Class Notes

VIRGINIA RAY was recognized in October 2022 by The Whiteside County Honor Flight Committee for her devotion to the group, which enables veterans to fly to Washington, D.C., in salute of their service.

JEREMIAH JOYCE launched his new book, Still Burning, which offers important insights into Chicago’s political history, in September 2022.

JOHN PROCHASKA, M.B.A. ’70, was awarded a 50-year National Continuous Membership Certificate from the Park Ridge, Illinois, American Legion in June 2022.

ALEXA TUNTLAND, M.S. ’70, celebrated with her husband Terrie Tuntland, ’69, M.S. ’72, the 20th anniversary of their Waterman Winery and Vineyard in August 2022.

DR. JOHN AKINYEMI, M.S., published his new book, Coming 2 America, in November 2022. The work chronicles his late wife’s immigration to America.

DR. PATRICK FOLEY was named president of The American Board of Orthodontics in June 2022.

DAVID MANIGOLD was honored by Ottawa High School’s Hall of Fame for his career in the medical field, as well as his volunteer work in the Ottawa community, in December 2022.

HON. LOUIS APOSTOL, M.B.A., J.D. ’78, was reappointed as public administrator of Cook County in June 2022.

JIM MORLEY played a role in Sam Shepard’s “Buried Child” at Chicago’s Edge Theater last fall.

GEORGE PREDIC retired from his role as regional vice president for S. Abraham & Sons’ Wisconsin and Illinois in June 2022.

VICKI QUADE performed in her show “Christmas Bingo: It’s a Ho-Ho-Holy Night” in Chicago in November and December 2022.

POLLY SWOPES, M.S.Ed. ’78, was happy to celebrate the women who were initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.’s Delta Omicron Chapter on the campus of Northern Illinois University in 1972 for their 50th anniversary as “Golden Sorors.”

CAROL BURLINSKI was named the 2022 recipient of the Bishop Roger L. Kaffer Outstanding Principal Award from Lewis University in October.

HON. GARY A. DOBBS was appointed by the Supreme Court of Illinois as a resident circuit court judge of Grundy County in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in July 2022.

HELEN HARRIS, M.A. ’81, was a presenter for The Great Falls Public Library’s presentation “Montana Fibershed-Connecting Montana Folks with Montana Fiber” in January 2023.

DIANE DUNGEY was inducted into the Northern Star Hall of Fame for her work as a journalist with the Daily Herald in August 2022.

ROGER EDDY was named interim president for Olney Central College in July 2022.

BILL REH retired from his role as meteorologist at CBS 17 in Raleigh, North Carolina, in December 2022.

JIM VARGO, M.B.A. ’94, was named senior vice president and business development officer of asset-based lending and corporate banking with Associated Bank in August 2022.

RICHARD ERICKSON joined the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) in January 2023 as a research staff member in the Operational Evaluation Division of IDA’s Systems and Analyses Center.

PHIL JURIK was named managing editor of the Chicago Tribune in January 2023.

HON. GENO CAFFARINI was appointed as resident circuit court judge in the 13th Judicial Circuit in Illinois in May 2022.

MICHAEL CHESNEY was sworn in as deputy regional administrator of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region 5 in June 2022.

HON. EUGENE G. DOHERTY, J.D. ’89, was assigned as an appellate court justice in the Fourth District of Illinois in July 2022.

BRENDA MALLOY was promoted to the role of CEO for Herbert Mines Associates in New York City in September 2022.

RICH PONDEL joined Associated Bank in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, as senior vice president and portfolio manager for corporate banking in July 2022.

JOEL WASSERMAN was appointed to the role of VP of corporate communications and global brand management for James Hardie Industries in January 2023.

APRIL ARNOLD was appointed as executive director of the Board of Trustees of Associated Colleges of Illinois in July 2022.

ANN GANTZER, M.S. ’90, was appointed chief nursing officer for Intermountain Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette, Colorado, in October 2022.

DAVID ALLEN KUESTER, M.A., received the Illinois Theatre Association’s 2022 Award of Excellence in College/University Theatre in August 2022.

STEVEN ISOYE, M.S.Ed. ’99, Ed.S. ’02, Ed.D. ’11, was appointed to the role of chair of the Illinois State Board of Education by Governor JB Pritzker in September 2022.

TERRI CRAIN GOODMAN, B.M. ’87, performed as a soloist with the DeKalb Municipal Band, conducted by Kirk Lundbeck, in its 168th season.

