About Alumni

1950s

1960s

Llewellyn Fischer ’62 and Mary Fischer, Salem, Ore., Barbara Barker Parker ’73, M.Ed. ’82, and Reno Parker, Butte, enjoyed visiting St. Andrews Links in Edinburgh during their week in Scotland. Barbara writes, “We happened to have a University of Montana pennant with us. Go Griz!”

Felicia Hardison Londré ’62, Kansas City, Mo., currently serves as dean of the College of Fellows of the American Theatre. The honorary organization for theater academics and professionals will observe its fiftieth anniversary in 2015. Felicia, a recipient of the 1998 UM Distinguished Alumni Award, is working on her fifteenth book, a study of French and American theater artists in the Great War, 1914-1918.

George Cole ’65, Bozeman, together with Collin Letts and Sara Williams, created the multimedia sculpture that is now permanently installed in UM’s Mansfield Library. Banned Challenged Censored, standing seven feet tall, has toured public libraries in western Montana for the past year. George’s acrylic artwork has appeared in several juried shows, including one at the Yellowstone Art Museum. His fiction collection, Little Dogs Talk, has been published as an e-book. George and his wife, Susie Bickell Cole ’65, co-founded KPBX FM, Spokane Public Radio, in the early 1970s.

Raymond M.F. Dominick ’66, Bigfork, published a new book, Invest Safely and Profitably, this past November. After graduating from the UM School of Journalism and studying leadership and community development on a Kellogg Fellowship to China, Raymond was a business writer for national magazines and a general manager for a variety of businesses. Eventually, he became a registered investment advisory representative and designed a software program, Dynamic Investor Pro.  

Don MacCarter ’66 and Jane Susann MacCarter ’67, Livingston, have been active since their retirement in 2004. Don monitors specific peregrine falcon eyries for the Montana Peregrine Institute of Arlee and photographs wildlife, and Jane published her first young adult novel, Dreamer, last year.    

Lorretta Lynde ’67, M.A. ’79, Helena, recently released the fifth novel in her series titled Willow: The Magpie Odyssey V. Like its predecessors, it is a mystery set on Montana’s Crow Indian Reservation and in Ireland.   

Phil (Pat) Yates ’67, Puyallup, Wash., a retired speech-language pathologist, serves on the executive board of the Foundation of Price College in the Tacoma, Wash., area. Pat’s wife, Linda, serves on the Foundation Board of Good Samaritan Hospital.

Jill Beck Spunich ’68, Spokane Valley, Wash., a member of Delta Gamma, retired last year after teaching elementary school in Great Falls; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Okinawa, Japan; and Spokane, Wash. For the past fifteen years, Jill has taught a parenting class at Spokane Community College. A four-year survivor of breast and thyroid cancer, she resides in Spokane with her husband, Gordon Spunich ’68, M.B.A. ’69. The couple has four children and seven grandchildren.  

1970s

Edward and Shirley Folkwein, both of the Class of 1970, reside in Columbia Falls, where they run a community supported agriculture program and sell produce at farmers’ markets in Columbia Falls and West Glacier. After his retirement as a minister for the United Methodist Church in Montana, Ed managed the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Billings, and Shirley worked for Yellowstone Court Appointed Special Advocates.  

Chuck Johnson ’70, M.A. ’78, Helena, bureau chief for Lee Newspapers State Bureau, spoke this past fall at Highlands College in Butte about his career covering forty years of Montana history. Chuck, who studied politics and economics at Oxford University, has reported on twenty-two regular sessions of the Montana Legislature and has interviewed nine Montana governors, seven senators, and seven congressmen.

Alan Graham McQuillan, M.S. ’72, Ph.D. ’81, Missoula, was honored at the Lucy Foundation’s 2013 International Photography Awards with first place in the panoramic category for his five-picture series, The Bakken Oil Boom, and honorable mention for his self-published book, Way Out: Street Photography Underground. Alan is a professor emeritus of forestry at UM and has pursued photography full time since his retirement. In 2009, he was made an associate of Britain’s Royal Photographic Society. You can view his work at www.gallerymontana.com.

Michael S. Leib, M.F.A. ’74, West Bloomfield, Mich., was selected for inclusion in the twentieth edition of The Best Lawyers in America 2014. Michael, who is a shareholder in Maddin, Hauser, Wartell, Roth and Heller P.C., was honored for his work in bankruptcy litigation from 2012 to 2014.

James Murray ’76, Bethesda, Md., is a partner in the law firm Dickstein Shapiro, which was named to The National Law Journal’s 2013 Plaintiffs’ Hotlist.

