Class Notes | Fall 2019

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

• 1960s

  • Truman Carver AS ’63, BS ’65 is a guidance counselor in the Davis School District. He completed his graduate studies at Brigham Young University, where he received his Utah counselor certification. Truman operates the Pioneer Photo Gallery, a classic antique portrait studio he opened at Lagoon amusement park in 1976. He is a member of WSU’s Emeriti Alumni Council. Truman and his wife, Kathy Carver, live in Kaysville.

  • F. Ric Hammond AS ’63, BS ’64 retired after 34 years with O.C. Tanner, where he served as vice president of client relations. He previously worked for American Oil, formerly Standard Oil of Indiana and now Amoco Corporation, for five years after earning his MBA from the University of Utah in 1967. Ric served on the board of directors for the Utah Food Bank, as president of the board for the Utah Tennis Association, and he volunteered for Salt Lake Senior Transportation for 10 years. He married Claudia Ann Russell, and together they raised three sons. Ric and Claudia live in Holladay and have 11 grandchildren and two great grandsons.

  • Following graduation, Marilyn Hartog Porter BA ’66 served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in São Paulo, Brazil. She then taught English at North Davis Junior High. She speaks Portuguese and German. Marilyn lived in Thailand for two years, and then moved to Indiana, where she was a substitute teacher for Brownsburg Community Schools. She later served a second mission in Western Australia. Marilyn has four sons, three daughters and 18 grandchildren. She lives in Ogden.

  • C. Robert “Bob” Day BS ’69 retired from the U.S. government after 38 years. He worked for the Department of Defense in logistics management and resource management. Bob received his master’s degree from Webster University in 1974. He and his wife, Nancy Jo Day, have three children and six grandchildren. They live in York, Pennsylvania, where they recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and where Bob recently completed his 10th year as an elected judge of elections.

• 1970s
  • Catherine “Katie” Folkman BS ’73 is a national board certified middle school math teacher and a volunteer math club advisor for the Lake Washington School District in King County, Washington. Her husband, Kevin Folkman BS ’74, is an information technology specialist for the Issaquah School District, also in King County. Kevin has written articles on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the Mormon History Association and other groups, and he reviews books for the Association for Mormon Letters. Katie and Kevin live in Redmond, Washington. They have six children and 10 grandchildren.
  • Edward Rampton BS ’73 retired after a 44-year career in public power, having served as the chief governmental affairs officer for Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems. He and his wife, Jana Rampton, have two sons, two daughters and eight grandchildren. The Ramptons live in Lehi but are currently serving in the Adriatic North Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  • Nancy Hartog AS ’75 enjoyed a 30-year career in the Imaging Services Department of Intermountain Healthcare’s McKay-Dee Hospital. She performed CT scans and MRIs, and spent the last 16 years specializing in ultrasound imaging. Nancy lives in North Ogden.
  • MJ Quinn BA ’76 is an author and attorney who has won awards for his short stories and articles on international and comparative law. He writes the Periston Manor novel series, Book 1 of which was published in 2016. MJ also has had plays workshopped and staged in New York. He was educated in the U.S., Germany and the United Kingdom. He lives in New England.
  • David Tensmeyer BA ’76 retired after nearly 40 years as a family physician with Intermountain Healthcare. He still teaches in the residency program at McKay-Dee Hospital. David received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Utah School of Medicine. He also holds a certificate of added qualification in sports medicine. For 37 years, David has volunteered as a team physician for Weber State University Athletics. He twice served as a bishop for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and he volunteers at the Ogden Rescue Mission and as a mentor for WSU’s Leadership to Legacy program. David and his wife, Gayle Foulger Tensmeyer AA ’74, live in Layton. They have four children, two of whom are WSU graduates, and 14 grandchildren.
  
  
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• 1980s

  • Duane Whitbeck BS ’82 is chair of Pittsburg State University’s Department of Family & Consumer Sciences. He earned his master’s degree from North Dakota State University in 1985 and his Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Tennessee in 1998. Duane has worked with child development and family programs for over 30 years and has been active in organizations at the state and national levels. He served as the 2016-17 president of the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences. He married Lisa (Call) Whitbeck AS ’83, who has been a pediatric, nursery and neonatal intensive care unit registered nurse since graduating. Duane and Lisa have three children.

  • John D. Johnson BS ’83 is a professor of management information systems at Utah State University’s Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, where he previously served as head of the Department of Management Information Systems. John serves on WSU’s Department of Economics Advisory Board. He is a co-founder of PoliticIt and RedBird Metrics. He is also a co-founder, former chief technology officer and board member for FNC Inc. John received his doctoral degree in economics from Texas A&M in 1987. He and his wife, Heather Johnson, have eight children. They live in North Ogden.

