bing pixel

绿茶直播

Class notes

Augsburg College alumni share their news and achievements

Share this:

1960-1969 | 1970-1979 | 1980-1989 | 1990-1999 | 2000-2009 | 2010-2015 | Graduate Programs


1960

搁别惫.听Dennis Glad 鈥60 and Barbara Glad of St. Francis, Minnesota, have led nearly 1,000 volunteers on mission trips to 14 Caribbean islands, Costa Rica, and Belize over the past 25 years. Working on a volunteer construction team, the Glads and their crew have built schools, clinics, churches, orphanages, and more. In April, the couple received WCCO Radio鈥檚 Good Neighbor Award, and they are now in the station鈥檚 Good Neighbor Hall of Fame. In 1999, Rev. Glad retired after serving in the United Methodist Church for more than 40 years.

1964

Roger Johnson 鈥64 was presented with the Donald Clark Memorial Award at Minnesota Hockey鈥檚 annual banquet in April. The award is given to an individual who has been dedicated to the grassroots growth and development of youth hockey in Minnesota. Johnson was the head coach for boys鈥 hockey in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, from 1965 until 1972 and then was varsity assistant and junior varsity head coach for the next 27 years until 1999. He is a substitute teacher and a volunteer general manager for the boys鈥 hockey team.

1967

FrovikIn March, the Rev. Terry J. Frovik 鈥67 and his wife, Pauline, were invited by Archbishop Nemuel Babba to participate in the installation service for the Rev. Peter Bartimawus, who was elected Bishop of the Gongola Diocese of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN). The service took place in Bartimawus鈥 home village of Guyuk.

1969

Royce Helmbrecht 鈥69graduated with a degree in education. Today, 47 years later, he works as a substitute teacher with students who struggle to get through school. He also teaches jail inmates for the GED program. He says the Lord intervened in his life and directed him to Augsburg, and he feels blessed to have followed the Lord鈥檚 direction.

1971

Mary听(Soulen) Johnson 鈥71is the new branch assistant at Minnesota鈥檚 Aitkin Public Library. She especially enjoys working with children at the library and at the Aitkin Children鈥檚 Center. As a volunteer at Wild and Free in Garrison, Minnesota, she helps with feeding animals and assists with fundraisers. Her leisure activities include gardening, walking, biking, and reading.

Barb-Mikelson.2Three years ago at Valley of Peace Lutheran Church in Golden Valley, Minnesota, three parishioners took on a Lenten art project to create a mosaic for their church entry. Led by Barb (Durkee) Mikelson 鈥71, the committee also included Emilie Moravec 鈥07 and Jon Daniels 鈥88. The design, primarily Mikelson鈥檚 work, echoed the stained glass window design in the church鈥檚 sanctuary created by the late August Molder, an Augsburg professor. Mikelson served the past 12 years as director of her church鈥檚 early childhood education center, All God鈥檚 Children Learning Center, and retired in January. The school鈥檚 leadership is now in the able hands of another Auggie, Courtney Gadbois-Brumbaugh 鈥95.听.

1974

Building hope

Strommen_Nicaragua2In March, Bob Strommen 鈥74 volunteered for a Habitat for Humanity project in Nicaragua. He joined cousins Tim 鈥70 and Dawn (Hofstad) 鈥70 Strommen, and Judy (Knudson) Strommen 鈥77, and was overwhelmed by the magnitude of poverty in the small village where they worked. The trip was Tim鈥檚 third visit to the same site.

Bob writes, 鈥淧rior to our venturing out, we had an orientation led by our Nicaraguan Habitat leader, Aleandra, who reported that there was a need for more than 600,000 homes in Nicaragua鈥攅ither new builds or fixing up existing homes in desperate need of repair. And we were going to build one home. At the time I thought, 鈥榃hat difference will this make? How do you tackle such an overwhelming need?鈥欌

Upon meeting the eventual homeowner, her daughter, and grandchildren, Bob soon learned that their work in that one week would make a life-changing impact for the family.

He鈥檇 considered the impact they would make on the family of the house, but did not comprehend the impact that the people and volunteering would have on him, saying: 鈥淢y goal is not to be better than anyone else, but to be better than I used to be.鈥 Read more.


1982

Maryann Sullivan 鈥82 and Rhonda Laurie have been entertaining listening audiences and swing dancers for the past three years. In February, the two performed 鈥淪wingin鈥 a la Carte鈥 as part of the Jazz@St. Barney鈥檚 concert series at St. Barnabas Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Minnesota, reflecting the singers鈥 love of cooking through jazzy food songs. Sullivan attended Augsburg as a flute student, studied broadcasting at Brown Institute, and has worked in radio and as a voice-over artist. After appearing at venues that draw swing dancers, she teamed up with Laurie to create the duo Retro Swing Sister.

