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1970s Aubrey Herman, BA 1972, was named a recipient of the 2021 Five Star Wealth Manager award by Five Star Professional.

1980s Mark Bouillon, MA 1980, retired and is enjoying life living on the eighth hole at the Sienna Golf Course in Las Vegas. Jana Brazeal, BA 1980, retired in 2021 after 22 years as an adjunct faculty instruction librarian at St. Louis Community College – Meramec. Bill O’Brien, BA 1981, published a new novel, Florissant Girls, about one man’s midlife crisis and search for meaning. David Miller, BA 1983, received the 2021 Missouri Family Physician of the Year Award from the Missouri Academy of Family Physicians. Cletus Glasener, MBA 1983, retired Dec. 31 after serving 13 years as the CFO of Elbit Systems of America to his ranch in Meridian, Texas. Marc Katz, BSBA 1987, was appointed the COO at Tuesday Morning. Suzanna Long, MA 1988, chair and professor of engineering management and systems engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology, received the Bernard R. Sarchet Award from the American Society for Engineering Management. 1990s Brenda Battle, BGS 1993, was named to Modern Healthcare Magazine’s list of "Top 25 Diversity Leaders in Healthcare." Brenda joined the Chicago-based health system in 2012. Jeffrey Blanner, BA 1994, joined Midland States Bank as senior commercial relationship manager. In this role, he partners with his team to manage and grow existing relationships, while actively seeking new commercial real estate and industrial lending opportunities. Tasha Pettis-Bonds, BA 1995, has joined Midwest BankCentre as vice president of community engagement and business development. David Friedrichs, BSBA 1997, was named partner, CFO and biz apps lead with Covenant Technology Partners. Jennifer Walton, BSBA 1997, was named to the board of directors for the Metro Theater Company in St. Louis. Joseph Blanner, BSPA 1998, was appointed to the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson. Joe is an attorney with McCarthy, Leonard & Kaemmerer. He is also co-founder and president of Construction Forum STL and Construction Forum Education Foundation. Marc Ray, BSAcc 1999, was named the 2021 Club Executive of the Year by the Club Management magazine. A 22-year member of the Club Management Association of America, Marc serves as the general manager/chief operating officer of The Ford Field and River Club in Richmond Hill, Georgia.

2000s Timothy Canavan, BSBA 2000, joined De Smet Jesuit High school as math faculty and head baseball coach. Lori Bryan, BS 2001, began as social rehabilitation unit behavioral health case manager with Centurion Health. Beth Goetz, MEd 2001, was recognized by the Indianapolis Business Journal among its 2021 Women of Influence. She serves as director of athletics at Ball State University, where she leads all coaches, staff and the daily operations of the department, which includes 19 NCAA Division I teams. Nathan Landsbaum, MBA 2001, was appointed plan president and CEO at Sunshine Health, a subsidiary of Centene Corporation. Greta Walton, BSBA 2001, became director of internal communications with Benson Hill, a company focused on the future of food and nourishing innovation. Ryan Hollrah, BSBA 2002, BSAcc 2002, MAcc 2002, started with Enterprise Bank & Trust as director of internal audit. Timothy Winters, BA 2003, was promoted to advanced technology center project management office team lead/ business development manager with World Wide Technology. Kelly Griffon, MSW 2004, started as a clinical implementation specialist with Centene Corporation. Christopher Reed, BSMIS 2004, was promoted to manager of IT customer support for McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. John Seiffertt, MA 2004, joined Hillsdale College on the Washington, D.C. campus as an associate professor of computer science. Brad Cook, BSBA 2005, was promoted to director of operations at Beckwood Press Company. Beth Elders, MME 2005, was named executive director for the greater St. Louis chapter of the American Red Cross. Lauren Schoellhorn, BSEd 2005, was named one of seven distinguished finalists for State Teacher of the Year by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Adam Taylor, MA 2006, is under contract for “The Problem of God in Indian Philosophy,” which is part of the Cambridge University Press' Elements in Philosophy series. Robert Dixon, BA 2007, was named director of community and economic development at Ameren.

Supply chain and analytics empowers Deng Pan to better the world

Deng (Deanna) Pan remembers some sage advice she received during her first yearly review as a doctoral student at UMSL.

