About Alumni

1950s

Elsie Lenore Dodd ’59 and David A. Dodd ’62, Richland, Wash., are retired and have two married sons and eight grandchildren. Elsie and David spend much of their time volunteering to upkeep their church. They also enjoy their daily two-mile walks and keep a large garden.  

1960s

Gary Woodgerd ’63, Missoula, and his wife, Karen Connick Woodgerd ’66, have returned home after more than thirty years living in Bellevue, Wash., and Agoura Hills, Calif. They have attended every Homecoming and UM reunion during the past fifteen years and love being back in Montana, especially Missoula.

David Howlett ’66, Wolvercote, Oxford, is a Billings native, Rhodes Scholar, and UM Distinguished Alumnus. He received his master’s and doctoral degrees from Emory University and Oxford College, respectively, and was editor of the Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources from 1979 to 2011. After 100 years of gathering more than 58,000 entries of Latin words used in Britain between 540 and 1600, the British Academy published the dictionary’s sixteenth and final volume last December.

Don Brunell ’68, Vancouver, Wash., is retiring after twenty-eight years as president of the Association of Washington Business. A veteran of the Washington Army National Guard, Don retired as major in 1993. He was a reporter for Butte’s Montana Standard and the Missoulian before working as a legislative aide for U.S. Rep. Dick Shoup of Montana. Don went on to serve as manager of communications for the Inland Forest Resource Council in Missoula and was public affairs manager for Crown Zellerbach in Olympia before joining the AWB staff in 1986. 

Gary Truchot ’69, Sedona, Ariz., served as a special agent with the U.S. Foreign Service, U.S. Department of State, for twenty-three years, retiring in 2010. He and his wife, Paula, moved to Sedona and currently live in the Village of Oak Creek. Gary is active in various veterans’ organizations, enjoys writing, and is a Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer who oversees the legal proceedings of neglected and abused children. Paula volunteers for the Sedona Community Food Bank, and both are active members of Christ Lutheran Church.

1970s

Charles Stein ’70, Great Falls, retired from Benefis Health System after a thirty-four-year career as an accountant. Chuck previously worked as a tax auditor with the Montana Department of Revenue. He and his wife, Margie Slenes Stein, raised twin girls and a son and have five grandchildren. 

Jeffrey Renz ’71, J.D. ’79, Missoula, is a Fulbright Scholar at the Free University of Tbilisi in the Republic of Georgia. 

Russell Graham ’72, Moscow, Idaho, research forester for the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station, received the first National Silviculture Lifetime Achievement award at the Biennial National Silviculture Workshop, held in conjunction with the 2013 Society of American Foresters National Convention in Charleston, S.C. Russell was nominated for his extensive research and technology-transfer accomplishments in creating innovative silvicultural systems and techniques that enhance disturbance resilience, wildlife habitat, forest products, and long-term soil productivity. Russell’s wife, Kathy Felderman Graham ’72, recently retired as an alumni consultant for Ellucian and the University of Idaho Office of Alumni Relations.

David H. Ellis, Ph.D. ’73, Oracle, Ariz., published Enter the Realm of the Golden Eagle, a 500-page collection of accounts of golden eagles around the world. For more information, e-mail David at dcellis@theriver.com.

Donald Smith, M.B.A. ’73, Ph.D. ’75, Phoenix, is a business law attorney with Manning and Kass, Ellrod, Ramirez, Trester.

Sue Bubnash ’74, Yakima, Wash., retired as an accountant and contracts manager for Yakima County after twenty-five years. She and her husband, Craig Lawrence Smith, were married thirty-nine years ago by UM Professor Ulysses Doss. 

Dan Mungas ’74, M.S. ’77, Ph.D. ’79, Plymouth, Calif., is an associate adjunct professor of neurology at the University of California, Davis, and director and principal investigator for the UC Davis Alzheimer’s Disease Center of California. 

Michael R. Stevenson ’74, M.M.E. ’78, Dickinson, N.D., was named 2014 Choral Director of the Year by the North Dakota Chapter of American Choral Directors Association. Michael is the choral director for Dickinson High School.

Tom Stockburger ’74, Denver, Colo., published Lucy’s Biggest Fish to Fry, a memoir recounting his wife’s fight against brain cancer. Tom, a former member of the Alumni Association board, is the proud father of Keely and Kyle.

