Class Notes | Spring 2016

Lifetime Member of the Alumni Association
Annual Member of the Alumni Association
Member of the Alumni Association's 125 Club

• 1950s
  • Donald G. Lochhead AS ’52 retired in 1994 as Davis School District’s curriculum supervisor. He previously worked as a counselor, English teacher and tennis coach, and taught English as a Second Language for the U.S. Information Agency in Tripoli, Libya. Donald was a representative for the Davis Education Association and the National Education Association. He was honored as an Educator of the Year. He and his wife, Louise, live in Bountiful, Utah, and have three children.
  • Roydon O. (Rod) Julander AS ’53 was a longtime Weber State political science professor. He received many awards, including WSU’s H. Aldous Dixon Award and Crystal Crest Professor of the Year. Rod was a Utah state senator from 1970-1974, and is a lobbyist for the National Association of Social Workers’ Utah chapter. He serves on WSU’s Emeriti Alumni Council. He and his wife, Paula, live in Salt Lake City. He has four children, 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
  • At the age of 81, Vern W. (Will) Call AS ’54 was appointed principal and chief administrator of Mikuni International College in Yuzawa, Japan. Vern is married to Mayumi Mukai Call BS ’72.
  • Gordon E. (Dutch) Belnap AS ’56 is a former Weber State athletic director. He also coached basketball at Weber High School and Utah State University. In the 1960s, Dutch was general manager of the Ogden Dodgers under Tommy Lasorda. The Utah Sports Hall of Fame Foundation honored Dutch with the Coaches of Merit award in 2001. He now serves on the foundation’s board. Dutch lives in Ogden, and has three children, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
• 1960s
  • A 37-year teacher, mostly in the Weber School District, Frances Carr Bush AS ’61, was a building representative for the Utah Education Association and co-president of the International Reading Association. A Girl Scout volunteer, she was selected to attend a leadership conference in Washington, D.C., and was a staff member for state and national leadership experiences. Frances and her husband, Richard, live in Ogden. They have three children and five grandchildren.
  • Dean T. Hughes BS ’67 has written more than 100 historical novels and children’s books. A retired English professor, he and his wife, Kathleen Hurst Hughes BS ’66, live in Midway, Utah. Kathy is a retired Provo School District teacher and administrator. She continues to serve on various boards and committees. Dean and Kathy, former WSU Emeriti Alumni Homecoming Royalty, have three children and nine grandchildren.
  • Dewey L. Dipoma BS ’68 retired as information systems manager from the Utah Office of Rehabilitation in 2003. He is a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteer on the city and county levels, and is also a member of the Weber County Sheriff’s Amateur Radio Emergency Services team, Red Cross and National Rehabilitation Association. Dewey has a Master of Public Administration degree from BYU. He and his wife, Karen Hirst Dipoma M.Ed. ’97, live in Ogden.
  • A teacher, Janet Hobbs Kappes BS ’68 spent time at Hillcrest Elementary in Ogden, and at Isonville Elementary and Clearfield Elementary in Kentucky. She was an adjunct professor at Weber State and also taught at Morehead State University in Kentucky. She volunteers for Rowan County Schools and her church. Janet and her husband, Keith, live in Morehead, Kentucky, and have eight children and 16 grandchildren.
  • David M. (Mac) Stevenson BS ’68 was an art teacher for the Weber and Ogden school districts, and a recipient of the Art Teacher of the Year award. A professional artist, Mac is a founding member of Ogden’s Gallery 25. His work can be found in private collections in 38 states. In 2009, he received the [Ogden] Mayor’s Award for the Arts. Mac received a Master of Fine Arts from BYU. He and his wife, Ann Brunetti Stevenson AS ’68, live in North Ogden, Utah, and have six children and 20 grandchildren.
