ÐÔÊӽ紫ý

Bob Hurford (n48), who suffered and survived a cardiac arrest, was the subject of a lengthy feature article in May in The Newberg Graphic, as part of a series bringing attention to the need for automated external defibrillators in the community. The local businessman, owner of his own insurance company and a 20-year member of the Newberg City Council, was revived on April 23, 2011, in the emergency room at Newberg Providence Hospital, where his heart stopped three times. His story helped inspire local police, fire, and parks and recreation leaders to work together to raise funds for the installation of AEDs throughout the community.

Richard Foster (G64) headlined a Christian writers retreat in November at Camp Tilikum in Newberg. He is the author of numerous books on spiritual formation, including Celebration of Discipline. The three-day conference also featured Gina (Withnell) Ochsner (G92), author of The Necessary Grace to Fall and a writing professor at Corban University, and Lisa McMinn (G91), a writer in residence at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý and the author of six books that explore the intersection of culture, change and Christian faith in ordinary life. The retreat, “Letting the Light In: Writing for the Growth of the Soul,” was planned and directed by Dennis Littlefield (G84, MBA95), executive director of Camp Tilikum, and Eric Muhr (G96), publisher/manager of Barclay Press in Newberg.

Fred Gregory (G66) and Kent Thornburg (G67) coauthored an article published in July by the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. The consensus statement reports the outcomes of a summit held in Portland in 2015 on the nutrition of adolescent girls and young women. Thornburg was the brainchild of the conference and Gregory served as director. Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the meeting drew 67 delegates from 17 countries with the goal of creating dialogue between scientists, program implementers and policy experts. In addition to his role as special assistant to the president at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý, Gregory is director of global development with the Bob and Charlee Moore Institute for Nutrition and Wellness at OHSU. Thornburg also serves at OHSU as the M. Lowell Edwards Chair, professor of medicine, director of the Center for Developmental Health at the Knight Cardiovascular Institute, and as director of the Moore Institute.

Donna (Marks) Kreutz (G69) and her husband are transitioning to life in Mexico part time after a full-time career living with Guevea de Humboldt Zapotec speakers in southern Mexico translating the Bible into the Zapotec language through Wycliffe Bible Translators. The translated New Testament, after a months-long check by the community, including being read aloud in Zapotec by members of local congregations, was sent for publication in June, with an expected 2018 release. In addition to print, the translation will also be available as an audio recording.

Patti (Meireis) Cooke (n74), after 24 years of service to her alma mater, retired in October, leaving behind her custodial supervisor position at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý. Over the years she worked with and tutored new supervisors and more than 230 students, who helped her clean and care for every public campus building at one time or another. Her final areas of responsibility were Bauman Auditorium and the adjacent Ross Center. Her new plans: “Clean my own house.”

Randy Thornburg (G74) and Divonna (Littlefield) Thornburg (G75) are living in Marion, Indiana, where, since April, Randy has been with Heart 2 Heart Hospice as a chaplain/music therapist, providing spiritual guidance and support to patients across the state. With a portable keyboard, he plays and sings for patients, tailoring his set list based on their favorite musicians or style of music. Divonna is an enrollment specialist at Indiana Wesleyan University, enrolling students in both online and onsite programs in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Florida. Randy has been a pastor or associate pastor in Friends churches for more than 43 years in Washington, California, Ohio, Kansas and Indiana, the last two and a half years with Bethel Friends Church in Jonesboro, Indiana, after five years with the Friends Church in Liberal, Kansas. While in Kansas, Divonna worked in the development office and the math/science department at Seward County Community College.

Bonnie Jerke (PS76), a ÐÔÊӽ紫ý administrator for 30 years and nearly all of her professional life, died July 8, 2017, in Billings, Montana. She began her career at the school in 1980 as a residence hall director and later became director of the academic success program and, ultimately, director of career services. She retired from the university in 2013. The following year she was diagnosed with appendix cancer, and she moved to her native Montana in 2016 for chemotherapy treatment. While the services and burial were held in Montana, ÐÔÊӽ紫ý and Newberg friends gathered in her honor at a picnic Sept. 23.

Denise (Mills) Lyman (G76), after 14 years of service at Newberg Friends Church, moved across town in October to assume a new position at Friendsview Retirement Community. A bookkeeper and receptionist at the church, she now works in accounts payable at the 500-plus-resident senior community.

Scott Celley (G82), after 10 years as vice president of external affairs with TriWest Healthcare Alliance in Phoenix, is now principal and managing director of Phoenix-based Trifecta Communications, started in 2013 to help organizations establish or enhance positive brand visibility and reputation in the marketplace. The business specializes in the integration of public relations, government relations and community involvement. Celley also worked 14 years in governmental positions, including five years with U.S. Senator John McCain as a communications director and five years as a senior policy advisor with Arizona Governor Jane Dee Hull.

Janelle (Dealy) Nordyke (G82, MBA16) in October joined the office staff at Newberg Friends Church as bookkeeper, bringing her background as a finance director for the city of Newberg and her more recent role as a contract accountant with Union Gospel Mission in Salem, Oregon. A CPA, she worked at the church previously, assisting in the finance office at a time the building also housed the Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends.

Dennis Castle (MDiv86) is cofounder of Gesundheit Foods, responsible for federal, state and municipal regulatory compliance. Gesundheit, based in Milwaukie, Oregon, has manufacturing facilities in Oregon, Washington, California and Nevada, packaging and bottling healthy fresh products ranging from fruit purees and sauces to energy drinks and beverages. It helps its clients with ingredient sourcing, production, branding and design, packaging and distribution. He also is owner of Millenicom Telecommunications in Portland, a provider of global voice and data services.

Matt Nosack (G88), after coaching his Santiam Christian High School baseball team to the quarterfinals of the Oregon Class 3A state championships in the spring, now ranks seventh on the list of coaches with the most wins in Oregon high school baseball history. His career record is 557-183-2, and his teams have won four state titles since 1999, the most recent two years ago. He is in his 30th year at the Adair Village, Oregon, private school of 255, where he teaches chemistry, biology and weight training. He was featured in an April story in the Albany (Oregon) Democrat Herald, titled “Prep Baseball: Local Coaches Establish a Culture of Winning.”

Pat Casey (G90), head coach of the Oregon State University baseball program, continues to rack up milestones and honors while receiving national attention in his 30th year as a college baseball coach. In 2017, he was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Coach of the Year, the state of Oregon’s Slats Gill Sportsperson of the Year, and, for the fifth time, the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. He also reached a career milestone with his 1,000th win on May 12 and finished the spring with a career record of 1,016-674-5. This season his Beavers went 56-6, including a stretch of 23 straight wins, and set a conference record with 27 Pac-12 wins. The Beavers were also the nation’s No. 1-ranked team going into the NCAA College World Series. Casey coached the Bruins from 1988 through 1994, winning six conference titles and three NAIA District 2 titles while going 171-114-1. He was then hired by OSU, where he’s posted a record of 845-560-6 and won two NCAA Division I World Series titles (2006 and 2007).