“My professor told me to be more proactive,” she says. “That was a spot-on, valuable suggestion, and it woke me up. My PhD study at UMSL is definitely the greatest turning point of my life.” Pan joined the data science team at Bayer after completing her PhD in supply chain and analytics from the College of Business Administration in May 2021. During her thesis work, she used data collected in Vanuatu, a South Pacific Island nation, to develop data-driven, decision-support models using drones to deliver vaccines in less developed countries. “These analytical skills give me a sense of the significance of my work,” she says. “Knowing that your work potentially can make an impact on people’s lives, to a business, gives me the ultimate motivation and invokes my curiosity to keep learning and improving.” With her PhD now behind her, Pan has an appreciation for how her UMSL experience will impact and direct her future.

“The analytical skills and

In October, The Pierre Laclede Society, which honors contributors whose yearly giving exceeds $1,000, changed its name to The Goode Society in honor of Missouri legislator Wayne Goode and his wife, Jane Goode, and their roles in establishing UMSL. “Father of UMSL” Wayne Goode, who passed away in October 2020, was passionate about education and was instrumental in acquiring the grounds on which UMSL stands. He dedicated his life to serving his community by promoting positive change in Missouri.

“Our mission continues: The Goode Society recognizes our most loyal donors who contribute $1,000 or more annually to the university and honors the alumni, donors and friends that share UMSL’s mission, vision and values,” Chancellor Kristin Sobolik says. “We’re immensely grateful to the loyalty of the members of The Goode Society, who are helping UMSL continue to provide a world-class education and give students the opportunities and tools needed to succeed and create lasting change in the world.” The Goode Society offers a myriad of opportunities to engage with the university, from the yearly Community Confluence, an evening of drinks and dialogue, to quarterly updates and annual reports such as the Impact Report. Members of The Goode Society are some of UMSL’s closest friends and greatest supporters. problem-solving skills I gained and the close guidance I got from my dissertation advisors, especially James Campbell and Haitao Li, paved the road for my career in data science and operations research,” Pan says. “My professors, advisors and fellow students helped me to grow as a person, come out of my shell and gain more confidence. I saw their good work ethic as researchers and teachers and how they communicate with students with patience and care.”

Kyle Grate, BSAcc 2007, was named president of SSM Health St. Clare Hospital – Fenton. Kyle began his career with SSM Health in 2004 and has served in a variety of roles, including as director of strategy and business development. Jason Tice, MBA 2007, named the first chief technology officer at KNOWiNK, a fast-growing election technology firm. Andrew Bohler, BSBA 2008, began as production manager with World Wide Technology. Sarah Hecht, BSED 2008, MED 2014, was named Hazelwood School District Teacher of the Year. Matthew Houston, BS 2008, was appointed associate circuit judge for Franklin County by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson. Amanda Bolton, MA 2009, PhD 2019, was named associate vice president of consumer insights with Finch Brands in Philadelphia. Karen Dilber, MAcc 2009, was named director of finance for the City of Clayton. Nate Wilson, BA 2009, joined the U.S. Department of State as a foreign service officer.

2010s Kerry Manderbach, BS 2010, MA 2014, is juggling teaching media studies at UMSL with being the curator at the St. Louis Media History Foundation and director of the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum. June Christian, PhD 2011, was promoted to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging education and training manager with Noom. David Clark, BS 2012, BSBA 2014, became manager of Risk Assurance and Advisory Services with Armanino LLP. Chelsea Holden, BS 2012, BSW 2017, started as adjunct professor/ teaching assistant with the Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis. Fredrecka McGlown, BA 2012, BS 2012, MA 2015, was named director of the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment by Mayor Tishaura Jones. Ryan Robinson, BA 2012, was named registered representative with Synergy Wealth Solutions. Brigette Colley, OD 2013, received the 2021 Optometrist of the Year award from the Illinois Optometric Association. Denis Mehmedspahic, BSA 2013, MBA 2016, was promoted to business systems analyst II with Edward Jones. Denis is very involved with the UMSL Alumni at Edward Jones group and encourages his colleagues to be in touch with him to join. Diana Rahn, MAcc 2013, was named director of business administration at Entegral, a subsdiary of Enterprise Holdings. Jared Thimes, BA 2013, was named financial aid advisor with the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College.

