Notables:

Sean Huddleston ’05 (Southfield) was named the new president at Martin University, a liberal arts college in Indianapolis, Ind. He previously served as the vice president for inclusion and equity at the University of Indianapolis. He formerly worked at Framingham State University in the Boston area, where he served as chief officer of diversity, inclusion and community engagement from 2016-17, and chief diversity and inclusion officer from 2015-16. He held similar positions at Grand Valley State University from 2011-14. Huddleston, 51, started his new position on March 25, 2019.

Kenneth DeGraaf ’16 was named the Northeast Conference Coach of the Year for the first-year Mount St. Mary’s (Md.) women’s bowling team. The NCAA Division 1 program finished second in the conference tournament in its first season and was nationally ranked despite having a lineup of all freshmen.

Col. John Detro ’85 of the U.S. Army moved to Fort Knox in August 2018 to become director of the Leader Development Branch. He will be the director for two years and has been selected for BDE Command. He supports the Talent Management of Army Medical Officers for the Army Surgeon General. He began his career at Fort Knox with basic training in November 1987.

Colin Fricke ’09 was ordained a deacon at the Sacred Heart Major Seminary in spring 2019, taking the final step in his discernment journey toward priesthood. Auxiliary Bishop Robert J. Fisher presided at the ordination. Fricke is entering his final year of theological studies at Sacred Heart and is now a “transitional” deacon for the Archdiocese of Detroit. His ordination confers upon him all the faculties of the ordained diaconate with an eye toward his hopeful ordination as a priest next year. Fricke will serve an internship assignment in summer 2019 at parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Detroit. The 32-year-old former Catholic school math teacher will serve at St. Fabian Parish in Farmington Hills, Mich.

Elizabeth Connors ’10 (Southfield) was honored with an Occupational Studies Outstanding Educator Award at the Trends in Occupational Studies Conference Oct. 24-26 in Troy, Mich. Connors is the program director for Washtenaw Community College’s Surgical Technology and Sterile Processing programs. In 2016, Connors took over a WCC Surgical Tech program that had struggled to attract students. Within one year, Connors had led the program to a successful national accreditation by ARC/STCA and within two years, the program was filled to capacity. In fall 2018, Connors launched the college’s new Sterile Processing certificate program, the first in Washtenaw County. She started a career in healthcare as a sterile processing technician at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in 1997. Connors also worked for St. John Health System and Henry Ford Health System in Southeastern Michigan before joining the WCC faculty in 2014. The Outstanding Educator Award is presented to up to three faculty members annually who demonstrate excellence in the classroom, professional achievements and service/contributions to areas of the college that are beyond the individual’s area of teaching.

From The Sites:

Battle Creek

1996
Mayor of Kalamazoo Bobby Hopewell recently was honored in a couple of different ways. In October 2018 he was honored for his leadership and support of the Boy Scouts of America during the annual “Legacy of Honor” dinner. He earned his Eagle Scout badge in 1982. In April 2019, new Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed Hopewell to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation Executive Committee. Hopewell is currently serving his sixth term as mayor and is the President and CEO of Mobile Health Resources, a Lansing-based ambulance billing agency.

2004
Michael Olson was reappointed to the State of Michigan’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Task Force by Gov. Rick Snyder in December 2018. Olson is the public safety director for Emmett Charter Township and previously served in the roles of public safety director for the City of Marshall, as the director of training operations for Homeland Security Corporation and with the Michigan Department of State Police. Members will serve four-year terms that expire in 2022.

2008
Sara Leson was hired as the business manager of Union City (Mich.) Community Schools in June 2019. She previously worked at the Kellogg Company and for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Gaming Commission.

Benton Harbor

1999
Anna Murphy ‘03MA received the Pat Moody Award during the Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce and Cornerstone Alliance 2019 Business Recognition Breakfast Feb. 14, 2019 in Benton Harbor, Mich. Murphy has been president of the United Way of Southwest Michigan and has been with the organization for more than 20 years. She is a 2015 graduate of the United Way’s Worldwide Executive Leadership Development Program and was named to the 100 Women Strong’s Leader of Distinction list in 2014. She is currently an executive member of Michigan’s Great Southwest Leadership Council and has been on the Michigan Association for United Way’s Board, recently stepping into the role of board chair.

