Class Notes | Winter 2026

• 1950s

  • Robert “Bob” Sharp AS ’52 graduated from Ogden High School in 1950. After graduating from Weber Junior College, he attended Stanford University, where he was part of the Navy Active-Duty Reserve Program, and graduated with a combined degree in industrial engineering and economics. During the late 1950s and early ’60s, Bob worked for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. He was then made manager of the Washington Terminal Company in Washington, D.C. In 1967, Bob was promoted to assistant vice president in charge of marketing planning with the Chicago & Northwestern Transportation Company. In 1976, he joined the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad Company as president, CEO, and director. In 1980, Bob relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and joined the Southern Pacific Transportation System. During this time, Bob attended the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program, worked with Chicago & Illinois Midland Railroad, and went into private consulting. His wife, Cynthia Baker, passed away during their 36th year of marriage. He later married Katherine “Katie” James Allen. They retired to their home in Foster City, Calif. Shortly before their 30th anniversary, Bob and Katie moved into The Stratford retirement community in San Mateo. They have five sons and seven grandchildren among them.

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• 1960s

  • Sharon Holmstrom BS ’67 was the first in her family to graduate from college and went on to a career in education as a junior high English teacher. She was named the Utah State Teacher of the Year in 1998. Throughout her career, she was active in her community, co-founding such entities as the Ogden Nature Center, writing grants for school and community amenities, and serving on planning commissions and various boards, including the Community Foundation of Ogden Valley. Sharon’s husband of 60 years, David, owned and operated Ogden business The Packager Inc. Together, they are strong supporters of educators. They have three adult children, all college graduates with advanced degrees. They also have six grandchildren who have either graduated from college or plan to attend.

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• 1970s

  • Edward “Ted” Madsen BS ’72 is a pediatrician in Price, Utah, where he has practiced for nearly five decades. He earned his MD from the University of Utah in 1974 and completed his residency at the University of Vermont Medical Center in 1977. He received the highest honor of the Utah Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Marty Palmer Service to Children Award. His wife, Sharon (Blair) Madsen BA ’68, has been his lifelong support. They have six children and 13 grandchildren.

  • Dan Walker BS ’75 is an Ogden boy and proud alum of Horace Mann Elementary, Highland Junior High, and Ben Lomond High School. In 1974, he began working in the laboratory at St. Benedict’s Hospital, the same hospital where he was born. In 1984, he began working part-time at Weber State as the field events coach for men’s and women’s track and field. In 1986, he retired from his role as the hospital chemistry lab manager and became a full-time coach. He later became head coach for the men’s program. In 2013, he became the director of the track and field program. Accounting for three national champions in the high jump, 14 All-Americans in various field events, 74 Big Sky Conference champions, and 45 team championships, Dan retired in 2017. He then became an assistant at Idaho State University, where he mentored young coaches for three years before returning to Ogden. He is a current member of the jury of appeals for the Utah High School State Cross Country Championships and the State Track and Field Championships. He teaches at the ISU summer high school track camp and presents coaching clinics for high school and junior high schools in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Washington. He serves on the WSU Emeriti Alumni Council. Dan married Elaine Ottley in 1974. They have three children and two grandchildren.

  • Paul Wine BS ’77 has spent most of his life as a dedicated vagabond, seeking to trim away as much unnecessary ego as possible. He lives in Tucson, Arizona, with his wife, Sharon, and an ever-growing sense of peace and well-being.

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• 1980s

  • Lydia Cowlishaw BS ’82, MS ’89 taught first grade at T.O. Smith Elementary, now known as Liberty Elementary, for 10 years. She went on to serve as the principal at Lynn Elementary for five years before returning to T.O. Smith as principal. She earned an administrative supervisory license through Utah State University. She and her late husband, Paul, served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Russia. They have five children, 16 grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren. Lydia and her daughters, Paula Boone BS ’89 and Lisa Folker AS ’89, BS ’92, graduated together on the same day.

  • Karen Hedden AA ’85, BA ’87 graduated with a degree in elementary education and began teaching at West Wendover Elementary in 1989. She taught third and fifth grade and eventually became the librarian. She retired in 2014 and continues to reside in the West Wendover area. She has a son living in Washington, five grandchildren, and two great-grandsons.

