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ALUMNI NOTES

The University of Minnesota Duluth Bridge publishes Alumni Notes. You can send us notes by e-mail: alumni@d.umn.edu, by fax at 218-726-6186 or by sending the form on page 22. If you are in the U.S., you can send your note to: Alumni Director, University Relations, University of Minnesota Duluth, 315 DAdB, 1049 University Drive, Duluth, MN 55812. This issue of the Bridge reflects the notes we received before December 15, 2003.

1954
Dr. Jerome Eckrich and Helen Wilson were married in 1954. Jerome and his wife have eight grown children. Jerome's medical career spanned from his internship at the Tripler U.S. Army Hospital in 1958 until his retirement in 1994. His hobbies are hunting, fishing, flying and golfing. Jerome and Helen are living in Aberdeen, SD.

1959
Janet Betty, of Eden Prairie, MN, is the owner, partner and President of Volkart & May & Associates, Inc. Janet was honored by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Sales & Marketing Executives Association as this year’s recipient of the Women in Business Sales Excellence Award.

1963
Thomas O. Tucker, of White Bear Lake, MN, retired in 1998 from a career with a major corporation. He had been working as a researcher and later as a manager. Thomas is now embarking on a "retirement" career as a college mathematics professor.

1965
Curt Hedeen is the executive vice president and managing director for the Minneapolis office of DHR International.

1967
Gary R. Berggren and his wife Susan Berggren are both class of 1967 members. Gary has been an elementary teacher, a counselor, an assistant principal and the principal at Lakewood Elementary in the Superior School District. Susan has been a secondary school teacher and a counselor. Her area of emphasis is at-risk adolescents. Gary and Susan live in Duluth.

Teri Power was chosen as the Wisconsin Elementary Art Teacher of the Year. Teri has taught in New Richmond since 1991. She also has taught various summer and Saturday courses in the past.

1968
Peter T. Brown and his wife, Jane, have two sons, Forrest and Blair. The family is living in Lino Lakes, MN. Peter retired in June as the athletic director and head men's and women's swim coach at Spring Lake Park High School after 28 years with the district.

Edward W. Eskola Jr. is an operations manager in charge of the market investments of Asia Pacific for Daimler Chrysler. Edward and his wife Joyce live in Kobe, Japan.

Claudia Johnson is a Jungian analyst/psychologist. She resides in Woodbridge, VA.

1970
Phil Amundson, of Burnsville, MN, retired as financial management analyst from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Paul's current interests include golf and bowling.

1971
William Carlson, of Vadnais Heights, MN, retired from his job as a St. Paul Institutional Investment Banker.

1976
David Duepner and Amy Greer Duepner, of Minnetonka, MN, have two children attending UMD. Their daughter Abby is a senior and their son Ted is a sophomore.

1977
Mark Munger, of Duluth, is the author of the newly released fiction book The Legacy. Besides being an author, Mark Munger is also a district court judge for the State of Minnesota.

1978
Sally J. Carroll, of Phoenix, AZ, graduated in July from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management with an executive master's in international management. Sally works for IBM as a software sales manager.

Eloise (Withrow) Hockett has begun her third year as part of the George Fox University staff. This past year, Eloise accepted a position as field placement director for the Department of Education. She lives in Newberry, Oregon with her husband Steve, and her children Janine and Samuel.

Richard Kleven, J.D. was named the vice president-law of the Lutheran Brotherhood. Richard oversees legal services for the corporate and insurance operations.

1979
Philip Carpenter and his wife Madaline adopted their daughter Hong Hu Xue in Nauchaug, China on September 28, 1998. Her name is now Lydia Rose. The family resides in Sycamore, IL.

1980
Margaret "Maggie" (Dooley) Haldeman, of St. Paul, has been married to John Haldeman for 15 years. They are expecting their third child in September. Margaret has been an employment guidance counselor with Ramsey County since 1992. She is the former chair of Minnesota Employment Counselors Association. Margaret is active in the Minnesota Association for Counseling and Development.

1982
Greg Traxler and his wife Ann (Magnuson) Traxler both graduated from UMD. Ann is now busy with her own travel agency.

1984
David Burud, of Madera, CA, married Lori Weese, of Fresno, CA, this past year. After graduating from UMD, David received his master's degree in human resource management from Webster College. He is an environmental process engineer for Georgia Pacific Corp, in Atlanta.

Len Simich, of Chaska, MN, is the executive director of SW Metro Transit. Len has been selected by City Business as one of the top 40 metropolitan executives under 40 years old. The award recognizes leaders for their spirit, dedication to the community, and success in business.

