MAGAZINE Winter 2019 Vol. 10, No. 1
Creativity + Innovation Guide Park Forward
CONTENTS
2 Cover image: JT Daniels created the “Charlie Parker’s Mood” mural outside the Gem Theater in Kansas City, Mo.’s historic 18th and Vine District as a collaborative project with Google Fiber. Due to time constraints and freezing weather conditions, the 15 foot by 23 foot mural was spraypainted in a single session.
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Letter from Park's President
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Just Do What You Do
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Never Underestimate the Power of Optimism
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Game On
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Park’s Social Media Makes Life-Saving Connection
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“Alexa, Ask Park ...”
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Consulting with a Social Conscience
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New Pirate Pantry
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Innovation on the Horizon: Park’s Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center
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Moving a Landmark
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Park Leads Nation to Right the Wrongs of the Past
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University News
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Extraordinary Achievement (Alumni Association Awards)
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Class Notes
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Park Mourns
Park University Magazine Winter 2019 Vol. 10, No. 1 Greg Gunderson, Ph.D. President president@park.edu | (816) 584-6202 Erik Bergrud, MPA ’94 Associate Vice President for University Engagement erik.bergrud@park.edu | (816) 584-6412
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Nathan Marticke, MACL ‘10 Chief Advancement Officer nathan.marticke@park.edu | (816) 584-6844 Brad Biles Director of Communications and Public Relations brad.biles@park.edu | (816) 584-6888
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Park University Magazine is published for Park alumni and friends by the Office of University Engagement and the Office of University Advancement. Send your comments and/ or address corrections to the Office of University Engagement, Park University, 8700 NW River Park Drive, Box 65, Parkville, MO 64152, e-mail communications@park.edu or call (816) 584-6209. Visit park.edu for more information.
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Dear Friends, One of my favorite quotes about innovation comes from the late physicist William Pollard, Ph.D.: “Without change there is no innovation, creativity or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable. Learning and innovation go hand in hand.” At Park University, we’ve understood this from the very beginning. From our offering of the Park College Family Work Program (when students who couldn’t afford college worked in exchange for their education); to our extension beyond Parkville, Mo., onto military bases, beginning in the 1970s; to our worldwide expansion online (we were there before Google!) … Park has always been forward thinking. We’ve always understood that flexibility and adaptability remain key to our mission to transform lives. And we are still trying new things. We’re finding a way to appropriately honor military heroes who were born during an era that prevented them from receiving their just due. We’re building structures and programs to accommodate the future leaders who choose our University to fulfill their education and training needs. We’re using new tools — social media, esports, cloud-based voice-activated technology and more — to engage a new generation of hearts and minds. Yet, as writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr once famously observed, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Park is still Park. Scholars. Mentors. Artists. Activists. A community of educators, leaders and graduates who wish to impact individuals, communities and the entire world through knowledge and hard work. The core and spirit of who we are is unchanged and still shines through — for 144 years and counting. As you read this latest edition of Park University Magazine, I hope you catch a glimpse of the sight that I’m lucky enough to behold every day: an institution striving for growth and improvement, so it can continue to nurture learners on the cusp of bright and prosperous futures. Enjoy the view.
Greg R. Gunderson, Ph.D. President, Park University Winter 2019 - 1
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Just Do What You Do
JT Daniels’ Murals Uplift and Inspire JT Daniels, ’11, always drew as a kid…and always got in trouble for it. “My teachers would ask my parents to clean out my desk that was stuffed with comic books that sparked my imagination,” he said. If he could go back in time, Daniels said he’d tell his younger self not to feel bad about the “weird” things he drew. Someday, his designs would become giant murals on buildings across his hometown in Kansas City, Mo., and featured on products shipped around the globe.
Shared experiences “When I see a blank wall, I see an opportunity to communicate,” said Daniels, whose signature style intertwines characters and patterns infused with vibrant colors. Often considered a community activist, Daniels wants his work to help people feel included and uplifted. “Public art has the ability to inspire communities and convey our shared experiences. When I subvert colors and use playful patterns, it’s my way of helping people overlook preconceived ideas of identity and ethnicity.” His murals have been commissioned by clients including the Kansas City Royals, Kansas City Streetcar Authority, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Samsung, Sprint, Ten Thousand Villages, UMB and Whole Foods Market. Looking closely, you’ll find his signature phrases “sup” and “yep.” While “sup” is slang for “what’s up?” Daniels compresses it in his designs to stand
for “surviving under pressure.” “Because we’re all dealing with something, it’s a message that I believe is universal,” he said. While “yep” is slang for “yes,” Daniels considers it an acronym for “young empowered people.” Daniels began to embrace his talents in high school as the designated artist for school projects, painting custom skateboards and selling illustrations to friends. After a year at Columbus (Ohio) College of Art and Design, he transferred to Park University in 2009 because it offered art students 24-hour secured access to the studio. “That is a big advantage for artists like me who don’t always create during traditional hours,” he said. “In some schools, students compete for limited studio space and can’t afford to rent their own.” After a popular solo exhibition in Park’s Campanella Gallery, Daniels graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in fine art. One of his paintings remains on display in Thompson Commons on the Parkville Campus.
One call changed everything Looking at his bold murals, it’s hard to believe Daniels struggled with confidence. “I wasn’t sure people liked my art. I often felt like a failure,” he said. Trained as a fine artist, he kept his passion for his comic-style designs mostly to himself. “I thought being an artist meant doing what others thought art should be.” He rented a studio a few years ago that required a six-month upfront payment. The space was for commissioned work, most of which he said fell through. “I was financially down and out, working three jobs to support my family,” he said. He nearly gave it all up.
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I’ve learned what makes an artist — or anyone — stand out is an authentic voice.”— JT Daniels, ’11 While wrestling with the idea to give up his studio and making a list of equipment to sell, he got a call that changed everything. A scout was looking for Midwest artists to photograph in their studios for a marketing campaign. Daniels laughed, remembering he said, “Sure. Whatever. I’ll do it.” Photos of him in his studio made their way to a New York advertising agency. It was his comical, free-flowing designs in the photos’ backgrounds that captured their attention. “I remember holding my youngest child when I opened an e-mail asking me to come to New York City. Apparently, the agency had been checking out more of my work online,” he said. Daniels had been selected as one of 10 artists to design one of 10 new labels for Brisk iced tea, a brand owned by PepsiCo. “All of a sudden, a world-renowned company liked the work I wasn’t sure was worthwhile,” he said. Other than basic color guidelines for Brisk’s popular lemon flavor, Daniels said they told him to simply “do what you do.” Winter 2019 - 4
He had to contractually wait a year before he could talk about his Brisk design. “I continue to receive e-mails and posts from people around the world who love my design.” The experience gave Daniels the courage to let the world see more of the art he loves to make — and changed the trajectory of his career. With more opportunities for commissioned work, he recently left his full-time job with Johnson County (Kan.) Developmental Supports. As an art specialist at JCDS for a decade, he
encouraged adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to pursue their artistic talents and independence. “I’ve learned what makes an artist — or anyone — stand out is an authentic voice,” Daniels said. “It’s fun doing what I love and knowing people like what I do.”
Daniels pictured with his wife Jackie and children.
Daniels’ “Red” mural on the side of the historic Dayton Hotel has become a focal point for visitors to downtown Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Daniels developed the mural on the side of the Ten Thousand Villages store in downtown Overland Park, Kan., which sells fair-trade crafts and housewares made by women around the world.
Public art has the ability to inspire communities and convey our shared experiences. When I subvert colors and use playful patterns, it’s my way of helping people overlook preconceived ideas of identity and ethnicity.” — JT Daniels, ’11 Winter 2019 - 5
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Never Underestimate the Power of Optimism Former Kansas City, Mo., mayor Kay Barnes brings her optimistic leadership to Park as senior director of university engagement Kay Barnes remembers people had their doubts about her. As the first female mayor of Kansas City, Mo., Barnes faced her fair share of skeptics. “I knew there were comments made about me like ‘Well, she might be OK as mayor in some ways, but she’s not going to be able to do much with economic development,’” she said. But Barnes is an eternal optimist — a trait that has guided her to become one of Kansas City’s most respected leaders for her innovative economic development success that sparked a renaissance for downtown Kansas City. To revive a long-blighted downtown, Barnes said she didn’t have the luxury of focusing on a single project. During her two consecutive terms in office (1999-2007), she spearheaded a series of large-scale economic development initiatives, including H&R Block’s world headquarters, Kansas City Power & Light entertainment district and Sprint Center. “She would be down in the weeds with all the rest of us, but she was able to see solutions,”
former H&R Block Chief Executive Officer Mark Ernst told the Kansas City Business Journal. “She would characterize them with a ‘Well, why can’t we just do this?’ and everyone else in the room would feel foolish that they hadn’t seen what she did.”
Practicing what she preached Being mayor is tough. Being the first female mayor is tougher. Barnes honed her skills in the civic arena as a Jackson County (Mo.) legislator from 1974-78 and serving on the Kansas City, Mo., City Council from 1979-83. Her education was also instrumental in preparing her to lead. Barnes earned a Master of Public Administration degree in organizational behavior and a Master of Arts degree in secondary education from the University of Missouri – Kansas City, and a Bachelor of Science degree in secondary education from the University of Kansas. She also received an honorary doctorate from Park University in 2006. Looking back, Barnes credits her professional career as the ultimate training ground for the formidable challenges of serving as mayor. In 1976, Barnes founded Kay Waldo Inc., a human resource development firm. For more than 20
years, she traveled the country to conduct trainings in leadership development, team building, communication and time/stress management. “Every single day as mayor, I was pulling from theories and practices I had taught for years,” she said. “I got to practice what I preached,” she said. And long before she became Kansas City, Mo.’s first female mayor, Barnes was a leading advocate for women in the workplace. In 1979, she championed the professional development of women as one of the founders of Central Exchange, the first mentoring and networking organization in the Kansas City area for women.
Proud Park ambassador After leaving office, Barnes joined Park as the founding director of the University’s Center for Leadership and as distinguished professor for public leadership within the Hauptmann School of Public Affairs. In July 2018, Barnes was appointed senior director for university engagement to formalize her role as an ambassador for Park in government relations and business development initiatives.
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“I’m delighted to be a member of the Park family and have always enjoyed taking every opportunity to represent the University in the community,” Barnes said. “Whenever Kay walks into a room, the genuine admiration is palpable,” said Erik Bergrud, MPA ’94, associate vice president for university engagement. “She was an influencer long before social media existed and knows the value of building bridges throughout the community with longstanding relationships. Every day, we are beyond proud that one of Kansas City’s most respected leaders is dedicated to championing Park University.” “Among the many things I respect about Park, I most admire the University’s history and continuing commitment to diversity and inclusiveness,” she said. “Regardless of a student’s background, Park’s top priority has always been to make every student feel welcomed, supported and valued.”
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Kay Barnes with Park President Dr. Greg Gunderson (left) and Erik Bergrud, associate vice president for university engagement. Barnes was honored as the 2018 Kansas Citian of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. The prestigious honor was announced during the Chamber’s annual dinner which was, fittingly, held in the Kay Barnes Grand Ballroom at the Kansas City Convention Center.
Cornerstones of Leadership Kay Barnes was a featured speaker for the second annual Leaders of Tomorrow symposium hosted by Park University and the Command and General Staff College Foundation. Highlights from her presentation, “Cornerstones of Leadership,” offer just one example of the inspiring optimism Barnes brings to Park.
BE OPEN TO CHANGE From fast-changing technology to changing expectations in the workplace, there’s no shortage of change in our lives. Although it can be difficult, change presents us with opportunities. Recognizing that everything changes, we might as well do everything we can to prepare ourselves to move forward. Consider the wisdom of former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.
