UND Alumni Magazine Winter 2019

CLASS NOTES

1958

Gerald VandeWalle, ’58, is chief justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court. He won’t seek reappointment but will stay on the court. VandeWalle is the longestserving sitting chief justice in the country and the longest-serving in North Dakota history.

1965

Sylvia (Tjostem) Christopherson, ’65, was inducted into the Alexandria Education Foundation Alumni Hall of Fame in Alexandria, Minn.

1969

Sherrilynn (Sperling) Smith, ’69, retired after practicing law in Maine for 43 years.

Casey Ryan, ’69, serves as vice chairman of the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education.

Clifford Cranna, ’69, retired from the San Francisco Opera after 40 years on staff, but remains in a consulting role with the company as Dramaturg Emeritus.

Thomas Winters, ’69, ’71, is an occupational health physician at New England Baptist Hospital. He became a pioneer in occupational medicine in New England, focusing on the diagnosis and treatment of conditions resulting from workplace exposures and injuries.

1972

Greg Cameron, ’72, was inducted into the Manitoba Baseball Hall of Fame.

1974

Ronald Goodman, ’74, ’81, was chosen to be part of the new Ethics Commission in North Dakota. He was designated as the Commission’s convening chair to call the first meeting.

1975

Scott Swenson, ’75, is retiring after working in banking for nearly 47 years.

1978

Bradley Coulthart, ’78, retired after teaching middle school and high school science in Apple Valley, Minn. He is a field supervisor for UND student teachers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region.

1979

Paul Richard, ’79, was selected to the newly created Ethics Commission in North Dakota.

1981

Donald Forney, ’81, is general manager at the Devils Lake Journal.

Penny Miller, ’81, ’85, retired as clerk of the North Dakota Supreme Court.

Cynthia Lindquist, ’81,’ 06, was selected to be part of the new Ethics Commission in North Dakota.

Kermit Licklider, ’81, retired from The Dow Chemical Company in Freeport, Texas, after 36 years as a global specialist.

1982

Michael Gjesdahl, ’82, ’85, was named 2019 Super Lawyer with Gjesdahl Law in Fargo.

1984

Joni (Johnson) Hjelseth, ’84, is a retired public health nurse from Cass County in Minnesota. She now works part-time as an RN at an assisted living facility.

Don Campbell, ’84, joined Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota as seniorvice president and chief legal officer.

1985

Mark Ellingson, ’85, retired from the Grand Forks Police Department after carrying on a 61-year family legacy.

Wade Pearson, ’85, is CEO of Home of Economy in Grand Forks. Pearson celebrates Home of Economy being in business for 80 years.

1986

Stephanie (Schoenrock) Bruggman, ’86, completed her doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy from Mount Mary University, in Milwaukee, Wis.

1987

Brent Finlay, ’87, is executive director of the West Valley Family YMCA in Los Angeles.

Gregory Thorsen, ’87, is senior vice president and general manager of the Textile Care North America division for Ecolab in St. Paul, Minn.

1988

Michael Knecht, ’88, joined Advanced Engineering and Environmental Services, Inc., in Grand Forks.

1989

Mary (Axtman) Dockter, ’89, ’04, was elected to the board of directors of the American Council of Academic Physical Therapy Association.

Cara Halgren, ’89, vice president for student affairs and diversity at UND, received the Outstanding Dean Award from the Student Affairs Professionals in Higher Education, a leading professional association for student affairs professionals.

Julie Cornett, ’89, is a third-generation banker, and was promoted to senior vice president, finance and accounting/ auditor/head compliance officer at People's Bank in Crothersville, Ind.

1990

Wendy Muhlhauser, ’90, published a second children’s book.

Kari (Dosch) Hunt, ’90, was promoted to manager of District Sales for eastern North Dakota at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota.

James LaHaise, ’90, is a realtor

with Park Co. Realtors in Fargo.1991

Ryan Pederson, ’91, was promoted to senior vice president of United Community Bank in Minot, N.D.

1993

Aaron Schramm, ’93, of Park River Area High School, was selected as 2019 North Dakota Principal of the Year.

Ross Sundeen, ’93, was elected president of the North Dakota States Attorney’s Association.

Nichole Hensen, ’93, is chef and founder of Nichole’s Fine Pastry & Café in Fargo.

1994

Stephanie (Olson) Everett, ’94, is foundation director with Mountrail County Health Foundation in Stanley, N.D..

Todd Mondry, ’94, was named vice president of engineering and operations at Red River Commodities in Fargo.

1996

Dave Hakstol, ’96, is assistant coach with the NHL Toronto Maple Leafs.

1997

Tony Gudajtes, ’97, was promoted to executive vice president and ag market president with Choice Bank in Grafton, N.D.

Peter Welte, ’97, serves as a U.S. District Court Judge for North Dakota.

Patricia Baker, ’97, was selected as the United States property and fiscal officer with chief federal financial officer duties for the Air & Army National Guard of Minnesota.

1998

Kevin Glatt, ’98, recently resigned from Burleigh County Auditor/Treasurer.

2001

Wendy (Ullyot) Lorenz, ’01, is a kindergarten teacher at Langdon (N.D.) Area Schools.

