Northwest Missouri State Alumni Magazine Fall 2016 by Northwest Missouri State University

NORTHWEST THE MAGAZINE FOR NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

BREWING A

MAJOR DISTRIBUTION Mark Doll’s business is hoppin’ p.8

2016 HOMECOMING Make your move I p.17

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ALUMNI AWARDS 7 to be honored I p.18

SPRING SPORTS RECAP

Softball makes history I p.27

Photos by Jim Smith, This area would be for bylines.

PEOPLE JUST LIKE

YOU

It’s because of the volunteer support of countless alumni and friends – spirited people like Gary Thompson – that Northwest continues to thrive.

Northwest is literally where I “grew up” as a person – from cultivating a strong interest in the business world, to making lifelong friendships, to getting married. Forty years later, my wife, Kathy, and I are delighted to be back in Missouri and well connected to Northwest. Whether it’s serving on the Foundation Board, interacting with students and faculty, attending games, contributing economically or simply feeling the vibe on campus, Northwest is a very special place. It’s a place from which we derive great personal fulfillment and a place where we’re privileged to help serve future Bearcat alumni. Gary Thompson ’76, Princeton, Missouri

If you are interested in volunteer opportunities at Northwest, contact the Office of University Advancement at alumni@nwmissouri.edu or 660.562.1248.

NORTHWEST

ALUMNI

N O RT H W E S T M IS S O UR I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

Photos by Jim Smith, This area would be for bylines.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE Vol. 50 | Issue 1

Editor Mark Hornickel ’01, ’13 mhorn@nwmissouri.edu Designer Kim Ziegler kimz@nwmissouri.edu Design assistants Ashlee Hendrix ’08 Wes Rockwood ’14 Photographer Todd Weddle ’96 tweddle@nwmissouri.edu Photography assistant Jay Bradway Editorial assistants David Boyce Mitzi Craft ’91, ’09 Marshall Fey Teresa Darrah Gustafson ’97, ’05 Mike Johnson ’85 Laurie Drummond Long ’92 Rhonda Mannasmith Bob Machovsky ’15 Katie Machovsky Scott Nielson ’01 Dr. Lonelle Rathje ’97 ’03 Alexis Ryan Brandon Stanley ’01 Lori McLemore Steiner ’85 Steve Sutton ’71 Brenda Untiedt ’00, ’09 Lee Volmer ’16

BREWING A MAJOR DISTRIBUTION Mark Doll ’80

The Northwest Alumni Magazine is published twice a year by the Office of University Marketing and Communication, the Office of University Advancement, Northwest Missouri State University and the Northwest Foundation Inc., 800 University Dr., Maryville, MO 64468-6001. The mission of the Northwest Alumni Magazine is to foster connections between alumni, friends and Northwest Missouri State University. The University strives to inform readers of the accomplishments of Northwest’s alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students and to positively position the University in the hearts of its many constituents to increase public and private support.

contents TRADITIONS 22

TRUE STORY OF

BOBBY BEARCAT Horace Mann students research history

WILD ABOUT

ECOLOGY

Zach Hutchinson ’12 working to preserve, educate

Dear Friends

Northwest News

14 Alumni Connections 23 Advancing Northwest 26 Bearcat Sports 30 Class Notes

Northwest Missouri State University is an equal-opportunity, co-educational university and does not discriminate based on race, sex, disability, age, national origin or religion. Printed in the USA.

DEAR

FRIENDS There is much to celebrate in support of our alma mater as we approach the fall season and the start of another school year at Northwest Missouri State University. Our Northwest Foundation achieved unprecedented success during the most recent fiscal year. We surpassed our annual goal of $6 million by 23 percent to total almost $7.4 million, which includes our highest level of cash secured in any given year, a total of nearly $6.1 million. We also secured the highest amount of fundraising for a capital project at Northwest, and we awarded the highestever in scholarship support, totaling 1,210 awards worth nearly $856,000. Giving by faculty and staff increased by 9 percent to more than 40 percent – a total that is among the highest ever at Northwest and places the University among the top 75 percent of all master’s-granting institutions. Overall, annual giving to the Foundation increased by almost 7 percent. Our ability to achieve this kind of success starts with Mark ’80 and his wife, Julia Scott Doll, who attended Northwest. As Mark steps down from his two-year post as president of the Northwest Foundation’s Board of Directors, we have recorded backto-back record-setting fundraising years. This kind of success also is exemplified by the Dolls in their professional careers, leading their homegrown family business, Doll Distributing Inc., to the largest Midwest beer distributor. Together, Mark and Julia work closely with family members to achieve record success in sales and distribution. Now married 35 years, the Dolls are synonymous with winning. I raise my glass in appreciation for Mark’s record-setting term as president of our Northwest Foundation. We are grateful he and Julia have chosen to team with Northwest, and we celebrate their leadership. Sincerely,

Mike Johnson ’85 Vice President of University Advancement and Executive Director of Northwest Foundation Inc. 4

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NORTHWEST FOUNDATION INC. ’16–’17 BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Arnold Johnson ’77, Houston, Texas Vice President Jennifer Dawson Nicholson ’71, Kansas City, Mo.

David Holmes ’79, Prescott, Ariz. Carl Hughes ’76, Kansas City, Mo. Paul Jennings ’75, West Des Moines, Iowa

Immediate Past President Mark Doll ’80, West Des Moines, Iowa

John Moore ’78, Raymore, Mo.

Board Members Dr. Robert Burrell ’70, Denver, Colo.

William Oellermann ’72, Mansfield, Texas

John Cline ’75, Overland Park, Kan. Karen Daniel ’80, Belton, Mo. Ken DeBaene ’81, Long Branch, N.J. Myra Turner Evans ’77, Tarkio, Mo. Mike Faust ’74, Omaha, Neb.

Angela Booth Moskow, Basking Ridge, N.J.

Linda Nichols Place ’72, ’09, Albany, Mo. Patricia Poulos ’75, Highland Village, Texas Mary Hamilton Purdy ’72, Davidsonville, Md. Thomas Sanchez ’02, Washington, D.C.

Don Foley ’78, Ames, Iowa

Jayma Elmore Sandquist ’90, Indianola, Iowa

Eric Geis ’01, Shawnee Mission, Kan.

Dennis Sapp ’68, Gig Harbor, Wash.

Troy Greenfield ’90, Kansas City, Mo.

Ken Scribner ’87, Kansas City, Mo.

Jerry Hagg, Dearborn, Mo.

Carol Blom Spradling ’88, Maryville

Brian Heath ’84, Lakeland, Fla. Jacqueline Vincent Henningsen ’66, Arlington, Va.

Brad Stephens ’98, Butler, Mo. Gary Thompson ’76, Princeton, Mo.

John Teale ’73, Maryville Stan Zeamer ’70, Huntingdon, Pa.

Ex-Officio Directors Dr. Dean L. Hubbard, President Emeritus, Kansas City, Mo. Dr. John Jasinski, University President Mike Johnson ’85, Executive Director Dr. B.D. Owens ’59, President Emeritus, West Des Moines, Iowa

University Advancement Mike Johnson ’85, Vice President mikej@nwmissouri.edu Brooke Weldon Bowles ’02, Accounting Clerk and Scholarship Coordinator bbowles@nwmissouri.edu Mitzi Craft ’91, ’09, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations mitzi@nwmissouri.edu Teresa Darrah Gustafson ’97, ’05, Development Officer teresa@nwmissouri.edu Gabrielle Fields Hawkins, Annual Fund and Donor Relations Specialist ghawkins@nwmissouri.edu

Carma Greene Kinman ’85, Executive Assistant ckinman@nwmissouri.edu Laurie Drummond Long ’92, Development Officer laurie@nwmissouri.edu Bob Machovsky ’15, Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving rmachov@nwmissouri.edu Scott Nielson ’01, Associate Athletic Director/External Affairs and Development scottn@nwmissouri.edu Dr. Lonelle Rathje ’97, ’03, Executive Director of Development and Campaign Coordinator lonelle@nwmissouri.edu Lori McLemore Steiner ’85, Finance Officer and Executive Director of Advancement Services steiner@nwmissouri.edu Steve Sutton ’71, Senior Development Officer ssutton@nwmissouri.edu Brenda Untiedt ’00, ’09, Alumni Relations and Advancement Communications Specialist brenda@nwmissouri.edu

NORTHWEST NEWS

POWERING PROFESSION-BASED

LEARNING Academic affairs restructured

When the 2016-17 academic year begins this fall, Northwest’s division of academic affairs will feature a new organizational structure that the University’s chief academic officer says reflects a 21st-century university and supports profession-based learning. Northwest Provost Dr. Timothy Mottet announced last spring the University is leaving the academic college structure it has followed for decades and adopting one consisting of professional schools led by directors who will report directly to him. Deans who have traditionally led the academic colleges and other academic areas are now associate provosts. The restructuring emerged, Mottet said, from a number of needs and ideas that coalesced around personnel changes, a sharper focus on learning and need for academic differentiation. “This restructuring flattens the organization and empowers academic units to develop new and innovative academic programming and to be more connected to the organizations who hire our graduates,” Mottet said. “It’s allowing us to be more nimble and interdisciplinary, which both students and faculty are requesting.” Early success of a pilot initiative last year prompted academic leaders to rethink Northwest’s former Department of Health and Human Services, which had been based in the College of Education and Human Services. That initiative led to the development and launch last fall of the School of Health Science and Wellness, officially making it Northwest’s first professional school. Northwest has since dissolved its colleges of Education and Human Services and of Business and Professional Studies and transitioned five more academic departments to schools of Agricultural Sciences, Communication and Mass Media, Computer Science and Information Systems, Education, and the Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth School of Business. Professional schools, Mottet explains, represent academic units closely aligned with a profession, while academic departments contain broader disciplines. “There was never a master plan,” Mottet said. “This is an example of faculty who have trusted the process, and I am deeply appreciative of that.” The University, however, retains its College of Arts and Sciences, which houses the departments of Fine and Performing Arts; Humanities and Social Sciences; Language, Literature and Writing; Mathematics and Statistics; and Natural Sciences.

Diana O’Riley Linville ’01 ’06, left, an instructor of Computer Science and Information Systems and Northwest’s 2016 recipient of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education, assists Emily Pratt, a senior interactive digital media: new media major from La Vista, Nebraska. The School of Computer Science and Information Systems is one of six professional schools formed within Northwest’s new academic structure.

“This is an example of faculty who have trusted the process, and I am deeply appreciative of that.” Dr. Timothy Mottet, Provost

To learn more about the programs, course offerings and faculty in each of Northwest’s academic schools and departments, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/academics/departments.htm.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

NORTHWEST NEWS

LEARNING ABROAD

Students, faculty, staff visit Italy, study education philosophy Nine Northwest students, faculty and staff members spent a week last spring learning about the Reggio Emilia Approach to preschool and primary education – but their classroom was the philosophy’s birthplace of Reggio Emilia, Italy. The study abroad experience was life-changing and offered new perspectives for the three Northwest students who participated and will soon embark on their own teaching careers. “The biggest thing was just going over there and seeing it,” said Courtney Ravenscraft, a senior elementary education major from Kansas City, Missouri. “You can sit and read all about it, but going over there and seeing it in person was amazing.” The Reggio Emilia Approach is an educational philosophy developed for preschool and primary education that encourages play and exploration as a vehicle for learning. The study abroad experience provided the participants with practical international experience to support their corresponding academic coursework. While classrooms at Northwest’s Horace Mann Laboratory School and the Phyllis and Richard Leet Center for Children and Families employ the Reggio Emilia Approach, the experience provided the Northwest team with opportunities to examine new ways of thinking, reflecting and discerning about educational practice. In addition to their daily tours of Reggio schools, presentations by Reggio educators informed the study group about the approach’s history as well as the special rights and resources provided to the children. Each night, the Northwest team reconvened to discuss their observations. The visit challenged the educators to consider their instructional

Northwest students, faculty and staff members representing professional education programming visited Reggio Emilia, Italy, to tour its schools and learn about its renowned education philosophy. Pictured left to right in the first row are students Morgan Eckels, Courtney Ravenscraft and Carly Hovendick. In the second row are Dr. Pradnya Patet, Meghan Sheil ’98 ’02, Cindy Scarbrough Rouner ’01, Laura King, Sandy Seipel ’86 ’92 ’08 and Dr. Merlene Gilb.

approaches and instilled a recurring message that “the Reggio philosophy is a narrative of the possible.” “We must seek to make possible what seems impossible, and as educators we have the responsibility not only to grow children but also ourselves,” said Dr. Pradnya Patet, assistant professor of professional education. “The opportunity to spend time in a culture that honors children and believes that the culture of children can be a source of change for the whole culture was so powerful. I know that the students who were part of this amazing opportunity absorbed these messages.”

COLLABORATIVE EFFORT REDISCOVERS COSTUMES When Assistant Professor of Theatre Stephi Jorandby arrived at Northwest in 2014 and took stock of its costume collection, she discovered some incredible vintage pieces. But the collection was in disarray. So she contacted Nor thwest Archives and connected with a pair of students, Elizabeth Schneider and Hannah Mahnken, who were eager to help. They worked during the spring trimester to study the history and uses of some of the theater depar tment’s oldest costumes. Their most interesting find was a version of Snow White’s iconic blue, red and yellow dress, which is now displayed in the foyer of the Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts. Mahnken and Schneider determined the dress was worn for a 1974 production of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” in Nor thwest’s Deerwester Theater

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

and later in a 1995 production of “Into the Woods.” The Snow White dress, luckily, was in the Charles Johnson Theater at the Olive DeLuce Fine Ar ts Building and was one of the few costumes spared on the fateful night of July 24, 1979, when a fire on the Administration Building’s four th floor spread and destroyed the Deerwester Theater. Mahnken and Schneider also located several costumes in Nor thwest’s collection from the 1920s and 1930s but determined the pieces were donated after the fire and not worn in Nor thwest productions. One of those pieces, an ornate pearl and beaded wedding dress also is displayed in the Ron Houston Center.

NORTHWEST NEWS

FUTURE-FOCUSED

Northwest unveils campus master plan to enhance buildings, infrastructure

A conceptual drawing shows an aerial view of what the Northwest campus of the future could look like based on the recommendations of a recently completed campus master plan. The proposal includes a new visitor’s center at the main entrance to campus and a mix of new residential and academic buildings along the eastern edge.