“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
BE WILLING TO TAKE RISKS To accomplish anything, we need to take risks. As human beings, we have a natural orientation for security. Consider the wisdom of accomplished author Helen Keller, who lived without the ability to see or hear.
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature nor do humans experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
BE INCLUSIVE IN THOUGHT AND DEED Most of us recognize the importance of honoring our differences. Yet the reality is, everyone has unconscious, often unintended, biases. We need to become more aware of even the most subtle ways bias shows up in how we think and speak. Consider the words of former U.S. President Barack Obama.
“The battle to be vigilant on behalf of kindness and tolerance and fairness and equality — that is a day-to-day thing that each of us is responsible for.”
PRACTICE HOPE Problems we face are real and daunting at times. But are they insurmountable problems or formidable challenges? There is a difference. Practicing hope is recognizing possibility and moving toward it. We can choose to believe the glass is half-full in every situation we face in our lives, in our communities and in our world. Consider the words of French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin.
“Between these two alternatives of absolute optimism or absolute pessimism, there is no middle way because by its very nature, progress is all or nothing.” Winter 2019 - 9
Ashley Jones, Park’s esports head coach
game on Fast. Complex. Exhilarating. Video games have come a long way since Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. debuted in the arcades of the 1980s. Today, video games demand extraordinary mental acuity — from critical thinking and decision-making to exacting attention, agility Winter 2019 - 10
and accuracy. That’s why esports — competitive tournament-style video gaming — is commanding respect as the fastest-growing collegiate sport, and why Park University is home to the first collegiate esports varsity team in the Kansas City metropolitan area. “The new esports team at Park marks the 16th varsity sport on Park’s roster of athletic programs — and the first coed sport,” said Claude English,
director of athletics, during the grand opening of the Parkade Battleground in February. The Parkade, located in the Mabee Learning Center/Academic Underground on the Parkville Campus, is outfitted with 16 state-ofthe-art gaming PCs. “The new esports program demonstrates Park’s leadership in the future of digital competition,” said Shane Smeed, vice president and chief operating officer. “Our
investment is in line with the University’s foundation of innovation.” Park’s esports head coach, Ashley Jones, who was recently named chair-elect to the board of directors for the National Association of Collegiate Esports, the governing body of varsity esports, said the program offers students more than online competitive gaming. “Esports helps connect students across Park’s campus centers nationwide and online around the globe through the exhilarating experience of video gaming,” she said. The team’s matches with colleges and universities across the country are streamed on the Park Athletics YouTube channel and can also be viewed on-demand afterward. Park is also developing its own Twitch channel for future streaming. The growing popularity of Park’s esports reflects the excitement for the sport around the globe. For example, the 2018 League of Legends World Championship attracted more viewers than the Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four combined, according to a report by market researcher Interpret. A report from Newzoo, a marketing research and analytics firm for video gaming, revealed that esports viewership is expected to exceed 453 million in 2019. Park’s esports roster currently includes 20 players. In addition to League of Legends, the team also competes in Overwatch, a multiplayer first-person shooter video game, and Rocket League, a vehicular soccer video game. The team practices three hours every weekday and competes in matches on Saturdays. Practices include the review of footage of past matches to identify strengths and areas for improvement. To apply, students complete a recruiting form on the Park Athletics website with details including their preferred game, role and years of experience. Tryouts are held at the Parkade Battleground. All Park esports athletes are eligible for scholarships. “Park’s esports athletes can take their invaluable gaming skills into their careers,” Jones said. “Much like in traditional sports, esports develops leadership, communication and teamwork skills that will be a tremendous asset to achieving their goals after graduation.”
Cesar Duron, sophomore business administration/international business major, competes in a League of Legends match.
Gaming for life A study of 33 laparoscopic surgeons at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York determined that those who played video games were 27 percent faster at advanced surgical procedures and made 37 percent fewer errors compared to those who did not play video games. (Journal of the American Medical Association)
Collect Them All One of Park University’s esports biggest fans, President Greg Gunderson, Ph.D., sparked the idea for the team’s trading cards. The cards feature the student-athlete’s photo, name and summoner (onscreen) name along with gaming stats and favorite game quote. Each student-athlete, coach and staff member has a stack of cards to share with Pirates fans. The cards are available on game days inside the Parkade Battleground.
Keep up with Park’s esports team on Twitter @ParkEsports. Winter 2019 - 11
Lindsey Edwards, Park University admissions counselor (left), and Ally Braymer, senior nursing major
Park’s Social Media Makes Life-Saving Connection Lindsey Edwards, Park University admissions counselor, remembers “flipping through Twitter” last August when she saw a post retweeted by the University with a headline that caught her attention — My boyfriend needs a kidney. Blood type is A+. “I knew from donating blood that my type was A+,” said Edwards, who jotted the University of Kansas transplant donation line in the post on a sticky note and casually placed it on her computer monitor. “I looked at it for a couple of days and thought maybe I should do this.” Winter 2019 - 12
A few days prior, Ally Braymer, senior nursing major, messaged Park to ask if the University would share her post to help Gavin Finch, her boyfriend since 2013 and friend since sixth grade, find a kidney. Diagnosed with IgA nephropathy (also known as Berger’s disease), an autoimmune disease that attacks the kidneys, Finch needed dialysis three times a week to stay alive. “I sent that tweet the day we found out Gavin’s potential match wasn’t going to work out,” Braymer said. “I wasn’t sure if Park would retweet something like this. Looking back, I couldn’t have known what an incredible impact Park’s help would have.”
The right reasons Beyond her matching blood type, Edwards discovered the many hurdles to clear to become a donor. “The first step was easy: I received equipment to monitor my blood pressure twice a day for a week. The next step was super awkward,” she laughed. “I had to collect urine samples for a 24-hour period.” To stay on schedule, she did it on a work day. “I brought the collection equipment in a cooler to the office. I hoped for the best that no one would ask.” In fact, Edwards told no one about her decision to pursue the kidney donor evaluation process other than her husband, Jake. “I didn’t want to spread false hope,” she said. In addition to a full workup of X-rays, scans and bloodwork, Edwards attended a workshop where every risk was presented. The final step was a psychological assessment. “They want to know you can handle the surgery emotionally and are doing it for the right reasons,” she said. Test results showed Edwards was a 94 percent match for Finch, which is high for people who are not family members. When she decided to share her decision to donate her kidney, Edwards faced the questions she expected from family and friends — “You don’t even know this person. Why are you doing this?” “When we hear about something like Gavin’s situation, we hope somebody will help them. Sometimes, it’s your turn to step up,” Edwards said. “I felt called to do this and I needed to know: Am I the one? This time it was me.”
Edwards reflected on the message she sent on Oct. 3, 2018, to introduce herself to Finch and Braymer: “Hey, I know this is super weird. You have no idea who I am. If you don’t want to meet me, that’s totally cool. I just want you to know you have a donor. I’m ready to go through with this if you are.” “We couldn’t believe a total stranger had endured all of the testing to donate her kidney to someone she’d never met,” Braymer said. “Lindsey has a heart like no other; it’s wonderful to know people like her exist in this world.” With her husband, Edwards met Braymer and Finch for dinner. “We talked for hours. It felt like we’d known each other our whole lives,” she said. On Nov. 6, 2018, Edwards and Finch were admitted to the University of Kansas Medical Center for kidney transplant surgery to save Finch’s life. Finch was lucky. According to the National Kidney Foundation, most people who need a kidney wait five or more years for a kidney donated by a deceased person. Cadaver kidneys typically last around 12 years. The living donor waitlist is much longer and Edward’s kidney can potentially last Finch 20 years.
Edwards explained that her transplant medical care was free. Organ donors also receive free medical care if they ever have complications from the surgery and are moved to the top of the list if they ever need an organ transplant.
Not about me In a Facebook post to Edwards on Nov. 9, 2018, Finch wrote: “You didn’t know me before you decided to donate a piece of your body to me and that blows my mind. Your compassion is unmatched and I just can’t thank you enough.” The experience forged a lifelong friendship. “My husband and I talk with Gavin and Ally all the time and go to dinner at least once a month. They are our extended family,” Edwards said. When people tell Edwards how much they admire her for what she’s done, she is quick to respond. “This isn’t about me. It’s about Gavin and Ally. It’s about them being able to move on with their lives.” And as a millennial, Edwards knows well the criticisms about social media. “Social media connects you to people you wouldn’t otherwise meet — and it’s where amazing things can happen.” Winter 2019 - 13
“Alexa, ask Park…” • What are my grades? • How do I apply for scholarships? • When is the next home game? • How can I get involved in the alumni association? • What’s happening today? Winter 2019 - 14
These are just a few of the more than 400 questions and commands that Amazon’s virtual assistant, Alexa, can answer about Park University in the new “Ask Park” application launched last year. The voice-command service — used with various Alexa devices often shaped like a cylinder or hockey puck — is making it easier for the Park family to stay connected hands-free — without the need of a traditional computer keyboard or touch device. The idea for “Ask Park” was sparked by the creative thinking of James Nelson, associate vice president of information technology services, and Jared Flaherty, director of learning management systems support. The two were introduced to Alexa technology for educational institutions during a 2017 national conference presented by Canvas, a learning management platform. With Park’s cultural mindset that embraces innovation, Nelson and Flaherty set out to discover ways to expand and integrate the emerging technology to enhance the Park experience. “We saw the opportunity to experiment with natural language processing. By designing Alexa skills in-house, we’ve been able to customize how students and faculty can more quickly find answers to Park-related information,” Nelson said. With students and faculty at 42 campuses across the country and online worldwide, Park
was one of the first colleges/universities of its size to use Alexa technology.
utilize the app. In fact, it is designed to be useful for prospective Park students.
Faster and easier
For example, military service members and veterans often want to know how much college course credit their service experience could earn. “They can simply say, ‘Alexa, ask Park how much credit I can get for my military experience’ and they will be guided through questions about their military branch and rank,” he said. “Based on data we’ve collected, ‘Ask Park’ can tell them approximately how much transfer credit they could receive.”
Users can find fast answers to frequently asked questions about Park simply by saying, “Alexa, ask Park…” A complete list of categories and sample questions are available at park.edu/alexa. “It’s all about convenience and making things faster and easier,” Nelson said. “Rather than having to call and wait on hold or send an e-mail and wait however long it takes to get a response, this technology can instantly answer many basic questions.” Students have the option to link their Park ID number to the application to find personalized answers to questions such as “What homework is due this week,” or “What is my GPA?” Since its launch in April 2018, more than 4,500 Park students, faculty and staff are using “Ask Park” and the number of users grows by double digits every month, Nelson said. It’s also impacting student engagement. “Twenty-five percent of our students tell us they attended a Park event they wouldn’t have otherwise gone to if they hadn’t heard about it through Alexa,” he said.
Ahead of the curve
Security has always been a priority for Park. “From the beginning, we designed it to be 100 percent FERPA compliant,” Nelson said, referring to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a law designed to protect sensitive student information. Students, faculty and staff cannot access any private information without first authenticating who they are through a secondary device. Users are also able to lock commands that would retrieve personal information. “People are increasingly expecting instant access to information,” he said. “Just as today’s college students now expect services to be compatible with their mobile devices, the next generation of students will expect voice-command technology. With Park’s in-house capabilities, we’re learning what works and what doesn’t to help us stay ahead of the curve.”