Steve Fawver (G90, PS01, DMin11), after 27 years on the pastoral team at Newberg Friends Church, left the church Sept. 30 to become a co-pastor at the new Newberg Emerging Friends Church. At Newberg Friends, he moved up from his position as pastor of spiritual health and care to assume its interim pastor role for his final three months before leaving. The new church is meeting at the Joyful Servant Lutheran Church in Newberg.

Duane Larson (G90), following 15 years as assistant principal, is now the principal of Alice Ott Middle School in Portland, part of the David Douglas School District. Oregon’s 2015 Vice Principal of the Year now leads the school of 720 students and 45 teachers. A graduate of David Douglas High School, he returned to the district in 1991 as a sixth-grade teacher. In 1997, he transferred to become a middle-school math teacher before assuming the role of an administrative intern at elementary schools from 1999 to 2002.

Rich Seiber (G90) in January published his third book, a personal story following two novels. Parker’s Story: Essays on Autism and Awesometism tells the story of his son, born with autism, cerebral palsy and brain malformation. Written in a devotional style, it features key Bible verses and instruction on how readers can apply the lessons learned to their own lives. “My son’s perseverance and personality have made him a hero and inspiration to many,” Seiber writes. Now self-employed and living in North Highlands, California, Seiber has 25 years of experience in media, including seven years as a PBS television reporter.

Miguel Rivera (G91) is chair of the accounting program at Hodges University, with campuses in Naples and Fort Myers, Florida, where he teaches accounting and finance. The 2,000-student university caters to adults with full-time jobs, providing day, evening and weekend classes and online self-paced learning. He joined the Johnson School of Business in 2012. With a PhD in accounting from Sarasota University (2008), he previously held faculty positions at Florida Southern College, Inter American University of Puerto Rico and Embry-Riddle University. He was inducted into the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 for his baseball success as a second baseman, where he earned NAIA All-America honorable mention honors.

Rich Swingle (G91), who has been performing his one-man play about Chariots of Fire hero Eric Liddell since 2004, has released a filmed version to the public, available on demand on the website christiancinema.com. It was recorded live at the Singapore Expo in conjunction with the Youth Olympic Games in 2010 before an audience of 5,600. The play picks up where the movie left off, telling how the Olympian left fame and fortune to serve as a missionary in China until imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Performing full time since 1995, Swingle has appeared in 29 nations on five continents, and has had roles in 20 films in addition to speaking and performing at churches, colleges, prisons, retreats, camps, military bases and theaters.

Pete Rusaw (G94), after a year teaching mathematics at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý as an adjunct professor – and also teaching math at Newberg High School – this fall became visiting assistant professor of mathematics at the university. Until last year, he taught math at Forest Grove (Oregon) High School for 22 years. He has previous college teaching experience at Portland Community College (2002-04). Since 2001, he has also served as pastor of Wapato Valley Church in Gaston, Oregon.

Linda Atwell (ADP95) shares her family’s story in her book Loving Lindsey: Raising a Daughter with Special Needs, released in September. The memoir, written like a novel, blends the realism of handling difficult situations with the joy of raising a child. Atwell lives in Silverton, Oregon, and is now a writer after owning a home decor business for 10 years and, more recently, working as an adjuster for catastrophe insurance claims.

Kerry (Aillaud) Rueck (G95) is in her second year supervising student teachers in Oregon State University’s education department after recently leaving Linn-Benton Community College’s Parenting Education Department, where she spent the last three years teaching a class for parents of toddlers. Previously, while her husband Scott was head women’s basketball coach at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý (1996-2010), she spent 14 years as a fourth- and fifth-grade teacher in Newberg. Scott, now the head coach of OSU’s women’s basketball program, in October had his contract extended through the 2026-27 season.

Kenna (Yonker) West (ADP95) in August was named new city manager for Willamina, Oregon, a city of just over 2,000 in western Yamhill County. She left a position as administrative services manager for the Marion County (Oregon) Board of Commissioners. Her city government experience also includes a 16-month period in 2015 and 2016 when she was assistant to the mayor of Salem, Oregon. West, who received a law degree from Lewis & Clark College in 1999, previously practiced law in McMinnville, Oregon, with her husband.

John Smith (G96) is now a member of the North Bend (Oregon) High School Hall of Fame, inducted in ceremonies at his alma mater on Sept. 29. A 1992 graduate, he earned all-state honors in both football and track and field for the Bulldogs. He still holds the school’s triple jump record. Smith, ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s track and field coach since 2006 following eight years as an assistant coach, was a national qualifier for the Bruins in the decathlon three times and twice in the pole vault, earning NAIA All-America status in both 1994 and 1995. He was later ranked nationally in the decathlon before a career-ending injury sidelined him as a competitor.

Jesse Cadd (G97) and Kerri (Kennison) Cadd (G98) are in Yokosuka, Japan, where he is with CRSA, a company that is a contractor to the U.S. Navy. In his sixth year, he works in IT on the Navy base in Yokosuka as a systems administrator. Previously, he was with Northrop Grumman, also as a contractor, and in IT with the U.S. Army in Mannheim, Germany, after similar work with the U.S. Army in Kuwait. Earlier, he and Kerri were with Wycliffe Associates doing dinner theater to raise awareness for translation efforts. Both are now involved in a church plant with Tokyo International Presbyterian Church in Ueno, Japan. With about 20 core members, it meets twice a month with a bilingual format. The Cadds select the music and lead the singing. Kerri is also heavily involved with roller derby on the base, hoping to go to the World Cup in 2018 with Team Japan.

Mike Smolko (G97) is an associate adviser with Edgecombe and Coplin Wealth Strategies in Puyallup, Washington. He has been with the independent financial advisory firm since 2013 after previously being a service representative with Arthur J. Gallagher and Co. In addition to his ÐÔÊӽ紫ý degree, he has both an MA in education from Alfred University and an MBA from Pacific Lutheran University. A frequent speaker at retirement and other financial seminars for local school districts, he also is a PTA president and president of his homeowners association.

Al Stefan (PS97, EdS17) is the new principal/head of school at Western Mennonite School, starting this fall after 12 years as principal of West Hills Christian School in Portland. Western Mennonite, located west of Salem, Oregon, is a private Christian school with 175 sixth- through 12th-graders. Previously, Stefan was a teacher for two years at Westside Christian School in Portland, following more than nine years as an independent pastor.