Giving society changes name to honor Wayne and Jane Goode

What is your UMSL story? Long story short, I moved back to St. Louis from Evansville, Indiana, in 1998 after leaving my job as plant manager at my father’s manufacturing company and before finishing my bachelor’s degree. The thing I remember most about my time at UMSL was a teacher I had for several finance classes, Nasser Arshadi. He was extremely smart, fun and a great teacher. The finance lessons I learned during those classes have proved invaluable. The other thing I tell people was the business program at UMSL was excellent. We were pushed and challenged by the educators.

You’ve worked at McDonald’s, as an engineering director for your father’s manufacturing company and in IT. How have those experiences contributed to your success? Working in a handful of restaurants – McDonaldʼs being the first – and then working in those environments has played a big part in running Mac’s Local Eats. Understanding ergonomics, quality raw materials, consistency and eliminating inefficiencies are at the core of producing a spectacular product. The one big difference in the restaurant is the immediacy of the service factor. You learn right away if the customer is happy.

How did you end up starting Mac’s Local Eats? In 2004, I decided to source and eat “cleaner” and convinced friends and family to do the same. The story of doing these meat shares for eight years cannot be overstated enough because it became a thing. Foodies, chefs, the media and restaurateurs were involved and aware. We launched Mac’s Local Buys in 2013 selling meat shares and food subscriptions. The focus of the brand was to buy in bulk – seasonal, high quality, local produce and proteins. We built a brand around it, and when we opened Mac’s Local Eats, we continued with that same ethos. As such, everything on our menu is very intentional and nothing is wasted.

What does it mean to you to have built a dedicated, loyal following with national acclaim? It’s incredibly humbling. At the same time, it’s also bananas. Literally every day, I think, “What have we created?” It puts a lot of pressure on us to execute, when everyone walking in the door is seeking Burger Nirvana. I used to jokingly say to folks, “It’s just a cheeseburger.” But not anymore. I’ve learned that it’s more than that. It’s the whole experience and knowing that you are supporting a local network of farmers, producers and staff. Good service and good food. It’s not a fad. It sells.

What are your goals for yourself and Mac’s Local Eats? To create an environment for our staff to grow, excel and stick around in and to continue delivering a high-quality experience for our guests. That’s it. We aren’t looking for a second location or franchising. This is plenty of work for us, and we wouldn’t change it for the world.

ALUMNI Q&A

MAC’S LOCAL EATS OWNER CHRIS “MAC” McKENZIE,

BSBA 2000, PRIDES HIMSELF ON PUTTING THE VERY BEST INGREDIENTS, AS WELL AS HIS HEART AND SOUL, INTO CREATING HIS FAMOUS SMASH BURGERS EVERY DAY SINCE LAUNCHING IN 2017 AND HAS BUILT A REPUTATION FOR SERVING ONE OF – IF NOT THE – BEST BURGERS IN TOWN.

Cleola Butler, BES 2014, began a position as human resources specialist with UMSL. Haley Brightwell, BSBA 2014, MBA 2016, won the 2020-2021 Swiss Volleyball Championships as the assistant coach for the professional volleyball team Viteos NUC in Neuchatel, Switzerland. Darian Cartharn, BA 2014, was promoted to clinical sales associate with Intuitive in Denver. Nyla Cauble, BSN 2014, is opening a new restaurant called Food A Fare in East Alton, Illinois. Melina Lindskog, BSBA 2014, was promoted to key account manager with Captiva Marketing. Blake Miner, BSIS 2014, was promoted to unit manager of analytics consulting of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Kendra Scarbrough-Williams, MEd 2014, published a children’s book, “Learning with Kelsey Mac.” Alyssa Seely, BSAcc 2014, accepted a position as accounting manager with Arsenal Credit Union. Keith Yavorski, BS 2014, was promoted to quality systems engineer with Boeing. Krystal Belcher, BA 2015, joined KIPP St. Louis as a teacher. Rosemarie Brefeld, PhD 2015, published a book “Pressing Forward on Thin Ice: A Mom Reflects on What Went Wrong.” Brittany Gray, BSBA 2015, BSME 2019, adopted a super cute shiba inu named Charlie. Naomi Green, MBA 2015, started as a consultant with Crush Limits. Alicia Kemp, BA 2015, was promoted to small business consultant with Bank of America. Jake Long, BSED 2015, became the director of the TRIO Student Support Services Program at UMSL. Ernest Moretti, MBA 2015, was promoted to senior program manager of joint direct attack munition with Boeing. Yolanda Alovor, PhD 2016, was named inaugural vice president of external affairs and equity, diversity, and inclusion at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Emily Donaldson, BSBA 2016, BSAcc 2016, was promoted to compliance case advisor with Wells Fargo.

