have been incredibly lucky to have a family who has supported me and prayed for me to really bring on the success that I have had,” she said.

Overall, Kendrick’s biggest success is that she has learned to customize her skills to the needs of her customers. “My ultimate goal is always to have my customers understand what they want and to understand what will help them reach their goals, and then implement accordingly,” she said. fa l l 2 0 0 9

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Careful, careful planning

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Steeped in Satisfaction Tracy Monson owner of Essencha Tea House STORY Lauren Kaplan In a landscape saturated by Starbucks, with the occasional specialty coffeehouse sprinkled in for good measure, it appears Cincinnatians are bent on a javafueled existence. Tea, on the other hand, is the mysterious “other beverage” that often takes a back seat to coffee at coffee shops. And therein lies the problem – tea never stood a chance in Cincinnati, because teashops were nonexistent. Until now. Tracy Monson has stepped up and filled the void with Essencha Tea House, Cincinnati’s first and only authentic teahouse located in the trendy neighborhood of Oakley.

Monson opened Essencha in Cincinnati because “there just wasn’t a place to get a good cup of tea around here.” It seemed to her that Cincinnati was skipped during a recent nationwide tea trend. Most major cities have at least a couple of teahouses, but leave it to Cincinnati to not even have one. She knew that this void needed to be filled as soon as possible.

It was more the lack of tea that drove Monson to open her shop rather than a strong desire to own her own teahouse. As an undergraduate, she studied film at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Immediately after obtaining her degree, Monson saw an opportunity to travel the world while she transitioned from student to career woman. She traveled to Morocco, Japan, Tunisia, India, Nepal and China. Upon her return to Ohio, she realized that Cincinnati did not have a teashop where she could go and experience some of the teas she had enjoyed during her travels.

When Monson came up with the idea for the teahouse, she was working as an information technology project manager at a local law firm while attending Northern Kentucky University for her master’s degree.

Throughout her schooling, she couldn’t stop thinking about opening the teahouse. At NKU, she took a marketing class that required students to form teams and produce a business plan. She used her leadership skills and no rthe r n

got her team on board to create a teahouse business plan.

After she learned that the teahouse was feasible, she was determined to make it a reality.

By the time she graduated from NKU, Monson was married and had two children. She was very happy with her job at the law firm, but she could not shake the desire to provide Cincinnati with a good cup of tea, so she decided to pursue a different career path. She quit her job at the law firm and spent the next two years planning the teahouse.

For two years, with no income of her own, she focused on the teahouse. She spent 40 hours per week planning her business and discussing her startup with lawyers and a team of businesspeople. She was building vendor relationships and problem-solving errors that came up in her business plan with her startup team.

Two years after Monson thought up the idea for Essencha Tea House, she opened its doors. She was pregnant with her third child at the time but was full of energy and as calm as a cucumber. Essencha Tea House offers teas from all over the world, which Monson carefully chooses from various tea farmers, along with lunch, afternoon teas and delicious desserts.

Essencha has been a success because of Monson’s demeanor and her ability to take risks. She used her entrepreneurial skills to provide a market necessity, and now Cincinnatians finally have a place to go for a great cup of tea.

WE B E X TRA :

Visit http://northern.nku.edu to hear more about NKU’s entrepreneurs.

Visit http://essencha.com to find out about upcoming tea tastings and other events.

What it means to be Jolly Barry Jolly Owner of Jolly Plumbing story Kristen Mungle

It takes perseverence to succeed

It was 1976, and Barry Jolly TIP was fresh out of Northern Kentucky University with his bachelor’s degree in business management; he was energetic, newly wed and – unbeknownst to him – in for the ride of his life. As a young man, Barry never dreamed that he would eventually own a business with the word “plumbing” in its name. A native of Campbell County, Ky., Barry is a selftaught handyman, learning as he went while building his first home with his wife, Susan, soon after college graduation. As Barry set out to start his career, he didn’t find plumbing but rather plumbing found him, and in a big way.

Although Barry feared he would be let go at his first job as an estimator for Knochelmann Plumbing and be unable to support his wife, he instead was quickly promoted to management at the company. The owner wished to concentrate on the practical aspects of plumbing, so within 18 months Barry was practically running the company by himself. By 1979, Barry decided to branch out and start Jolly Plumbing, his own home-based plumbing business. However, this was only after attempting the master-plumber licensing exam four times before getting a passing score, proving Barry is not a stranger to the perseverance it takes to succeed.

Barry discovered the plumbing business model that was the best fit for him while working at Knochelmann.

He quickly learned that service and repair plumbing would be far more profitable than new-construction plumbing; plus, this plan meshed Barry’s love for dynamic day-to-day change and his theory for success: “Service within one day.” The new business brought in customers right away, and a company that initially started with Barry and Susan grew into a 30-employee sensation that brings in more than $2.5 million in sales each year.

Owning and operating a successful plumbing business isn’t the only thing Barry does well. Barry and Susan, who was then his fiancée, can date their first entrepreneurial venture back to the 1970s. Their first business, named Suz Beadery, involved just the two of them – they made jewelry together and then sold it at local craft fairs; the profits even paid for their honeymoon. They now share a passion for rehabbing houses for resale. They rehabbed their first house in 1980, and during the 10 years that followed they rehabbed more than 50 houses. They sold most of the houses, rented the rest and turned one

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into a coin-operated laundry business. Soon they realized that having multiple residential tenants – they once had up to 25 renters – is very stressful and extremely time consuming.

As a result, Barry started the transition into commercial real estate, again a bit by accident. He was spurred by the need for a bigger space in 1989; after running his business out of his home for 10 years, the time had come for him to expand. Barry bought a building in Wilder, Ky., with plans to occupy half of the building’s space and rent the other half to a tenant. Coincidentally, the new tenant happened to be one of Jolly Plumbing’s suppliers who also had a rapidly expanding business. Within one year, Barry moved his business out of the building so his supplier could use the entire space. After Barry found and bought a new building, the supplier came to Barry to rent another space – and Barry’s real estate gig had begun. He enjoyed commercial real estate investment so much that he joined with a partner to form Daffin Jolly Investments, which manages more than 100 commercial tenants in both Ohio and Kentucky.

Barry’s outstanding accomplishments in business earned him the first-runner-up prize for Small Business Person of the Year in the state of Kentucky in 1997 and the United States Chamber of Commerce Blue Chip Award in 1998.