2003
John Gratzle, a senior health physicist and laser safety officer at the University of California Irvine Medical Center, is a mentor for Project Search, an internship program in which the medical center and Goodwill of Orange County partner to help adults with autism learn career skills. His efforts were featured in the “Unsung Heroes” section of the Jan. 3, 2019 edition of the Los Angeles Times. He has worked for UCI since 2006.

2007
Kim Wise was hired as the director of Human Resources for the city of South Haven, Mich., in June 2019. She previously worked for Bronson Healthcare Group in Kalamazoo.

Jackson

2002
Caleb Allen recently celebrated his 13th anniversary with The Craft Agency in the Lansing area. He is employed as the personal lines manager and executive and is a Certified Insurance Counselor.

Lansing

2006
Suzanne Wade ’08MA was the recipient of the Governor’s Teamwork Award for Good Government in the State of Michigan. She is employed as a departmental specialist for the Talent and Economic Development Agency.

Monroe

1995
Debbie Szajna, CPA, was promoted to partner by Weber Clark Ltd. She has been a member of the firm for 23 years and brings extensive experience to the team by providing quality assurance and performing technical reviews of the firm’s client financial statements and other reports. She will continue to advise the firm on quality and technical matters along with providing support in the areas of operations and technology. She is a certified public accountant and began her career at Weber Clark as a staff accountant. Szajna is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Michigan Association of CPAs and The Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants.

2013
Eric Langton was named an assistant prosecutor with the Monroe County (Mich.) Prosecutor’s Office in September 2018. Langton is responsible for the review and authorization of misdemeanor cases as well as a regular docket in First District Court. He previously was employed as a law clerk at Whiting Law in Southfield.

Online

2009
Amy Francoeur said as director of Patient Care at Hospice of Lenawee, “I am able to share my experience and education with my team and with our community. The flexibility of Siena’s Online Program allowed me to complete my Bachelor’s degree while working full-time and raising my family. I feel privileged to live and work in Lenawee County and support patients and their families at end of life.”

2017
Timothy Furtaw is the director of Facilities for the Saginaw Public School District in Saginaw, Mich. He was recently elected to the Board of Directors for Positive Results Downtown Saginaw and serves on the Friday Night Live Committee. The organization volunteers to help provide a positive impact in an urban downtown environment. He is also an active assistant Scoutmaster for Scouts BSA Troop 345.

2018
David Mayne received a Champion Award by Michigan Rehabilitation Services in October 2018. The award is presented annually to individuals, businesses and organizations to show the value of hiring employees who have disabilities. Mayne, who was disabled from injuries sustained in a car crash as well as having complications from diabetes, is working as a cybersecurity analyst with Novacoast Inc. in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Southfield

1988
Francine Parker will retire at the end of 2019 after a decade as the executive director of the UAW Retiree Medical Benefits Trust. She previously served as CEO of Health Alliance Plan of Michigan. She also currently serves on the SHU Board of Trustees.

2017
Jason Hendrian recently completed the Staff and Command training program at Eastern Michigan University. EMU’s School of Fire Staff and Command requires 360 hours of classroom instruction over nine months. He is a lieutenant with the Northville (Mich.) Township Fire Department and has served as a mentor for probationary firefighters and is an original member of the Western Wayne County Urban Search and Rescue Team. He is also a medical specialist with Michigan Task Force 1, an urban search and rescue team that recently assisted in rescue and relief efforts in North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence. He is also chairman of the fire department’s health and safety committee.

