Alumni News and Stories

In this Section

Your fellow alumni readers want to know want what you're up to these days. Share your news about job changes, promotions, awards/recognition, retirement, and family milestones with us. Class notes are featured in our Outlook email newsletter and annual magazine.

Here are some common reasons to send us a class note:

A new job or promotion
A baby or adopted a child
You got married or entered into an official union
Published a book
A fellow alumni has passed away

Submit a Class Note

Jeff Coggins `18 completed his MBA from California State University – Northridge.

Jeff Jacobs `95 is the chief facilities officer at UW-Green Bay.

Bryan Bisonette `03 is co-owner of Maxine’s Restaurant in Rice Lake. The restaurant celebrated its 35^th anniversary in December.

Kellie Grengs `92 is a senior lecturer in the department of human communications and theatre at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

Carol Friesen `80 retired on May 15 from Ball State University.

Career News: new jobs, promotions, awards and retirements

Robert Stenner `70 retired from the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. He was a toxicologist and nuclear engineer/health physicist. He also served 11 years on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Hazmat Committee.
Lance Bell `72 manages the AUA Fine Arts Gallery in Ajo, Ariz. And just finished publishing his first book of black and white photography of the Sonoran Desert.
Scott Cabot `78 leads the ground school and continuing education efforts at the Morey Airplane Company at Middleton Municipal Airport.
Carol Friesen `80 retired on May 15 from Ball State University.
Allison Locke Schelitzche `81 owns Babbitt’s Wine Bar in Sauk Centre, Minn.
Drew Fennema `82 retired in September 2022 after working 39 years for Ford in marketing, sales and service.
Chuck `85 and Dawn Graunke Moder `85 have retired. Chuck worked in engineering, managerial and continuous improvement for electronics, food processing and good packaging industries. Dawn worked in engineering and quality assurance roles for apparel and related industries.
Elihu Washburne Wear `87 is the president and owner of Popco Inc. and has been included in Marquis Who’s Who.
Kellie Grengs `92 is a senior lecturer at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas teaching theatrical costume design.
Jeff Jacobs `95 is the chief facilities officer at UW-Green Bay.
Kate Pertzsch `96 is the senior interior designer at KAI in their Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, office.
Scott Wojcik `97 is the chief operating officer at Northflow Solutions in Mankato, Minn.
Leslie Haynes `01 has worked for the federal government and the Food and Drug Administration for 17 years. She is working with scientists who review COVID-19 vaccines and is doing associated work for public health and safety.
Bryan Bisonette `03 is co-owner of Maxine’s Restaurant in Rice Lake. The restaurant celebrated its 35th anniversary in December.
Clinton Greenebaum `04 is the Meeting Professionals International (MPI) Minnesota Chapter president for the 2022-23 fiscal year.
Bryan `06 and Stacy `06 Weichelt are the owners and operators of Marshfield North Storage in Marshfield.
Chad Hayes `06 is a principal at Professional Engineering Consultants PA in Fort Collins, Color.
Michelle Jensen Lassa `06 is the clinical director at the Behavioral Health Clinic in Wausau.
Michelle Martin `06 is the public relations and marketing director at Spooner Health
Megan McKenna `07 is the director of specialty concepts and new project development lead at The Bartolotta Restaurants.
Bryan Horwath `07 is the business editor for the Las Vegas Sun newspaper.
Leah Hauck-Mills `12 received accreditation in public relations through Public Relations Society of American in July 2022.
Cindy Bourget `15 is the 2022-23 Wisconsin School Counselor of the Year. She is a counselor in the Elk Mound School District.
Riley Colvard `17 is the assistant coach of the Des Moines Buccaneers.
Jeff Coggins `18 completed his MBA from California State University – Northridge.

Life events: births, marriages, anniversaries and deaths

Arrivals:

Jenna Huseboe `12 welcomed a baby girl in July 2022.
Jeff Schultz `78 welcomed a grandson, Elliott, on Aug. 15, 2022.

Wedding:

Caleb Toft `18 and Shelby Kann got married on July 16, 2022.

Anniversary:

Paul Kriz `68 and wife, Karen, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Nov. 25, 2022.
Penelope Scott Dunbar `69 and husband, Earl, will celebrate 50 years of marriage on Dec. 30, 2022. They will be celebrating in Appleton.
James `70 and Alice Judd Smith celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in August 2022.
Nancy Werner Yow `70 and her husband, Ron, celebrated their 50th anniversary on April 20, 2022.
Michael `71 and Jennifer Intravaia `70 Tyskiewicz celebrated their 52nd wedding anniversary on June 6, 2022. They met at Pizza Villa in Menomonie. They have retired from teaching in school districts in southeastern Wisconsin.
James Jacobus `74 celebrated 47 years of marriage in August 2022.
John `74 and Ellen Schwab `74 Plank celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary in Sept. 2022.
Mary Dirkzwager Ford `77 and husband, Ken, celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary in Oct. 2022. They are retired and living in Texas.
Sandra “Sam” Harden `77 and Bill Pierquet `76 are celebrating their 45th anniversary in August. They met at UW-Stout. Sam is a retired business professional and professor, and Bill is a retire real estate executive with a thriving commercial real estate consulting business in Georgia.
Laura Slater-Hatzenbeller `79 and Mark Hatzenbellar `79 celebrated their 43rd anniversary in June 2022.
Mary Goplin `80 and Kevin `80 Wilde celebrated their 40th anniversary in May.