Scott Whirley 鈥82 and Henry Gerten 鈥98 were inducted into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame in a ceremony in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, prior to this year鈥檚 NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championships. Whirley and Gerten are the ninth and 10th Auggies to be inducted into the NWCA Division III Hall of Fame.

1985

Lisa Svac Hawks 鈥85 sees Augsburg College as a 鈥減illar of faith,鈥 one of the reasons she chose the College and why she continues to be involved. She served six years on the Alumni Board and is a founding member of Augsburg Women Engaged.听Hawks is vice president, external communications, for United Healthcare Services. She is focused on helping simplify the complicated health care landscape for the consumers so that they can live healthier lives. In her spare time, Hawks enjoys gardening, cooking, and playing golf and other sports. She also enjoys coaching her 10-year-old son Andrew鈥檚 baseball team, which she has done for the past three years. .[/block]

1988

Jeff听Judge 鈥88 successfully defended his doctoral dissertation at Minnesota State University. His thesis was 鈥淪pirituality in Higher Education: A Narrative Analysis of its Use by Leaders for Decision-Making.鈥 Judge graduated from Augsburg with bachelor鈥檚 degrees in music education and Spanish, and received a master鈥檚 in Spanish from Middlebury (Vermont) College. He lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota, with his wife, Jeannie, and their three teenagers: Nico, Danny, and Clare. He is the dean of the humanities division at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota.

1989

Troy听Bakker 鈥89 received a doctorate of science degree from Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota.

Stephen Hindle 鈥89 has been appointed practice lead at the partner level for Aon Hewitt鈥檚 assessment and leadership practice for Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. He also is the face of Aon Hewitt in these markets. His responsibilities include commercial management of all assessment and leadership business across 14 countries as well as all operations, solution development, and mergers and acquisitions activity in these markets.听He is based in Singapore with his wife of more than 21 years, Adean, and their two daughters, Claudia and Madeleine.

1992

JohnstonHeather Johnston 鈥92 (second from left) was invited to speak at the annual conference of the Municipal Finance Directors of Israel in Eilat, Israel. Johnston is president of the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. Johnston serves as the city manager for Burnsville, Minnesota.

Rosanne-BumpRosanne Newville Bump 鈥92 plans events, including the St. Paul Winter Carnival as president and CEO of the Saint Paul Festival & Heritage Foundation. She received her MBA in 2010 from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She has stayed in touch with many of her Auggie classmates over the years, and is pleased that both the St. Paul Winter Carnival and the Cinco de Mayo organizations benefit from the help of Augsburg interns as they plan events. She lives with her husband of 28 years, Jeff Bump 鈥85, and their three daughters (Madelyn, Ella, and Julia) in River Falls where she served for nine years as CEO of the River Falls Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau. .

1996

As twin sisters,听Kaja Foat 鈥96and Zoe Foat 鈥96 have shared听a lot in life鈥攁 last name, a love of color and nature, and a vision for a more ethical world. In 2002, the sisters followed their shared vision to create FOAT. Their goal was to offer a refreshing, eco-conscious alternative in women鈥檚 fashion, starting with yoga apparel. Since then, they鈥檝e expanded their designs to additional lines of one-of-a-kind garments and wedding gowns, and their workspace to studios in Minneapolis and Charleston, South Carolina.

1999

Cunningham[L to R]: J. Roxanne Prichard, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, and Jeanne 鈥淏irdie鈥 (Ramacher) Cunningham听鈥99, associate director of health and wellness, have created and launched the Center for College Sleep at the University of St.听Thomas in St. Paul.

2000

Sara-BrownSara听(Quigley) Brown 鈥00 received her chaplain badge for the Alaska Police and Fire Chaplains Ministry, a statewide nonprofit that serves police and fire personnel. The program follows a strict training that mirrors the training of police officers.听Brown will return to the Twin Cities in August to attend a clinical pastoral education residency through which she will receive certification to become a hospital chaplain.

Ross听Murray 鈥00,听鈥09 MBA, has been issued a call from the Metropolitan New York Synod in New York City to be consecrated as a diaconal minister and focus on LGBT advocacy at GLAAD. He and Richard Garnett 鈥07, 鈥09 MBA were married in April.

Augsburg theater alumni Stephanie Lein Walseth 鈥00,听Quinci Bachman 鈥15, and Jorge Rodriguez 鈥15, and Professor Emerita Martha Johnson participated in the Full Circle Theater Company鈥檚 return engagement of 鈥淭heater: A Sacred Passage.鈥 Lein Walseth and Johnson are two writers of this original performance piece, devised by the core artists of Full Circle from their personal journeys into theater. Their stories embody the challenges and transformational experiences they have had in becoming theater artists and how their lives and work reflect the changes in the theater community during the past two decades. The piece incorporates acting, storytelling, choreography, and music. Bachman was production coordinator, stage manager, and sound designer. Rodriguez served as set and technical director and lighting designer. Johnson was dramaturge and assistant director.