Nelson said the application is available to everyone; users do not have to be a Park student to Winter 2019 - 15
Consulting with a Social Conscience
Ingrid Duran, ’98, tolerated the skeptical questions entrepreneurs often face: What do you know about running a business? Why leave the security of your job? What if you don’t succeed? But when she founded her business in 2004 with Catherine Pino, she endured a more formidable question: What if people don’t want to do business with a lesbian couple? “The mindset around the LGBT community wasn’t what it is today. Despite the naysayers, we launched D&P Creative Strategies in an open, authentic way,” Duran said. “If people didn’t want to work with us because of who we are, then we didn’t want their business. It was a hard-and-fast rule…and we’ve never looked back.”
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Fifteen years later, D&P’s mission —“consulting with a social conscience” — continues to guide their work to elevate the social, economic and political status of the Latino and LGBTQ+ communities. “To expand their visibility, D&P helps open doors to resources and partnerships that stir action and create change.” D&P’s mission continues to attract an impressive roster of clients including Comcast, Microsoft and NBCUniversal, and national nonprofits and associations such as Edison Electric Institute, Excelencia in Education and United States-Spain Council. Clients benefit from D&P’s collective 40 years of expertise in public affairs, government relations and strategic philanthropy. “Diverse cultural groups play an increasingly critical role in economic and political arenas,” Duran said. Recently, the Washington, D.C., firm expanded its scope to work with the Congressional Tri-Caucus comprised of the Black, Asian Pacific American, Hispanic and LGBT Equality caucuses. In 2008, Duran and Pino also founded PODER PAC, the first-ever political action committee dedicated to support Latinas running for elected office. In 2018, 11 Latinas ran for Congress and five were elected.
Open Doors The power of an opened door is something Duran knows personally. Raised in Los Angeles, her parents separated when she was 10 years old. Duran moved with her mother to Wichita, Kan., and spent school breaks in Washington, D.C., with her father who worked as an appointee during Jimmy Carter’s administration as president of the Hispanic National Bar Association. “That’s when my interest in Latino issues began,” she said. After starts and stops at two state universities, Duran joined the U.S. Marine Corps. After boot camp, she was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, and later in Norfolk, Va., where she discovered Park University. “Park made it possible for me to earn my degree at my own pace, while working full-time both in the military and later on Capitol Hill,” she said. As a Marine corporal, Duran credits the military for her work ethic and leadership skills. “I learned to go where I was needed without complaint and get the job done,” Duran said. With a desire to work on issues that impact Latinos, Duran left the military in 1989 and reached out to U.S. Congressman Esteban Torres, a family friend. “He said he could open the door, but after that, it was up to me,” she said. That first door was an administrative job in the U.S. House of Representatives where she worked for Office Systems Management under the Clerk of the House. That led to work as a legislative calendar clerk/staff assistant on the House Banking Committee and then as legislative assistant for former U.S. Congressman Gene Green.
In 1996, she was recruited to run the Washington, D.C., office of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials representing Latino community interests to Congress. In 1998, she became the first openly gay Latina to run a national Latino organization as the president and chief executive officer of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, a nonprofit that develops emerging Latino leaders. Her advocacy has garnered national accolades. Both Hispanic and PODER magazines named Duran one of the nation’s 100 Most Influential Hispanics. LATINO magazine named her among the Top 10 Leaders in the Latino Community and People en Español selected her one of the 25 Most Powerful Latinas in the U.S. Last year, Duran was named one of The Hill’s 2018 Top Lobbyists in Washington, D.C. “For me, success has been about working hard to do whatever job I’m responsible for at the moment,” Duran said. “And I’ve learned that you never know who’s watching.” She’s also learned her worth. “It’s competitive in D.C. Many people come from Ivy League schools which used to intimidate me a bit. But I have a college degree and know I’m just as smart and capable,” she said. “The lesson I like to pass on is to never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Never let others diminish you. Find your own voice and believe in yourself.”
Doors continued to open as people saw Duran’s dedication and passion.
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Supreme Friendships Ingrid Duran and Catherine Pino were invited to the U.S. Supreme Court by their friend Justice Sonia Sotomayor on June 26, 2015, to hear the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges decision that ruled the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples. Four months later, Duran and Pino were married by Sotomayor, her first official same-sex marriage. Sotomayor is the third female and first Latina to sit on the Supreme Court.
The D&P Creative Strategies team in Washington, D.C. (from left): Jose Mercado, Ingrid Duran, Dane Pedersen, Catherine Pino, Lena Hernandez, Sophia Garcia and Juan Rangel. Winter 2019 - 18
The Identity Project To change negative perceptions of Latinos and underrepresented communities, Duran and Pino founded Freemind Beauty Productions in 2009. Together, they produced “The Identity Project,” a series of six award-winning documentaries for HBO and PBS’ American Masters that explore race, gender, sexuality, accomplishment and identity in America. • The Black List: Volumes 1, 2 and 3 (HBO) features Toni Morrison, Chris Rock, Angela Davis, Colin Powell, Susan Rice and Bill T. Jones. • The Latino List: Volumes 1 and 2 (HBO) includes Eva Longoria, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, George Lopez, Gloria Estefan, America Ferrera and Pitbull. • The Out List (HBO), which aired on the 34th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, includes Ellen Degeneres, Neil Patrick Harris, Wanda Sykes, Larry Kramer and Janet Mock. • The Women’s List (PBS’ American Masters) features Madeline Albright, Gloria Allred, Edie Falco, Wendy Williams and Rosie Perez. • The Boomer List (PBS’ American Masters) features perspectives from Billy Joel, Erin Brockovich, and Samuel L. Jackson, to Rosie O’Donnell, Steve Wozniak and Amy Tan. • The Trans List (HBO) features Caitlyn Jenner, Alok Vaid-Menon, Bamby Salcedo, Buck Angel, Laverne Cox, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy and Nicole Maines.
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Hunger isn’t something you can see. But on college campuses nationwide, the issue is real. “It’s not uncommon for students to hide the fact that they don’t have enough to eat,” said Debra Olson-Morrison, Ph.D., assistant professor of social work. “At Park University, we are changing that.” Winter 2019 - 20
The Pirate Pantry is an example of the values we embrace at Park. It demonstrates for all students what it looks like to be part of a community — and how success in life is ultimately about more than just meeting your own needs.” — Laurie Gunderson, J.D. Uden, Ed.D., associate vice president and dean of students, said. “If we truly seek to embody our core values — accountability, civility and respect, excellence, global citizenship, inclusivity and integrity — we cannot know that students may be hungry on our campus and turn a blind eye. We must act.” Olson-Morrison, who serves as co-chair of the Pirate Pantry committee, said the decision to create the pantry was a convergence of shared concern that sparked a collective effort. But she credits the leadership and commitment of Laurie Gunderson, J.D., wife of President Dr. Greg Gunderson, for making it happen. “Laurie cares deeply about the well-being of students and creating equal opportunity for students to achieve their college education,” Olson-Morrison said. “We have a responsibility to treat every student as a valued member of the Park family,” said Gunderson, who also serves as an adjunct instructor of communication arts. “We need to make sure students have everything they need to be successful — and that includes the support they need outside the classroom.”
Food insecurity can affect students who have meal plans, jobs and receive financial aid. And yes, food insecurity affects students at Park University. But now, any Park student who needs it has access to Park’s Pirate Pantry. If you’re not exactly sure what “food insecurity” means, here’s the definition: the lack of reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable, nutritious food. “The key word in that definition, for us, is access — because at Park, access is our mission,” Jayme
The Gundersons invited a group of students in Park’s chapter of Phi Alpha, the national honor society in social work, to gather in their home to discuss the issue of food insecurity at the University. With guidance from Olson-Morrison, the students conducted a brief needs assessment at Park that found that one in five Park students reported food insecurity, and 65 percent of those students reported skipping meals due to not having enough money. The students reviewed similar research conducted at colleges and universities across the country. One study from the former Wisconsin HOPE Lab that included 66 institutions and 43,000
students reported that 36 percent of students were food insecure. A similar study found that 53 percent reported missing a class due to food insecurity, 55 percent opted out of joining extracurricular activities because they were hungry and 25 percent dropped classes due to hunger. Some find it hard to imagine, but OlsonMorrison knows firsthand how food insecurity can happen. “Like many students, I was driven to attend college. I earned a scholarship that covered tuition, but had to work full-time to pay for room and board. The money I earned barely covered my expenses, and my family wasn’t in a position to help me financially,” she said. “There were many times when, no matter how hard I tried, things just didn’t add up and I couldn’t afford food. Like me, many students don’t have any other support network to help.” In January 2018, the University held a “Feed the Funnel” party, in partnership with The Pack Shack, to make 10,000 meals to help feed individuals facing food insecurity in the Kansas City area. The event came about when a member of Park’s Board of Trustees, Jim Cornelius, president of institutional banking and investor services at UMB Bank, along with his wife, Bobbie, began a GoFundMe campaign in December 2017 to raise $2,500, but they raised nearly $3,600. And the Gundersons held a separate campaign that raised $3,000 for grocery gift cards to help students over the holidays. About 7,000 of the meals were distributed to Kansas City area organizations, kitchens and pantries, while about 3,000 of the meals were held for distribution to Park students. The University subsequently opened the Pirate Pantry in October 2018 in a dedicated space inside the Intramural and Recreational Fieldhouse (Labor Hall) adjacent to Breckon Sports Center on the University’s Parkville Campus. The Pantry
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is open to all Park students who need it and is operated by volunteers, primarily graduate students in Park’s Master of Social Work program, along with Park staff and faculty volunteers. Undergraduate social work students also assist by stocking shelves and taking inventory. The pantry is organized in alignment with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ChooseMyPlate.gov with nonperishable food items organized into proteins, grains,
fruits and vegetables. Students who visit the pantry can select a three-day supply of food, and personal hygiene items are also available. The Pirate Pantry has been funded by donations, including major gifts from Meritas Health, North Kansas City Hospital and the Rotary Club of Parkville (Mo.) as well as food drives conducted by Park University, the City of Parkville, Mo., Northland Baptist Church in Kansas City, Mo., and Vineyard Church in North Kansas City, Mo.
“With the generosity of the community, the Pirate Pantry helps students supplement their own efforts and stay on their feet,” Olson-Morrison said. “The Pirate Pantry is an example of the values we embrace at Park,” Laurie Gunderson said. “It demonstrates for all students what it looks like to be part of a community — and how success in life is ultimately about more than just meeting your own needs.”
How to donate to the Pirate Pantry Donations of nonperishable food and personal hygiene items are welcome and can be dropped off in the Pirate Pantry during open hours or placed in the donation bin outside the Pirate Pantry, located in the Intramural and Recreational Fieldhouse (Labor Hall) adjacent to Breckon Sports Center on the University’s Parkville Campus. To schedule large-volume donations, e-mail pantry@park.edu. Financial donations are also accepted. For more information about the Pirate Pantry, visit park.edu/life-park/parkville/park-pantry.
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Innovation on the Horizon: Park’s Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” — Steve Jobs Park University is making way for a changing future with its new Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center. When completed, the Plaster Center will be home to the School of Business and the Park Global Warrior Center, which assists service members and veterans transitioning in and out of the military.
The Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center on Park University’s flagship campus in Parkville, Mo., will be located on the east side of the University’s main entrance where Park House was previously located. Rendering provided by WSKF Architects.
The Plaster Center will be located on the site where Park House previously stood (see story related to the Park House move on page 24) on the east side of the main entrance to the University’s flagship campus in Parkville, Mo. The building is expected to encompass 20,500 square feet and will include classroom and office space, state-of-the-art finance lab, video production studio, special innovation and entrepreneurship lab, and a lounge for commuter students. “Park’s Plaster Center will serve as a beacon of innovation for the greater Kansas City community, as well as for students at our 41 other campuses across the country and online around the globe,” said Kirby Brown, dean of Park’s College of Management. “It also will expand our ability to directly benefit Park’s military and veteran students, as the majority of them (74% undergraduate, 39% graduate) are business majors.” With more than $6.4 million in commitments for the project and continued fundraising, groundbreaking for the Plaster Center took place on Dec. 6. For more information or to support the building project, contact Nathan Marticke, associate vice president for university advancement, at nathan.marticke@park.edu or (816) 584-6844.