Jamie (Ridley) Klucken (G98) has been promoted to associate professor of pharmacy and appointed the interim director of campus operations at Shenandoah University in Auburn, Virginia. Previously, she was in charge of transitioning the university’s satellite pharmacy school to a new site at the Inova Center for Personalized Health in Fairfax, Virginia.

Scott Spurlock (G98) in September began work as head of theology and religious studies at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He is in his fifth year as senior lecturer in religious studies in the School of Critical Studies, where his emphasis is Scottish religious cultures. He earned a PhD in ecclesiastical history in 2005 from the University of Edinburgh and currently is editor of two book series: Christianities in the Trans-Atlantic World, 1500-1800, and Scottish Religious Cultures: Historical Perspectives.

Becci Harper (G99) this fall took over as head of the girls’ volleyball program at Beaverton (Oregon) High School. She played club volleyball at Western Oregon State University and JV volleyball one year at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý, where she also competed in track and field and basketball. Her career in those latter sports led to her induction into the university’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. In basketball, she led her team in both rebounding and three-point field goals in her two seasons. In track, she became the third Bruin athlete to repeat as a national champion when she captured back-to-back javelin titles and All-America honors in the NAIA national championships in 1996 and 1997. She is in her ninth year as a catastrophe claims adjuster with Farmers Insurance in Portland.

Adam Hieb (G99) is vice president of sales and marketing with Shea Homes in the San Francisco Bay Area, in that position since 2009 after joining the firm in 2007 as director of sales and marketing for Northern California. Previously, he was with Centex Homes for nearly three years, starting in San Diego as director of sales then moving to the Bay Area as sales manager for Northern California. He has been the top seller’s agent in the Livermore area, ranking in the top 3 percent of more than 3,300 agents. Shea Homes is America’s largest privately owned new home builder.

Aaron Mangelsdorf (G99) is a Northwest territory manager with A-dec in Newberg, responsible for the Portland area. He has been in the position since 2012 after starting with the company in 2008 as product manager. Previously, he was with Implant Direct for a year after more than four years with DEKA Laser Technologies in Carlsbad, California. A-dec, Newberg’s largest employer, is one of the biggest dental equipment manufacturers in the world.

Tami Trout (ADP99) in July joined Oregon Manufacturing Extension Partnership in Bend, Oregon, as a senior consultant. She left behind her own consulting firm, Trout Business Solutions, in Boise, Idaho, which she had headed for just over 10 years, specializing in HR-related activities. Previously, for 16 years, she was with Hewlett-Packard as an employee communications manager. In her new role, she works with companies to maximize organizational success and profitability by developing effective human resources systems, including hiring, development and performance management.

Sabrina Bailey (G00, MBA08) has been named “Distinguished Woman Investment Professional of the Year” by Women Investment Professionals, a nonprofit organization based in Chicago. She received the award Oct. 26 at the group’s annual Trailblazer Dinner at the downtown University Club. She was cited for her “deep institutional investment consulting experience, which she applies in serving some of the world’s largest retirement plans.” Since 2015 she has been global head of retirement solutions with Northern Trust Asset Management, the 10th-largest defined contribution plan manager in the world. She previously was with Mercer Investment Consulting for two years following four years with Towers Watson, both in Seattle.

Timothy Ewest (MBA00, DMgt09) is in his second year as associate professor of management at Houston Baptist University in Stafford, Texas, following nine years as associate professor of business administration at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. He continues his nine-year association with Princeton University as a visiting research collaborator with the Faith and Work Initiative exploring the integration of faith within the workplace. His career includes nine years as an ordained minister in the Christian and Missionary Alliance church.

Nate McIntyre (G00) has been speaking in Newberg public schools this year and, although he is senior associate director of undergraduate admissions at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý, is not out recruiting. Instead, he’s sharing his life story in the hopes of reducing suicides in the Newberg School District, which recently had five within a year. He shares his own experience with low self-esteem, depression, anxiety and even thoughts of suicide, reminding students that they are not alone, that people care, and they are worthy of love and belonging. “I’m part of something that’s hopefully making a difference,” he said in a feature article in June in The Newberg Graphic.

Debora (Herb) Sepich (ADP00, MBA04) in June was named new director of the Dunklau School of Business at Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska. She oversees the undergraduate program and the hybrid MBA program that features online learning with monthly meetings. With 1,400 students, the school is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church. She left a position, held for two years, as dean of the Vucurevich School of Business at the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota. An entrepreneur-turned-professor, she spent 25 years in the high-tech business world, then 10 years at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý as director of MBA programs.

Austin Ashenbrenner (G01) on Oct. 15 became the new pastor of the Redmond (Washington) Presbyterian Church, the sixth pastor in the church’s 52-year history. He previously was pastor of adult and missions at Sammamish (Washington) Presbyterian Church, starting in 2014, after earning a master of divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2010 and then serving as associate pastor of youth and missions at First Presbyterian Church in Salina, Kansas.

Richard Brown (G01) and Loren Gaukroger (G08) are half of the four-member team of lawyers at Brown, Tarlow, Bridges and Palmer in Newberg. Brown, who joined the firm in 2010, previously was with Millard and Bragg in Portland for more than two years after practicing in the San Francisco area following his 2005 graduation from Hastings College of Law at the University of California. Gaukroger joined the firm in 2015 following his 2013 graduation from the Willamette University College of Law and then work with The Carlson Law Group in Beaverton, Oregon.

Mike Nadeau (G01) has been named head baseball coach at Cal State University, San Bernardino, moving from Seattle University, where he had been for five years, the last three as the top assistant. Previously, he was head coach at Pierce College in Puyallup, Washington, for two years and earlier was an assistant at the University of Puget Sound for one year and on staff at Shoreline Community College for four years. For the last 10 years, he’s also coached The Buzz, a summer select program based in Federal Way, Washington. In addition, he is founder and president of Nadeau Sports Training. Inducted into the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Sports Hall of Fame in 2006, Nadeau was named NAIA District II Player of the Year in 1994 and, following his junior year, was selected in the 17th round of the Major League Baseball draft by the Baltimore Orioles. He played six seasons in the minor leagues.

John Knox (MAT02) recently wrote two books. In April, Wipf & Stock published John Wesley’s 52 Standard Sermons – An Annotated Summary, and this fall Kendall-Hunt published God in the Details: A Biblical Survey of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. The first is a resource for understanding the founder of the Methodist Church, who was an enthusiastic preacher, writer and Oxford scholar. The second includes highlights of each book in the Bible, offering historical and cultural details to provide depth of understanding. It is coauthored by Tim Tsohantaridis, associate professor of biblical studies at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý. Starting in 2010, Knox, who received a PhD in theology and religion from the University of Birmingham in 2009, has been an online instructor of apologetics and seminary studies with Liberty University School of Divinity. He also is scholar-in-residence with The Biblical Studies Center in Boise, Idaho.

