Class Notes

Dr. Kenneth R. Albone, ’78, has retired from his position as a Communications Professor at Rowan University in New Jersey.–

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Rick Comley, ’71, was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of  Fame in mid-September, where he was honored for his accomplishment alongside other sports legends, such as Gordy Howe. Rick played for, then later coached hockey at LSSU before moving to NMU to establish a hockey team there. He also coached at MSU starting in 2002 and became one of three coaches who led two different teams to NCAA championship wins. He recently came out of retirement to work as the Athletic Director at NMU.

Patrick Gabrion, ’76, and his wife, Vicky, of Hallowell, Maine, just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in July. Patrick is enjoying his retirement following a 44 year newspaper career.

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Dan Bean, ’81, recently retired as the Sheriff of Antrim County in September, following a 42 year career in law enforcement and corrections. He gifted himself his retirement for his 65th birthday, and was sent off by friends, family, and fellow officers with a party  to celebrate his many years of service to Antrim County community.

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Steve Gendron, ’81, had a chance meeting with the uncle of current LSSU men’s hockey head coach, Damon Whitten, onaboard a ferry to Martha Vineyard, MA.
He was wearing his LSSU cycling jersey and Mr. Whitten introduced himself. A great Day and photo! GO LAKERS!!

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Kelly Gerritsen-Michano, ’89, was inducted into the LSSU Athletic Hall of Fame this past October for her contributions as a volleyball and softball player for the Lakers. As a freshman, she led her team in kills, attack percentage, services aces, and blocks in volleyball. She also earned GLIAC honors as a senior.

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Mark Vermette, ’88, was inducted into the LSSU Athletic Hall of Fame this October to honor him for his contributions as a hockey player for the Lakers. During his time at LSSU, Mark earned the Lakers their first Frozen Four title, was the first player in school history to be named an All-American, and put the university’s men’s hockey program on the map.

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Chris Ford, ’94, has been promoted to Vice President of Algoma Steel in Sault Ste Marie, ON, Canada. He began working for the company in 1997 in the sales department, and has since climbed the ladder to Director of U.S. Sales and Customer Service in 2022. Chris officially took on the position on December 1st when the previous VP retired.

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Linda Hellebuyck, ’92, has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Henniges Automotive. She has served in the position as interim-chief for the past year, and was appointed due to her success and accomplishments since taking on the position.

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Joseph Throneberry, ’98, is now a Senior Forensic Auditor with the City of Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Doug Weight, ’91, was inducted into the Edmonton Oilers Hall of Fame in October honoring his contributions to the team as a player for nearly ten years. He was applauded by his former GM for his outstanding work on and off the ice as a player who didn’t hesitate to dive into tough situations to turn the tide in his team’s favor, and as a strategist while on the bench.

Reg Madeline, ’01, was recently sworn in as the new Fire Chief at the Lyon Township Fire Department. Reg began his career with the LTFD in 2004, and for the past three years has served as the Assistant Chief of the LTFD. He also served as a Public Safety Officer for the City of Farmington.

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John Griffioen, ’14, was recently promoted to Assistant Director of Animal Programs and Conservation at the Forth Worth Zoo in Texas. John will assist in managing the veterinary, nutrition, and husbandry programs at the zoo in addition to part-time clinical veterinary work, as well as aiding and establishing local, national, and international conservation programs.

Tomantha Sylvester, ’19, an LSSU graduate with a BA in General Studies with a focus in Business and Fine Arts, is working on her LIFT project, a performance piece titled “Ishkode”. The work will weave the story of the Seven Prophecies given to the Anishinaabe with Ojibwe cosmology and scientific query, language, revitalization, humor, and the body, while holding the question of environmental reparations and advocacy set in the contemporary period.–

Katherine Wholey, ’14, was recently named an Associate of the Society of Actuaries, a global professional organization for actuaries.

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Mackenzie Kalchik, ’22, was recently featured in People magazine following an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) diagnosis. She was a student athlete during her time at LSSU, and in her second year of medical school when she received her diagnosis. She has since taken a leave of absence from medical school to focus on her health and faces the road ahead of her with great faith and determination to use her own experience to help her future patients.

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