Park University held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center on Dec. 6. Pictured are (from left): Brian Bode, vice president of facilities; Nathan Marticke, ’10 MACL, chief advancement officer; Sarah Weygand, ’16, director of military and veteran student services; Aaron Eyerly, senior business administration/international business major and ROTC cadet; Kirby Brown, dean, College of Management; Dolly Clement, Robert W. Plaster Foundation executive director; Dr. Greg Gunderson, president; David Fowler, former president; Jeanette Prenger, ’09, chair of Park’s Board of Trustees; Ernie Straub, Straub Construction president; Dr. Michelle Myers, provost; and Christian Leonard, senior mathematics major and Park Student Government Association president.
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Moving A Landmark Progress and preservation are not mutually exclusive at Park University. To make way for the construction of the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center, the future home of Park’s School of Business and the Park Global Warrior Center, the fate of the University’s beloved Park House — also known as the Alumni House — on the flagship Parkville Campus was uncertain. “Park House either had to be moved or destroyed,” said Carolyn Elwess, ’71, the University’s archivist, who, along with many Park alumni and friends, didn’t want to see the beloved building destroyed. Its location, however, was determined to be the most suitable to build the Plaster Center to meet the changing needs of today’s students. Built in 1845, Park House was the original home to George Park, co-founder of Park University and founder of the City of Parkville, Mo. The quaint home sat at the campus entrance and served many purposes over the years, including Park faculty and alumni staff offices. “Park House holds a special place in the hearts of many,” Elwess said. Because Park understood the home’s historical and sentimental significance, the University launched a “Save the Park House” fundraising campaign that was diligently championed by Elwess. With generous contributions from Park alumni and friends, the campaign surpassed its goal to secure $127,000. “Our thanks to everyone who contributed to make this possible,” Elwess said. “And special thanks to Park University President Greg Gunderson for his personal contribution and for issuing a funding challenge that spurred action to get us to the finish line.”
We’re proud to see Park House continue to represent Park’s spirit of ‘faith and labor’ to serve the greater good,” — Carolyn Elwess, ’71
On August 7, Park House was strategically lifted and ever-soslowly moved up a hill to its new location to the east of Hawley Hall. “It was impressive to watch the movers work with surgical precision,” Elwess said. With Park House landing in its new location safely, it will become the home for the University’s George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War where faculty and students conduct research for the Valor Medals Review project, a national effort to honor unrecognized heroes of World War I. This past spring, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate introduced separate bills that, if signed into law, will require the Department of Defense to carry out a systematic review of select members of the U.S. Armed Forces, who, in spite of valorous deeds, may have been denied the Medal of Honor due to race. The Robb Centre is conducting the research through the efforts of the Valor Medals Review Task Force in conjunction with the Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars on behalf of the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission. “We’re proud to see Park House continue to represent Park’s spirit of faith and labor to serve the greater good,” Elwess said. Winter 2019 - 24
We did it! “Save the Park House”Campaign Committee Carolyn McHenry Elwess, ’71, Chair Jay C. Flaherty, ’71 Kathryn Phillips Hernandez, ’83 Wilford W. “Pete” Kale, ’71 Lenore Brownlee Kensett, ’48 (honorary committee member) Richard, ’73, and Susan Kensett McGaughey, ’74 Rosemary Fry Plakas, ’63 Nancy Rohlfing Potter, ’66 Phil and Carol Wheeler, both ’62
Park House was separated from the old foundation and then prepped for further moving.
Park House traveled up the hill to its new location.
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Park leads nation to right the wrongs of the past Valor Medals Review project aims to posthumously honor minority WWI service members denied nation’s highest honor. Approximately one million minority Americans served in the U.S. military during World War I. However, only seven of 120 Medals of Honor have been awarded to World War I service members of minority background. Although the military has completed systematic reviews to identify minority veterans who were unjustly denied the Medal of Honor in past wars — World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and all subsequent conflicts — no such review has ever been completed for World War I. Until now. “Park University has stepped up to lead a national effort to right a terrible wrong,” said Timothy Westcott, Ph.D., associate professor of history and director of Park’s George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War. The Robb Centre — which will be housed in the recently relocated Park House on the east side of the Parkville Campus — is named after 1st Lt. George S. Robb, a 1912 Park graduate and white officer who led a company in the predominantly black “Harlem Hellfighters” (previously the 15th New York National Guard, which logged more combat days and casualties than any other American regiment). Robb was a 1919 Medal of Honor recipient. In June 2018, a resolution of The Doughboy Foundation (formerly the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission) established the Valor Medals Review Task Force, co-chaired by Westcott. The task force’s goal is to create a digitized database of every World War I service member researched as part of this study and to forward a group of Medal of Honor recommendations for the appropriate military secretaries to consider. Westcott, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, along with a team of Park undergraduate students, are analyzing the service records of minority service members — African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Jewish Americans, Native Americans and Asian Americans — to determine if discrimination played a role in being denied the Medal of Honor. To date, the Park research team has identified hundreds of service members who meet the criteria for the study: those who were Winter 2019 - 26
awarded the Distinguished Service Cross/Navy Cross but not the Medal of Honor, and may have been awarded France’s equivalent of the Medal of Honor, the Croix de Guerre with Palm.
For its leadership of the project, Park University has attracted regional and national media attention, including “CBS Evening News,” Politico and National Public Radio.
The team continues to sift through records dating back 100 years, including maps, service documents, weather reports and witness accounts. Research at Park is being conducted in conjunction with The Doughboy Foundation and the U.S. Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars.
For student researcher Joshua Weston, sophomore European/classical history major who also served in the military, being a part of the project is a special honor. “This is the height of racism before the civil rights movement, yet these men were fighting for a country that took them for granted,” he said.
The work of the Valor Medals Review is supported by bipartisan legislation (H.R. 2249 and S. 1218) currently before Congress. The bills propose that the Secretary of the Army and Secretary of the Navy review service records of African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, Jewish American and Native American service members specifically identified by the Valor Medals Review Task Force to determine if they should be recommended for the Medal of Honor based on the results of the review. The bills also waive the statute of limitations.
If the bills are approved, Westcott said the project could take seven to 10 years to complete. While conducting the project, the team contacts descendants of the service members to notify them of the research. “If there are corrections to make, it is time to make those corrections in the bigger picture of reconciliation as a nation,” Westcott said. “We are going to fix it with the best forensics and genealogical and historical research that we have available.”
Valor Medals Review The Valor Medals Review project is officially endorsed by The American Legion, the Congressional Black Caucus Veterans Brain Trust and The Veterans of Foreign Wars. To learn more about the Valor Medals Review project, visit gsr.park.edu.
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UNIVERSITY NEWS
Park University Wins NAIA Women’s Volleyball Championship After splitting a pair of five-set matches during the 2018 season, it was only fitting that when No. 2 Park University met No. 3 Columbia (Mo.) College in the title match of the NAIA Women’s Volleyball National Championship on a snowy night in Sioux City, Iowa, on Dec. 1, the match not only went five sets, but the final set had to go into extra play.
The Pirates (36-1) avenged their only loss during the season (in the American Midwest Conference tournament championship) by defeating the Cougars, 3-2 (19-25, 25-15, 17-25, 25-20, 16-14). The victory gave Park its second national title to go along with the 2014 championship when the Pirates ended the season with a perfect 40-0 record.
Nada Meawad was named the national tournament Most Valuable Player, while head coach Mike Talamantes was named Coach of the Year. Celina Monteiro was named the tournament’s Defender of the Year, and Danna Gomes and Maren Roper were also named to the All-Tournament Team.
New Degrees Prepare Students for Future Park University has introduced a trio of new degree options: • The Master of Arts in National Security Studies prepares students for work as analysts, policymakers and scholars focused on security issues in the 21st century. • The cybersecurity concentration in the Bachelor of Science in Information and Computer Science degree targets to train future security experts. • The Bachelor of Music in Audio Engineering degree will prepare individuals to apply theoretical knowledge in music with the technical skills to the production of sound recordings as finished products or as components of film/video, broadcast, live or mixed-media productions. In addition, Park is offering three new graduate certificates in business analytics, marketing and public accounting, and five new undergraduate certificates in diversity and social justice, entrepreneurialism, personal finance, project management and unmanned aircraft systems/drones. Winter 2019 - 28
UNIVERSITY NEWS “Alexa, ask Park how many credits can I get for my military experience?” To help maximize the military experience of prospective undergraduate students, Park created the Military Credit Fast App. The app assesses the military training and experience of those who currently serve or have served in the armed forces to provide an estimate of earned military credits and calculate an estimated Park graduation date. App data is based on information gathered by the University’s Registrar’s Office that is sourced from approximately 2,000 Park degree-seeking military students’ Joint Service Transcript or Community College of the Air Force Transcript between the 2016-17 and 2017-18 academic years. To provide the estimates, data is aggregated and combined with the American Council on Education’s evaluation of selected military specialty/classification code training and experience. Using an Alexa-enabled device, prospective students can access the Military Credit Fast App via Park ‘s Amazon Alexa skill, by saying, “Alexa, ask Park how many credits can I get for my military experience?”
University, Parkville Featured in Award-Winning Kansas City TV program The first episode of a new television program that highlights the unique, cool and quaint places around Kansas City, “Discovering Kansas City,” focused on Parkville, Mo., home of Park University’s Parkville Campus. The program, which premiered in March, included segments on the history of Parkville, featuring an interview with Carolyn Elwess, university archivist; a story about Park University’s history, featuring interviews with Elwess and Park President Greg Gunderson, Ph.D.; and a segment about the University’s commitment to students, featuring interviews with Gunderson, Aaliyah Brown, December 2018 graduate and currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Communication and Leadership degree, and Sarah Zitter, senior political science/international politics major. In October, the Parkville edition of “Discovering Kansas City” won a National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Mid-America Chapter Emmy Award in the “Magazine Program” category at the NATAS Mid-America Gala in Branson, Mo. The program was produced by Mitch Weber and Toto TV Productions.
Vega Honored as Military Spouse of the Year Jeanette Prenger, ’09, chair of Park’s Board of Trustees, in the Library of Congress.
Park at the Library of Congress Park alumni and friends joined the Valor Medals Review Task Force for a special event on Oct. 3 at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., for a private showing of rare books spanning six centuries in the Thomas Jefferson building’s Rosenwald Room.
Holly Vega, a junior social psychology major, was honored in May as the AFI Military Spouse of the Year during an awards ceremony at Fort Myer, Va. Among her many accomplishments, Vega worked with the American Heart Association in founding the Military Hearts Matter program to promote heart health in the military community. Vega’s husband, Javier, a 2004 Park University graduate, is stationed at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. As part of her honor, Vega was honored at the White House by President Donald Trump and was featured in the June issue of Military Spouse magazine. She also did interviews on CNN and Fox News. Winter 2019 - 29
UNIVERSITY NEWS Park Alumni to Lead U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team In late October, Vlatko Andonovski, ’08, was selected by U.S. Soccer to be the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. He previously served as a head coach during all seven seasons of the National Women’s Soccer League, a stint which included two championships with FC Kansas City (2014 and 2015), and he is a two-time NWSL Coach of the Year. A week later, Milan Ivanovic, ’10, was appointed to the USWNT’s technical staff. He played six seasons under Andonovski while with the Kansas City Comets in the Major Arena Soccer League and served the last four years as an assistant coach for Andonovski. Their first major competition will come during the CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament set to begin on January 28, 2020.