2001

PeterkaSarah (Grans) Peterka 鈥01听married Erik Peterka on December 12. Several Auggies were at the celebration including: Carrie Lind 鈥01, Skylar Hanson 鈥01,听Laura Hahn 鈥02, Erica 鈥01 and Jason 鈥01 Bryan-Wegner, Ben Hoogland 鈥00, Larye 鈥98 and Melissa (Moyle) Pohlman 鈥00, Lenise Butler 鈥01, and Birgitte Simpson 鈥13.

2003

Howard-babyMegan and Jay Howard 鈥03 welcomed their son, Elias John, on April 28.

2005

jonJon听Dahlin 鈥05 participated in track and field at Augsburg, and he set a national record in the hammer throw that still stands. He went on to compete nationally and internationally in Highland games. He competed in states including California, Florida, and Texas, and he also competed in Iceland. He traveled to Gyor, Hungary, as part of Team USA for the 2015 World Highland Games Championship where he squared off against 15 athletes from around the world. He was pleased to record one of his best performances ever in caber (tossing a 175-pound wooden beam), and finished in seventh place. Dahlin lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and works as a software developer at Barr Engineering, focusing primarily on creating web applications. He also is a sports photographer who covers NFL games. .

Jenni Fisher 鈥05 and Jade Boettcher听鈥15 MAE were united in marriage on January 20 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Boettcher received his Master of Arts in Education from Augsburg and is a special education teacher at John Marshall High School in Rochester, Minnesota. Fisher received her bachelor鈥檚 from Augsburg and is a clinic assistant at Planned Parenthood
in Rochester.

Brandon Green 鈥05 is a new managing partner at MG Resources. Before joining the company, Green spent nearly 18 years with Griffiths Corporation.

Claire-PettryWhen听Claire Pettry 鈥05 moved to Ohio in the fall of 2015, her Augsburg College connection played a key role in helping her form friendships in her new locale. She met Chris Ascher 鈥81 and wife, Susan, and the three became fast friends who completed a 5K run on Thanksgiving.

2007

James听Lekatz 鈥07 wrote the music for 鈥淭he Snow Queen,鈥 which was presented at Stages Theatre in Hopkins, Minnesota, in March. This summer, Lekatz worked with a group of students with autism on a production of 鈥淭he BFG鈥 as part of a program called CAST, Creative Accepting Sensory-friendly Theatre. He will be assistant director on a production called 鈥淭winkle Twinkle,鈥 as part of Stages Theatre Company鈥檚 theater for the very young, and he will compose Stages鈥 next dance/ballet piece, 鈥淭he Velveteen Rabbit,鈥 to be performed next spring.

2008

Andrew Webb 鈥08 volunteers his time to assist local and global communities as they recover from natural disasters and tragedies. He encourages others through a letter-writing campaign and invites groups, such as area high schools, to join him in his dedication to this mission.

2009

Ben-MichelleBenjamin Austin听鈥09 and Michelle (Anderson) Austin 鈥11 were married December 19 in St. Paul. They met at Augsburg during her sophomore year and his senior year.

2010

Jennifer (Mathwig) Ortloff 鈥10 became joint owner of the public accounting firm of Peterson Juergensen Hemerick & Co. in Hutchinson, Minnesota, after five years with the firm. Prior to becoming an owner and before earning an accounting degree at Augsburg, she worked on the administrative side of the company. Ortloff is a native of Brownton, Minnesota, and worked for the city of Brownton while completing听her degree.

PollisMike听Polis 鈥10 has started Backboard Media, based in Northeast Minneapolis. Check it out at backboardgroup.com.

TilsonSchuyler (Dunhaupt) Tilson 鈥10 graduated from Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul in January with a focus in Indian law. She recently passed the Minnesota bar and became a staff attorney for the Ho-Chunk Nation Trial Court. She holds undergraduate degrees from Augsburg in history and American Indian studies.

2011

Patrick Siegel 鈥11 is the proud owner of Robusto & Briar cigar store and lounge in Lakewood, Ohio. The establishment is made for all who appreciate a fine cigar and conversation-worthy d茅cor. He got hooked on the cigar business when, as a student at Augsburg, he was hired by the Golden Leaf shop, where he bought his cigars. He and wife, Nicole, who grew up in Rocky River, Ohio, decided to settle in Lakewood. Robusto & Briar specializes in hand-rolled products that are kept in a 15-by-30 foot humidor. The shop offers about 400 types of cigars and about 50 kinds of tobacco.

