Class Notes

Roger Norton ’48, DeTour, performed a Mark Twain comedy routine at a variety show benefiting Harborview Assisted Living in DeTour.

Sharon (Burtt) Jones ’56, Sault Ste. Marie, former War Memorial Hospital Auxiliary president, assisted in installing new officers at the Auxiliary’s annual meeting.

Henry Alvin Black ’54, Gaylord, was presented with a quilt of valor in honor of his service in the U.S. Army.

Susan (Yon) Askwith ’69, Sault Ste. Marie, performed at the 351^st Musical Celebration at the Soo Theatre. She was among the winning entries in the song contest from last year’s celebration.

Chuck Bennin ’68, Pickford, is retiring after 19 years as Pickford athletic director. He also coached for 22 years at Pickford and was a standout athlete at the school he graduated from in 1966.

Joyce (Crawford) Henderson ’67, Sault Ste. Marie, was installed as counselor of the War Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.

George Kinsella ’65, Brimley, collected a generous donation from Meijer on behalf of the Friends of Pendills Creek Fish Hatchery. The donation will allow every child who attends the Kids Fishing Day to go home with their own minnow net.

William Lynn ’65, Sault Ste. Marie, assisted his son Michael with the official opening of Lynn’s Auto Parts and Hardware in Brimley.

Bob McNamara ’65, Barbeau, is a member of the local Hiawatha Shore-to-Shore chapter’s Roving Crew. The chapter received a Trail Champion Award from the DNR for their volunteer work on the North Country Trail. Bob used his aging John Deere Gator to haul out the debris and to take in the new materials for the Avery Grade Project.

Joe Bennett ’77, Newberry, recently acted as Legionnaire, giving commands for a Memorial Day rifle salute at Forest Home Cemetery and McMillan Cemetery.

Sandra (Horde) Collins ’79, Sault Ste. Marie, Cloverland property accounting manager, presented funds from May Denim Fridays to the Chippewa County Family Project (CCFP). May was National Foster Care Month, so Cloverland employees designated CCFP as the recipient for the employee generated funds last month.

Gary ’76 and Barry Davis ’77, Rudyard, are elders of the Rudyard Presbyterian Church, which donated a parcel of land to Superior Health Support Systems. This land will be the site of the White-Wiles Assisted Living and Hospice House in Rudyard.

David Firack ’71 and Keith Krahnke ’79, Pickford, distributed four awards totaling $860 to three separate area non-profits including Pickford Public Schools, Chippewa County 4-H Council, and Michigan Youth Hunter Education Challenge, all serving area youth in various capacities. Norma (Byers) Osborn ’72, Sault Ste. Marie, has been a 4-H leader for 48 years and was present to receive the gift.

Teri Foust ’78, Sault Ste. Marie, is a member of the local Hiawatha Shore-to-Shore chapter’s Roving Crew. The chapter received a Trail Champion Award from the DNR for their volunteer work on the North Country Trail.

Jeff Holt ’76, Sault Ste. Marie, executive director of the Sault Economic Development Corporation, proposed a grant for $1.5 million earmarked for the Center for Freshwater Research and Education’s construction. The city commission unanimously approved the proposal.

Alan Jarvie ’71, Fibre, took first in his age group in the 5-K run during the Rudyard Summerfest.

Pat Kight ‘74, Albany, Ore., retired in January 2017 after 30 years as an Oregon State University science writer, photographer and web developer and has been enjoying life in Western Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley, while building a modest post-retirement photography business. One of her current projects is photographing older people in her historic neighborhood and creating portraits that illustrate their lives, interests and families. She is three years into a relationship with a wonderful younger woman, and enjoying occasional visits from former LSSU friends and classmates.

Patsy (Nayback) Galer ’75 and Keith Krahnke ’79, Pickford, are directors of the Pickford Area Health Association and Pickford Community Wellspring, respectively. The two organizations recently joined forces to fund two requests for the Pickford Fire Department and Ambulance Corp totaling $1,700. The grants were used to purchase NFPA compliant firefighting gloves and a new ambulance pulse oximeter.

Cathy (Warner) Mason ’78, Brimley, was installed as treasurer of the War Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.