Main Campus

1955
Sister Therese (Thomas Frances) DeCanio, OP, celebrated her 70th Jubilee as an Adrian Dominican Sister in November 2018. She was an elementary school teacher for many years in Detroit, Cincinnati, Chicago and in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

1958
Sister Helen Hankerd, OP, celebrated her 70th Jubilee as an Adrian Dominican Sister in November 2018. She served as a teacher for many years in the Detroit and Cincinnati (Ohio) areas.

1963
Christine (Wilhelm) Clark is retired since 2005 from clinical laboratory science and family caregiving. She is now a community activist, a member of the Democrat Party, as well as the League of Women Voters and the Retired Public Employees of Washington State. She resides in Deer Park, Wash.

1974
Charles Fort recently received a Yaddo Fellowship. He said his plan is to write villanelles for his manuscript-in-progress: “One Had Lived in a Room and Loved Nothing, 220 Villanelles,” and to lengthen its sections on Bergman films, Dante’s Inferno, and his ancestors’ journey from Savannah, Ga. to Liberia on May 14, 1868, after the Civil War. He said, “At Yaddo, I shall walk under the parasol of Plath, Langston Hughes, Ted Hughes, Baldwin, Jacob Lawrence, Virgil Thomson, Bernstein, Capote, Copeland, Porter, others.” He will also write prose poems to complete his tetralogy-in-progress: “Brother Can You Spare Me a Time Machine?” He said, “As a student at Siena Heights (College), the English Department awarded me summer scholarships three times to attend the Cranbrook Writers Conference on the grounds of Cranbrook Art Academy. … They published my earliest work in Cranbrook Magazine. In one issue they had 15 of my poems! I still have a copy of the magazine. As a young poet, it was one of the most inspiring places to meet writers and editors. My gratitude goes to Siena for presenting me such experiences as a student.” His end-of-the-year poem, “The Atlas of Eros,” can be read here.

1975
Margaret Noe stepped down after 13 years as a Lenawee County Probate and Circuit Court judge in January 2019. Judge Noe served the last 10 years in the Circuit Court. She will join her son, Charles, in a private law practice in Adrian. She has also served as the chair of the SHU Board of Trustees since 2006 and also teaches part-time in SHU’s criminal justice program.

1982
Jim Johnson is serving as the girls tennis coach at Ann Arbor Huron High School. In spring 2018, his team won a regional title and had a top-five finish in the state Division 1 tournament. He previously coached tennis at Adrian High School and currently also coaches boys tennis at Ypsilanti Lincoln.

Lonnie Shipe MA is planning on publishing his autobiography in the near future.

Doug Small was elected to the U.S. Travel Association Board of Directors in April 2019. He is the CEO of Experience Grand Rapids (EXGR). He has worked in travel and tourism his entire career in Dayton, Ohio; Syracuse, N.Y.; Palm Springs, Calif.; Denver and more than 10 years in Grand Rapids. He attended his first board meeting in April. The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry.

1983
John “JD” Johnson celebrated his 35th anniversary working for State Farm Insurance in May 2018. Johnson has worked in Arizona and New Mexico for most of those years. He currently is employed as a State Farm agent in Wickenburg, Ariz.

Sister Mary Miday, OP, celebrated her 60th Jubilee as an Adrian Dominican Sister in November 2018. She spent many years in pastoral ministry in Ohio, Mississippi, Louisiana and New Mexico before ministering in occupational therapy at health care centers in Florida.

Michael Morgan has been dancing with The Sunsationals, the senior dance team of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun. They perform at home games and make community appearances throughout Connecticut to represent the Sun.

1985
Gregg Milligan is the vice president of Technology and Operations for ISL Techsolutions, Inc., and is living in Bangkok, Thailand. He is responsible for the following divisions: U.S., Southeast and South Asia. He was also awarded the Chancellor’s Gold Medal.

1986
Dr. Kadee Anstadt is the assistant superintendent of Perrysburg (Ohio) Schools. In November 2018 she participated in a panel discussion on safety as part of an event sponsored by the Way Public Library and the League of Women Voters of the Perrysburg Area. From 2008-17, she served as the executive director of Teaching and Learning, where she was responsible for overseeing curriculum, professional development and assessment. She began her teaching career after a career in business.

