Comings, goings, appointments, retirements, honors, accolades and other notable alumni news. Former students are designated by fs. Honorary alumni are noted as hn. Wichita State University Alumni Association (WSUAA) members are identified by an asterisk (*). Membership dues support alumni communication efforts, as well as other programs and services that support higher education at Wichita State.
Paul F. Kimminau ’59, AERON E, has published “I Was Lucky: I Got to Be a Pilot”, a memoir detailing his path through the University of Wichita’s Air Force ROTC program to a 21-year career flying fighter planes for the U.S. Air Force. His various assignments included two unaccompanied tours during the Vietnam War. After retiring from the Air Force, Kimminau worked for Hughes Aircraft Missile Systems Group for 16 years before he retired again. He lives in Tucson, Ariz.
Robert “Bob” A. Geist ’64, PSYCH, owner and chairman of Rage Inc., was honored by the Junior Achievement of Wichita in a March 13 ceremony with induction into the Wichita Business Hall of Fame. He resides in Naples, Fla.*
Gordon E. Abernathy ’68, PE, who retired in 1989, served on the Wichita Board of Park Commissioners and was a professor of health, physical education and recreation at the University of Kansas. He lives in Lawrence, Kan.*
Barry L. Arbuckle ’68, POL SCI, is a retired attorney who held various positions throughout his career, including Valley Center, Kan., city attorney for 30 years. He also served as judge advocate general for 23 years with the 89th U.S. Army Reserve Command. A former member of WSU’s track squad, he lives in Wichita.*
Monta K. (Howland) Ballard ’68, HIST, retired in 2011 as a commercial insurance underwriter. She finished her career with Pacific Coast E&S Insurance Services after working for several insurance companies and managing general agencies. She lives in Terrell, Texas.*
Rocky E. Barnard ’68, EL ED, ’70 M SEC ED, who served in the U.S. Air Force for 26 years, retired in 2014 as program director for Serco Inc. He lives in Tullahoma, Tenn.*
Ronald L. Barnum ’68, MATH, retired in 2011 after working as director of store development for Russell Stover Candies. He previously served as director of store design for Western Auto Supply Co. He lives in Leawood, Kan.
Richard A. Berg ’68, CHEM, now semi-retired, has served as a surgeon for Saint Clair Vascular Associates for 36 years and has been affiliated with several Detroit-area hospitals. He resides in Gross Pointe Farms, Mich.*
Therese M. (Grilliot) Blyn ’68, MATH, is a retired educator who taught mathematics at Wichita State and Garden City Community College before finishing her career with Wichita public schools’ Gateway Alternative Program. Blyn lives in Wichita.*
Lucinda “Cindy” A. Bowers ’68, LOGO, has served as a social worker for Denver, Colo., public schools. Bowers, a Student Government Association officer and cheerleader at WSU, has also worked in real estate, home restoration and antiques dealing. She lives in Denver.
Carolyn L. (White) Bridges ’68, EL ED, ’74 M EAS, is a retired educator. She worked for 32 years in Wichita public schools, including 25 as a principal. In 2006, she lived in Qatar, assisting in the opening of a girls high school. Bridges, who lives in Wichita, also served the 83rd District in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2012-15.*
Grace M. (Provenzano) Buckley ’68, ENG L/LIT, retired in 2013 after teaching at the elementary, secondary and community college levels. She lives in Derby, Kan.
Robert C. Bunting ’68, EL E, retired in 2011 as director of the Bombardier Learjet Flight Test Center. He worked for the company for 35 years after starting his career at Cessna. He resides in Wichita.*
Judy K. (Kopietz) Burnam ’68, ECON, worked as a librarian, information technology manager and records manager. She retired from the federal government in 2006 and resides in Springfield, Va.
Evelyn M. (Lord) Burton ’68, MUS ED, retired in 2012 after serving as an administrative supervisor with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Earlier, she taught music education in western Kansas. She lives in Kingman, Kan.
Dennis K. Buth ’68, MATH, is a retired physician whose medical career included working with the Kansas Physicians Group. A Senior Honor Man and letterman in basketball, cross country and track at Wichita State, Buth lives in Wichita.
Frank S. Chappell ’68, PSYCH, serves on the WSU Alumni Association board of directors. He formerly worked as broadcasting division president for KSN-TV, president of Outback Enterprises and executive director of the Kansas Aviation Museum. A WSU baseball letterman in 1960, Chappell lives in Wichita.*
Richard “Dick” L. Clark ’68, SEC ED-HIST, ’72 M SEC ED, worked in human resources and held several management positions in 23 years with Boeing before retiring in 2002. He resides in Rockwall, Texas.
Thomas V. Corns ’68, BUS ADM, retired in 2017 as president and CEO of Greensburg (Kan.) State Bank. He worked there for 42 years and still resides in Greensburg.
Timothy “Tim” P. Cotter ’68, PSYCH, retired in 2010 after serving as human resources director for Envision Inc. He previously worked for Cessna for 16 years and served on the board of directors for the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas. Cotter resides in Plano, Texas.
Jerry L. Cox ’68, FREN/GERM, is a professor of modern languages at Furman University in Greenville, S.C. He lives in Travelers Rest, S.C.