Ronald Meister ’73, Brimley, Central Savings Bank CEO, and Cathy (Warner) Mason) ’78, Brimley, Central Savings Bank senior vice president, presented the funds raised from CSB’s Ninth Annual Road to Recovery Burger Bash to War Memorial Hospital, benefiting their Road to Recovery “Care-a-van” program. Marla (Bennett) Bunker ’77, Sault Ste. Marie, War Memorial Hospital VP of Nursing/Operations, was among the War Memorial staff present to receive the funds. A total of $6,798.33 was raised through donations for the meal, t-shirt sales, and charitable donations after the event.

Cindy Lee Smith ’74, Pickford, starred in Soo Theatre’s production of My Fair Lady, where she plays a posh high-society woman alongside former LSSU faculty member Nancy Kirkpatrick. She also was part of the cast for a production of Madame Butterfly.

Dave Stanaway ’74, Sault Ste. Marie, performed at the 351^st Musical Celebration at the Soo Theatre. He was among the winning entries in the song contest from last year’s celebration.

A number of LSSU alumni participated in the annual EUP Hikers’ Rendezvous, sponsored by the Hiawatha Shore-to-Shore chapter of the North Country Trail Association. Participants include Becky Postma ‘94, Nancy Nelson ‘87, Tom Walker ‘86, Tina Robinson ‘12 and Greg Smith ‘85.

Sandee (Utt) Amble ‘87, Brimley, Central Savings Bank senior vice president, presented the funds raised from CSB’s Ninth Annual Road to Recovery Burger Bash to War Memorial Hospital, benefiting their Road to Recovery “Care-a-van” program. A total of $6,798.33 was raised through donations for the meal, t-shirt sales, and charitable donations after the event.

Steve Ewing ’80, Sault Ste. Marie assisted the VFW Post 3676 in its time honored tradition of “Flags In” – where post members and volunteers visit local cemeteries and place flags at veterans’ grave sites. Volunteers covered Pine Grove Cemetery and Oak Lawn Cemetery.

Roger Greil ’88, Sault Ste. Marie, once again spearheaded the kids’ fishing pond project at Rotary Park after 15-plus years of service. Roger is the manager of the Center for Freshwater Research and Education and Education fish hatchery at LSSU.

Michael Hitch ’86, Tallinn, Estonia has been appointed an executive board member of EIT RawMaterials in Berlin, Germany. He continues his work as a professor of mining engineering at Tallinn University of Technology. Prior to this, Michael also taught mining engineering at UNSW in Sydney, Australia and at the University of British Columbia in Canada. Before moving into higher education, Michael worked for more than 20 years in the mining industry, building six mines and working in more than 190 different countries.

Terry Hossack ’88, North Palm Beach, Florida, is the chief financial officer of Tringali Health. Tringali has two locations in West Palm Beach and Jupiter.

Paul Jerrard ’87, Omaha, NE, worked at LSSU’s summer Bantam Select MAHA hockey camp as an instructor. Paul is currently an assistant hockey coach at University of Nebraska – Omaha.

John Johnston ’89, Elmira, is a fishery biologist at the Jordan River National Fish Hatchery. John recently returned to the Sault to release 600 brook trout into the kids’ fishing pond at Rotary Park. Gary Xiong, a current student in the Fish and Wildlife program at LSSU, got hands-on experience releasing the trout into the pond.

Wendy (Gula) Malaska ’88, Sault Ste. Marie, Cloverland Electric Cooperative’s director of business development and communications, presented a $1,500 donation to Malcom Park Pride co-chairs Kevin Pomeroy and Linda Bouvet. The community outreach donation, committed last fall, will be used toward the Gary McClellan Pavilion to be located next to Locey Field.

Traci (Bosley) Miller ’87, DeTour, sang at a variety show benefiting Harborview Assisted Living along with her son, ten-year-old Rayne Miller.

Mark Mohre ’86, Las Vegas, moved to Las Vegas and began teaching at East Career & Technical Academy. ECTA was voted the #1 Magnet school in the country.

Scott ’83 and Suzette (Hazel) Olson ’87, Sault Ste. Marie, hosted a water aid station at this year’s Whitefish Point Marathon.

Brian Paavola ’88, Key West, was named principal CEO of Workbox Staffing, a company dedicated to helping businesses build the best workforce. Brian served as president of the same company from 2009 until June 2019.  Before that, Brian built his own company, Phoenix Personnel, which he founded in 1997 and built to a multi-office company serving Michigan and Indiana with sales of $30 million.

Danna (Myren) Sanderson ’88, Sault Ste. Marie, organized “Rock the Locks,” the first ever  5k to travel through the Soo Locks Park.

