August 2019-October 2020
1950s
Tom Hedrick. ’56, was featured on KCTV5 in January 2020 as the last living announcer from the first Super Bowl, which was held at the LA Coliseum.
1960s
James Allen, ’69, published his first novel, The Third Horseman Awaits.
Don, ’69, and Cindy (Horn), ’70, Rogers, who were married on June 6, 1970, at Baldwin First United Methodist Church, renewed their vows 50 years later on June 6, 2020, under Baker’s Grape Arbor while family played witness.
1970s
Bruce Gilbert, ’71, was inducted into the Baker University Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2019.
Arthur Nadler, ’74, recently wrote his first novel, Double Down: Lethal Indemnity, which is available on Amazon.
Gary Scott, ’77, retired from the City of Eudora as the director of Parks and Recreation.
1980s
Dana (Arnold) Gillis, ’83, retired from Sprint after 26 years and is now with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City.
Kelly (Steller) Hrad, ’86, held an art exhibit in the Holt-Russell Gallery in Parmenter Hall as the kickoff event for Homecoming Weekend 2019.
Mike McCarthy, ’87, was named the head football coach for the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys in January 2020.
Nancy Vap, ’89, was named patient financial counselor at Norton County Hospital in northwest Kansas. She has also developed a skin care line, Nancy’s Pumpkins and Potions, using simple ingredients, which can be found on Facebook.
Dale Werts, ’84, was selected in October 2019 as a Kansas City Business Journal 2019 Best of the Bar honoree.
1990s
Mike Berg, ’90, was inducted into the Baker University Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2019.
Meredith Bousman, ’95, began a new career as a training manager for Western Construction Group in St. Louis, Missouri.
Sandra Campbell, MSM ’92, retired from the FAA after 42 years. Her master’s degree from Baker enhanced her career progression. She was ordained by Unity Worldwide Ministries and became a minister at Unity Temple. Sandra also writes and performs reenactments of little-known, courageous black women in history.
Kate (McGrath) Ellis, ’93, became president-elect of the State Bar of Montana in November 2019.
Cody Fothergill, ’90, was honored in October 2019, when the Shawnee Mission North Sports Scholarship Foundation named a scholarship after him. Cody is the swim coach at Shawnee Mission North (Kansas) High School. In February 2020, Cody was voted the 6A Kansas High School Swimming Coach of the Year.
Dr. Darlene Gaskins, ’99 MSM, is an Army veteran and author of The Genius of Tony Clarke, which is available through Digital Journal.
Amy (Jaeger) Hentz, ’95, works for the Ozark Center, in Joplin Missouri, a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive behavioral health care to the community.
Jason Hooper, ’96, who serves as president and CEO of KVC Health Systems, was named to the 2020 Ingram’s 250 Difference-Makers in Kansas City’s Executive Ranks.
Gordon Lansford, ’93, who serves as president and CEO of JE Dunn Construction Co., was named to the 2020 Ingram’s 250 Difference-Makers in Kansas City’s Executive Ranks.
Deb (Tompkins) North, ’93, alongside her daughter, Annie, are developing a wrestling shoe for girls and women. Their brand is called YES! Athletics.
Larry Smith, ’96, ’05 MSSL, spends some of his free time on the weekends officiating NCAA football games.
John Thomson, ’95, won an EY (Ernst & Young) Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 Heartland Award in October 2020.
2000s
Jeff Auslander, MBA ’07, who serves as president and CEO of Dynamic Logistix, was named to the 2020 Ingram’s 250 Difference-Makers in Kansas City’s Executive Ranks.
Jennifer Baum, ’05, joined the Atchison Hospital staff as a full-time general surgeon.
Maria Beerman-Foat, ’05, received the 2019 Emerging Leader Award from Fitch & Associates, LLC at its national conference for emergency medical services.
Kia Breaux, MSM ’05, was named to the Missouri Press Association 2020 Hall of Fame. A 24-year journalism professional, Breaux is the Midwest regional director for the Associated Press based in Kansas City. As regional director, she’s responsible for business development and managing strategic partnerships.
Mike DeLaet, ’04, founder and former CEO of Rogue Games, now serves a senior vice president of strategic partnerships at Scopely, a leading mobile games company.
David Ewers, ’01, serves as associate principal at Shawnee Mission North (Kansas) High School and was entered to run the 2020 Boston Marathon, which was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. He decided to run it anyway, but instead of in Boston, he ran throughout Johnson County, Kansas.
Chris Giuliani, MBA ’05, who serves as CEO of Spring Venture Group, was named to the 2020 Ingram’s 250 Difference-Makers in Kansas City’s Executive Ranks.
Kristi Mellon, ’09 MSSL, was hired as the new principal for Horizon Elementary in Smithville, Missouri.
Sara (Westmoreland) Mullins, ’03, CEO and founder of Galleries on the Go, has launched a touch-free technology for gallery experiences called GalleryTalk.
Marlena Richardson, ’06, made it to the final four in the competition for Best Black Bartender in the Nation in a contest sponsored by Black Restaurant Week.
Darren Taylor, ’07 MBA, who serves as president and CEO of GEHA, was named to the 2020 Ingram’s 250 Difference-Makers in Kansas City’s Executive Ranks.
Dr. Brandon Weckbaugh, ’07, recently joined the team of physicians at Stormont Vail Health in Topeka.
2010s
Olivia Beins, ’17, was named to Ingram’s magazine’s 2019 list of 20 in Their Twenties.
Courtney Turcotte Bond, ’10 MAED, released her book Breathtaking and hosted a book signing at the Nook in Baldwin City, Kansas. It is available on her website.
Amer Didic, ’16, played for the Canadian National Soccer Team in the CONCACAF Tournament and plays for FC Edmonton in the Canadian Premier League.
Tyrell Everett, ’16, serves as an assistant football coach at Clarke University under head coach, Miguel Regalado, former defensive coordinator at Baker.
Lindsay Hill, ’14, recently earned a PhD in biomedical engineering from Saint Louis University.
Cynthia (Clancy) Hohl, ’16, serves as the director of branch operations at the Kansas City Public Library. She was elected president of the American Indian Library Association.
Sam Huenergardt, MBA ’10, who serves as CEO of AdventHealth Mid-America Region, was named to the 2020 Ingram’s 250 Difference-Makers in Kansas City’s Executive Ranks.
Bradley Jones, ’17, was promoted to regional finance manager of the Kansas City finance and credit services team of True Value.
Jim Joyner, ’16, in February of 2020, was named Kansas Sportscaster of the Year by the Kansas Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association for the work he did at McPherson High School.
Patrick Kokoruda, ’10, was recently named associate vice president at Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pennsylvania.
Rachel Moore, ’17, serves as the sports information specialist media contact at Texas A&M – Corpus Christi.
Vidal Nuño, ’10, was inducted into the Baker Athletic Hall of Fame in October 2019.
Chad Orum, ’14, serves as a special education teacher and coach in Las Vegas, Nevada. He also helps juveniles on probation complete their terms and works with kids with disabilities in a very rewarding career.
Avery Parker, ’17, was named the KCCTFCA Assistant Track Coach of the Year for 2019. Avery is an assistant track coach at Olathe Northwest (Kansas) High School.