Teresa Frank, BSBA 2016, was named vice president of the Town and Country – Frontenac Chamber of Commerce board. Timothy Hebel, BS 2016, was recognized by the St. Louis Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 honoree. Marie Carol Kenney, BA 2016, MFA 2018, became a grants specialist at Washington University in St. Louis. Mary Loggia, BSW 2016, accepted a position as social practitioner with California Clubhouse. Abdul-Kariem Matteuzzi, BSBA 2016, began a position as a field service representative with INTEGRA Biosciences. Rosester Morrow, BSBA 2016, started a position with Mastercard as program manager for mergers and acquisitions integration. Paul Wareheim, BSEE 2016, started as substation engineering specialist with Mesa Associates, Inc. Darionne Hardaway, BA 2017, started with the Literacy Lab as a program associate. Lakeisha Griffin, BSW 2017, MSW 2019, started as school social worker with the Hazelwood School District. Sherry Nelson, MSW 2017, was named director of development at Kids in the Middle. Suzanne Reed, BSBA 2017, was promoted to business operations specialist with Boeing. Mohammad Aljamaan, BSIS 2018, began a position as OSP engineer with Salam. Elijah Alexander, BS 2018, was promoted to branch manager at Enterprise. Joseph Buchschacher, BS 2018, began as software engineer with Amergint Technologies. Annetta Canady, BSPPA 2018, started as a legal assistant in the Office of Chief Counsel with the IRS. Antonio Headrick, BA 2018, MEd 2021, became a student success advisor with St. Louis Community College-Forest Park. Khadijah Henderson, BS 2018, started as marketing and communications specialist at the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College. Marco Pipoly, BS 2018, joined the University of Iowa for a PhD in neuroscience. Marco was celebrated as the 100,000th graduate of UMSL in 2018. Apurva Sinha, MS 2018, began as data analyst with WebBank.

In Memoriam

1960s

Lloyd Vernon Campbell II, BSBA 1967, on Jan. 25 Kirk Richter, BSBA 1968, on Jan. 14 John Cleary, BSEd 1969, on June 2 Thomas Joseph Coughlin, BSBA 1969, on Jan. 21 Cheryll Darlene Saunier, BA 1969, on Jan. 16 Allan Schindler, MEd 1969, on May 30

1970s

Joyce Abernathy, BSEd 1970, MEd 1975, on Oct. 10, 2020 Anthony Jones, BSBA 1972, on Oct. 27 David Hilty, MBA 1974, on June 21

1980s

Vita Epifanio, BA 1981, on Nov. 24 Scott Hook, BSBA 1982, on March 12, 2020 Stanley D. Brown, MBA 1986, on Jan. 12

1990s

Susan Treffeisen, MEd 1993, on July 29

2000s

Carole Crowell, MEd 2003, on June 27

2010s

Anna M. Corbin, BSN 2014, Jan. 5 In November, UMSL faculty and staff joined Chancellor Kristin Sobolik to meet with alumni at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, D.C., reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.

The UMSL Alumni Association took the opportunity to honor Melanie Adams, director of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum and one of the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award honorees, as well as entrepreneur LaVell Monger, BA 2016, the 2021 Outstanding Young Alumni Award recipient. Special thanks to Paul Matteucci, BSBA 1991, for underwriting the reception. The Alumni Association is looking to have a greater presence in the D.C. area and is seeking information about internships and alumni who can be touchpoints for UMSL students. If you know of any opportunities or are interested, please contact alumni@umsl.edu.

Greg Sullins, BSBA 2018, earned a promotion to senior program manager with Amazon. Parker Bunch, BSBA 2019, began a new position as district manager with Regal Rexnord Pacific. Kevin Flood, BSBA 2019, started as a loan officer with PennyMac Loan Services LLC. Marcella Hamilton, BLS 2019, began as foster care case manager with Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri. Joseph Hill, BS 2019, was promoted to data engineer with Aegion Corporation. Christopher Paasch, BSBA 2019, was promoted to senior project leader with Edward Jones. Wonho Ryu, BSAcc 2019, joined the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Emily Storey, BSAcc 2019, MAcc 2021, was promoted to consultant II with Armanino LLP. Prachi Talwar, BSIS 2019, MS 2020, started as financial systems analyst II with Centene Corporation. Jamie Vergano, BS 2019, MA 2019, started a position as data analyst with Webster University.