Yet it is probably not surprising to hear that Barry loves to work. He is someone who lives for “the excitement of the next job.” But it is easy to see that what Barry values most in life are not the profits from his plumbing business or the new tenants he acquires with his investment firm; it is Susan and their five children – Whitney, Lisa, Lacy, Jessie and Brady – who are at the top of his priority list. As if all of this doesn’t keep him busy enough, Barry also serves as a deacon at his church and has coordinated a number of volunteer programs involving the community. fa l l 2 0 0 9

Capturing life’s moments Kelly Schomaker owner of Kelly Michelle Photography story Rob Pasquinucci

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A sleeping newborn in soft light. A couple holding hands in a shady spot. A husband and wife bonding with their unborn child. These are some of life’s moments that Kelly Schomaker captures with a click of her camera. The 2007 Northern Kentucky University graduate combined her artistic talents with entrepreneurial skills learned in classes at the Haile/U.S. Bank College of Business to start her studio soon after graduation.

As a fine arts major, Schomaker loved the work, but she wondered how she’d support herself on the low starting wages offered at area photo studios. When she learned about the opportunity to take classes at the Fifth Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute at NKU, she saw a chance to turn her passion into a vocation.

“I didn’t want to be a starving artist,” Schomaker said.

“I was dreaming of opening my own studio someday, so I enrolled.”

Just a few years later, her decision (and hard work) has paid off. The walls of her studio are filled with examples of her work, and two cell phones buzzed with new clients calling to schedule appointments. She recently opened a division of Kelly Michelle Photography called Streetline Studios, which focuses on high-school portraits.

Internships while at NKU helped Schomaker learn the technical side of photography, giving her the chance to shoot fashion, food, children and more.

As she spent more time in the studio, the dream of opening her own studio started becoming more of a goal.

If she was going to achieve that goal, she’d need to rely on her entrepreneurship classes to teach her the non-

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photography parts of the business.

“Like writing a business plan ... I wouldn’t have done that without the entrepreneurship program,” Schomaker said. “The classes gave me a lot of guidance.”

After collecting her diploma in May 2007, Schomaker decided going out on her own was the best career choice.

She was able to find a small storefront studio in Mainstrasse in Covington the June after graduation. Friends thought she was crazy to open her own studio right out of college, but it was a logical choice for Schomaker.

“I don’t consider myself a huge risk taker,” Schomaker said. She noted that starting a new business as a “first job” had relatively low risk since she wasn’t accustomed to a salary and didn’t have some of the expenses people have later in life.

“I think I was pretty naïve, going into business by myself, but I figured I didn’t have a lot to lose,” Schomaker said.

Her youth is a benefit and a challenge at times. Most people figure a young person knows how to use the digital equipment that has become the standard in the photography industry, and she has a good rapport with the young teenagers who come in for high-school portraits.

But some see a 24-year-old and perhaps wonder if she has the experience to get the job done.

Schomaker has focused on customer service and creating a good experience for her clients, from the initial estimate to the finished product. Customers can view proofs on a large-screen monitor in her studio, and she offers services beyond photography such as printed birth announcements and “brag books” of photos for people to share. She loves her location in the eclectic, social Mainstrasse district, where she gets some walk-up business from people seeing her work displayed in the window.

Most of her photos are portraits, both on location and in her studio. Engagement photos, maternity photos, family portraits and newborn/baby photos are her forte, since she had quite a bit of experience with those shots as an undergraduate.

Schomaker’s latest venture is Streetline Studios, which is for highschool students. She is using her first customers as marketers – sending them back to their schools with cards to recruit classmates to come in for a session.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Schomaker said.

“They get to be a model for a day. They have a good time when they are here.”

Schomaker’s advice to budding entrepreneurs is to network. “You can never know when the contacts you make might be a benefit in the future.

Most of my business has been through referrals, so networking has really helped me.”

You never know when networking will benefit you down the road

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You have to differentiate between a hobby and a career; fortunately I was able to marry the two

Sports for the Masses Kevin Molony Owner of Town & Country Sports and Health Club story Rob Pasquinucci All Kevin Molony needs to do is glance out his office window to be reminded of the importance of teamwork.

On any given day at Town and Country Sports Complex, he’ll see a soccer team (including the NKU teams) running, kicking and working together to try and win a game.

Molony knows he needs that same kind of teamwork from his Town and Country staffers to be successful.

“It’s important to surround yourself with people that want to work together. We’re fortunate to get a team together and have low turnover among our full-time employees,” Molony said. “I have to take a business approach and understand what my most valuable resource is and, in my business, that’s people. Recruiting, screening, training, delegating, holding people accountable are all important. I’m really big on promoting from within, and I’ve hired several NKU grads.”

Molony’s career in health and fitness clubs started with an interest in the business nearly 20 years ago, when he partnered with Bill Butler from Corporex to open a club in Crescent Springs called Four Seasons (now Five Seasons).

The club grew quickly to Indianapolis, Dayton, Cleveland, Chicago and Simms Township in Cincinnati. The business growth was exciting, but it took Molony away from his family.

“At one point, we got to 1,000 employees. I was traveling every week,” Molony said. “That was difficult with

a family, so I sold to Bill in 2002 and bought Town and Country, which at the time was a soccer facility with some basketball.”

After doing some research, Molony realized the area was underserved as far as family-oriented health clubs go, so he expanded the facility in Wilder, Ky. Molony also developed partnerships with various sports teams, particularly soccer teams, to use the facilities. That led to Molony establishing a relationship with the Cincinnati Kings and a relationship with NKU to host home soccer games at Town and Country.

Molony loves sports, so working in the health club industry was a natural fit.

“I was able to take what I learned with my business degree and apply it to something I love,” Molony said.

The club continues to grow, even in a down economy, by being innovative. Last year Town and Country added paintball to its offerings. He sold the club a few years ago but continues to serve as the manager and plans to stay with the business as long as he still feels challenged.

“I still have plenty of gas left in the tank,” Molony said.

To aspiring entrepreneurs, Molony says confidence in one’s abilities is key, but that should be grounded with solid fundamentals.

“You need to have a vision and execute it, even when people are telling you it shouldn’t be done,” Molony said. fa l l 2 0 0 9

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Let the welfare of your customer be a primary concern In 1883, when The Kroger Co. first opened its doors, grocery stores were small and modest – simply having both meat and produce in a common space was a luxury.

But in our current era, grocery stores have grown into supercenters that offer everything from milk to lawn chairs to clothing. Although Kroger appeared to evolve along with the other grocers, one woman identified a need that was going unnoticed by the company. That woman was Kathy Espinosa-Seabrooks, the creator of La Tiendita, the “Little Store” within numerous Kroger stores that carries specialty items for the Hispanic community.