Frank R. “Randy” Harrison ’75, J.D. ’83, Missoula, organizes an annual European ski trip with family and friends. This year the group traveled to Lech, Austria, in the first week of February. Front row, left to right: Chase Harrison ’11, Missoula; Elaine Scott ’89, Missoula; Kelly Flaherty-Settle ’80, Helena; Richard Crosby ’69, Helena; David Dorward, Ph.D. ’88, Hamilton. Second row: John Alke ’73, J.D. ’76, Helena; Sharon Holsapple ’81, M.Ed. ’05, Missoula; Doreen West Jenness ’94, Missoula; Kate Supplee, Missoula; Georganna Schara Clifford ’72, M.A. ’73, Spokane, Wash.; Molly Harrison Howard ’72, Missoula; Jill Steinbrenner Olson ’85, Missoula; William Steinbrenner ’59, Missoula; Jeff Gray ’79, Great Falls; Nina Harrison ’64, Oro Valley, Ariz.; Aidan Myhre, M.B.A. ’89, Helena. Back row: Mars Scott ’75, J.D. ’80, Missoula; Pat Maher ’76, Cave Creek, Ariz.; Gary Frank ’83, Missoula; Richard Hamma ’77, Missoula; Randy Harrison; Barry Olson ’79, Missoula; James Charlton ’75, Helena; Raymond Howard ’73, Missoula. Not pictured: David Dietrich, J.D. ’84, Billings, and Mark Teynor ’14, Missoula.

Patrick Hanley ’77, Seattle, spent more than thirty years as a partner at global accounting firm KPMG, retiring in 2011. Patrick joined KPMG in 1980 and was appointed managing partner of the Billings office in 1994. He later worked in Melbourne, Australia, and Chile on company assignments. He currently serves as an analyst with his daughter Elizabeth Hanley’s law firm. Patrick and his wife, Marilyn, continue their personal philanthropic and community service interests in Seattle. The couple has five children and five grandchildren.

Karen Ferguson ’78, Bainbridge Island, Wash., realized a career in financial management centered on international research, education, and training at Battelle Seattle Research Center and the University of Washington. Karen also published Lucky Stars and Gold Bars: A World War II Odyssey, based on her father’s 400 letters written during the war. The book earned the 2005 Benjamin Franklin Award.

Joy N. Ott ’79, M.B.A. ’91, Billings, was named region president for Montana and Wyoming Wells Fargo banks. Joy began her career thirty-four years ago as a credit analyst and became president of the Wells Fargo Montana region in 2000. She also served as national spokesperson for Wells Fargo’s Women’s Business Services for eight years.  

1980s

Dee Shane Stevens ’81, Aurora, Colo., received an Associate of Applied Science degree in building inspection technology from Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Ore. Dee is a combination building inspector for the city of Littleton, Colo.

Shelley Nelson Kirilenko ’83, M.A. ’88, Bethesda, Md., a native of Missoula, has published her fourth book, My Year as a Jew, chronicling her year of celebrating Jewish holidays and learning Biblical Hebrew.

Steve Saroff ’83, Missoula, founded and sold the software company RemoteScan, which is now part of Dell. Steve is an angel investor looking for new, great ideas in the Missoula area.

Kyle Albert, M.A. ’84, Eagle, Idaho, started an online copywriting business, Copy Chef, fifteen years ago. Previously, Kyle worked for Shepard’s/McGraw-Hill in Colorado Springs and as the writer/producer for a large ad agency in Las Vegas. He currently serves as the public relations officer and advancement coordinator for his sons’ Boy Scout troop. Kyle and his wife, Judi, look forward to moving back to Montana in the next few years. 

Barton Young ’84, Vero Beach, Fla., is chairman and CEO of Barton Young & Associates. His company received the 2013 Executive Council Award and the 2013 Top Asset Management Office award from Raymond James Financial Services.

Chris Schow ’85, Sonora, Calif., is a wildland firefighter and fire management officer at the Stanislaus National Forest in California. Throughout his U.S. Forest Service career, Chris has been a Wyoming Hotshot, Sawtooth Helitack and McCall Smokejumper in Idaho, as well as an engine foreman in Sandpoint, Idaho, assistant fire manager in the Shoshone Forest in Wyoming, and fire management officer in the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes Forests in Vermont. Chris and his wife, Teresa Schow  ’90, have a niece, Kelsea Idler, who will graduate this year from the College of Forestry and Conservation at UM. Kelsea has competed on UM’s Woodsman’s team, served on the Foresters’ Ball Committee, and worked as a wildland firefighter for the past several summers.

