Class Notes | Spring 2018

Lifetime Member of the Alumni Association
Annual Member of the Alumni Association

• 1960s
  • Ronald Axton BS ’66 retired
    from Hill Air Force Base
    after serving as a program
    manager for special projects.
    He previously served in the
    U.S. Navy and spent a year
    in Vietnam working as a
    civilian for the U.S. Army.
    Ron and his wife, Nora, also
    owned a photography studio
    for eight years in Ogden.
    They have two children, five
    grandchildren, 11 greatgrandchildren,
    and they live
    in St. George, Utah. 
  • Robert Hunter BS ’68 is the
    director of WSU’s Olene S.
    Walker Institute of Politics
    & Public Service and is past
    president and CEO of United
    Way of Northern Utah.
    He has been an adjunct
    faculty member in Weber
    State’s political science and
    communication departments
    for 25 years. Robert previously
    served as Ogden City
    manager and a Weber County
    commissioner. He is a WSU
    Distinguished Alumnus,
    recipient of the Purple Paw
    award, and is on the Ogden-
    Weber Chamber of Commerce
    Wall of Fame. He and his wife,
    Rula, have three children and
    seven grandchildren.
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• 1970s
  • Max Neves BS ’70 retired in 2014 after working in medical-related fields, where he was responsible for human resources and the corporate functions of real estate, training, security, safety, and public and community relations. He has served on a government compensation committee and the Utah governor’s committee on employment of people with disabilities. He and his wife,  Cheryl Neves BS ’72, recently returned from an LDS mission. They have five children and live in South Jordan, Utah. 
  • Of the 33 years that Sandy Coroles BS ’75 spent in education, 28 were spent in the Ogden School District, where she recently retired as superintendent. After teaching first and third grades in the Weber School District, Sandy began teaching special needs students in Ogden. She received a master’s degree in psychology from Utah State University and worked as a teacher, counselor, family center coordinator and principal. Her son graduated from, and her grandson currently attends, WSU.

     

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  • Jim Beebee BS ’73 graduated from the Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1978. He practiced in Napa, California, before moving to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where he and a classmate built a small-animal practice. After six years, Jim moved back to the Bay Area to work for Diablo View Veterinary Hospital in Pleasant Hill, California. He became the sole owner of the clinic in 1999. He and his wife, Carol, have been married since 1974 and have three sons and three grandchildren.

  • Diane Wilson BS ’78 is a licensed clinical social worker who recently retired after 28 years in the industry. She worked for Weber Human Services, as well as in the neonatal intensive care unit, Women’s Center and pediatrics departments of McKay-Dee Hospital and Ogden Regional Medical Center. She also worked for Salt Lake County Mental Health. Diane volunteers in education, medicine, marriage, and family and community service.

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• 1980s

  • Brent C. Rose BA ’83 has been the president of Rose Electric Inc. for 25 years. He pursued a degree in electrical engineering at BYU. Brent’s wife,
    Elizabeth Dunford Rose AS ’79, BS ’81, taught third grade at Whitesides Elementary and recently served on the Relief Society General Board for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints. They have four children, two grandchildren and live in Kaysville, Utah.

  • Michele Kersey-Smith BS ’85, M.Ed. ’02 recently retired from a career in the Weber School District, where she taught for 32 years. Michele serves on the Quest Academy school board in West Haven, Utah. She also tutors online students from Northridge Learning Center/Dorius Academy, an online private school in Utah. Michele and her husband, James, live in Clinton, Utah.

  • Kirk Thor BS ’88 is executive vice president and chief human resources officer for Integer Holdings Corporation in Plano, Texas, and works with a firm that psychologically analyzes players for NFL teams. He has held prominent positions at Flowserve Corporation, the Pentagon and Walt Disney World, and serves on Weber State’s College of Social & Behavioral Sciences advisory council. An animal activist, Kirk also volunteers with SPCA of Texas and cares for critically endangered tortoises.

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• 1990s

  • After receiving his Ph.D. from Columbia University, Satoshi Watanabe BA ’90 worked for the University of California, Berkeley; University of Tsukuba-Tokyo; American Institutes for Research; The World Bank; and the city of New York. He is now vice president for university management planning and a professor of economics and education at Hiroshima University in Japan. He and his wife, Nicole, live in Hiroshima with their two children.

     

     

  • Terresa Slade BS ’92, BS ’02 is a stay-at-home mother of six children. Terresa has been volunteering in the Davis School District since 1995, giving about 100 hours every year, particularly to the gifted and talented programs. She also volunteers with the Clytie Adams School of Ballet Nutcracker performance held at WSU each year. She and her husband, Doug, live in Kaysville, Utah.