JORDAN LAMM was named managing director for the valuation practice at Andersen in Chicago in December 2022.

KELLI SINCLAIR, M.S.Ed. ’95, was named vice president of student services for Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Illinois, in August 2022.

PAT SPODEN retired from the National Weather Service after 34 years of service as a meteorologist in July.

MICHELLE LENKAITIS was appointed to the Ames Community School District Board of Directors in August 2022.

MICHAEL ROSS, M.A., was named director of exhibitions and education for The Studios of Key West in November 2022.

MILAGROS BRAVO retired as the bilingual program director for Community Consolidated School District 62 in Des Plaines, Illinois, in June 2022.

KERRY M. BELL, M.B.A., was awarded the Standards Medal from the NFPA for heroutstanding contributions to fire safety in August 2022.

MARQUITA FURNESS DAVIS was named KinderCare’s chief academic officer in December 2022.

JIM HAAG retired from his role as police chief of Milledgeville, Illinois, in January 2023.

HOLLY HARPER-KELLY was named principal of Hynes Elementary School in Morton Grove, Illinois, in June 2022.

CHRISTINE SHEA, M.A.S., was named manager with Meyers Brothers Kalicka, P.C. in Holyoke, Massachusetts, in August 2022.

TIMOTHY TAYLOR was named CFO of All Faiths Food Bank in Sarasota, Florida, in September 2022.

KEVIN BERRY joined WeWork as senior vice president of investor relations in June 2022, splitting his time between its Chicago and New York City offices.

TIA ROBINSON COOPER, Ed.D. ’15, was named chancellor for Ivy Tech Community College’s campus in South Bend- Elkhart, Indiana, in June 2022.

KEN MACKLIN, M.S. ’95, was named the new head of Mississippi State University’s Department of Poultry Science in January 2023.

CAPTAIN DAN PAPP retired from his position as program manager for the U.S. Navy’s Air Anti- Submarine Warfare (ASW) Systems Program (PMA- 264) in June 2022, after 27 years of dedicated service.

ANDREA O’BRIEN was promoted to the role of court administrator for the 16th Judicial Circuit Court in Illinois in October 2022.

MARC SOBLE, M.B.A., J.D., was named CFO of Armstrong Teasdale in November 2022.

LAWRENCE A. STEIN, J.D., joined the faculty of the College of Law as an assistant clinical professor and director of the law school’s new Business Innovation Law Clinic in August 2022.

MICHAEL ADELBERG, M.P.A., was named executive director of the National Association of Dental Plans in November 2022.

ELLEN BAER, M.P.A., was honored by the Illinois City/Council Management Association for her work as Western Springs village manager in July 2022.

BILL BRUCE was appointed as special prosecutor in the criminal division at the McHenry County States Attorney’s Office in McHenry, Illinois, in August 2022.

MARC SPACONE was selected as the 2022-2023 Middle School Principal of the Year by the Illinois Principal Association’s Kishwaukee Region.

SARA DEITER was appointed to vice president of consulting services for Health Dimensions Group in Minneapolis in August 2022.

MATTHEW KNOTT, M.S. ’07, was named fire chief for Green Bay Metro Fire Department in December 2022.

HON. JOHN MCADAMS was appointed as a circuit court judge for the 23rd Judicial Circuit in Illinois in August 2022.

JAIME QUEZADA started a new position as chief of acute care at Tomah Veterans Administration Medical Center in Tomah, Wisconsin, in September 2022.

MATT CRAWFORD was appointed president and CEO of Onyx Graphics in July 2022.

SARAH HERSEY, M.S. ’01, was named vice president and head of Translational Sciences & Diagnostics at Bristol Myers Squibb in July 2022.

JEFF LIETZ was promoted to principal at Charles Vincent George Architects in Naperville, Illinois, in October 2022.

CHRISTINE SOBEK, Ed.D., retired from her role as president of Waubonsee Community College in January 2023.

TOM WAGNER rejoined Motor Coach Industries to lead the team of regional sales vice presidents in the U.S. and Canada in September 2022.

ADAM WENDT joined Trustmark National Bank as senior vice president and equipment finance credit manager in January 2023.

JENNIFER PASCUA began a new role as marketing director for Broadway Grand Rapids in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

DAWN RAFTERY was named vice president of communications at Chicago’s Shriver Center on Poverty Law in June 2022.