Kara Chadwick ’86, Arlington, Va., is assistant director for forest management for the U.S. Forest Service in Washington, D.C., and has been named supervisor of the San Juan National Forest in Bayfield, Colo.

Tracy Reich ’86, Redmond, Wash., is executive director of the Helena Business Improvement District board. Previously, Tracy worked as program manager for U.S. Skiing [now U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association] in Park City, Utah, executive director of the Colville Main Street Revitalization program in Washington, executive director of the Vancouver downtown association, and director of community programs at Impact Capital in Seattle.

Vaughn Kauffman, M.A. ’88, Ed.S. ’94, Helena, received the Distinguished Service Award as the Special Education Director of the Year from the Montana Council of Administrators of Special Education during the Montana Council for Exceptional Children Conference. 

Lisa Poole ’88, Spokane, Wash., joined KREM-TV as an account executive after twelve years in the advertising agency business. Lisa and her husband, Scott Poole ’88, also celebrated one year in business as the owners of Poole’s Public House in Spokane, where they have a great Griz following.

1990s

Josh Clark ’93, Missoula, currently is Missoula County undersheriff, second in command at the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office. Josh has served Missoula as a law enforcement officer for twenty-one years and has worked in every division of the Sheriff’s Office, serving as deputy coroner for the past eight years.

Jennifer Heggen ’93, ’13, completed a ten-week internship as pastry commis at Thomas Keller Restaurant Group’s French-inspired Bouchon/Bakery in Yountville, Calif.  She wrote a feature article about her experience in the American Culinary Federation’s Sizzle Magazine. Read her story at www.sizzle-digital.com/sizzle/spring_2014#pg8.

Dawn Houle ’94, North Potomac, Md., welcomed her second child, Madzi Galeah Booth [“Flower” in the Tsimshian language], in May 2013. Dawn, originally from the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation, currently is the chief of staff for the National Indian Gaming Commission in Washington, D.C. She and her spouse, Milo J. Booth, also have a seven-year-old son named Parker.

Aaron Michael Williams ’94, Olympia, Wash., graduated from the law school at Seattle University in 2012. He currently is employed as an attorney in the Attorney General’s office for the state of Washington. 

Dave Dickenson ’96, Calgary, Alberta, is offensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. Dave, a Great Falls native who led the Grizzlies to the 1995 NCAA Division I-AA national championship, joined the Stampeders as quarterback in 1996, and was named the CFL’s most outstanding player in 2000. After five years playing for the B.C. Lions, whom he led to the 2006 Grey Cup championship, Dave has run Calgary’s offense for the past three seasons.

John McKee ’97, Butte, and his wife, Courtney McKee, were named 2013 Montana Entrepreneurs of the Year by the Montana Ambassadors and Gov. Steve Bullock. Their business, Headframe Spirits in Butte, has created one job for each month it’s been open since February 2012. 

Trisha Kyner, M.F.A. ’97, Gwynn Oak, Md., created a sculpture titled Pink Rabbit for New Orleans with her husband and fellow artist, David Friedheim. Standing eight feet tall and ten feet long, the public art piece is one of several large sculptures lining Poydras Street and one of several sculptural bunnies built by Trisha and David in cities around the country.

Molly Wood ’97, San Francisco, Calif., is the new deputy technology editor for The New York Times. Molly previously was the executive editor and TV host for CNET.

Eldena Bear Don’t Walk ’98, J.D. ’03, M.P.A. ’06, is the interim director of American Indian Student Services at the University of Montana. Eldena holds a Master of Laws in indigenous people’s law and policy with a focus on critical race theory from the Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona.

Aaron Holmberg ’98, Lake Stevens, Wash., received the 2013 Golden Apple Award, celebrating Washington teachers for their positive impact on students. The honor recognizes Aaron’s work as a fourth-grade teacher with Everett Public Schools. A 2008 National Board Certified Teacher, Aaron is known for his collaboration, innovation, and drive to inspire students to reach high personal and academic standards, especially in the areas of math, science, and history.

Shari Stutz Strachan ’98, Missoula, is the executive director of Mountain Home Montana, a nonprofit organization in Missoula providing housing, supportive programming, and mental-health services to young mothers and their babies. For the past ten years, Shari was the director of operations at United Way of Missoula County.