2012

Muneer-Al-hameedMuneer Al-Hameed 鈥12 won the Dancing with the Twin Cities Celebrities Charity Ball in February. Augsburg alumna Carla Beaurline 鈥91 was a judge this year and a 2015 Dancing with the Twin Cities celebrity dancer.

The听Minnesota Women鈥檚 Press published an article on Interfaith Youth Connection, a program for high school and college-age youth that promotes interfaith understanding and service. The article includes comments from Fardosa Hassan 鈥12, Muslim student program associate at Augsburg College and program coordinator of Interfaith Youth Connection. By holding regular conversations and yearly service events, the group seeks to give youth 鈥渁 way to be proud of who they are in whatever faith background they [believe], while reducing prejudice and misconception,鈥 Hassan said. 鈥淚n the midst of what is going on today, this is something we need.鈥

Patrick Sayler 鈥12 is the new general manager of Co-op Natural Foods in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Before returning to Sioux Falls three years ago, he spent 16 years in the Minneapolis area managing cafes and retail shops. As the general manager of Co-op Natural Foods, he will oversee an established business that employs approximately 20 people and does more than $2 million a year. He is completing work on a degree in business management/marketing and project management at the University of Sioux Falls.

2013

WielKuoth Wiel 鈥13 co-founded the NyaEden Foundation, a nonprofit that aims to provide basic survival necessities to disadvantaged women and children throughout Africa. She is an actress, model, and humanitarian whose debut film role was in 鈥淭he Good Lie,鈥 a drama starring Reese Witherspoon that tells the story of a group of Sudanese refugees who are offered shelter in the United States. Wiel was born to a Sudanese mother and father in an Ethiopian refugee camp following her parents鈥 escape from war-torn Sudan. As a young adult, Wiel moved to Minneapolis to attend Augsburg and study social psychology. Visit nyaedenfoundation.org to learn more about the organization鈥檚 work to foster girls鈥 and women鈥檚 safety, empowerment, independence, dignity, self-esteem, and self-respect.

2014

Allison Zank 鈥14 has been named a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow for 2016-17. Zank will receive a $34,000 annual stipend and $12,000 cost-of-education allowance to assist her in achieving a research-based graduate degree. An NSF GRFP indicates to graduate schools that a student is a top undergraduate scientist in the nation. Zank conducted summer research on biofilms with Augsburg Associate Professor Jennifer Bankers-Fulbright as well as at the University of Minnesota鈥檚 Dental School. Zank also has spent time conducting research in industry. At Augsburg, she was named an URGO Scholar, McNair Scholar, AugSTEM Scholar, and Goldwater Scholar. She plans to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in clinical microbiology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse this fall.

2015

Jordan Holm 鈥15 competed in the 2016 Olympic trials in the 85-kilogram weight class for Greco-Roman wrestling at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, on
April 6. Holm was one of three athletes automatically earning the No. 1 ranking. He graduated from Augsburg with a business degree in marketing.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

Entrepreneurial leader recognized

Nick-ThomleyNic Thomley 鈥06 MBA was named to the 2016 Class of Henry Crown Fellows and the Aspen Global Leadership Network at the Aspen Institute. This growing network unites a worldwide community of entrepreneurial leaders from business, government, and the nonprofit sector who share a commitment to enlightened leadership and to using their creativity, energy, and resources to tackle the foremost societal challenges of our time. Thomley is an accomplished entrepreneur in the human services industry and the founder of companies that provide an array of services to persons with disabilities and senior citizens. Thomley is the founder and CEO of Morning Star Financial Services and the founder and chairman of Summit Fiscal Agency and Pinnacle Services, Minneapolis. Thomley was named a 2015 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist and, in 2006, was named to Inc. Magazine鈥檚 鈥30 Under 30, America鈥檚 Coolest Young Entrepreneurs鈥 list and to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal鈥檚 鈥40 Under 40鈥 list. In 2010, Thomley was presented with Augsburg鈥檚 First Decade Award, which honors graduates of the past 10 years who have made significant progress in their professional achievements and contributions to the community.

Evan Berg 鈥10 MBA was hired as assistant vice president and loan officer at the Janesville State Bank in Janesville, Minnesota. He has a bachelor鈥檚 degree in economics/business administration from Winona State University and an MBA from Augsburg, as well as eight years of experience in credit analysis and lending with Farm Credit and several banks.

Katie Clark 鈥10 MAN, 鈥14 DNP presented at a breakout session for Fairview Health Services鈥 Somali Cultural Health Day in April. Her topic was 鈥淐ritical decision making and chronic illness.鈥 Clark connected her previous bedside nursing experience with her current experience working with Somali community members at the Health Commons in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. Her focus was to teach health care providers to deliver culturally congruent care to marginalized populations. She concentrated her efforts on reducing the role of stereotypes and assumptions in the patient-provider relationship.

Share this: