Summer 2019 Class Notes
Steven Harnack (left) ’65, Riceville, Iowa, pictured with his son, Bart Harnack (right) ’96, Montgomery, Minnesota, and grandson, Brandon Harnack ’19, Montgomery, Minnesota. All three generations attended and graduated from Upper Iowa University. Steven worked as an educator for 35 years and recently retired as principal of Riceville School District. Bart currently works as vice president of Taylor Logistics in Northfield, Minnesota. Brandon is pursuing his degree in education and will finish in December after completing his student teaching assignments.
Patrick Nefzger ’63, Iowa City, Iowa, was honored as the vice president of the University of Iowa’s historic and most prestigious Faculty Club, The Triangle Club, in October 2018.
Lanny Kuehl ’68, Garnavillo, Iowa, received the NAIFA-Iowa Unsung Hero Award after more than 45 years at New York Life.
Stephen Regan ’69, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, accepted a new position as president of the Iowa Council of the Navy League.
James Mazziotti ’75, Bend, Oregon, published his book, “‘The Challenge,’ How 144 Letters Changed My Life, the Life of My Son, and Will Change Your Life Too.” The story is about his life challenges and how inspirational letters helped him succeed.
Lynnette (Masters) Rochford ’89, Oelwein, Iowa, retired from her Title I teaching position at Oelwein High School. She was with the district for 21 years.
Bob Steinburg ’90, Edenton, North Carolina, accepted a new position as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Prison Safety.
Kip ’62 and Eileen Knight, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, posed to show off their UIU spirit in two locations — Tashkent Museum of Railway Techniques in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (above); and Altyn Shanyrak Monument at Independence Park in Shymkent, Kazakhstan.
Macy (Dettbarn) Crawford ’91, Arlington, Iowa, retired from her rec-prep teaching position at Oelwein High School. She was with the district for three years.
Kris Hansen ’92, Waterloo, Iowa, received the Legacy Award from the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber.
Timothy Reisch ’94, Howard, South Dakota, retired June 2019 from the South Dakota National Guard. Reisch’s career in both law enforcement and military was very notable.
Ben Corell ’95, Harpers Ferry, Iowa, was promoted to adjutant general of the Iowa National Guard.
Micheal “Mike” Schrock ’99, Urbana, Iowa, is the new director of prospect development in the UIU Alumni Office at Fayette Campus.
Ronald “Ron” Crooker ’02, West Union, Iowa, was selected for the Parks and Rec Community Award, presented by the West Union Chamber. He was honored at the January 2019 banquet.
Mario Weekley ’02, Gulfport, Mississippi, was named the new chief of police for the Biloxi Schools Campus Police Department in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Zach Zimmerman ’02, Janesville, Iowa, accepted the position of head principal in Waterloo at Irving Elementary School for the fall of 2019.
Natalie Brown ’05, Cedar Falls, Iowa, opened a storefront business in Cedar Falls called Just Dough, an edible cookie dough venture. Brown is also the entrepreneur of the well-known business Scratch Cupcakery.
Thomas Hampton ’05, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, was inducted as a fourth degree member of Campion Council 1840 Knights of Columbus on November 11, 2018. He continues his employment at Miniature Precision Components in Prairie du Chien with over 30 years of service.
Three UIU alumni attending the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship in Pittsburgh were Alan “Al” Cook ’72, Manchester, Iowa; Richard “Rick” Gerber ’74, Allison Park, Pennsylvania; and William “Bill” Roths ’74, Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Tia (Williams) Shaffer ’05, Arlington, Iowa, was awarded the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) Iowa Affiliate’s Newcomer of the Year award.
Blaire (McCuen) Anderson ’06, Montana, accepted a position as an elementary Title I reading teacher in Corvallis, Montana.
Alex Hansen ’07, Waterloo, Iowa, has been named the Becker Elementary principal for the 2019-20 school year.
Taiya Stevens ’09, Vinton, Iowa, started a new position as patient care coordinator at VGM Group. She previously worked at Ross Marketing.
Elaine Tan ’09, Mount Pleasant, Iowa, moved back to Iowa after eight years in Kentucky. She was hired as director of service learning and academic support at Iowa Wesleyan University.
Jamie Zabel ’09 & ’12, Ankeny, Iowa, accepted a position as associate principal at East High School in Des Moines. He will begin his duties in the fall.
Tammy (Matthias) Fleming ’10, Jesup, Iowa, was promoted to vice president and personal trust officer at Community Bank and Trust. She has been employed there since 2011, and has been in the banking industry for over 30 years.
Tanya Geer ’10, Waterloo, Iowa, was recently promoted to Team Lead – Customer Service and Collections Team at the Courier Regional Finance Department.
Jeff Merkle ’10, ’12, Fayette, Iowa, was named Iowa Advocate of the Year. The Advocate of the Year is a single individual or organization that has been the most active and vocal advocate for after school and out of-school time over the past year.