“We will be practical, utilize our existing resources wisely, and enhance our living and learning environment.” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski

visitor’s center as well as maintaining Northwest’s compact campus and better connecting it internally and to Maryville. It also addresses deferred maintenance needs, residential experiences and the quality of instructional spaces. “One thing that a campus master plan will do is help reassess the land that we’re using today and the property, building or space in that building, and that was a big part of our master plan,” Allen Mays, Northwest’s facility services director, said. “There are new ideas and ways that we can incorporate additional usage into those spaces and not have to build new spaces. That’s using our resources wisely, and we have to think about that.”

Northwest is assessing the future of its campus, facilities and infrastructure after completing a campus master plan in collaboration with Baltimore-based master planning and architectural firm Ayers Saint Gross. The plan was unveiled in June after 15 months of numerous workshops, studies and public forums. The resulting plan outlines key opportunities and constraints the University faces with facilities and space usage. It serves as a framework for near-term and long-term investments during the next five years, 10 years and beyond. “We will be practical, utilize our existing resources wisely, and enhance our living and learning environment,” Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski said. “Not every recommendation will be enacted, but this provides a guidepost for us that will help focus our capital efforts tied to our strategic plan.” Recommendations within the plan include enhancing the campus’ “front door” and creating a stronger first impression with a new

Northwest Alumni Association Social Media Network

/nwmissourialumni

@NorthwestAlumni

For a complete listing of all Northwest social media networks, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/media/social.htm. NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

BREWING A

MAJOR DISTRIBUTION On a rainy Tuesday morning in July, Mark Doll ’80 breezes through the door of the downtown Des Moines, fifth floor apartment where he and his wife, Julia, live. Having come from a business meeting, he greets her in the kitchen and quickly notices the supermarket ads lying on the countertop. “What did we have?” he asks as he begins flipping through the pages of the ads.

By Mark Hornickel Design by Kim Ziegler Photography by Todd Weddle 8

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

“The University was fantastic to me, helping me get an opportunity to get my degree.” Mark Doll

Doll is the chief executive officer and president of Doll Distributing Inc., which has rapidly become one of the largest beer distributors in the Midwest. He is keenly interested in the ways products are displayed in the ads, which are key to the success of his business and the brands he represents. He finds four of the brands he sells and steps away from the countertop, satisfied. “That’s good. Four out of five. That’s a win.”

LEARNING STRUCTURE AND RELATIONSHIPS Mark Doll grew up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the second oldest of five children – and the son of a beer distributor. Merlin and Edith Doll founded Doll Distributing in 1965 with the purchase of a Hastings, Nebraska, distributor. The deal came with 2,260 Budweiser cases, 33 Budweiser kegs, 355 Goetz cases, seven tap accounts, two trucks and a wood-paneled Ford Edsel station wagon. By age 12, Mark was helping his dad deliver kegs of beer and unloading rail cars. But Mark also enjoyed football and wanted to continue his playing career after graduating from St. Albert’s High School in Council Bluffs. If he earned his college degree in business administration, Mark knew he could return to the Doll family business and take a larger role. The Bearcats’ head football coach Jim Redd ’66 gave Mark the shot he needed, allowing him on the team as a walk-on. “I might not have had the best grades coming out of high school, but Northwest accepted me,” Mark said. “It gave me some structure. You get around the other guys who really are just trying to do the same thing – have fun playing a sport they love. The University was fantastic to me, helping me get an opportunity to get my degree.” As a defensive linebacker, Mark lettered three times for the Bearcats between 1976 and 1979. Known to his coaches as an “aggressive, valuable performer,” he tallied 33 unassisted tackles and 73 assisted tackles during his career, along with a couple forced fumbles, blocked passes and an interception. He also was a senior member of the Bearcat football team that won an MIAA championship with Redd at the helm in 1979, one season after going 0-11. NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

“I was always working on Saturdays, so I could only go to maybe a Homecoming game,” Julia said. “Mark had already completed his football career by the time I met him.” The couple married in June of 1981 after about a year and a half of dating. “To be very blunt, I was doing ok,” Mark said. “But until I met Julia as a senior – that’s kind of when I really buckled down.”

GOING INTO DEBT, WORKING HARD

Mark Doll studies one of the beer brands Doll Distributing carries and ships from its Des Moines warehouse, where 1,400 different packages, 65 brands and 2½ weeks’ worth of beer is stored.

“We had gone through a tough spot when I was a junior,” Mark said. “The players, we blamed ourselves for that, and we knew we had to get together.” Mark and one of his teammates, Brad Boyer, came together all right. By hosting parties on Thursday nights. It was no secret that Mark enjoyed a party. But as anyone who came of age during that era also knows, it was a different time when most states allowed alcohol consumption at 18 or 19 years old. “Being in the beer business, it’s interesting because you have to get to know people. It’s a relationship business,” Mark said. “I remember my dad coming down to games, and he would bring a keg. We were in the beer business, right? So he’d bring a keg, and after the game I’d throw a party.” The most important party Mark threw, though, might have been the one where he met Julia Scott. Born and raised on a farm outside of Maryville, the daughter of Carroll and Shirley Scott, Julia already had a deep connection with Northwest. Her brother, Alan Scott ’78, and sister, Joan Scott Frampton, attended the University, and her grandfather, Ross A. Scott, was a member of the 1909 Bearcat football team, a connection she shares with Northwest head football coach Adam Dorrel ’98 ’00, who is her second cousin. Yet, Julia, who was attending Northwest as a fashion merchandising major, worked weekends at Tober’s clothing store on Main Street in Maryville and rarely attended football games. 10

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As the first in the Doll family to earn a college degree and newly married to Julia, Mark returned to Council Bluffs and became an account manager at the family’s beer distributorship, which remained small and covered just three counties in southwest Iowa. In 1985, Mark became the general manager for sales. He and his siblings, all of whom grew up working for the company, were applying the lessons they learned from their father and college and laying the groundwork for their own professional careers at the company. Then, in 1987, Merlin Doll approached his children with a proposal. He told them he wanted to sell and would help finance the deal. He would watch the business but wanted no involvement. “It was a pretty big step for us,” Mark said. “We were young, really didn’t know what we were doing sometimes. He was very good, sold us the company, and he didn’t have to. He did something right then – he put us in debt. It makes you work hard.” Mark and his siblings committed to growing the business and took over the Red Oak, Iowa, territory, expanding Doll’s distribution area to 11 counties. Meanwhile, Mark began working to meet as many distributors as he could. He joined the National Beer Wholesalers Association, for which he later served as chairman. That helped him become one of 10 from around the country selected to the join the Anheuser-Busch Wholesaler Panel. He developed a relationship with Anheuser-Busch senior management and currently is chairman of the Constellation Brands Distributor Board, a wholesaler panel representing Corona Beer. Julia also brought to the company a business and marketing acumen she developed in her coursework at Northwest and through her years working retail. The Dolls worked side-by-side every day. Early on though, Mark overlooked some important pieces of the business and made some mistakes by not understanding the needs of his financiers. “It really was an eye-opener for me because Julia and I were trying to get a family going, and I didn’t know much about banking relationships and I had to wake up to that,” Mark said. “My brothers and sister and I all work hard. We were all in, but we wanted to grow, too.” When he bit on an opportunity to purchase a Des Moines distributor but didn’t have the necessary financing, Anheuser-Busch helped the small distributor appeal to a larger bank and secure the deal. It worked, and overnight Doll went from delivering 1 million cases per year to 5 million. Remembering Merlin Doll’s words, “You’re going to be in debt, you’re going to work hard,” the Dolls pressed on. “We were concerned every day we went to work, thinking, ‘We need to drive

“My brothers and sister and I all work hard. We were all in, but we wanted to grow, too.” Mark Doll

efficiency and sales to get the debt ratios correct and hit the bank covenants that we agreed to,” Mark said. As the Great Recession was bubbling in 2007, Doll began a rapid expansion. The family purchased three more beverage companies to reach northern Iowa and become the largest beer wholesaler in the state. Last year, the company stretched further north, purchasing a distributor in Worthington, Minnesota. Today, Doll Distributing is stable and mature, delivering 9.4 million cases per year and owning 63 percent of the market share with one of the most prized portfolios in the industry. With 298 full-time employees, the company delivers to 44 of Iowa’s 99 counties and nine in Minnesota. It serves about 3,800 bars, restaurants, convenience stores, grocers and casinos. “What we do is represent breweries in the local market,” Mark said. “What I do every day is take their brands, tell a story about their brands, go to market, walk into the grocery stores, the liquor stores, the bars and taverns, tell the story about their brand and be sure to use our maximum efforts to promote it.” To drive down its debt and increase efficiencies, Doll began investing heavily in technology and tracking – something Mark credits his brother, Jay Doll, who also attended Northwest, for bringing to the company. Nearly all operations at Doll are softwarebased or automated, down to the energy-saving sensors on lighting systems. The storage facilities are temperature-controlled to ensure product reliability, and the company’s software provides customers with the industry’s highest in-stock rate and shipping accuracy. Spreadsheets and charts – not flashy product posters – cover the walls of the company’s business office, and the investment has produced positive results. Mark is most proud of a reduction in warehouse expenses to 13 percent of the company’s operating expenses. Additionally, a recent customer survey, conducted by Anheuser-Busch, ranked Doll employees at 9.2 on a 10-point scale. “Blew the competition away,” Mark says. NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

LEADING WITH EFFICIENCY Action is constant in Doll’s Des Moines warehouse, where 1,400 different packages, 65 brands and 2½ weeks’ worth of beer is stored. Doll packs 38 delivery trucks a day there, while the company’s Council Bluffs and Spencer locations move out half as much. When the delivery trucks return to the warehouse in the afternoon, team members begin loading them again so the next shipments are ready to leave the next morning. By the end of the night, they will have loaded 30,000 cases of beer. On June 28, the team set a record by delivering 58,000 cases of beer in preparation for the July Fourth holiday, which is Doll’s Super Bowl. It was the largest one-day total in company history. The racks of beer are stacked from floor to ceiling, the packaging coming in all colors of the rainbow. Cases hold all classes, flavors and pedigrees – from Schell Brewing Co., the country’s secondoldest family-owned brewery, to Schlafly, which lays claim to being Missouri’s largest locally owned independent brewery. “There’s just so much, and so many extensions of brands,” Mark says as he walks the warehouse aisles, pointing to packaging and making a sales pitch for nearly every case he passes. With craft beers altering the dynamics of the industry drastically in the last decade, the warehouse stocks acclaimed beers from all over the world. “Julia and I will just drive and go and find people. We’ll go up to the brewery and start talking to them,” Mark says. Mark’s pride and passion for the company and his people are evident as he walks the warehouse, picking scraps of packaging off the floor to place in trash cans and patting the shoulders of employees as they pass on forklifts. His attitude is emblematic of the company’s mission: “Building brands, building relationships.” It’s a mentality he learned from watching his father as well as through the experiences he had at Northwest. “The bottom line is it is about building relationships – in whatever business you’re in,” Mark said. “You have to get to know people and the better you know them, the better they relate to you. I’ve got 3,800 customers across Iowa and Minnesota, but I try to be out as much as I can and meeting with them. My people are very important to me. My customers are important. My suppliers are important. Bankers are important. Julia and I do political events a lot, because that’s important to our business. You just have to get out and go.” Now, Mark and Julia are passing their lessons to their children, who are becoming more involved in the family business. Andrew, 28, works with Doll’s senior management team on tracking and measuring, and Lauren, 26, works in human resources. Like their father, they grew up driving forklifts and moving beer. “To take it to this, it’s just been phenomenal, and all of this has happened in the last 10 years,” Julia said. “To follow (Mark) through his career with all the boards, with Anheuser-Busch and the beer wholesalers, it’s been a great experience for me and the kids. Because we’ve followed along, and the kids were learning constantly from his experience, now they’re into some of the organizations that he started with, so it’s been really fulfilling to watch that.”

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

Above, during a lunch stop at Tursi’s Latin King, an Italian restaurant in Des Moines, the Dolls converse with restaurant owner and client, Bob Tursi. Below, cases of Exile beer, which Tursi’s family produces, await shipping in Doll’s Des Moines warehouse.

Mark and Julia have passed their business lessons to their children, from left to right, Grant Sheeder, Lauren Doll Sheeder and Andrew Doll, pictured at the Sheeders’ June wedding. Like their father, Andrew and Lauren grew up helping with the family company and have taken larger roles as adults.

At top, Mark and Julia review a poster produced by Doll’s marketing staff for an upcoming event. Mark’s parents, Merlin and Edith Doll, founded Doll Distributing in 1965, and the family has maintained its mission of “Building brands, building relationships” for more than 50 years. As children, Mark (standing in center) and his siblings, Jeff, Jay, Scott and Tami, posed for a photo with a Budweiser Clydesdale.

GIVING BACK: MARK DOLL ENDS TENURE AS NORTHWEST FOUNDATION PRESIDENT In 2007, Mark Doll’s term as chair of the National Beer Wholesalers Association was ending when Jim Blackford ’72, Mike Faust ’74 and Ron Taylor ’79 traveled to Council Bluffs, Iowa, to ask him to join the Northwest Foundation Board of Directors. “I was on the road a lot, so I said, ‘I really want to do this, but if I do it I really want to commit,’” Mark said. “Julia and I don’t ever get involved with something that we’re not going to give it our all.” Mark figured he’d serve a three-year term and walk away. But in 2014, he succeeded Holly Murphy-Barstow ’81 – a classmate of Julia’s from kindergarten through their days as Northwest students – as president of the Foundation Board. In August, he passed the gavel to Arnold Johnson ’77. Mark speaks with pride of the positive changes the Foundation made during

his presidency to enhance its financial policies while praising the skills of the University’s Advancement staff and new members joining the Board. “Not to take anything away from any other Foundation Board members, because we’ve had some fantastic people, but go through that list today and look at the talent,” he says. “We’ve got some of the highest in their careers and personal lives. The Foundation is primed for success.” He also relishes the thrill he feels each time he returns to the campus. “It really gave me the basis to have the confidence to do what I’m doing today,” he says. “It’s special, too, that Julia and I met there. We fell in love there. I got my degree. It’s amazing, and so it holds a lot to me.” With that in mind, the Dolls give generously to Northwest as members of the 1905 Society and have committed a

gift in support of the University’s agricultural sciences, athletics facilities and scholarship offerings. “It was always a part of my background, growing up, knowing the University was there,” Julia said. “It was an important part of our community, and I want it to always be a part of the community.” Mark added, “Northwest gave so much to me. The people I met, the guys I played ball with. I got my degree there, and I owe it.” NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

ALUMNI CHAPTER

NEWS

Get involved today!

For more information about getting involved in a Northwest Alumni Association chapter, call 660.562.1248 or email alumni@nwmissouri.edu. Twenty alumni chapter comprise the Alumni Association, and more are being formed.