Missouri Governor and Senator Visit Parkville Campus In July and September, Park University was honored to receive visits from Missouri Gov. Mike Parson and Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, respectively. During their separate, but similar, events, they heard presentations about the University’s history and work-study model, how the University is using technology such as Amazon Alexa to serve its students worldwide, Park’s commitment to the military, including its Military Credit Fast App and Valor Medals Review of minority veterans who served in World War I, and the University’s workforce development initiatives to help Missouri employers. Following the presentations, Parson and Blunt toured the Park Global Warrior Center and participated in “Alexa, ask Park…” demonstrations.
Vlatko Andonovski
Milan Ivanovic
Park Softball Team Honored with Inaugural NAIA Award The Park University softball team was recognized with the inaugural NAIA Conference Commissioners Association Champions of Character Team Award in September. This award honors one men’s team and one women’s team from across the country for exemplary character on the field, on campus and in the community. During the 2018-19 academic year, Park’s softball program completed 278 hours of community service in the Kansas City area and displayed the NAIA’s core values through its various activities. In addition, the squad excelled in the classroom with a 3.39 cumulative grade point average.
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UNIVERSITY NEWS ICM Graduate Student Takes Bronze at International Piano Event Kenny Broberg, graduate student in the International Center for Music, won third prize at the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia, held June 17-27. For his efforts, Broberg received a bronze medal and a $10,000 cash prize. In 2017, Broberg was the silver medalist at the 15th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition held every four years in Fort Worth, Texas. Credit: Jeremy Enlow/The Cliburn
University Appoints Two Deans, CFO, VP of Facilities In 2019, Park University announced the appointments of two new deans for the College of Management and College of Education and Health Professions, as well as a new chief financial officer and vice president of facilities.
KIRBY BROWN In January, Brown was appointed dean of the College of Management after a 40-year military and federal service career. As the dean of the College of Management, Brown is the chief administrative, fiscal and academic officer of the College. He will be responsible for implementing the College of Management’s policies and procedures in concert with the University’s policies, as well as the strategic, programmatic, financial and management operations that support the mission of the College and its role within the University.
KAREN GARBER-MILLER Garber-Miller was appointed dean of the College of Education and Health Professions in August. As dean of the CEHP, GarberMiller oversees the University’s School of Education and the School of Behavioral and Health Sciences, which includes the departments of nursing, social work, and psychology and sociology. She is responsible for the curricular, personnel, budgetary and administrative affairs of the CEHP while providing visionary leadership, strategic thinking, creative planning and a determined management style to address opportunities and challenges.
RANA LACER After spending the previous 10 years with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, Lacer was appointed chief financial officer in October. Lacer oversees the financial and accounting operations of the University and is responsible for all fiscal services, including financial systems, reporting and controls, and fiscal policies and regulations. She also ensures that the University has requisite financial resources, including cash management and borrowing agreements.
BRIAN BODE Bode, previous CFO, was appointed as vice president of facilities. Bode, who joined the University in August 2015 as controller and was promoted to the role of CFO in May 2016, now oversee the University’s facilities and administrative operations across Park’s 42 campuses nationwide. As part of this, Bode administers Park’s deferred maintenance and master plan, as well as construction of the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center on the University’s Parkville Campus.
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EXTRAORDINARY
ACHIEVEMENT Each year, Park University honors a few of its outstanding alumni and friends for their extraordinary achievements in their careers and communities — and for their commitment to Park. Winter 2019 - 32
2019 Carolyn McHenry Elwess, ’71
Brenda Dandridge, ’07
Parisa Fetherson, ’06
Lillian Secelela Madeje, ’10
2018 Robert Dandridge, ’04
Joseph (Joe) H. Geeter III, ’99
Marcus Gladdis, MBA ’11, MHA ’18
Roger Hershey, J.D., LL.M.
Javier Centonzio, ’09, J.D., LL.M. Winter 2019 - 33
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA AWARD The Distinguished Alumna/Alumnus Award recognizes Park alumni who have distinguished themselves through career, service or community achievements. Carolyn McHenry Elwess, ’71, is an enthusiastic advocate for Park University’s history and people. First, as a Park student, and now, as a longstanding Park staff member, Elwess has embodied Park’s motto of Fides et Labor (faith and labor) for more than five decades. As the University’s archivist since 2001, Elwess stewards the vast collections in Park’s Frances Fishburn Archives and Special Collections, and has created exhibits that have attracted local and national interest in Park. She has served as researcher, editor and principal author for many articles and books about the University and Parkville, Mo. In addition to preserving Park’s history, Elwess is often called upon to galvanize alumni groups toward a common cause. Her outreach to Park graduates has been instrumental in the many reunions of the Class of 1971 and Friends. Most recently, she chaired Park’s successful “Save the Park House” alumni fundraising campaign.
2019
Elwess (second from left) is flanked by fellow Park alumni (from left): Richard McGaughey, ’73, Rosemary Fry Plakas, ’63 and Wilford W. “Pete” Kale, ’71.
When she heard about the challenges of boot camp, Parisa Fetherson, ’06, a high school athlete, said “bring it on.” After enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1979, Fetherson climbed the ranks to become a sergeant major in 2001 (now retired). Throughout her 26 years of active duty service, Fetherson traveled the world and met her husband of 34 years, retired Sgt. Maj. Ron Fetherson, while stationed in Japan. The youngest of their three children, Tracey, is now a Marine captain who was featured in a Washington Post story about the courage of female Marines. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in social psychology from Park, Fetherson earned a master’s degree in education. She is currently the director of professional development programs at Marine Corps Base Quantico (Va., where Park has a campus center). Last year, she was co-chair of the Women Marines Association’s national Centennial Celebration.
Fetherson (left) with her daughter, Tracey, a Marine Corps captain. Winter 2019 - 34
2018
MARLOWE SHERWOOD MEMORIAL SERVICE AWARD
The Marlowe Sherwood Memorial Service Award recognizes Park alumni volunteer service to the community and/or civic organizations. Lillian Secelela Madeje, ’10, taps the power of innovation to serve the global community and is the founder/co-founder of three businesses. As managing director of Ekihya Consulting in Tanzania, she helps businesses improve efficiencies. She also started Bits & Bytes, a tech conference that explores how technology can raise standards of living, and Niajiri Platform, an online system that matches employers and entry-level talent. Madeje holds board and advisory positions with Majico, an organization that empowers communities with sustainable water treatment technologies, Digital Opportunity Trust Tanzania and Global Entrepreneurship Week in Tanzania. She is also an ambassador for the Jali Project and curator for Dar es Salaam Hub, an initiative of the World Economic Forum. Madeje earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from Park and also has a Master of Business Administration degree.
2019 Traveling from Tanzania to accept her award, Lilian Madeje (center) is surrounded by family and friends (from left): Anna Maria Mtaita, Anikaely Madeje, Andrew Madeje, Carolyne Mtaita, Lisa Marie Anderson, Judith Peter Magiida, Robert Madeje and Honest Peter Magiida. Joseph (Joe) H. Geeter III, ’99, wanted to preserve the legacy of the first black Americans to serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. In spite of rampant racism, Montford Point Marines demonstrated loyalty and a willingness to serve a nation that, at the time, did not offer them many basic civil rights. The retired master gunnery sergeant, who served tours in Japan, Korea and the Philippines, wanted to honor these unsung heroes with the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress — the Congressional Gold Medal. The former Park Board of Trustees member spent countless hours walking the halls of Congress to gain support for his bill. After five years of lobbying, the bill was signed by President Barack Obama in 2011 and on June 27, 2012, the Congressional Gold Medal was presented to approximately 400 Montford Point Marines in Washington, D.C.
2018 Winter 2019 - 35
TORCHLIGHTER AWARD
The Torchlighter Award honors those who have made significant, longstanding contributions and commitments to Park University. Recipients who are not Park alumni receive honorary alumni status as part of this award. Robert Dandridge, ’04, and Brenda Dandridge, ’07, are joined in life and in purpose. Both served in the U.S. Air Force for a combined 50-plus years. After retiring as command chief master sergeant, Robert joined the Civil Air Patrol where he currently serves as the national command chief of the CAP at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. Robert and Brenda, married for more than 30 years and parents of two sons who serve in the U.S. Air Force, are proud Park ambassadors. Robert assists with student recruitment at community colleges and military installations, and has served two three-year terms on Park’s Alumni Council. When she’s not participating in the U.S. Bowling Congress Senior Championships, Brenda accompanies Robert as he volunteers with the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary of the Civil Air Patrol, and, of course, when supporting their alma mater.
2019
For Roger Hershey, J.D., LL.M., the road to Park started with the U.S. Navy. After becoming a member of the Missouri Bar in 1970, he served as a lieutenant in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps in the U.S. Naval Reserve. At Park, Hershey served on both the Board of Trustees (1995-2004) and on staff (2004-2016) as vice president and general counsel and then as vice president for entrepreneurial ventures until his retirement in 2016. Hershey ensured the financing and construction of the Copley Quad residential hall and the expansion of the Parkville Commercial Underground and Mabee Learning Center/Academic Underground. As a conservation and environmental advocate, Hershey served as trustee and interim executive director of the Sierra Club Foundation. Currently, he is a board member for the L-A-D Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the stewardship of natural land in Missouri.
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2018
PROMISING YOUNG PROFESSIONAL AWARD
The Promising Young Professional Award recognizes alumni who show exceptional promise of leadership and contribution to their profession and/or community.
Marcus Gladdis, MBA ’11, MHA ’18, believes the best way to show promise is to help develop it in others. The program manager at Cerner Corp. volunteers for nonprofit organizations such as Fresh Cut/Fresh Start, a back-toschool program that offers students free haircuts and immunizations. Gladdis created his own service programs including The Hunt is On, a free Easter egg hunt for kids in Kansas City, Kan. (his hometown), and The Conversation, a program for minority freshmen at Kansas State University (his undergraduate alma mater) to offer book scholarships and first-semester survival tips. Gladdis was recognized by his high school district as a 2016 Reasons to Believe honoree, and he was awarded the 2014 Talent Expression Award from Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity that recognizes members who use their talents to benefit the community in a positive way.
Marcus Gladdis (second from left) with his family (from left): Vernon Gladdis, father; Marla Gladdis, sister; and Carolyn Gladdis, mother.
2019 Javier Centonzio, ’09, J.D., LL.M., has made it his life’s mission to advocate for veterans. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Centonzio joined the Kansas Army National Guard where he met Sgt. Jessie Davila. When they deployed to Iraq, Davila was killed by an improvised explosive device. It was then that Centonzio committed himself to veterans. At Park, he helped secure a $100,000 grant that was instrumental in creating the Park Global Warrior Center. As co-founder of the Weylie Centonzio PLLC law firm in St. Petersburg, Fla., Centonzio advocates for veterans, the disabled and the elderly. He volunteers for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Project Homeless Connect and Stand Down for Homeless Veterans. He also created the Sgt. Jessie Davila Memorial Veterans Scholarship for veterans pursuing a law degree at Stetson University (where he earned both his law degrees).
2018 Winter 2019 - 37
CLASS NOTES 1960s
Steve Seney, ’87, was appointed associate dean of academics and workforce at Oregon Coast Community College on Oct. 15, 2018.
Frank Mazetti, ’68, was featured in Patch magazine as the photographer that captures senior life in New York City.
Chris Lawson, ’89, stepped down after 25 years as the boys soccer head coach at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Mo.
1970s
1990s
Rick Grayson, ’76, was enshrined into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame on Jan. 28, 2018, in Springfield, Mo.
Sgt. Maj. Johnnie Ray Farmer, ’90, U.S. Army (Ret.), was the featured speaker at a Veterans Day ceremony in Murfreesboro, N.C.