In May 2006, the Hispanic population in the United States reached an estimated 42.7 million people, which makes Hispanics the largest and fastest-growing U.S. minority group. Espinosa-Seabrooks knew Hispanics’ needs were not always fulfilled in the United States, but she had no idea that one day she would play a part in fixing the predicament. Born and raised in Acapulco, Mexico, Espinosa-Seabrooks is not a stranger to challenges.

Espinosa-Seabrooks brought her strong work ethic with her to the United States and obtained a bachelor’s degree in business management from Northern Kentucky University in May 2007. While at NKU, she used her drive and leadership skills as president of the Latino Student Union y Amigos and an employee of the Latino and Multicultural Center for Regional Development. Her involvement with various Hispanic groups helped her gain a strong understanding of her culture and increased her visibility on campus. “My involvement with these organizations gave me the opportunity to network with leaders of my community,” she said.

In June 2006, Espinosa-Seabrooks was offered an internship with The Kroger Co., which she spent researching ways to improve customer service for Hispanic customers.

Before long, she came up with the idea to include an aisle in every Kroger store that catered to the needs of the Hispanic population. Kroger management saw the potential in Espinosa-Seabrooks’ proposal, so they gave her an opportunity to implement the plan during her no rthe r n

Latin Flavor Gives Kroger an Edge Kathy Espinosa-Seabrooks Kroger grocery merchandiser for Hispanic foods STORY Adaora Mbelu second internship in January 2007. “I was 22 years old with absolutely no previous related experience,” she said.

“I had all the resources made available at the moment, a quality group of people to support my idea and approximately four months to prove that my idea was feasible enough not only to satisfy the customer but also to generate sufficient revenue for the company.”

Espinosa-Seabrooks knew exactly how she wanted to execute her new plan. “I was driven more by the desire to solve a problem that was very clear to me,” she said. She focused on Hispanics’ needs because she believed that once their needs were met, the profits would inevitably follow. “It is a good thing to identify a market; however, it is equally important to know your customers’ preferences and the prices that they are willing to pay,” she said.

“Stock up on the right products and keep the right prices.

Let the welfare of your customer be a primary concern.”

Espinosa-Seabrooks knew that many Hispanics would need a reason to change their shopping patterns, so she guaranteed that Kroger would offer a better selection of products at a better price when compared to other Hispanic specialty stores. She also learned how to stock merchandise in a way that would appeal to her customers. “We needed to find the right aisles to stock the products. Therefore, it was important to keep a destination and place all the products available into integrated plan-o-grams,” she said.

Despite the pressure to deliver results within a certain period of time, Espinosa-Seabrooks remained focused. “I believe there are two types of fear: good fear and bad fear,” she said. “Good fear is what you experience when you’ve done your homework and are prepared, while bad fear is what you experience when you failed to prepare.”

Espinosa-Seabrooks soon found that she had no reason to fear. After months of research and hard work, La Tiendita was launched and it was a huge hit with the Hispanic community. Kroger immediately started noticing results – an increase in its customer base as well as increasing returns.

Always looking for opportunities John Neace Owner, Neace Lukens Insurance STORY jamie harris Life does not always go according to plan, and fortunately for John Neace, the plan that was in store for him was much grander than anything he could imagine.

The cofounder, chairman and CEO of Neace Lukens, one of the largest insurance companies in the United States, did not initially set out to be an entrepreneur. “At the time, my plan was to work in government, which I did the first five years following college,” Neace said. “I didn’t really plan to start my own business or to go into insurance. It just sort of happened.”

Neace’s path to success began in Newport, Ky., where he was born and raised. He had a modest upbringing as the son of divorced parents – his mother reared him and his two siblings by herself. He graduated from Newport High School in 1974 and enrolled at Northern Kentucky University the following fall. “On the five-year plan,” he graduated from NKU in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in public administration.

Later, Neace decided he wanted to enhance his qualifications, so he enrolled in Xavier University’s graduate program in public administration.

Once Neace received his master’s degree, he switched gears and went to work in the sales department of an international insurance firm. He spoke of his first supervisor at the company, Frank Mayfield, with great admiration, appreciation and thankfulness. “Frank was very helpful to me in learning the business and, more importantly, in learning how to deal with people,” he said.

In 1984, he moved to Louisville, Ky., to run the company’s Kentucky offices until he decided to venture out on his own in 1991.

At that juncture, Neace’s employer wanted him to travel across the nation and internationally, which was somewhat against his own interests. “I was motivated to stay in Kentucky because of my wife and two kids,” he said.

Additionally, Neace began to recognize a void in Kentucky’s insurance industry. “I felt that there were not that many large agencies here and that there was a good opportunity to build one,” he said.

TIP With his vision and the motivation “to stay and to try and do it right here in Kentucky,” Neace started his own insurance firm, Neace Lukens, in Louisville. It began with six other individuals in one office in 1991 and has since expanded to offices covering seven states with nearly 700 employees. Not only is Neace Lukens

a power player in the insurance industry, but it is also now a well-diversified group holding company. It owns trademark rights to Ashley Furniture and a rent-to-own furniture company located in Kentucky and a large sheet metal operation with offices in the U.S. and England.

With this expansion, the company has received many awards for growth and leadership in the insurance business, but being included on Humana Inc.’s list of Best Places to Work in Kentucky is most important to Neace.

“Of the first 100 employees to start here at Neace Lukens, nearly every single one of them is still here. I take great pride that our employees enjoy working here, want to be here and see the benefit of what we are doing,” he said.

Neace’s entrepreneurial efforts aren’t limited to the insurance industry. He also has opened a company working with several small-batch wineries around the state that processes the Kentucky-grown grapes to make wine and sell back to other wineries. River Bend Winery opened a restaurant/wine tasting facility on the west side of Louisville about six years ago that features food, a tasting room and a view of the wine processing operation.

Between the restaurant, furniture, steel making and insurance business, you’d think Neace has a finger in every proverbial pot.

“I still have one finger left, the one that hasn’t been cut off,” Neace said. He notes that hiring good managers has helped him keep his businesses running smoothly.

Although his success has already far exceeded his expectations, it has not changed Neace’s vision for future growth. His explanation is simple: “We still find that if you get out of bed and work hard every day, there is still opportunity.”

