{"id":9719,"date":"2019-11-21T21:03:54","date_gmt":"2019-11-21T21:03:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/?p=9719"},"modified":"2023-01-31T20:41:48","modified_gmt":"2023-01-31T20:41:48","slug":"alumni-class-notes-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/2019\/11\/21\/alumni-class-notes-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Alumni Class Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

1960-1969\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 1970-1979\u00a0 <\/a>|\u00a0 1980-1989<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 1990-1999<\/a>\u00a0 |\u00a0 2000-2009\u00a0<\/a> |\u00a0 2010-2015\u00a0 <\/a>|\u00a0 Graduate Programs<\/a><\/p>\n

Submit a Class Note<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

1960<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

Jim Holden \u201961<\/strong> wrote a new\u00a0book called \u201cHeron Thieves,\u00a0a Bat Out of Hell, and Other Flyfishing\u00a0Stories, Essays, and Poems.\u201d Holden\u00a0has been a fly fisherman for more than\u00a040 years, and the book highlights his\u00a0experiences on trout streams.<\/p>\n

Dwight Olson \u201965<\/strong> presented\u00a0President Paul Pribbenow a\u00a0copy of his book \u201cNorthern Lights: The\u00a0Beauty of the Forgotten Scandinavian\u00a0Enamel Artisans\u201d for Augsburg\u2019s\u00a0library in celebration of the university\u2019s\u00a0sesquicentennial.<\/p>\n

<\/div>
\n\"john<\/a>Two rural Osakis, Minnesota, churches\u2014with roots dating\u00a0back to the early days in the state\u2019s history\u2014are thriving\u00a0with the help of their new intentional interim pastor John\u00a0Douglas Hopper \u201968<\/strong>. Hopper, who lives in Delano, Minnesota,\u00a0and spends weekends at Salem and Sauk Valley Lutheran\u00a0churches. He began a one-year pastorate on October 21, 2018.
\n
<\/div>\n

Cheri (Kraskin) Best \u201969<\/strong>,\u00a0Pam (Fredrickson) Gunderson \u201969<\/strong>,\u00a0Sue Kelly \u201969<\/strong>, Linda (Stewart) Miller \u201969<\/strong>,\u00a0Margi Ness \u201969<\/strong>, and Anna (Stivland)\u00a0Olsen \u201969<\/strong> celebrated the 50th anniversary of\u00a0their graduation from Augsburg with a trip to\u00a0Boulder, Colorado, in May.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

1973<\/strong><\/h2>\n

David Colacci \u201973<\/strong> and partner\u00a0Susan Ericksen, both classically\u00a0trained theater professionals, were featured\u00a0in a Star Tribune news story that detailed\u00a0their success as audiobook narrators. The\u00a0couple records their audiobook narrations in\u00a0their St. Louis Park, Minnesota, home. They\u00a0have each narrated more than 500 titles.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1978<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n

\"K.<\/a>K. Marshall Williams Sr. \u201978<\/strong> received the Herschel\u00a0H. Hobbs Award for Distinguished Denominational\u00a0Service from Oklahoma Baptist University. Williams,\u00a0who has served as pastor of Nazarene Baptist Church in\u00a0Philadelphia for more than 35 years, accepted the award\u00a0on June 10 during the Southern Baptist Convention\u2019s\u00a0annual meeting in Birmingham, Alabama.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

\"KenNovak\"<\/a>This year,\u00a0Augsburg\u2019s\u00a0Excellence In\u00a0Coaching Award\u00a0recognized Ken\u00a0Novak Jr. \u201978<\/strong>.\u00a0Novak led high\u00a0school boys basketball teams at Blaine and\u00a0Hopkins to 17 state tournaments, the most\u00a0of any boys basketball coach in Minnesota\u00a0history. After winning three consecutive state\u00a0titles and seven in a 10-year span (2002\u201311), Novak was named ESPN RISE National\u00a0Coach of the Year. He was inducted into the\u00a0Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association\u00a0Hall of Fame in 2013, and in 2019 he was\u00a0inducted into the second class of the\u00a0Minnesota High School Basketball Hall\u00a0of Fame.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

