1940s
Betty Jane Wilson, ’43, turned 99 years old on July 11.
1950s
Tom Hedrick, ’56, member of the Athletic Hall of Fame and Voice of the Wildcats for the past 30 years, called his last regular season football game in November 2018, gave the commencement address at the winter ceremony in December, where he announced his retirement from teaching, and called his final men’s basketball game in February. In May, he was recognized by Kansas lawmakers at the State Capitol for his outstanding contribution to broadcasting and teaching.
Steve Sublett, ’58, member of the Athletic Hall of Fame, retired as president of the Zeta Chi Board of Trustees in May. He had served on the board since 1962. During his tenure he met the chapter founders, who were 1908 grads, and saw the chapter at its smallest and largest roster sizes.
1960s
Nancy (Boudrot) Spear, ’62, has released a new book. Nelly and the Mother Line: Roaming the Maritimes Finding 9 Generations of Acadian Mothers (Mt. Nittany Press) features field and matrilineal genealogy, Acadian history, a travelogue around Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and the warmth and humor of the maritime people—all told in story form. The cover art features one of her oil paintings (nancybspear.com).
Brock Winans, ’60, who lives with his wife, Sharon, in New Jersey, turned 80 years old on Oct. 30, 2018.
1970s
Betty Bullock, ’70, was posthumously inducted into the Johnson County Community College Wall of Honor for faculty members. Her plaque was received by her son, Evan Durnal, ’05. Bullock passed away in 2008.
Fred D’Ercole, ’72, has served as a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy for 45 years.
Bruce Gilbert, ’71, ran his eighth Boston Marathon in April—50 years after running his first one as a member of the Baker University track team in 1969.
Donald Levering, ’71, published his 14th book of poetry, Previous Lives. Last year he won the Robinson Jeffers Tor House Foundation Prize. Previous Lives is available from Red Mountain Press (redmountainpress.us).
Robert Maxwell, ’75, was appointed to a three-year term as trustee of the Kiwanis Children’s Fund, a nonprofit organization that supports Kiwanis International’s mission of serving the children of the world.
Laura (Davidson) Taylor, ’73, retired after 43 years as an RN and as a Major in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.
1980s
Kelly Ballard, ’84, retired after nearly 34 years as a national bank examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of Currency, an independent bureau within the United States Department of the Treasury.
Kelly (Steller) Hrad, ’86, held her first solo art show, Life in Color, at the Art Centre of Plano (Texas) in October 2018. She serves as the office manager and human resources manager at Connect Technology Group, which sponsored the show. During Homecoming, Hrad’s Color Brick Road art show will open Oct. 3, in the Holt-Russell Gallery in Parmenter Hall.
Heather (Obley) Huettner, ’88, teaches art at Crestview Elementary School in the Shawnee Mission (Kansas) School District. She was named Outstanding Elementary Art Educator of the Year 2018-2019. The Kansas Art Education Association presented the award at its fall conference Oct. 12 in Rock Springs, Kansas.
Michael Johnson, ’86, serves as the relationship manager for the Dallas County Community College District and owns his own radio network, centertentertainment.fm, and TV network, cfnnetwork.tv.
Dale Werts, ’84, a member of the Baker Board of Trustees and partner at Lathrop Gage law firm, was named a 2018 Cryptocurrency/Blockchain/Fintech Trailblazer by National Law Journal and was named to Techweek Kansas City’s 2018 Techweek 100 List as an ambassador. He participated as a panelist in a presentation at Microsoft in Washington, D.C., Nov. 8, 2018, on the topic “Mid-Term Elections Rewind and Fast-Forward: Deciphering Change.”
1990s
Don Austin, ’93, was named superintendent of schools for the Palo Alto Unified School District in California. PAUSD is the top ranked school district in California and No. 12 in the nation.
Christie (Apgar) Bagley, ’93, graduated with a master’s degree in civil engineering from Norwich University and is now working as a civil engineer for the County of Kaua’I in Kapa’a, Hawaii.
Jamie Carwell, ’91, was elected as the 152nd Grand Commander of the Knights Templar of Kansas at the Annual Session of the York Rite Masons of Kansas in Emporia on May 1, 2019. He lives in White Cloud.
Kristy (Thrasher) De La Cruz, ’96, was promoted in October to principal leadership facilitator (deputy superintendent) for the New York City Department of Education.
Becky (Holloway) Johns, ’91, is the author of the children’s book, God Made Me Washable (godmademewashable.com).
Travis Miller, ’96, serves as president and CEO of Travis Miller Homes, LLC, a specialty home builder located in southwest Missouri. His company received a 2018 Best of Houzz Service Award. He and his wife, Lisa (Guinn) Miller, ’96, live in Nixa, Missouri.
Tony Rider, ’93, will retire soon as a Sergeant Major in the USMC, capping a 30-year career. He is one of four Sergeant Majors sitting on the promotion board panel to select the staff noncommissioned officers for promotion in the Marine Corps Reserve for 2019.
2000s
Megan Brokaw, ’07, and Sam Coffey, ’09, welcomed a daughter, Elora Fae Coffey-Brokaw on Nov. 28, 2018.
Jeff Carter, ’08 MAEd, a teacher in the St. Joseph (Missouri) School District, was awarded a James Madison Fellowship by Congress. This is regarded as the most prestigious award for a secondary social studies teacher and includes a $24,000 scholarship toward a master’s degree in American history. He will spend a month next summer studying at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
Todd Frye, ’04, serves as operations director for the Hope Venture, a nonprofit organization in Lincoln, Nebraska, that engages in compassion-based projects emphasizing better education, health, clothing, and shelter for children, orphans, and those in need in sub-Saharan Africa and the Indian subcontinent.