  • Paula Boone BS ’89 is the membership director and co-founder of the 50 States Marathon Club. She has traveled to all 50 states four times for marathons and completed 380 marathons total. Her husband, Steve Boone, has run 832 marathons and has completed the states seven times. They directed the Texas Marathon from 2000 to 2022. The proceeds from the Texas Marathon supported the Marathon Challenge, a program they founded that encouraged kids to run 26.2 miles over the course of a school year. The program grew from 14 participants in its first year to over 10,000 in its 30th year. The Knights of Columbus took over the Texas Marathon in 2023, with proceeds now going to children’s charities.

  • Lisa Folker AA ’89, BS ’92 is a corporate sales representative with Minky Couture. Before this, she was an educator for 27 years, with two years in Ogden, two years in Colorado, and the remainder of her teaching career at T.H. Bell Junior High in Washington Terrace, Utah. She taught English and creative writing. Lisa earned a Master of Arts in Education with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix and a Graduate Library Media Endorsement from Southern Utah University. She served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Korea after attending Weber State. She has written and illustrated six children’s books. Lisa travels annually with four former colleagues turned dear friends. She is a proud mom of two adult children and gets to claim a granddaughter by way of her boyfriend.

  
  
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• 1990s

  • Amelia Jenkins Morales BS ’92 is the senior director of federal affairs for Holland & Hart LLP, based in Washington, D.C. Amelia is an experienced strategist specializing in energy and environmental policy. She has worked in Congress, the Executive Branch, and private industry. For 10 years, she led the energy and environment practice at Cassidy & Associates, a bipartisan government relations firm, as executive vice president, advising on projects such as natural gas pipelines and wind energy. Her congressional experience includes serving the House Committee on Natural Resources as the deputy staff director and senior policy advisor, as a senior advisor/staff director of the Subcommittee on Water and Power, and as a senior legislative staff member for subcommittees focused on forests and forest health as well as oceans and wildlife. She earned an MS in environmental science in 1999 from the University of Idaho.

  • Jenny Scothern BS ’96 is a Realtor at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, specializing in northern Utah. She has been in the Utah real estate field for six years, receiving recognitions such as International President’s Circle for Sales Volume, Top 50 of Coldwell Banker Agents in Utah, and Top 250 Agents in the Northern Wasatch Association of Realtors. Before this, she served as executive director of the GOAL Foundation, producers of the Ogden Marathon. She was CEO of Fran Brown College of Beauty for 18 years, overseeing marketing, admissions, training, and accreditations. She serves on the WSU Alumni Association Board of Directors and Weber Chamber of Commerce Spikers Committee. Her husband, Greg Scothern BS ’03, worked in construction project management with Boman Kemp Steel for over 15 years. He also spent five years in Ogden City’s Department of Development, Permits & Licensing. He most recently began a career with Crest Realty as a commercial real estate agent, utilizing his experiences with construction and the city to support this new career. He is a past chair of the GOAL Foundation and a past chair and current board member of the Trails Foundation of Northern Utah. They enjoy a variety of outdoor activities and have two adult children who currently live out of state.

  • Cody B. Loveland AS ’97, BS ’99 is a high-energy speaker, coach, and emcee who motivates, educates, and inspires people to unleash their “superpower purpose” through onboarding and employee experiences. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, schools, and non-profit organizations around the world, delivering over 10,000 hours of presentations, including two TEDx talks. As a student, he served as the general manager, music director, and a DJ at Weber State’s student radio station, 88.1 KWCR. He worked with the Shepherd Union Building and Wildcat Lanes to have the station played throughout their venues. His influence helped the station win the Campus Organization of the Year Crystal Crest Award. Most importantly, he met his wife, Jennifer Loveland AS ’97, BIS ’00, while attending Weber State. They have four children.

  • Suzan W. Loveland AS ’97, BS ’99 retired as a general and special education educator from the Ogden City School District in 2016. She returned as a reading specialist and paraprofessional until 2020. In 1999, she was a youth advocate, receiving certification in Targeted Case Management and Child Welfare Practice from the State of Utah Department of Human Services. While attending Weber State, she was the owner, administrator, and caregiver of Loveland Retirement Home in Roy, Utah. She earned a public administration certification from Virginia Commonwealth University and a nutrition certificate from Brigham Young University. She has always been involved in dance, owning the Suzan Loveland Dance Company and Coast to Coast Performing Company, where she was the director, choreographer, and instructor. She is the owner and manager of Sweet Addictions Candy. She volunteers with the Weber County Community Emergency Response Team, Peery’s Egyptian Theater, Onstage Ogden, DonorConnect, and the University of Utah Transplant Center. Her late father, Raymond Farr Wiggins CC ’52, two children, and daughter-in-law are also Weber State graduates.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
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• 2000s