1988
Mike Vollmar was hired as senior associate athletic director for Football Administration at Kansas University. He began his new position in August 2018. Vollmar previously served as director of Football at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and served in similar roles at the University of Tennessee, the University of Michigan, the University of Alabama and Michigan State University. He was part of an Alabama program that won the national championship in 2009.

1990
Melissa (Durbin) Tsuji and SHU faculty member Jun Tsuji were married on Nov. 23, 2018, in a ceremony in Adrian. They had many former students attend their celebration. Pictured below (from left) are: Current SHU Dean for Students Michael Orlando, Lucas Bartz, Grant Benschoter, Mike Lollo, Bridgid Thompson, Jun Tsuji, Riley Smith, Phillip Brier, Kyle Anderson, John Lyczyk, Jim Riggs, Meg Dubois, Courtney Walter Benschoter, Melissa Tsuji, Lauren Baker Lollo, Ashley Russo, Lauren Coe, and Chloe Rick.

1991
John Bruzina was recently hired as counsel by Polsinelli, a real estate finance business. He will work in the Dallas area. He earned his JD from Michigan State University’s College of Law and has been providing strategic counsel to clients in a wide range of complex real estate transactions.

David Clark is employed with Lowe’s Home Improvement in Battle Creek, Mich.

Linda (Golba) Hall is employed as the director of Operations at WestRock Multi-Packaging Solutions. She resides in Jackson, Mich.

1992
Anna Verhesen MA received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who in September 2018. She has worked in private practice in Sylvania, Ohio, since 1992. A licensed spiritual healer and master sound therapy teacher, she integrates interactive imagery into sound therapy. Earlier in her career, she worked as a social worker for Rotterdan Halfweg in the Netherlands. From there, she also worked for Mount St. Ann’s Home, the St. Vincent Medical Center, St. Joseph Hospital and Grey Nuns. For the past 25 years, Verhesen has also offered retreat weekends for anyone enrolled in 12-step programs. She also was the founder of the Northwest Ohio Detox and Rehab Unit at St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, Ohio, the co-founder of transitional residences for the homeless in Toledo and the Ohio Coalition for the Homeless in Columbus, Ohio. She also was an alcohol, drug addiction and mental health counselor of ex-inmates at Elliot and Associates in Sylvania, Ohio.

1993
Allia Carter was appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer for Virginia Union University.

1998
Jason Holton recently won the Golden Arm Challenge at the California Casino in Las Vegas. “Despite what I learned in my Statistics Class at Siena Heights I overcame the odds to win this tournament,” he said. He is employed in device management for Sanofi Aventis. He resides in Canton, Mich.

Dr. Timothy Slowik works as a security consultant for SGS Security. He resides in Sterling Heights, Mich.

2005
Jeffrey Beyer is a musician and recently concluded the national tour of “The Sound of Music.” He worked on the first national tour of “Fiddler on the Roof,” playing Reed 1 in the orchestra. He also has had two arrangements published by Alry Publications that received 2018 Honorable Mention awards from the National Flute Association. He lives in Oak Park, Mich.

Seth Borton is currently the head bass fishing coach at Adrian College. His teams have had three No. 1 rankings in the competitive sport, which conducts tournaments around the country.

Amber (Carson) Nelson works as the senior manager of Marketing for Thermo Fisher Scientific. She resides in Kalamazoo, Mich.

2006
Ben Riggleman is employed as a system architect for Shoptelligence in Ann Arbor, Mich.

2007
Erika (Wolcott) Henry and her husband, Garrett, of Dunwoody Ga., welcomed their first child, Isabelle, in May 2018.

Damon Sloan was named the recipient of the Region IV-East Scott Goodnight Award for Outstanding Performance as a Dean by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). He is currently the vice president of Student and Alumni Affairs at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill. The award is for those who have demonstrated sustained professional achievement in student affairs work, innovative response in meeting students’ varied and emerging needs, effectiveness in developing staff and leadership in community and college or university affairs. Sloan was honored during the NASPA IV-E Regional Conference from Nov. 11-13, 2019, in Milwaukee, Wis.