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Nurturing the Seed Diane Sticklen-Jordan co-owner of HRC Inc. story Krystal Geyer

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Everybody knows somebody, either personally or in the media, who caught a break because of a great connection – maybe it was just an entry-level job, or it could have been a big promotion, but both are proof that who you know is sometimes more important than what you know.

Networking has practically become an art form in today’s market where new graduates are plentiful and jobs are scarce – it can often make the difference between getting a chance and getting shut down. Diane Sticklen-Jordan, co-owner of HRC Inc., a human resources consulting firm in Cincinnati, is no stranger to networking. She admits that without her network, she may not be where she is today.

Networking has set a strong foundation for SticklenJordan to build upon. As a college student at Northern Kentucky University, she was involved in student chapters of several professional organizations, including human resources, marketing and management. One day, a professor invited her to a meeting at a human resources organization, where she networked with professionals in the field.

Little did she know how much that simple meeting would soon impact her future.

In 1975, after Sticklen-Jordan received her bachelor’s degree in business from NKU, she skimmed the newspaper looking for an entry-level human resources position. She came across her ideal job, but the position required two years of experience that she didn’t have as a new graduate. However, she noticed the name on the ad was familiar – she had met the contact at the human resources meeting she attended as an undergraduate. With the connection confirmed, Sticklen-Jordan decided to give it a shot.

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Fortunately, the risk paid off and she got the job through her association with the contact.

Sticklen-Jordan’s networking skills came to good use again when her employer was bought out and her position as vice president of human resources was eliminated. She went to her mentor, who had recently founded a company named HRC Inc., for guidance. Unexpectedly, her mentor asked if she would like to come on board as a partner at her new company, which Sticklen-Jordan happily accepted. She could not have entered the company at a better time, because her partner faced a problem many entrepreneurs are familiar with: A need for new customers.

Sticklen-Jordan, however, brought an array of potential customers that she had acquired through networking. She also knew former colleagues and friends who needed help with human resources. She marketed her consulting services to these individuals and broadened the company’s customer base.

“Resourcefulness is the No. 1 most important skill [I have] as an entrepreneur,” Sticklen-Jordan said. Employees in start-up entrepreneurial firms often take on several roles, she said, because there is typically a lack of available funds for additional workers. Responsibilities for marketing and networking, developing proposals, writing reports and billing can sometimes fall on the shoulders of one or two employees. Sticklen-Jordan quickly learned how to use her skills and minimal resources to create the most value for their firm.

HRC’s customers range from Fortune 100 global firms to small nonprofit organizations. To stay competitive, Sticklen-Jordan engages in continuous learning and stays open to new ideas, resources and programs. She uses this knowledge to better meet her clients’ needs. Customer satisfaction is integral to any business, and she wants to continue to provide excellent service that is “fast, pragmatic and cost effective.”

It is easy for Sticklen-Jordan to stay motivated in her career because she is driven by her work. “I was meant to do this work,” she said. “I didn’t get here by mistake.”

She was drawn to her field because she wanted to deal with the human side of business. “I decided when I was a little girl to make a positive impact on every life I touch,” she said.

“The value of each individual person is easily overlooked. Discovering how to help them develop meaningful jobs and lives is really what I’m all about.”

Even with a busy schedule both at home and at work, Sticklen-Jordan feels very content. Her decision to become a consultant was the best career decision she has ever made.

“Fulfillment is providing fertile ground and then showing others how to make the seeds grow,” she said.

Fulfillment is providing fertile ground and then showing others how to make the seeds grow

Alumni Awards 2008

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NKU honored several outstanding alumni at Homecoming this year in the new Student Union ballroom. The following individuals exemplify NKU’s finest graduates.

Faculty/Staff Strongest Influence Award Giles Hertz, ’89, (J.D.) The 2008 award for strongest influence went to Giles Hertz, a professor in NKU’s Fifth Third Bank Entrepreneurship Institute. Hertz was nominated based on student recommendations, which praise Hertz as one of the best professors they have had.

“Professor Hertz has thus far been the best teacher I have had at NKU. His knowledge and ability to relate theory to real life is unsurpassed, and his guidance has been what has helped me to stay motivated to finish my degree,” wrote one student.

Hertz is a 1983 graduate of the University of Kentucky (B.A., political science) and a 1989 graduate of the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University (J.D.). Prior to joining the faculty at NKU, Hertz maintained a general civil practice as a partner in the Florence, Ky., law firm of Monohan, Hertz & Blankenship then later as an associate with the Cincinnati law firm of Finney, Stagnaro, Saba & Klusmeier. He is licensed to practice law in Kentucky and Ohio.

Since receiving his award, he and his wife, former NKU Entrepreneurship Institute Director Rebecca White, have moved to Florida. They will both be greatly missed.

Outstanding Alumnus College of Arts and Sciences John M. Lucas, ’72, ’79 (J.D.) John Lucas, a member of NKU’s first graduating class, has never forgotten the opportunities NKU has provided him. He was honored for his continued dedication to NKU and his career successes.

Last spring, Lucas was elected second vice president, counsel and assistant secretary of Union Central Life Insurance in Cincinnati. Lucas has been with Union

Central since 1988, providing legal counsel in the areas of corporate law, insurance law and claims and litigation.

Lucas gives back to NKU, serving on the Alumni Council (including a term as president) and as the chairman of the Alumni Lecture Series committee. He also serves on the board of the NKU Foundation. Lucas teaches at NKU as an adjunct history professor, and his students consistently give him high marks for his teaching in course evaluations. He also serves his church (Trinity Episcopal) and has volunteered as a youth basketball coach.

Lucas and his wife, Bonnie, have three children, one of whom is an NKU graduate.

Outstanding Young Alumna Nicole Knasel, ’99 Nicole Knasel’s ability to successfully establish and run a business while continuing to give back to the community and the university has earned her the Outstanding Young Alumna Award for 2008.

Knasel is president of ProForma/N&M communications, a printing and promotional products company she owns.

Knasel is a member of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and served on the organization’s board of directors. She was president of the Bluegrass Chapter of BNI (Business Networking International) in 2005 and has been an active member of the chapter since 2004.

She was committee chair of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce annual dinner for a two-year term.

At home, two sons keep Knasel and her husband, Jason, busy. fa l l 2 0 0 9

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Giles Hertz ’89 (J.D.)

JOhn M. Lucas, ’72, ’79 (J.D.)