George “Skip” Wittler, M.S. ’77, Ripon, Wis., professor of biology at Ripon College, received the 2013 May Bumby Severy, Class of 1908, Award for excellence in undergraduate teaching.  

Lois Paige Simenson ’77, and Marc Steven Simenson ’83, of Eagle River, Alaska, have retired after varied careers in the Northwest. Lois, originally from Butte, worked for thirty-five years with the federal government, the first six with the U.S. Forest Service in Missoula and the remainder with the U.S. Department of the Interior in Anchorage, Alaska. Lois managed several Bureau of Land Management programs and was a regulator of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, subsequently writing environmental impact statements for the Minerals Management Service and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. She also administered offshore oil and gas leases in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas and became an accomplished stage and film actor in Alaska, obtaining membership in the Screen Actors Guild. She has worked on several feature films, including Big Miracle and The Frozen Ground. Marc, originally from Freeport, Ill., worked for the U.S. Forest Service, cruising timber and fighting fires for the Missoula Recreation Department, and as a commercial fisherman before moving to Alaska, where he taught biology, natural science, and photography at Chugiak High School in Eagle River. Marc inspired many students to become professional photographers for National Geographic and the film industry. Lois and Marc now divide their time among Payson, Ariz., Eagle River, and the home they built near Homer, Alaska.

Patricia L. Brolin-Ribi ’79, J.D. ’85, Sun Valley, Idaho, was elected recording secretary of the international chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood. Patricia has practiced private law for twenty-eight years, volunteers with the Sun Valley Summer Symphony and Boulder Mountain Tour, and is a trustee emeritus of the UM Foundation. She resides in Sun Valley with her husband, Nils Ribi ’78.

1980s

Charles Mark ’81, Salmon, Idaho, is the new forest supervisor for the Salmon-Challis National Forest in Region Four. His wife, Pam, teaches kindergarten in the Salmon School District.

Annie M. Pontrelli ’83, Seattle, is director for regional programs at the University of Washington School of Medicine. For the past twelve years, Annie served as director of alumni relations for the School of Medicine. She writes, “Even though I work in Husky country, I still say, ‘Go Griz!’”

Nancy B. Ray ’85, Oxford, Iowa, is director of quality and scientific affairs for McCord Research in Coralville, Iowa. Previously, Nancy worked as a research specialist for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School, the University of Iowa, and National Institutes of Health Rocky Mountain Laboratories.

Randolph Haluza-DeLay ’87, Edmonton, Alberta, is associate professor of sociology at The King’s University College in Edmonton. He has edited two books—Speaking for Ourselves: Environmental Justice in Canada and How the World’s Religions are Responding to Climate Change—and published more than two dozen articles and book chapters.

Kathy Dunnehoff ’87, M.F.A. ’91, Kalispell, a national bestselling author of four novels, was named best local author in the Daily Inter Lake’s “Best of” edition. Her latest book, Back to U, is set at UM and features Main Hall on its cover. Fellow alumna Anna Mahlen ’99, Kalispell, designed the cover.  

1990s

Evan Morgan Williams, M.F.A. ’91, Portland, Ore., was awarded the 2013 G.S. Sharat Chandra Prize from BkMk Press at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Evan’s manuscript of short stories, Thorn, will be published this year. In addition to writing short stories, Evan teaches at a middle school in Portland.

Dayna Swanson ’93, M.P.A. ’95, Missoula, is the new Montana state director for U.S. Sen. Jon Tester. Dayna will continue as Sen. Tester’s adviser and regional director for eight field offices around Montana. Previously, she worked for a nonprofit, Montana Women Vote, and the insurance industry.

Shauna Hanisch-Kirkbride ’94, Sanford, Mich., is an assistant professor of environmental science at Northwood University in Michigan. Before earning her doctorate in fisheries and wildlife at Michigan State University, Shauna was a wildlife biologist for ten years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Brian Peers ’94, Duchess, Alberta, Canada, is the director of municipal lands and leases for the municipal district of Taber. Previously, Brian worked for Ducks Unlimited for fifteen years, and most recently managed the habitat inventory in southern Alberta.  

Art Almquist, M.A. and M.F.A. ’96, Tucson, Ariz., is the winner of People magazine’s 2013 Readers’ Choice Teacher of the Year award. Of his $5,000 prize, $4,000 will go directly to Tucson High Magnet School, where Art has taught drama for seventeen years. His theater program, known for staging productions on topics such as AIDS, environmental activism, and immigration, has been honored as one of the best programs in the country for the past six years by the American High School Theater Festival. Former student Julian Martinez told People, “[Art has] influenced thousands of students to find the challenge, the love, and the joy of whatever career they pursue.” Art credits his time in the UM drama/dance department with making him the teacher and actor he is today. While earning his M.F.A. in acting, he met his wife, Amy Lehmann Almquist, M.F.A. ’95, and together they founded Gut Instincts, a comedy improv group that toured the state and performed often in Missoula.