1985
Ernest Bylkas III married Joy on October 2, 1999. Ernest is the pastor of the South Range Apostolic Lutheran Church in Hannock, MI.
Eric Dahlberg received his Master of Education in curriculum instruction from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Eric and his wife Suzanne have identical twin daughters, Madeline and Heather. The family lives in St. Louis Park, MN.

Robert Hess, of Arlington Heights, IL, is employed by Deloitte & Touche LLP, where he is responsible for site selection practice worldwide. He helps organizations expand into new markets, and evaluate potential.

Bruce A. Johnson, of Kansas City, MO, works for Utilicorp Energy Management as an energy services account executive. Bruce graduated this spring from Rockhurst University with a M.B.A.

1986
Robert Buchanan, of Duluth, and his father, Robert Buchanan (class of 1964) are co-authors of the book, Walk Right.

1987
Karen Haakonson, of Crystal, MN, received the 2000 Civil Service/Bargaining Unit Staff Award from the Office for University Women, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

1988
Danny Clemenson and his wife, Mary, have three sons. Danny and his family live in Mchenry, IL. Danny works as a network and software development coordinator.

John Josephson's wife, Carrie, gave birth to their daughter Maria Grace in June of 1999. The family resides in Roseville, MN.

Gary Maki joined U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray in Minneapolis, as a principal human resource consultant. Gary and his wife, Brigid, live with their four children in Woodbury, Minnesota.

Captain David "Doc" Mattson, of Shakopee, MN, was selected as the 1999 Air Force Transportation Reserve Company Grade Officer of the Year. Doc is assigned to the 934 Airlift Wing in the 27th Aerial Port Squadron. He is also an account manager for Intergra Telecom in Edina, Minnesota.

Shawn McClard, of Chaska, MN, and Barbara Sher, of Chanhassen, MN, were married on April 22. He is part owner of Jack McClard (JMC) and Associates in Hopkins.

Mary Tomasiak, of De Pere, WI, has been named to the "Who's Who: American Teachers" list. Mary is a board member of the Hmong-Lao-American Association. She is the diversity liaison coordinator of the Green Bay Area School District, and is a faculty member of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

William Zbaracki married Elaine in 1990. They have two children, Matthew and Karielle. The family is living in Coon Rapids, MN. William has been employed at Circuit Check for 11years. Elaine graduated from St. Cloud State University and is working as a tax accountant for Divine, Scherzer & Brody, LTD.

1989
Stephanie Davies, of Minneapolis, has begun her eighth year of teaching in the Minneapolis School District. By the end of the summer, she plans to have earned her Masters of Arts in Education from Hamline University.

Kristin Vickerman, of White Bear Lake, MN, has worked for the Star Tribune for over three years. She and her husband Jim have two children, Amber and Jake.

1990
William Evans, of Duluth, is presently working for the St. Louis County Sheriff's Department.

Marcia (Muncy) Halpin is a Reading Resource Teacher in Clermont, Florida. Her husband, Tom, is an unemployment specialist for Disney.

Kyle Johnson and Nicole Erickson (class of 1998), both of Duluth, were married in May. Kyle is a senior chemist with Chromaline Corp. Nicole is a human resource analyst with Minnesota Power.

Paul Lundgren, of Minneapolis, celebrated his tenth service anniversary as the principal network architect for QWEST.

1991
Jodi (Thompson) Johnson, of Columbia Heights, MN, married Shane Johnson, of Fargo, ND, on August 14, 1999. Jodi is working as a service facilitator for Lifeworks Service, Inc.

David Minkkinen, of Coon Rapids, MN, became a partner in KPMG Consulting (Peat Marwick).

Joel Robertz, JD, and Amy Vandersyde, both of Naperville, IL, were married on June 24. Joel and Amy both work for the U.S. Department of Justice in Chicago.

1992
Timothy Andrew joined the law firm of Brown, Andrew & Signorelli, P.A. as a director and shareholder. Timothy also is a representative of labor unions and employee benefits plans.

Steven Heuer is working in Washington, D.C., as the head of Congressman Bill Luther's staff.

Gregory B. Holbeck received his juris doctor (J.D.) from William Mitchell College of Law in May. Gregory is now a tax accountant for Wells Fargo & Company.

Chris Rofidal, of Edina, MN, received a promotion to the national account manager for Organon, Inc. Chris and his wife, Dawn, recently relocated back to Minnesota.

Joyce (Peppin) Siegel and her husband, Gregg, are the proud parents of Mara Grace, who was was born in January. The family is living in Rogers, MN. Joyce is the assistant vice president of public relations for U.S. Bank.