• 1970s
  • Steven Carter BS ’70 worked as a corporate project manager for ITT, in management services in the Los Angeles office of Ernst & Young, and had corporate responsibilities in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Far East for Intel. As CEO of his own consulting company, he developed a food safety software program for food and beverage processors. Ecolab hired him to market this program to corporate customers throughout North America. Steven founded the WSU Alumni Band in 2001 and the Mount Ogden Brass Quintet. He is married to Lynne Draney Carter BS ’70. They have two sons and nine grandchildren. Steven currently serves as president-elect/vice president of WSU’s Emeriti Alumni Council.
  • Thomas R. Austad BS ’71 practiced podiatric medicine and surgery at the Foot and Ankle Clinic in Roy, Utah. He is past president of the Utah Podiatric Medical Association and retired staff member of McKay-Dee Hospital, Ogden Regional Medical Center and Davis North Hospital. Tom serves on WSU’s Emeriti Alumni Council. He and his wife, Shawnee Harrop Austad BS ’70, have five sons, three daughters and 27 grandchildren.
  • Richard T. (Dick) Brown BS ’72 was an art and graphic design instructor in the Weber School District, and an art director/creative director for several advertising agencies in Salt Lake City. The Utah Advertising Federation honored him as the 2010 Advertising Professional of the Year. Dick also won six Obie Awards for best outdoor advertising in the U.S. He is a member of, and serves, the LDS church. Dick and his wife, Lonna Brown, have four children and seven grandchildren. They serve on WSU’s Emeriti Alumni Council.
  • Judith (Judy) Pugmire Mitchell BS ’73 was an elementary education professor at Weber State, where she earned Crystal Crest Alumna of the Year and the Friend of Family Literacy Award. Judy also directed WSU’s Master of Education program and chaired the Department of Elementary Education. She is a member of the WSU Storytelling Festival executive committee and WSU’s Emeriti Alumni Council. She chairs the Ogden City Landmarks Commission. Judy has three children and five grandchildren.
  • Dean L. Belliston BS ’74 is the longtime owner and president of Belliston Jewelry. He serves on WSU’s Emeriti Alumni Council. Dean and his wife, Jerri, have five children and 14 grandchildren.
  • Ralph B. Johnson BS ’74 is a retired English teacher, coach, principal and school board member. In 2011, the Utah Sports Hall of Fame named Ralph a Distinguished High School Coach. He owns and operates a cattle ranch in Randolph, Utah. He and his wife, Brenda, have three sons, two daughters and eight grandchildren.
  • James C. Hinckle BS ’76 retired from Utah’s Jordan School District as a teacher and administrator. He is now the transportation director for the Mount Vernon School District in Washington. James and his wife, Julie, live in Mount Vernon. They have two children and two grandchildren.
  • MJ Quinn BA ’76 published the books Max & Lydia ... & Rob and Max & Lydia ... & Rob, Too. He lives in Stamford, Connecticut.
• 1980s
  • Ted K. Godfrey BS ’81 is a self-employed attorney in Ogden. He previously served as an Ogden City public defender, Roy City prosecutor, attorney for Richards & Godfrey, P.C., and temporary small-claims judge. He is a member of the Weber County Bar and Utah State Bar, bankruptcy section. After graduation, he participated in Weber State’s Young Alumni Council. He and his wife, Angie, live in Ogden and have five children.
  • Chris D. Nichols BS ’81 is an attorney/partner for Minden Lawyers. He previously was an attorney of counsel for the Harris Law Practice in Reno, Nevada, and also worked as an attorney/partner for Harris & Petroni in Reno. Chris is a member of the Utah State Bar, State Bar of Nevada, American Bankruptcy Institute and the Northern Nevada Bankruptcy Bar Association. He lives in Minden, Nevada, and has two children, one grandson and one granddaughter.