James Lincoln ’99, Boulder, Colo., was selected as one of ten runners to participate in Race Across USA, a 3,000-mile footrace—or a marathon a day for 140 days. The race begins in Huntington Beach, Calif., on January 16, 2015, and continues through thirteen states and Washington, D.C. Funds raised will benefit the 100 Mile Club based in Norco, Calif., an organization that battles childhood inactivity by challenging school-aged kids to run 100 miles per academic school year. 

Caeli Wolfson Widger, M.F.A. ’99, Santa Monica, Calif., published her first novel, Real Happy Family. Caeli’s work has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Another Chicago Magazine, and the Madison Review. She currently teaches for Writing Workshops Los Angeles and has taught for Brooklyn’s Sackett Street Workshop and at the University College in London. 

2000s

Christopher Bolin ’00, St. Joseph, Minn., published a book of poetry, Ascension Theory, with University of Iowa Press. Christopher teaches at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University. He has earned fellowships from the James A. Michener Foundation and the MacDowell Colony and holds an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. 

Janelle Kuechle, M.Ed. ’01, Polson, fondly remembers spending time, both in class and after, in the old house on Eddy Street in the late nineties and early 2000s. “We’d sit around in the living room talking about theories and how we might apply them to help others, but also to grow in our own lives. These talks were as much a part of our education as the formal course work, and the memories are priceless. Thanks, UM, for such a wonderful educational experience!” 

Johann Walker ’01, Mandan, N.D., is the Ducks Unlimited director of conservation programs for North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. A leader of research efforts on waterfowl breeding ecology for DU’s Great Plains Region for the past three years, Johann is recognized as one of the top waterfowl population ecologists in the country. After earning his bachelor’s degree with honors in wildlife biology at UM, he received his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Johann grew up in Minnesota and Montana and is an avid outdoorsman.

Anthony Zuccarini ’01, Columbia, Mo., is communications coordinator and Web administrator for the Missouri State Teachers Association, the oldest teachers association in the nation. For the past ten years Anthony has worked for the state of Missouri. He and his wife, Aileen, have three boys.

Lea Taddonio ’03, Santa Cruz, Calif., this August will publish Upside Down, the first in her adult fiction debut series, Off the Map. You can read more about Lea’s work at www.liariley.com.

Ryan Arnold ’04, Evanston, Ill., is divisional wine director for Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises in Chicago, where he develops various wine programs and educates guests at restaurants such as RPM Italian, Paris Club, and HUB 51. As a member of the NBC Olympic hospitality team, he participated in NBC’s Client program for the Athens, Torino, Beijing, Vancouver, and London Games. Previously, Ryan worked as regional manager for Italian wine importer Vin Divion and opened Winebow Import Company’s Chicago branch. His education in wine began as a student at UM with his studies abroad in Torino and Rome. 

Jeff Hammond ’04, Santa Cruz, Calif., co-owns Sun + Life Photography with his wife, Doriana Westerman. Last year, Rangefinder Magazine selected their business as one of the “30 Rising Stars in Wedding Photography.” Jeff and Doriana began their careers with documenting the work of NGOs in Central America and founded Sun + Life in 2010. You can read more about their work at www.sunandlifephotography.com/blog/.

Scott Nicholson ’04, Bozeman, is a commercial loan officer with First Interstate Bank. Scott also serves as treasurer of the board of directors for the Boys and Girls Club of Southwest Montana, member of the finance committee on Thrive’s board, and member of the Bozeman Revolving Loan Fund. He and his wife, Nancy, have a one-year-old daughter. 

Ben Thomas ’04, Taos, N.M., was named the new executive director of the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, effective this fall. Ben began working for RMYC in 2004 as an AmeriCorps member on a sustainable forestry crew and served as program director before taking over for Carl Colonius, director of the corps for the past twenty years. RMYC has a strong foundation in conservation and weatherization work and uses projects as the classroom for technical training, job employment certifications, and personal/professional development. Ben is excited about his new leadership with the agency and looks forward to providing opportunities for young adults in Taos.  

Robin Johanson, D.P.T. ’05, Albany, Ore., is manager of Samaritan Rebound Physical Therapy in North Albany. 

Jessie Sherburne ’05, Boise, Idaho, completed a master’s degree in raptor biology at Boise State University. She currently is an adjunct faculty instructor at BSU and the College of Western Idaho.

Anna Chalfoun, Ph.D. ’06, Laramie, Wyo., was honored with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. Anna, who earned her doctorate in fish and wildlife biology at UM, is the assistant leader of the Wyoming Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Wyoming.