1993
Marcelle Caturia, of Minneapolis, is pursuing a Master's degree in Geographic Information Science. She is working as a research assistant at the University of Minnesota Center for Urban and Regional Affairs.

Rebecca Heili has a three-year-old son, Lukas. Rebecca and Lukas live in Lake Elmo, MN.

Peter Kramer and his wife Cheri Kramer, have an eighteen-month-old daughter, Ella. The family is living in Wayzata, MN.

Ruth and John Wilson's daughter, Savanah Rose, was born on St. Patrick's Day. Savanah Rose has four siblings. The family resides in Cottage Grove, MN.

1994
Ben Carlsen received a Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary. Ben and only 89 other students received this degree. The Peace Lutheran Church in Inver Grove Heights supported his seminary study.

Jared Charles, of Maple Grove, MN, is a probation officer for Hennepin County in Minneapolis. Jared's wife, Danette, is a registered nurse at Methodist Hospital in Minneapolis.

Thomas Evangelista, of Bloomington, MN, is employed by the Regis Corporation as the Director of Operations. Thomas is in charge of 175 Regis Salons in six states as well as Canada and Puerto Rico. He has been married for two years.

Becky (Ingemansen) Monson married Lee Monson (class of 1996). Lee is working as a consultant for Born Information Services. Becky and Lee have two children, Gabrial Lee and Elizabeth Faith. The family resides in St. Louis Park, MN.

1995
Ken and Kari Koski, both UMD graduates, have two sons, Konnor and Keegan. The family resides in Chaska, MN. Kari received a promotion and is now a residential supervisor at a group home in Minneapolis.

Jason Kromrey and Sheri Johnson, of Savage, MN, were married on September 13, 1997. Jason and Sheri have a daughter, Alexa Ann, born March 31. Sheri works in marketing at WirthCo Engineering Inc.

Stacy Oelerking and Patrick Boros were wed on January 29. Stacy is now the proud step-mom to eight-year-old Victoria. The new family is living in St. Paul.

Amy Soderstrom, of Milaca, MN, is working for American Express Financial Advisors as a para-planner and financial advisor.

Carole Storm is doing research for the department of internal medicine at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Carole has plans to attend medical school in the future. She is living in Excelsior, MN.

1996
Daniel Baggenstoss and Amanda Groff were married on May 2 in St. Paul. Amanda and Dan are both designers, Amanda for Yamamoto Moss and Daniel for Ask and Co. They recently bought a new house in St. Paul.

Mary Dahlman, of Wadena, MN, worked for three years in law enforcement before returning to school and receiving an additional degree in computer programming. Mary now works for Cross Consultant Group in Sebeka, Minnesota.

Bryan Hiveley and his wife Heidi Jensen (class of 1997) are interpretive specialists at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Historical site. They live in New York.

Daniel Magnuson spent two years teaching second graders in New Zealand. He is now teaching third grade at Longfellow Community School in Minneapolis.

James Monroe, of Klamath, CA, is the owner and manager of the Little Old House of Pancakes. James is also a painter. Two of his watercolors, "Blueberry Morning" and "Hot Stacks" are in a traveling exhibition sponsored by the American Watercolors Association.
Katie Strub married Mark Ellis on May 26, at St. Louis Church in St. Paul. Katie and Mark live in Roseville, Minnesota. Katie has been teaching chemistry at South St. Paul High School since 1996.

Jason Van De Wiele and Daena Esterbrooks, of Shakopee, MN, were married in Duluth last summer. Jason and Daena are both UMD graduates. Jason works for Travelers as an account manager/commercial risk. Daena is returning to school full time at St. Mary’s in Minneapolis to pursue her masters in counseling.

1997
Shahabuddin Ahmed was married in September of 1997. He and his wife are expecting their first child in March of 2001. Shahab, of Chapel Hill, NC, is working for Mitsubishi Electronics and is also working towards his Master's degree at North Carolina State University.

Jeff Bradley and Dawn Zimmerman (class of 1998) were married on April 24, 1999. Jeff is working for Anderson Consulting as a computer consultant. Dawn is working for the Dunwoody Institute as a human resources coordinator. They are living in Spring Lake Park, MN.

Christopher Busche's wife gave birth to their first child in June. The family resides in Superior, Wisconsin.

Laura Doty, of Mendota Heights, MN, received her M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in September of 1999.

Darren Kramer married Angela Jurek on September 16. Darren is an elementary teacher within Virginia School District #706. Angela graduated from the College of St. Scholastica. They are living in Mountain Iron, MN.

Shannon N. Nelson, of Sherman Oaks, CA, is working as an actress. She starred in the movie "Drop Dead Gorgeous."