2008
Andy Ham MA was hired as the athletics director at Napoleon (Ohio) Area Schools. He will be the AD for grades 7-12.

2009
Nick Angel, Ed. Spec. was named Principal of the Year by the Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association for Region 2, which includes Washtenaw, Livingston and Monroe counties. He was honored in December 2018. Angel is the principal at Beach Middle School in Chelsea, Mich.

2010
Nelson Holliday was named the Educator of the Year at Evergreen Local School District in Metamora, Ohio.

2011
Juan Freitez MA is a Venezuelan filmmaker and video journalist who is debuting his first feature length documentary. “Salud Sin Papeles: Undocumented Health” is about a group of activists who organize their community to build Phoenix Allies for Community Health, a free clinic for undocumented immigrants. They are sparked by a backlash to a neo-Nazi rally and anti-immigrant laws. Nurse and social activist Jason Odhner journeys to the crossroads of a national debate over healthcare and immigration. The documentary also delves into the history of the clinic, and the poignant stories of patients illuminate the struggles of the marginalized undocumented community. His documentary shorts have been featured by NPR, Public Radio International’s The World, NBC News, the National Journal and the Huffington Post.

April (Clark) Welch was named the Executive Director of the Henry County Community Improvement Corporation in Henry County, Ohio, in May 2019. She previously was employed as the director of the Downtown Development Authority in Blissfield, Mich.

Gema (Bautista Cota) Morris is employed as a behavioral therapist and training interventionist with Autism Spectrum Therapies. She and her husband, Kenneth ’11, and daughter, Isla, live in Warren, Mich.

2012
Jenny Engle ’15MA started a new position in November 2018 as executive director of the Adrian Schools Educational Foundation.

Mariah Welke was named recreation coordinator for the City of Coldwater, Mich., in December 2018. In her full-time role, she will help provide community programs and special events.

2013
Dr. Brandon Bowers served as an NFL injury analyst for CBSSports.com during the 2018 season. Bowers, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, currently practices outpatient orthopedics for Athletico Physical Therapy in the Columbus, Ohio, area. He treats many high school and collegiate athletes in the clinical setting.

2014
Damien Ross completed his first season as head football coach in fall 2018 at Bangor (Mich.) High School. He previously served as an assistant coach there and also coached at Midland (Neb.) University and MacMurray (Ill.) College. He was a former wide receiver for the Saints.

2015
Joey Mravec and Demi Fry ’14 were married Sept. 16, 2017. The bridegroom was a member of the inaugural Siena Heights football team who currently is employed as a Michigan State Trooper at the Brighton post. The bride is currently employed as an agent relationship specialist at the Gleaner Life Insurance Society. The couple resides in Dundee, Mich.

2016
RaShawn Calvert was named the Coach of the Year by the Maricopa, Ariz., Unified School District. She is the head varsity girls basketball coach at the school.

2017
Lesley Ducat was hired as a police officer in Bluffton, Ohio, in August 2018. She previously interned with the McComb (Ohio) Police Department.

Alyssa Fausneaucht began a new position as an account manager at the Eaton Corp. She resides in Jackson, Mich.

Madeline Smith is employed as a financial analyst with the Kapnick Insurance Group. In January 2018 she bought her first home. She resides in Adrian, Mich.