Lyle Railsback (G02) was selected as one of the “Top 40 Under 40 Tastemakers” of 2017 by the 400,000-circulation Wine Enthusiast magazine. He is national sales manager for the wine importer Kermit Lynch of Berkeley, California, and co-owns Railsback Freres wines with his brother. He also designs wine labels and this year illustrated the book Drink Pink: A Celebration of Rosé, published by HarperCollins.

Cary (McAdams) Hamilton (MA03) is president and one of six senior clinicians on the eight-member therapist staff at Olympia Therapy in Tumwater, Washington, founded in 2011. She also serves as director and adjunct professor for the play therapy certification program at Antioch University in Seattle, in addition to holding an adjunct position at Brandman (formerly Chapman) University in Lacey, Washington. Last fall, she taught an eight-day seminar on play and filial therapy to mental health professionals in Beijing, China. A registered play therapist, her interest in that area was featured in a June article on ThurstonTalk.com, an online publication covering Thurston County, Washington.

Jared Meidal (G03), after serving 12 years in Southern California with World Impact, in November moved to Ohio where he now is with Back2Back Ministries, headquartered in Mason, as IT director. His new work is with an international Christian nonprofit organization that cares for the spiritual, physical and educational needs of orphans in Mexico, India, Nigeria and Haiti through full-time staff and volunteers on mission trips. With World Impact he was assistant director at The Oaks Camp and Conference Center in Lake Hughes, California.

Peter Fisher (MBA04), cofounder, owner and managing partner with Human Investing of Lake Oswego, Oregon, received national attention in a May 17, 2017, Wall Street Journal profile article, “Helping Clients Navigate Their 401(k)s.” His firm provides investment advice for families, endowments, foundations and corporations. It also acts as a consultant for corporate pensions and 401(k) plan investments. He started the business in 2004, leaving a position as vice president/resident director with Merrill Lynch, where he had worked for more than eight years. He and his team oversee nearly $800 million in assets under management.

Carrie Hall (G04, MEd08) this fall returned to the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý campus as assistant professor of education. For the last three years she taught fifth through eighth grades at Bridges Middle School in Portland, where she lives, after four years teaching third- and fourth-graders at Joint School District #2 in Meridian, Idaho. She is currently enrolled in a PhD program with the Center on Disabilities and Human Development at the University of Idaho, with a focus on neurodevelopmental disabilities and special education.

Christy (Miller) Rummel (G04) and Tobin Rummel (G04) in June opened their own medical practice, Ambassadors Health Alliance, in Corvallis, Oregon. It offers osteopathic medicine, functional medicine and manual massage therapy, with the goal of giving back to medical missions organizations through patient-directed giving. He completed his medical degree at the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona, California, in 2010, then completed family practice residency through Samaritan Health Services in Corvallis and was an osteopathic physician and surgeon with Crossroads Premier Healthcare. She earned a master’s degree in nursing from Vanderbilt University, specializing as a family nurse practitioner, and has taken advanced courses in functional medicine, for which she is now in the process of gaining national certification.

Dick Sartwell (DMin04), after 15 years away, is returning to pastor Newberg Friends Church. He began Oct. 1 on a three-fourths time basis as interim lead pastor. He left the historic church’s pastoral leadership in January 2002, the same year he was named the first director of the Friends Center, a cooperative effort of the Northwest Yearly Meeting and ÐÔÊӽ紫ý Evangelical Seminary (now Portland Seminary). Previously, he served at the Newberg church for 14 years, replaced by Gregg Koskela (G90), who, after 27 years as a Friends minister (including nearly 15 years at Newberg Friends), left the pastorate and in August became assistant to the superintendent of the Newberg School District.

Timothy Smith (G04) is using his degree in computer and information science as a technical support specialist at Parata Systems in Portland. He has been with the firm that makes robotic dispensers and technical solutions for pharmacies since 2010, starting as a field support engineer before moving to his current position in 2015. Previously, he spent more than three years as a quality assurance engineer with Daifuku America.

Taye Spears (MA13) is the new assistant principal at Alice Ott Middle School in Portland, part of the David Douglas School District. She worked the previous 13 years at Fir Ridge Campus, an alternative high school in Portland, where she was assistant principal the last three years.

Misty Wharton (MAT04) has had the “interim” removed from her title and is now the designated superintendent of the 500-student Nestucca Valley School District on the Oregon Coast. She has been in the superintendent’s office since January. Now in her sixth year as principal of the district’s elementary school of 255 students, she is a third-generation resident of the area, where her father once served as high school principal. She started as an instructional aide, then taught at the high school for nine years before becoming principal.

Liz Clark (G05) was inducted into the Eatonville (Washington) High School Athletic Hall of Fame in September, noted as the only Eatonville athlete ever to play women’s basketball professionally. She was an all-league player 11 times in three sports: basketball, volleyball and softball. At ÐÔÊӽ紫ý, she played forward on the basketball team that reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division III tournament in 2005. She was inducted with the team into the university’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. Upon graduating, she signed with the German basketball club BG Bonn Rentrop. Later, she coached boys’ basketball at Bonn International School in Germany before coaching at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý and at Wood River High School in Sun Valley, Idaho, where she now lives. She is a transition coordinator counselor at Wood River High School and fitness director at the Wood River YMCA.

Mark Diller (G05) in May became the development officer for Hesston College, returning to the college where he received an associate’s degree in 1998. The college of 430 in Hesston, Kansas, is affiliated with the Mennonite Church. Previously, he was administrator of Quail Run Assisted Living, part of the Mennonite Village Continuing Care Retirement Community in Albany, Oregon, a position he held for 10 years until 2016.

Stacy (Keogh) George (G05) in May received the Innovative Teaching Award at Whitworth University, where she’s in her fourth year as an assistant professor in the sociology department. She previously taught in the sociology department at the University of Montana while earning a master’s degree and later a PhD from the University of New Mexico. She authored Beyond the “Ring by Spring” Culture, published last year by the Institute for Faith and Learning of Baylor University, and was the subject of a feature article on the topic published in June by The Inlander newspaper of Spokane, Washington.

Andrew Paine (G05) has been named Teacher of the Year for 2017 by Hope International University in Fullerton, California. The faculty excellence award was presented during a spring honors convocation. A faculty member of the 1,300-student school since 2011, he is an assistant professor of business and management. A certified public accountant, he also has an MBA from Hope International. Previously, he was an adjunct professor and women’s soccer coach from 2011 to 2013 after being a senior auditor with Deloitte from 2005 to 2010.

