Notables:

Two Siena Heights graduates celebrated their 100th birthdays over the past year:

Sister Ann Seraphim Schenk, O.P. ’47, ’70/MA celebrated her 100th birthday on Oct. 25, 2017, with a Mass in St. Catherine Chapel on the campus of the Adrian Dominican Sisters. Sister Ann received tributes and congratulations from around the country, including Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and a papal blessing from Pope Francis. She was also presented with the City of Adrian’s Mayor’s Community Service Award. She entered the Adrian Dominican congregation in 1936 and was an elementary school teacher in Michigan, Illinois and Arizona. She retired in 1991 and has lived at the Dominican Life Center since 2004. She passed away June 24, 2018.

Sister Cecelia Vandeberg ’41 turned 100 years old on June 26, 2018. According to a recent article in the Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune, Sister Cecelia is currently living in a retirement home in Davenport, Iowa, and is a member of the Congregation of the Humility of Mary. After earning her degree in music from Siena Heights, she taught music and directed choirs in Illinois and Montana and was a columnist and a music and book reviewer for “Modern Liturgy” and “Worship Times.” She also volunteered at hospitals, health care centers and literacy centers, according to the article.

From The Sites:

Battle Creek

1998
Tim Bourgeios retired as the chief of the Kalamazoo Township (Mich.) Police Department on Dec. 31, 2017, after nearly 15 years. He accepted a position as executive director of the Michigan Commission of Law Enforcement Standards. MCOLES sets professional standards in education, selection, employment, licensing, license revocation and funding in law enforcement and criminal justice in the public and private sectors.

Diane Thompson has been serving as president and CEO of the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek, Mich., since 2012.

2001
Bryan Ergang was named the chief of the Kalamazoo Township (Mich.) Police Department on Jan. 5, 2018. He previously served as a patrol lieutenant and has been with the department since 1995.

Benton Harbor

1994
Linda Gray retired as the treasurer for the city of Hartford, Mich., in October 2017. She served in that role for 17 years.

Jackson

2010
Sergio Garcia was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant in the Jackson (Mich.) Police Department in July 2017. He has worked for the department since 1998. He also is the firearms program coordinator and the commander of the Jackson County Special Response Team.

Lansing

2006
Suzanne Wade ’08/MA is recently employed by the State of Michigan in its Office of Good Government.

2013
Gayle Lee recently authored the book “Fortitude: A Quest through Fear and Doubt.” The 122-page spiritual memoir spans a four-year period when the author walks away from a stressful long-term job and embarks on a journey searching for security and her destiny. It was released through Mindstir Media. It is her second book.

Monroe

2012
April Welch accepted a new position as the director of the Downtown Development Authority for the Village of Blissfield (Mich.) in July 2018. She previously was the director of Donor Development at Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Michigan.

2017
Michael Everly currently works as the safety director at General RV Center.

Online

2008
Harold Love ’13/MA was appointed to the Michigan Board of Counseling by Gov. Rick Snyder in July 2017. Love is owner of Harold J. Love, PLLC, and is a clinical and police therapist, with a concentration in critical stress management, crisis intervention, individual psychotherapy and pre-employment psychological evaluations. The nine-member board assists the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs with the licensing and oversight of more than 9,000 counselors in Michigan.

2009
Tim Bartenslager retired as chief of the Adrian Fire Department in June 2018. He served 24 years with the department.

2016
Stephanie Austin was named an instructor/director of the surgical technology program at Walters State (Tenn.) Community College in September 2017.

Lt. Col. Gary Gorski retired from the Michigan State Police June 1, 2018, after serving 32 years with the MSP. He was the deputy director who also served as commander of the Specialized Services Bureau and was a member of the MSP’s Executive Council. He was also previously captain and commander of the Sixth District in Grand Rapids and served as a tactical member of the MSP’s Emergency Support Team from 1987-2000.

Southfield

2004
Troy Butler/MA was named the 2018 Alumnus of the Year by Rochester College, where he received his undergraduate degree. Butler is a peer mentor for the mentally disabled at the Macomb Oakland Regional Center and is working on his minister’s license.

Main Campus

1977
Keith Lienhop is employed as a senior product development specialist for AFB International in Saint Charles, Mo. AFB is a global manufacturer of animal food flavors. He and his wife, Marie (Embach) ’77, reside in Saint Peters, Mo.

1979
Michael Savona was named the 11th president of St. John’s Jesuit High School and Academy in Toledo, Ohio. He was previously principal and interim president of the all-boys Catholic school.

1980
Steven Schultz is the senior account manager for the Williams Lea Tag, a global company that offers business process outsourcing to large companies.