Members of the former Foxes fraternity gathered together on their annual vacation getaway in August 2018. The destination for this year’s adventure was a fishing excursion off the shores of Sitka, Alaska. The group included (l-r) Keith ’74 and Debra “Debby” (Gent) ’74 Scholle, Port Charlotte, Florida; Richard “Rick” ’73 and Janie (Bowen) Knipper, Iowa City, Iowa; and Ronda and Jim ’73 Parsons,
Sean Williams ’10, Humble, Texas, retired from the U.S. Army on September 1, 2018, after 24-plus years of service.
Paul Lamar Hunt ’12 of Racine, Wisconsin, appeared on the nationally syndicated Face The Truth TV show. Hunt became the first child in his family out of 21 siblings to graduate from college.
Shannon (Shepard) Campbell ’13, West Des Moines, Iowa, was named associate principal for Valley High School in Des Moines, Iowa. Prior to this position, Campbell taught middle school for six years.
Joshua Fox ’13, Chatfield, Minnesota, accepted a position as editorial assistant at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Kim (Brune) Knapp ’13, Fayette, Iowa, was hired as the data processing specialist for Upper Iowa University’s Fayette Campus.
Raymond “Ray” Kociolek ’13, Bowling Green, Kentucky, earned his doctorate of chiropractic from Palmer College of Chiropractic on February, 22, 2019, and began his career at Bluegrass Chiropractic in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on March 1.
Melissa (Eich) Baskerville ’14, Cedar Falls, Iowa, joined VGM Group in Waterloo, Iowa, as an accounts receivable associate in corporate accounting.
Christopher “Chris” Paulus ’15, Ionia, Iowa, was hired to teach third grade at New Hampton Elementary.
Joan (Jeys) Rice ’15, Waterloo, Iowa, was promoted at Lincoln Savings Bank to assistant vice president/trust officer at the Tower Park location.
Alisha Andera ’16, Mason City, Iowa, began as the three-year-old preschool and special education teacher at New Hampton Elementary.
Jennifer Mundt ’16, Utica, Minnesota, accepted the positions of elementary physical education teacher and head volleyball coach in the North Fayette Valley School District.
Matthew “Matt” Paulus ’16, Lawler, Iowa, accepted the high school special education teacher position in the New Hampton School District.
Jordan Rinken ’16, Sumner, Iowa, began as an assistant wrestling coach for the Peacock Wrestling team. Rinken wrestled while attending Upper Iowa University.
Jody Bean ’17, West Des Moines, Iowa, will be a special education teacher at Studebaker Elementary in Des Moines.
(From left) Upper Iowa University’s President William R. Duffy joined Keurig Dr. Pepper Inc. key account manager Ming Thong ’97, ’99 and North Fayette Valley High School special education teacher Garrett Crandall ’01 in the opening of the student-run Java Hawks at the high school in West Union, Iowa.
Logan Hopp ’17, Decorah, Iowa, was hired as an assistant wrestling coach for UIU. Hopp wrestled during his time at Upper Iowa.
Jennifer “Jen” (Blackburn) Apt ’18, Pleasant Hill, Iowa, was hired as an academic interventionist at Hoyt Middle School with Des Moines Public Schools. Jennifer will work with sixth, seventh and eighth graders.
Steven Baldus ’18, Des Moines, Iowa, is a government, world geography, and special education teacher at Woodward Academy.
McKinzie Bark ’18, Camanche, Iowa, accepted a second grade teaching position working in the Clinton, Iowa, school district.
Emilie Bassett ’18, De Soto, Iowa, is teaching special education at West Central Valley Community School District in Dexter, Iowa.
Erik Cunningham ’18, Loves Park, Illinois, accepted a position as a special education teacher at Waukee High School.
Eleanor “Ellie” (Fuhriman) Dunlap ’18, Norwalk, Iowa, was hired to teach seventh and eighth grade art at Goddard Middle School with the Goddard Public Schools in Goddard, Kansas.
Jillian Emery ’18, Decorah, Iowa, accepted a position with Crossroads Academy working with students with special education needs.
Kristin Fisher ’18, Gays Mills, Wisconsin, signed a contract with Prairie Catholic in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, for part-time reading interventionist and part-time middle school reading.
Sashea Flaws ’18, Carlisle, Iowa, will be a sixth grade teacher at Winterset Middle School.
Brent Garland ’18, Waverly, Iowa, was promoted to supervisor after five years at CBE Companies in Waterloo.
Erica Gronowski ’18, Strawberry Point, Iowa, accepted a position as a middle school special educator in the North Fayette Valley School District.
Tessa Herron ’18, West Union, Iowa, accepted a fourth grade teaching position with Starmont Community School District in Arlington, Iowa, for the fall of 2019.
Michelle (LaPole) Bales ’99, West Des Moines, Iowa, traveled to Italy in May 2018 and Dubai in September 2018. During her travels, she snapped a photo of the Leaning Tower of Pisa and another with her copy of The Bridge magazine in front of the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa.