COLORADO ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

Members of the Colorado Alumni and Friends Chapter attended a barbecue at the home of Bob ’70 and Seal Burrell in Denver. Special guests were Dr. Sue Myllykangas, associate professor of recreation, Gina Hawk McNeese ’83, ’94, instructor of health and physical education, and 14 students who were in Colorado for a two-week recreation field study.

ST. LOUIS ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

Roxanna Swaney ’84, Becky Beaman, Damian Valline Bridges ’84, Brian Stewart, Beth Malott Paul ’83 and Sue Spiers ’96 enjoyed the Kansas City Alumni and Friends annual happy hour at The Landing in Liberty.

The St. Louis Alumni and Friends Chapter celebrated its eighth anniversary in May with a social at Patrick’s Restaurant and Spor ts Bar in the Westpor t Plaza. In February, members of the chapter met for dinner at Mike Duffy’s Pub and Grill in St. Louis. The chapter is planning a winery event in September and looking forward to hosting a tailgate prior to the Nor thwest vs. Lindenwood football game on Saturday, Oct. 22. To get involved with the St. Louis Alumni and Friends Chapter, contact Sue Hockensmith at sahockensmith@aol.com.

KANSAS CITY ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

Northwest alumni and friends enjoyed visiting with current students at a barbecue hosted by Bob ’70 and Seal Burrell in Denver.

SPRINGFIELD ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

Members of the Springfield Alumni and Friends Chapter joined the Northwest Alumni Association for Nor thwest Night at the Springfield Cardinals in May. Alumni and friends of all ages enjoyed seats and snacks in the Ashley Furniture Dugout Deck, and they received a free Springfield Cardinals ball cap.

Alumni and friends in the Springfield area enjoyed a night at the Springfield Cardinals game.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

The Kansas City Chapter again hosted Happy Hour at the Landing in February and more than 80 alumni attended. The 2017 Happy Hour is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 3, and the chapter is considering adding a fall event. The chapter also attended the Snake Saturday Parade in March in Nor th Kansas City, despite poor weather. Plans are already forming to have a parade entry in next year’s event. The chapter recently organized elections and appointed Bob Stalder ’88 as president, Terrance Logan ’07, ’10 as vice president and Katee Mejia ’07 as secretary. Other future plans include a Northwest Day at the Kansas City Zoo in September. Alumni and friends interested in learning more about events or joining the Kansas City Chapter are invited to send an email to nwalumnikc@gmail.com or follow the chapter on Facebook at facebook.com/ Nor thwestAlumKC/ and Twitter @nwkcalumni.

NORTHWEST

ALUMNI

Photo 1: Northwest alumni and friends gathered at Mike Duffy’s in St. Louis for dinner in February. Photo 2: The St. Louis Alumni and Friends Chapter celebrated its eighth anniversary in May. Photo 3: Bob ’73 and Karen Irmer ’89, ’95 Coulson attended the St. Louis Alumni and Friends Chapter anniversary social in May.

ST. JOSEPH ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

The St. Joseph Alumni and Friends Chapter star ted 2016 with its annual re-gifting par ty at Ground Round in January and a Mardi Gras Social at Bourbon Street in February. St. Joseph Beverage hosted a March Madness pizza par ty, which attracted a huge crowd. Members of the chapter took a road trip to Weston to enjoy a wine tasting and dinner in April. The chapter raised money at each event to contribute to its scholarship fund. The chapter welcomes all alumni to join any of its events. Follow the chapter on Facebook at Nor thwest Missouri State University Alumni and Friends St. Joseph Chapter.

WASHINGTON, D.C., ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

The Washington, D.C., Alumni Chapter hosted its first chapter event of 2016 on April 18. The chapter was honored to have Northwest President Dr. John Jasinski as well as members of the Northwest Board of Regents and Northwest Leadership Team in attendance. Congressman Sam Graves also recognized the Northwest football team for its 2015 NCAA Division II football national championship with a Congressional Record. The chapter plans to host another event in the fall for alumni in the D.C. area as well as occasional watch parties. To join the chapter, email Northwest.Bearcats.DC@gmail.com or search for the “Northwest Missouri State Alumni - DC Chapter” Facebook group.

STAY CONNECTED

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

DISCOVER THE MANY BENEFITS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF YOUR ALUMNI ASSOCIATION. • Attend an alumni event in your area • Volunteer at an alumni event • Get involved with an alumni chapter in your area • Recruit a student • Become a mentor • Serve on the alumni board Contact the Alumni Relations Office at Northwest Missouri State University for more information. 660.562.1248 alumni@nwmissouri.edu

TOURIN’ BEARCATS VISIT NEW YORK CITY Northwest alumni and friends traveled to New York City in April as part of Tourin’ Bearcats, the Northwest Alumni Association’s travel program. The trip took 25 alumni and friends for visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, National September 11 Memorial & Museum, St. Paul’s Chapel, Central Park, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Times Square. The group also enjoyed two Broadway shows and toured the New Amsterdam Theatre. Upcoming trips include a Spotlight on London, Sept. 7-13, and visits to the Pacific Northwest and California June, 18-25, 2017. For more information about both trips, call the Northwest Alumni Association at 660.562.1248 or visitnwmissouri.edu/alumni/.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

STUDENTS EXTEND THANKS TO DONORS Northwest celebrated the alumni and friends who contribute generously to the University in support of scholarships, campus facilities and the value of a college degree during the second annual “Thank a Donor Day” in April. Students signed a “thank you” banner for donors and were offered an opportunity to contribute to the 2016 Senior Class Gift Campaign. The event is designed to educate students about the importance of private donations from alumni, family and friends; draw attention to the impact that alumni support has throughout the University and actively engage the student body in the stewardship of alumni donors. Private support for Northwest has averaged more than $5.2 million during the last three years. Additionally last year, the Adopt-a-Bearcat scholarship program, supported through donors, awarded nearly 200 scholarships and the Northwest Foundation awarded more than $850,000 in scholarships. Also, facility upgrades and amenities throughout campus – including new furnishings in academic areas – were fully funded through donor gifts.

Northwest students sign a banner thanking donors who have supported them and the University during “Thank a Donor Day” activities.

“This event helps students understand that donors are impacting their ability to receive an education by allowing Northwest to remain one of the most affordable institutions in the country,” Bob Machovsky ’15, director of alumni relations and annual giving, said. “Students and the Northwest community can stand together to say thank you to so many who continue to make Northwest such a special place.”

New

Bearcat

License Plate now available

“Ride with Pride”

by making a donation of $25 or more to the Northwest Fund and purchasing your personalized Bearcat License plates. Note that you want to receive a collegiate license plate form when making your donation.You’ll receive an Emblem Use Authorization Statement from the Northwest Foundation that you can present to your local license bureau and a $15 fee due to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

Available to alumni and friends living in Missouri If you already have Northwest personalized plates, update your plates with the new Bearcat paw logo by following these steps: • Complete Form 1576, which is accessible at http://dor.mo.gov/forms/1576.pdf. • In the section titled “Replacement Plate Information,” write that you are requesting the updated configuration/ logo for Northwest Missouri State University as the Missouri Department of Revenue has not updated its form for organizations with changed or updated logos. • Have Form 1576 notarized as indicated in the section titled “Notary Information.” • Take the completed and notarized Form 1576 to your local license office to process. • The license office will issue a “replacement” permit to use on your vehicle until the replacement plates are manufactured. • Mail the completed Form 1576 to the Motor Vehicle Bureau with a check for the amount of $20.50 written to the Missouri Department of Revenue. The mailing address is provided on the form.

For more information, visit nwmissouri.edu/alumni/licenseplate.htm, or contact the Northwest Alumni Association at alumni@nwmissouri.edu or 660.562.1248.

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

HOMECOMING 2016 - OCTOBER 27-29

Events are subject to change/cancellation VARIETY SHOW • Thursday, Oct. 27, and Friday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m. (FREE) • Ron Houston Center for the Performing Arts • Tickets are free but required. Call 660.562.1212 to reserve a ticket; tickets may be acquired the night of the performance if available. HOMECOMING GOLF CLASSIC • Friday, Oct. 28, noon ($45) • Two-person scramble • Mozingo Lake Golf Course • Call 660.562.1248 or visit nwmissouri.edu/alumni/events to register FLAG-RAISING CEREMONY • Friday, Oct. 28, 2 p.m. (FREE) • Joyce and Harvey White International Flag Plaza M-CLUB HALL OF FAME BANQUET AND INDUCTION CEREMONY • Friday, Oct. 28, 6:30 p.m. ($25) • J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom • Tickets can be purchased through Michele Steinmeyer at 660.562.1977 HOMECOMING WELCOME • Saturday, Oct. 29, 8 a.m. (FREE) • Alumni House, includes refreshments HOMECOMING PARADE • Saturday, Oct. 29, 9 a.m. (FREE) • The parade begins at the corner of Ray and College Avenue. It will proceed east to the main University entrance at Fourth Street and conclude at Fourth and Main streets. HY-VEE BEARCAT ZONE PREGAME FESTIVITIES • Saturday, Oct. 29, 12:30 p.m. (FREE) • Raymond J. Courter College Park Pavilion • Tailgate meal available for purchase ($7). Menu includes barbecue chicken with buns, coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, potato chips, cookies and a beverage. FOOTBALL VS. PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY • Saturday, Oct. 29, 2:30 p.m. • Bearcat Stadium • COST: $20 reserved, $12 adult general admission (standing room only), $10 K-12 standing room only or visiting students; football tickets available beginning Wednesday, Sept. 21, purchase tickets online via bearcatsports.com or in person at the Cashering Office in the Administration Building. PLACES TO STAY MARYVILLE Comfort Inn 660.562.2002 Holiday Inn Express 660.562.9949 Super 8 660.582.8088

HONORING THE

CLASS OF 1966

Photos by Jim Smith, This area would be for bylines.

ST. JOSEPH America’s Best Value Inn Days Inn Drury Inn Hampton Inn Holiday Inn Ramada Inn Stoney Creek Inn

816.364.3031 816.279.1671 816.364.4700 816.390.9300 816.279.8000 816.233.6192

7-29 BER 2

OCTO

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The Golden Years Society Reunion welcomes all classmates from 1966 and before to attend Homecoming. Mark your calendars for Oct. 28-29 and make plans to return to campus. For more information, contact the Office of Alumni Relations at 660.562.1248 or alumni@nwmissouri.edu. FRIDAY, OCT. 28 (Tentative itinerary) 9 a.m. Welcome reception (Alumni House) 10:30 a.m. Campus bus tour 11 a.m. Reunion photo (Kissing Bridge) 11:30 a.m. Luncheon (J.W. Jones Student Union) 2 p.m. Flag-raising ceremony (Joyce and Harvey White International Flag Plaza) 5 p.m. Golden Years social (Alumni House) 6:30 p.m. M-Club Hall of Fame Banquet and Induction Ceremony (Student Union Ballroom)*

SATURDAY, OCT. 29 (Tentative itinerary) 8 a.m. Homecoming welcome (Alumni House) 9 a.m. Parade with VIP seating 11:30 a.m. Hy-Vee Bearcat Zone pregame activities (College Park)* 2 p.m. Bearcat football vs. Pittsburg State University (Bearcat Stadium)*

REUNION COST: $35 PER PERSON *optional activity, additional cost

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

Alumni 2016

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD

Steven Wallach

Dr. Deborah Toomey

Wallach ’77 has 38 years of experience in the defense, intelligence and civil communities. He serves as an independent consultant for national security activities, supporting both government and industry. Wallach’s career includes more than 32 years with the National Geospatial– Intelligence Agency (NGA) and its predecessor organizations. After retiring from federal service in 2010, Wallach became senior vice president of GeoEye, where he was responsible for oversight and guidance on NGA and national security issues. He also led its relationship with the executive branch and U.S. Congress.

Toomey ’94 ’96 joined Northwest’s faculty full time in 2006 and serves as assistant professor of marketing in the Melvin D. and Valorie G. Booth School of Business. Previously, Toomey worked for 10 years in Northwest’s offices of Admissions and Advisement Assistance, establishing the annual Summer Orientation Advisement and Registration (SOAR) program. Toomey is a recipient of Northwest’s Dean’s Faculty Award for Exemplary Service and the Dean’s Faculty Award for Student Support. She also is a recipient of the Tower Service Award for faculty and the Tower Service Award for academic advising.

DISTINGUISHED FACULTY EMERITUS AWARD

Cathran Cushman

Cushman, who died in 1983 and is being honored posthumously, came to Northwest in 1967 and retired in 1976, serving as an instructor and general manager of KXCV, Northwest’s public radio station. She developed the KXCV programming vision that remains in place today and uses Northwest students as on-air announcers, news and sports anchors. “Mrs. C” was instrumental in writing grants to assist with funding for equipment and operational funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. She made sure KXCV was an early member of National Public Radio.

HONORARY ALUMNI AWARD

YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD

TURRET SERVICE AWARD

Willard “Bud” Tice

Abdul-Kaba Abdullah

Robert Moulder

Tice was an athletic trainer at Northwest from 1971 to 1975 before moving to West Virginia University to become its head football trainer. Tice went on to work with the Buffalo Bills professional football team, Baxter Travenol and as an assistant administrator at the Buffalo General Hospital, retiring in 2012. He received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University in 1968. He was later drafted into the United States Army and served from October 1968 through June 1970. After receiving an honorable discharge, Tice enrolled in graduate school at Eastern Michigan University, where he completed his master’s degree in 1971. 18

AWARDS RECIPIENTS

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

Abdullah ’02 has 12 years of experience in government affairs and economic development in the St. Louis region. He serves as city manager for the city of Berkeley, Missouri. Under his management in 2015, the city of Berkeley reduced operating expenses by 13 percent, balanced its budget and created a $2 million surplus in its general operating fund. The city also upgraded its bond and credit rating for the funding of a $6 million police station and successfully partnered with Boeing to begin a $200 million expansion of its facility for the Boeing Commercial 777X airliner.

Moulder ’86 is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, and graduated from Northwest with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Upon graduation, he was hired by Cerner Corporation where he spent 29 years in the engineering division. Moulder recently retired from Cerner and relocated near Springfield, Missouri. During the last 15-plus years of his Cerner career, he was active in recruiting activities for Cerner as the Northwest engineering executive sponsor. He was involved with mentoring programs, High School Computer Science Day, mock interviews, professional advisory panels, and he hired several Bearcats for Cerner.