JOSHUA AUBEY joined Chicago’s WellBe Senior Medical as its chief compliance officer in June 2022.

AMY BUSS was hired as a sixth-grade social studies teacher at Oelwein Community Schools in Oelwein, Iowa, in August 2022.

HON. CARLO COLOSIMO was appointed as an associate judge for the 23rd Judicial Circuit of Illinois in August 2022.

DR. TRACY MORRIS, M.S.Ed., Ed.D. ’12, was named president of Illinois Valley Community College in December 2022.

REP. JOE SOSNOWSKI, M.P.A. ’22, was elected the state representative for Illinois’ 69th Legislative District in November 2022.

THOMAS YU, J.D., was appointed as city attorney for the City of Champaign, Illinois, in August 2022.

TANYA DIAZ was promoted to lieutenant colonel in command of the 377th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico in July 2022.

REYNA GILBERT-LOWRY was promoted to senior associate athletics director for inclusive excellence and alumni engagement at Virginia Tech in September 2022.

RYAN HAMER, J.D. ’04, was appointed to the role of LaSalle County public defender in Illinois in December 2022.

HON. BRYAN KIBLER was appointed as resident circuit court judge of Effingham County, Illinois, in August 2022.

MELISSA YUSKA, M.S.Ed. ’04, was awarded the 2022 Outstanding Principal Award from the Golden Apple Foundation for her work at Windsor Elementary School in Loves Park, Illinois, in June 2022.

DREW HALBESMA was named district administrator for Genoa City School District in Wisconsin in June 2022.

JILL KONEN, J.D., was appointed as associate judge in DeKalb County in July 2022.

JODI MEGERLE, M.S., Ed.S. ’15, Ed.D. ’20, was appointed as the superintendent of The River Trails School District 26 in July 2022.

ADAM REIDEL was named the head of people operations for OneScreen.ai. in Boston, Massachusetts, in August 2022.

ALAN ROOD was named the football coach, as well as physical education, health and driver’s education teacher, at St. Anne Community High School in St. Anne, Illinois, in June 2022.

YUKO ASADA was featured in the “Women in Pan” web series, which explores contemporary issues in pan through the lens of five outstanding women, in September 2022.

SHAUN CRISLER, M.S.Ed. ’08, was appointed provost for student development at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, in June 2022.

NOELLE FAHEY, M.S.Ed. ’10, was named principal of Prairie Point Elementary School in Oswego, Illinois, in June 2022.

NICOLE KIRIAKOPOULOS was named director at PCE Investment Bankers in November 2022, becoming responsible for leading buy-side and sell-side M&A transactions.

KATE BUCKSON was named director of the St. Charles Library in St. Charles, Illinois, in November 2022.

ANDREAS LUCIDO was promoted to managing director with Alvarez & Marsal’s Public Sector Services in Washington, D.C. in September 2022.

JEREMY MORGAN was promoted to senior manager at Glenview, Illinois’ Weiss & Company in January 2023.

BRIAN REIS, M.A., retired from his role as executive director of Ellwood House in DeKalb, Illinois, in October 2022.

JOSH SEGURA was named principal of Woodstock North High School in Woodstock, Illinois, in June 2022.

KYLE WOLFE held his second solo exhibit in the Kortman Gallery in Rockford last fall.

RYAN GOYAL was named a principal at public accounting firm Novogradac in January 2023.

BETH GRABIN was named the CFO of Ascentra Credit Union in Bettendorf, Iowa, in August 2022.

RYAN BILLER joined Chuhak & Tecson as an associate in the firm’s Corporate Transactions & Business Law division in January 2023.

CAPT. SONJI DAVIS was awarded the “Blacks in Government Military Meritorious Service Award” in August 2022.

ALLISON FOX, M.S.Ed. ’16, joined the PE/Health Department at Mendota High School in Mendota, Illinois, in August 2022.

ERIC DOBRADIN was hired as an attorney at Gardi, Haught, Fischer & Bhosale Ltd. in Schaumburg, Illinois, in June 2022.

JUDY GAWCZYNSKI was named vice president of membership for The News/Media Alliance in October 2022.

JACOB GURKE, M.A.S. ’09, was named CFO of Glass Solutions Inc. in January 2023.

LUCAS SCHULTZ, M.S.Ed., joined Hall High School in Spring Valley, Illinois, as its science teacher in September 2022.