Scott Strait ’84, Cedarville, Mackinac County sheriff, recently obtained the rank of master sheriff. He was presented the award and a special tribute at a recent Michigan Sheriff’s Association meeting. This is the first time this award was given in the state of Michigan. Master sheriff designation recognizes the contribution to the office of sheriff and law enforcement in the state of Michigan by the individual sheriff.

Joann Umbrasas ’86, Pickford, became business partners with her friend Cindy Malaski, founding a business called Living Art. It offers EUP residents and visitors a variety of unique floral and plant arrangements, often utilizing unusual items for pots.

Tom Walker ’86, Pickford, is a member of the local Hiawatha Shore-to-Shore chapter’s roving crew. The chapter received a Trail Champion Award from the DNR for their volunteer work on the North Country Trail.

Dan Angelelli ’95, Shelby Township, David DiVita ’91, Grosse Pointe Farms, and Brian Rolson ’94, Bloomfield Hills, all Laker hockey alumni, each had a son participating in the MAHA Bantam Select hockey camp this summer at LSSU. Stone Rolson, Cooper Angelelli, and Gianni DiVita enrolled in the camp.

Sherry (Nelson) Bailey att. ’97, Drummond Island, performed numbers from Chicago, Madama Butterfly, and The Man of La Mancha at a variety show benefiting Harborview Assisted Living in DeTour.

Nate Caswell ’99, Los Lunas, NM, is the project leader for the New Mexico Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office in Albuquerque. The office focuses on native fish species conservation and recovery. Nate is a native of Hinckley, Ill., with a bachelor’s degree in fisheries and wildlife management from LSSU and a master’s degree in biology from Central Michigan University. He launched his career in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes region.

Phil Donnay ’97, Brimley, presented fellow LSSU alumnus Andrei Sawruk ’08 of the St. Mary’s Walleye Club a check for $220, raised during the annual Bay of Pigs fishing tournament. Proceeds will be used to help fund a Veteran’s Fishing Day to be held in August. 

Leah (Balfour) Fall ’92, Bangor, accepted the position of system laboratory supervisor at Bronson Healthcare Group. She oversees day-to-day operations and personnel at both Bronson South Haven and Bronson Lakeview.

Kelli Fenlon ’91, Sault Ste. Marie, is the Project SEARCH Coordinator/Instructor for the Eastern Upper Peninsula School District. Project SEARCH is a collaborative effort between War Memorial Hospital, the EUPISD and Michigan Rehabilitation Services. It is a unique program that serves as a one-year school-to-work program for students who are at least 18 years of age and have a documented IEP. The program celebrated the graduation of six of its interns who completed the eight-month program at the host site, War Memorial Hospital. Kelli was present at the graduation ceremony where she handed out diplomas to the graduates.

Melanie (Walker) Greenfield ’94, Sault Ste. Marie, is a director of the Pickford Community Wellspring, who combined financial resources with the Pickford Area Health Association recently to fund two separate requests by the Pickford Fire Department and Ambulance Corp totaling $1,700. She is also a representative for the Michigan Youth Hunter Education Challenge, which received $200 to help offset the cost of the event.

Dorene (Archambault) Ingalls ’91, St. Ignace, U.P. Sports Hall of Famer and Laker basketball alumna, coached the northern Michigan girls team at the sixth annual Kiwanis Classic Border Bash in Ironwood. Dorene, who took St. Ignace girls basketball team to state for the 11th time in March, was impressed by her players. During her time at LSSU, she received the Deb McPherson Female Athlete of the Year Award.

Jamie (Peter) Johnson ’91, Sault Ste. Marie, was named Helpful Teacher of the Month for June. Mrs. Johnson teaches reading recovery and literacy support at both Washington and Lincoln Elementary Schools.

Terri Kowalyk ’99, Clarkston, was hired by Wayne State University as a clinical instructor for undergraduate nursing students.  She was also recently inducted into Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.  Ms. Kowalyk continues in her Doctor of Nurse Practice program at Wayne State in addition to obtaining her graduate certificate in nursing education. 

Damon Lieurance att. ’93, Rudyard, and his son, Caleb, were welcomed by speaker of the house Lee Chatfield during Boy Scout Troop 122’s trip to Lansing.

Susan Michalski ’94, Sault Ste. Marie, is the activities and dietary director at Freighter View Assisted Living. She organized a celebration of “The Longest Day” to honor those with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. The residents and staff baked giant chocolate chip cookies from sunrise to sunset, which were available to the public with a suggested donation to raise awareness and funds for the Alzheimer’s Association. 

