[ class notes ]
1972
Wayne Pelzel won reelection as mayor of Sleepy Eye, Minn.
KEEPING UP TRADITIONS
1974
Lee Kanten and his wife, Jeanie (Strube ’75), moved from the Twin Cities back to Ortonville, his hometown, for retirement.
2001
Ryan Sims was named the Nevada Athletic Director Association’s 2020 Athletic Director of the Year. He is currently the athletic director at Reed High School in Sparks, Nev.
2002
Katie (Kizer) Chang is a trade compliance manager for Polaris Industries. Sara (Granheim) Deering (MBA ’04) started a new job at E&I Cooperative Services as a member relations executive covering Minn., N.D., Neb., S.D., and Wis.
2003
Chuck Larsen couldn’t stay away. Not returning for Homecoming — even during this year’s mostly virtual events — wasn’t an option. After all, he’d been to every Homecoming since he was a freshman at what was then Southwest Minnesota State College, in the fall of 1970. “I’ve made them all since then,” said Larsen, who is retired from a career in the restaurant and, later, document management business. “We usually have a big group come back for Homecoming, but then COVID-19 hit and we cancelled our hotel reservations we made last year. Then we heard there was going to be a parade, so I changed my mind and a few of us came back.” Shown above are this year’s group, from left, Dave Sanderson ’78, Jane (Klinkner) Soukup ’80, Chuck Larsen ’75, Jason Mortvedt ’78 and Craig Porter ’79. “There’s usually between 20 and 25 of us who come back,” said Larsen. “A lot of those people went to school at different times, and we have become friends by going to Homecoming all these years. When I first started, it was called Founders Day, and the game was played at Legion Field.” “I started counting when I was driving back,” he continued. “Fifty-one straight years. It’s always been a good time seeing people. I enjoyed my time at SMSU and have good memories.”
Amy (Knudsen) Johnson was named the director of treasury management by Great Western Bank, based in Sioux 2006 Falls, S.D. Michelle (Marotzke) Jayme McGhan Hull (MBA ’09) has been named has joined the the new head of Mid-Minnesota the Department Development of Theatre at the Commission to University of North assist Kandiyohi and Georgia, Dahlonega, surrounding counties Ga., and has taken with recovery on the artistic from the economic and managing damage from director roles of the COVID-19. Gainesville Theatre Alliance. 2007 Cory Isebrand (MS) is the new PE 2004 instructor at Gehlen Jason Mayer is the Catholic Schools in director of laboratory Le Mars, Iowa. services for Park Jessica (Myrvik) Nicollet Health Pearson and Services based in St. husband, Terry Louis Park. Pearson, welcomed a baby boy, Micah, on
14 | FOCUS
May 3, 2020.
2008
Kayleigh (Booker) Karppinen and her husband, Andrew, welcomed their first child, Faye Katherine, on July 2, 2020. Breiann (Harris) Remiger welcomed a baby boy, Malcolm, on Aug. 31, 2020.
2009
Derek Bjoraker and his wife, Charlotte, welcomed a baby boy, Nolan, in June, 2020. Trenton Dammann has started a new role as an attorney for the city of Redwood Falls, Minn. He was formerly a law clerk
for the Fifth Judicial District, based in Redwood Falls. Michael Leischner won two state awards during the 2019 Wisconsin Broadcasters Association banquet, including Best Continuing Coverage for a Series of Stories and Best Medium Market News/Talk Website for WSAU. com, which he maintains along with the rest of the WSAU staff.
2010
Sarah (Kelly) Smith and her husband, Dustin, welcomed a baby girl, Isla, on Oct. 21, 2020.
2011
2015
Ryan Engels married Stacy (Bottolfson) Angela Tauer on Aug. Hubert and her 8, 2020. husband, Kyle, welcomed a baby boy, Anna Surprenant married Robert Logan Riley, on May Jenson on Aug. 3, 4, 2020. 2020. Mark Vue became 2012 the new owner Ben Dolan graduated of Bubai Foods from law school at in Walnut Grove, the University of taking ownership of South Dakota and is the grocery store in a clerk for a district March, 2020. court judge. He ran as a Democrat for the Minnesota House 2016 Rita Fonder (MBA seat in District 17A, ’18) works at Orphan losing to incumbent Grain Train, Inc. Republican Tim in Norfolk, Neb., Miller. as an international Toni (Harms) Lewis shipping and public started a new job relations assistant. in November, 2020 as the manager of perishables at Hy-Vee 2018 Mackenzie Clouse in Lenexa, Kan. married Jesse Tanner Skillings Vogelgesang on Oct. (MBA ’18) started 5, 2019. a new job at the Ryan Koopman began University of teaching at United Otago in Dunedin, South Central School New Zealand, as District in Wells, in the development September, 2020. He manager in teaches social studies. humanities. Jeff Pryor (MS) is an enrollment officer 2013 for Galvanize Inc., Kyle Box currently Denver, Colo. serves as the city clerk for the city of 2019 Marshall. Ya-Chi (Nicole) Chan Laura (Johnson) (MBA) is an invoice Drager (MBA ’16) administrator/analyst and husband, Mitch, at U.S. Bank. welcomed a baby girl, Eden Rae, on May 2, Amber Coleman is the executive 2020. Laura was also assistant to the selected to represent Vice President of the Mankato area at Student Affairs the 2020 Minnesota and Enrollment Young American Management at Leaders Program as Presentation College, a rising leader in the Aberdeen, S.D. region. Danika Dahlin is an early childhood 2014 special education Kassi (Hague) Tietz teacher for grades and her husband, K-6 at Braham Area Lucas Tietz (’13/ Schools, Braham. MBA ’16), welcomed Jayden Fleck married their second Amber Messner daughter, Tatum, on (’20) on July 11, Feb. 25, 2020. 2020. Mai Che Vue works Alex Jorgensen at Wells Fargo Auto received a contract in Minneapolis as to play professional a business support baseball with the associate. Joliet Slammers, a
All cities are in Minnesota unless noted. Events are in the current year unless noted.