2020s Kenneth Berry, BSBA 2020, started as Addepar performance associate with Stifel Nicolaus. Tanvi Bhandary, BSBA 2020, joined Barclays Corporate and Investment Bank as an operations analyst. Kalynn Clinton, BSBA 2020, earned a promotion to TECDP lead analyst with Cigna. Jack Cradic, BFA 2020, was named junior art director with Moosylvania. Anthony Deluvia, BSN 2020, was promoted to registered nurse in the SSM Health Emergency Department. Taelor Duncan, BS 2020, became a youth specialist for the Missouri Division of Youth and Family Services.

Twenty years after earning her undergraduate degree, Associate Director of Student Advocacy and Care and Veterans Center Robin Kimberlin, BA 2002, MSW 2012, pinned her son Caleb, who is on track to graduate with a BS in computing technology in August, with an Alumni Legacy Family Pin in February. “Caleb’s dad and I are both UMSL alums, and UMSL is really important to our lives,” Kimberlin says. “For me to work here and have my child attend here, I don’t know how to put it into words, it’s just really cool. “It was surprisingly emotional to know he was going to be here, walking around campus and being a part of the same community as me. Now I’m excited for him to graduate and do his next thing.”

Do you have an UMSL legacy story?

The Office of Alumni Engagement family program honors current legacy students and their families. Legacy family members are invited to the inaugural Legacy Family Lunch during Homecoming Week in February 2023. To be part of the Legacy Family Program email alumni@umsl.edu.

MY LEGACY FAMILY

Eric Eggers, BA 2020, started as guest experience specialist with the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Emily Harris, BS 2020, was promoted to scientific assistant with Bayer. Jamie Kocinski, BA 2020, was hired as a substitute teacher with Kelley Services. Bronwyn Miller, BS 2020, began a new position as an emergency housing specialist with DOORWAYS. Marina Prediger, BSBA 2020, started with Life Scientific, Inc. as project associate. McKenzie Schuessler, BA 2020, was named discovery officer for the Advancement Office at UMSL. She is reaching out to all social work alumni to hear their UMSL stories and re-engage them in university life. Changsub Shin, MBA 2020, began a position as account executive with Tableau. Philip Chrostoski, PhD 2021, started a postdoctoral position at Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California, working in quantum communication, quantum computing and other areas of quantum physics. Corrine Criswell, BSBA 2021, began as HR representative at Emerson. Lucy Covington, BA 2021, started as UMSL Eye Care credentialing and outreach specialist. Gretchen Fricke, EdD 2021, accepted a position at Washington University in St. Louis as assistant dean and director of graduate student affairs for the Olin Business School. Shannon Goersch, BSIS 2021, was hired at Ameren as a software engineer and is continuing her studies in the UMSL MBA program. Kristina Henderson, BS 2021, became a testing assistant at UMSL. Masoud Hesabian, BSBA 2021, became a graduate assistant with the UMSL Supply Chain Risk and Resilience Research Institute. Berke Kacar, BSBA 2022, was named tax intern with UHY LLP, Certified Public Accountants. Jennifer Krebs, BSBA 2021, started as merchandise specialist with Anheuser-Busch. Kawanna Leggett, EdD 2021, was promoted to the role of associate vice chancellor for student affairs at Washington University in St. Louis. Rayne Levraea, BSIS 2021, began as an English language Teacher at Korea Poly School in Seoul, South Korea. Martha Mehring, BSBA 2021, accepted a position as a tax intern with UHY LLP, certified public accountants. Kush Patel, BSBA 2021, started as junior business operations analyst with Accenture Federal Services. Evan Price, BSBA 2021, began as a middle school math teacher at St. Simon the Apostle School. Cole Prince, MSW 2021, began with Youth in Need as child, youth and family therapist. Michael Simms, BSBA 2021, began as corporate inventory coordinator with Enterprise Holdings. Jamison Sims, BSIS 2021, started a position as QA Analyst at Charter Communications. Colin Stokes, BSBA 2021, joined Boeing’s Early Career Program and started his MBA this spring. Janelle Tedmon, BFA 2021, began pursuing a master’s degree in licensed counseling in art therapy at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Caitlyn Worlitz, BA 2021, joined BJC Healthcare.