Kip Moeggenborg ’91, Sault Ste. Marie, retired in June after have served the Chippewa County Sheriff’s office as a road deputy since 1994. He expanded into the field of marine, snowmobile and ORV as well as search and rescue operations. He was on call for emergencies 24/7 for the past 25 years. Kip received a resolution of appreciation from the Chippewa County Board of Commissioners.

Peter Nieckarz ’93, Sylva, N.C., is now head of the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at Western Carolina University.

Corey Ryan ’92, Mississauga, Ont. is the manager of medical robotics at KUKA Robotics. He is at the helm of the company’s research, sales and growth in the medical center for North America. Under his leadership, KUKA has diversified its expertise to grow its relationships with startups and expand its robotic applications. Cory was recently interviewed about the future of medical robotics.

John Schneider ’93, Bay City, is a national corporate trainer for United Laboratories, Inc. John has been in that position for about a year, and prior to that he was a sales representative, regional sales manager, division manager and then director of business development – Great Lakes for the same company. Before going to work for United Laboratories in 1998 John was a recreation supervisor at Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort in Florida.

Dr. Robert Sroufe ’92, Blawnox, Pa., published a new book titled “Integrated Management: How Sustainability Creates Value for Any Business” on October 5, 2018. The book has been endorsed by the CEO of Unilever Paul Polman, John Elkington, scholars from Harvard, MIT, Boston College, The Aspen Institute, The Living Futures Institute, and industry consultants. The book is an evidence-based how-to resource, currently available through Emerald Press.

Cyndie Utecht-Carpenter ’98, Pickford, is the financial manager at Diane Peppler Resource Center. Previously, she worked as an accountant for Bay Mills Resort and Casino for over 17 years after graduating from LSSU.

Stephanie (Clark) Vert ’94, Sault Ste. Marie, starred in Soo Theatre’s production of My Fair Lady.

Marybeth O’Neil Vollick ’99, Sault Ste. Marie assisted the VFW Post 3676 in its time honored tradition of “Flags  In” – where post members and volunteers visit local cemeteries and place flags at veterans’ grave sites. Volunteers covered Pine Grove Cemetery and Oak Lawn Cemetery.

Brett Zuver ’91, Sparta, is the superintendent of Grant Public Schools. Prior to this Brett was the principal of Kenowa Hills High School since 2016 and principal of Belding High School 2008-2016. Before entering K-12 education, Brett was head men’s basketball coach and instructor at Emory University from 1998-2008 and coached at Colorado College from 1993-1998. Brett says, “I am honored to have been named Superintendent for Grant Public Schools.  It is a community and district with a great deal of pride in their students and in their schools.  The people of Grant have been incredibly welcoming and I look forward to helping our students continue to grow and to contribute to this tradition-rich community.”

Joe Adams ’00, New Baltimore, Mich. was named Officer of the Year in Grosse Point City. Joe was recognized for representing his department with distinction, both on-duty and with his volunteer work off-duty. He was a 3-term president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 102 and served nine years on the FOP executive board. He was also elected to the state FOP. Adams oversees the department’s fleet program, trains officers in the use of new technology and maintains the bulletproof vest program. He served as a torchbearer for Special Olympics, logging more than 750 miles across the state. He organized a basketball game with local officers to raise money for Special Olympics and Services for Older Citizens, and he put together a fundraiser for New York Police Department officers who lost their homes during Hurricane Sandy. Joe has been a member of the City Public Safety Department since September 2000.

Michael Baitinger ’04, Detroit, is the firm operations manager at Hickey Hauck Bishoff & Jeffers, PLLC. He specializes in accounts receivable and payable, records, budgeting, human resources, IT systems and administrative leadership. Prior to this he held a similar position with Thomas DeGrood & Witenoff PC.  In his spare time Michael created a website and podcast called The Detroit Local – highlighting the micro vs. the macro events, artists, businesses and happenings going on in Detroit.  Check it out at www.thedetroitlocal.com.

Abby (Cherry) Baker ’05, Sault Ste. Marie, Youth Advisory Council leader and candidate for mayor of Sault Ste. Marie, recently took part in a service trip to the Dominican Republic with 10 YAC students. While in the Dominican Republic, the students worked on a water filtration system, distributed vitamins and medicine to villagers, planted banana trees, worked in an elementary school, and learned about the culture in the Dominican Republic.