Keith Gaboury, ’08, is a preschool teacher and a published poet in Oakland, California (keithmgaboury.com).
Bob Garven, ’07 MLA, serves as an assistant professor at the United States Army Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, Kansas.
Robert Gilkerson, ’02, was named assistant director of field service at Northern Lights Council, Boy Scouts of America, in Bismarck, North Dakota, Oct. 16, 2018. He and his wife, Carrie (Robinson), ’02, have three children: Baden, 15; Ella, 12; and Abby, 5.
Margaret Kramar, ’03, wrote a memoir about parenting a child with a disability who eventually dies. Searching for Spenser was published by Anamcara Press in November 2018 (anamcara-press.com/searching-for-spenser).
Sarah (Turpen) Mata, ’05 BSN, earned a master’s degree and now serves as a family nurse practitioner at the Atchison Community Health Clinic.
Anna McCullough, ’02, returned to Baker in August 2018 as assistant director of international and transfer recruitment in the Office of Admissions.
Ryan Nichols, ’04, and his wife, Courtney, welcomed a son, Fletcher, on July 28, 2018. Ryan is the music teacher at Baldwin Elementary School Primary Center in Baldwin City.
LaKeisha (Martin) Payne, ’09 BSN, has worked in cardiac, critical care ICU, and primary care nursing over the last 10 years. She currently works at the Fort Worth (Texas) VA Outpatient Clinic.
Molly Schlobohm, ’09 MBA, was promoted to chief operating officer of Argosy Cruises, based in Seattle, Washington.
Britt (Strick) Sherer, ’07, ran the Boston Marathon in April.
Jodie Smith, ’07 BSN, serves as the Mayo Health Clinic System I-35 primary care and medical specialty NP/PA supervisor in Owatonna, Minnesota. She earned a Master of Science in Nursing in 2011 and a Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2018 from the University of Kansas.
Dr. Sarah (Church) Vossoughi, ’04 BSN, is in a fellowship program at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and completing her clinical pathology residency at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. Vossoughi has served as a military officer and nurse in the United States Air Force in South Korea, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Hannah (Eagleman) White, ’09, serves as a licensed professional counselor and school psychological examiner for Springfield (Missouri) Public Schools. She also teaches courses in the counseling master’s program at Missouri State University.
Darryl Winegar, ’02 MBA, was appointed to the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee. He is the COO for Midwest Block and Brick in Jefferson City, Missouri, where he has more than 22 years of experience in various roles. He serves as chairman of the National Concrete Masonry Association and is a member of the Cultural Arts Foundation Board of Directors.
Jackson Winsett, ’09 MBA, serves as assistant vice president and community affairs officer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
2010s
Bryce Bowers, ’12, earned a Master of Divinity from Candler School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia, and serves as pastor of First Christian Church in Cedar Falls, Iowa. His spouse, Teresa Morse, ’14, is a freelance editor and writer and has been published in The Cape Rock and Fearsome Critters.
Mack Brown, ’10, has joined the NFL’s New York Jets as a defensive assistant coach.
Brett Bruner, ’17 EdD, began his role as dean of student engagement at Arkansas Tech University, September 2018, and his first scholarly journal article, “Connecting Familismo and Higher Education: Influence of Spanish Language Parent and Family Member Orientation Programs on Latinx Family Involvement and Sense of Belonging” will be published in the Journal of Hispanic Higher Education.
Brandt Elliot, ’13, and his wife, Rubee, welcomed a daughter, Lillian Jade, on April 14, 2019.
Kelsey (Heckathorne) Franck, ’11 BSN, and her husband, Jerod, welcomed a daughter, Ella Jo Franck, on Jan. 13, 2019.
Aaron, ’11, and Lauren (Jaqua) Hannon, ’14, welcomed a son, Hayes Sol Ray, on March 10, 2019. Hayes is the grandson of Phil, ’86, and Charlene (Potter) Hannon, ’85.
Ryan Lasneske, ’14, has joined the MLB’s Houston Astros as their in-game social media coordinator.
Kyle Pattrick, ’15, was named Baker University assistant athletic director of communications in September 2018. Pattrick, who played baseball for the Wildcats, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sports Administration and then earned a Master of Education in Sport Management from Wichita State University in 2017. Before returning to Baker, he served as the sports information director at Dodge City Community College.
Megan Rosa-Caldwell, ’14, is a doctoral student at the University of Arkansas, studying muscle metabolism and mitochondrial function and their alterations with diet or exercise or both. She serves as the graduate student representative for the Central States Region of the American College of Sports Medicine. In February she hosted a podcast for the Central States ACSM, interviewing her husband, Aaron Caldwell, ’13. During the spring semester, Rosa-Caldwell served as an adjunct instructor in Baker’s Department of Exercise Science.
Taylor Swartzendruber, ’18, serves as a flagship client service specialist at Vanguard, a financial services company in Scottsdale, Arizona. She recently completed both Series 7 and Series 63 securities exams and licenses.
The Rev. Warren Thomas Swenson, ’13, was ordained to the Sacred Order of Priests in the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri on Sept. 15, 2018, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He serves in the Diocese of Tennessee with Southeast Tennessee Episcopal Ministry, a consortium of small-town and rural parishes on and around the Cumberland Plateau.
Alen Troyer, ’14, serves as a project engineer for JE Dunn Construction.
Siabhan May Washington, ’14 EdD, assumed the duties of president of St. Teresa’s Academy in Kansas City, Missouri. She is the 25th president in the school’s 152-year history.