1987<\/h2>\n

Andrew Altenburg \u201987<\/strong> joined\u00a0KPMG in a senior associate\u00a0role in May 2019. He previously worked\u00a0as an events manager for The Bank of\u00a0Tokyo for three years. As a freelance event\u00a0planner, his clients included MNG, Louis\u00a0Vuitton, Colgate-Palmolive, and The Carlyle\u00a0Group. From 2005 to 2015, he produced\u00a0and emceed 470 bingo events, which\u00a0raised $250,000 for dozens of LGBTQIA+\u00a0organizations. He also is a wedding\u00a0officiant and cartoonist, posting his work\u00a0at jumpingforjoy.net. He lives with his\u00a0partner, Matthew, and their parrot, Lulu,\u00a0on Manhattan\u2019s Upper West Side in New\u00a0York City.<\/p>\n

<\/div>
\n\"Manasie<\/a>Minasie\u00a0Theophilos \u201987<\/strong>\u00a0received the\u00a0Distinguished\u00a0Athletic Service\u00a0Award in honor of\u00a0his decades-long\u00a0support of\u00a0Augsburg\u2019s\u00a0student-athletes and coaches. A custodian\u00a0in Augsburg\u2019s athletic facilities, Theophilos\u00a0has grown close to many people in Auggie\u00a0athletics including the men\u2019s hockey team.\u00a0He came to Augsburg as a student in 1983\u00a0from Ethiopia and had not been able to\u00a0return to his home for more than 30 years.\u00a0In 2017, after the death of his mother, the\u00a0men\u2019s hockey team raised more than\u00a0$7,500 to fund a trip for Theophilos to see\u00a0his family, who now live in Norway.
\n
<\/div>\n

1989<\/h2>\n
<\/div>
\n\"Donny<\/a>The late Donny Wichmann \u201989<\/strong>\u2014a three-time\u00a0Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference\u00a0champion, a national tournament All-American,\u00a0and a longtime assistant coach who was a part\u00a0of 10 NCAA Division III national championship\u00a0teams with the Auggies\u2014was inducted into the\u00a0National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III\u00a0Hall of Fame in August.
\n
<\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

1993<\/h2>\n

Tanya Schwartz \u201993<\/strong> was named\u00a0the seventh police chief of\u00a0Burnsville and is the first woman to hold\u00a0the post. Schwartz has been with the police\u00a0department for 23 years, beginning as a\u00a0patrol sergeant and then serving as detective\u00a0sergeant and captain.<\/p>\n

1994<\/h2>\n

Lori Higgins \u201994, \u201912 MAL<\/strong>\u00a0became president of Augsburg\u2019s\u00a0Alumni Board. She currently serves on\u00a0several boards including the Minnesota\u00a0Amateur Sports Commission. She joined the\u00a0Alumni Board in 2016 because of her deep\u00a0connection to the university and support of\u00a0its mission.<\/p>\n

<\/div>
\n\"mary<\/a>\"mary<\/a>Mary Christine Kane \u201994<\/strong>\u00a0released her first book\u00a0of poems, \u201cbetween\u00a0the stars where you\u00a0are lost.\u201d Kane also\u00a0works in marketing and\u00a0volunteers for the arts and\u00a0animal rescue initiatives. Her poetry and nonfiction\u00a0works have appeared in journals and anthologies\u00a0including Bluestem; The Buffalo Anthology, Right\u00a0Here, Right Now; Ponder Review; and Sleet.
\n
<\/div>\n

1996<\/h2>\n
<\/div>
\n\"rick<\/a>Carlson Inc. announced the\u00a0appointment of Richard \u201cRick\u201d\u00a0Gage \u201996<\/strong> as its non-executive\u00a0chair of the board in August.\u00a0Gage is the founder and\u00a0former CEO of YourMLSSearch.com, a director of the World\u00a0Childhood Foundation, and\u00a0is on the board of the Carlson\u00a0Family Foundation, where\u00a0he has served for more than\u00a020 years.
\n
<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