Daniel Cottle ’00, Pickford, Fire and EMS Lieutenant and Kristie (Socia) Leavitt ’04, Pickford, firefighter, recieved grants from the Pickford Area Health Association and Pickford Community Wellspring to fund two separate requests by the fire department and ambulance corps. The Cottle- Leavitt families have been a constant in the local EMS scene with Daniel being a third generation participant.

Eric Dean ’01, Grand Ledge, is the legislative director for State Representative Brad Slagh. In this position Eric manages all legislation for the representative, works with state departments and trade associations to guide the bill process, and provides counsel to the representative on legislative and political processes. Prior to this, Eric worked with other elected officials including Holly Hughes, Howard Walker, Roger Kahn and Ken Sikkema.  Legislators in the state of Michigan are subject to term limits, thus there is a lot of turnover. Eric is also a realtor for Gateway to Homes at Keller Williams.

Kelly (Payne) Dutcher ’05, Harbor Springs, is the new administrator of Harbor Light Christian School. Prior to this, Kelly taught social studies for 12 years at Harbor Springs High School. She is familiar with Harbor Light Christian School as a parent, as her three daughters – Daphne, 9, Audrey, 7 and Meredith, 5, are students at the school. Kelly’s husband Jordan ’06 started his career in the banking industry and now owns the Harber Barber, a one-chair barber shop in Harbor Springs.

Steve Eles ’03, Houghton won the Rudyard Summerfest Triathlon, capturing his fifth straight title. He covered the course, consisting of a 5-K run, 24.3-kilometer bike and 0.5-K swim in 1:09:59. Eles is the reigning national duathlon sprint champion and last year’s Olympic distance national champ. He is a three-time top-10 finisher in the World Duathlon Championships.

Anna (Kerr) Hotz ’06, Minneapolis, is a supervisor at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, overseeing environmental rule writing activities and water quality certifications, in addition to implementing environmental justice initiatives across programs throughout the state. She has been with the MPCA for nearly 15 years with previous positions in stormwater management, policy development, and waste reduction and recycling.

Jeff Johnston ’00, Eugene, Oreg. was featured in a recent article about customizable robotic systems at Pre-Tec, his employer. Jeff is a mechanical engineering manager for Pre-Tec.

Lola Kennedy ’09, Sault Ste. Marie, performed at the 351^st Musical Celebration at the Soo Theatre.

Breanna Kennerly ’11, Pickford, is an EMT for the Pickford Ambulance Corp, which recently received grants from the Pickford Community Health Association and Pickford Community Wellspring.

Frank Kucher ’05, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., finished second in the Central Savings Bank Lock City Open at the Sault Ste. Marie Country Club. He shot a 76-70 for a total of 146.

Jacob Lindloff ’06, Rockford, is a realtor for Keller Williams – Grand Rapids East. Jake also owns and manages Raabe-Made LLC, a handy-man business formed in 2012. Jake is a licensed contractor and specializes in handy-work, painting, small construction projects and basic property maintenance.

Roger Mathes ’09, Brighton, Mich. had the opportunity to meet President Trump at the White House after his car won the 2019 Indianapolis 500. Also in the photo are racecar driver Simon Pagenaud and his fiancée Hailey McDermott. Mathes is a trackside engineer with Ilmor Engineering, which works alongside Chevrolet in the IndyCar series.  Roger’s role is to support the 22 car of Team Penske with anything related to the engine.  That includes hardware (at the shop in Plymouth as well as at the track) and software calibrations.  Roger is present at all races and track tests, and in the pit stand during track activity.  His job is to ensure the team/driver get all the tools required to win a race from a power-train standpoint, monitor all engine vitals from a reliability view, and implement any updates whether that be to the ECU or actual hardware.  Roger communicates and meets often with the team’s engineers as well as the crew chief of the car. In the second photo Mathes is pictured with Penske owner Roger Penske and driver Simon Pagenaud following the Indy 500.

Becky (Hill) Mills ’02, Sault Ste. Marie, Cloverland director of human resources, presented funds from May Denim Fridays to the Chippewa County Family Project (CCFP). May was National Foster Care Month, so Cloverland employees designated CCFP as the recipient for the employee-generated funds last month. Tracey (McDonald) Holt att. ’09, Sault Ste. Marie, CCFP Board President, was present to accept the funds.