Kenneth W. Dean ’68, SEC ED-ENG, is a financial adviser with Dean Financial Services. He worked in the Aetna Life & Casualty employee benefit division for 27 years. Dean, who served in the Army, played baseball and football at WSU. He lives in Gibsonia, Pa.
Connie R. (Marshall) Dietz ’68, EL ED, ’71 M EL ED, retired as executive director of WSU’s Career Development Center in 2017. She spent the majority of her professional career at WSU, and also taught in Wichita public schools, worked for the Wichita Area Chamber of Commerce and served on the Wichita Board of Education for 14 years. She lives in Wichita.*
Philip K. Dietz ’68, BUS ADM, ’72 M BUS ADM, is self-employed in sales as president of Dietz and Dietz. He lives in Wichita.*
Charles “Steve” S. Dilbeck ’68, AERON E, is a real estate investor in the Silicon Valley region of California. He was president of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society at WSU. He lives in Santa Cruz, Calif.
Patricia A. (Powelson) English ’68, EL ED, who worked at Financial Consultants of America and TCA Travel before retiring, lives in Wichita.*
Claude W. Evans ’68, PSYCH, is a retired Learjet expediter. A member of the Army ROTC band while a student at Wichita State, Evans lives in Wichita.
Sharon L. (McEwin) Garrison ’68, MUS ED, is retired after working 25 years for the City of Wichita’s water department. She also is a former teacher and lives in Wichita.
V. Jane Gilchrist ’68, JOURN, is a former executive director of the WSU Alumni Association. She also served for several years as director of the Wichita YWCA. She resides in Wichita.*
Peter Goletz ’68, BUS ADM/ECON, a financial adviser for Oppenheimer and Co., Stamford, Conn., previously worked in the same role at Smith Barney and spent 30 years in medical sales with Johnson & Johnson and Bristol Myers Squibb. He lives in Guilford, Conn.
Sara “Sally” L. Hamilton ’68, ACCT, retired in 2013 as an accountant at St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Mo. She earlier served as a trust officer at Empire Bank. She resides in Springfield.*
Donna K. (Mitchell) Harris ’68, EL ED, ’80 M ED PSYCH, retired in 2004 after more than 30 years as a teacher and coach at Wichita public schools. She lives in Wichita.
Donald E. Hattan ’68, BUS ADM, owns Inland Commercial Flooring, which he started in 2005. He has held various positions in the floor covering industry since 1977. He resides in Upland, Calif.
Kenneth W. Havener Jr. ’68, BUS ADM, a semi-retired business owner, has served as president of Heartland Insulation Supply and Innovative Stone Products, and previously owned Havener’s Clothing. He lives in Wichita.
Susan J. (Moore) Havener ’68, EL ED, ’89 M EL ED, is a retired elementary teacher with Wichita’s USD 259 and substitute teacher with Andover’s USD 385. In 2014, she received the Golden Trowel Award as a Sedgwick County master gardener. She lives in Wichita.
Byron I. Hill ’68, EL ED, co-owns Tastebuds Eatery in Fort Worth, Texas, with his wife, Sunne. He previously worked as a teacher in the Fort Worth Independent School District and as a representative and franchisee for Southland Corp. He lives in Crowley, Texas.
Terry L. (Faler) Hogan ’68, PE, is a retired physical education teacher and school counselor. She lives in Independence, Kan.
M. Steven Hughes ’68, AERON E, who retired as a family practice physician in 2012, was associate medical director of primary care at Overlake Medical Clinics Issaquah (Wash.) and volunteered to serve as team physician for Mt. Si High School for more than 20 years. Earlier, he worked in engineering and manufacturing at Beech Aircraft, and was a manufacturing plant manager for International Cold Storage. A Senior Honor Man and Student Government Association officer at WSU, Hughes lives in North Bend, Wash.*
Curtis M. Irby ’68, POL SCI, whose law career began in 1971 and has encompassed both government and private-practice law, was an attorney and partner with the firm of Glaves Irby & Rhoads and now practices out of Wichita’s Law Offices of Curtis M. Irby. He is a member of various Masonic bodies in Wichita, where he resides.*
Patricia A. (Vieux) Jackson ’68, EL ED, a retired elementary school teacher, lives in Wichita.*
Sue (Leatherbury) Janson ’68, CDS/EL ED, worked as a speech therapist at Butler County public schools and the Holy Family Center for Special Education. She lives in Wichita.*
Helen M. Keller ’68, EL ED, ’76 M EL ED, who retired after 27 years of teaching kindergarten at Wichita public schools, lives in Wichita.*
Nancy E. (Reno) Lares ’68, BIO/MATH, who retired in 2017 as a software engineer at AT&T, owns a 40-horse stable in Lake St. Louis, Mo., where she resides.*
Mary Belle (Doty) Leach ’68, MUS ED, a retired music teacher who spent the majority of her 37-year career at River Oaks Baptist School in Houston, Texas, was named Groesbeck Study Club Woman of the Year. Leach, chosen as outstanding student in WSU’s music school her senior year, co-authored a sight-reading musical textbook used throughout the United States. She resides in Groesbeck, Texas.