Cynthia Levin, ’77, was honored with the Kathryn V. Lamkey Award from the Actor’s Equity Association on March 12, 2018, in Chicago, Ill.
Command Sgt. Maj. Jeffrey Darlington, ’91, U.S. Army Reserve, is the CSM of the 76th Division (Operational Response Command) based in Salt Lake City. He is a detective with the City of Lewisville, Texas.
(All dates are 2019 unless noted; through Sept. 30, 2019)
Henry Doktorski, ’78, authored a nonfiction, true-crime novel Killing for Krishna – The Danger of Deranged Devotion. His book about the 1986 murder of an American Hare Krishna devotee was published on Jan. 8, 2018.
1980s Brig. Gen. Richard V. Geraci, ’80, was named the 11th president of Missouri Military Academy in Mexico, Mo. Paul Keller, ’80, is the mayor of Fairborn, Ohio. Keller is a local businessman with residential and commercial investments in Fairborn and three decades of government experience, including civil service through active duty and reserve Air Force.
Cecil Graham, ’91, was the focus of a story in the Redstone Rocket, a newspaper published at Army Garrison-Redstone, in Decatur, Ala., on Feb. 7, 2018. The article was part of a series about Vietnam veterans as the U.S. commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. Graham is a veteran of both the Vietnam era and Operation Desert Storm. Gregory Murphy, ’91, was appointed as the police chief at California State University, Northridge in January. Vince Ortega, ’91, MPA ’01, was appointed director of Jackson County (Mo.) COMBAT in October 2018.
Mark Simpson, ’94, was appointed registrar at Iowa State University in May 2018. Kenith Adcox, ’95, was appointed police chief at the University of Texas Medical Branch in August 2018. Billy Dolloff, ’95, joined eXp Realty, the largest residential real estate brokerage by geography in North America. Brenna Grossbauer, ’95, was appointed chief human resources officer at Starion Bank in Bismarck, N.D. Jim Johnson, ’95, is the president and chief executive officer of Hopewell Federal Credit Union in Heath, Ohio. Stephen Linkous, ’95, was appointed chief of staff for Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools in July. Michael Murders, ’95, was appointed vice president of academic affairs at South Arkansas Community College in January. Janet Rogers, ’95, MPA ’04, was appointed to the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board in April 2018. LaTisha Vaughn-Brandon, ’96, was appointed director of networks and community engagement at Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative in South Carolina in May 2018. Laura Waldon, ’96, was promoted to the position of president of MSE Audio in Overland Park, Kan., in February 2018.
Janis Murray, ’80, made history during the 2018 NCAA Final Four basketball tournament, as the first female to run the play-by-play camera for the television broadcast.
J. Eric Wade, ’92, was honored with the Buford Watson Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Management from the Kansas Association of City/County Management.
Kenthedo Robinson, ’80, is writing a play about Kansas City’s fallen Buffalo Soldier hero, Wayne Miner of the 92nd Division from World War 1. Miner was considered the last soldier to die in WWI after the soldiers on the frontline were not notified that the war was over.
Rev. Ronnie Hankins Sr., ’93, was appointed as the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Odessa, Md.
Craig Winfrey, ’97, was appointed as vice president of sales and marketing for aircraft components at Haeco ITM in Hong Kong.
Darren Rogers, ’93, celebrated his second pastoral anniversary at First Baptist Church in Wellsville, Ohio.
Lefford Fate, ’98, was appointed to the Central Carolina Technical College Foundation Board of Trustees.
Greg Clawson, ’94, was appointed vice president of sales and marketing at (ISC)2 in Clearwater, Fla.
Melody Rayl, ’98, was named a partner by Kansas City, Mo., labor and employment law firm Fisher Phillips in January 2018.
Gwendolyn Grant, ’94, was appointed to the Coordinating Board for Higher Education by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson.
Gabriela Soto, ’98, ME ’04, was appointed as the principal of Andrews Elementary School in Austin, Texas.
Eric Nordmeier, ’81, was honored with the Waimea Alumni and Friends Foundation Spirit Award in Waimea, Hawaii. Mark Murdock, ’85, was appointed the medical center director at the Cincinnati, Ohio, Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Oct. 28, 2018. Winter 2019 - 38
John Knight, ’97, was appointed command sergeant major for the 3rd Battalion, 41st Infantry Regiment at Fort Bliss, Texas.
WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE? WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT! Submit your news for inclusion in Class Notes to the Office of Alumni Relations: alumnioffice@park.edu or Park University, 8700 NW River Park Drive, Parkville, MO 64152. Laura Timberlake, ’98, was appointed by Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin to a four-year term on the state Board of Education.
David Hipp, ’02, was appointed as a constituent liaison for Utah Congressman Rob Bishop in March.
Maury Thompson, MPA ’98, started a new role as deputy county manager for Johnson County, Kan., in August 2018.
Cristina Irwin, ME ’02, was appointed superintendent for the Licking (Mo.) School District in January 2018.
Lt. Col. Raymond H. Chester, ’99, U.S. Air Force, was assigned to U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.
Bridgett Cochran, ’03, and her business, Porter Teleo, appeared in a feature story on the City Scene KC website in February.
Jamal James, ’99, was selected as the American Midwest Conference 2018-19 Athletic Trainer of the Year.
David Grace, ’03, was appointed associate head coach for the men’s basketball team at Vanderbilt University in April.
2000s
James Monaco, ’03, received the League of United Latin American Citizens Council’s 2019 National Presidential Citation Community Service Award in April. He is the athletic director at Pima (Ariz.) Community College.
Nadine Castro, ’00, was appointed the assistant director of behavioral health at Catholic Charities Community Services of Orange and Sullivan counties (N.Y.) in January 2018. Gina Higgins, ’00, was appointed executive director at Life Care Center of St. Louis in August 2018. Aimee Agderian, ’01, was appointed to the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson in April.
Nora O’Brien, ’03, owner of Connect Consulting Services, received the Sacramento (Calif.) District Woman Owned Business of the Year Award at the Small Business Administration and Sacramento Business Journal’s 2018 Small Business Awards Breakfast.
Nixon Dorvilien, ’01, was appointed athletic trainer for the men’s basketball team at the University of Notre Dame.
Nekasha Pratt, ’03, was recognized by the Nashville (Tenn.) Area Chamber of Commerce and YP Nashville as one of the 75 outstanding young professionals at the 12th annual Nashville Emerging Leader Awards.
Matt Malott, ’01, became president and chief executive officer of Kansas City, Mo., based Multivac in July 2018.
Benay Shannon, MAT ’03, was recognized when her company, Restless Spirits Distilling, was named 2018 Missouri Distillery of the Year.
Ernie Nabors, ’01, MBA ’09, was named president of Data Management Inc. in February 2018. His company was ranked by Fortune magazine as one of the “40 Best Workplaces in Technology” for 2018.
Joseph Waters, ’03, joined the family law firm Goldberg Jones in its San Diego office in November 2018.
Tony Sage, ’01, became the chief information officer for the City of Overland Park, Kan., in September. Jeffrey Weaver, ’01, was appointed senior executive consultant at the Center for Human Capital Innovation in Alexandria, Va., in April. Mary Billingsley-Jones, ’02, was selected as #VeteranOf TheDay on July 17 by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on its blog, VAntage Point.
Russ Johnson, ’04, was appointed chief capital projects officer for the City of Kansas City, Mo., in January 2018. Angela Kimeto, ’04, MBA ’07, DBA, successfully completed her Doctor of Business Administration degree from United States International University-Africa, Nairobi, Kenya. Lini Cai Mickus, ’04, DMD, joined East Bay Community Action Program’s Dental Center as a dentist in Newport, R.I., in September 2018. Master Sgt. Fanny Wright, ’04, U.S. Air Force (Ret.), was appointed director of military affairs and services at Saint Leo University.
Matthew “Tye” Grant, MPA ’05, was appointed president and chief executive officer for the Board of Directors of the Police Foundation of Kansas City. James “Jay” Johnson, ’05, joined Carolina Youth Development Center as vice president of residential services. Natosha Gartner, ’05, joined Brokers 12 in Minot, N.D., as a new agent in February. Desiree Spears, ’05, opened KC Esthetics Spa, in Platte City, Mo. in March. Tim Birkel, MBA ’06, joined Wyffels Hybrids, Geneso, Ill., as its marketing director in January. Rick Duesler, ’06, was presented with the Building Strong Communities Award by the Waynesboro (Pa.) Area YMCA in July 2018. Chris Gaston, ’06, is the founder and chief executive officer of Family First Sports Firm. Siabhan May-Washington, ME ’06, was appointed president of St. Teresa’s Academy in Kansas City, Mo., in July. Carolene McKey, ’06, joined The Independence Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., as a community transition coordinator. Stephen Powell, MPA ’06, was promoted to deputy city manager of Shawnee, Kan., in November 2018. Denzil Ross, ’06, MBA ’09, was appointed chief operating officer of Lovelace Medical Center and administrator of the Heart Hospital of New Mexico in January. David Whittaker, ’06, was named 2018 Agent of the Year for the South Carolina Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. Ruisdael Dexter Acsenvil, ’07, was among a group of sprinters to achieve a Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon distance in relay in June 2018. The relay team of 59 sprinters carried a baton 223 meters each leg, with 188 handoffs over the 26.2 miles, recording a time of 1:30:40.316, breaking the previous 20-year-old record by more than eight minutes. Scott Bond, ’07, joined DSoft Technology, Engineering and Analysis Inc. in Colorado Springs, Colo., as director of commercial sector services in January 2018. Winter 2019 - 39
CLASS NOTES 2000s (continued) Isaiah Faulkner, ’07, ME ’16, was inducted into the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City’s Alumni Hall of Fame Class of 2018. He was also named one of two recipients of the organization’s Service Alumni of the Year Awards. Sarah Hopkins-Chery, ’07, MACL ’09, was recognized by the Merced (Calif.) Sun-Star as a 2018 20 Under 40 honoree. Sandra Payan, ’07, was promoted to assistant vice president, branch manager, for WestStar Bank in Las Cruces, N.M. Cristian Maciel, ’07, and Marco Rabello, ’07, are expanding their restaurant business in Kansas City, Mo., with Chicken Please. Heath Roberts, ’07, was appointed chief operating officer at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit in July. Carlene Sands, ’07, has self-published a book, Seeing Beyond Where You Stand Through God’s Grace. The memoir is her story of being conceived when her mother was raped, and overcoming poverty, abuse, homelessness, and being deprived of an education in Jamaica to a lady that is now helping others.
Winter 2019 - 40
Michael Throop, MPA ’07, received his Doctor of Education degree from Northeastern University’s College of Professional Studies with a concentration in education leadership in March 2018. Anna Hewitt, ’08, was appointed cheerleading head coach for the Kearney (Mo.) School District in May 2018. Corey Hunt, ’08, was elected to the Lenexa (Kan.) City Council in January 2018. Justin Piccinino, ’08, was promoted to corporal and designated the assistant zone supervisor for Troop G, Zone 1 with the Missouri State Highway Patrol in January.
Sean Kosednar, ’09, received the Roger Collins Leadership Scholarship from the NGA Foundation in August 2018. Randy Overby, ’09, was appointed head coach of the Quincy University track and field and cross country programs in June. Jeanette Prenger, ’09, chair of Park University’s Board of Trustees, and founder and chief executive officer of ECCO Select in Kansas City, Mo., was recognized by the Hispanic Information Technology Executive Council on its 2019-20 list of the 100 most influential Hispanic leaders in technology.
2010s
Devon Watson, ’08, was appointed principal at Bloomer Elementary School in the Council Bluffs (Iowa) Community School District.