Aaron Mize ’02, Alexandria, Virg. is the National Chief of Hunting and Fishing for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He said, “As the National Chief of Hunting and fishing, I established a new nation-wide program, team (8 regional chiefs scattered across the country), direction, and associated policies for the agency. Moving to Colorado, I’ll serve as regional chief of hunting and fishing where I’ll get to implement what I stood up for back in DC, work closer with governors and state game & fish directors (CO, NE, KS, UT, WY, MT, ND, SD), and still influence policy at the national scale.” Of his move from the Washington, DC area to Colorado, Aaron said, “While we loved DC, we love the mountains just a little more…” Aaron has been working for the USFWS since 2003.

Milissa (Godzik) Pressey ’09, Harbor Springs, is an advanced nurse practitioner at Petoskey Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists. She is nationally certified with the Board of Otorhinolaryngology and Head-Neck Nurses. Milissa took a rather unorthodox route to becoming a CNP, starting her working career in hotel resort management, then working in veterinary medicine for a year before serving in the Navy, attending school at North Central Michigan College and LSSU, and ultimately completing her masters.

Esther (Morgan) Proulx ’05, Sault Ste. Marie, was recognized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Detroit District as employee of the quarter. The release said that Esther has developed strong competence in utilizing acquisition systems and her efforts directly contributed to the success of Winter Work execution at the Soo area office. Esther has received compliments from across the facility for her work ethic and personable nature with coworkers, showing great potential and dedication to the mission. Prior to working for the Corps, Esther was the development coordinator for the LSSU Alumni and Foundation offices.

Derek A. Smith ’07, Plainfield, Ont. was named head coach of the Wellington Dukes of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. Smith played for the Dukes from 2000 to 2004, before coming to LSSU to join the Lakers. After three years as a Laker, Smith embarked on a 10-year professional career, which included nearly 100 games with the Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators.

Dane Stanaway att. ’08, Dafter, and teammate Matt Gregg of Sault Ste. Marie, finished third at the 2019 Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s National Team Championship over the weekend. They caught eight fish totaling 51.06 pounds and even tallied the largest one-day haul, exceeding 31 pounds on Saturday.

Paul Stanaway ’03, Sault Ste. Marie and his partner Craig Wallis teamed up to take first place in the 18^th annual Bay of Pigs Walleye Tournament. Officially registering 16.54 pounds on the scales, including the day’s biggest fish at 7.84 pounds, the pair took $600 for first place and pocketed an additional $80 for largest fish.

Sharmay Wood ’07, Sault Ste. Marie was promoted to acting dean of student affairs at Lake Superior State University.

Merri Carol (Bishop) Wozniak ’03, Sault Ste. Marie, Hiawatha Shore-to-Shore volunteer and treasurer, received a National Park Service Award for 100 hours of volunteer service on the North Country Trail.

Katie Barkley ’18, Sault Ste. Marie, is a volunteer coordinator at the Diane Peppler Resource Center. Katie graduated from LSSU in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice – corrections and psychology. She is constantly looking for ways to get involved with the community and loves meeting new people who share her desire to help others.

Cody Carena ’15, Temperance, was honored by the Exchange Club of Monroe for dedication to making the community safe. Cody has been a police officer with the Erie Police Department for three years, and he leads the department in traffic stops, investigations, felony arrests, misdemeanor arrests, drug arrests and drunk driving arrests. Cody is also an active member of the U.S. Coast Guard and served a year in Cuba where he helped guard terrorists at Guantanamo Bay.

Kevin Czuczman’14 and Zach Trotman ’15 were both re-signed as defensemen with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Trotman appeared in 13 games with Pittsburgh last season, posting a plus-4 rating. He will likely start the season in the AHL but should be at the top of the list of potential call-ups. Czuczman has regularly served as an alternate captain for the Penguins and has posted 21 points in 65 games last season after missing the first month recovering from a shoulder injury.

Bailee Day ’18, Chicago, is a marketing coordinator for Distribution and Office Supply accounts at Tripp Lite, a manufacturer of power protection and connectivity solutions. Working within the technology space, Bailee provides her accounts with marketing collateral including flyers, advertisements and sales tools. She tracks return on investment analysis, accounts for internal budgets and runs quarterly promotions. Bailee is also a marketing coordinator for Go North Properties in Gaylord. Prior to this, Bailee worked as a beauty advisor for Ulta Beauty and a marketing associate for LSSU.