Patricia E. (Clark) Likins ’68, retired director of the Head Start program for Bonner Springs (Kan.) public schools, taught for 11 years in Kansas City, Kan., before joining the Bonner Springs district to teach K-6 gifted education. She later served as director of curriculum and assessment. She lives in Olathe, Kan.
Linda L. (Jackson) Loudon ’68, SP, taught in Napa, Calif., public schools. As a student at WSU, she served as a member of the Student Government Association. She lives in Napa.
Xyta M. (Norton-Gaskill) Lucas ’68, PSYCH, president of the Bella Vista Historical Society, worked in human resources positions with the City of Bentonville, Ark., before retiring in 2002. She lives in Bella Vista, Ark.
Robert B. Meeker ’68, SEC ED-HIST, ’69 M SEC ED, was inducted into the Bloomington (Ill.) Public Schools Hall of Fame in 2010. He retired from the district in 2002 as assistant superintendent of business. He also served as adult education manager, director of the area vocational center and regional vocational system, and was assistant principal of vocational education at Bloomington High School. He resides in Bloomington.
Edward “Ed” R. Miller ’68, ECON, ’72 M ADM, who retired in 2013 as owner and president of Milling Precision Tool in Wichita, spent most of his career as a human resources and general management executive, including 23 years with Learjet. He lives in Wichita.*
B. Jane (Rasmussen) Moore ’68, EL ED, is a retired elementary school teacher whose career included teaching at Cooper Elementary in Derby, Kan., and at Oxford, Kan., public schools. She serves as president of the Sumner County (Kan.) Historical and Genealogical Society, and lives in Geuda Springs, Kan.
Paul R. Morse ’68, I ED, manages farmland in seven Kansas counties after retiring as an industrial arts teacher. He taught in Salina, where he also owned and managed rental properties, and at Marion-Florence Middle School. A former member of the Kansas Air National Guard, he resides in Marion, Kan.
Steven L. Overstreet ’68, BUS ADM, ’69 M ADM, has worked as a real estate manager for Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, and is still employed part-time by Spirit. He is a past president of the Wichita Community Theater board and WSU Music Associates, and a founding member of the WSU Performing Arts Angels. He lives in Wichita.*
William “Bill” L. Philbrick ’68, SEC ED-SP, is a retired Wichita public schools teacher whose work history also includes serving as president of Great Southern Leasing Consultants in Dallas, Texas. He lives in Wichita.*
M. Lynn (Jackson) Pohlenz ’68, EL ED/CDS, ’74 M CDS, a retired speech language pathologist, resides in Andover, Kan.*
Carolyn S. (Cannon) Roberson ’68, EL ED, is a retired teacher and site technology specialist who worked for 27 years at Wichita public schools. She continues to work as a substitute teacher, and lives in Wichita.
J. Philip “Phil” Sample ’68, SEC ED-SPAN, who is a U.S. Army veteran and an emeritus professor of history at Rogers State University, Claremore, Okla, has been a Civil War re-enactor with the U.S. Frontier Brigade for 35 years. He lives in Wichita.
Merle D. Schwartz ’68, MATH, is a retired mathematician who worked at Computer Sciences Corp. and Beech Aircraft in scientific computing. He lives in Wichita.
Patricia “Pat” L. (Winter) Shearman ’68, SEC ED-BUS ED, retired in 2007 as a customer support and training specialist for Dictaphone Corp. She taught for one year at Wichita’s Truesdell Middle School and 12 years at Turner High School in Kansas City, Kan. She resides in Hutchinson, Kan.*
Diana L. (Forbes) Smith ’68, EL ED, is a retired deaf education teacher and supervisor who worked at the state schools for the deaf and blind in Arizona and Louisiana, and taught in Wichita public schools. She lives in Sun City West, Ariz.*
Roger E. Smith ’68, CHEM, worked for the 3M Company before retiring in 2007. He lives in Woodbury, Minn.
Gary W. Stahl ’68, BUS ADM, retired from Boeing in 1995 after working as a design engineer for several aircraft companies. He also worked as a machine design engineer for Western Electric. He lives in Wichita.*
Edward “Eddie” G. Tejeda ’68, PSYCH, ’71 M PSYCH, is a retired educational and career counselor who held positions at Wichita State, Fort Hays State and Butler Community College. He lives in Wichita.
Jackie “J.D.” Thompson ’68, MUS ED, is self-employed, running the J.D. Thompson Insurance Co. for more than 40 years. Thompson, who played in the marching band, pep band and orchestra as a student at Wichita State, resides in Wichita.
Lee D. Thompson ’68, POL SCI, is managing partner at Thompson Law Firm LLC. He entered private practice in the mid-1970s and served as U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas from 1990-93. Thompson, a Senior Honor Man and national debate champion with Bob Shields at WSU, lives in Wichita.
Richard F. Uhrich ’68, ACCT, began Affordable Tax Service, a tax-preparation business, in 1996 after working as a field agent for the Internal Revenue Service. He lives in Wichita.