Cameron Hardy ’97, Walla Walla, Wash., is a public affairs specialist for the Department of Energy at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington. National Geographic recently photographed the site for a feature on Superfund sites across the country. Before his current post, Cameron served as a public affairs specialist at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and a press secretary in the U.S. Senate.  

Rachelle Adams ’97, Copenhagen, Denmark, is a Smithsonian Institute molecular evolution postdoctoral fellow and Marie-Curie postdoctoral fellow conducting research at the University of Copenhagen Centre for Social Evolution. Rachelle recently published an article, “Chemically armed mercenary ants protect fungus-farming societies,” in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. You can watch a brief version of the fascinating results of her research on Megalomyrmex social parasites at www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0AXT_PiuGs. 

Dixie Grossman ’98, J.D. ’01, Reno, Nev., was sworn in as the new juvenile court master to the Second Judicial District Court— Family Division in Reno.

Holly Loff ’98, Gypsum, Colo., is executive director of the Eagle River Watershed Council. Previously, Holly worked for Can Do Multiple Sclerosis, High Country Conservation Center in Frisco, and Solar Energy International in Carbondale.

Jared Amoss ’99, Missoula, is assistant director of the Grizzly Scholarship Association. Before joining GSA, Jared spent fourteen years working in Minor League Baseball, most recently serving as general manager of operations for the Missoula Osprey.

Heather Ohs ’99, Billings, is vice president of development for the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Foundation. Previously, Heather served with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in Montana for eight years, eventually becoming development manager of a five-state region. In 2010, she opened the first state office for Make-A-Wish Montana.

2000s

Sandra Beirne ’00, Durango, Colo., recently joined Pediatric Partners of the Southwest. Sandra attended the University of Washington School of Medicine and went on to become the pediatric chief resident at the University of Rochester. She has worked with the Indian Health Service at the Northern Navajo Medical Center Pediatrics Department and several school-based health clinics in the Shiprock, N.M., area.

Garrison Courtney ’00, Alexandria, Va., is senior director of federal programs for CyberData Technologies, based in Herndon, Va. In his new role, Garrison oversees business development and strategic communications across a broad spectrum of federal programs.

Everall Fox, M.Ed. ’00, Flandreau, S.D., is serving his second year as superintendent of the Flandreau Indian School, the oldest continually operating Indian boarding school in the nation. Previously, Everall was the superintendent of schools for the Hays Lodgepole School District in Montana.

Max Smith ’00, Portland, Ore., and his wife, Sarah Swanson, recently published their first book, Must-See Birds of the Pacific Northwest. In 2011 and 2012, they visited dozens of natural areas in Oregon and Washington to collect information for this regional birding guide.

Patia Stephens ’00, M.F.A. ’07, Mariana, Calif., is senior editor for print, Web, and social media at California State University, Monterey Bay. She previously completed contract editing positions with Expedia and Apple.

K.C. Hill, M.B.A. ’01, Helena, was promoted to become the first chief operating officer of Morrison-Maierle, a professional services engineering firm. Previously, K.C. was chief financial officer.  

Deb Holland ’01, M.P.A. ’05, Ph.D. ’07, and Annie Rubens, M.B.A. ’06, of Sun Prairie, Wis., collaborated to publish their first book, Make Your Destiny Your Reality. Deb wrote the book and Annie provided photographic illustrations.  

Matthew McCombs ’01, Asheville, N.C., is the new Appalachian district ranger in the Pisgah National Forest in Mars Hill, N.C. Previously, Matt served as the deputy district ranger on the Eagle-Holy Cross Ranger District, White River National Forest in Colorado. A former aide to U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and Ken Salazar, Matt joined the Forest Service after completing a Presidential Management Fellowship in 2011.

Kelsie A. Myers ’01, J.D. ’04, Creighton, Neb., is a staff attorney with the Native American Program of Legal Aid of Nebraska, based in the Norfolk office. Kelsie serves Native American victims of domestic violence who reside on four reservations in eastern Nebraska.

Matt Slonaker ’02, J.D. ’05, Park City, Utah, is executive director of the Utah Health Policy Project. Previously, Matt was the organization’s director of Medicaid policy and collaboration. He has worked on state- and national-level health care reform with Care for the Homeless in New York City, and as a staffer for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.