Outstanding Alumnus NKU Chase College of Law Joseph W. Shea, ’74 Joseph Shea is a highly regarded legal practitioner and is well known throughout the Kentucky and Ohio legal communities. He served the Ohio Supreme Court as its chief bar examiner, was elected as the youngest president ever of the Ohio Justice Association, and is widely used nationally as a bar examiner in the field of civil litigation. He has authored several books including an annual publication of his widely used courtroom evidence manual. He is the principal in the Cincinnatibased law firm Shea and Associates.

Shea’s peers have voted him as one of the top 100 lawyers in Ohio or top 50 in Cincinnati annually since 2004.

Shea also believes in giving back. Years ago, he became concerned that smaller firms could not afford access to powerful online legal research sites. Using his own resources, he pioneered the idea of providing online legal research resources directly through state bar associations.

Distinguished Service Jim Cutter, ’81 Jim Cutter was honored at Homecoming for being a business leader who continually gives back to his community.

Cutter and his team at Cutter Custom Homes build several elaborate homes each year, making use of various styles and custom designs to create their customers’ dream homes. He has won several awards including the 2003 Builder of the Year Award, the 2003 and 2004 President’s Award in New Home Design, the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award, and more than 30 Judge’s Awards at Northern Kentucky’s CiTiFEST. Much of his and his company’s success can be attributed to their motto: “Striving to exceed our customers’ expectations.”

Cutter graduated from Northern Kentucky University in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in construction manage-

no rthe r n

Nicole Knasel, ’99

Joseph W. Shea, ’74

Jim Cutter, ’81

ment. He was drawn to NKU because he was offered a baseball scholarship, but he fell in love with it because of the excited faculty and staff and the personal attention he and his classmates received.

He combines his love for sports with supporting the community by sponsoring or coaching several youth sports teams over the years. He also built and donated the press box and batting cages for the NKU baseball team.

Outstanding Alumnus College of Business Barry G. Kienzle, ’73 Barry G. Kienzle’s success in business and his ongoing support of his community have earned him the outstanding alumnus award for the College of Business.

Kienzle serves as chief financial officer for Paul Hemmer Companies, with responsibilities for treasury and company administration.

He has also served as president of the Cincinnati chapter of the Construction Financial Management Association. He serves on the board of directors of The Bank of Kentucky and is chairman of the bank’s audit committee. He was twice named one of the region’s top CFOs by the Cincinnati Business Courier.

Kienzle gives back through his involvement with Cincinnati Habitat for Humanity, where he has served as treasurer and director, and he has served as president of the Summit Country Club. He also gives back to NKU by serving on the board of the NKU Foundation. Kienzle and his wife, Mary Jo, have two daughters and two granddaughters. Both of his daughters and both of his sons-inlaw graduated from NKU. Outstanding Alumna College of Education and Human Services Amy M. Razor, ’91, ’97 Amy Razor has always strived to focus on both her own continued professional development and the professional development of other educators. She received

Barry G. Kienzle, ’73

Amy M. Razor, ’91, ’97

her national board certification for teaching in 1999 and recertified in 2008. She graduated from the Kentucky Leadership Academy in 2002. In recognition of her outstanding classroom work, she was honored with the 1999 Governor’s Scholar Outstanding Educator Award and the 2000 Northern Kentucky Ashland Award and was named the 2005 Rotary Club Teacher of the Year.

Razor has kept close ties to NKU throughout her career. She has served as a part-time instructor in the graduate program, teaching classes in literacy. She worked with Dr. Lynne Smith, in collaboration with NKU, to lead a mentoring group for national board teaching candidates on campus. This effort provided support to more than 200 candidates who were pursuing their certification. Currently, she is consulting with Kevin Besnoy, NKU practicum supervisor, in the updating and revamping of the practicum process.

Razor completed all of her post-secondary studies at NKU including a B.A. in education (’91), Master of Education (’97) and administrative certification (’05).

She has utilized the foundation provided by Northern by contributing to her community over the last 17 years as a classroom teacher, instructional resource specialist and principal of Grant’s Lick Elementary. She resides in southern Campbell County with her husband, Dan (’92), and daughter, Madison.

Outstanding Alumnus College of Informatics Nicholas T. Kaufman, ’85 Nicholas Kaufman, the outstanding alumnus for the College of Informatics this year, was honored for his achievements with The Kroger Co., where he’s been employed since 1985.

Kaufman has held a variety of technical and management positions with increasing responsibilities within the information systems department. His areas of expertise include supply chain management, merchandising, retail operations and manufacturing. Recently he was promoted to vice president of store solutions and servic-

Nicholas T. Kaufman, ’85

Debbie Dempsey, ’91 (R.N.)

es. This includes responsibility for the systems running within Kroger’s 2,500 supermarkets, 900 fuel centers and 390 fine jewelry stores.

Kaufman joined the NKU Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Informatics and also became involved with NKU’s Infrastructure Management Institute. Kaufman is a volunteer at Mercy Franciscan at St. John and is also involved in a variety of organizations within his church, St. Ignatius. Kaufman is co-chairing the 2009 Fine Arts Fund campaign for The Kroger Co. Kaufman and his wife, Kathy, were married in October 1986. Kathy is also an NKU graduate and received her Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1986 and currently works for Procter & Gamble. They reside in Cincinnati and have two sons.

Outstanding Alumna College of Health Professions Debbie Dempsey, ’91 (R.N.) Dedicated alumna and NKU faculty member Debbie Dempsey was honored for her commitment to excellence in the field of nursing. Dempsey has spent the majority of her career at NKU working to share her knowledge of the field with others.

In 2003, Dempsey was the first recipient of the Michael and Susan Adams Outstanding Non-Tenure Track Faculty Member Award. Dempsey was named to the Who’s Who list of American teachers four times and was awarded faculty member of the month.

Dempsey has presented papers at several conferences and has coauthored several editions of the textbook Laboratory Manual of Human Anatomy and Physiology.

She is married to Dr. Jerry Dempsey, who is in family practice in Cold Spring. The couple has two children, both of whom are in the medical profession.

WE B E X TRA Visit http://northernmagazine.

nku.edu to see videos of these award-winning alumni making their acceptance speeches or to nominate fellow alumni for an award.

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NKU alum Mark Mann keeps the Reds on the field story Rob Pasquinucci

Ken Griffey, Jr., made a sliding catch, but the crowd’s cheers quickly turned to nervous silence as the Reds star grimaced in pain after the play.

Reds head athletic trainer and NKU grad Mark Mann, ’93, saw the play from the team dugout and immediately ran onto the field. As the first line of medical assistance for an injured player, it’s the trainer’s call as to how to handle the situation, including what type of assistance he needs and whether the player remains in the game. For Mann, the first time he had to make the call was with Griffey’s injury.

