with an awning, fans and sound system, to be open in warm months. The second floor restaurant will have a seating capacity for more than 100 persons. Bethany Spicher ’01 Schonberg and her husband, Micah, are starting an organic vegetable farm close to where Bethany grew up in McAlevy’s Fort, Pa. Their farm is called Plowshare Produce, and they hope to market their vegetables through a Community Supported Agriculture program. Mary Walala ’01 became a U.S. citizen on Friday, Jan. 23, at a ceremony in Roanoke, Va. Mary is the program coordinator for the EMU Practice and Training Institute. Quinn Aeschliman ’02 was licensed and installed as associate pastor of discipleship and family ministries at Cedar Grove Mennonite Church, Chambersburg, Pa., Oct. 12. Lynley Culbertson ’02 Lapp, Hershey, Pa., graduated with a master in education degree from Pennsylvania State University, Dec. 20. Lynley has valued the privilege of working in her chosen field of health education for 2½ years. In September, she began her current position as a health educator with Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. Julia H. Fisher, MDiv ’03, was licensed as associate pastor of pastoral care at Landisville (Pa.) Mennonite Church Aug. 24. Abby Huffman ’03, and her husband, Mark, recently left Harrisonburg for Mexico City, where the couple will prepare for a two-year mission for the International Mission Board, an arm of the Southern Baptist Convention. After six months, Abby and Mark will conduct a college-campus ministry in the city of Tuxtla Gutierrez in the southernmost Mexican state of Chiapas. Ellen Miller ’03 Rohrer, Orrville, Ohio, completed a masters degree in elementary reading and literacy through Walden University and is currently in her 6th year teaching first grade at Walnut Creek Elementary School. Tim Jacquet ’04 has joined the staff of DIGICO Video, LLC, Harrisonburg, Va., as the business-development manager. Most recently, Tim was an account executive at ClearChannel Radio. Jay Wittmeyer, MA ’04, Elgineet, Ill., resigned as director of the Brethren Pension Plan and employee financial services for Brethren Benefit Trust (BBT), to accept the position of executive director of the Church of the Brethren’s Global Mission Partnerships, effective Jan. 5, 2009. Jay had served as director of the Brethren Pension Plan and employee financial services for BBT since Jan. 1, 2008. Prior to that, he served BBT for 14 months as manager of publications. He brings a wide range of work experience to the executive position with Global Mission Partnerships, including experience working with Mennonite Central Committee in Nepal and Bangladesh,
and as assistant director at the Lombard (Ill.) Mennonite Peace Center. Notably, his background includes conflict management coaching and congregational mediation for churches and judicatories throughout the United States. Marilyn Henderson MDiv ’05, was installed as pastor at Hebron Mennonite Church, Hagerstown, Md., on Nov. 16. Benjamin D. Arnold ’06, York Haven, Pa., is a band director for grades 5-12 and teaches general music to students in grades 7 and 8 in Southern Fulton County. Elizabeth (Beth) Jarrett, MDiv ’06, was ordained as associate pastor at Neffsville Mennonite Church, Lititz, Pa., on Sept. 21. Jonalyn Denlinger ’06 Risser, Baltimore, Md., is in graduate school at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. Her spouse, Jon Risser ’04, works in the admissions office for the Graduate Schools of the University of Maryland. Joilyn Zimmerly ’07, Sterling, Ohio, has been appointed to a one-year term of Mennonite Voluntary Service in Kykotsmovi, Ariz., as an elementary teacher with Hopi Mission School. Anisha Devadason ’07, Ellsworth, Kan., who came to America from India, was one of 210 candidates from around the world to become an American citizen at a ceremony Nov. 14 in Wichita. She is currently working for Ameri-Corps in the park service in Maryland. Frances Pfister ’08, St. Petersburg, Fla., is a pediatric intensive care nurse at All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg. Margaret (Maggie) Parker ’08 Yoder, Tacoma Park, Md., is working at the National Institutes of Health as a postbaccalaureate research fellow. She plans to apply to medical school.
Marriages
Ramona Steiner ’99, Sem ’02, to Peter Rios, July 30.
Dana Marie Gutshall ’02, MA ’06, to Matthew Good, Sept. 27. Lana Joy Kiser, MA ’03, to Matthew Daniels, July 5. Anita Rhodes ’03 to David Clymer, July 23. Jason Yoder ’03, to Sarah Harvey, August 16. Michael (Mike) Culen ’04 to Amanda Smith ’07 May 31. Lisa Hawkins ’04 to Wendell Shank ’02, June 28. Andrea Austin ’06 to Sean Wheeler, September 13. Jonalyn Denlinger ’06 to Jon Risser ’04, Oct. 18. Brandon Zaremba ’07 to Ashley Casey, June 14. Margaret Rose Parker ’08 to Nathaniel (Nate) Yoder ’08, Aug. 2.
PRESIDENTIAL VISIT TO ACADEMIA MENONITA IN PUERTO RICo: On March 3, 2009, Loren Swartzendruber (at back
right, with 10th grader Nicole Ortega) visited a San Juan school that educates more than 500 students in pre-K through grade 12. Also pictured are (front, left to right): Sonia Ramón, professional counselor; Francisca Nassar, executive secretary; Maricarmen Hernández, 10th grade student; Paloma García, 10th grade student.
Fred Kniss Is New Provost
A 1979 honors graduate will return to EMU as the new provost on July 1, 2009. Dr. Fred Kniss was named to this post after serving as chair of the department of sociology at Loyola University, Chicago, where he was a faculty member since 1991. During his tenure he was interim dean of The Graduate School at Loyola, 2004-05, and graduate program director of the sociology department, 2000-04. The provost guides the undergraduate and graduate academic programs of the university as well as the seminary, various auxiliary programs and the Adult Degree Completion Program. Kniss was a double major in sociology and philosophy and religion at EMU. Following five years of service in Kenya, he earned MA and PhD degrees in sociology from the University of Chicago. He is married to Rosalyn Myers Kniss, associate administrator of clinical laboratories at the University of Chicago Medical Center and a member of the EMU class of 1977. They have two children - Michael, a 2006 EMU graduate, and Stephen, a rising junior at EMU. They are members of Chicago Community Mennonite Church.
’68 Judge Presides In NYC Luis A. Gonzalez ’68, who majored in history as an undergrad, is now presiding justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for the First Judicial Department, New York City. Gonzalez is the first Latino to be appointed to one of the highest-ranking positions in the judicial system of the state of New York.
www.LoveToGive.net Through their website www.LoveToGive.net, Nate ’03 and Rebekah
’04 Hoffer aim to raise funds for causes that align with their Christian faith. The site showcases over 100,000 Christian and fair-trade products. Each purchase made through LoveToGive.net comes with a donation of about 15% of the purchase price (or half of the usual profit made on a typical retail sale), earmarked for the cause that the purchaser designates.
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