  • Rhonda Lauritzen BS ’01 is the founder and one of the authors/instructors at Evalogue.Life, a professional network of life story interviewers, writers, and coaches, helping people tell their stories. She regularly speaks, does keynote addresses, and presents each year at RootsTech, the world’s largest family history conference. She grew up working alongside her parents and brothers in their family business, Mineral Resources International. At 23 years old, she became their general manager while attending Weber State University in the evenings. She was selected as the Outstanding Graduate in her major. She earned an MBA from the University of Utah and later served as CEO of the family business for three years. In 2005, Rhonda left the family business and spent the next 11 years at Ogden-Weber Technical College as marketing director and then vice president. She made the leap to work on Evalogue.Life full-time in late 2016. Post Hill Press published her most recent book, A Child in Berlin, in October 2024. Her next book, Creative Insecurity, was co-authored and distributed by Simon & Schuster in December 2024.

  • Tessarae Loveland Cullimore BS ’01 is a human resources supervisor with the Internal Revenue Service, where she has worked for the past nine years. She is the chair of the In-Service Leadership Organization, which provides professional development and community engagement opportunities for IRS employees. Previously, she taught preschool and middle school for several years. After graduating from WSU, she co-founded and ran the Sweet Addictions Candy business with her mom, Suzan, making confections and selling them to local shops and vendors. The company has been in continuous operation since its inception. Tessa has volunteered for Relay for Life in Ogden and served as chair for two years. She has also served as chairperson of Pennies by the Inch, raising money for Primary Children’s Hospital. She is a third-generation Wildcat and remains involved with WSU, frequently attending athletic and alumni events.

  • Cory Nielson BS ’01, MACC ’02 recently joined the Salt Lake City office of Ostrow Reisin Berk & Abrams, Ltd. as an audit group director. Cory enjoys volunteering with his church and its youth program. He is involved in multiple business networking organizations, including Mountain West Capital Network and Executives Cup. He serves as a board member and financial consultant for Ogden Golf and Country Club and as a South Weber City financial consultant.

  • Damion Wright BS ’02 is a global diversity and inclusion leader at Intuit, an international financial technology platform. He also helms Damion Wright Consulting, LLC, specializing in human resource functions, including organizational change and executive coaching. He earned a Master of Education from Colorado State University in 2012. Beyond his professional roles, he contributes as a board member to Denver-based organizations, Fathers Against Madness and Hustle Influence & Motivation. Damion balances his career with a fulfilling personal life as a devoted husband and father of three.

  • Steven Ito BS ’07 has been the director of sales at the Davis Conference Center and the Hilton Garden Inn since 2014. In this role, he manages a sales team that works to bring revenue and economic impact to Davis County. They recruit and manage for approximately 500 events annually, including galas, dinners, trade shows, dance competitions, cultural conferences, and more. Prior to this role, he was a sales and event manager at the conference center. He has served as a Lakesider with the Davis Chamber of Commerce for the past eight years. He and his wife, Kristie, met while attending Weber State. They live in Layton, Utah, with their four children.

  • Janet Bernice Cheney MA ’09 is an international best-selling author, educator, and advocate for self-love and emotional healing. She began writing her memoir as a personal letter to her sons, but that heartfelt story evolved into So Many Freakin’ Secrets. Janet studied film at Brigham Young University and had the extraordinary opportunity to meet legendary filmmaker Orson Welles during her time in Hollywood. She later earned a master’s degree in English from Weber State and has spent over two decades teaching English online and in classrooms. Through her platform, Healing Your Secrets, Janet offers resources, blogs, and speaking engagements focused on self-worth, divine guidance, and personal transformation. She is passionate about helping people embrace their full power and move forward in healing and purpose.

  • Elizabeth Brummett BS ’09 is a mental health clinician and manager for Blomquist Hale Solutions, an employee assistance program that provides no-cost counseling services for the employees and families of participating employers. Elizabeth recently finished her Doctorate in Social Work from Walden University in 2024 with research on autism spectrum disorder. She also earned a Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina in 2012.

  
  
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• 2010s

  • Rachel Cox-Vineiz MA ’12 is the program coordinator for WSU’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, where she is a passionate advocate for faculty development and teaching excellence. In this role, she helps design and coordinate innovative professional development programs for faculty at Weber State. She also teaches as an adjunct instructor in Weber State’s Developmental English Program. An author at heart, Rachel penned the dystopian novel, A Light from the Ashes, and is currently working on a biographical novel about actress Maude Adams. She enjoys life with her spouse, El, and their three wonderful children.