“In this case it was pretty easy – he had dislocated his shoulder and had to come out of the game,” Mann said.

On-field treatment of players is just a small part of Mann’s job. From late January through the baseball season he develops off-season and in-season training programs for players, helps rehabilitate injured players and generally keeps the team in shape for the rigors of the 162-game season.

For someone who has grown up around the game and loves baseball like Mann, this is a sweet gig. A high-school baseball star, he was drafted as a pitcher in the 1990 amateur draft by the Reds (his mother works in the front office). For a local kid to be drafted by his hometown team was the fulfillment of a dream, but a shoulder injury derailed that dream.

As he attempted to recover from the injury, Mann realized he could stay close to the sport he loves by pursing a career in athletic training.

“When I got injured, my thought process started to change,” Mann said. “I really took an interest in what (Reds trainer) Larry Starr did.”

So with baseball out of the picture, it was time to head to college. His dad was teaching at NKU, so it was a logical choice. His years on campus went by quickly.

He spent his summer taking classes to help him wrap up his degree quickly. Biology, chemistry and anatomy classes were core subjects. He also spent time training NKU’s athletes and working with Reds team physician Tim Kremchek. He began his career with the Reds while still attending NKU, working the Reds’ rookie-level club in Billings, Mont.

He was hired as the Reds assistant athletic trainer in 1995 after a brief stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates or“It’s a heck of a commitment,” Mann said. “It’s a ganization. When the team moved from Cinergy Field to grind. The season is a marathon. For eight months, I’m Great American Ball Park, Mann was promoted to head here every single day. But I’ve never seen this as work. I trainer, a position he’s held ever since. really, truly enjoy the people I work with every day.”

He’s at Great American Ball Park each day in the late The training and therapy facilities at Great American morning when an evening game is scheduled and won’t incorporate the latest technology, including a SwimEx get home until after 11 p.m. He also travels with the aquatic therapy pool, several stainless-steel soak tubs, team to road games. stretching bands, special bikes, batting cages, running no rthe r n

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tracks and more. He works with the Reds medical staff, chiropractors and massage therapists, who all try to keep the players playing.

“There’s a big trust factor here, as far as getting them back on the field,” Mann said. “But also a trust factor for the organization to ensure I’m developing and implementing the programs to keep them healthy.”

Mann keeps up on the latest skills and techniques to keep players healthy, particularly the elbows and shoulders that take a pounding on the field. He doesn’t dodge the question of performance-enhancing substances.

“I think the MLB’s done a good job of implementing a program now that’s really taken performance enhancing drugs out of the game,” Mann said. MLB conducts testing through a third party, which means Mann does not have to be involved. “Their testing program is the best in the business.”

He also needs to brush up on his Spanish to better communicate with the many players from Latin American countries on the team and in the league.

One of these players is Edinson Volquez, a righthanded pitcher from the Dominican Republic who was

on the DL with elbow tendonitis. Volquez strolled into the training room on a quiet Friday (the team was on the road) to work with Mann. At the time, Mann was recovering from a broken heel suffered after slipping on the dugout steps during a Memorial Day rain delay, so he’d stayed behind during the team’s road trip.

“I figured it was better me than one of our players,” Mann said with a chuckle. He was able to limp around the training room with a walking boot on and was anxious to get back on the road with the team.

When the season wraps up, Mann heads home to be with his family. The boys (Miller and Marc) are still a bit young to realize how cool Dad’s job is. But they will appreciate a birthday game-day scorecard Mann had signed by the entire team, and if they take up the sport, Dad will keep them healthy.

So the next time you’re at the ballpark and see a Reds player injured, know he’s in good hands with fellow NKU alumnus Mark Mann.

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ALUMNI JOURNAL

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alumni journal Gatherings Honoring NKU’s history This summer, we’ve had the chance to remember and honor many people who have helped shape what NKU is today. We unveiled the first in a series of presidential portraits with a beautiful oil painting of founding NKU President Dr. W. Frank Steely. Steely’s contributions to NKU are truly beyond measure.

The Alumni Association is very excited to have the opportunity to create and implement this new NKU tradition.

We also unveiled a display in the new NKU Student Union Alumni Hall (just outside the ballroom) that features images of all former NKU Alumni Association presidents.

The Alumni Association has formed an affinity partnership with Delta Community Credit Union, which is a financial institution with more than $3 billion in assets. The credit union serves the employees of several top businesses, such as Delta Air Lines, Chick-fil-A and Yamaha Motor Manufacturing, and now serves NKU alumni. The credit union is a smart alternative to a bank, offering checking and savings accounts, credit cards, loans, mortgages and more to its members, with competitive fees and rates. Find out more at http://www. deltacommunitycu.com.

The magazine you’re holding in your hands is once again an award winner.

The Cincinnati chapter of the Public Relations Society of America honored Northern magazine with a Blacksmith award for external magazines. The magazine previously has been recognized many times by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Congratulations to everyone who helps make the magazine a success! By the way, our alumni e-newsletter also won an award. Make sure you sign up for our online alumni community to receive this piece.

As always, keep us posted on what’s new in your life. E-mail class notes to alumni@nku.edu. And don’t forget to attach a recent photo.

Deidra Fajack Director, Alumni Programs and Licensing no rthe r n

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1978 Jerry Shoo is a business and community leader in Athens, Ala., and recently joined the United Way of Athens Limestone County board of directors.

He has more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing management and finance and is a certified public accountant.

1979 5

1 NKU student Emma Woeste receives the Bonneville scholarship. To her left is Bryson Lair, ’95, past president of the NKU Alumni Council and general sales manager of WKRQ and WREW radio at Bonneville. Also pictured is Dan Emsicke, NKU major gifts officer, and Jim Bryant, market manager, Bonneville International (which includes WKRQ, WUBE, WYGY and WREW radio stations). 2 NKU alumni gather near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. In this photo NKU VP of Advancement Gerry St. Amand and Deidra Fajack, director of alumni programs and licensing, flank alumni and guests (from left to right): John J. Burger, Mary Vincent, Tom Pelc and Patty Cole. 3 Lincoln Award winners Paul Chellgren; Ed and Carole Rigaud; and S. Arthur and Louise Spiegel are joined by NKU President James C. Votruba and Rachel Votruba. 4 Mike Mertle ’09 waits for his turn at the Young Alumni Society Golf Outing.