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

Greg McDanel

Greg McDanel ’02 has helped strengthen the bond between Northwest and the Maryville community since becoming city manager in 2012. He began his career in local government for the city of Independence, Missouri, and completed his master’s degree in public administration with an urban emphasis at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. With more than 13 years of experience in local government and six years as a manager, McDanel has obtained Credentialed Manager Candidate status from the International City Manager’s Association (ICMA). He also remains active in the Missouri City Manager’s Association (MCMA) and the Maryville Host Lions Service Club. McDanel has been selected four times as a presenter for the International Town & Gown Association Annual Conference for his collaborative work with the city of Maryville and Northwest.

YOU’RE INVITED

Alumni 2016

AWARDS BANQUET TO RECOGNIZE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND DEDICATION OF OUTSTANDING NORTHWEST ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

2017 ALUMNI AWARDS CALL FOR NOMINATIONS The Northwest Alumni Association annually recognizes alumni, current and retired faculty, and friends who have brought distinction upon themselves, their profession and Northwest – and your nominations are essential to the process. Individuals nominated should personify Northwest’s tradition of excellence through their service and achievements. Nominations must be submitted on forms provided by the Alumni Association and will not be considered unless the entire nomination form is complete. The nomination deadline is March 1, 2017, and the Alumni Association Board of Directors will select recipients at its 2017 spring meeting. Contact the Northwest Alumni Association for a nomination form at 660.562.1248, email alumni@nwmissouri.edu or complete the appropriate form located at www.nwmissouri.edu/alumni/events/awards/nominations.htm.

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD

PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

Recognizes Northwest alumni for exceptional professional and personal achievement and extraordinary distinction in their chosen field

Recognizes outstanding service-minded alumni or friends of Northwest who have devoted their time and energy to public service or the advancement of higher education

DISTINGUISHED FACULTY EMERITUS AWARD

Recognizes a former faculty member for outstanding teaching, service or research contributions at Northwest DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD

Recognizes a present faculty member for outstanding teaching, service or research contributions at Northwest HONORARY ALUMNI AWARD

Honors Northwest friends who have served, promoted and loved the University in the tradition of a loyal graduate

TURRET SERVICE AWARD

Acknowledges alumni whose significant contributions of time and talents benefit and promote Northwest and its Alumni Association

SEPTEMBER 16 J.W. JONES STUDENT UNION BALLROOM 6 P.M.

SOCIAL

6:30 P.M.

DINNER

8 P.M. AWARDS PRESENTATION

$40 PER PERSON OR $300 FOR A TABLE OF EIGHT

PLEASE RSVP BY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/alumni/events/ awards/registration.htm or contact the Northwest Alumni Association at 660.562.1248 or alumni@nwmissouri.edu.

YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD

Honors graduates of the last decade for exceptional achievements in Award career, public service nomination or volunteerism deadline: that bring honor to March 1, 2017 Northwest

NORTHWEST

M I S S O U R I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

ALUMNI A S S O C I A T I O N

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

NORTHWEST WELCOMES HAWKINS TO LEAD ANNUAL APPEAL PROGRAM Gabrielle Fields Hawkins has joined Northwest’s Office of Advancement as annual giving and donor relations specialist. Hawkins is responsible for supervising the Northwest Call Center and managing a comprehensive annual appeal program that incorporates faculty and staff, students, parents, friends and alumni groups through direct mail solicitations, the call center, e-campaigns, giving societies and social media. “Gabrielle’s educational background in public relations will aid significantly in communicating with alumni and friends as she continues to grow the annual giving program,” Bob Machovsky ’15, director of alumni relations and annual giving, said. “We are excited to watch her succeed in growing the program.” Hawkins is completing her bachelor’s degree at Northwest in communication with a public relations emphasis. On June 25, she wed Kevin Hawkins ’13 ’15, a police officer with Northwest’s University Police Department since 2010.

TRADITIO

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

NORTHWEST

ALUMNI

NO RT H WE S T MI S S O U R I S TAT E UN IVERSITY

MISSION: The Northwest Alumni Association fosters lifelong relationships through initiatives and opportunities that advance the University and its alumni, future alumni and friends. 2016-2017 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT Linda Nichols Place ’72, Albany, Mo. VICE PRESIDENT Paula Rector Davis ’91, Lee’s Summit, Mo. PAST PRESIDENT Kory Schramm ’95, Johnston, Iowa MEMBERS Karen Logullo Bader ’86, ’95, Aurora, Mo. Dennis Bunch ’69, ’76, Johnston, Iowa Randy Cody ’99, Carson, Iowa Mark DeVore ’71, Branson, Mo. Michelle Mattson Drake ’98, Maryville Allison Kahre Kreifels ’06, ’11, Wahoo, Neb. Marsha Alsbury Leopard ’71, ’76, Chillicothe, Mo. Jay Liebenguth ’80, Louisburg, Kan. Joyce Seals Roddy ’75, St. Peters, Mo. Faith Spark, Des Moines, Iowa Bob Stalder ’88, Kansas City, Mo.

Abby Stephens Elliott ’06, ’08, Diagonal, Iowa Anitra Germer Svendsen ’04, ’07, St. Joseph, Mo. Rich Tohkeim ’82, Omaha, Neb. Dustin Wasson ’03, Perry, Mo. EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS Mike Johnson ’85, Vice President of University Advancement Arnold Johnson ’77, President, Northwest Foundation, Des Moines, Iowa Lori McLemore Steiner ’85, Finance Officer Bob Machovsky ’15, Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving Gabrielle Fields Hawkins, Annual Fund and Donor Relations Specialist Brenda Untiedt ’00, ’09, Alumni Relations and Advancement Communications Specialist

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

NORTHWEST NIGHT AT THE ST. JOSEPH MUSTANGS Northwest alumni and friends enjoyed a fun-filled evening at the ballpark June 18 during the sixth annual Northwest Night at the St. Joseph Mustangs. Fans enjoyed a tailgate outside the stadium and then watched the Mustangs take a 2-1 victory over the Chillicothe Mudcats at historic Phil Welch Stadium. The Mustangs switched out their usual red jerseys for Northwest green to support the University, and fans were treated to a fireworks show after the game.

NORTHWEST NIGHT AT THE K Northwest alumni and friends gathered May 26 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City for Northwest Night at the K, sponsored by the Northwest Alumni Association, and a game featuring the Royals and division rival Chicago White Sox. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans and the game was canceled – but not before fans had the opportunity to receive a commemorative cap and enjoy a brief tailgate party. Fans also took photos with the Bearcat football team’s 2015 NCAA Division II National Championship trophy and the Royals’ 2015 World Series championship trophy. The event is rescheduled for Sept. 29.

NORTHWEST AT RAGBRAI Cycling enthusiasts showed their Bearcat pride and represented Northwest July 26 at a stop in Mount Ayr, Iowa, during the annual RAGBRAI bicycle ride across Iowa. Bob Machovsky ’15, director of alumni relations and annual giving; Joen Gross Brown ’69 and Joan Lynch Jackson ’65, representing the Southern Iowa Alumni and Friends Chapter; and Brenda Untiedt ’00, ’09, alumni relations and advancement communications specialist; were stationed at the Northwest Alumni Association tent and gave away green Northwest reflector lights to all who visited the tent.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

ALUMNI CONNECTIONS

NORTHWEST BIDS FAREWELL Long-time employees Dr. Leslie Galbreath ’85 ’02 and Dr. Joyce Piveral ’70 ’74 ’82 celebrated their retirements last spring.

Fifth and sixth graders at Northwest’s Horace Mann Laboratory School interview Vinnie Vaccaro ’73 while researching and compiling an oral history about Bobby Bearcat. Vaccaro was the first to play Bobby at Northwest in 1969.

TRUE STORY OF

BOBBY BEARCAT Horace Mann students research history Fifth and sixth graders at Northwest’s Horace Mann Laboratory School got hands-on lessons in researching, interviewing, writing and publishing last spring as they sought to tell “The True Story of Bobby Bearcat.” The students, under the guidance of Horace Mann fifth and sixth grade instructor Sarah Winans ’04, published their work in a colorful 20-page hardcover book that mixes photos with highlights of their research and interviews. “Project-based learning is really essential to what we do at Horace Mann, and we were trying to decide on a history project,” Winans said. “We thought it would be a cool way to see how Bobby has changed but also to look at Northwest history in decades. We started with the original Bearcat and tried to get someone from each decade, so we could trace history and how Bobby changed.” Seven individuals – Vinnie Vaccaro ’73, Steve Griswold ’90, Shawn Wake ’92, Brandon Stanley ’01, Jake Phillips ’07, Tanner Wendel and Chris Gunn – who 22

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

wore the Bobby costume and played the beloved Northwest mascot are featured in the book. The former mascots share memories in the book of a kiss from the famed San Diego Chicken, a miraculous half-court shot at a Northwest basketball game and their creativity with props and stunts – which didn’t always go as planned. They also discuss how they felt when they put on the costume, the campus culture while they were students and, of course, the pride they still hold for Northwest. The research even included a visit to “Bobby’s closet” in the hub of Northwest athletics at the Lamkin Activity Center, where students took turns trying on pieces of the Bobby costume. “It was pretty fun to walk down Northwest history, and we got generations of history through this oral history project,” sixth grader Zeke Morrow said. “It’s fun that a lot later in history we can come back to wherever they put these books, and we can just read it and say this was our work, and it will be fun.”

Galbreath retired as dean of academic and library services and served the University for 30 years in varied roles, including director of the Talent Development Center and director of the Student Athlete Success Program. As dean, she initiated a reconceptualization of the B.D. Owens Library to make the facility a more vibrant, learner-centered environment that is equipped with unique furniture for group work and features a Starbucks.

Piveral retired as the dean of the College of Education and Human Services after 15 years of service to Northwest. Before becoming dean in 2010, she was an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership. She also was assistant principal at Central High School in St. Joseph and a principal at the C-I Junior and High School in Fillmore, both in Missouri. Piveral was active in teacher accreditation processes at the state and regional levels.

ADVANCING NORTHWEST

LASTING L EGACI ES

“We really believe that helping students get their education is a gift that lasts a lifetime. If we can help them with a scholarship, it can make an impact.”

Giving back to organizations and causes that have deeply impacted their lives has long been a mission of Dan ’88 and Mar tha Peterson. Understanding the powerful effect of a college education, the Petersons recently made a $50,000 testamentary gift to Nor thwest as par t of their estate plans. Having grown up in Underwood, Iowa, Dan was active on his family’s cattle and row crop farm and understood the impor tance of fur thering his education. He chose to attend Nor thwest because of its proximity to the farm and the recommendation of Joe Pickard ’81, his FFA teacher and mentor. Today, the Petersons, with Dan’s parents, operate Peterson Angus Farms Inc. and their DuPont Pioneer Seed Corn agency. They also are active in southwest Iowa communities and maintain the strong family values their parents instilled in them. While the Petersons continue to explore other ways they may contribute to Nor thwest, Dan and Mar tha are the parents of four children: Alex, Anna, Aiden and Andrew. Anna, is pursuing her bachelor’s degree at Nor thwest.

Dan Peterson ’88

Dan ’88 and Martha Peterson with their children, Andrew, Anna, Alex and Aiden

One of easiest planned gifts to create and implement is a bequest in your will or living trust. It allows you to give any percentage of your estate as a charitable gift when a current gift of real estate or cash might not otherwise be feasible.

CONSIDER THESE ADVANTAGES: It’s simple to set up. n You’re able to maintain control of your assets. n It provides a gift to Northwest in an amount you believe is appropriate, and you can still provide for your loved ones. n

It provides an estate tax deduction. n It provides for a cause you deem worthy at Northwest. n It includes membership in the Northwest Foundation’s James H. Lemon Heritage Society. n Leaves a lasting legacy at Northwest n

Contact the Office of University Advancement at 660.562.1248 or advance@nwmissouri.edu to find out about the many advantages of providing an estate provision.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

ADVANCING NORTHWEST

ALUMNUS ESTABLISHES SCHOLARSHIP FOR MINORITY STUDENTS Dr. George F. Garcia ’65 established the Esteban and Matilde Garcia Scholarship to honor his parents and help provide oppor tunities for minority students in need of financial assistance while they are preparing to teach. “My whole career was working with students and promoting their education,” George said. “After I retired, I thought it would be good to honor my parents as well as to help people who want to be educators. I wanted this scholarship to provide financial assistance to students like myself who wanted to pursue a career in education.” George’s father, Esteban, was born in poverty in nor thern Mexico. At age 10, Esteban’s father was killed in a mining accident, and Esteban stopped his formal education to work and help suppor t his mother and three sisters. In 1914, he crossed the Rio Grande and found employment as a laborer with the Texas and New Orleans Railroad in Whiteland, Texas. George’s mother, Matilde, was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and in 1913 migrated to Texas with her mother and stepfather. Her family made their way to Whiteland, where her stepfather befriended the young Esteban and introduced him to Matilde. George, the youngest of their nine children by 24 years, was the first to attend and graduate from college. He not only earned his bachelor’s degree at Nor thwest but later completed master’s and doctorate degrees. “One of my earliest memories is seeing my siblings’ framed

Matilde and Esteban Garcia stand with their son, George, on the day of his high school graduation.

high school diplomas, proudly displayed in my parents’ small living room,” George said. “I knew I would let my family down if I did not attain a diploma of my own.” Esteban and Matilde were married for 50 years, and Esteban retired as a Pullman Porter for the Mexican railroad company, Ferroccarriles Mexicanos. They believed, with hard work and an education, their children and grandchildren could prosper. “This is why I established the scholarship in their memory,” George said. “For the scholarship to be a beacon for future generations of Nor thwest students who want to pursue their dream as educators.” During 41 years in education, George was a high school teacher, principal and central office administrator. He served as a superintendent of schools in Kansas City, Missouri; Tucson Public Schools in Arizona and the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado.

MATH EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP HONORS COMMITMENT TO TEACHING

Helen Doak

Allen Doak

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

Cheryl Clark, with her husband, Steve, is honoring her parents, Allen ’30 and Helen Doak, with the creation of the Allen A. and Helen Doak Family Scholarship for math education majors who demonstrate potential for success as a teacher. The scholarship is a tribute to Allen’s career as a math teacher, principal, superintendent and basketball coach as well as Helen’s contributions to her husband’s endeavors as a homemaker and their farming operation. Allen passed away in 2000, and Helen died in 2010. “His life was fulfilled,” Clark said of her father. “He lived his life doing what

he enjoyed, which was teaching and farming.” While at Nor thwest, Allen was the treasurer of his graduating class. He worked his way through college as an employee in the kitchen of one of the women’s dormitories. He served in the Navy during World War II and was honorably discharged as lieutenant commander. His teaching career included three years at Turney, Missouri, seven years at Lawson, Missouri, as a math teacher, basketball coach and superintendent, and 15 years at Osborn, Missouri, where he was a math teacher and principal. He finished his career as a teacher and assistant basketball coach in Cameron, Missouri.