     

     

  • Shawna Sugimoto AS ’95, BS ’14 is an Americorps “Read. Graduate. Succeed.” student advocate at Roy High School. She volunteers with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weber-Davis, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and NUHOPE of Utah, a Northern Utah suicide prevention task force. Shawna has two children, one granddaughter and lives in Roy, Utah.

     

     

  • Kristine (Moyes) Barker BS ’91 is in her 27th year as a teacher in the Weber School District, where she has taught both fifth and sixth grades. Her husband, Casey Barker BA ’92, has been teaching seminary for the LDS church for 26 years and is currently the principal of the LDS seminary at Ben Lomond High School. They have three daughters and live in North Ogden, Utah.

  • Carter Haacke BS ’95 is an academic counselor at Sunset Junior High in Utah’s Davis School District. He earned his master’s degree from the University of Phoenix. His wife, Cindy Haacke AS ’79, is a nurse practitioner for Intermountain Healthcare at WorkMed, which provides clinic support to communities across Northern Utah. She obtained her master’s degree in nursing from the University of Utah. Carter and Cindy have five children and live in Syracuse, Utah.

  • Matthew Porter BS ’96 is a district manager for Fastenal, a company that provides industrial supplies, OEM fasteners and safety products worldwide. He oversees stores throughout Utah, western Colorado and southwestern Wyoming. He lives in Morgan, Utah.

     

     

  • Mike Layton BS ’91 is an associate broker and realtor for Keller Williams Realty Inc. and also owns and operates Mike Layton Real Estate. He is currently serving in his fourth year as a South Ogden City planning commissioner and has served on several committees for the Weber/North Davis Association of Realtors, including the education, technology and government affairs committees. Mike and his wife, Olive, live in South Ogden, Utah, and have six children and seven grandchildren.

  • Jeffrey Lentfer BA ’95 is the president of Bilikin Investment Group, a corporation that operates eight Midas automotive repair shops, as well as a car wash, throughout Alaska. He and his wife, Stephanie, have three children and live in Anchorage, Alaska. 

  • As a teacher, Lori (Moore) Barker AS ’99, BS ’00 has been recognized internationally for developing a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program for elementary educators on the topic of blue whales. She is currently pursuing her Master of Education degree. Her husband, Leland Barker BA ’16, is a sales associate for Link Interactive, providing home security systems nationwide. They have six children, four grandchildren and live in North Ogden, Utah.

     

     

  • Rajan Patel BS ’91 is a doctor at Medical Options for Wellness in Foster City, California. He received his master’s degree in physiology and his medical degree from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. He is board certified in family medicine. Rajan is trained in, and has extensive experience with, various natural therapies. He is an active supporter of the Autism Research Institute and the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society.

  • Mark Lenthe BS ’95 is a family medicine physician at Tanner Clinic. He previously served six years as a physician in the U.S. Air Force. Mark received his Doctor of Osteopathy degree in osteopathic medicine from Touro University. His wife, Shannon Cragun Lenthe BS ’97, was a case manager at St. Mark’s Gardens in Kaysville, Utah, and then an assistant administrator at Chateau III assisted living in Pleasant Hill, California. Mark and Shannon have three children and live in Mountain Green, Utah.

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• 2000s

  • Shauna Pitt AS ’00, BS ’05 is an advisor for WSU’s Dr. Ezekiel R. Dumke College of Health Professions. She serves on Weber State’s Staff Advisory Committee and the Marriott Staff Development Committee. Shauna, who recently celebrated her 10-year anniversary at the university, also teaches an introduction to health care careers course.

    Blynn Simmons BA ’00 is an attorney who focuses on estate planning, business planning and transactions, elder law, and mediation at Sage Law Partners LLC in Farmington, Utah. She lives in South Weber, Utah, with her husband, Scott.

    Megan Wolthuis Grunander BS ’01, a surgeon, is the assistant director of trauma and the intensive care unit at Ogden Clinic. She also serves on the board for Ogden Clinic and is the assistant professor of surgery at the University of Utah, where she earned her medical degree. Megan is also a member of the University of Utah School of Medicine Admissions Committee. Her husband, Todd Grunander BS ’02, is an orthopedic surgeon and chief of surgery at McKay-Dee Hospital. They have three children.

    Lucien Hardy III BS ’01 is a senior account executive for Enterprise Rental Agency, where he has worked for more than 11 years. He and his daughter, Brookelyn, live in Los Angeles.

    Julia Cherashore B.Mus. ’02,
    BS ’03 works in risk management for Morgan Stanley. She received her MBA in finance from New York University. Julia and her husband, Matthew, live in Larchmont, New York. They have one daughter.
    