1983
John “J.D.” Johnson recently celebrated his 35th anniversary at State Farm Insurance. Starting with the company soon after graduation, Johnson has worked in Indiana, New Mexico and recently, Wickenburg, Ariz., for the past 17 years.

1985
John Detro took command of the 187th MED BN in September 2017. He is serving his third year as the physician assistant consultant to the Army Surgeon General. He graduated from the U.S. Army War College in July 2017, earning a Master of Science degree in National Strategic Studies. He recently was selected for colonel, and was recognized by the American Association of Physician Assistants as the 2018 Military Service PA of the Year at the national conference in New Orleans. “This is our 31st year in the military and we shall see where we go from here,” he said.

Bruce Lee was recently named the President and CEO of Heartland Financial USA on June 1, 2018. He had previously served as president since 2015 until his role was expanded. He will assume full leadership of Heartland’s operations, which includes 11 bank charter serving 89 communities from 117 banking centers.

1990
Talisa Copeland retired as a departmental analyst from the State of Michigan in August 2017 after more than 23 years of service.

Melanie Hutchinson returned to the U.S. after spending 12 years working for a nonprofit organization in south-central India that helped rescue young girls from human traffickers. She taught young girls trades, including sewing, block printing and textile art, in order for them to make a living. Her work in textile art was on display in the Lincoln Gallery in Jerome, Ariz.

1992
Roger Sullivan is the chief accounting officer at Blue Ridge Companies in Greensboro, N.C. The company is involved in all phases of real estate.

1995
Jamie Salenbien (below right) led the Lenawee Christian School girls basketball team to the Michigan Class D high school state championship during the 2017-18 season. The Cougars finished 27-1 and defeated Chassell 57-36 in the championship game. It was Salenbien’s first season as head coach. He was also named the Class D Coach of the Year by the Associated Press.

1999
Mike Hawkins was recently promoted to lieutenant by the Trenton (Mich.) Police Department. He is currently the president of the Trenton Public Schools Board of Education and vice president of the Michigan Association of Police and the GIYRA youth football association. He and his wife, Stacee, have three boys, Drew, A.J. and Mikey. He is actively involved in coaching youth sports.

2001
Ryan Robinson is currently the plant controller at Inteva Products in Adrian, Mich.

2003
Peter Ossmann ’08/MA received the Don B. Daily Achievement in Safety Award from the Steel Manufacturers Association in October 2017. Ossmann was one of three recipients of the award, which is SFA’s highest safety recognition. According to the SMA, he was selected “for his engagement and outreach with local first responders in Northwest Ohio. His dedication to safety extends beyond the job. His work to ensure his community and emergency response organizations are knowledgeable and well-trained is commendable.” Ossmann is employed as the coordinator of Security and Emergency Response with North Star BlueScope Steel in Delta, Ohio.

Megan Vigeant (below right) was profiled in the September/October 2017 issue of Maine Boats Magazine. The article details her efforts in building her own wood canoe by hand. To view her article, visit maineboats.com. She is an oral historian, writer and owns Stories to Tell, which creates custom books and audio memoirs. She lives in Hope, Maine.

2004
Michael Caro was named the strength and conditioning coach at Emory & Henry College in Emory, Va., in August 2017. He previously was the strength and conditioning coach at Transylvania (Ky.) University.

2005
Robert Gearing is the head of Enterprise Solutions at Social-
bakers, a global social media analytics company in Prague, Czech Republic. The digital marketing executive resides in New York City.

2008
Tyler George is currently a teacher at Clinton (Mich.) High School. He teaches AP history and geography and is a track and field coach, National Honor Society advisor and chair of the School Improvement Team. He is an adjunct professor at both Siena Heights and Adrian College. At SHU he teaches social studies methods, educational technology for teachers and adaptive physical education for the Division of Education. He and his wife, Liz (Harrison) ’08, reside in Lenawee County.

2009
Angela Edward is currently works as a social worker for Henry Ford Allegiance Health in Jackson, Mich. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Spring Arbor University.

2010
Fetullah Evliyaoglu/MA is currently serving as an engineer with the Turkish government.

Brittany (Hinkle) Irwin is currently employed as a preschool intensive needs paraprofessional with the Lorain County (Ohio) Early Learning Center. She and her husband, Brady, have two boys, Brady and Blake. The family resides in Wellington, Ohio.

2011
Kelly Ruder received the 2018 Department-Level Graduate Research and Creative Scholars Award from Western Michigan University in April 2018. She was nominated for her research excellence.

2012
Rashontae Wawrzyniak worked as a Monster Energy Girl for the NASCAR racing series during the 2017 season. Her primary responsibility was interacting with NASCAR fans and talking about racing during series events around the country. She also has a modeling career.