DR. AMIT SHAH, M.P.A., began practicing family medicine for Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston, Missouri, in December 2022.

MICHAEL PALLARES, M.B.A., was named vice president of real estate lending at Itasca Bank & Trust Co. in Itasca, Illinois, in October 2022.

TERRANCE HOPSON, M.S.Ed. ’13, was named regional vice president for the Midwest Region at WGU Missouri in July 2022.

SCOTT SIMPSON was promoted to associate attorney at Meagher + Geer in Minneapolis in January 2023.

TODD TREXLER, M.A.S. ’12, took on the role of growth and development director for Northwestern Mutual in Oak Brook, Illinois.

HEATHER FRIEDLEIN, M.S. ’16, was appointed as athletic director for Northbrook School in July 2022.

FABIAN RATULOWSKI, M.A.S. ’13, was named vice president of accounting for Urban Innovations in July 2022.

SAMANTHA ALBRECHT, J.D. ’16, joined Burnette Shutt & McDaniel as an attorney in July 2022.

MICHAEL CKLAMOVSKI, J.D., was appointed as managing director and president of Northern Trust’s Northern California region in September 2022.

KRISTINE LEGLER was named marketing assistant for Engineering Enterprises, Inc., in Sugar Grove, Illinois, in November 2022.

SEAN TOTSCH was named to the United Soccer League Championship’s All-League First Team in November 2022.

MORGAN JOHNSON was named partner at Missouri-based law firm Stinson LLP in January 2023.

JOSIAH ACCOLA, J.D. ’19, was named assistant state’s attorney for Bond County, Illinois, in June 2022.

SHAWN COLLINS, M.P.A., earned his professional Chief Fire Officer designation last fall.

JENNIFER COMERFORD became a nurse practitioner with OSF Medical Group in Princeton, Illinois, in November 2022.

DONNA LARSON, M.S.Ed., was appointed principal of DeKalb High School in DeKalb, Illinois, in June 2022.

MAX FINLEY was named the assistant equipment manager with the Hershey Bears in Hershey, Pennsylvania, in October 2022.

YAZMIN NAMBO was named director of Rochelle Community School District’s HUB Program in November 2022.

MAX SCHARPING, M.S.Ed. ’18, signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in September 2022.

IMAAD DADA, M.S.Ed., as appointed as the new business manager for the Komarek School District 94 in North Riverside, Illinois, in August 2022.

CORINNE GAHAN landed a co-starring role on “Chicago Fire,” with her episodes premiering in February 2023.

ANTONIO GONZALEZ was named head coach of the Proviso East High School varsity boys’ soccer team in August 2022.

KRISTEN COX took on the role of executive assistant with the American Association of People with Disabilities in winter 2021.

TRAYSHON FOSTER signed with the Frisco Fighters as a defensive back in January 2023.

ALEXANDER HALL was hired as an associate attorney with Angel, Isaacson and Tracy in Princeton, Illinois, in December 2022.

MARCI LEMUS, M.S. ’19, took on the role of primary care provider for OSF HealthCare in Mendota, Illinois, in November 2022.

LACEY JAMES signed with the professional basketball team Grand Rapids Gold in December 2022.

RANDEE MENNENGA was named executive director for the Oregon Chamber of Commerce in Oregon, Illinois, in January 2023.

WILLIAM RICHARDSON, M.F.A., was appointed to the role of professor of scenic and lighting design at Athens State University in Athens, Alabama, in November 2022.

CHRISTIAN HARRIS was hired as a science teacher for Putnam County School District 535in Granville, Illinois, in September 2022.

SCOTT LATIOLAIS, Ed.D., was appointed as president of Cuyahoga Community College’s Westshore campus in July 2022.

CLINT RATKOVICH, M.B.A., signed with the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad.

DR. LISA RICHARDSON, Ed.D., was appointed to the role of executive dean for student success and retention at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, Illinois, in December 2022.

KYLE SEEBACH, M.S. ’22, signed with the Lake Erie Crushers in July 2022.

JOYCE DEFAUW completed her degree in liberal arts more than 70 years after she began her college journey, triggering a nationwide news story and Huskie pride across the country.

KATELYN HUBER was hired as a police officer with the Village of La Grange, Illinois, in September 2022.

BROOKLYN LONG joined Hall High School in Spring Valley, Illinois, as its life skills teacher in September 2022.