    Michael Giles BS ’03 is a tax and estate planning attorney at Bennett, Tueller, Johnson & Deere in Salt Lake City. He received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) and LL.M. (tax) degrees from Boston University. Michael serves on the WSU Planned Giving Committee and is a mentor for the Alumni Association’s Leadership to Legacy mentorship program.
     

  • Cory Weeks AA ’03, BA ’06, IC ’07, MA ’14 is a finance accountant for Utah’s Division of Finance and is the Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance coordinator for the state. He lives in Centerville, Utah, and is a Young Alumni mentor for the WSU Alumni Association’s Leadership to Legacy mentorship program.

    Tamara Davies BS ’04 works in communications at Pluralsight in Farmington, Utah. She received her Master of Professional Communication degree from Westminster College. Her husband, Derek Davies BS ’04, MAcc ’05, is a controller for Petzl America. Tamara and Derek have one child and live in Centerville, Utah. 

    Joe Jatip BS ’04 is a consultant and talent acquisition specialist for Dell Technologies. He previously worked as a human resources manager for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and for MarketStar Corporation. He and his wife, Tami, have four children and live in West Haven, Utah.

    Raeanna Johnson AS ’05, BS ’08 is the employee wellness coordinator for WSU. Her husband, Trevor Johnson BS ’14, is a process engineer at Hill Air Force Base. Raeanna and Trevor live in Hooper, Utah, with their two daughters.

    Austin Green BS ’06, M.Ed. ’11 is an elementary school teacher for Utah’s Davis School District. He previously taught in the Canyons School District. For the past seven years, Austin has served as an adjunct faculty member at Weber State, teaching in the English as a Second Language program. He and his wife, Amanda, live in Layton, Utah.

     

  • Jill Walker BS ’06, MA ’12 is the new alumni coordinator for WSU’s Office of Alumni Relations. Over the past 10 years, she has also worked for Weber State in the Stewart Library and as a Foundations of College Success instructor. Her husband, Shane Walker AAS ’10, BS ’13, is a software engineer for Hill Air Force Base. They have two daughters.
    
    Jeffrey Bailey BS ’07 is the director of business development for AlphaGraphics in Bountiful, Utah, where he has worked for 13 years. He is a scoutmaster and 11-year volunteer for Boy Scouts of America. Jeffrey and his wife, Ruth, have four children.

    Daniel Peterson ’08 is a deputy prosecuting attorney for the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office in Boise, Idaho. He handles felony trial litigation for the county. His wife, Valerie Peterson AS ’06, is a registered nurse. They live with their family in Boise, Idaho.

    Erik Oberg BS ’09 works in Twin Falls, Idaho, as an innovation scientist for Chobani, where he designs and develops new drinks from idea to commercialization. He received a master’s degree from Utah State University in food microbiology, quality and safety. Erik lives in Kimberly, Idaho. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
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• 2010s

  • Shayden Bertagnolli BA ’10 is a licensed marriage and family therapist. He founded Shayden Therapy of Ogden and is currently establishing a company that will empower teenagers to college-aged individuals to conquer anxiety and thrive in relationships. Shayden has a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Auburn University. He considers his career calling to be a relationship/anxiety therapist. He and his wife, Shelly, live in Farr West, Utah, with their two sons and daughter.

    Martha Camarillo Freston BA ’12 is a Juris Doctor (J.D.) candidate at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. She previously worked for the Utah law firm, Parr Brown Gee & Loveless, and the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. She and her husband, Joel Freston BS ’11, live in San Francisco. 

     

  • India Nielsen AS ’12, BS ’14 is a financial disclosure specialist for Utah’s lieutenant governor. She is a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah, a volunteer at the Humane Society of Utah, and she donates time to The Road Home’s literacy program. India is president of the WSU Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Council. 
    
    Chad Illum BS ’15 works in the track program in outbound logistics network monitoring for General Motors, where he has held roles in stamping support, indirect purchasing and the command center. He was formerly a pricing analyst for Pro Star Logistics. He lives in Warren, Michigan, with his wife, Sadie Martineau BA ’13, who is a stay-at-home mom to their two children, with one on the way.

     

     

     

  • Kris Sanford BS ’15 is a professional speaker for student, church and community groups. In 2014, he completed Spinal Ride, breaking the quadriplegic handcycle distance world record, pedaling 1,040 miles from Idaho Falls, Idaho, to Huntington Beach, California. During Kris’ ride, he raised $25,000 for therapy for spinal cord injury patients who can’t afford treatment. He volunteers at Utah Special Olympics and the Utah Boys & Girls Clubs.

    Mitch L. McBride AS ’16, BS ’17 is the director of marketing and development for United Way of Northern Utah. He and his wife, Jenny, live in Ogden with their three children.

     

     

     

  
  
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