Petr Burunov (ADP06) in May was named to the board of the Clark College Foundation in Vancouver, Washington. He is president and founder (in 2009) of Ambassador Wealth Management, an independent financial planning firm, also in Vancouver, where he has lived for 25 years. Previously, he was with Morgan Stanley, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch. His firm provides planning for finances, estates, income tax and retirement, and management for assets and portfolios, legacy and charitable giving. Clark, a commuter-only college, has an enrollment of 14,000.

Brise Carpenter (ADP06) in July was named vice president of client success at Navis in Bend, Oregon. It’s a move up from his previous position as director of client success, which he held for nearly two years. He started with Navis in 2011 as a client advocate. Previously, for three and a half years, he was director of implementation with Insurance Profit Systems, a marketing consulting firm in Bend. Navis offers a reservation sales system for the North American lodging industry, using software solutions and services to focus on hospitality sales and marketing optimization.

Ryan Mortinson (G06) has joined the service desk team at Portland Internetworks as a technician, bringing an engineering background and 10 years of experience living and teaching in South Korea, where he met his wife and taught English to high school students. Portland Internetworks provides internet, network and IT services for businesses.

Kristina Tucker (G06) in July began employment as a registered nurse, working in both adolescent and adult units at Fairfax Behavioral Health, a 157-bed psychiatric hospital in Kirkland, Washington, serving the Puget Sound area. It is her first nursing position.

Jeffrey Bilbro (G07) coauthored a new book, Wendell Berry and Higher Education: Cultivating Virtues of Place, published in June by the University Press of Kentucky. In the 268-page volume, the authors argue that instead of training students to live in their careers, universities should educate students to inhabit and serve their places. Bilbro is an associate professor of English at Spring Arbor University in Michigan. He started in 2012 after receiving a PhD in English language and literature from Baylor University, where he was a graduate instructor.

Mark Bradbury (MBA07) and Sarah Bradbury (MBA07), while living on a small farm in Fruitland, Idaho, are the owners of three interrelated and connected businesses in one location in Ontario, Oregon: Silver Signet Graphic Design, Signet Marketing and B&B Printing. Started in 2014, the growing venture now is in its third location, this one purchased rather than rented. She concentrates on the graphic design side of the business while he specializes in the HTML and style sheet coding for implementing websites. He also is a certified unmanned aircraft pilot and provides drone photos and video. They planned their new business while serving in Belize for two years, where they were missionaries with LOL Ministry, serving as team coordinators with a home for children in the Toledo District.

Kathi Gatlin (ADP07, MEd12, PS16) has combined her graduate degrees in education and spiritual formation to found a new ministry/corporation: Boldly Loved. As spiritual director and group formation facilitator, she has teamed with Lynn (Clouser) Holt (MDiv97), who is spiritual director and group formation leader. The endeavor offers spiritual formation classes, a series of contemplative prayer and journaling retreats, and a companioning conference. Study groups of up to six meet through a web-based conference two hours weekly for 15 weeks, followed by four-hour retreats. Gatlin previously was an advisor in the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý registrar’s office for nine years. Holt is spiritual director for students at Portland Seminary after pastoring at North Valley Friends Church for 15 years.

Megan (Kelsey) Marsh (G07, MAT10) is in her third year as director of women’s ministries at First Church of the Nazarene in Pasadena, California. She has been with the church since June 2013, when she started as an administrative assistant for women’s ministries, later becoming director of events management. Previously, she was a teacher at Alliance Judy Ivie Burton Technology Academy, a public charter high school in Los Angeles, where she taught psychology and advised students.

Daniel Bennett (G08) is the author of a new book, Defending Faith: The Politics of the Christian Conservative Legal Movement, published in July by University Press of Kansas. Called the first holistic, wide-angle picture of the Christian legal movement in the United States, his 224-page book tells the story of the growth of a legal community and the development of legal advocacy as a tool of social and political engagement. He recently discussed the topic at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý in a presentation, “The Politics of the Christian Conservative Legal Movement.” Bennett is an assistant professor of political science at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, starting in that position in 2016 after two years at Eastern Kentucky University and after receiving a PhD in political science and government from Southern Illinois University in 2013.

Raymond De Silva (G08, PS11) received the 2017 Chair’s Excellence Award at the eighth annual Multnomah County (Oregon) Employee Recognition Awards ceremony. Received from commission chair Deborah Kafaoury, the citation notes the way he champions diversity and equity through leadership of the Employees of Color resource group. As chair since 2015, he has organized more than 25 meetings and events and created safe spaces for healing and dialogue around issues in the community, the award noted. The county, which includes the city of Portland, has 4,500 employees. He is a decision support data technician for the county’s health department.

Travis McFetridge (ADP08, MBA12) is in his second year as Title IX coordinator and training coordinator in the office of compliance and training at Treasure Valley Community College, from which he received his associate degree before attending ÐÔÊӽ紫ý. He has been on the Ontario, Oregon, campus since 2005, starting as student life coordinator. McFetridge, who lives in Weiser, Idaho, also has served as the school’s coordinator of residence life, food service and student conduct, and is an adjunct instructor in the business department. Treasure Valley has 900 full-time students and serves 6,000 each year.

Sage Mwiinga (MA08), who worked at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý as an admissions assistant, is continuing to work with students, currently at Treasure Valley Community College as director of enrollment management. He began in July 2016 after moving from a position as international student program coordinator at the College of Idaho. He lives in Meridian, Idaho, while working on the TVCC campus in Ontario, Oregon.

Tiffany Behary (G09) was called “One of Hoopla’s All-time Greats” in an Aug. 6 sports headline in the Salem, Oregon, Statesman Journal. The annual 3-on-3 street basketball tournament in Salem is believed to be the second-largest of its kind in the United States, with this year’s 19th annual event drawing nearly 1,000 teams and 4,000 participants. Behary’s handpicked team won the title in her division – her fifth in a row. She’s been a competitor since graduation after playing for former Bruin coach Scott Rueck. In April, she resigned from her position as head girls’ basketball coach at Westview High School in Beaverton, Oregon, a post held for two years after one year as an assistant. It’s part of a career change, as she has enrolled in an accelerated Emergency Medical Technician program in preparation to become a firefighter.

Angela Kantz (G09) in August left her position as office manager for the Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends in Newberg to move across town to become a secretary at Joan Austin Elementary School.

Emily Sallee (MA09), who earned her master’s degree in school counseling, has returned to campus as visiting assistant professor of school counseling, starting this fall. She has been a school counselor at Holcomb Elementary School in Oregon City, Oregon, since receiving her degree. She also is president-elect of the Oregon School Counselor Association and is a doctoral candidate in Oregon State University’s counselor education and supervision program.