  • Douglas Hansen BS ’84 retired from the FBI in 2006 and spent the next five years in Iraq, where he helped establish the Iraq National Information & Investigation Training Institute, the Iraqi version of the FBI Academy. He currently teaches law and public safety at Walden Grove High School in Sahuarita, Arizona, where he also chairs the Career and Technical Education Department. Douglas is a professor in the Administration of Justice Studies program at Pima Community College in Tucson, Arizona. He and his wife,Colleen C. Hansen BS ’84, live in Sahuarita.

  • Eric Aragon BS ’87 worked as a certified fitness professional for 29 years. He has been a Division I assistant strength and conditioning coach and a national competitor, coach and referee in both powerlifting and USA Weightlifting. He is currently a personal trainer at Foothill Personal Training in Salt Lake City. Eric received his master’s degree in exercise and sport science from the University of Utah in 1994. He serves as president of the board of directors for the Weber State Wildcat Club. Eric is married to Dominique M. Aragon. He has three children and two pugs.

  • Anthony Godfrey AA ’88, BA ’93 was named superintendent of the Jordan School District in May 2019. He worked in the Jordan School District for 26 years as an English teacher, assistant principal and principal. He also served as a member of the school district’s administrative cabinet for 13 years. He and his wife, Susan Godfrey BS ’93, live in Sandy.

  • Jim Neal BS ’88 is the sales manager for Altria Group and Distribution Co. He previously worked as a store manager for Smith’s Food and Drug/Fry’s. Jim volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and St. Mary’s Food Bank, and he is a member of the Rotary Club in Chandler, Arizona. He and his wife, Cheryl, have three children and two grandchildren. They live in Chandler.

  
  
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• 1990s

  • Lisa Hardin-Reynolds BS ’90 was named CEO of Girl Scouts of Utah (GSU) in March 2019. She has worked for the organization for 29 years, previously serving as interim CEO, chief operating officer and vice president of outdoor programs and property. Lisa has been instrumental in building GSU’s outdoor program, helping thousands of girls create memories and gain a love of the outdoors at Camp Cloud Rim and Trefoil Ranch. She has two daughters.

  • Masters runner Brad Barton BS ’91 became the new world record-holder in the mile for the men’s 50-54 age category during the 2019 Music City Distance Carnival in Nashville, Tennessee, where he finished in under 4 minutes, 20 seconds — 4:19:59 to be exact. Brad teamed up with WSU track coaching legend, Chick Hislop AS ’57, to train. With Hislop’s mentoring, Brad has also set masters world and American records in the 1,500-meter, 3,000-meter and 3,000-meter steeplechase races. When he isn’t running, Brad is a professional leadership and inspirational speaker. He and his wife, Melissa Barton, and several of their children make their home in Spanish Fork.

  • Shauna Nielsen Gibby BS ’94 is a writer and author who has had four children’s books published in the last two years. Her books are interactive. Each page asks a question, and the answer comes by shining a flashlight behind the page to reveal a hidden image. Shauna is also a graphic designer who designs book covers and interior layouts for Deseret Book Company. She and her husband, John Gibby, have five children and 16 grandchildren.

  
  
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• 2000s

  • L Kirk R. Johnson BS ’01 is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Ogden. He advises individuals, small businesses and nonprofits as they plan and invest for the future. Kirk recently completed his Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor© (CRPC) designation. Kirk and his wife,Marcy Johnson BS ’03, have five children and live in South Ogden.

  • Rebecca Bennion BS ’04 is the running program coordinator for The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Salt Lake City, where she has worked in the physical therapy department, the sport science lab and the sport training program. Rebecca has professional certifications through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and USA Track and Field as a certified strength and conditioning coach, and as a level 1 certified track and field coach.

  • Sarah Penn ASN ’04, BSN ’05 is a family nurse practitioner (FNP) for Lander Medical Clinic in Lander, Wyoming. She previously worked as an FNP for Rocky Mountain Emergency Specialists and for Intermountain Healthcare. Sarah earned her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. She is an associate professor of medicine at the University of Wyoming and is a volunteer with the local 4-H horse program. Sarah and her husband, Nate Penn, have three children and live in Lander.

  • Sgt. Shane Kibler BS ’06 has worked for the state of Utah for 18 years, supervising a juvenile probation unit in Salt Lake City. He previously served for 13 years as a security forces technical sergeant in the U.S. Air Force. He and his wife, Lindsay Kibler, have three children, two of whom received bachelor’s degrees from WSU. The Kiblers live in Bountiful.