ADVANCING NORTHWEST

ALUMNA’S TRUST YIELDS LARGE GIFT FOR SCHOLARSHIPS Before dying in the spring of 2014 at the age of 93, Dr. Beulah Wilkinson Summers ’42 (right) established an endowed scholarship bequest in her living trust for the purpose of assisting Northwest students for generations. That bequest has resulted in a gift from her trust to the University totaling more than $100,000 for her scholarship fund. The scholarship in her name is awarded to a full-time student with preference given to graduates of Worth County High School in Grant City, Missouri. Academic achievement and financial need are leading criteria. “It was my pleasure to meet Dr. Summers and hear of her appreciation for the education she acquired, as well as the joy it brought, throughout her lifetime,” said Laurie Drummond Long ’92, a development officer for Northwest’s Office of University Advancement. “Scholarship support for students is a top priority at Northwest, and we are grateful that Bea chose to assist her alma mater when finalizing her estate plans.” Beulah completed her bachelor’s degree at Northwest with double majors in home economics and business economics. She later earned a master’s at Emporia State University and a Ph.D. at Kansas State University. At Northwest, she met her late husband, James Summers Jr. Later, James maintained his own furniture business. Beulah enjoyed teaching home economics at Topeka High School during the school year and typing classes during the summer for 35 years. The couple also raised two children. “By establishing a scholarship through my trust, I have the satisfaction of knowing that young people from my high school in Grant City will one day find it a bit easier to attend college,” Beulah said after establishing the scholarship in 2010. “I am grateful for the wonderful education that Northwest provided.”

FCS FINANCIAL PRESENTS $50,000 TO SUPPORT AG CENTER FCS Financial, a lender and financial services provider for farmers and related businesses in Missouri – has awarded Nor thwest and its Nor thwest Foundation $50,000 to support the University’s planned Agricultural Learning Center. FCS Financial leaders presented Nor thwest with the gift in conjunction with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in March to commemorate the opening of the lender’s new Maryville office. “Education and especially educating our youth is very important,” David Janish, chief executive officer for FCS Financial, said. “We have a commitment to agriculture and rural communities, and we see this par tnership and this donation to Northwest Missouri State University to benefit their ag learning center as just a very important step in that process of suppor ting our youth. We really see it as not only an investment in Nor thwest

Northwest alumni and staff members of FCS Financial presented a gift of $50,000 to the Northwest Foundation on March 17 in support of the University’s planned Agricultural Learning Center.

Missouri State and our youth but also in agriculture in northwest Missouri.” When completed, the estimated $8 million, 24,000-square-foot Agricultural Learning Center will fur ther enhance Nor thwest’s agriculture programming. The center will serve as a multipurpose facility, providing laboratory resources and research to supplement and enhance academic curriculum. NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

BEARCAT SPORTS

NORTHWEST ANNOUNCES 2016 M-CLUB HALL OF FAME CLASS

PAM CUMMINGS ’98

Women’s basketball, 1995-98; MIAA leader in career assists (822); MIAA leader in assist average for a season (8.7 in 1997-98) and for a career (7.7); second in career steals at Nor thwest (327).

HUNTER HENRY ’11

The 2009 Northwest national champion football team will headline this fall’s M-Club Hall of Fame class along with six standout former student-athletes and an MIAA Championship men’s tennis team. The class will be inducted into the M-Club Hall of Fame during the annual festivities on Friday, Oct. 28, in the J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased by contacting Michele Steinmeyer at 660.562.1977 by Friday, Oct. 14.

Men’s basketball, 2005-09; listed in the top 10 in 21 of 38 career and season statistical categories; among career ranks, he is second in blocked shots, third in rebounds, sixth in points and seventh in steals; 2007 and 2008 All-MIAA first team selection and league MVP in 2007; 2009 All-MIAA Defensive Team selection.

MYLES BURNSIDES ’09, ’10

Football, 2006-09; 2008 First Team AP All-American, 2009 D2Football.com All-American and AFCA First Team AllAmerican; 2009 and 2009 Daktronics/ CoSIDA Academic All-American Team; named MIAA and Division II National Defensive Player of the Year in 2008.

SHELLEY LEWIS ’85

Softball, 1982-85; lowest career ERA (0.75) and most shutouts in school history (17); MIAA records for fewest walks per seven innings in a season (six walks in 135.3 innings in 1984) and career (25 walks in 430.7 innings).

JULIE CAPUTO ’94

CHAD THOMPSON ’99

Women’s tennis, 1991-94; 10th on career singles wins list (67); three-time MIAA champion with singles titles in 1993 and 1994 and a doubles title in 1992; member of three MIAA title teams.

1996 MEN’S TENNIS

Went 21-9, winning the MIAA championship and finishing No. 24 in nation; tied for second all-time with 21 dual wins in one season; 149 combined singles wins are a program record; Rene Ramirez’s ’99 28 singles victories are second all-time in a single season; advanced to second round of NCAA tournament.

Football, 1995-99; First Team All-America Offensive Lineman in 1999; First Team AllMIAA Offensive Line in 1999; member of NCAA Division II National Championship teams in 1998 and 1999.

2009 FOOTBALL

Won the program’s third national championship by defeating Grand Valley State, 30-23, in Florence, Alabama; Won MIAA championship with 10-0 record and finished the season at 14-1 with a margin of victory of 25+ in those 14 wins.

PRANGE INDUCTED IN TO DII ATHLETE HALL OF FAME Clint Prange ’04 was inducted into the NCAA Division II Athlete Hall of Fame May 25 ahead of the NCAA Division II Championships in Bradenton, Florida. Prange was a four-time MIAA champion and a six-time All-American for the Bearcat track and field team. He is a 2013 Nor thwest M-Club Hall of Fame inductee and a 2015 MIAA Hall of Fame inductee. Prange left his mark as one of the greatest track and field athletes in the history of Bearcat athletics. He won three-straight NCAA titles in the discus and captured the 2005 outdoor shot put title with a then-record setting throw of 66-1. He is one of two individuals all-time to surpass 66 feet in the event.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

BEARCAT SPORTS

Nikko Pablo

2016 SPRING

SPORTS RECAP Strong softball, tennis seasons lead to NCAA tourney bids Softball

The Bearcats went 37-16, earning their second-highest win total in program history and received an NCAA tournament bid for the first time since 2008. Senior pitcher Kendle Schieber went 21-8 on the year, setting a new school record for wins in a season, and finished third in the conference with a 1.94 ERA. Junior Tori Blythe was named First Team All-MIAA and garnered the conference’s co-Defensive Player of the Year honor while leading the team with a .375 batting average, 47 runs scored, 69 hits and 22 stolen bases. Senior pitcher Sarah Baldwin became the second player in program history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. Three Bearcats earned second-team All-MIAA honors. Baldwin, Blythe, Schieber and sophomore Rebecca Maher were named MIAA Scholar Athletes, and 14 players were named to the MIAA’s Academic Honor Roll.

Tennis

Chloe Wichmann

Kendle Schieber

For the seventh straight year, the men’s tennis team completed the MIAA sweep, taking the regular season and tournament titles. The men also reached the NCAA’s quarterfinal round for the second time in school history; it marked the second consecutive year that both men’s and women’s teams earned NCAA bids, extending the men’s consecutive year streak to 11. Head Coach Mark Rosewell was named the ITA Central Region Coach of the Year, and graduate assistant Lluis Altimires repeated as the region’s Assistant Coach of the Year. Five men’s players earned First Team All-MIAA honors with Sergi Fontcuberta earning co-Freshman of the Year. Nine student-athletes earned Scholar Athlete awards from the MIAA with 18 earning Academic Honor Roll accolades.

Kaleigh Ashen

Sergi Fontcuberta

Track & Field

Senior Chloe Wichmann capped her Bearcat career by placing seventh in the heptathlon at the NCAA Division II National Championships. Senior Derrick Schluter finished 10th in the decathlon, and sophomore Kevin Schultz was 15th in the men’s high jump. Maryville played host to the MIAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where the men placed fifth and the women were sixth. Schultz took the MIAA title in the high jump, clearing 6 feet, 10.75 inches, as the Bearcats earned 11 top-three finishes. The USTFCCCA awarded All-Central Region honors to six Bearcats who recorded top-five marks in individual regional events. In the classroom, eight Northwest student-athletes earned MIAA Scholar Athlete accolades, and 60 were named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.

Baseball

The baseball team went 25-28 overall and 1-2 as the No. 8 seed in the MIAA tournament. The highlight of the year came April 26 when junior Nikko Pablo threw the third no-hitter in Bearcat history against Missouri Western. Pablo and junior starting pitcher Anthony Caenepeel were named All-MIAA third team while senior closer Carson Smith, sophomore first baseman Kevin Handzlik and junior second baseman Ozzie Adams earned AllMIAA honorable mention accolades. Handzlik was named an MIAA Scholar Athlete and led the Bearcats with a .344 batting average.

Golf

Freshman Kaleigh Ashen, an MIAA Scholar Athlete, qualified for the NCAA Central Regional and was named an All-MIAA honorable mention performer. She shot a 73 at the University of Nebraska-Kearney Spring Invite, giving her the top two low rounds in Bearcat history. Northwest captured the Park University Fall Classic and was second at the Ranger Fall Classic. At the MIAA Championships, Northwest placed sixth overall. Senior Brooke Byland, juniors Taylor Gardner and Shelby Williams, sophomores Gia Zupancic and Maddie Propst, and freshmen Ragan Kinkade and Nikki McCurdy were named to the MIAA Honor Roll. NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

BEARCAT SPORTS

Northwest student-athletes use the new Student-Athlete Academic Center in the Lamkin Activity Center. The new space provides student-athletes with an area to study and socialize with teammates.

BEARCATS FOCUSING ON

ACADEMIC SUCCESS Former fitness center converted to Student-Athlete Academic Center Northwest student-athletes have a new area on campus to study and take a break between classes and practices. The space, located on the first floor in Northwest’s Lamkin Activity Center, was formerly the University’s fitness center. Since the opening of the Robert and Virginia Foster Fitness Center last fall, it has been repurposed into a leisure lounge for student-athletes, furnished with couches, tables, chairs and TVs. The idea for the Student-Athlete Academic Center (SAAC) was born out of a lack of space for student-athletes, especially those competing in spring sports. Student-athletes in spring sports programs do not have locker rooms to study or socialize with other teammates. “We have so many student-athletes here, but no space where they can sit and study, eat or just relax,” Assistant Athletic Director Andy Peterson ’07, ’10 said. “Their lives are very busy, so we were looking for a way to provide that kind of space while getting them more academically involved.” 28

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

The SAAC will help ensure Northwest student-athletes continue to be successful in the classroom. Student-athletes earned a cumulative grade-point average of 3.25 during 2015-16 and achieved a 79 percent student-athlete academic success rate for the second straight year. Student-athletes’ reactions to the new space have been positive. “A lot of them are better able to manage their time on campus,” Peterson said. “I’ve seen athletes from every sport in there. They seem to be enjoying it, and it sends a good message to the students and administration. This space will continue to grow and be an asset to our athletic program.” Student-athletes say the SAAC is a comfortable place to study between practices or workouts. “It’s also nice being around other studentathletes while studying,” women’s tennis player Vilune Sestokaite said. “This center helps a lot and shows how much pride the University has in the athletics program.”

Schneider, Pitts represent U.S. during basketball tour in Brazil Northwest basketball players Justin Pitts and Zach Schneider, pictured in front of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, recently represented the United States during a nineday basketball tour of Brazil.

Buck Scheel takes reigns as head women’s basketball coach Buck Scheel joined the Northwest staff prior to the start of the 2013-14 season as an assistant coach. He previously served as assistant coach at State Fair Community College, in Sedalia, Missouri, where he helped lead the Lady Roadrunners to a 68-28 record in three years. SFCC won a Region 16 championship in 2011 and advanced to the Region 16 tournament all three years.

BEARCAT SPORTS

Bearcat football fans can look forward to watching the defending NCAA Division II national champions play on a new field when the team opens its home schedule Sept. 8 at Bearcat Stadium. Matt Gaarder ’97, John Coffey ’82, Matt Tritten ’11

GAARDER TAKES PRIDE IN NEW BEARCAT APPOINTMENT Since the time Matt Gaarder ’97 arrived at Northwest from the Nebraska panhandle as a student in 1993, he has been deeply involved in Bearcat athletics. “The first thing I did was running the board for football and basketball for the radio station in town,” Gaarder said. From that behind-the-scenes experience, Gaarder moved to sideline reporter for the Bearcat Radio Network. After completing his degree, he worked for two years in Nebraska before returning to Maryville for good. With each passing year, Gaarder immersed himself into Northwest athletics and the Maryville community. His voice, along with play-by-play announcer John Coffey ’82 is heard for nearly all of Northwest football and men’s and women’s basketball games on KXCV-KRNW. For the 2016 football season, Gaarder will be the public address announcer at Bearcat Stadium. It will be his voice fans hear calling first downs or a Kevin Berg interception or a Shawn Bane Jr. 90yard touchdown reception. “You have to take a step back to realize what kind of an honor it is,” Gaarder said. When the job for the PA announcer opened up, Northwest Director of Athletics Mel Tjeerdsma ’77 knew Gaarder was the logical choice. “He is a diehard Bearcat,” Tjeerdsma said. “He has a real passion for our athletic teams. He wants them to be successful. He will do what he can to help make a great atmosphere for our fans as well as for our players.”

Crews removed the nine-year old turf covering Mel Tjeerdsma Field during the summer. The new turf features a modern design with the new Bearcat paw logo centered between the words “BEAR” and “CATS.” The centerpiece spans about 60 yards.

2016 BEARCAT FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Sept. 1, 7 p.m. at Emporia State Sept. 8, 7 p.m. vs. Washburn Sept. 17, 1:30 p.m. vs. NebraskaKearney (Family Weekend) Sept. 24, 6 p.m. at Missouri Southern Oct. 1, 5 p.m. vs. Central Missouri (Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City)

Oct. 8, 2 p.m. at Central Oklahoma Oct. 15, 1:30 p.m. vs. Northeastern State Oct. 22, 1:30 p.m. at Lindenwood Oct. 29, 2:30 p.m. vs. Pittsburg State (Homecoming) Nov. 5, 2 p.m. at Fort Hays State University Nov. 12, 1:30 p.m. vs. Missouri Western Home games in green

Whether you’re in Omaha, Dallas, Kansas City, Phoenix or beyond...