Rachel (Belgard) Getsinger (G10) is a senior designer with Pivot Group in Portland, a marketing firm that provides branding, customer research, employee training and web design services. With the firm for five years, she previously was lead graphic designer for a year with KMH in Portland, where she branded and managed design and collateral for five companies under King Magsulit Holdings. She got her start on campus, working as a student graphic designer for two years in ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s marketing communications office.

Shereen (Sherman) Hullum (G10), after three years as a child and family therapist in the Intensive Community Treatment Services division of Trillium Family Services in Portland, has joined the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý faculty full time as an assistant professor of social work. This follows two years (2014-16) as an adjunct professor. Previously, she was a case manager and therapist in the foster care unit of the Beech Brook behavioral health agency in Pepper Pike, Ohio. She earned a master’s degree in social administration from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland in 2011.

Kelsey (Peck) Maehler (MAT10) is one of two first- and second-grade teachers in the Explorer Community School, part of the Lake Washington School District, on the campus of Emily Dickinson Elementary in Redmond, Washington. Opened in 2015 and adding one grade each year, it will eventually serve grades K-8, using project-based learning. Previously, she taught kindergarten and first-grade classes in Gladstone, Oregon, and Lacey, Washington.

Russ Pierson (PS10, DMin12) in April was named dean of the Florence (Oregon) Center of Lane Community College after serving as interim director for just over two years. He has been with the college since 2010 in a variety of roles, including more than four years as associate director of facilities management and planning after more than three years as lead project coordinator in the facilities management and planning department. Earlier, while earning his graduate degrees, he was a manager for more than nine years with Bineham Construction, Inc. of Eugene, Oregon.

Christina Tucker (G10) is in her second year teaching first grade at Harrisburg (Oregon) Elementary School after three years teaching second grade at the school. Earlier, she taught preschool for a year and was a substitute teacher for two years with the Lincoln County (Oregon) School District in her native Toledo, Oregon.

Lorie Brubaker (MAT11) this fall began as coordinator of ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s Science Outreach Program. For the last five years she was a teacher at Veritas School in Newberg, giving instruction in nine subject areas. Previously, she was an educational assistant in the reading programs at Dundee (Oregon) Elementary School for five years and an educational assistant in local schools. The Science Outreach Program provides youth science classes, science equipment loans to public and private school teachers and home-school parents, lab and facility use, and a portable planetarium.

Adam Cuneo (MBA11) in June joined the Boise State University Center for Professional Development as corporate partnership manager. He is working on the center’s Meridian, Idaho, campus. With experience as an account manager and business developer, he most recently was business development manager for Fanatics Media, a digital and influencer-engagement agency in Carlsbad, California. In his new role, he helps businesses and organizations design and implement courses and programs focused on leadership development, project management and business acumen.

Brady Mordhorst (G11) has opened his own business, E37, now in its second year in Newberg. It creates, organizes and advertises events that are creative as well as good for the community. His “The Great Turkey Fumble” in the fall of 2016 raised $1,800 and 250 pounds of food for the Newberg food agency FISH. Another was staged this fall. In 2016, he earned a master’s degree in college counseling and student development from Azusa Pacific University, where he also served as wellness coordinator within the Center for Student Action. That followed three years in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he was a house, chapel and discipline coordinator and high school English and PE teacher with IPEKA International Christian School.

Bethany Stoller (MAT11) is now a professor as well as a student in ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s School of Education. This fall she became visiting assistant professor of education while being enrolled in the EdD educational leadership program, which she expects to complete in spring 2018. She has been at Chehalem Valley Middle School in Newberg since 2011, serving as a humanities and reading teacher for a year, then a language arts and reading teacher for three years, and as an instructional coach and English language development teacher the last two years. She also has served as kids and youth director at Resonate Christian Church in Sherwood, Oregon, since 2012.

Robin Dummer (EdD12) has announced his decision to leave the presidency of Simpson University. He has guided the 1,300-student school in Redding, California, since 2013, first as interim president and since 2015 as president. He will leave the post in May, having served the university for 23 years. Prior to assuming the presidency, the 1976 Simpson graduate had worked as a professor of history, as chair of the faculty senate, as chair of the humanities and business division, as dean of the school of traditional undergraduate studies, and as accreditation and associate provost.

Jenna (Dohren) Kuiper (G12) is the new volleyball coach at C.S. Lewis Academy in Newberg, a private K-12 Christian school with 130 students. The former ÐÔÊӽ紫ý libero now lives in Newberg with her husband, Daniel Kuiper (G14), a semiconductor design engineer with Teradyne in Tualatin, Oregon, a supplier of automation equipment for test and industrial applications.

Nick Luchterhand (G12, MAT13) is back at his hometown high school in Canby, Oregon, in his second year as instrumental music director and band director. This follows two years as a music teacher in the district’s Baker Prairie Middle School and a year as a substitute teacher in the Newberg School District.

Traci Sirotiak (G12) earned degrees in both accounting and business administration in just three years and is now a senior associate and manager with KPMG, one of Portland’s largest accounting firms and part of a national audit, tax and advisory corporation. Now a CPA, she works primarily with clients in the industrial manufacturing sector. She gained an internship with the company while a student and was offered a permanent position her senior year.

Julie Russell (MA12) in the November general election received 55 percent of the vote to win a position on the Washougal, Washington, City Council. She moved to the city in 2015 after living in the Tigard, Oregon, area for more than 20 years. A licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed mental health counselor and registered play therapist, since 2013 she has owned and operated her own practice in both Tigard, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington. Previously, for five years, she was with LDS Family Services as a therapist for adoption and children’s services. Her previous municipal experience includes election to the Tigard Water District Commission, on which she served for nine years before moving.

Brittany Baker (G13) has rejoined her alma mater as associate director of sports marketing. From 2013 to 2016, she was with the Luis Palau Association in Beaverton, Oregon, as a writer and editor. She also spent the last year as a freelance writer for nonprofit organizations and small businesses.

Kaylena Charpentier (G13) in June was awarded a master of divinity degree at Princeton Theological Seminary’s 205th commencement.

Corey Ely (G13, MAT15) was one of 50 recipients nationwide of a James Madison Memorial Fellowship. The award, given to one individual from each state, is valued at up to $24,000 and includes a one-month summer institute in Washington, D.C., on the U.S. Constitution. The federal program encourages current and future secondary school teachers to receive a master’s degree in American history and to continue as teachers. Ely is enrolled at the University of Nebraska-Kearny, planning to complete a degree in history in 2019. He is in his third year as a social studies teacher at his alma mater, Grants Pass (Oregon) High School, after previously teaching at Yamhill-Carlton High School and Sherwood Middle School.