Deaths—Alumni

Sister Irma Gerber, OP ’42
Sister Marie O’Donnell, OP ’43
Sister Mary Duwelius, OP ’45
Cecilia Lambert ’45AS
Ruth Sitzmann Morrissey ’46
Sister Charles Christine Uhnavy, OP ’47
Sister Anne Stein, OP ’48
Joan (Gardzinski) Bartoszewicz ’50
Sister Jean Birney, OP ’50
Sister Dorothy Burns, OP ’50, ’73MA
Sister Cecilia Marie Brown, OP ’51
Sister Irene Kerich, OP ’51
Sister Therese Foote, OP ’52
Sister Mary Ellen Brodeur, OP ’53
Sister Grace Flowers, OP ’53
Sister Beverly McEachin, OP ’54
Sister Patricia DeMay, OP ’56, ’65MA
Sister Mary Saynay, OP ’56
Sister Nora Brady, OP ’57
Sister Andrea Broutin, OP ’57
Sister Jeanne O’Laughlin, OP ’58
Sister Mary Herbella, OP ’59
Sister Sean Morley, OP ’59
Sister Ann Rozalia Szabo, OP ’59
Sister Monica Kim, OP ’60, ’66MA
Evelyn (Christensen) Louwers ’60
Sister Patricia Spangler, OP ’60
Sister Ellen Murphy, OP ’61
Sister Lorraine Pepin, OP ’61
Sister Mary Assenmacher, OP ’62
Sister Therese Reynolds, OP ’64
Bruce Stephens ’65MA
Sister Mary Diane McMeekin, OP ’67
Bernadine Potts ’68
Sister Hilda Sheehan, OP ’68
Sister Margaret Exworthy, OP ’69
Sister Maureen Fenlon, OP ’69
JoAnne Ruth Ryan ’69
Sister Marie Gonzales, OP ’71
Sister Lorraine Morin, OP ’71
Sister Mary Ellen Plummer, OP ’71
Janet Huvaere ’72
Sister Virginia O’Reilly, OP ’73MA
Thomas Rudd ’74
John Hartley ’75
Claudia (Snyder) Scott ’77
Sister Janet Capone, OP ’80MA
Margaret Goble ’86—former Advancement staff member.
Marita “Rose” (Cook) Cremeans ’93
Don Leibel ’94, ’98MA
Robert “Bobby” Hoffman ’98
Janet Rodgers ’99
Danielle Martinique Durrah ’00
Fred Butler ’04, ’08MA
Susanne Smith ’13 (Benton Harbor)
Jesse Melot ’15 (Lansing)

Fred Butler ’04, ’08MA was killed in a car accident Sept. 23, 2018 in the Detroit area. Butler was a standout on SHU’s first football team as a defensive back and also worked in the Admissions Office at Siena Heights. His family has established a scholarship fund in his honor.

Deaths—Friends

Robert Brady—former Graduate College faculty member.
Kelley Merillat—former Upward Bound staff member.
Jim O’Flynn—former College of Professional Studies faculty member.
Donna Roe—former Library staff member.

Jim O’Flynn, retired assistant professor of Management and coordinator of Distance Learning passed away Dec. 4, 2018, after a battle with cancer. O’Flynn made significant and foundational contributions to Siena’s nationally award-winning online program. He was responsible for developing detailed written guidelines for course development, recruiting and mentoring new faculty, and providing faculty education and professional development in online learning. Jim diligently sought to enhance the student experience for students taking online classes. These efforts greatly reduced student drop rates. As a founding member of Siena’s Distance Learning Committee, Jim had an impact on the shape and success of the online program including the effort to secure HLC accreditation for our online programs. He was recognized by his peers for his commitment to quality teaching and received the Jack Bologna Innovative Teaching Award in 2004-05.

Sister Jeanne O’Laughlin, OP ’58 passed away June 18, 2019, at age 90. A very close friend of SHU President Sister Peg Albert, Sister Jeanne was a former Siena Heights board member and familiar face on the Adrian campus for many years. As a board member, she led the effort to create the current Siena Heights Mission Statement. O’Laughlin Stadium was dedicated in her honor in 2011; she was a regular visitor to the President’s Box during Saints home football games. She served as President of Barry University from 1981-2004 as well as Chancellor from 2004-09. Sister Jeanne has served as chair of the Council of Independent Colleges and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. She also was president of the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities and chair of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida. She was inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame and received the Siena Medal in 1997 for her Christian commitment and efforts to transform the world.