Shawn Moore, ’10, was appointed director of global field services for Bell Techlogix in Indianapolis.
Larry Welch, ’08, joined The Independence Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., as director of human resources in July.
Arcy Munoz, ’10, was recognized as one of the Houston Business Journal’s 2019 40 Under 40 honorees.
Command Master Chief Michelle Brooks, ’09, became the CMC at Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune, N.C., in June 2018.
1st Lt. Anthony Bustamante, ’11, U.S. Air Force, works at the 390th Cyberspace Operations Squadron on a development team designing training for advanced cyberwarfare operations.
CLASS NOTES Rudy Contreras, ’11, was appointed athletic coordinator and head football coach at Del Valle High School in El Paso, Texas.
Callie Beaver, ’15, was promoted to softball head coach at Platte County (Mo.) High School in June 2018.
Billy J. Espinoza, ’11, retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in February 2018.
Elizabeth Crabtree, ’15, was promoted to director of the Russel E. and Fern M. Hettenhausen Center of the Arts at McKendree University in February.
John Greenlee, MPA ’11, was awarded the Medieval Academy of America’s 2019 Digital Humanities and Multimedia Studies Prize. Charif Hamidi, ’11, and a former member of Park University’s Board of Trustees, was named by Forbes Middle East on its Arab 30 Under 30 2018 class. Hamidi founded Education 4.0 in 2016, a nonprofit organization that uses technology and the internet to help educate underprivileged children without charging a fee.
Virginia DeBoard, ’15, was promoted to captain of the Emergency Preparedness Unit for the Metropolitan Community College police department in Kansas City, Mo. Kerry Goff, ’15, was promoted to assistant vice president of information technology enterprise services for Standard Insurance Company in Portland, Ore., in January 2018.
Luke Lewis, MPA ’11, MBA ’18, was appointed city administrator in Knob Noster, Mo., in January.
Artem Kuznetsov, ’15, was selected as the grand prize winner of the 2019 Young Texas Artists Music Competition in March.
Brad Maxwell, ’11, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the U.S. marshal for Southern Illinois in June 2018.
Sasha (Hurst) Raab, ’15, was selected as one of 12 students as a University of Kansas School of Law Dean’s Fellow in September. The Dean’s Fellows are a group of second- and third-year law students selected to mentor first-year peers.
Kenneth Romine, ’11, MBA ’13, was appointed chief operating officer at Aegis Processing Solutions in Topeka, Kan., in March. Lisa (Schreiber) Phelps, ’11, was appointed as the director of Water Pollution Control Department in Independence, Mo., in March 2018. Stephenie Price, ’11, was appointed assistant police chief in Savanah, Ga., in March. Sara Stiles, ’11, was promoted to regional sales consultant for The Retirement Advantage Inc., based in Wisconsin. Frank Garcia, ’12, was appointed assistant athletic trainer at Appalachian State University in June 2018. Aaron “A.J.” Lyman, MPA ’12, was appointed as city administrator in his hometown of Shenandoah, Iowa, in September 2018. Patricia Kelly, ’13, was appointed senior vice president of information technology at Spokane (Wash.) Teachers Credit Union in July
Lt. Col. Jason Souza, ’15, retired after 24 years of military service. Chief Master Sgt. Michael Cole, ’16, was appointed command CMS of the 628th Air Base Wing at Joint Base Charleston Air Force Base in March.
Staff Sgt. Kimberly Desilus, ’17, was honored with a National Association of Institutions for Military Education Services / MBS Direct Student Spotlight Award, which recognizes the scholarly achievements of military-affiliated students. Desilus received a $1,200 prize and travel funds to attend the annual Council of College and Military Educators Symposium in 2018. Margaret “Maggie” Shouse, ’17, was appointed enrollment counselor at Cottey College in Nevada, Mo., in May. Bridget Locke, MACL ’18, was recognized by The Community Voice, a publication for the African-American community in Kansas, as one of its 2019 Women Making History in Higher Education honoree. Alyssa Gregory, ’19, was appointed women’s soccer assistant coach at the University of the Ozarks in August.
Weddings Sarah Cool, ’16, married Cole McCauley on Jan. 14, 2018, in St. Joseph, Mo. Laci Steiner, ’17, married James Bestgen on June 30, 2018, in Osborn, Mo. Danielle Brant, ’18, married Daniel Loental on Sept. 16, 2018, in Kansas City, Mo.
Zac Jarrard, ’16, MPA ’17, MBA ’18, presented sessions on “How Fighting Monsters and Building Cities Inspired Me” at Minefaire Chicago in September. The presentation focused on lessons learned from playing Minecraft and how video game skills can lead to careers. Megan Palmer, ’16, was promoted to softball head coach at Smith-Cotton High School in Sedalia, Mo., in August 2018. Elizabeth Orosco, ’16, was appointed managing editor of the Northeast News in Kansas City, Mo., in November 2018.
Katherine Vergos, MHA ’14, was appointed president of St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac, Wis., in April 2018. Winter 2019 - 41
MOURNS (All dates are 2019 unless noted; through Sept. 30, 2019)
1930s Florence “Jo” Hale, ’35 San Antonio, Texas, Oct. 31, 2018 Richard M. Renfro, ’37 Sylva, N.C., May 13 Robert P. Corbett, ’38 Lee’s Summit, Mo., March 31, 2018 Mary Bee Jensen, ’39 Alpine, Utah, April 13, 2018
1940s Alice McAuley Burns, ’40 Rosman, N.C., Dec. 14, 2018 Jane ( Julia) Clark VanDyke, ’41 Shoreline, Wash., Feb. 22 Virginia Richey, ’42 London, Ohio, Aug. 5 Lois Spier Gray, ’43 New York, N.Y., Sept. 20, 2018 Robert N. Baker, ’44 Estes Park, Colo., May 5 Carol E. Bean, ’44 Longmont, Colo., March 21, 2018 Edgar Cheaney, ’44 Granville, Ohio, Oct. 17, 2017 Stephen A. Griswold, ’44 Sun City, Ariz., Oct. 29, 2018 Lorraine Hilgedick, ’44 Columbia, Mo., April 18 Doris A. Howell, ’44 San Diego, Calif., Nov. 23, 2018 Max E. Malan, ’44 Sterling, Va., June 11, 2018 Clyde V. McMasters, ’44 Tulsa, Okla., July 10 Katherine Rainbolt, ’44 Prairie Village, Kan., Jan. 4 Velma Helms Schuster, ’44 Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov. 30, 2018 Joseph T. Kelly Jr., x45 East Windson, N.J., June 3, 2018 Robert L. Roberts, x45 Sterling, Colo., Oct. 20, 2017 Winter 2019 - 42
Frances Hoch, x46 Oklahoma City, Okla., March 18, 2018 Shirley Ann Letson, ’46 Tucson, Ariz., Jan. 7, 2018 Donnis Lueking Clark, x47 Leawood, Kan., Feb. 8, 2018 Jean Marie Henderson Hancock, x47 Lee’s Summit, Mo., Aug. 19 Margaret Lippard Jarvis, x47 Walnut Creek, Calif., June 17 David C. Lueker, ’47 Fort Collins, Colo., Oct. 5, 2018 Richard D. Nichols, x47 McPherson, Kan., March 7 Virginia Spalding, x47 Iowa City, Iowa, Jan. 25 Mary Lyth Alderson, x48 Kansas City, Kan., Dec. 9, 2018 Martha L. Evans, ’48 Metamora, Ill., Aug. 20, 2018 Ruth Gealy, ’48 Gordon, Neb., Dec. 1, 2017 Wallace M. Good, ’48 Kansas City, Mo., Aug. 21, 2018 Bobby D. Layman, ’48 Boulder, Colo., Sept. 28, 2018 Malcolm B. Magers Jr., ’48 Jensen Beach, Fla., March 6, 2018 Sarah Niemann Rhodes, ’48 Springfield, Va., June 29, 2017 Nancy Mellers Scott, ’48 Sun City Center, Fla., July 2 Lucille M. Webster, x48 Paul, Idaho, Oct. 16, 2017 John J. Gioia, ’49 Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 24, 2017 John Miksovic, ’49 Albuquerque, N.M., June 15 Ruth Wasser Solomon, ’49 Nampa, Idaho, Dec. 11, 2017 Grace Yesley Sundling, ’49 Ann Arbor, Mich., Aug. 15, 2018
1950s Lois Jean Allen, ’50 Mission, Kan., Nov. 7, 2017
Mark T. Atwood, ’50 Westminster, Colo., Dec. 2, 2018 William M. Bloom, ’50 Pompton Plains, N.J., Dec. 6, 2017 Betty Jo Crews, x50 Oklahoma City, Okla., Nov. 5, 2017 Roland W. Doty Jr., ’50 Lee’s Summit, Mo., Nov. 7, 2018 Marie T. Dyer, ’50 Riverside, Calif., June 4, 2018 Charlotte Housman Graham, ’50 Tarpon Springs, Fla., June 20 Carolyn A. Klamm, ’50 Prairie Village, Kan., March 4, 2018 Jean H. Garner, x51 Greeley, Colo., Jan. 28, 2018 Robert E. Martin, ’50 Albuquerque, N.M., April 6 Anne Marie Tabb, ’51 Dallas, Texas, Feb. 23, 2018 Richard Bastian, x52 Old Saybrook, Conn., Jan. 9, 2016 Zelda A. Bogash, x52 Katy, Texas, Oct. 10, 2017
PARK MOURNS Fred A. McBurney, ’52 Slater, Mo., Oct. 5, 2018
Charles Huddle, ’59 Crystal Lake, Ill., Feb. 12
Laura Brasfield Thomas Melinsky, ’52 Amarillo, Texas, Sept. 27, 2017
1960s
Helen L. Nelson, ’52 Denver, Colo., Aug. 15 William C. Woo, ’52 Guilford, Conn., Sept. 13, 2018 Joan Anderson, ’53 Waukee, Iowa, Nov. 3, 2018
Robert Richardson, ’60 Starkville, Miss., Dec. 23, 2017 Marjorie Elaine Wells, ’60 Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 15 Robert E. Horneker, x61 Terre Haute, Ind., Nov. 5, 2018
William H. Browning, ’53 Ann Arbor, Mich., March 23, 2018
Blaine V. Williams, ’61 East Dubuque, Ill., July 30