Tune in to the Bearcat Radio Network Listen on the web

Listen on the radio n n n n n n

KXCV, 90.5 FM Maryville KRNW, 88.9 FM Chillicothe KKWK, 100.1 FM Cameron KCXL, 102.9 FM Kansas City KCXL, 1140 AM Liberty KMA, 960 AM Shenandoah

n n

www.kxcv.org www.bearcatsports.com

Listen on your phone or tablet Download the NPR or TuneIn Radio apps (via KXCV)

Don’t miss a single play! KXCV 90.5 FM, the 100,000-watt FM public radio station that broadcasts from the Northwest campus, is entering its 18th season as the flagship station for Bearcat sports broadcasts. Matt Tritten ’11 joins John Coffey ’82 and Matt Gaarder ’97 on the most powerful FM station in the region to bring you all of the action. As he has since 1985, Coffey will continue to be the “Voice of the Bearcats,” while Gaarder who joined the broadcast team in 1999 will alternate with Tritten on home and away games.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

CLASS NOTES

>> SHE HAD A DREAM

p. 32

>> WILD ABOUT ECOLOGY p. 35

ULTIMATE GOAL

Burrell played significant role in soccer star’s education Roger Espinoza has endeared himself to soccer fans as a Major League Soccer All-Star with Sporting Kansas City and as an Olympian and World Cup team member representing his native country of Honduras. But when the conversations turn to the people who guided him on his successful path, Dr. Robert Burrell ’70 always gets a mention. Their friendship now dates back almost 18 years to when Espinoza, then 12 years old, and his family immigrated to the United States and landed in Denver, Colorado. A strong friendship quickly blossomed between the Espinoza and Burrell families. “They welcomed our encouragement and support of Roger,” Burrell said. “With their blessing, we remained pretty closely engaged with him as he grew up.” Burell took an active interest in his academic success, and when colleges began taking notice of Espinoza’s soccer abilities coaches sought Burrell’s summation of the young athlete’s college readiness. Realizing Espinoza needed an environment more conducive to his academic needs, Burrell approached a Denver college prep school about accepting Ezpinoza, even though he did not meet the school’s admissions standards. “I laid out Roger’s story and I said, ‘I’d like you to consider taking him in, but only if you do it realizing he’s going to need a lot of help.’” The school enrolled Espinoza and he successfully earned his high school diploma. Espinoza then completed his associate degree while 30

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

playing soccer at Yabapai Junior College in Prescott, Arizona, and earned a scholarship to play at the Ohio State University, where he completed three years before turning pro. Despite their Honduran roots, Espinoza and his family were no different than the Burrells. They both represented hard-working families seeking education and opportunities for their children. “They were here, they were working, they were doing the right things and all they needed was a little support as far as planning,” Burrell said. “They didn’t need money, they weren’t looking for anything, and they embraced that support. It’s fulfilling to realize you were giving somebody like Roger the same kind of chances that I got and that my son got just by virtue of who he was born with.” Burrell, a native of Mount Ayr, Iowa, enjoyed a career in student affairs work at the University of Florida, Southern Methodist University and the University of Denver. In 1995, he transitioned out of higher education to Cardtronics, a start-up that evolved into a publicly traded financial services company specializing in owning and operating ATM machines in North America and Europe. He retired in 2012 as an executive vice president at Cardtronics. Photo by Gary Rohman, courtesy of Sporting Kansas City

CLASS NOTES

’72 David Hansen is chief of long

haul communications in the 38th Cyberspace Readiness Squadron at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. During the past 20 years, he has received 33 certificates for 20 different species of fish from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fisheries, Illinois Sport Fishing Big Fish/ Catch and Release awards program. He also raises purebred registered Brittany bird dogs.

’88 Marsha Spalding Martin was presented June 27 with the Civilian of the Year Award by the Missouri Peace Officers Association for contributions through Ben’s Stockings of Hope, a charity she founded in honor of her son, Ben McIntyre, after her was killed in a car crash. Marsha works as a general project assistant for Northwest’s Regional Professional Development Center.

1930s

1970s

Helen Bowman Vance ’36 lives in Springfield, Mo. She is retired after teaching for 43 years.

Michael Flowers ’70, ’74 has published “Come Walk with Me,” the story of a teacher who served in Vietnam and spent 22 years teaching military science to high school students. Michael was a teacher, coach and elementary principal in St. Joseph, Missouri, and taught at Missouri Western State University for 10 years in the education department.

1950s

Patricia Neff Nymand ’55 taught home economics in Exira, Iowa, and was adult education coordinator at the Atlantic branch of Iowa Western Community College for 22 years, retiring in 1994. She has been a tour guide at the Titan Missile Site in Sahuarita, Arizona, where she spends the winter, for the last three years. John Norman Higginbotham ’57 and his wife, Carolynn Boner Higginbotham ’63, live in Stanberry, Missouri. John served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1955, retired as a staff sergeant and sold cars for more than 40 years in Albany, Missouri.

1960s Earl Boyd ’63 is retired and lives in Granite Bay, California, with his wife, Melanie. He was an FBI special agent in Mississippi and Los Angeles, and had a private law practice in Los Angeles from 1970 to 1971 and from 1978 to 2011. Mike Thomson ’68, ’71 has been appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon to serve on the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education. Thomson represented the 1st District in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2007 to 2014. Helen Harmon Ott ’68 and her husband, Bill, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June 17 in Fredericksburg, Iowa, with family and friends. Donald M. Claycomb ’69 retired June 30 after 23 years as president of State Technical College of Missouri in Linn. He began his career as a high school agriculture teacher. He also taught teacher education at Kansas State University and the University of Missouri-Columbia.

’92

Penny Staebler Miller ’77 retired in June after 14 years as principal at Kuemper Catholic High School in Carroll, Iowa. Brian Reimers ’77 retired this year after a long career in teaching and coaching in the Ogden (Iowa) School District and was named Class 1A Coach of the Year. Reimers spent 36 years as head coach at Ogden, where he started the wrestling program in 1979. He is an inductee of the Iowa High School Athletics Association Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Tanya Loughead was promoted to full professor in the Department of Philosophy at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, where she is co-director of ethics and justice minors and the women and gender studies program. Tanya recently published a book, titled “Critical University: Moving Education Forward.”

Brian, live in Independence, Missouri. Gwen cares for her mother and daughter. Brian works for Hallmark Cards.

1990s Jeff Greunke ’91 was named program director for KXKT/KFFF in Omaha, Nebraska, and continues hosting the midday show on KXKT. He is known on the airwaves as Hoss Michaels. Clint Ross ’91, ’01 was named 2016 Missouri Assistant Principal of the Year by the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals. He is assistant principal and A+ coordinator at Lawson High School. Clint and his wife, Kim Kloewer Ross ’91, live in Lawson, where she works for DST Systems. Chris Johnson ’92 has been the 790th Missile Security Forces commander in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and is currently U.S. Air Force ROTC

Larry York ’79 and his wife, Esther, have retired from the state of Iowa after 35 years of service. They live in Woodward, Iowa.

1980s Gina Hawk McNeese ’83, ’94 was recognized as the Northwest District Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the Missouri Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. She has served as an instructor of health and physical education at Northwest and its Horace Mann Laboratory School since 1994. Karna Michalski Swirbul ’84 retired from public education in December 2015, after 26 years of teaching English for Mesa Public Schools in Arizona. She lives in Gilbert, Arizona with her husband, Fred. Gwendolyn Freytag Zumalt ’84 and her husband,

Paul Edmonds has joined TrueCar Inc. as senior vice president of dealer marketing and operations. He previously worked at RiskIQ, an external threat Internet security company, where he built and led customer success teams; AutoTrader.com, where he spent 15 years in various roles; and at Trader Publishing Company.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

CLASS NOTES

SHE HAD A DREAM

Francis’ vision to build hydroponic greenhouse for disabled is taking root Diane Willis Francis ’82 made a promise to her Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority sister, Sandy White ’82, before she passed away that she would find a way to help people with special needs, and today she is fulfilling that promise. Both Francis and White had children with special needs and a desire to have them succeed after high school. However, resources are limited for people who have cognitive and developmental disabilities. “We felt like after high school, the doors were closing and the opportunities were limited for education and employment,” Francis said. “So we wanted to have a more integrated workplace and more community opportunities.” A group of individuals came together to determine the needs of educational support for people with special needs in the Maryville area. Teachers and social services workers stressed about the limited opportunities in the area. Unless people with special needs proceed to a two- or four-year education program, vocational training programs that allow them to continue with their skills are non-existent

after high school. Francis searched for organizations and grants to assist people with disabilities. “I researched several businesses throughout the United States that had successful organizations directed toward students with disabilities,” she said. “In one conversation, I was told, ‘You are from a rural area, and you live in the heartland of agriculture. Why aren’t you doing something with agriculture?’” After additional research about hydroponics, Francis drafted a business plan for Lettuce Dream, a social enterprise and hydroponic greenhouse that operates as a business with a social implication. Its mission is to help people with cognitive or developmental impairments, such as autism and Down syndrome. Francis and members of

detachment commander and professor of aerospace studies and department head at the University of Illinois. Jeff McDonough ’94 celebrated his first anniversary in sales at Kansas Golf and Turf in Lenexa, Kansas. He lives in Grain Valley, Missouri.

’01 Amber Boes ’01 was appointed chief nursing officer for Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Missouri. She has been a nursing leader with HCA Midwest Health for 12 years, including four years as chief nursing officer at Lee’s Summit Medical Center. Amber is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society of Nursing, Kansas City Area Nurse Executives, the Missouri Organization of Nurse Leaders, and the American Organization of Nurse Executives.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

Andy Seeley ’94 will serve as the 61st president of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for 2016-17. Seeley was CoSIDA’s first vice president during 2015-16 and has served as assistant athletics director for athletics communications at the University of Central Florida since 2012. Derek Frieling ’95, ’99 was named Teacher of the Year by the Missouri Council for Social Studies. He teaches world history courses at Lafayette High School in St. Joseph, Missouri. Marcy Acosta Schumacher ’95 was named Teacher of the Year by the Park Hill School District in Kansas City, Missouri. She joined the school district in 1998 and teaches English as a Second Language at Renner Elementary School.

Melinda Smith Cordell ’96 has authored “Courageous Women of the Civil War: Soldiers, Spies, Medics, and More,” which tells the stories of 16 women in the Civil War and will be published by Chicago Review Press. Melinda and her husband, Brad, live in Savannah, Missouri. Corbin Pierce ’97 and his wife, Alyson, announce the arrival of their first child, Scarlett Joyce, on July 11, 2015. They live in Collinsville, Oklahoma, where he is the morning show host on iHeart Media in Tulsa. Dr. Marlie Saxton Williams ’97, ’03, ’06 was named assistant superintendent of academic and education services for the St. Joseph (Missouri) School District in May. She previously served the district as principal of Central High School from 2006 to 2013. She had worked for Liberty Public Schools since 2013. Kevin Shorner-Johnson ’97 was promoted from assistant professor to associate professor of music education at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.

CLASS NOTES

Diane Willis Francis ’82 stands inside the future home of Lettuce Dream in Maryville. The organization’s Board of Directors also consists of Northwest alumni and friends Dick Vanvactor ’69, Wayne Pierson ’73, Al Terhune ’75, Diann Lehna Schieber ’87, Jackie Lewis Allenbrand ’91, Carla Lager Rickabaugh ’92, Jennie Bolyard Moore ’11 and Scott Throm as well as Northwest faculty members Rego Jones ’75 and Shantel Sondgeroth Farnan ’95, ’99, ’08 and emeriti faculty Nancy Foley and Carol Tjeerdsma.

Cherie Wilson Burgett ’99 was honored as the 2016 Missouri Journalism Teacher of the Year by the Missouri Interscholastic Press Association. Burgett recently completed her ninth year as an English language arts teacher at Staley High School in Kansas City, Missouri, where she advises print and online journalism programs.

2000s Tonya Coffelt Eickman ’01, ’03 and her husband, David, announce the arrival of their third son, Henry. He joins brothers Brady and Rory. They live in Kansas City, Missouri, where Tonya is an audit manager for the Social Security Administration and David is a civil engineer with Olsson Associates.

Lettuce Dream’s Board of Directors broke ground in April for a complex on Maryville’s eastern edge with two greenhouses, a work area, restroom and storm shelter. “Our goal is to build another greenhouse and an additional building for a classroom,” Francis said. “Since we are a non-profit organization, we have some fundraising ahead of us.” Lettuce Dream will provide opportunities to engage with the community and for the community to engage with members while learning skills to use in working environments. “This is an exciting time,” Francis said. “We understand that people with cognitive and developmental disabilities can learn. We just have to figure out how they learn.” The greenhouse concept is not new. Organizations on the east and west coasts have been working alongside people with disabilities in innovative ways such as pruning vineyards and

growing tomatoes. “We chose lettuce not only for the rapid growth and convenience, but also because people want to buy locally,” Francis said. “What’s exciting is that you can’t keep up with the demand.” Lettuce Dream plans to sell its product at Maryville’s Hy-Vee, but primarily wholesale as well as restaurant and food service providers. By selling the lettuce with the roots intact, the lettuce lasts longer and the restaurants can serve the freshest product. “Organizations like Lettuce Dream have become a huge need throughout the nation, and I am proud to be part of this trend in northwest Missouri,” Francis said. Individuals with special needs enter the program as trainees. Lettuce Dream staff then assess the need levels for each trainee and place them in modules developed to focus on areas for improvement. The organization aims to reduce anxiety while increasing confidence. “We will look at their level of need and place them in a module that is beneficial to their disability and ultimately will help them develop skills to be successful in life and at work,” Francis said. “This is our dream and the reason Lettuce Dream was developed. Let us all dream of an integrated work environment for a different future.”

Diana O’Riley Linville ’01, ’06 was honored as Northwest’s recipient of the 2016 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education during a ceremony in April with Gov. Jay Nixon in Jefferson City, Missouri. Linville is an instructor of computer science and information systems at Northwest. Janelle McMullen Dozar ’02 is a learning specialist at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri. Kathy Parkhurst Hart ’02 has been named director of library services and operations for Northwest’s B.D. Owens Library. She has worked in various roles since joining the library staff in 2004. Shanen Hill ’08 and Joshua Middendorf adopted Isaiah on April 19. Lesley Martin ’02 received the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Educator Award, sponsored by AT&T, which celebrates high school educators technology pursuits. She teaches business education at Staley High School in Kansas City, Missouri.

’02 Darbie Valenti was named the Northwest Regional Teacher of the Year by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in Missouri. She is a fifth grade math and science teacher at Minnie Cline Elementary in Savannah, Missouri.