  • Shaun S. Myers BS ’82 is president of Myers Mortuaries. He is a past president of the WSU Alumni Association and Wildcat Club, as well as the Mt. Ogden Rotary, Funeral Service Foundation and Foundation for Hospice Northern Utah. He previously served on the National Funeral Directors Association board. Shaun is president of the LDS church’s Ogden Utah Stake and chair of WSU’s College of Social & Behavioral Sciences’ Advancement Board. He lives in Ogden with his wife, Christina.
  • Michelle (Shelley) Favero Bennett BS ’83 is a vocal accompanist (pianist) for Suzanne Thorup’s Vocal Studio in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Previously, she was an elementary teacher at Peruvian Park Elementary and a literacy volunteer coordinator at Canyon View Elementary. She also volunteers for the Millie’s Princess and Tyler Robinson cancer organizations. Shelley and her husband, Marc, have three children and three grandchildren.
  • Laurie Bonnell Stephens AS ’83, BS ’85 is the owner/producer of Reel Legacy Media Productions in Ogden. She serves on the WSU Alumni Association Board of Directors. Laurie and her husband, Paul B. Stephens ’86, have two daughters. Paul is the audiovisual director for Webb Audio Visual in Ogden.
  • Khosrow Shotorbani BS ’85, president and CEO of TriCore Reference Laboratories, received the 2015 G2 Intelligence Laboratory Leadership Award for Distinguished Service during the national G2 conference for the strategic medical laboratory industry. In his current position, Khosrow is at the forefront of efforts to use lab medicine to improve patient outcomes and reduce cost of delivery.
  • Susan A. Speirs BS ’85 is CEO of the Utah Association of Certified Public Accountants. She previously owned Susan Speirs and Associates. Susan is a member of multiple organizations, including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), American Women’s Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Utah Council on Financial and Economic Education. In 2011, the AICPA named Susan an “Experienced Woman to Watch.” She has two children and one grandson. She and her husband, Steven, live in Kaysville, Utah.
  • Mark L. Balboni BIS ’87 is BioMarin Pharmaceutical’s senior director of Good Manufacturing Practice compliance. He is responsible for internal and external audit programs. Mark is a three-time marathon finisher and a member of the WSU Alumni Association Board of Directors. He and his wife, Rachel, live in Layton, Utah.
  • Craig W. Hicken AS ’87, BIS ’99 is a lieutenant investigator for the Salt Lake County district attorney’s office. He is a retired special agent for the Utah State Bureau of Investigation. Craig and his wife, Brenda, live in Kamas, Utah, and have three children.
• 1990s
  • Randolph A. Meyer BS ’90 is a senior management analyst for the U.S. Department of Defense, where he previously worked as an accountant and auditor. During an overseas assignment in Germany, Randy helped with the Desert Storm logistics movement to Iraq. He is a member of the American Society of Military Comptrollers and was president of the organization’s local chapters in Germany and Barstow, California. Randy lives in Yucca Valley, California.
  • Richard A. Black AS ’96, BS ’97 is an application infrastructure manager for Zions Bancorporation, managing the database administration and middleware engineering teams. He lives in Roy, Utah.
  • Cheryl J. Lewis Castner AS ’97, BS ’99 is president and CEO of Educational Environment Consulting. She develops curriculum for kindergarten through university-level classes. She is a member of many organizations, including the International Interior Design Association and Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. She is a Phi Kappa Phi honor society member. After studying educational environments abroad, she now lives in Ogden. Cheryl has a son and daughter.
  • Michael L. Crowton BIS ’97 is the owner of Crowton Dental in Ogden. He received his doctorate from Virginia Commonwealth University. Mike serves on the board of directors for WSU’s Alumni Association and the Ogden Breakfast Exchange, and on the dental advisory board for Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College. He is president of the Weber District Dental Organization and the Dental Research/Education Association. He and his wife, Emily Gladwell Crowton AS ’96, have four children.
  • Clint Costley BA ’98 is the director of business development for KIER Construction. He is a member of the Weber School Foundation and WSU Alumni Association boards. He and his wife, Jamie Skeen Costley ’00, have three children and live in Plain City, Utah.