Neil L. Utz ’68, EL ED, ’72 EAS, a Vietnam War veteran who served in the U.S. Army, is a retired elementary school teacher who taught at Broadmoor Elementary in Colorado Springs, Colo. He also directed the Pikes Peak Special Olympics for 10 years. He lives in Colorado Springs.
W. David Watson ’68, CHEM, is a retired chemist and laboratory director. His career included jobs with Vulcan Materials, Dow Chemical and WW Consulting. He lives in Midland, Mich.
Ronald D. Weddle ’68, AERON E, is a retired Cessna Aircraft director of manufacturing research and development. He spent his entire 42-year career with Cessna, first in aircraft airframe design and then manufacturing operations. He lives in Maize, Kan.*
Shirley A. (McEwin) White ’68, MUS ED, has lived in the Wichita area since graduating, working at Hillside Funeral Home. A member of the University Singers while at WSU, White resides in Derby, Kan.
LuAlan J. Willems ’68, BUS ADM, retired in 2012 from commercial banking. He worked at the Hesston (Kan.) State Bank and Citizens State Bank in Moundridge, Kan., and served on the Kansas Bankers Association board of directors from 2001-03 and the Hesston City Council for 24 years. He resides in Hesston.
Norman R. Wing ’68, BUS ADM, a retired income tax specialist, resides in Chino, Calif.
David P. Young ’68, PE, retired in 2016 from a career in the banking and insurance industries. He served as president and chairman of the State Bank of Conway Springs, and was owner of the Young Agency. He lives in Conway Springs, Kan.
Steven E. Cox ’71, ADM, retired Cox Machine Inc. president and CEO, was inducted into the Wichita Business Hall of Fame by the Junior Achievement of Wichita during a March 13 ceremony. He resides in Wichita.*
Deltha Q. Colvin ’72, SEC ED-ENG, associate vice president for non-traditional students at Wichita State, is the 2018 recipient of the Whitney M. Young Leadership Award presented by the Urban League of Kansas. Colvin was recognized for her efforts in helping secure educational opportunities for African Americans and other underserved individuals at the Diversity and Inclusion Summit and Equal Opportunity Day Awards Luncheon on May 25. She lives in Wichita.*
Lee E. Young ’72, ADM, is co-founder and executive chairman of Vortex Corp., which manufacturers material handling valves for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), Fortune 500 companies, and process engineering firms. Vortex is based in Salina, Kan., where Young lives.
Ross A. Hollander ’73, SP, founding member and chair of the employment law and civil litigation division at Joseph, Hollander & Craft LLC, has been ranked among Kansas’ top tier of labor and employment lawyers by Chambers USA 2018. It is the 10th consecutive year that Hollander has received high acclaim in Chambers’ industry rankings. A former president of the WSUAA who served from 2007-08, he lives in Wichita.*
Daniel “Dan” P. Ritter ’73, I ED, engineering instructor and robotics coach with Blue Valley public schools, was recognized by the Blue Valley Board of Education with an Excellence in Education Award. The former Shocker football and track athlete lives in Stilwell, Kan.
Jeffrey “Jeff” L. Turner ’73, MATH, ’77 M E MGT, retired president and CEO of Spirit AeroSystems, is a business partner with owner Jason Blevins in eSenior Plan LLC, which offers products in the senior insurance market. He lives in Wichita.*
Michael R. Meacham ’74, POL SCI, ’98 M PUB H, is an associate professor and director of outreach for the health leadership and management department at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, S.C. Meacham, who served as an SGA president while a student at Wichita State, is co-authoring a textbook on healthcare management. He also is working on compiling the 70-year history of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration. He lives in Charleston.*
James “Jim” E. Sparr ’74, SEC ED-ENG, ’81 M URB A, a retired firefighter who served as fire chief for Wichita and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and who also owned and operated a consulting company specializing in fire, police and emergency management, is the author of The Backward Flying Angel, which tracks five generations of a contemporary Western family. Sparr makes his home in Colorado.
Edward “Ed” B. Anderson ’75, RT, has retired as director of respiratory therapy at Seward County Community College in Liberal, Kan. After practicing as a repiratory therapist, he took the first step to becoming a teacher in 1985, when called in to consult on the development of SCCC’s first RT program.
M. Clark Bastian ’75, ADM, chairman and CEO of Fidelity Bank, received the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Uncommon Citizen award, along with his brother, Clay, on April 26. In February, Clark and other Bastian family members, including Fidelity Financial Corp. chairman Clay Bastian and Fidelity Bank president Aaron Bastian, along with their Fidelity Bank, donated $1 million toward the construction of Wichita State’s new business school. A chairman of the Wichita Community Foundation and board member of the WSU Foundation, Clark lives in Wichita.*
Edwin “Ed” H. Cooper ’76, HC ADM, founder and president of Charlotte, N.C.-based Acuity Healthcare, announced in January the company’s partnership with Rainier Healthcare to extend Acuity’s offering of post-acute care and explore ways to enhance the quality of patient services. He lives in Austin, Texas.*
Lynn R. Nichols fs ’76, CEO of Yingling Aviation, was awarded the Wichita Aero Club Trophy in January for his company’s impact on the community and aviation. He lives in Andover, Kan.