Mars Eghigian, ’53 Belleville, Ill., Oct. 23, 2017
Bruce Ripley Clark, ’63 Knoxville, Tenn., March 18
Margaret R. Hase, ’53 Huntsville, Ala., Sept. 17, 2018
Ullrich Hermann, ’63 Corpus Christi, Texas, Jan. 26
Louis Slayton Marble, ’53 Camillus, N.Y., Aug. 12, 2018
William E. Johnson, ’63 Parkville, Mo., April 2, 2018
Mary F. Neeley, ’53 Alger, Ohio, June 20, 2018
Rene G. Atkinson, ’64 Cumberland, Md., Oct. 19, 2018
Yola Adele Elliot, x54 Pine Grove, Calif., Jan. 1, 2018
George Mills Boyd, ’64 Wichita, Kan., June 21, 2018
Stephen Kubick, ’69 Great Falls, Mont., Oct. 8, 2017
Charles W. Larew, x54 Bluffton, S.C., Nov. 3, 2018
James C. Penney, x64 Lawson, Mo., Nov. 3, 2017
Ralph Rutledge, ’69 Marysville, Ohio, July 30, 2018
John L. Sandford, Sr., ’54 The Villages, Fla., Dec. 22, 2018
Charles L. Brindel, ’65 Fayetteville, N.C., April 4, 2018
1970s
Karl J. Arterbery, x55 Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 18, 2018
Henry Eichler, x66 Monroe Township, N.J., Nov. 7, 2017
Philip D. Dempsey, x70 Nazareth, Pa., March 29, 2018
John W. Layman, ’55 Hughesville, Md., Dec. 30, 2017
James G. Kincaid, ’66 Virginia Beach, Va., March 14, 2018
Michael Newburger, ’70 Parkville, Mo., Feb. 26
Sharon Plantz Boothman, ’56 Kountze, Texas, Aug. 6, 2018
Seymour Goldberg, ’67 Brooklyn, N.Y., Nov. 11, 2017
Richard I. Pearson, ’70 Sierra Vista, Ariz., Feb. 22, 2018
Ruth Nettleton Wetmore, ’56 Brevard, N.C., Nov. 3, 2017
Wilhelmina C. Randall, ’67 Charlotte, N.C., Feb. 18, 2018
Thomas E. Sledge Jr., ’70 Texas City, Texas, Dec. 2, 2017
Margaret Petter Cardwell, ’58 Bradenton, Fla., Jan. 14
Peter T. Stein, ’67 Hallandale Beach, Fla., Aug. 18, 2018
Raymond T. Starzmann, ’70 Kansas City, Mo., Feb. 20
Anna H. Duncan, ’58 Tallahassee, Fla., Feb. 20, 2018
Julianna Bates, ’68 Heathsville, Va., March 18, 2018
Thurman David Allen, ’71 Kansas City, Mo., March 25
Mary Ann Leveton, ’58 Wheat Ridge, Colo., April 5, 2018
James R. Ralph Jr., ’68 Fort Belvoir, Va., Dec. 22, 2017
Kathleen A. Berger, ’71 Jefferson City, Mo., July 16
Fred Zitomer, ’58 Windsor, Conn., Oct. 7, 2017
Lee Salem, ’68 Leawood, Kan., Sept. 2
Shirley Wangelin, ’71 Pocatello, Idaho, Jan. 16, 2018
Thomas Aldrich, ’59 Falmouth, Mass., April 24, 2018
Billy W. Guin, ’69 Pleasanton, Texas, Jan. 2
Albert B. Young, ’71 Charleston, Ill., Nov. 9, 2018 Diane Jackson, x72 Round Rock, Texas, April 26
Winter 2019 - 43
MOURNS
1970s (continued) John F. Lynch, ’73 Shawnee, Kan., Jan. 27, 2018 George Basso, ’74 Peoria, Ill., Feb. 19 Dale M. Glenn, ’74 Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 30, 2018 Roy L. Merck, ’74 Gainesville, Ga., Feb. 13 Irino R. Rodriguez, ’74 Lenexa, Kan., Nov. 29, 2017 Melvin J. Sanders, ’74 Deer Park, Texas, July 20, 2018 Michael G. Allen, ’75 Fox Lake, Ill., April 18, 2018 Mary C. Cofer, ’75 Blue Springs, Mo., July 20, 2018 James V. Hatch, ’75 Windcrest, Texas, March 1, 2018 Lawrence J. Kalender, ’75 Overland Park, Kan., April 22
Michael Koenigsberg, ’76 Leawood, Kan., Nov. 19, 2017 Willie Maryland Sr., ’76 Montgomery, Ala., May 15, 2018 David F. Richards Jr., ’76 Savannah, Ga., Feb. 5 Sidney E. Stephens, ’76 Leavenworth, Kan., May 25 Montie J. “Jane” Alexander, ’77 Newark, Ohio, Feb. 7, 2018 Ronda Dyer, ’77 Riverside, Calif., May 28, 2018 Jeffrey Dennis Elliott, ’77 Parkersburg, WVa., Feb. 22, 2018 Juan P. Trujillo, ’77 El Paso, Texas, Feb. 12, 2017 Freddie L. Baker, ’78, ’80 Alamogordo, N.M., Nov. 23, 2018 Rosemary Bauer, ’78 O’Fallon, Ill., Nov. 13, 2018 Evans Long Jr., ’78 O’Fallon, Ill., Nov. 15, 2018
Anna C. Blackwell-Hagans, ’84 Springfield, Ohio, Jan. 31, 2018
Harry Hansen, ’79 Independence, Mo., Oct. 12, 2017
Rick L. Bledsoe, ’83 Clinton, Mo., Jan. 13, 2018
Charles L. Watkins, ’79 North Little Rock, Ark., Nov. 21, 2018
Florence Charest, ’84 Locust Grove, Va., Dec. 13, 2016
William C. Loomis, ’75 North Kansas City, Mo., May 12
1980s
Catherine Salisbury, ’84 Kansas City, Mo., June 1, 2018
Joyce Lee McGhee, ’75 Branson, Mo., Sept. 11
David W. Ehert, x80 Wichita, Kan., Dec. 20, 2017
Dianna Wonders Thomson, ’84 Heath, Ohio, March 7
Gerald F. Owens, ’75 Walla Walla, Wash., Dec. 7, 2017
Jackie C. Taylor, ’80 Belton, S.C., Oct. 2, 2017
Richard G. Wagner, ’84 Beverly Hills, Fla., Dec. 14, 2017
Joseph A. Scott Jr., ’75 Lake Lotawana, Mo., July 9
Dennis L. White, ’80 Jonesborough, Tenn., Aug. 13
Deena Marie Pope, ’85 Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 31, 2018
Frank A. Dillenkoffer, ’76 Kansas City, Mo., May 6, 2018
Jacquelyn J. Buckert, ’81 Estes Park, Colo., Jan. 11, 2018
David Talley, ’85 Lee’s Summit, Mo., April 26
Gary E. Galliher, ’76 Highland, Ill., April 8, 2018
Charles Jones, ’81 Galveston, Texas, Jan. 26
George Tillman, ’85 McKinney, Texas, April 11
David C. Harper, ’76 Cameron, Mo., May 3
Robert D. Lee, ’81 Peoria, Ariz., Aug. 8, 2018
Patricia K. Wood, ’85 Buda, Texas, Feb. 26, 2018
William G. Horsley, ’76 Kettering, Ohio, Oct. 19, 2018
Alice L. Brauner, x82 El Paso, Texas, Dec. 8, 2018
Deborah Gard, ’86 Corunna, Ind., July 4, 2018
Winter 2019 - 44
Donald P. Madden, ’82 Kansas City, Mo., July 4
Lionel Garrett, ’86 Dayton, Ohio, March 9
Charles D. Knight, ’75 Frederick, Md., July 28, 2018 Jack E. Lambrecht, ’75 Kirksville, Mo., Feb 25, 2018
PARK MOURNS
Sonia Lor, ’87 Margaretville, N.Y., Aug. 14
Delores A. Graves, ’94 Phoenix, Ariz., Jan. 9, 2018
Arnell R. Lord, ’03 Galena, Ohio, May 23, 2018
Lucille Marr, ’87 Columbus, Ohio, May 30, 2018
Sheryl L. Harkness, ’94 Kansas City, Mo., Jan. 15, 2018
Mark E. Thornton, ’03 Richland Hills, Texas, May 14, 2018
Judy A. Fauver, ’88 Dayton, Ohio, Aug. 12
Doris C. McKnight, ’94 Saluda, S.C., Jan. 29, 2018
William L. Jemison Jr. ’04 El Paso, Texas, Jan. 31
Edward M. Riggs, ’88 Jefferson City, Mo., March 24, 2018
Christian M. Paxson, ’94 El Paso, Texas, March 24, 2018
David F. Diniz, ’05 Culver City, Calif., Dec. 26, 2017
Richard B. Stockton, ’88 Glendale, Ariz., July 28
Joseph S. Charlie, ’95, MPA ’97 Abak, Nigeria, July 2019
Peggy S. Graham, ’05 El Paso, Texas, July 24, 2018
JoAnne Burkhardt, ’89 St. Petersburg, Fla., Dec. 22, 2017
Russell S. Stauffer, II, ’95 Rockford, Ill., Feb. 4
Antonio Quesada Jr., x05 El Paso, Texas, March 21, 2018
Robert E. Turner, ’89 Mesa, Ariz., Oct. 22, 2017
Glenn M. Johnson, ’96, ME ’98 Kansas City, Kan., May 3, 2018
Paul A. Zamora, ’05 Barstow, Calif., Nov. 24, 2017
1990s
Marguerite Murphy, ’96 Laurie, Mo., Sept. 21, 2017
Bobbye J. Fuller, ’06 Kansas City, Mo., Feb. 3
Mary Margaret Winston, ’96 Columbia, S.C., June 22, 2018
Amber Hunt Richardson, ’08 Muenster, Texas, Feb.1
Milton “Mo” Lawitzke, ’99 Carmel-by-the-Sea, Calif., July 29
Anthony C. Conway, ’09 Bartlett, Tenn., Dec. 1, 2017
Janet J. Parrish, ’99 Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 28, 2017
Gregory O. Snyder, ’09 Blacksburg, Va., May 20, 2018
Carla White, ’99 Leawood, Kan., June 26
2010s
Mary K. Pierson, ’91 Georgetown, Texas, Dec. 18, 2018
2000s
Mildred Davis, MHL ’10 Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 13, 2017
Debbie A. Beaty, ’92 Belton, Texas, June 8, 2018
Nick A Clark, ’00 Spokane, Wash., Aug. 8, 2018
Caryn Watts, ’10, MBA ’14, MHA ’19 Grandview, Mo., June 13
John Bergman Jr., ’92 Lake Havasu City, Ariz., April 7
Brenda Cost-Ramey, ’00 Whitehall, Ohio, Nov. 9, 2017
Charles T. Ingram, ’11, MPA ’15 Jacksonville, Ark., Nov. 24, 2017
Stanley R. Clark, ’92 Bossier City, La., June 23, 2018
Larry J. Koerber, ’00 Troy, Ill., Aug. 7, 2018
Jaime Labrado, ’11 Mansfield, Texas, May 21, 2015
Barbara Fischer, ’92 Shiloh, Ill., Aug. 31
Mark S. Parker, ’01 Mountain Home, Idaho, July 13, 2018
Richard Dean Norris, ’11, MBA ’14 Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 20, 2017
Luere Hodgkins Glover, ’92 Bar Harbor, Maine, Feb. 23, 2018
Guy A. Sherburne, ’01 San Antonio, Texas, May 30, 2018
Lakeisha A. Clay, MPA ’12 Overland Park, Kan., June 19
Marian Fields, ’93 Independence, Mo., April 7
Angelina Del Rosario Davis, ’02 O’Fallon, Ill., Jan. 6
Stacia Faye Hollinshead, ’12 Sycamore, Ill., March 23
David R. Lynch, ’93 Kansas City, Mo., Feb. 19, 2018
Ted A. Graves, ME ’02 Liberty, Mo., June 24
Setoa M. Te’o, ’12 El Paso, Texas, July 31, 2018
John W. Griffin, ’03 Indiahoma, Okla., Jan. 03, 2018
Ronald J. Barnes Jr., ’16, MBA ’17 Hastings, Neb., Feb. 16, 2018
Burnham H. Perry, ’90 Rock Hill, S.C., July 11 Lindra Ricketts, ’90 Newark, Ohio, June 2, 2018 Howard Williams Jr., ’90 Wake Forest, N.C., Jan. 13, 2017 Charles D. Jones, ’91 Fairborn, Ohio, May 3
Jill Yvonne Sikkema, ’93 Kansas City, Mo., Oct. 1, 2017 Sharma S. Wilkins, ’93 Dayton, Ohio, July 7, 2014
Frederick B. Gant, ’16 Lady’s Island, S.C., July 6, 2018
Winter 2019 - 45
8700 NW River Park Drive Parkville, MO 64152 www.park.edu
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HOMECOMING September 17-19, 2020