  • Paula S. Sands BS ’98, MAcc ’98 is a controller for Layer 3 Communications. She was previously a manager for Marsh & McConnell, P.C. and a senior manager for Brady, Ware & Schoenfeld. Paula is a member of the Georgia Society of CPAs Leadership Council and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She is vice president for Georgia’s chapter of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts. Paula is a member of the Golf for the Kids Board of Directors. She has two children and lives in Lawrenceville, Georgia.
  • Lori McCrary Brinkerhoff BS ’99 is a city council member for Hooper, Utah, serving Districts 3 and 6. She is president of the Weber County Republican Women. Lori is also a mother, professional volunteer and advocate for legislative issues that pertain to public education and its funding. She and her husband, Cole, have four children and three grandchildren.
  • Justin Jensen AA ’99, BS ’00 is an area manager for Cogentix Medical. His professional achievements include the President’s Club, Conventional Wisdom, First In Class, and Results Plus awards. Justin volunteers for the Utah Food Bank, Tour of Utah and his church. He is a member of the WSU Alumni Association Board of Directors. Justin and his wife, Kathi Wade Jensen BS ’00, live in Syracuse, Utah, and have four children.
  • Marcus Slease BA ’99 is featured in the 2015 edition of Best British Poetry. He has published eight poetry books, the most recent titled Rides, and his work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Marcus is an assistant English professor at Richmond American University in London. He previously was a lecturer at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he received his Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. Marcus also earned a Master of English from Western Washington University.
• 2000s
  • Jennie Pope Mercer BS ’00 is an engineering lab technician for Moog Medical Devices Group. She previously worked for ClearOne as a quality assurance technician. Jennie and her husband, Kadin, live in Centerville, Utah.
  • Carl G. Merino BS ’01 is chief of police for the city of Roy, Utah, where he leads a 40-member force. He previously served on the Roy force and also with the Salt Lake Police Department. Carl has SWAT experience and is an FBI-certified bomb technician. He served six years active and reserve duty with the U.S. Marine Corps and was in the Air Force Reserve for 27 years. Carl and his wife, Theresa, live in Layton, Utah, and have four children.
  • Justin B. Purcell AA ’02 competes as an amateur and professional in Strongman and Powerlifting competitions, and has ranked in the top 30 in the U.S. since 2010. He is a franchise operator for General Nutrition Center, and he also owns Pumpology.
  • Bryant S. Thompson BIS ’02 is an assistant business administration professor for WSU’s John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics. He previously was an assistant professor of leadership and management studies at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Bryant and his wife, Teresa, have three sons and live in Pleasant View, Utah.
  • Christopher A. Wood BS ’02, who played professional basketball in Europe for seven years, is now a motivational speaker. He wrote a book titled One Mailbox @ a Time: Your Step by Step Guide to Success. Chris lives in East Chicago, Indiana.
  • Joshua X. Pulido BS ’04, GC ’05 is a senior strategic marketing manager for Hologic. He previously was a global product manager for Bio-Rad Laboratories and a laboratory automation supervisor for Intermountain Healthcare. Josh belongs to the American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science and Clinical Laboratories Standards Institute. He and his wife, Tanisha, live in El Cajon, California.
  • Andrea Southwick Burk ’05 is the owner and innkeeper of Snowberry Inn Bed & Breakfast in Eden, Utah. She previously worked for Nutraceutical in Ogden as a business analyst. A culinary artist, she also has worked as a baker, barista and caterer. Andrea has one son.
  • After starting as an intern in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Collegiate Training Initiative in 2005, Tiffany I. Cheney BS ’05 was soon offered a full-time position as an air traffic systems specialist. She was promoted in 2013 to her current position, program support specialist. Tiffany is a member of the Professional Aviation Safety Specialists Union. She lives in Sunset, Utah.