2016
Jeff Hardman is a coach for the High Tide Volleyball Club in Palm Beach County, Fla. High Tide is a competitive indoor volleyball training club for high school players.

Travis Zajkowski is an assistant football coach at Davenport University, a NCAA Division II program. He also serves as a backup quarterback for the West Michigan Ironmen, a member of the Midwest Professional Indoor Football League.

2017
Dalton Elza is playing the lead role in the film “The Heir,” an upcoming film about a young man dealing with generational family drama who inherits a storage unit at a yard that’s set to be demolished. The 90-minute film is expected to be released in summer 2018. Elza resides in Mesquite, Texas.

Alyssa Fausneaucht is currently the assistant manager of the Summit Sports and Ice Complex and Aim High Sports in Jackson, Mich.

Stefanie Pellegrom/MA is currently employed as a high school counselor/behavior specialist at Blissfield (Mich.) Schools. She also serves as varsity girls volleyball coach at Britton-Deerfield Schools.

2018
Chris Acton was named the head coach of the Battle Creek Pennfield boys lacrosse team in April 2018.

Jacob Jones is employed as a contract fuel inside sales coordinator for Avfuel Corp. Jones is responsible for supporting Avfuel’s key accounts, assisting sales executives in analysis and customer support initiatives, and coordinating resources. He is based at Avfuel’s headquarters in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Chris McKim/MA was recently hired as the new men’s volleyball coach at Graceland (Iowa) University. He was a graduate assistant coach for SHU’s volleyball programs the past two seasons.

Stacia Serafin was accepted into the University of Michigan’s Master of Information Science program for next fall.

Deaths—Alumni

Sister Mary Eiden, OP ’43
Sister Ann Seraphim Schenk, OP ’47, ’70/MA
Sister Susanne Hofweber, OP ’48
Estela Cintron Rivas ’48
Sister Marie Garcia, OP ’49
Sister Maureen Masuga, OP ’49
Sister Margaret Karam, OP ’50
Sister Dorothy Folliard, OP ’50
Sister Georgina Luznicky, OP ’52
Jane Korte Waldo ’53
Sister Betty Jenkins, OP ’55
Sister Barbara Hubbard, OP ’56
Sister Carol Koenig, OP ’57
Sister Joan Sopha, OP ’57
Sister Marion Coppe, OP ’58
Sister Nelda Klein, OP ’58
Sister Clara Ann Budenz, OP ’59
Sister Dorita Wotiska, OP ’60
Sister Mary Ann Zakrajsek, OP ’60
Sister Mary Hemmen, OP ’61
Sister Dolores Daehn, OP ’63
Sister Jude Van Baalen, OP ’63
Sister Mary Mackert, OP ’63
Patricia Ebbitt Lindeman ’64
Sister Marie McSweeney, OP ’64
Sister Molly Giller, OP ’68
Sister Patricia Janowicz, OP ’68
Sister Romona Nowak, OP ’68
Sister Kay Muzzy, OP ’69
Sister Christine Ostrowski, OP ’69
Sister Judith Seefeld, OP ’69
Gale Salazar ’75
Thomas Spiess ’75/MA
Lawrence “Larry” Richardson ’76
Wes Boyd ’77
Dr. Herman Hullum ’78
Eileen Couturier ’80, ’84/MA
Danielle Martanique Durrah ’00
Dennis Myers ’01 (Lansing)
Jo Ray ’06
Robert Hecksel ’18 (Lansing)

Deaths—Friends

Sister Marie Hungerman, IHM— former faculty member.
Javon McQueen—former student.
Joseph O’Conor—former faculty member.

Longtime board member and benefactor Robert “Bob” Price of Adrian passed away March 20, 2018, at the age of 93.

Larry Richardson ’76 of Adrian passed away May 30, 2018, at the age of 72. He was also a former adjunct faculty member and alumni board member who was one of the earliest graduates of SHU’s criminal justice program. He went on to become the first African American Sheriff of Lenawee County.

Former faculty member Bob Xeras passed away June 19, 2018, after an extended battle with cancer. He taught in the mathematics and computer information systems programs for nearly 20 years, retiring in 1998.

Siena Heights presented a degree to Robert Hecksel, a student at SHU’s Lansing Community College center during a special ceremony at Sparrow Hospital on Feb. 1, 2018. Hecksel, who was battling terminal pancreatic cancer while completing his classes, was presented his bachelor’s degree in community service by several SHU faculty, staff and administration. The retired Lansing fire battalion chief was studying in the hope of becoming a social worker one day.
He passed away Feb. 10.