Danielle R. Dellerson ’06, J.D. ’10, Alexandria, Va., is vice president for federal government relations at McGuireWoods Consulting in Washington, D.C. She works closely with former Senate Finance Committee Staff Director Russ Sullivan and three fellow Montanans who are on staff. Previously, Danielle worked for former Sen. Max Baucus on the Senate Finance Committee.

Lauren Tyler Norby ’06, Missoula, earned his Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara. This past March, he held an interactive multimedia exhibition at the Brink Gallery in downtown Missoula. As part of Crumley & Vaughn Private Investigations, gallery-goers had their fingerprints inked and displayed and investigation developments unfolded in real time during the course of a month, both within the gallery and around the city. Holding nothing sacred, Lauren mixes and pollutes elements from Western society to challenge and critique entrenched beliefs through a variety of art forms, including video, installation, and performance.

Alex Strickland ’06, Missoula, is the new assistant publications director for the Adventure Cycling Association in Missoula. Previously, Alex was editor-in-chief of the Bigfork Eagle and worked for Soar Communications in Utah. 

Ian Clark ’07, Portland, Ore., released online his third feature-length project during the Eastern Oregon Film Festival in February. MMXIII, an experimental documentary self-portrait exploring time, light, cinema, and beauty, premiered at the 2013 New Orleans Film Festival as part of Cinema Reset and was released around the world by Internet tour in early 2014. Clark jointly curates both the Eastern Oregon Film Festival in La Grande., Ore., and the Treefort Film Fest in Boise, Idaho, and was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s “25 New Faces of Independent Film” in 2012. View his work at http://incproductions.org.

Craig Reinhardt ’07, Missoula, is head coach of the Missoula Bruins varsity hockey team. For the past six years Craig coached for Missoula’s youth hockey program. 

Nicole Siefert, J.D. ’09, Missoula, recently joined the law firm of Sullivan, Tabaracci and Rhoades, where she primarily practices commercial and civil litigation. Previously, Nicole practiced in federal and state courts in Nevada and Montana. While attending UM, she was a proud member of the ABA Negotiations Team, president of the American Association for Justice, and an intern for Montana Legal Services and the Missoula County Attorney’s Office. 

Orrin Tiberi ’09, Helena, recently returned from Ecuador, where he worked as a Peace Corps health volunteer. In 2013, Montana ranked tenth among states with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers per capita.  

2010s

John Hollenback, Hon.D. ’10, Gold Creek, is the co-recipient of the 2013 Range Leader of the Year award, presented by the Rangeland Resources Executive Committee. John was nominated by the Deer Lodge Valley Conservation District, for which he has served on the board of supervisors for more than forty years. John also is a founding member of the Montana Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative and the Rangeland Resources Executive Committee and helped begin the annual Montana Youth Range Camp.

Jessica Dumke Kaschube ’10, Miami, Fla., is the office manager for GableStage, an internationally known theater in South Florida. Previously, Jessica worked with the Bigfork Summer Playhouse and Montana Repertory Theatre as a scenic artist and was a theatrical electrician and a production office assistant for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. She resides with her husband,  Bryan Kaschube, M.F.A. ’10.

Amanda Opitz ’10, Missoula, is the communications coordinator at the YWCA Missoula, managing all internal and external communications to develop essential public and private support, which enables the YWCA to further its mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. 

Chase Reynolds ’11, St. Peters, Mo., appeared in all sixteen games for the National Football League’s St. Louis Rams this past season. Chase is one of the most decorated eight-man football players in Montana history and led the Griz to back-to-back national runner-up finishes.

Lizzy Duffy ’12, Portland, Ore., is the news blogger for Oregon Public Broadcasting. Her blog is available at www.opb.org. 

Kristen Zadick ’12, Great Falls, is a Fulbright Scholar teaching English at La Escuela Normal Superior de Jalisco, a postsecondary teacher preparatory school in Guadalajara, Mexico. She prepares students to be English teachers in the Mexican educational system and develops classroom materials for the English department. Kristen has been accepted to the UM School of Law and will begin in fall 2014.

Erik C. Anderson ’13, Portland, Ore., is the full-time high school sports news producer for the Oregonian. 

Kari Eneas ’13, Polson, is a full-time wildlife biologist trainee with the wildlife management program of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Kari currently is enrolled in the Climate Academy and plans to obtain a master’s degree in wildlife biology from UM.