5/6 NKU alumni enjoying Homecoming festivities.

Daniel Dressman was named the new executive director of the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati.

With extensive experience of more than 25 years as a trade association executive, Dressman stood out for the position and began his new role as executive director in May 2009.

Mark Cohen has been appointed chief operating officer for Pioneer Newspapers, Inc. Cohen, who has more than 25 years of experience in newspapers, most recently was vice president of advertising for Gatehouse Media in New England. Cohen previously served as director of sales and marketing for Morris Newspapers and was a vice president at Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. He graduated with a degree in mass communications.

1981 Jim Young is the new executive director of the Colorado Dental Association, an organization committed to supporting organized dentistry in Colorado, serving more than 3,000 members statewide. The Colorado Dental Association represents more than 82 percent of all Colorado licensed dentists. Young comes to the dental association from Ducks Unlimited, the nation’s largest wetlands and waterfowl conservation organization.

Since 1991, he has provided leadership to fundraising, volunteer and membership programs. Most recently, Young served as group manager of Grassroots

Fundraising and Volunteer Leadership at Ducks Unlimited’s national headquarters in Memphis, Tenn.

CLASS NOTES

CLASS NOTES 1991 Denise Barone has recently signed her fourth book contract for a romance novel titled Judge Not as well as a young adult novel that is to be released in August 2009 titled House of Wacks. Barone has also released erotica novels in recent years such as Fantasy Daze in October 2007 and Rose Red and Black Bear.

Thomas S. Bailey has been named principal of Charles T. Young Elementary School in the Three Rivers Local School District (located just west of Cincinnati). Bailey spent nine years as a band director, six years as principal of St. John’s School in Cincinnati and three years starting a development office in Three Rivers before assuming the duties of principal of C.T. Young.

Bailey lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Mary (’92), and six children: Jessie, Matt, Jake, Adam, Grace and Kate.

1995 Kathy Brown, E.A., a Warsaw businesswoman, met with Rep. Geoff Davis and staff as well as members of the staff of Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) May 6, 2009, in Washington to discuss the need to minimize the complexity of the tax code and for legislation that would require all professional tax preparers to be federally licensed. Brown, who prepares taxes in the Warsaw area, holds the enrolled agent (E.A.) designation, an IRS-administered license that allows the licensee to represent taxpayers who are under audit or owe back taxes, in addition to handling tax planning and preparation.

1996 Ryan Greis was an extra in George Clooney’s upcoming movie Up in the Air, filmed in St. Louis, Mo. He stood only 10 feet away from Clooney for fa l l 2 0 0 9

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CLASS NOTES

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CLASS NOTES three hours; however, he did not talk to Clooney to mention NKU. Greis is an art director who graduated with a major in graphic design and currently resides in St. Louis.

Ryan Stewart Shadle is working on his M.A. at NKU in the integrative studies program and currently works for Cincinnati State as a writing instructor.

1997 Robin R. Cozone Pelfrey is a registered nurse and works in telemetry.

After graduating from NKU with an anthropology degree, she attended Eastern Kentucky University, where she received a Bachelor of Science in nursing.

Tammy S. Meade (Chase) married Chris Ensslin June 2, 2009, in Playa Mujures, Mexico. The couple will reside in Lexington, Ky. She is an attorney at the law firm of Sturgill, Turner, Barker & Moloney, PLLC, in Lexington, where she practices employment law defense. He is employed by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government as an internal auditor.

1998 Rick Trump, history, was recently promoted to director of operations,

finance and student services for the University of Phoenix, Augusta, Ga., campus. Trump joined University of Phoenix as an academic counselor at the Cincinnati campus in May 2004. A year and half later he was promoted to academic counseling manager at the Richmond, Va., campus. In September 2006, Trump moved to Augusta as associate director of operations and student services when the campus opened.

2000 Stephanie Durbin, CPA, was promoted to assistant team leader of the tax practice of the construction/real estate client service team at Barnes, Dennig and Company, Ltd. They are the fifthlargest accounting firm in Cincinnati.

2001 Liliana Bramasco has recently left her field of expertise, criminal justice, and entered the insurance and financial industry as a financial representative at Lifetime Financial Growth LLC in Cincinnati.

2003 Cassandra Marie Childers Haney had her first baby in 2007, William (Liam) Connor Haney.

LPK (Libby Perszyk Kathman), the largest independent brand design agency in the world, has promoted Maura Schilling to human resource manager. As an HR manager, Schilling is responsible for managing employee development and training initiatives along with developing HR policy and practices. She resides in Cold Spring, Ky.

2004 Taunya Jack was sworn in as Campbell County Circuit Court Clerk January 13, 2009, by Chief Circuit Judge Julie Reinhardt Ward and Circuit Judge Fred A. Stine V. She is responsible for all circuit and district court filings, obtaining jurors, the law library and issuing driver’s licenses.

2005 Joseph B. Oost graduated from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary May 2, 2009, with a Master of Arts in Christian ministries.

Josh Blair and his girlfriend, Jamie Lemery, along with the couple’s twoyear-old son, Ian, welcomed their twin daughters into the world January 24, 2009. Cara Michelle Blair was born at 9:49 a.m. and weighed 5 lbs. 13 oz. Lillian Elise Blair was born at 10:27 a.m. and weighed a whopping 7 lbs. 5 oz.

Nicholas Gressle ’88 has published several illustrations as a freelance illustrator, specifically the artwork for the John Thompson Piano series. The books, which have been published since the 1920s, were updated in 1996 and are available from the Willis Music Company (http://www. willismusic.com). Gressle’s illustrations have also appeared on Taste of Cincinnati T-shirts, holiday cards and other items. See more at http://www.gressle.com.

He served as the editorial cartoonist at The Northerner from 1986 to 1988. no rthe r n

ALUMNI on the move

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Northern romance

Novel takes readers to ancient Ireland Since college, Shelly Sendelbach, ’92, had the vision of a romantic story that took place in an ancient world of fearsome Northmen who were savaging the lush, green countryside of Ireland. It was a story she hoped to put into words and publish.

But dreams of publishing her work were often superseded by more immediate concerns – raising two young daughters and keeping up with the day-to-day realities of life kept her away from that imagined place and time.

Sendelbach’s younger sister, who was attending NKU, told her older sister she should really just write the story, but the encouragement was politely acknowledged until tragedy struck in 2005 when Sendelbach’s younger sister was killed in an auto accident on the way to NKU. “The book is dedicated to her. Her inspirational words allowed me to finish this love story,” Sendelbach said. “I look up to you now,” she wrote in the dedication.