Lois Porath, of Perham, MN, completed two DELF French degrees from the French Ministry of Education. Following that, Lois received the ZOP (an advanced German degree) from the Goethe Institute in Frieburg, Germany. She is working on her Master's in international relations at Laval University.

Roxanne (Doyle) Simonson was married on the first of March 1997. Roxanne has a two year-old daughter, BreeAnn. She is the general manager of the AmericInn Lodge and Suites of Two Harbors.

Carl Soderberg and Amy Freberg, both of Duluth, were married July 22.

Jessica Woodward married Erik Lavan (class of 1998) on September 25, 1999.

1998
Becky Bongard, of St. Paul, was promoted by Carmichael Lynch in August. Becky is now the account manager of the Cargill Salt and American Standard's Porcher brand accounts.

Mason Johnson married Kay on June 6, 1998. They have a daughter, Samantha, and are expecting their second child.

Darin Jones and Angela Macioce were married on August 14, 1999. Angela and Darin are both UMD graduates. Angela is finishing up her Master’s degree in sport administration from Central Michigan University.

Christine Kujala and Ross Beckwith, both of Duluth, were married May 13 in Duluth. Christine is a project manager for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Ross is a graduate engineer with the St. Louis County Public Works Department.

Marcus McConico, of Knoxville, TN, has been active in opera, musical theatre, oratorio and as a soloist. Marcus is pursuing his Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance at the University of Tennessee.

Kenneth McNulty received a nomination for the 1999 Minnesota Teacher of the Year. Kenneth is a fifth grade teacher for the Independent School District #709 in Duluth. On August 11, 1999, Kenneth's wife, Jamie, gave birth to their daughter Macie Ann-Elizabeth.

Benjamin Miller and Jennifer Elijah (class of 2000), both of Duluth, were wed on July 14 in Duluth. Jennifer is pursuing a degree in optometry from Ohio State University. Benjamin is a membership director for Gold's Gym.

Melissa (Sloan) Olean married Shawn Olean on September 9 in Cloquet. Melissa is employed by the Potlatch Corporation of Cloquet. Melissa and Shawn are living in Cloquet.

Jeffrey Schliep married Mary Kalkbrenner, both of Duluth, on July 10. Jeffrey is the project manager at BendTec Inc, in Duluth. Mary is an operations manager for Curves for Women.

Andrew Wilkowske will be starting the Artist's Diploma Program (vocal performance) this fall at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music. He was married on September 9.

1999
Bradley Brueske and Wendy Ellestad, both of Roseville, were married on July 22. Bradley is a technical engineer with Veritas Software. Wendy is employed by the Good Samaritan Center.

Sara Druar and Chris Yost were wed on May 20 in Duluth.

Martha L. (Markey) Dwyer, of Duluth, has accepted an internship with Applied Materials in Santa Clara, California.

Joanne Harvala, of Minneapolis, is working with the Science Solutions Division at Pace Analytical Services, Inc.

Irvin Hosford is employed by Chemstar Products in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Irvin is living in St. Paul.

Anna Norby was married in November of 1999 to Eric Whiteis. Eric and Anna are now living in Hopkins. Anna is working for Best Buy at their corporate headquarters in Eden Prairie as a staff accountant in their Property Development Department.

Andrew Wall is working in Bloomington for Paychex, a national payroll processing company. He is planning on working towards a degree in accounting from the University of Minnesota.

2000
Allyson Brown, of Edina, (MA 2000) is employed as a speech-language pathologist for the Edina Public Schools.

Sharon (Box) Lahti, of Duluth, (MA 2000) is a Speech-Language Pathologist for St. Luke's Hospital. Sharon also enjoys soccer and skiing.

Susan (Ackley) Love, of South Range, WI, is a Foster Care Specialist for the Fond du Lac Reservation Human Services Division. Susan's other interests are providing care for her grandchildren and regaining her normal lifestyle.

Carina Mannoja-Barker, MSW, of Superior, is employed as the program director for the Duluth Regional Care Centers, and also a part time youth and family minister at the Family of God Church.

Amanda Neils, MA, is employed as a speech-language pathologist for The Therapy Place.

Megan Rolseth and Casey Gregg, both of Fairbanks, were married in July. After receiving her Bachelors degree in Chemistry, Megan works as a chemist with Northern Testing Laboratories, Inc. Casey is a teacher with Fairbanks North Star Borough School District.

Sara Rothenberger of St. Joseph, MN, is employed by the College of St. Benedict. Sara is working as the residence director. Her other interests are traveling and volunteering.