J. Bruce Haertl fs ’80 is a sports anchor and reporter at KDVR Fox 31 News in Denver. He also co-hosts the Sports Daily weekday radio talk show on KFH 1240 AM and 97.5 FM in Wichita. He resides in Lakewood, Colo.
Shane A. Cordell fs ’82, who was a kicker on the Shocker football team, has retired after a 40-year career as teacher, coach and school counselor at Kansas public schools in Little River and Windom. He coached high school football for 29 years, winning three state championships. He coached high school girls basketball for 34 years, winning four straight state championships. He lives in Little River.
Sonia R. Greteman ’82, ART GD, president and creative director of Greteman Group, a Wichita-based marketing agency specializing in aviation marketing communications, was honored by the Junior Achievement of Wichita with induction into the Wichita Business Hall of Fame. She lives in Wichita.
Thomas “Tom” H. Kirk III ’82, GEN ST, partner and senior managing director at 6 Meridian LLC, was listed among the nation’s top financial advisers in Barron’s 2018 rankings. The financial and investment publication ranked him fourth among Kansas advisers. Rankings are based on assets under management, revenue the advisers generate for their firms and the quality of an adviser’s practice. He resides in Wichita.*
Stephen L. Hastings ’83, RELUE, has been reappointed to the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council. As director of real estate services for the Foundation for Senior Living, he has expanded FSL’s housing inventory to more than 900 units of affordable, safe, energy-efficient, green construction housing.
Robert J. Marley ’83, GEN ST, ’87 M E MGT, ’90 PHD IE, former engineering dean and Engineering Experiment Station director at Montana State in Bozeman, has been provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at Missouri University of Science and Technology since 2014. He lives in Rolla, Mo.*
David A. Lange ’84, M BUS ADM, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, has been elected president of the American Concrete Institute for 2018-19. Lange, a member of the Illinois faculty since 1992, is also director of the Center of Excellence for Airport Technology, a research center working in partnership with the Chicago Department of Aviation and O’Hare International Airport. He resides in Champaign, Ill.
Nancy G. McCabe ’84, ENG CR, professor of writing at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, received the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, Scholarship and Service at the university’s commencement exercises April 29. McCabe, who has taught writing and been director of the university’s writing program since 2001, is the Pushcart Prize-winning author of four memoirs and the novel Flight Patterns. She resides in Bradford, Pa.
Maxwell “Max” J. Sheets ’85, MKT, is founder and chief executive officer for Chick N Max, a quick-service restaurant concept that debuted in Wichita this year. A restaurant industry veteran with emphasis in real estate and development, he lives in Newton, Kan.
Rudy P. Rodriguez ’87, AJ, ’96 M AJ, formerly the director of the pre-release program at the Hutchinson (Kan.) Correctional Facility, is now a human resources associate relations representative for US Cellular. A proud Shocker, he has served as president of the WSUAA’s Hutchinson alumni chapter. He lives in Hutchinson.*
M. Thomas “Tom” Seaman ’87, MUS CH, is a music instructor at the College of Coastal Georgia in Brunswick, Ga., and teaches online courses for SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary. He is author of Becoming True Worshipers, a book that explores the symbiotic relationship between music and worship. He resides in Richmond Hill, Ga.
Philip “Phil” D. Anderson ’88, MGT, ’92 M BUS ADM, was named chief executive officer of HM Dunn Aerosystems in April. He is based at the company’s Wichita facility and oversees operations in Wichita, St. Louis, Texas and Oklahoma. A former CFO and head of the defense program at Spirit AeroSystems, Anderson lives in Wichita.
Shane M. Bayless ’89, ACCT, formerly executive vice president and CFO at Compass Production Partners LP, is president of Opportune LLP’s outsourcing practice. Based in Houston, Opportune is a global energy consulting firm. Bayless, whose WSU activities include serving on the WSU Foundation’s National Advisory Council, has 25 years of experience in executive and financial management, controllership, tax reporting and mergers and acquisitions with both private and public companies.
Darin L. Beck ’90, FLD MJR, has succeeded a fellow Shocker, Ed Pavey ’88 (Page 52), as executive director of the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC), the state headquarters for law enforcement training. Beck has 18 years of experience at KLETC, most recently serving as associate director. He holds a master’s degree in adult education from Newman University and a juris doctorate from Baylor University. He is also a graduate of the Command and General Staff College of the U.S. Army. He has taught middle school and college courses in Kansas and served as a municipal and military attorney. A unit of University of Kansas Education & Training, KLETC is located south of Yoder, Kan.
Angela E. (Rahn) Halpern ’90, CDS, is a certified speech/language clinician, chief clinical officer and continuing education administrator at LSVT Global. She lives in Golden, Colo.
Craig A. Halpern ’90, IE, ’92 M IE, is vice president and director of risk control for IMA Financial Group. He lives in Golden, Colo.
Ruth J. (Reimers) Keehner ’90, MUS P, is a senior chief musician on tour with the U.S. Navy Band, which she joined in 1997 and now serves as concertmaster and leading chief petty officer. She began studying the oboe when she was nine years old. While at Wichita State, she played with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, and in 1992 she earned a master’s degree in music from the Juilliard School in New York City. Before enlisting in the Navy, she was an active freelance musician in the Washington, D.C., area and performed with the Alexandria, Annapolis, Harrisburg, Fairfax and Maryland symphonies, as well as the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. The Navy Band’s 2018 tour features 21 concerts in 12 states.