Samuel Eckola ’17, Jay Hills ’13 and Cole Hodge ’16 each received the Samuel A. Mapes Criminal Patrol and Investigation Award from the Michigan State Police, for their outstanding work in the field. The award is given to the top 5% of troopers from every district who excel in being proactive when it comes to criminal investigations and patrolling that are closed by felony arrests. Trooper Eckola is stationed at the St. Ignace post, Trooper Hodge works at the Iron Mountain post and Trooper Hills is a member of the hometown security team.

Audrey J. (Maschke) Fick ’15, Hessel, writing as A. Jay, penned a novel, “Murder in the Snows,” which was published in October 2017. Audrey recently spoke to the public about her book and her plans for the next one.

Jessica Garstang ’17, Sault Ste. Marie received an Award for Professional Excellence from Michigan State Police F/Lt. Joseph Shier ’87. Garstang, a police dispatcher, received the award for the role the played she working with a male threatening to commit suicide at Tahquamenon Falls. After approximately 2.5 hours on the phone, interrupted by numerous disconnections due to poor service, Garstang convinced the subject to surrender himself to police. The subject credited the dispatcher for being the reason he gave himself up to law enforcement.

Noel (Granger) Gee ’14, Belleville is a UX Researcher at UserTesting. Noel’s most recent job experiences include managing data anlaysis projects for clients across a range of industries including eCommerce, special retail, financial services, health care, non-profit and government. Prior to moving to UX, Noel worked for five years at ForeSee and for one year as an admissions advisor at LSSU.

Sean Gerbe ’16, Gladwin, was one of four law enforcement officers to receive the Police Officers Association of Michigan’s 2019 Police Officer of the Year award, for their quick and brave response to a life-threatening situation in Clare County.

Jacqueline Homrocky ’19, Sault Ste. Marie, is a legal advocate at the Diane Peppler Resource Center. She graduated from LSSU with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice – homeland security. She is also interning with Michigan State Police. Her long-term goal is to work for Michigan State Police, hopefully along with the Diane Peppler Resource Center.

Andre’ Jacques ’15, Sault Ste. Marie, was promoted to retail/commercial lending officer at Old Mission Bank. Jacques joined the bank in 2016 as a credit analyst. He is a coach for the Sault Michigan Hockey Association and enjoys contributing to the development of youth in his local town.
Andre’s wife, Emily (Brosco) Jacques ’14, Sault Ste. Marie, was named chief financial officer for the International Bridge Administration in July. In that role, Emily will work with both state and international contacts for the smooth financial operations of the bridge. The International Bridge is owned by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and The Federal Bridge Corporation Limited (FBCL), and under the terms of an intergovernmental agreement between MDOT and FBCL, governed by the Sault Ste. Marie Bridge Authority (SSMBA). Emily works directly with the SSMBA board and is responsible for all financial reporting to the SSMBA.
Andre’ and Emily have two children, Jackson and Addyson.

Nicholas Jobe ’14, Petersburg, Mich. is an engine assembly maintenance planner at
FCA Fiat Chrysler. Nick has been working for FCA Fiat since he interned with them as a student in 2013. Positions he has held include production unit leader, low cost automation supervisor and production maintenance supervisor.

Jason Kerr ’18, Listowel, Ont., captured first place in the Central Savings Bank Lock City Open at the Sault Ste. Marie Country Club. He shot an amateur course record 7-under par 64 on the closing day and finished with a two-day score of 138.

Jillian (Hill) King ’17, Brimley, Cloverland accounts payable specialist, and Kyle Stabile ’10, Sault Ste. Marie, Cloverland staff accountant, presented funds from May Denim Fridays to the Chippewa County Family Project (CCFP). May was National Foster Care Month, so Cloverland employees designated CCFP as the recipient for the employee generated funds last month.

Brock Kimball ’17, Petoskey, was sworn in as a new public safety officer for the Petoskey Department of Public Safety. Brock attended North Central Michigan College before transferring to LSSU, where he completed his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He will continue his education by attending Michigan Firefighter 1 and 2 through NCMC. Kimball was a public safety officer for the city of Cheboygan prior to making the move to Petoskey.

Shane Koch ’17, Albuquerque is a fitness coach at Orangetheory Fitness Albuquerque Midtown. Prior to this he had been a sales associate and then an assistant manager. Shane is also a USA Hockey official, officiating at local hockey games.

Nolin Livingston ’16 is an advanced product development engineer with Adrian Steel in Adrian, MI. He has three patents pending for designs with his name on them, and is head of the internship program at Adrian Steel. Hannah (Gabbard) Livingston ’17, Sylvania, OH, is a board certified medical laboratory scientist at Promedica Toledo Hospital in their infectious disease pathology department. She thoroughly enjoys working in microbiology.