  • G. Cory Duclos BA ’06 is the director of the Keck Center for Language Study at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. He earned a master’s degree in Spanish from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a doctoral degree in Spanish from Vanderbilt University.
  • Riley Cook BS ’07, MBA ’11 won the 2015 Altra Top of Utah Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 32 minutes, 9 seconds. His goal is to qualify for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials. Cook is a cost analyst at Hill Air Force Base. He and his wife, Amy Cook BS ’09, have three daughters.
  • Shelby Walford Hale BS ’07 owns Shelby Hale LMT, where she is a licensed massage therapist. She and her husband, David William Hale BS ’13, live in Plain City, Utah, and have a son and daughter. A retired NFL offensive lineman, David works for the sports medicine division of the Stryker Corporation.
  • Karsten R. Longhurst BA ’07 is director of choral studies and assistant music educator coordinator at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva, Oklahoma. He previously was an award-winning choral director at Ogden High School. A professional tenor, Karsten has worked with artists Marie Osmond, The Rolling Stones and more. He is a member of the American Choral Directors Association and National Association for Music Educators. He and his wife, Danielle Blaisdell Longhurst BA ’04, live in Alva with their four children.
  • While helping startup companies expand into new global markets, Jason Stout BA ’07 also co-founded the nonprofit organization No Poor Among Them. He was a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in South Africa, a partnership development director at Child Rescue Association of North America, a Kiva Fellow, and a political risk consultant for Barclays Bank. Jason earned a Master of International Affairs from Columbia University and received several fellowships. He lives in Kyiv, Ukraine, with his family.
• 2010s
  • Tyler J. Lathem BS ’10 is a system administrator for Integrated Data Services. He lives in Ogden. Maryam Ahmad AS ’11 graduated from California State University Sacramento in May 2014 and is a first-year student at the University of California Hastings College of the Law.
  • Sarah Ahmad BS ’11 graduated from the University of Utah School of Medicine in May 2015 and is completing her internship at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, Utah. She will begin her neurology residency in Palo Alto, California, at Stanford University in July 2016.
  • Tessnim Ahmad BS ’12 is a research specialist for the California Faculty Association. She chairs the Sacramento chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
  • Jessi L. (Falkowski) Done BS ’11 is the director of laboratory operations and compliance for UST Manufacturing. She previously worked for Nelson Laboratories. Jessi is a member of the American Society for Quality, American Society for Microbiology and the American Herbal Products Association. She and her husband, Timothy Done, live in Ogden with their three children.
  • Colby R. Peterson AA ’11 is an associate development director for WSU’s John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics. He previously worked for AmeriCorps Vista. Colby lives in Roy, Utah, with his wife, Kristen Hall Peterson AS ’10.
  • After completing the Toyota Motor Sales, USA management training program, Matthew W. Budge BA ’12 was employed at Toyota’s corporate office in Torrance, California. After six months, he was transferred to the San Francisco Bay area, where he worked with Toyota’s northern California business operation until May 2015. He and his wife, Brittny Welch Budge BA ’10, live in South Bend, Indiana, where Matthew is working on his MBA at Notre Dame. They have one son.
  • Adam T. Staples BS ’12 is a study director III for Nelson Laboratories. He lives in Taylorsville, Utah.
  • Trenton J. McKean BS ’14 is the lead singer and guitarist for Utah-based band Son of Ian. He lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, Petra. They have one child.
  • Chase J. Burch BS ’15 is camp director for Windells Camp, which offers year-round action sports programs in Mt. Hood, Oregon. He previously was a store manager for Zumiez and served as the Dumke Law & Ethics research assistant in WSU’s Goddard School of Business & Economics.
  • Kaden Howell BS ’15 works for the Utah Jazz in promotions for the Cyprus Interactive Team. He previously worked for MarketStar and Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
  • Corbin J. Standley BS ’15 is a research analyst for the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City. He serves on the NU-HOPE Suicide Prevention Task Force.