  • Zach Smith AA ’06, BS ’11 is the CEO and co-founder of Funded Today LLC, a crowdfunding agency that has raised funds for more than 3,000 new ideas and businesses worldwide. He also owns Smith Investments Holding Group LLC, a hard money and real estate holding group. Zach is also CEO and founder of Unplugged LLC, a professional landscaping, fertilization and lawn care business that he has managed for 12 years. He volunteers with the ZimbabWECare medical missions to Africa. Zach and his wife, Courtney Bergen, live in South Ogden.

  • Krissy Bigelow Soto AS ’08 is a licensed CPA and is the commissions and payroll accounting manager at Instructure Inc., an educational technology company in Salt Lake City. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Westminster College. Krissy and her husband, Fernando Soto, have two sons. They live in Salt Lake City with their two dogs.

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• 2010s

  • Timothy Reed BS ’10 is a freelance lighting designer for productions on Broadway. He has served as the lighting designer for Lewis Black: Black to the Future and the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS shows, Broadway Backwards and Gypsy of the Year. Timothy also has served as an associate lighting designer for All My Sons, Meteor Shower, War Paint and The Illusionists, and as an assistant lighting designer for The Cher Show, Frozen and others. Some of his national tours include Frozen, Finding Neverland, Elf The Musical, Twelfth Night and Into the Woods. Timothy has also worked with Disney Cruise Line® - Norwegian Cruise Line, Cirque “R.U.N.” in Las Vegas, and the Disney Concert Series at Disney World. He lives in New York City.

  • Ben Larsen AA ’11, MHA ’17, MBA ’17 is a patient experience leader for Baylor Scott & White Health in Central Texas. He previously worked for Intermountain Healthcare. Ben volunteers for Flying Doctors of America, United Way and the Boy Scouts of America. He and his wife, Kailene Wallentine Larsen AS ’09, BS ’11, have three children. Kailene is a dental hygienist and stay-at-home mother. They live in Waco, Texas.

  • Stacy Bernal AS ’12, BA ’13 is a professional speaker and coach for See Stacy Speak LLC. In 2019, she became a U.S. founding member of the global organization, Keynote Women Speakers, whose mission is to bring more diverse female speakers to stages around the world. Stacy founded the Awesome Autistic Ogden event, as well as a local nonprofit. She is a contributing writer for Scary Mommy, Autism Parenting Magazine and Thrive Global. Stacy also serves on the WSU Alumni Association Board of Directors. She and her husband, Dusty Bernal BS ’03, live in Ogden.

  • Adam Huffield MS ’13 is a continuing lecturer at Purdue University in the nutrition science and health and kinesiology departments. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership. Adam has over 15 years of experience working in the health, fitness and sports industries. He is a registered dietitian and a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics. Adam is also a certified athletic trainer and a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

  • Brent Jenkins BS ’13, MS ’14 is a certified management accountant (CMA) and finance professional for Goldman Sachs’ Human Capital Management division. Brent previously worked for Allegiant for five years as the manager for fleet planning and corporate finance. He also has worked as a business analyst for the U.S. Institute of Languages. Brent has a master’s degree in global finance from Thunderbird School of Global Management, a unit of Arizona State University’s Knowledge Enterprise Development. He served a mission in Cambodia for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Brent and his wife,Shelley Johnsen Jenkins BS ’12, have three children and live in Plain City.

  • Brenda Smith AS ’13, BS ’14 is the development director for Weber State’s Jerry & Vickie Moyes College of Education and the College of Engineering, Applied Science & Technology. Brenda started the Anything For A Friend Foundation, a local nonprofit that has raised over $2 million to assist more than 40 families in Davis and Weber counties. Her husband, Blaine Smith AS ’12, AAS ’12, BS ’14, is a software engineering manager for Davis County. Brenda and Blaine are certified health coaches for Optavia. They have three sons, one daughter, and live in Layton.

  • Taylor Knuth BA ’14 is the development director for Weber State’s Division of Academic Affairs. He previously served as development director for the Ogden Symphony Ballet Association, now Onstage Ogden, and as the community services coordinator for United Way of Northern Utah. Taylor earned his master’s degree in arts administration from Southern Utah University. Taylor’s husband, Sean Bishop BA ’12, is a deployment analyst for Workday in Salt Lake City. They live in Ogden.

  • Nina Morse AS ’16, BS ’17 is the communications specialist at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Structures, where she manages internal communications. She serves on the West Haven Special Service District community board. Nina is pursuing a master’s degree in professional communication. She and her husband, Nate Morse, have one daughter and two sons. They live in West Haven.

  • Ann Parry MPC ’17 is president of Harper Associates, where she specializes in product marketing and sales. She is a community advocate who has been working with nonprofit groups in Weber County and surrounding areas for 17 years. Ann has served as chair of the board of trustees for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weber-Davis and is currently serving as an executive board member and chair of the RAMP Tax Advisory Board of Weber County. She lives in Ogden.

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