Cheyenne Luzier ’17, Sault Ste. Marie, is a psychiatric registered nurse at War Memorial Hospital. In this position, she works with patients with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizoaffective disorder, schizophrenia and many personality disorders. Cheyenne said she works with a great team of nurses and behavioral health technicians.

Nicole Marshall ’11, Wooster, Ohio, is a preload supervisor at UPS. In 2015 Nicole completed her master of science degree in kinesiology and exercise science at Michigan State University.

Andrea (Gillett) Masters att. ‘12, Sault Ste. Marie, Central Savings Bank marketing director, presented the funds raised from CSB’s Ninth Annual Road to Recovery Burger Bash to War Memorial Hospital, benefitting their Road to Recovery “Care-a-van” program. A total of $6,798.33 was raised through donations for the meal, t-shirt sales, and charitable donations after the event. Krystle (Lewis) Gerzetich) ‘10, Sault Ste. Marie, War Memorial Marketing & Volunteer Coordinator, was among the War Memorial staff present to receive the funds. Krystle also participated in this year’s Whitefish Point Marathon.

Caroline (Bell) May ’17, Rudyard, starred in Soo Theatre’s production of My Fair Lady.

Stephen McCarthy ’12, Clinton Township, graduated with juris doctor from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law’s class of 2016.

Tarra Moran ’10, Norway is an RN, BSN and CCEMT-P at the Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center in Iron Mountain. That means she is a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing; a Critical Care Emergency Medical Technician – Paramedic and also a Nationally Registered Paramedic. In this role, Tarra provides compassionate and skilled care to service men and women of all ages, assesses and provides care to patients with urgent and emergent medical conditions and provides education about treatment options, procedures, disease management and follow up care. Prior to working at the VA Center Tarra was an RN at Bay Area Medical Center for four years and also worked in the cardiac unit at UP Health Systems in Marquette. She continues to work as a paramedic with Beacon Ambulance. Tarra is working towards her master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner at Chamberlain University.

Amanda Nemeth ’17, Sault Ste. Marie, won the title of Miss Upper Peninsula USA 2019 in April. Amanda is a tribal police officer in Bay Mills, and works closely with women and children who are victims of abuse. She says she wanted to participate in Miss U.P. USA to be an advocate for those women and children. On September 20 and 21, she will be representing the Upper Peninsula at the Miss Michigan USA 2020 competition.

Justin Neuner ’14, Algonac, is a digital assistant at Shift Digital in Birmingham. Prior to that, Justin worked for Volkswagen of America for almost five years. He has been co-owner of King Shea Media since January 2013.

Sabrina Neveu ’11, Sault Ste. Marie, is the children’s librarian at Bayliss Public Library, a Superior District Library.

Jessica Olinskas ’11, Canton, completed a master’s degree in human resources with a concentration in organizational development. Jessica works at Hanon Systems USA, LLC, a Tier one automotive supplier in climate systems, where she was promoted to senior HR generalist.

Steve Panger ’11, Esko, Minn. will retire September 30 from his position as fire chief in Superior, Wisc. after 26 years with the department. As fire chief he focused initially on improving the city’s Insurance Services Organization (ISO) rating. Now, the department has a new fire tower for training, it has made physical improvement to fire halls and moved headquarters to a new building. Steve plans to take the first few months of his retirement to just unwind and spend time with his family.

Emily Weston ’18, Kalamazoo, Was awarded a Medal of Honor from the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police. This was related to a shooting incident in Kalamazoo during which she saved the life of a fellow officer.

Helena Wollan ‘15, Boston, is a fashion stylist at Ouimillie. Helena said although she is located in Boston, she works with brands in New York as well and is moving back there this fall. She is creating and styling outfits for magazines, photo shoots, fashion shows, etc. Many brands have their headquarters in Boston, so Helena is able to work with Puma, Reebok, Sperry, Timberland, and Converse very frequently and she assists on fashion shows with all of them.

Whitney (Lyberg) Wood ’19, Garden, Mich. is the family service worker for Manistique Community Action Agency. Whitney married Trevor Wood July 20 at Fayette Historic State Park in the Garden peninsula. Two other LSSU alumni were members of the wedding party – Shannon (Woods) Kline ‘17 was the maid of honor, and Emily McKerchie ‘19 was a bridesmaid.