1997<\/h2>\n
<\/div>
\n\"girls<\/a>Jessica Barker \u201997<\/strong>, Amy (Bowar) Mellinger \u201997<\/strong>, Tara (Cesaretti) McLeod \u201997<\/strong>, Christa Winkelman \u201997<\/strong>, and\u00a0Jane (Ruth) Zirbes \u201997<\/strong> gathered for their annual girls trip in Las Vegas. Since their days at Augsburg, they\u2019ve\u00a0planned yearly trips and remained close friends.
\n
<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

1999<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n

\"Devean<\/a>The first NCAA\u00a0Division III player\u00a0to be selected in\u00a0the first round of\u00a0the NBA Draft,\u00a0Devean George \u201999<\/strong>\u00a0was inducted into\u00a0the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. George\u00a0led the Auggies to two Minnesota\u00a0Intercollegiate Athletic Conference\u00a0championships and berths in the NCAA\u00a0Division III national playoffs, earning\u00a0conference MVP honors both times. He\u00a0finished his college career with 2,258\u00a0career points and 868 career rebounds,\u00a0both second in school history, and a 23.5\u00a0points-per-game average, the best in school\u00a0history. George has played with three NBA\u00a0teams and works to develop affordable\u00a0housing in North Minneapolis.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

\"Scott<\/a>Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Scott Hvistendahl \u201999<\/strong> was Augsburg baseball\u2019s starting centerfielder as well an All-American wide receiver on the football team. He was the first player to break the NCAA career receiving yardage record held by NFL legend Jerry Rice, finishing his career with 285 receptions for 4,696 yards. He now stands 14th in NCAA all-divisions history in career receiving yardage. Hvistendahl was named Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, twice earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, and won the Gagliardi Trophy for his performance in academics, athletics, and community service.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Qiuxia (Xia) Welch \u201999<\/strong> and Kevin Welch, co-founders and owners of Boom Island Brewing, hosted Augsburg\u2019s first \u201cbeer choir\u201d in the spring. The couple started their company in 2011 focusing on Belgian-style beers, and they recently relocated the business to a new space in Minnetonka, Minnesota.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\n
\n

2000<\/h2>\n
\n
<\/div>
\n\"Christina<\/a>Christina Olstad \u201900, \u201905<\/strong> MSW began her new\u00a0role as dean of students at the University of\u00a0Wisconsin\u2014Madison in July. Olstad previously\u00a0was the interim assistant vice president for\u00a0student affairs, housing, and residence life at\u00a0Towson University in Maryland. She has worked\u00a0in higher education administration for nearly\u00a0two decades, beginning with her time\u00a0at Augsburg.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>
\n\"ross<\/a>Ross Murray \u201900, \u201909 MBA<\/strong>\u00a0received the Living Loehe\u00a0Award at Wartburg Seminary\u2019s\u00a0commencement in May. The\u00a0award was given in recognition\u00a0of the 50th anniversary of the\u00a0Stonewall uprising, the 10th\u00a0anniversary of the Evangelical\u00a0Lutheran Church in America\u2019s\u00a0steps toward inclusion for\u00a0LGBTQIA+-identified people, and\u00a0his calling as a deacon to engage\u00a0in LGBTQIA+ advocacy in the\u00a0church and the world. Murray is\u00a0the senior director of education\u00a0and training at GLAAD Media\u00a0Institute and is the founding\u00a0director of The Naming Project. Read more of this story at\u00a0augsburg.edu\/alumni\/blog<\/a>.
\n
<\/div>\n