’05 Ross Svendsen and Anitra Germer Svendsen ’07 announce the birth of their son, Grayson Edward, on April 20.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

CLASS NOTES

NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY - KANSAS CITY

NOW OPEN!

The Northwest community, along with alumni, friends and business partners, gathered Aug. 18 to celebrate the grand opening of its new Northwest-Kansas City location at the Northland Innovation Campus, located at 6889 North Oak Trafﬁcway in Gladstone, Missouri. Northwest-Kansas City offers bachelor’s degree completion programs in business management, marketing, elementary education and special education. Additional programs scheduled to begin in fall 2017 include mobile computing, public relations, criminology, corporate recreation and applied health science.

KANSAS CITY

’12 Leah Wilmes Fletcher is the director of career development at Park University. She previously served the university as assistant director of career development, was a wellness educator at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s University Health Center and worked as an assistant to the executive director for Habitat for Humanity in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. She serves as president of the Consortium of Small Metropolitan Missouri Colleges.

For more information visit www.nwmissouri.edu/kc/

WHAT’S NEW WITH YOU? New job? New child? New spouse? New address? Send your latest news to the Northwest Alumni Association at alumni@nwmissouri. edu, use the enclosed envelope or complete the online class notes form at www. nwmissouri.edu/ alumni/magazine/ classnotes.htm. You may also submit a photograph. Please include a self-addressed envelope for the photo to be returned, or email it, in high resolution, to alumni@nwmissouri. edu.

Stephen Terry ’06 is senior director of operations, administration and compliance at the Parkville campus of Park University in Parkville, Missouri. He earned his Doctor of Education degree in educational leadership and policy analysis in December 2015 from the University of Kansas.

Todd Sexton ’11 graduated from medical school at A.T. Still University in Kirksville, Missouri. He is an emergency medicine physician in his residency at the University of Iowa. He and his wife, Katelyn Ronning Sexton ’11, married in 2013 and live in North Liberty, Iowa.

2010s

Steve Waigand ’11 and Tabitha Biermann Waigand welcomed their second son, Beau Matthew, on June 14, 2015. Beau joins his brother, Kipton, 2. The family lives in Savannah, Missouri, where Tabitha is a first grade teacher and Steve is assistant principal, both at Minnie Cline Elementary School.

Deborah Siebern-Dennis ’10 was named the winner of a Milken Educator Award, a national honor awarded to top educators. She is a seventh grade science teacher at Bode Middle School in St. Joseph, Missouri. Chase Young ’10 and his wife, Audrey, were married July 9, 2011. Their first child, Blair Louise, was born March 26, 2015. Chase works for Brunswick Distributing Company, an Anheuser-Busch wholesaler. He and his family live in Mendon, Missouri, where he was elected mayor in April 2014 and has been re-elected for a second term. Tyler Zoellner ’10 wrote and published a book, titled “Novel Frontier.” He lives in St. Peters, Missouri, and teaches high school English in the Bayless school district.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

Grace Becker Villalobos ’11, ’13 is an administrative assistant for Environmental Works Inc. and resides in Olathe, Kansas. Her husband of two years, William, is a landscape foreman at Next to Nature.

Luke Lancaster ’13 has accepted a role as a strength coach for the Miami Dolphins. He served the last three years as a strength coach with the Harvard Crimson football team. Jason Simpson ’14 has been named activities director at Lafayette High School in St. Joseph, Missouri. He spent the past 11 years as a business educator at Central High School in St. Joseph. Ben Nuelle ’15 received the Doan Award in March from the National Association of Farm Broadcasting in Washington, D.C., for his series, “Buried to the Neck,” about a Missouri farmer who was trapped in a grain bin. Nuelle is an agricultural journalist at Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.

CLASS NOTES

WILD ABOUT

EC O LOGY Hutchinson working to preserve, educate communities

Zach Hutchinson ’12 can’t remember a time in his life when he wasn’t interested in wildlife, and today he’s using his passion for ecology to educate others. His interest in wildlife is innate, and he grew up watching popular conservationists like Steve Irwin, Jeff Corwin and Mark O’Shea on television. “They all were really big, and it made wildlife more accessible to a small, Midwest community child who didn’t get to experience those types of things,” he said. A native of Ogallala, Nebraska, Hutchinson carried his interests into a career that, in a few years, has allowed him to study ecology further and interact with varieties of species. Presently, he is a community naturalist at Audubon Rockies in Casper, Wyoming, a regional office of the National Audubon Society that works toward conservation for bird populations. Hutchinson educates people about restoring bird populations and issues affecting bird species. Each week, he leads 20 to 30 volunteers to collect data about birds’ migration patterns, productivity and survival. “This type of work is important to help reestablish balance and to help educate future generations of what the current balances are and finding better methods,” Hutchinson said. “That’s the thing about science, it’s never perfected. We’re always looking for the next best method and that’s what we’re preparing our youth to do.” After completing his bachelor’s degree at Northwest in biology with a zoology emphasis, he joined Gator Country in Beaumont, Texas, as a zoologist and educator. Hutchinson taught alligator conservation and safety in addition to capturing and removing live alligators. During one harrowing removal call, Hutchinson and a partner moved two nine-foot alligators from an eight-foot deep, mud-slicked burrow while they were protecting their nest of eggs. Hutchinson

Zach Hutchinson prepares to band a Williamson’s Sapsucker as part of his research with Audubon Rockies.

also worked with the largest living alligator in the state on a daily basis. “Right out of school I had the opportunity of a lifetime for someone who was always interested in crocodilians,” Hutchinson said, adding he had chances to work with hundreds of alligators, venomous snakes, large constrictors and other species. From 2013 to 2015, Hutchinson was

director of education at The Science Zone in Casper. The museum was revamping its education program and Hutchinson saw a new fit with the knowledge he acquired at Northwest. “Having a strong science background from a school like Northwest that is so supportive of the science program, I was prepared in such a way that I could go in and do education,” Hutchinson said. NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

IN MEMORIAM

Northwest extends its condolences to the families and friends of these individuals. Richard Allman ’75, 62, of Harrisonville, Missouri, died Jan. 26 at his home. After serving in the U.S. Army until 1978, he was an art instructor at the University of Central Missouri for four years. He later taught art in the Kansas City Missouri School District from 1993 to 2011. Eddice Barber ’42, 95, of Mankato, Minnesota, died May 3. She taught in a rural school for two years and then taught high school in Iowa until 1947. Eddice taught at colleges in Peru, Nebraska, and Parsons, Kansas, before joining the faculty at Mankato State University in 1956. There, she chaired the English department for six years, retiring in 1984. Dan Barger ’55, 88, of Joplin, Missouri, died May 21. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1950 and served in the Korean Conflict, receiving the Purple Heart Korean Service Medal with two campaign pins, Combat Medical Badge, Far East Command Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, Twenty Year Reserve Medal, St. Louis Globe Dispatch District Soldier Award for 1974, and Missouri Korean War Veteran Medal. He continued with the Army Reserve, retiring as a Sergeant Major in 1988. Sarah Meyer Barten ’62, 74, died Dec. 7, 2015, in Des Moines, Iowa. She lived in Ankeny, Iowa. John Beier ’61, 78, of Omaha, Nebraska, died March 7. He worked for Northern Natural Gas Company and served in the military in Seattle, Washington. John returned to Omaha to work for Tip Top Products before starting his own manufacturing company, Products Unlimited. Roger Bell ’66, 75, of Atlantic, Iowa, died March 21. He served in the U.S. Navy and began his career as a CPA at McGladrey, Hanson and Dunn in Burlington, Iowa. In 1969, he joined Dutton and Associates in Atlantic and retired in 2006. He purchased a small farm near Grant, Iowa, in 2007 and enjoyed making improvements there. Viola Besco ’55, 93, died March 18 in Des Moines, Iowa. She taught in a country school in Taylor County and in Kent, Sidney, Winterset and Des Moines, all in Iowa. Viola taught at Stowe School in Des Moines for 29 years and retired in 1988 after teaching for 45 years. She managed the country school at the Iowa State Fair for 20 years. Ann Newcomer Blackwell ’60, 77, died Jan. 8. She taught in Columbia, Missouri; Lake Forest, Illinois; and Upper Arlington, Ohio; before moving to Columbus in 1965.

LET US KNOW

Linda Shelton Brown ’69, 68, died June 1 in Spring Hill, Florida. She taught for the North Kansas City School District for 37 years and lived in Independence, Missouri, for nearly 50 years before retiring to Florida. Kent Bryan ’65, 73, of Mooresville, Missouri, died May 19. He retired in 2004 after 34 years with MFA Inc., working as a district or regional manager for 25 years. Eric Bullock ’83, 55, died May 23 in Des Moines, Iowa. He was employed in security administration information technology for Unity Point. Joseph Byrd Jr. ’75, 79, of Athens, Georgia, died April 7. He served in the U.S. Army in Korea in 1955-56, three Vietnam tours, flew more than 700 combat missions and served a year-long tour in Iran in 1978. LTC Byrd was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Bronze Stars, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, 28 air medals, the Joint Services Accommodation Medal, Army Accommodation Medal, Air Forces Accommodation Medal, and Meritorious Unit Citation. He retired from the Army in 1979 and became the senior army instructor at Cedar Shoals High School, serving in that role for 23 years. Barbara McCartney Carson ’81, 69, of Maysville, Missouri, died Jan. 26. She taught for 26 years in the Maysville school system. Ronald L. Clark ’75, ’77, 62, of Canton, Illinois, died March 16. He served as athletic director and baseball coach for many years at Spoon River College in Canton. Ron was the first baseball coach at Illinois Central College in East Peoria from 1981 to 1984, head coach at Quincy University from 1985 to 1989, and assistant coach at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, from 1989 to 1995. Ron played baseball at Northwest and was inducted into its M-Club Hall of Fame in 1996. Brian Andrew Cox ’91, 46, of Grimes, Iowa, died Feb. 17. He was a craftsman and enjoyed woodworking. Byron Duke ’67, 71, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died June 25. He coached and taught at West Nodaway, Union Star, Savannah and Mid-Buchanan at Faucett, all in Missouri. Byron also worked at Carnation Co., Krause Milling, Peach Tree Door and Friskies Pet Care. Diane Geary Cureton ’02, 59, of Maitland, Missouri, died Jan. 21. She did clerical work.

If you learn of the death of a Northwest graduate, please submit in writing or via news clipping the name of the deceased (and maiden name, if appropriate), year(s) of graduation from Northwest, date of death, age, city of death, city of residence and a brief listing of career accomplishments. In addition, submit your relationship to the deceased and your daytime telephone number to the Office of University Advancement, 800 University Dr., Maryville, MO 64468-6001, fax to 660.562.1990 or email alumni@nwmissouri.edu. Submissions may be edited for length and clarity.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

Marilyn Meyer Dedrickson ’69, 68, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died June 5. Marilyn taught for more than 40 years in the St. Joseph School District and was named Missouri Teacher of the Year in 1984. Mary Garrett Dieterich ’48, 90, of Tempe, Arizona, died April 2. Mary was an instructor with the Upward Bound program at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, from 1969 to 1971 and served in the Peace Corps in Santiago, Chile, from 1971 to 1974. She taught weaving to fifth graders as an instructor with the Studio Artists Program in the Tempe Elementary District from 2000 until 2012, and was a reading mentor for first graders at Frank Elementary School in Guadalupe, Arizona. A nationally known weaver, she served at the Heard Museum as guest curator and textile cataloger and on the Arts Visual Arts Panel of the Arizona Commission, the East Valley Arts Coalition, and the executive boards of the American Tapestry Alliance and the Handweavers Guild of America. Genevieve Umbarger Dunlap ’48, 93, died Feb. 25 in Herndon, Virginia. She began teaching in a oneroom schoolhouse near Fairfax, Missouri. Genevieve later taught second grade at Davidson Elementary School in Kansas City, Missouri, for 28 years. Donna Farrens, 82, of Maryville, died July 4. She was employed for 18 years at Northwest as a custodian until retiring in 1996. Dr. Ruth Frerking, 72, of Drexel, Missouri, died April 19. She was interim director of Horace Mann Laboratory School from 1988 to 1989 Connie Freeman (attended), 67, of Clearwater Beach, Florida, died May 6. In 1986, she founded Universal Pediatric Services in Iowa, which specialized in home health care for medically fragile children and expanded into 16 states by the time of her retirement in 2010, as well as Ultimate Nursing Services, which focused on home care exclusively in the state of Iowa. Both companies earned the top spots in the Des Moines Business Record’s Top Home Care Providers for 13 years. Tim Gardner ’83, 54, of Albany, Missouri, died May 26. He worked as a soil conservationist with the USDA in Mercer, Daviess and Harrison counties. Mary Bauman George ’53, 84, of Bettendorf, Iowa, died Dec. 8, 2015. She worked in the public schools for 31 years, retiring in 1991. She taught home economics and was a guidance counselor for 11 years, in Missouri, Michigan and Illinois. Barbara Briggs Giertz ’65, 72, died Jan. 7. She taught two years in Atlantic, Iowa, before moving to Ft. Collins, Colorado, where she taught in the Poudre School District at Putnam Elementary and Stove Prairie Schools for more than 30 years. Barbara was named teacher of the year in 1984 and retired in 2001.

IN MEMORIAM

Donna Gilchrist ’83, 61, died April 23 in Des Moines, Iowa. She was a school librarian with the Colo-Nesco School District in Iowa from 19832002 and in the University City (Missouri) School District from 2002-2014. Helen Gorsuch ’45, 95, of Maryville, died June 6. She was a teacher for 17 years, teaching at Plum Grove School, Bolckow, New Point and Skidmore, all in Missouri. She later served the Maryville R – II School District as high school guidance counselor for 28 years. Dorothea Lincoln Grant ’49, 88, of Clarinda, Iowa, died Oct. 8, 2015. She began teaching in a Taylor County, Iowa, rural school. In 1947 she taught one year of kindergarten in Villisca, Iowa. She was the first kindergarten teacher in Chillicothe, Missouri, where she also taught third grade. Dorothea worked at Iowa Western Community College in Clarinda, Iowa, as a secretary-receptionist from 1975 until her retirement in 1991. Bob Grubbs (attended), 80, died Jan. 9. He was a retired carpenter who worked most of his life in metropolitan St. Louis. Bob attended Northwest as a part of the U.S. Navy training program during World War II, serving until 1946. He played football on the undefeated 1944 team and was inducted into the M-Club Hall of Fame with that team in 1995. Bob also was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 2007 for lifetime service. He was a member of the St. Louis Suburban Barbershop Chorus for 28 years. Allan Henningsen ’50, 87, of Columbia, Missouri, died May 7. He played basketball and football at Northwest and was inducted into the M-Club Hall of Fame in 2000. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1946 to 1948. In 1950, he was selected in the ninth round of the NBA draft by the Fort Wayne Pistons and had a short professional career before retiring due to an injury. Allan served as superintendent of schools in Watson, Fairfax, Richmond, Lebanon, Sedalia and St. Charles, all in Missouri. Jim Herauf, 81, died March 10 in Naples, Florida. He served on the Northwest faculty from 1976 to 1997 and was chair of the physical education program.

