Alumnotes Spring 2017

1970s
Missouri Rep. Pat Conway ’73 was named one of 50 Missourians You Should Know by Ingram’s Magazine, Kansas City’s Business Magazine. Rep. Conway served as Buchanan County clerk for 28 years and was elected to the state Legislature in 2010.

George Hayward ’75 was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in January 2017. He was an official for the National Football League for 25 years. Over those years, he officiated 425 games, including the 2007 Super Bowl, four conference championships and four wild card games.

Walter Wilson ’76 joined Affordable Gas + Electric as a member of its energy consultant team. Wilson had served in various management roles at Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois. He is a former NFL and CFL player, signing contracts with the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He also serves as a volunteer committee member with the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.

1980s
Scott Wilhoit ’84 was named senior vice president, global market access and patient services for Strongbridge Biopharma, a global commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company.  

Paul Rhoads ’89 was named defensive coordinator for the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He had been serving as the Razorback’s defensive backfield coach.

1990s

Tammy Siegrist ’91, CPA, CGMA, was named a partner at MarksNelson, an accounting and consulting firm in Kansas City, Missouri. Siegrist joined MarksNelson in 2003. She is also co-vice president of finance for the American Business Women’s Association.

2000s
Dr. Jasmine Briedwell ’03 received the PTA Outstanding Principal Award at the St. Joseph School District’s PTA Founders Day in February. She is the principal at Lake Contrary Elementary School in St. Joseph.

Elijah Haahr ’05 was elected to serve as Speaker Pro Tem by the Missouri House of Representatives Republicans. Haahr is a member of the state Legislature, representing the 134^th district, which includes Springfield. The Speaker Pro Tem is second in command in the Missouri House.

Jon-Paul Bellamy ’05 and his wife, Sarah, announce the birth of a daughter, Amelia Lee, born Sept. 1, 2016.

Michael O’Neal ’06 was named the Missouri Department of Corrections Board of Probation and Parole’s regional employee of the month in July 2016. In addition to a normal probation caseload in Grundy County, O’Neal also supervises sex offenders, dangerous felons and domestic violence cases in Grundy, Harrison and Mercer counties.

Nicolas ’06 and Amanda (Gonzalez) ’07 Thyfault announce the birth of a son, Henry Robert Xavier, born Sept. 9, 2016. The couple also has daughter Catherine, 6, and son Alexander, 2.

Ashley (Vernon) ’07 and Drew ’09 Hanna announce the birth of a daughter, Madison Claire, born Dec. 14, 2016.

2010s
Elena Castanada ’10 was promoted to actuarial consultant at Aetna.

Kristin Parker ’10 and Alexander Sics were married Nov. 12, 2016. The couple resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Nicole (Pickman) Pummel ’10 and her husband, Spencer, announce the birth of a son, Maverick Edward, born Aug. 28, 2016.

Melissa (Bledsoe) Boyd ’11 graduated with a Master of Science in Family Studies-Youth Development from Kansas State University in December 2016.

Molly Smith ’11 participated in Miami University’s Earth Expeditions global field course in Namibia in the summer of 2016. She studied ongoing research projects such as radio tracking, cheetah conservation and ecosystem management, as well as the design of school and community programs in Namibia. The research was part of her master’s degree program from Miami University’s Global Field Program.

Mitch ’13 and Bailee (Testorff) ’13 Giger announce the birth of a daughter, Jessa June, born Dec.

10, 2016.

Jacob Scott ’14 is chief of staff for Missouri State Sen. Bill Eigel, 23^rd District. Scott had been serving as a legislative aide to State Sen. Robert Schaaf since 2014.

LaQuinta Jefferson ’16 signed a professional contract to play basketball for Gernika Bizkaia, a professional women’s basketball team in Spain. At Missouri Western, she was the 2015-16 MIAA Player of the Year and scored over 1,000 points in her college career.

In Memory
We remember those who have passed away. If you want to include someone in this listing, please call (816) 271-5651, mail the information to Diane Holtz, Missouri Western State University, 4525 Downs Drive, St. Joseph, MO 64507, or email holtz@missouriwestern.edu.

Marion K. Agnew, Atchison, Kansas, Dec. 18, 2016. Agnew worked as director of Educational Diagnostics for Missouri Western from 1998-2010.

Lawrence Isaac Banks, St. Joseph, Missouri, July 16, 2016. Banks was a security officer for Missouri Western 1970-1987. Cpl. Robert Bidding, a current Missouri Western police officer, said he had worked with Banks in the 1980s, and he was very well respected by students and employees. Banks, Cpl. Bidding said, was able to quickly defuse tense situations because he was so respected.   

Goldie Mae (Krumme) Casper, Maysville, Missouri, Feb. 5, 2017. She worked at Missouri Wester for 23 years.

Jacqueline Coulter-Byrd ’87, St. Joseph, Missouri, Nov. 18, 2016.        

Jerome F. Downs ’41, San Francisco, Oct. 23, 2016. Downs received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Missouri Western in 1994.

Audrey E. Dugan ’77, Kansas City, Missouri, Dec. 15, 2016.

Lois E. Fox, Chillicothe, Missouri, Nov. 28, 2016. Fox served as the Special Needs Coordinator from 1999-2004 at Missouri Western.

Darlyne Garbe, St. Joseph, Missouri, Nov. 27, 2016. Garbe worked in the Missouri Western library from 1980-1996.

Curtis A. Grimm ’73, St. Joseph, Missouri, Nov. 25, 2016.

Stephen J. Hall ’75, St. Joseph, Missouri, Feb. 3, 2017.  

Velva J. (Hampton) Hinderks, Stewartsville, Missouri, Feb. 9, 2017. Hinderks worked as a secretary for 20 years for Missouri Western’s Department of Social Sciences, retiring in 1990.

Loretta Hughes ’05, St. Joseph, Missouri, Nov. 1, 2016.

Jean A. (Dittemore) Joyce ’91, Denton, Kansas, Feb. 12, 2017.

Paul J. Kerner, Savannah, Missouri, Dec. 19, 2016. Kerner was working in Missouri Western’s physical plant when he passed away.

Chad Klein ’08, Gower, Missouri, Dec. 1, 2016.

Roger J. Kromko ’72, St. Joseph, Missouri, Feb. 8, 2017.

Richard A. Lewin ’53, St. Joseph, Missouri, Dec. 5, 2016.

Allan H. Lowenberg ’69, St. Joseph, Missouri, Nov. 17, 2016.

Harold T. Maxwell ’57, Clive, Iowa, Aug. 28, 2016.

Barbara S. Meredith ’92, St. Joseph, Missouri, Nov. 22, 2016.

Candice N. Minear ’09, Kansas City, Missouri, Jan. 1, 2017.

Clarence Elmer Olson, Jr. ’52, St. Joseph, Missouri, Feb. 4, 2017.

Jimmy Lee Paden ’75, Dearborn, Missouri, Sept. 20, 2016.

Marc E. Sill ’01, Clarksdale, Missouri, Dec. 2, 2016.

Nina (France) Stevens ’42, Kansas City, Missouri, Oct. 6, 2016.

Kristin L. Stockstill-Chitty ’02, Kansas City, Missouri, Jan. 28, 2017.

John W. Sutton ’81, Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Dec. 10, 2016.

Darryl C. Walters ’78, St. Joseph, Missouri, Sept. 6, 2016.

Sharon K. Ziph ’86, St. Joseph, Missouri, Dec. 7, 2016.