Kara Maurer (G13) received a master’s degree in social work in the spring from Columbia University in New York City, and is now staying there in her new position as a grant writer for Educational Alliance, a 128-year-old social services agency. It provides assistance to 50,000 New Yorkers annually at 17 locations in Lower Manhattan, including help with residential and outpatient drug treatment facilities, counseling, after-school programs in public schools, and older adult residential and community center facilities. She was a graduate statistics teaching assistant while at Columbia and previously spent one year as a personal support worker with the Oregon Department of Human Resources.

Nick Jankowski (n13) is now an optometric physician in his hometown of Vancouver, Washington, in practice with his father at Mountain View EyeCare Center. He received a doctor of optometry degree in May 2016 from Pacific University College of Optometry and started practice the next month. His specific interests are in pediatric care, vision therapy and low-vision practice in addition to primary care, disease management and specialty contact lenses.

Deborah (Galindo) Ostertag (MA13, PsyD16) is with the Great Life Counseling Center in Addison, Texas, part of a team of eight professionals. She is a postdoctoral fellow working toward state licensure as a clinical psychologist, with an anticipated completion date of spring 2018. Her experience includes working with individuals, couples and groups from an interpersonal perspective. In addition to therapy, she provides psychological testing and didactic workshops, offering her services in both English and Spanish.

Ed Ariniello (ADP14, MBA17) and his wife have purchased the U.S. Outdoor Store business, a mainstay in downtown Portland. They plan to expand the store’s presence while pledging to preserve the staff and legacy. The store has catered to snow-, water- and land-sport enthusiasts in the Northwest for more than 50 years, specializing in men’s and women’s sportswear and equipment. Since 2006, he has been principal with Core Performance Partners – Ariniello Group, working with business leaders and managers to align and engage work teams behind a common purpose with sound processes. Previously, he was vice president of operations with G.I. Joe’s for more than 13 years.

Brooke Flood (G14) and her mother were featured in the Chinook Observer newspaper in Long Beach, Washington, in August after literally experiencing the common theatre expression, “Break a leg.” Her mother, Cindy, a female lead in a community theatre production of She Loves Me, broke her leg just three hours before the start of the second weekend of a five-weekend run. Brooke was already familiar with the production as assistant stage director and from having sung in the chorus as a freshman when the musical was staged at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý, so she stepped seamlessly into the role. When not filling in for injured actors, Brooke works as a director and marketer for the Peninsula Association of Performing Artists, which stages its performances at the Fort Columbia State Park Theater in Chinook, Washington.

Robby Larson (EdD14) in October became vice president for advancement at Multnomah University in Portland, ending 11 years with ÐÔÊӽ紫ý. He began at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý in January 2007 as alumni director, serving four and a half years until being named major gift officer in 2011 and later director of gift development in May 2012. Previously, he was with California Lutheran University, where he earned an MBA, as director of student programs.

Justin (G14) and Alexandra (Kennedy) Weatherford (G15) live in Hubbard, Oregon, but both are now working in Newberg. She started in October at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý, where she is an administrative assistant in the School of Social Work. For the previous year, she was a substitute teacher in the Central Kitsap School District in Silverdale, Washington, while also working as a teacher assistant at Chapel Hill Preschool in Gig Harbor, Washington. He works at the Action Equipment Company, using his mechanical engineering degree to design vibratory equipment for processing bulk materials. Previously, he was a nuclear engineer at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, for three years. Action Equipment, founded in 1972 and headed by ÐÔÊӽ紫ý alumni Andy LaVeine (G89) and brother Dan LaVeine (G91), manufactures mechanical screeners and separators used in a variety of applications.

Justin DeLoretto (G15, MA17) is a mental health specialist with the Marion County (Oregon) Health Department, where he provides Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) behavioral health assessments for children in foster care through the state’s Department of Human Services. DeLoretto, who plans to start working toward licensure next year, says his dream job is to one day work in a counseling position with gang-affected youth.

Josh Dodson (MBA15) has been named the top young person in the nation in his profession. At its annual meeting in Reno, Nevada, last spring, the National Association of Educational Procurement awarded Dodson its Young Professional in Procurement Award. He is completing his third year at Oregon State University as a procurement contract officer. While running the majority of the IT contracts at OSU, he has negotiated beneficial agreements for the university, with the total cost savings to date exceeding $1 million. Prior to OSU, he was with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Operations Division in Newport, Oregon, where he handled acquisition, budgeting and strategic sourcing. Before that, he worked for the state of Alaska managing capital planning projects in Juneau.

Jason Edwards (EdD15) in July was appointed principal of Leman Academy of Excellence, a nonprofit tuition-free public charter school founded in Parker, Colorado, that engages parents with teachers and students in a classical education process. The new school is an expansion of the Leman Academy program, based in Marana, Arizona, that started in 2015. Since 2011, Edwards has been working in Douglas County, Colorado, charter schools both as a teacher and administrator. He was part of the start-up administration team for Aspen View Academy in Castle Rock, Colorado, where he served as principal for two years.

Alex Grimsley (DPT15) in June joined the eight-member staff of Peak Performance Physical Therapy in Redmond, Oregon. Previously, he was a traveling therapist practicing in several different physical therapy settings, from outpatient facilities to home health clinics in Washington, California and Tennessee. His specific interest is in manual physical therapy and the study of movement impairment syndromes.

Michael Hirko (G15), 16 years after starting with the organization as a batboy, now is general manager of the Bend (Oregon) Elks baseball team, part of the West Coast League. He was assistant manager the year before and stepped up to the full-time position at the beginning of the summer season. With the exception of two summers when he pitched for the collegiate Klamath Falls Gems, Hirko has spent every summer since he was 8 at the Bend franchise’s Genna Stadium, doing everything from concessions to cleaning to working the turnstiles. A July story in Bend’s The Bulletin newspaper featured the former Bruin pitcher.

Ofelia McMenamy (ADP15) is a bilingual community corrections technician with Clackamas County (Oregon) Corrections, after previously working as a parole and probation officer, civil deputy, facility security officer and office assistant. Now in her eighth year, she is responsible for translation and interpretation services for the agency and the public; assisting in monitoring caseloads of nearly 900 parole and probation clients; preparing and submitting official documents to the courts; conducting sanctions in person or via video; and interacting with law enforcement, statewide probation agencies, parole boards and courts. She is also a member (and former chair) of the county’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. In addition, she continues to pursue her education, planning to graduate in May with a master’s degree in communication from Johns Hopkins University.