Michael Hershberger ’98, 40, of Overland Park, Kansas, died Oct. 3, 2015. He was active in the Interfraternity Council and Phi Sigma Kappa at Northwest, serving a term as president. Curtis Hibbs ’71, 75, of Forest City, Missouri, died Feb. 29. He worked for Mead Corporation in St. Joseph, Missouri. Marcia Grace Hickman (attended), 78, of

Clarinda, Iowa, died May 6. She and her husband, Bob, owned and operated the F.C. Grace Furniture Store in Clarinda until they both retired. Dave Hicks (attended), 63, died June 27 in Iowa City, Iowa. He taught graphic design and typography for several years before becoming a graphic designer at ACT, where he spent the remainder of his career. Becky Templer Hilleman (attended), 56, of Ankeny, Iowa, died Feb. 5 in Des Moines, Iowa. She worked as a medical secretary. Patrick Hollinrake ’75, 66, of Creston, Iowa, died Feb. 6. He entered the U.S. Army in 1969 and served until 1971. He farmed near Corning, Iowa, did construction work and taught ag business at Southwestern Community College in Creston. He retired in 2012. Frederick James ’52, 86, of Springfield, Missouri, died May 6. He began his teaching career in Jackson, Missouri. He later served as superintendent of schools in Carrier Mills, Illinois, and in Chaffee, Hermann, Richmond and Strafford, Missouri. Fred retired from the Strafford School District in 1986 after 35 years in education, and he and his wife, Janis, moved to Table Rock Lake where they lived until his death. Benny Johnson ’61, 76, died May 25. He was an Air Force Colonel and an aeronautical and electronics engineer, residing in Colorado Springs, Colorado, for 34 years. He joined the Air Force in 1962, transferred to the Air Force Reserve and retired in 1992. Donald Johnson ’97, 44, of Tucson, Arizona, died Dec. 8, 2015. He had a career in landscaping for The Plaza in Kansas City. Paul Jones ’63, 76, died April 15 at his home in Maryville. He was a Northwest faculty member for 47 years, retiring as assistant professor of English in 2012.

from 1979 to 1981. Ray served on the Board of Directors at the Exchange National Bank in Atchison, Kansas, for many years and was a former pilot for Ozark Airlines. He enjoyed serving as a volunteer at the National Airline History Museum in Kansas City. Bob Kountz ’68, 69, of Corpus Christi, Texas, died May 6. Bob was an art teacher in St. Joseph and Oregon, Missouri. He later served as a manager for J.C. Penney until his retirement. Carrie Martin Lyle ’48, 90, of Ravenwood, Missouri, died Feb. 11. She taught in Columbia, Missouri, and Northeast Nodaway School until retiring in 1990. Mary Markt ’59, 104, of Oregon, Missouri, died May 26. She taught in rural Holt County, Missouri, schools for 13 years, including White, Mayflower and Lincoln schools. After teaching one year at Forest City Elementary School, she taught third and fourth grade for 31 years at Oregon Elementary School, retiring in 1976. James Mattheis ’92, 48, of Independence, Missouri, died Feb. 8. He worked as a certified project manager for Quest Diagnostics since 2011. Norma Ripley Miles (attended), 96, died June 17 in Lakeland, Florida. She taught elementary school for two years in Fillmore, Missouri. She later became a teacher evaluator for the Des Moines (Iowa) School District, worked for the National P.E.O. Sisterhood office in Des Moines, and worked part-time in gift shops and children’s clothing stores. Onofrio “Ono” Monachino Jr. ’55, 82, of Laddonia, Missouri, died May 9. He was a coach, educator and administrator for more than 40 years, working in the districts of Louisiana, South Callaway, South Harrison in Bethany, Harrisonville Cass R-9, and St. Joseph Catholic School, all in Missouri, and had previously worked in education in Iowa and New York. Ono was inducted into Northwest’s M-Club Hall of Fame in 2009 for football, basketball, track and baseball, becoming the first athlete to be inducted in four sports.

Isaac Raymond “Ray” Kirk Jr. (attended), 82, of Weston, Missouri, died May 31. Ray was a lifelong farmer in the Weston area where he served on the Weston Historical Museum Board of Trustees, the Weston Zoning Board, Weston Masonic Lodge and the Moila Temple in St. Joseph, Missouri. He was active in the Mo-Ark Association for Flood Control, serving as president

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

IN MEMORIAM

John Morrison ’78, 61, of Mount Ayr, Iowa, died June 9. He taught elementary school in Amazonia, Missouri, for one year and in Orange Park, Florida, for three years. John returned to the Midwest and worked at Eckard’s in Bethany, Missouri, and in Creston, Iowa, and served as janitor at the Tingley (Iowa) Presbyterian Church. Duane Nielsen (attended), 68, of Exira, Iowa, died March 12. He enlisted in the Army National Guard in 1969, where he served as a fuel system operator and was honorably discharged in 1975. Duane owned and operated his own livestock buying business and purchased the Exira Grain Elevator, which he operated for several years. Kenneth O’Dell (attended), 86, of Flagstaff, Arizona, died Feb. 10. He enlisted in the Air Force in 1950. Lawrence Ogden ’51, 95, of Chelsea, Michigan, died Oct. 22, 2015. He spent six years in military service in field artillery and signal corps, achieving the rank of captain and earning four bronze stars. After one year as a geologist with Continental Oil Company, he taught high school mathematics in Idaho Springs, Colorado, for one year. Lawrence then became an instructor at Colorado School of Mines until 1963. He conducted extensive summer geological field work and individual projects in many of the western states for engineering firms, oil companies and governmental agencies, including determining the location for the North American Aerospace Defense Command. He retired from Eastern Michigan University in 1989. Norman O’Hare ’61, 77, of Pattonsburg, Missouri, died June 13. He was a farmer and produced swine and cattle. Norman and his wife, Carol, established an antique business in 1987. He retired in 2004. Leonard Orr II ’78, 62, of Covington, Indiana, died April 4. He was a teacher and coach at South Newton Jr. Sr. High School from 1975 to 1977 and at Northwest from 1977 to 1981. Leonard worked for a savings and loan for the next two years and became assistant principal and athletic director for Covington High School from 1987 to 1989. He was principal at Covington Middle School from 1989 to 2004 and was superintendent of Southwest Parke Community Schools at the time of his death. He earned many honors including I-Star Indiana State Principal of the Year in 2000, IAESP District 4 Principal of the Year in 1992 and Texas State Junior College Coach of the Year in 1984. John “Jack” Patton ’57, 80, died April 15. He taught business classes at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, from 1960 to 2005, where he held the Baker Chair of Insurance.

NORTHWEST ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

Edna Stephens Peart ’45, 90, died Oct. 25, 2015. Dr. Peart was a teacher in Denver, Colorado, and was a member of the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. Karyn McCafferty Pickering ’79, 70, of Grant City, Missouri, died March 24. She began teaching at Worth County R-III in 1979 and retired after almost 30 years. She then opened Mrs. Pick’s Quilt Shop in Grant City, and she and her husband, Carol, operated West Side Fireworks for 19 years. Kay Pierpoint ’59, 77, of Platte City, Missouri, died March 16. She was a teacher and high school librarian in Platte City. Margaret “Peggy” Porter Polsky ’37, 99, of Santa Barbara, California, died March 9. She taught at the high school level for five years, including one year at Horace Mann in 1940 and Liberty, Missouri, in 1941. In 1942, she entered the Third Class of the Women’s Army Corps and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant, assigned to the Air Corps. She served three years before being discharged with a rank of captain. In 1946, she and her husband, Richard, moved to Santa Barbara where they owned and operated Trenwith’s for the next 20 years. Peggy was active with Hospice of Santa Barbara for more than 30 years.

Darleen Shelton ’63, 88, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died May 21. She was a business teacher at Savannah (Missouri) High School for 29 years until her retirement in 1992. Diane Renshaw Smock ’73, 63, of Maitland, Missouri, died May 13. She was a teacher and paraprofessional in the Nodaway-Holt and Maryville schools. Gary Swaney ’61, 76, of Sioux City, Iowa, died Jan. 23. He taught English and later was assistant principal and athletic director at Red Oak, Iowa. In 1975, he became a supervisor in the adult and continuing education division of Western Iowa Technical Community College in Sioux City, where he spent 23 years as an administrator, retiring in 1998 as the director of continuing education. Bob Terry ’58, 83, of Jonesborough, Tennessee, died June 6. He was a U.S. Army veteran, having served in the 143rd Artillery Battalion in Chorwon Valley, Korea. He worked as a research chemist in the petro-chemical industry in Texas, retiring in 1984 after achieving several patents on inventions.

John Pope ’51, 90, of Cabot, Arkansas, died Jan. 3. He was a Navy veteran of World War II and served in the Pacific.

Hazel Taff Walters ’68, 85, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died April 18. She worked for the state of Missouri as a case worker in the child abuse and neglect division, retiring in 1996. Hazel was an Avon Cosmetics representative for more than 40 years and won numerous awards.

Jerry Pottorff ’66, 71, of Des Moines, Iowa, died Nov. 16, 2015. He retired as senior vice president from the CMF and Z Advertising Agency in Des Moines.

Robert Watkins ’75, 63, of Jefferson City, Mo., died Feb. 2. He worked in the automotive industry and retired in 2003 as owner and operator of the Eldon Ford Company.

James Junior Powell ’40, died March 9. He served as a Marine fighter pilot in the Pacific during World War II and was honorably discharged as a major in 1946. James and his wife, Irene, lived in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and Algona, Iowa, where he worked in insurance and farm loans for Metropolitan Life. He retired in the mid 1990s to Sun City, Arizona.

Kim Weddum ’70, 68, of Avoca, Iowa, died May 30. He taught high school government, American history, psychology, sociology and economics for 40 years at Avoca-Hancock-Shelby-Tennant Community School and coached football, basketball and track. Kim retired in 2010

Bill Prichard ’63, ’72, 74, of Princeton, Missouri, died May 14. Bill grew up on a farm and continued to farm throughout his teaching career. He taught two years at Rolls County Consolidated High School in Center, Missouri, and the next 38 years at Princeton High School, teaching industrial arts before serving as the junior and senior high school principal for nine years. Doris Shields Riley Rudicel ’55, 97, of Papillion, Nebraska, died Jan. 20, 2015. She began her teaching career in the country schools of Gordon and Lincoln in Holt County, Missouri. She later taught eighth grade at Graham and third and fourth grades in Maitland, Missouri. In 1964, she became a language arts teacher and play director in Mound City, and concluded her 32-year teaching career in the 1970s. Ron Sander ’68, 71, of St. Joseph, Missouri, died Dec. 11, 2015. He retired from a career in sales in 2006.

David White III ’72, 65, died April 9. He began his career as a disc jockey in Ohio, Texas, and Puerto Rico. He later worked in sales and contract management for Kraft Foodservice in Kansas City, Missouri, before turning to technical writing. Esther Jean Hall Wiley ’40, 93, of Maryville, died March 4. For more than 30 years, she and her late husband owned and operated a cattle farm in Quitman, Missouri. Ronald Wood ’50, 90, of Hendersonville, Tennessee, died April 18. He worked as a quality control manager with American Can Company. While at Northwest, Ron was enrolled in the U.S. Navy V-5 pilot training program during World War II. Phil Young ’72, 67, of Pleasant Hill, Iowa, died March 1. He served in the Iowa Army National Guard for 17 years and transferred to the Air Force National Guard in St. Louis, Missouri, where he served nine years. Phil taught elementary art in Ankeny, Iowa, for 15 years and for 20 years at Chesterfield (Missouri) Day School. After retiring, he worked for Change Academy at the Lake of the Ozarks for four years.

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POSTCARD A construction crew works to reconstruct the southwest gable of Northwestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Administration Building in July.

The iconic Administration Building, completed in 1910, has survived tornado damage and a devastating fire that destroyed 60 percent of the original structure, including the former north wing and its Deerwester Theater. In 2010, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This summer, Northwest began a series of repairs that will address the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lintels, gables and the replacement of all 326 windows. The repairs are expected to continue through spring 2017 and are funded, in part, through nearly $6.9 million awarded to Northwest through Building Affordability, an initiative of Gov. Jay Nixon in collaboration with public colleges and universities to make needed renovations and improvements on campuses throughout the state.

NORTHWEST THE MAGAZINE FOR NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Maryville, MO Permit No. 215

ALUMNI MAGAZINE I FALL 2016

Northwest Missouri State University Office of University Advancement 800 University Drive Maryville, MO 64468-6001

Stay in touch with us: www.nwmissouri.edu/alumni 660.562.1248 alumni@nwmissouri.edu

Join the Tourin’ Bearcats on their upcoming trip

Pacific Northwest and California

JUNE 18-25, Featuring Washington, Oregon and California 2017

$2,999 per person* *Based on double occupancy and departure from Kansas City International Airport; trip insurance is available for purchase; taxes and fees on airline tickets are subject to change until issued.

Includes:

• Roundtrip airfare from Kansas City, air taxes, hotel transfers • Six breakfasts • Four dinners • Transportation from Maryville to Kansas City International Airport

Highlights:

• Seattle • Mount St. Helens Visitors Center • Portland • Columbia River Gorge • Portland Spirit Cruise • Newport • Brandon State Natural Area • Redwood National Park • Eureka • Avenue of the Giants • San Francisco • Choice of San Francisco Bay Cruise or City Tour of San Francisco

University hosts:

Mike Johnson ’85, vice president of University Advancement Kenna Miller Johnson ’84, ’87, director of the Talent Development Center

Make your reservations today. Limited availability. For more information, contact the Northwest Alumni Association at alumni@nwmissouri.edu or 660.562.1248.

NORTHWEST

M I S S O U R I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y

ALUMNI A S S O C I A T I O N

For more information about this trip, visit www.nwmissouri.edu/alumni/travel or to book, call the Tourin’ Bearcats Help Desk at 800.869.6806. Sponsored by the Northwest Alumni Association and KXCV-KRNW, Northwest’s NPR affiliate.