Greg Lemon, M.A. ’03, Helena, is editor of the Helena Independent Record. Greg previously served as the newspaper’s community outreach editor and publisher and editor of the Madisonian in Ennis.

Lisa Fowler Wilcox ’03, D.P.T. ’06, Denver, opened Solstice Healthcare Resources, her own business that provides temporary staffing and private in-home physical therapy services in the Denver area. Previously, Lisa worked in outpatient clinics as a physical therapist and clinic manager.

Harly Drum ’05, Newport, Wash., writes a blog at www.nwhikingblog.com about his experiences of long-distance hiking and has published two novels, a memoir, and a biography of the Pacific Crest Trail. Harly also has walked the Pacific Northwest Trail, is cycling across the U.S. on the Transamerica Route, and is planning a through-hike of the Appalachian Trail this summer. His wife, Wendy Leach ’06, is the interim director of the Washington State University Pend Oreille County Extension and CEO of Food $ense, a nutrition education program for families with limited incomes.

Jeff McKenzie ’05, Durham, N.C., completed his anesthesiology resident training at Duke University Medical School, where he earned the prestigious Teaching Scholar Award.

Adam Phillips, M.F.A and M.A. ’05, Boise, Idaho, currently has a short story nominated for a Pushcart Prize. The story, “Biography,” can be read online in the fall issue of the Gray Sparrow Journal. Adam and his wife, Stephanie Phillips, M.A. ’03 (school psychology), B.A. ’05 (English), both teach English at a junior high school and have two sons.

Drew Rieker ’06, M.Acct. ’07, Missoula, was awarded the 2013 Outstanding Young CPA Award by the Montana Society of Certified Public Accountants.  

April Gregory ’08, Spearfish, S.D., is executive director of the Booth Society, the nonprofit friends support group of the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives, one of the oldest operating hatcheries in the country. April has attained the highest level of membership to the National Association of Professional Women as a VIP Woman of the Year and has been recognized for outstanding leadership and commitment within her profession.

Karli Friia Hughes ’08, Missoula, is general manager of Real Estate Management Group. Her twin sister, Brittni Friia Hertz ’09, Missoula, is operations manager of the same company. Both women began working there in 2004 and obtained their property management licenses in 2007 and 2006, respectively. Founders of the American Red Cross Campus Club during their time at UM, Karli and Brittni have incorporated companywide community service days for employees of REMG to volunteer during the work week. Two other recent UM grads are employed by the company. Carly Tuman ’10 is the residential property manager and Jessica Sample ’09 is the assistant general manager/commercial and residential manager.

Sue Strachan, J.D. ’08, Bremerton, Wash., was selected to be the new legal community outreach specialist at the Washington State Bar Association.

Kelsey Poore ’09, Butte, earned her license as a certified public accountant with the state of Montana last May. During her time at UM, Kelsey was a member the Davidson Honors College and the cheer squad, and she represented the University as Homecoming Ambassador in 2008.  

2010s

Lynette Chandler, Ed.D. ’10, Harlem, was honored with the Education Leadership Excellence Award, presented by UM’s Department of Educational Leadership. A member of the Aaniiih and Nakoda tribes, Lynette founded the White Clay Language Immersion School near the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Harlem. At one time, only a handful of people spoke the White Clay language, but through her revitalization and preservation efforts, hundreds are fluent in the language today.

Julia Williamson Cummings ’12, Missoula, is the new events and communications assistant at the UM School of Journalism. Since graduating, Julia has been a reporter and photographer for the Ravalli Republic. With her fellow reporters, she won first place in public service journalism in the Montana Newspaper Association’s 2012 Better Newspaper Contest.

Julie DeSoto ’12, M.P.A. ’13, Choteau, is a Fulbright Scholar teaching English at Princess Sumaya University for Technology in Amman, Jordan. Recently, Julie also began an internship with the King Hussein Foundation, a nongovernmental organization that works for international development, women’s rights, child protection, public health, and refugee support. One of her responsibilities is to write a grant application to the European Union for a program to train professionals and treat victims of torture. She credits Fran Albrecht, professor of nonprofit administration in the UM Department of Political Science, with preparing her for her work. Read about Julie’s experiences in her blog, www.envisionbelieveact.wordpress.com.

Jared Fischer ’13, Custer, S.D., serves with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest through St. Andre Bessette Catholic Church for a year of full-time service in downtown Portland, Ore., where he works with individuals experiencing homelessness.