Melissa (Borst) Karp ’19, Winterset, Iowa, accepted a sixth grade reading position at Winterset Middle School for fall 2019.
Tonya (Turner) Mastin ’18, Waterloo, Iowa, accepted a second grade teaching position for the Waterloo School District. She began teaching in January 2019.
Katherine ‘Kate’ Matheis ’18, Silvis, Illinois, teaches third grade at Southwest Elementary in Geneseo, Illinois.
Molly McCarthy ’18, West Des Moines, Iowa, was recently hired to teach special education at Underwood High School in Underwood, Iowa.
Madison “Madi” Meier ’18, Marion, Iowa, kicked off the new year with her new fourth grade teaching position at Hoover Elementary in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Jessica (Helms) Moore ’18, Griswold, Iowa, will teach kindergarten in the Griswold Community School District in Griswold, Iowa.
Cody Nelson ’18, Greene, Iowa, will be an industrial technology teacher at West Central Valley High School in Stuart, Iowa.
Melissa Ward ’18, Waukon, Iowa, accepted a position teaching sixth grade math and technology at Waukon Middle School.
Brian Waskow ’18, Sumner, Iowa, was hired to be the industrial technology instructor at Starmont High School in Arlington, IA.
Mykal Wildman ’18, Marshalltown, Iowa, was hired to teach ESL at Marshalltown High School and Fisher Elementary.
Lauren Wombles ’18, Fayette, Iowa, began as the graduate assistant for annual giving in fall 2018. Wombles works directly with UIU’s Advancement and Alumni Office.
Wilson Amely ’19, Clinton, Iowa, will begin as a fifth grade teacher at the Clinton, Iowa, school district.
Jacquelyn “Jacee” Arbegast ’19, Sheffield, Iowa, was hired to teach K-5 Special Education at Panorama Elementary in fall 2019.
Melissa (Lindquist) ’03 and William Grimes, Ankeny, Iowa, celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary by traveling to Ireland in September 2018. As a former UIU soccer player, Melissa posed with her copy of The Bridge at the National Football Stadium in Belfast, Ireland.
Kristy Carr ’19, Leclaire, Iowa, was hired to teach high school math in the Clinton, Iowa, school district.
Christopher Christianson ’19, Waverly, Iowa, was hired as a regional account executive at Courier/Amplified Digital.
Courtney Clayberg ’19, Ankeny, Iowa, will be a first grade teacher at Clarke Community School District in Osceola, Iowa.
Dakota Gray ’19, Decorah, Iowa, accepted a position teaching special education at South Winneshiek Elementary School.
Tiffany Hasstedt ’19, Boone, Iowa, accepted the special education teacher position at Franklin Elementary in Boone.
Hannah Holthaus ’19, Plainfield, Iowa, was hired to be a social studies and language arts teacher at Wilton Middle School.
Abby Huhe ’19, Cresco, Iowa, accepted a second grade position at Notre Dame Catholic School in Cresco, Iowa.
Haylie Krumwiede ’19, Waverly, Iowa, accepted the position of mortgage lender at First National Bank.
Gabrielle “Gabbie” Mohs ’19, Fredericksburg, IA, was hired as a sixth grade teacher at Iowa Valley Elementary in Marengo, Iowa.
Billy Noecker ’19, West Union, Iowa, was offered and accepted an elementary teaching position with the New Town, North Dakota, School District.
Alyson Rickabaugh ’19, Van Meter, Iowa, accepted a special education teaching position at Oak Park Elementary in Des Moines.
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Van Dyk ’19, Carlisle, Iowa, was hired as the new records processing specialist at UIU’s Fayette Campus.
Anna Winter ’19, Rochester, Minnesota, received the Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award from the NSIC.
Welcome to the Peacock family
Mario ’02, and Trenisha Weekley, Gulfport, Mississippi, welcomed their fourth child, a daughter named Madison Grace on February 25, 2019.
Christopher “Chris” ’10 and Heidi (McKean) ’12 Wlezien, Austin, Texas, welcomed their son, Jordan James Wlezien, on December 22, 2018. He joins his very proud big brother, Cameron.
Allyssa Joseph ’12, and her husband, DaQuan Jewell, welcomed a baby girl, Aspen Marysol, on April 2, 2019.
Victor ’14 and Kayla (Bergman) ’14 Coronado, Sumner, Iowa, welcomed their second child, Cambrie, on January 25, 2019.
Nate ’05 and Kiana Lamphier, Lake City, Iowa, welcomed their daughter, Kamri Grace Lamphier, on December 28, 2018.
Ty ’14 and Samantha (Thrapp) ’14 Grunder, Davenport, Iowa, welcomed their first child, Finnley “Finn” Leonard Grunder, at 9:40 a.m. on November 5, 2018. He was 9 lbs. and 2 oz.
Ryan ’03 and Karsyn Jensen, Urbandale, Iowa, welcomed their daughter, Georgia Bronaline Jensen, on November 20, 2018. She was 7 lbs. and 10 oz.
Leave a Reply