Chris S. Barnes ’92, MGT, a standout Shocker bowler at Wichita State, was inducted into the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame in February. He was selected for the honor in his first year of eligibility. The winner of the 2005 U.S. Open, the 2006 PBA Tournament of Champions and the 2011 PBA World Championship, Barnes is one of only six players to win the sport’s Triple Crown and one of just five athletes to be named Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year. He also ranked among the Top 10 in PBA earnings for 16 consecutive seasons. He lives in Double Oak, Texas.
Brad A. Shelton ’94, ENTRE, owns Shelton Collision Repair in Derby, Kan. He lives in Wichita.
Vivek Lall ’95, PhD AEROS E, is vice president of strategy and business development at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. A world renowned aerospace and defense leader, he has held various key positions, including chief executive of U.S. and international strategic development at General Atomics and vice president and country head for Boeing Defense Space & Security. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas.
Leslie A. Maher ’95, SPAN, is commander of the 375th Air Mobility Wing, Scott Air Force Base, St. Clair County, Ill. Commander Col. Maher leads more than 3,100 personnel, oversees assets totaling more than $4 billion and controls an annual budget exceeding $310 million. She is the third female commander in the wing’s 69-year history. She came to Scott AFB in 2017 as chief of the Special Access Programs Division with Headquarters Air Mobility Command, after serving as commander of the 621st Contingency Response Group in New Jersey. She enlisted in the Air Force in 1987 and served with the 184th Fighter Wing, Kansas Air National Guard, while earning a bachelor’s degree at Wichita State.
Chad D. Frisque ’96, MUS P/V, is senior business development manager at the IT consulting and integration firm Burwood Group. He also performs as a tenor section leader and soloist with the San Diego Opera and his own company, FAB United. As a tenor soloist, he has performed as Oedipus in Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex, as the recitant in Berlioz’ L’Enfance du Christ and as the British soldier in Britten’s War Requiem, among others. He resides in Vista, Calif.
Scott L. Hinderliter ’97, I BUS, is a portfolio manager at UMB Bank. He formerly served as a credit analyst for Koch Supply & Trading LP. He lives in Wichita.
Christopher J. Kocher ’97, M MUS P, professor of saxophone and jazz studies at the University of South Dakota, was the featured saxophonist at a Jazz Night performance Feb. 5 at Colton Recital Hall on the USD campus. He has performed with the South Dakota Symphony, Sioux City Symphony, Colorado Music Festival Orchestra and others. He is scheduled to make his third tour of Japan in the summer of 2018, playing lead alto with the Billy Vaughn Orchestra. Kocher lives in Vermillion, S.D.
David Sasson ’97, ENTRE, founder and owner of OverstockArt.com, a Wichita-based online retailer of wall décor specializing in handmade oil reproductions by famous artists, received the Small Business Administration’s Small Business Person of the Year from Kansas award in April in Washington, D.C. He lives in Wichita.
Elizabeth Birger ’98, MUS P/V, a Kansas City-area musical director and voice instructor, is part of Opera180, a performance company created to introduce opera to Kansas Citians who may not be familiar with the art form while providing opportunities for aspiring performers. In Opera180’s first performance in April – the three-part Bon Operatit – Birger sang the role of Paula Deen in Krispy Kremes and Butter Queens at the Squeezebox Theatre in Kansas City, Mo. She lives in Leawood, Kan.
L. Mark Fischer ’99, M BUS ADM, directs brewing operations at Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Ore. He previously worked at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, Colo., where he was plant manager, director of operations and production manager. Prior to joining the beer industry, he held various positions at IMC Salt Co. in Overland Park, Kan.
John C. “JC” Fisher ’99, MUS P/V, a professional singer with The Texas Tenors, has June concert bookings in Fort Worth, Texas (June 1), Marietta, Ohio (June 23) and Branson, Mo. (June 28.) The Emmy Award-winning trio is perhaps best known for its fourth-place finish on America’s Got Talent in 2009. Since then, they have performed more than 1,000 concerts around the world, including a 24-city tour of the United Kingdom and China. He lives in Katy, Texas.
Stacia L. (Beemiller) McKnight ’99, GEN ST-PSYCH, is CEO at Wichita-based Tacoma Capital Inc., which she co-founded with her husband. Tacoma assists small- and middle-market businesses in pursuit of financial growth and independence. She lives in Maize, Kan.
Neal K. Harrington ’01, M S ART/PR, who joined the art faculty at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville in 2005, is the recipient of the 2018 Arkansas Tech Faculty Award of Excellence in the scholarship and creative activity category. He lives in Russellville.