Sendelbach used the sadness and grief as a catalyst to complete her book. She pored over books and found experts to tell her about the history of the

Irish people and the Northmen (Norsemen). She also used the surroundings of her home – a secluded farm located in the rolling hills of Northern Kentucky – as a way to help form word pictures of Ireland, a place she’s never been but wants to visit soon.

She found information and made new friends on the Internet, where a site on Irish and Gaelic translation helped her catch a glimpse of the rich language of ancient Ireland. Sendelbach also made friends with many folks across the ocean who have made plans to visit her in Northern Kentucky.

“They’ll feel like they haven’t left home,” Sendelbach said.

Her book, Raeliksen, was published in late 2008 under the pen name Renee Vincent. The story is about Mara, the daughter of an Irish clansman, who believes the men of the North are murderous pagans without morality. This is until she becomes the object of affection for Daegan Raeliksen, a wealthy chieftain from the frozen land of Norway. The lovers have come together when their people are fighting each other. The book chronicles their unlikely romance in a time of fear and upheaval.

Raeliksen is available at Barnes and Noble online. fa l l 2 0 0 9

CLASS NOTES

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Rodger D. Biddle II is a financial services associate with Prudential Financial. He is married to Leslee Biddle, a cosmetologist, and they have a son, Gaven Russell Biddle, who was born January 18, 2008. Biddle is working on building his business into a successful and positive future for himself and his family.

Whitney Fletcher (Ross) completed her master’s in communication at NKU this past May and got married to Shawn Fletcher on the same day.

She works at Fidelity Investments in Covington.

2008 Tye Mortensen, ’04, ’08, and Kristi Britton, ’05, were married December 27, 2008, in the brand new NKU Student Union. The Mortensen-Britton wedding was the first wedding and reception to be held on campus in the new ballroom. Numerous NKU faculty, staff, alumni and students were in attendance for the big event.

Tye and Kristi are currently living in Sacramento, Calif. Tye is now working as the assistant director of admissions and student services for the University of California, Davis, and Kristi is enjoying her appointment at the Northern California Business Developer for Great American Insurance.

Steven Travis Mayo (Chase) and Tabatha Boekhout Mayo were married October 31, 2008, at The Norman Chapel in Cincinnati. The couple resides in Newport, Ky., where Travis is beginning his career as a lawyer and Tabatha is completing her master’s degree in forensic anthropology.

class notes

Find more class notes and submit your news at http://alumni.nku.edu.

no rthe r n

Michael Wilson, ’82

notable norse Photographer Michael Wilson’s work was recently featured at the Weston Gallery in Cincinnati. The exhibit, called The Day of Small Things, was a mid-career retrospective of his work. Featured in the fall 2007 issue of Northern magazine, Wilson is known for his album cover photography of performers such as Lyle Lovett and Emmylou Harris.

Wilson creates unique and deeply honest photographs that sum up the essence of his diverse subject matter, which includes landscapes, urban settings, interiors and portraits.

“I believe in the photographic portrait – honest in intention, direct in execution and crafted with a respect for beauty found in the most fundamental materials,” Wilson wrote on his website.

“In some ways, I’m finding myself trying to make sense of why I’ve been making pictures for 25 years,” Wilson said. Something he wrote in a book showcasing his work might help him answer the question: “I have learned to keep my eyes open for surprises.”

The retrospective exhibit featured Wilson’s personal work and some musician portraits. Wilson opened a studio in a former manufacturing plant on Spring Grove Ave. More information is available at http://www. daylightportrait.com.

Mysteries solved

35 In the last issue of Northern, we featured unidentified photos from the NKU archives on the back cover of the magazine and on the magazine website. Thanks to Steven Gores, NKU English department; Suzanne Flemming, ’99; Mary Jo Beresford, NKU Department of Theater and Dance; Jody Cauthen; and Aaron Spicer, ’96, for identifying the back cover photo as the production As She Stoops to Conquer performed in December 1993. From left to right, the actors are: Huey Pergrem, ’95; unidentified; and Christine Wilfinger, ’95. The actress in the middle is most likely either Jennifer Rebecca Carroll, ’96, or Jennifer Bennett, ’94.

PARTING SHOT

A young student learns to play the piano as part of the university’s piano pedagogy program, which helps aspiring music teachers hone their skills.

Tell us what you’re up to!

Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Address: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Telephone: (________)________________________________________________________________________________ E-mail: __________________________________________________________________________________________________ Grad year/major: ________________________________________________________________________ What’s new with you? New baby? Spouse an NKU grad? New job or a promotion? Earn another degree since you left Northern? _________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thanks to Norma West, ’80, who identified this photo from the production of Luanne Laverty Oberlander from the 1979-80 season. Left to right: Charles “Chuck” Boyer, ’79; Sylvester “Sly” Yunker, ’84; and unidentified. Costumes

by Norma West.

Send to: NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY Office of Alumni Programs 421 Johns Hill Road Highland Heights, KY 41099 Are you firmly planted in the digital age? Then fill out our online form to let us know what’s new with you. We’ll send you a free gift just for telling us about yourself online. If you’ve got a new baby, we’ll send a gift for your baby, too! http://alumniconnect.nku.edu.

N EW L E A F PA P E R environmental benefits statement Northern Kentucky University saved the following resources by using New Leaf Reincarnation made with 100% recycled fiber, 50% post-consumer waste, and processed chlorine free.

Thanks to Jennifer Overhulse-King, ’92. She identified the man on the right as Dr. Robert Rhode, former director of the NKU Honors Program, now faculty in the English department.

trees

water

84

18,227

fully grown

gallons

energy

solid waste

greenhouse gases

38

3,987

6,738

million BTUs

pounds

pounds

Calculation based on research by Environmental Defense and other members of the Paper Task Force.

©2006 New Leaf Paper

www.newleafpaper.com

888.989.5323

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nonprofit organization u. s. postage

PAID

NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY Office of Alumni Programs

burlington, VT

421 Johns hill road

permit no. 540

Highland Heights, KY 41099

Mystery Photo?

Students were piled high in the University Center in this photo. Do you recognize a familiar face (or pair of sneakers)? If so, e-mail NKU archivist Lois Hamill at hamillL1@nku.edu. More mystery photos are online at http://northernmagazine.nku.edu, and find an answer to last issue’s mystery photo on page 35.

Photo credit: Schlachter Archives