2002<\/h3>\n

Crescent Cove, a hospice\u00a0home for children founded\u00a0by Katie Lindenfelser \u201902<\/strong>, was featured\u00a0in a New York Times story. Lindenfelser,\u00a0the executive director and an Augsburg trained\u00a0music therapist, opened the\u00a0St. Louis Park, Minnesota, care facility\u00a0in 2018. Crescent Cove offers respite\u00a0and hospice care to children and is the\u00a0only facility of its kind in the Midwest.<\/p>\n

2003<\/h2>\n

Kristen Opalinski \u201903\u00a0<\/strong>began a new professional\u00a0chapter as the manager for Ecumenical\u00a0and Inter-Religious Relations for\u00a0the Evangelical Lutheran Church in\u00a0America. This role includes managing\u00a0communications, providing staffing for\u00a0EIR committees and events, extending\u00a0hospitality to ecumenical and interreligious\u00a0partners at the Lutheran\u00a0Center in Chicago, and serving as the\u00a0ELCA representative at various EIR\u00a0meetings held both domestically and\u00a0internationally. This is a new position\u00a0designed to meet the needs of the ever-changing\u00a0ecumenical and inter-religious\u00a0landscape and the expansion of the\u00a0church\u2019s ecumenical and inter-religious\u00a0commitments. Opalinski also serves as a\u00a0writer for Living Lutheran Magazine.<\/p>\n

2004<\/h2>\n

Max Langaard \u201904<\/strong> was\u00a0featured on \u201cGood\u00a0Morning America,\u201d where he shared\u00a0his journey as a teacher and also\u00a0his time as a mentor and coach at a\u00a0nonprofit called Playworks in Oakland,\u00a0California. Playworks helps schools and\u00a0youth organizations create a place on\u00a0the playground for every child to feel\u00a0included, be active, and build valuable\u00a0social and emotional skills. Langaard\u00a0also received NBA Finals tickets from\u00a0the television show.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\"Kristen<\/a>
\nDual sport\u00a0athlete Kristen\u00a0Lideen \u201904<\/strong> was\u00a0inducted into\u00a0the Augsburg\u00a0Athletic Hall of\u00a0Fame. As\u00a0softball\u00a0shortstop,\u00a0Lideen was the lone Auggie to hit better\u00a0than .400 in their career (.444). Her 38\u00a0career doubles remain a school record,\u00a0while her 18 doubles and 89 total bases\u00a0in 2003 are both single-season school\u00a0records. In soccer, Lideen played as a\u00a0sweeper for an Auggie defense that\u00a0recorded a 1.04 goals-against-average in\u00a0her four seasons. Lideen earned\u00a0All-MIAC Honorable Mention honors\u00a0three times as a soccer athlete and\u00a0earned All-MIAC first-team honors four\u00a0times as a softball player.<\/p>\n

2005<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>
\n\"jason<\/a>Jason Oare \u201905<\/strong> and wife, Erin,\u00a0welcomed a daughter, Remedy\u00a0Faith, in April.
\n
<\/div>\n

2006<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n

\"kristy<\/a>Kristy Millering \u201906<\/strong> became\u00a0the new director of finance at\u00a0Winona Area Public Schools.\u00a0Millering began this role after\u00a0eight years in finance at Mayo\u00a0Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota,\u00a0most recently as a senior internal\u00a0auditor. She also worked as an\u00a0accountant for McNeilus Truck\u00a0and Manufacturing and owned\u00a0her own dance studio.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

2007<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n

\"caswell<\/a>Amber (Stransky) Caswell \u201907<\/strong> and husband,\u00a0Tavid, welcomed a daughter, Olivia Sandra\u00a0Donna, in June.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

2008<\/h2>\n

Greg May \u201908<\/strong> was hired\u00a0by the University of\u00a0Minnesota\u2019s hockey program as the\u00a0new director of hockey operations.\u00a0May spent the previous three years as\u00a0the hockey head coach and associate\u00a0athletic director at the Blake School\u00a0in Minneapolis. While playing hockey\u00a0during his time at Augsburg, he was a\u00a0MIAC All-Conference honoree.<\/p>\n