Passing:

Jean Daniels Melchert `45, July 23, 2022, Seymour
William Amthor `50, July 20. 2022, Oro Valley, Ariz.
Earl Herring `52, Maple Grove, Minn.
Mary Lou Andersen `55, November 15, 2022, Sedona, Ariz.
Virginia Lathrope Brown `55, August 16, 2022, Milwaukee
Gerald “Skip” Wick `56, August 25, 2022, Kimball
Folkvard “Tack” Martin Braaten `56, September 26, 2022, Manhattan, KS
Flora Spinti Lehman `57, July 13, 2022,
Jean Schwertel Wielgus `57, July 10, 2022, Green Bay
Donna Mae Enders Heier `59, July 2022
Hans Hatopp `59, July 22, 2022, Two Rivers
Milt Kintopf `62, June 6, 2021, Two Rivers
Karen Utech Hathaway `65, July 23, 2022, Evanston, Ill.
Paul Marion Pisani `65, September 7, 2022, Eau Claire
Mary Bucher Mavis `66, April 13, 2022, Summerfield, Flor.
Richard “Dick” Grum `66, September 5, 2022, Stoughton
Shirley Wegner Hillman `67, November 30, 2020, Eau Claire
William Ollila `68, May 23, 2022, Princeton, Ill.
Gordon Spaete `69, July 21, 2022, Watertown, South Dakota
Donald Guth `70, December 29, 2022, Stevens Point
John Hassemer `70, September 13, 2022, Eau Claire
Donald E. Neve `71, May 4, 2019, Wisconsin Rapids
Douglas Anderson `71, August 28, 2022, Charlotte, North Carolina
Marjorie “Marge” Miller Richartz `71, July 27, 2022, Menomonie
Michael Dorendorf `71, November 9, 2022, Stillwater, Minn.
Peter Kores `72, September 9, 2022, Sheboygan
James Sopko `73, Oct. 23, 2022, Biwabik, Minn.
Moria Kaufmann Nutter `73, October 7, 2022, Fairbanks, Alaska
Barbara A. Deutscher `74, December 9, 2021, Menomonie
Linda Farmer Zimet `76, November 8, 2022, Whitefish, Mont.
LuAnn Cleary-Benninghaus `77, November 25, 2022, Sheboygan
Kenneth Then `77, August 9, 2022, Sun Prairie
James Nandory `79, August 27, 2015, Byron, Minn.
Terry M. Gerdts `82, August 26, 2022, Minneapolis, Minn.
Karen Rivers `83, July 7, 2022, Chippewa Falls
David Kellermann `84, November 16, 2022, Cumberland
Duane Borchardt `84, December 10, 2022, Stevens Point
Jeffrey Noltner `85, November 27, 2022, Sheboygan
Sara Caron `85, November 12, 2022, Bloomer
Scott Banks `90, August 31, 2022, Roswell, New Mexico
Terrance Anderson `93, December 16, 2022, Trego
Stacy Buettner `94, September 16, 2022, St. Louis Park, Minn.
Thomas “Tom” Driscoll `99, September 22, 2022, Prior Lake, Minn.
Nicole Faber Peterson `02, July 15, 2022, Birmingham, Ala.
Emily Oyan `04, October 12, 2022, Madison
Joni Dahl `05, August 12, 2022, Genoa Location
Jason Clopton `08, August 19, 2022, Brooklyn Center, Minn.
Zane Borchers `17, July 31, 2022, Dundas, Minn.

Friends of the University:

Pamela Powers, July 23, 2022, Boyceville
William “Bill” Doyle, December 3, 2022, Green Lake

Faculty/Staff News: awards, retirements and deaths

Faculty/staff passing:

Donavan “Don” Lowell Olson, 70, of Altoona, passed away July 3. Don, a facilities repair worker-advanced at UW-Stout, retired in 2015.
Susan "Suzy" Kay Melin, 55, of Chippewa Falls, passed away surrounded by her loved ones on Saturday, Nov. 5. Suzy was a journeyman painter and craftsperson with Facilities Management. She retired in August after 25 years of service.
Carlyle "Gil" Gilbertson, professor emeritus, passed away on Friday, Nov. 25, at Red Cedar Mayo in Menomonie. Gil was hired by UW-Stout in 1969 to develop and serve as director of the new education specialist in counseling and psychology degree. He was also one of the founding members of the Wisconsin in Scotland program, which began in 1986. Gil taught and served as chair of the counseling and psychological services department at UW-Stout until his retirement in 1991.
Hugh Pritchard Williamson Jr., 79, passed away on Nov. 29, at his home in Murphy, N.C. Hugh taught at UW-Stout, where he was the business program director. He and his wife, Sarah Munier Williamson, advised and supported Campus Crusade for Christ and the College Republicans. He retired from UW-Stout in July 2007 and received emeritus status in September 2007.