Michelle (Martinez) De La Isla ’01, BIO, was sworn into office as the first Hispanic mayor of Topeka, Kan., in January, after winning the Nov. 7, 2017 municipal general election and having previously served on the Topeka City Council and as deputy mayor. Born in New York, she moved as a child to Puerto Rico with her mother and brother. She overcame poverty and homelessness to earn a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences at WSU. After working as a teacher for Upward Bound, she relocated to Topeka, where she later served as executive director of Topeka Habitat for Humanity from 2010 until 2015, when she became diversity and inclusion representative for Westar Energy, a position she continues to hold while heading up Topeka’s nine-member city governing body. De La Isla lives in Topeka.
Agatha “Aggie” T. (Klassen) Tuxhorn ’02, MKT, director of corporate engagement for Meritrust Credit Union, received the 2017 Othal Vrana Volunteer of the Year Award from Junior Achievement of Kansas-Wichita District March 14 at the Wichita Business Hall of Fame tribute dinner. She resides in Andover, Kan.
Michelle K. (Moe) Witte ’02, COMM, is an attorney with Martin Pringle Law Firm in Wichita, where she lives. Witte, who graduated magna cum laude from WSU, focuses on civil and commercial litigation. She also serves as president of the Music Theatre Wichita board of directors.*
Shannon R. (Rutliff) Beal ’03, BUS ADM, is a commercial banker with Fidelity Bank. She lives in El Dorado, Kan.
John M. Petersen ’03, GEN ST-HIST, who previously worked in sales at Honeywell and as an avionics technician at Gulfstream Aerospace, is now regional sales manager at Western Aircraft, a Greenwich AeroGroup company based in Boise, Idaho.
Josie T. Wright-Robinson ’06, SOC WK, is the author of “Free at Last: A Christian Poetry Collection.” She lives in Wichita.
Jennifer N. (Jenson) Evans ’05, ACCT, is chief financial officer at Key Construction Inc. She lives in Andover, Kan.
Jeremy D. Higgins ’05, SEC ED-CHEM, associate principal at Shawnee Mission (Kan.) West High School, will be principal at Shawnee Mission North for the 2018-19 school year. He has been with the Shawnee Mission School District for 12 years, and resides in Olathe, Kan.
Krysta R (Rinke) Masciale ’05, COMM, previously CEO and lead strategist at Big Deal Branding, located in Seattle, Wash., and Los Angeles, Calif., has joined the Burbank, Calif.-based LumaForge as chief marketing officer. LumaForge is a technology company formed by filmmakers, editors, colorists and creatives to build tools to solve workflow issues in the filmmaking process.
Michael “Mike” A. Pelfrey fs ’05 is an assistant baseball coach at Newman University in Wichita, where he resides. Pelfrey retired from Major League Baseball in March after pitching for four teams (New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, and the Chicago White Sox) during his 12-year career. The former Shocker player was a first-round draft pick of the New York Mets in 2005.
Alicia T. Sanchez ’07, FLD MJR-ECON, director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at WSU, is the recipient of the 2018 Community Champions Award presented by the Kansas Hispanic and Latino American Affairs Commission. She lives in Wichita.
Nathan P. Swink ’07, M PSYCH, ’11 PhD PSYCH, a psychology professor at Butler Community College, El Dorado, Kan., is one of two 2018 John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award recipients recognized for their exemplary work in teaching.
Ricki L. (Williams) Ellison ’09, COMM, ’16 M COMM, diversity recruitment manager for WSU’s admissions team, is a 2018 Wichita Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree. She resides in Wichita.
Jacinta “Jacie” R. Hoyt ’09, SOC, completed her first season as head women’s basketball coach at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The former Shocker basketball player previously served as an assistant at Kansas State and the University of Nevada, and as a graduate assistant at Fort Hays State.
Jamie L. Stanclift ’09, SP MGT, completed her fifth season as head softball coach at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan. The Wildcats set a single-season school record for victories and qualified for the NAIA Softball National Championship for the first time. Stanclift lives in Lawrence, Kan.
Erin B. (Carr) Hamell ’10, FIN, is vice president at Community Bank of Wichita. She has worked there since 2004, and is responsible for credit analysis, review and ongoing credit assistance of current and new loans. She lives in Clearwater, Kan.
Jacob P. Wayman ’10, HS MGT/CD, is business development director at Cornejo & Sons in Wichita, where he resides. He also co-founded Disrupt ICT, which brings together thought leaders and people interested in disruptive technologies to solve common challenges.
Timothy “Tim” J. Kelley ’11, MKT, formerly a commercial lines specialist at Brown & Brown, is head of the Tulsa, Okla., office of Cobbs Allen, a Birmingham-based risk management consulting and insurance brokerage firm. Kelley, whose uncles, Charlie O’Brien fs ’82 and Erik Sonberg fs ’83, were both All-American baseball players at Wichita State, was himself a right-handed pitcher for the Shockers and was named first team all-Missouri Valley Conference his junior year. He lives in Tulsa.
Chaz A. Coberly ’12, GEN ST-PHYS, is an associate attorney with Norton, Wasserman, Jones & Kelly LLC in Salina, Kan., where he resides. He practices in the areas of estate planning, tax, real estate and business transactions. Coberly previously worked as a tax research attorney at K-Coe Isom LLP.