2009<\/h2>\n

Caitlin (Hozeny) Lienard\u00a0\u201909, \u201916 MSW<\/strong> passed her\u00a0Licensed Independent Clinical Social\u00a0Worker exam in April.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

2011<\/h2>\n
<\/div>
\n\"stepka<\/a>Denielle (Johnson) Stepka \u201911<\/strong> and Timothy\u00a0Stepka welcomed a daughter, Halle Jo Jean,\u00a0on September 30.
\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

2012<\/h2>\n
<\/div>
<\/div>\n

\"langer<\/a>Adam Langer \u201912<\/strong> and wife, Alyssa,\u00a0welcomed their first child, Addison, in\u00a0November 2018.<\/p>\n

<\/div>
<\/div>\n

\"the<\/a>Augsburg Men\u2019s Wrestling Co-Head\u00a0Coach Tony Valek \u201912, \u201914 MAL<\/strong> and wife,\u00a0Kassi (Goranowski) Valek, welcomed a\u00a0son, Hudson Ricke, in June.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>
\n\"hayley<\/a>Hayley (Thomas) Ball \u201912<\/strong> and Emerson\u00a0Ball \u201914, \u201919 MSW<\/strong> welcomed a\u00a0daughter, Zara, on March 13.
\n
<\/div>\n

2013<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n

\"tyler<\/a>Tyler Heaps \u201913<\/strong>, manager of\u00a0analytics and research for U.S.\u00a0Soccer, was on the staff of the\u00a0USA national women\u2019s soccer\u00a0team that celebrated a World\u00a0Cup Championship victory in\u00a0July. Heaps, who helped play a\u00a0part in the team\u2019s seven-game\u00a0win series to clinch the title,\u00a0said it was \u201cone of the most\u00a0challenging and rewarding\u00a0experiences\u201d of his life. Heaps\u2019\u00a0work in data analysis and use\u00a0of video coverage enhances\u00a0skills on the field and helps\u00a0athletes better prepare for their\u00a0competition. Read more of this story at\u00a0augsburg.edu\/alumni\/blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

2014<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n

\"barozzo<\/a>Mara (Breczinski) Barrozo \u201914<\/strong> and\u00a0Enrico Barrozo \u201914<\/strong> welcomed a\u00a0daughter, Ryna, in June.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

2016<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n

\"bobby<\/a>Bobby Rose \u201916<\/strong> married fianc\u00e9e, Amber, in Cottage\u00a0Grove, Minnesota, in May.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>
\n\"stephanie<\/a><\/strong>Stephanie Putzier \u201916 MBA<\/strong> serves\u00a0Minnesota Women of Today at\u00a0the state level as the internal vice\u00a0president, a position in which she\u00a0oversees the organization\u2019s internal\u00a0programming. Putzier received the\u00a0Programming Award of Excellence for\u00a0her commitment and efforts. She\u00a0has been an active member of the\u00a0organization since 2002.
\n
<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] 1960-1969\u00a0 |\u00a0 1970-1979\u00a0 |\u00a0 1980-1989\u00a0 |\u00a0 1990-1999\u00a0 |\u00a0 2000-2009\u00a0 |\u00a0 2010-2015\u00a0 |\u00a0 Graduate Programs Submit a Class Note 1960 Jim Holden \u201961 wrote a new\u00a0book called \u201cHeron Thieves,\u00a0a Bat Out of Hell, and Other Flyfishing\u00a0Stories, Essays, and Poems.\u201d Holden\u00a0has been a fly fisherman for more than\u00a040 years, and the book highlights his\u00a0experiences on trout <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":386,"featured_media":9760,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[73,68],"tags":[89],"class_list":["post-9719","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-auggies-connect","category-class-notes","tag-fall-winter-2019"],"wps_subtitle":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9719","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/386"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9719"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9719\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12378,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9719\/revisions\/12378"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9719"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9719"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9719"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}