Leah Thorne (G15) is now in La Pine, Oregon, where she is a private caregiver for elderly clients, providing one-on-one and specialized care for those struggling with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. She reports her psychology degree is being put to good use, saying it is “immensely helpful in providing compassionate care for my patients.” Previously, she worked with a memory care facility in Newberg.

Jordan Whitney (G15) is a primary adolescent counselor with Northwest Behavioral Healthcare Services in Portland, starting in the position in 2016. He supervises high-risk clients in hall and group-room settings, facilitates therapeutic groups and works as an individual counselor. He is also a freelance writer for Hub.Media, involved in transcribing YouTube videos into written blogs.

Alexandra “Lexie” Began (G16) is using her cinema and media communication degree as a motion graphics designer with GuideSpark in Portland, an animation film company that makes human resources training videos for 300-plus companies that buy a subscription based on the number of employees.

Lacy (Finn) Borgo (DMin16) has a multifaceted career in spiritual formation, based from her home in Montrose, Colorado. In addition to working as a spiritual director for children and caregivers at Haven House in Olathe, Colorado, she also is a teacher and spiritual director at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California, and an adjunct professor and spiritual director for Portland Seminary. In addition, in July 2016 she was installed as part of the ministry team with Renovaré, based in Denver, Colorado, from which she has a certificate in spiritual formation. She is the author of Life with God for Children and coauthor of Good Dirt: A Devotional for the Spiritual Formation of Families. She is a frequent conference speaker and has a website, Gooddirtministries.org.

Derek Brown (EdD16) has returned to Newberg to fill a Newberg School District position previously held by another ÐÔÊӽ紫ý alumnus, Don Staples (G86), following Staples’ death from brain cancer in February. Brown started as director of data and assessment in June after a brief stint with Education Northwest as manager in the Center for Strengthening Education Systems, leading efforts in data and research for school districts through its Regional Education Laboratories Program. That followed six years with the Oregon Department of Education, where he was assistant superintendent of assessment and accountability.

Jaynani Cababat (G16) has resigned her position in Newberg to move to Quincy, Massachusetts, where she is pursuing a master’s degree at Eastern Nazarene College. For the last year she was clearinghouse coordinator for Love INC in Newberg, a nonprofit organization that connects families in need with local churches and social services agencies.

Asia Greene (G16, MAT17) is now teaching language arts and Spanish at Rex Putnam High School in Milwaukie, Oregon, part of the North Clackamas School District.

Courtney Howard (G16) is a research assistant in the Tavori Lab at the Center for Preventative Cardiology at OHSU in Portland. She works in a lab under a PhD student, helping with experiments, research and analysis.

Ben Olson (MA16), using the pen name “Brennan Silver,” gained attention last summer as an author and backpacker walking for a cause, as he journeyed across Oregon and into Idaho before severe foot and ankle injuries forced him to end short of his goal of Pawnee Buttes, Colorado. He started July 10 near Portland, planning to walk 1,600 miles – about 20 miles a day – carrying an 85-pound backpack. The adventure ended Aug. 11, although he says, “My job’s not done yet.” Using a GoFundMe account and documenting his adventure via Facebook and YouTube, he hoped to raise awareness and encourage people to become more intentional about meeting the needs of veterans in their communities. A Marine combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, and a former mental health counselor at North Marion Middle School in Aurora, Oregon, in June he released a book, Communitas: Light at the End of the World – a novel set in a dystopian and lawless future in which a warrior searches for peace from his grief in the grim aftermath of pandemic warfare.

Sarah (Harrison) Small (G16) has joined the ÐÔÊӽ紫ý marketing communications department as university photographer. She began in August, leaving a position as staff writer for the online magazine The Good Trade, for which she wrote a guide featuring various social impact brands. She began her own professional photography business in 2014, photographing more than 50 weddings.

Sarah Todd (MBA16) is now intern recruiter with Daimler Trucks North America in Portland. She began in May, onboarding more than 300 interns nationwide. She started with the company in October 2016 as a contingent resources staffing coordinator. Daimler, formerly Freightliner, is headquartered in Portland and has 20,000 employees in the U.S. manufacturing commercial vehicles.

Christine Wang (G16) last spring recorded the second-highest CPA exam score in Oregon for the year. Using her double major in accounting and finance, she now is an audit associate with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Portland.

Amanda Ewing (MAT17) is one of 55 new teachers in the Gresham-Barlow (Oregon) School District, teaching fifth grade at Kelly Creek Elementary. It’s a career turn, leading away from her planned career in social work, in which she earned an undergraduate degree. While living in Haiti and working with an orphanage for the nonprofit humanitarian organization Grace International, part of her job was to teach English to adults – an experience that helped her realize she wanted to be a teacher. She was accepted into the national Teach for America program and assigned to a school in Liberty City, a poor and turbulent neighborhood in Miami, Florida. That led her to realize the need for more education training and her enrollment at ÐÔÊӽ紫ý, from which she also received an ESOL endorsement.

Grace Packer (G17) is remaining on campus as an office coordinator in the IDEA Center, where she worked as a career and academic planning office assistant her senior year. As a junior, she was a registrar’s office assistant. Last summer she was an intern with the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust in Vancouver, Washington, learning about nonprofit leadership and management.

Emily Jazbutis (G17) started in October as a tax staff member with Moss Adams in Medford, Oregon, making her connection through ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s accounting program as a senior. Moss Adams provides accounting, tax and consulting services to public and private enterprises at 29 locations in seven states.

Ricardo Sotelo Santoyo (G17) not only has returned to his hometown of Hermiston, Oregon, but to the same elementary school he once attended. This time he’s a teacher, with 26 students in his fourth-grade classroom at 585-student Sunset Elementary. He’s also coaching Hermiston High School’s 18-member JV II boys’ soccer team.

Kam Thomas (G17) had a job lined up before graduation, but then her plans changed. Rather than join the Moss Adams accounting firm in Medford, Oregon, this fall as planned, she was offered the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree in accounting at Idaho State University. She expects to graduate in July 2018 and then join the firm, where she will be an assurance staff member, assisting in the execution of audits, reviews and other assurance engagements, and also performing analysis and testing of account balances and internal controls of audit clients.

Mckenna (Martin) Tillotson (G17) is putting her marketing degree to work, staying on campus as affinity marketing coordinator for the university. She was a work-study student in the university’s sports marketing office for three and a half years, and during her senior year she coordinated ÐÔÊӽ紫ý’s Penn Pals Kids Club and also held a summer position with PDX Parent magazine.

Victor Wilson (DPT17) is now with ATI Physical Therapy in Beaverton, Oregon, one of a 12-member staff that provides physical therapy and sports medicine services.