Lucas B. Martin ’13, H SCI, a paramedic with the Arkansas City (Kan.) fire and EMS department, was saluted in April by the South Central Kansas Medical Center as its Integrity Healthcare Professionals Lifesaver of the Month for his actions while responding to a “code blue” in Arkansas City, where he resides.
W. Wood “Woody” Skinner ’13, M ENG CR, who also holds a bachelor’s degree in southern studies from the University of Mississippi and a PhD from the University of Cincinnati, is the author of A Thousand Distant Radios, his debut collection of short stories. A Sherwood Anderson Fiction Award winner whose work has appeared in Another Chicago Magazine, Booth, The Carolina Quarterly, and Mid-American Review, Skinner lives in Chicago.
Aliphine C. Tuliamuk ’13, HS MGT/CD, a former track and field standout at WSU, joined the Northern Arizona Elite professional running team in January. She won the USA Track & Field Half Marathon on May 6 in Pittsburgh, then claimed her third consecutive USATF 25K women’s championship on May 12 in Grand Rapids, Mich. She lives in Santa Fe, N.M.
Emily C. Christensen ’14, FLD MJR-ENG, previously an Upward Bound Wichita Prep administrative specialist at WSU, is external affairs coordinator at WSU’s School of Art, Design and Creative Industries. A former student assistant for The Shocker, she lives in Wichita.*
Aaron P. Craven ’14, DANCE, who has appeared as a soloist and guest artist with Ballet Wichita and been on tour internationally with Wichita Contemporary Dance Theatre, is starring as Johnny Castle in the North American tour of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage. He was a member of the resident company of Music Theatre of Wichita and spent a year in Chicago appearing in Paramount Theatre’s productions of West Side Story (Diesel), Mamma Mia! (Pepper), and The Little Mermaid. He resides in New York City.
Caitlin G. Geer ’14, THEA, is a morning show host and sales business development officer at KLEY “The Wave” 100.3 FM/1130 AM in Wellington, Kan. She lives in Wichita.
Casey H. Gillaspie fs ’14 is a first baseman in the Chicago White Sox organization. A first-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014, Gillaspie was traded to the White Sox in July 2017. He started the 2018 season with Triple-A Charlotte. He resides in Omaha, Neb.
Sarah C. Thompson ’14, SOC WK, has joined the law firm of Bose McKinney & Evans LLP, which has four locations, one in Washington, D.C., and three in Indiana, including a downtown Indianapolis office. A graduate of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in Bloomington, Ind., Thompson will assist clients with commercial litigation matters. Prior to joining Bose McKinney & Evans, she worked as an associate attorney in the Indianapolis area.
Ronald “Ron” D. Baker ’15, FIN, former Wichita State Shockers standout guard now a shooting guard with the NBA’s New York Knicks, underwent surgery in February to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He is expected to return to basketball activities in June, although it is questionable whether he will participate in Summer Leagues. The Knicks are playing their league games in Las Vegas in July. Baker will be among seven guards under contract with the Knicks next season when he picks up his $4.5 million player option.
Abigail P. Beckman ’15, M COMM, has joined KRCC-FM in Colorado Springs, Colo., as “Morning Edition” host and station newsroom reporter. She previously worked as a reporter and news intern at KMUW-FM in Wichita and as a reporter and news editor at the Dodge City Daily Globe in Dodge City, Kan.
Clayton J. Cloud ’16, ATH TR, is an assistant athletic trainer at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In May, he completed his master’s degree in health and human performance while serving as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Oklahoma State University. He is from Wichita.
Fredderick “Fred” E. VanVleet ’16, SOC, former Wichita State Shockers standout point guard, was the anchor of the bench unit for the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, which won a franchise-record 59 games. VanVleet averaged 8.6 points and 3.2 assists in 20 minutes, while netting 41 percent of his three-pointers. He made a $1.3 million salary this past season, and is expected to earn a significant pay bump as a restricted free agent. Although no final deal can be made until July and depending on whether he stays with the Raptors, it is expected he will be offered a multi-year deal worth somewhere around $9 million per season.
Nathan R. Reed ’17, PhD ED LD, who began his career in Kansas as an elementary school teacher in Lakin and Andover, is now superintendent of Winfield public schools. He previously served in the same role for Fairfield schools, was principal in Deerfield and assistant principal at Colvin Elementary and Irving Elementary in Wichita. He lives in Winfield.
Elvin V. Salerno ’17, CHEM, is pursuing graduate study at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor as a National Science Foundation fellow. He was chosen as one of 2,000 in a national competition that drew more than 12,000 applicants.
Jacob L. Griffith ’18, BIO E, will be pursuing a master’s degree in biomedical engineering at Wichita State with the support of a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship. He was chosen as one of 2,000 in a national competition that drew more than 12,000 applicants. A Wallace Scholar, Griffith resides in Wichita.
Landry M. Shamet fs ’18, a sophomore point guard/shooting guard with the Wichita State Shockers, officially declared for the 2018 NBA Draft in March. The Kansas City, Mo., native averaged a team-best 14.9 points and 5.2 assists, while making 44 percent on three-pointers this past basketball season. Described as a “versatile” player with a “high basketball IQ,” Shamet participated in the NBA Draft Combine, a multi-day showcase that takes place every May before the annual June NBA draft.