2002

Antoninette (Blaesing) Peck, ’02, joined a law firm in Florida as an associate in the Divorce, Marital and Family Law Department.

Amanda (Capp) Smallbeck, ’02, is grades 5-12 band and grades 7-12 choir teacher at Hillsboro (N.D.) Public Schools.

2003

Amanda (Heth) Fisher, ’03, ’05, was selected as Educator of the Year for Dickinson Public Schools. She is the school counselor at Jefferson Elementary School.

2005

Travis Berg, ’05, was promoted to AVP business/ag banker with Choice Bank in Walhalla, N.D.

Joshua Klug, ’05, ’07, is vice president of business banking for United Valley Bank in Grand Forks.

Emily (Pulis) Parrill, ’05, ’12, is a Spanish teacher at Red River High School in Grand Forks and received the 2019 Graciela Wilborn North Dakota Foreign Language Teacher of the Year award.

Jason Askvig, ’05, ’08, ’12, received tenure and was promoted to associate professor in biology at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn.

Tami Jollie-Trottier, ’05, is on the board of directors for the North Dakota Council on the Arts.

2006

Marcy Miller, ’06, is a Kindergarten teacher in Beulah, N.D.

Angela (Boswell) Dauphinais, ’06, is the Director of Casino Marketing at Viejas Casino in San Diego, California.

Nicholas Hacker, ’06, was promoted to Chairman of the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education.

Ashley (Hagen) Kremer, ’06, ’11, is the new medical director at Northland Health Centers in Rolette and Rolla, N.D.

Matthew Smaby, ’19, landed a job as an assistant hockey coach with the Salzburg Red Bulls in the top Austrianleague.

2007

Cassie Scheving, ’07, ’10, works at ICON Architectural Group as director of corporate and legal services.

Blake Molmen, ’07, is a senior solutions engineer in the IT Service Management Office in Fairview, Minn.

Kara (Fuchs) Gansmann, ’07, was named chair of the CSH Law Elder Law and Estate Planning Practice Group in Wilmington, N.C.

Leah (Ackerman) Ducharme, ’07, was named 2019 Super Lawyer with Gjesdahl Law in Fargo.

2008

Kayla (Delzer) Dornfeld, ’08, ’14, is a third grade teacher at Mapleton Elementary School. She recently received the California Casualty Award for Teaching Excellence.

Jade Rosenfeldt, ’08, is the district court judge in Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District.

2009

Jacqueline DeMolee, ’09, ’12, is a registrar services coordinator at the University of Iowa.

Guillermo Guardia, ’09, received a Fellowship in Ceramic Award from the McKnight Foundation.

Dustin Goetz, ’09, ’14, is a physician with the Center for Pain Medicine in Fargo.

2010

Stacie Wellman, ’10, is a family medicine/obstetrics physician with Community Physician Group-Family Medicine & Obstetrics in Missoula, Mont.

Jason Haus, ’10, joined the Anesthesia team at Marshfield Medical Center in Eau Claire, Wis.

2011

Jessica Wagner, ’11, is the social service designee at St. Rose Care Center in LaMoure, N.D.

Denise Jonas, ’11, is director of the Cass County Career and Technical Education Center. She was presented the NDACTE Impact Award for Champion.

Jonathan Godfread, ’11, is running for re-election for North Dakota Insurance Commissioner.

2012

Carolynn Orey, ’12, is the city auditor in Rolla, N.D.

Luke Roller, ’12, has been selected as the chair of the UND School of Medicine & Health Sciences department of radiology.

Mary Wakefield, HON ’12, has been named one of five “Living Legends” by the American Academy of Nursing.

2013

Michael Raich, ’13, was named Interim President of the Northeast Higher Education District in Minnesota.

Jessica Gilbertson, ’13, has been hired by Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas as the policy and partnership manager.

Jill Andera, ’13, was promoted to Controller with Sterling Management, LLC in Fargo.

Heather Torgeson, ’13, is a counselorat May-Port CG School (MPCG).

2014

Micah Schott, ’14, is a postdoctoral research associate at Mayo Clinic and was recently awarded a National Institute of Health (NIH) grant to study alcoholic liver disease.

Danica (Lamoureux) Nelson, ’14, is special education director for the Bismarck, (N.D.) Public School District.

Tran Tran, ’14, works with his family atTD Nails and Spa in Grand Forks.

2015

Lisa Pimentel, ’15, is a fourth and fifth grade special education teacher with Upper Valley Special Education in Grafton, N.D.

2017

Gregory Zebro, ’17, is a staff accountant at Conway, Deuth & Schmeising in Wilmar, Minn.

Blake Prozinski, ’17, operates unmanned aerial vehicles for iSight RPV in Grand Forks.

2018

Rooney Villegas, ’18, joined the Williston Office of KLJ, which specializes in engineering and planning services.

Jason Ulmer, ’18, is director of The Hockey Academy at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks.

Zachary Phipps, ’18, is maintenance engineer at American Crystal Sugar Company’s East Grand Forks factory.

2019

Lisa Hochhalter, ’19, is the executive director of the North Dakota Corn Growers Association.

Ryan Fetch, ’19, joined Houston Engineering Inc., in Bismarck. He is an engineer and will assist with water supply projects. ///