  • Byron Ward BM ’14 is the recently appointed director of Athletic Bands at Utah Tech University. Before this, he was the instructor of music at Mayville State University for three years. Since graduating from Weber State, Byron has earned three additional music degrees: MM ’16 from the University of Arizona, MM ’22 and DMA ’22 from North Dakota State University. He performs regularly with area symphonies, jazz ensembles, and musical groups. His wife, Sidney Ward AA ’15, BS ’19, worked as an early interventionist at Pediatric Partners in Fargo, North Dakota, before they moved back to Utah. She also owns her own photography business. They have three young children.

  • Nick Romney BA ’16, BS ’17, MTAX ’18 is a CPA working as a controller for Whitaker Construction. Nick is responsible for financial operations and reporting. Nick has served on the Utah Association of CPAs Northern Chapter board for three years and is currently vice president. He and his wife, McCall, are raising four young, energetic children they hope will also become Wildcat graduates.

  • Rachel Wagner Pollard AS ’16, ASN ’17, BSN ’18, DNP ’23 is a nurse practitioner at Legacy Dermatology in Ogden. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she worked as a registered nurse in the ER/ICU for six years. The 2020 pandemic motivated Rachel to return to WSU for a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. She has been working in dermatology since. Rachel’s husband, Josh Pollard LEO ’15, completed the law enforcement certification from WSU’s Law Enforcement Academy and is currently the school resource officer for Syracuse High School. Rachel and Josh have two sons.

  
  
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• 2020s

  • Jaycelyn Stein AS ’20, BS ’22 lives in her hometown of Ogden and works as a marketing specialist at Goldenwest Credit Union. She manages insurance marketing efforts and helps shape the credit union’s outreach and engagement. She enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her dogs.

  • Candice Fink, entrepreneurship certificate ’21 owns Hygge Day Spa in Ogden. She is a master esthetician who graduated from the Avalon Institute and has developed a business model tailored to best serve her clients. After working in the renowned spas New Image and Sego Lily, she began offering newly needed mobile services in 2020. She later opened a spa suite at Vara Salon Suites in 2022. She opened Hygge in 2024, specializing in luxurious, holistic treatments, including customized facials, body treatments, Reiki, foot and face zoning therapies, and wellness memberships tailored to her clients’ goals and needs. Ryan Fink AS ’16, BS ’17 is a home health nurse with Intermountain Homecare & Hospice and a registered nurse with Mountain View Health Services. He earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Montana, Missoula, in 2005. After his studies at Weber State, he earned a Master of Science in Nurse Informatics in 2023 from Western Governors University. He holds certificates from Ogden-Weber Technical College’s practical nursing and nursing assistant programs. Ryan is a member of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. They live in Ogden.

  • Sieg Coronel MBA ’23 is a 2026 Juris Doctorate candidate at the University of Idaho School of Law. He was born and raised in the Philippines and earned an international scholarship working for the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in human resources and supply chain management from BYU-Hawaii in 2019. He went on to attend Weber State and earned an MBA. While attending Weber, he served as a graduate intern for WSU Athletics and held the position of associate justice in WSU’s Student Association Supreme Court for two years. While continuing his education, he has worked as a litigation paralegal, senior benefits and compensation analyst, legal research analyst, and, most recently, a summer associate law clerk.

  • Van Williamson BFA ’23 is a worldbuilder, character creator, storyteller, and artist. Focusing on 2-D techniques and mixed media, Van creates artworks intended to be viewed beyond our reality and into a more bizarre and whimsical one. He is the 2024 recipient of the Ogden Mayor’s Emerging Artist Award. He teaches workshops and classes for youth through Ogden Contemporary Arts’ Artist Factory, a community arts education program, and Youth Impact, a community afterschool program. He served as an artist in residence at Our Lady of Perpetual Motion in Fruita, Colorado. He has participated in the Ogden Community Art Show and the Salt Lake Community College President’s Show, along with art shows hosted at the BRDG Project of Denver, the SLC Urban Arts Gallery, and The Hand of Gawd. He was a crew member for art installations and galleries, including work by WSU faculty and sculptor Cordell Taylor, and venues such as the Dumke Arts Plaza, WSU Shepherd Union Gallery, and the Mary Elizabeth Dee Shaw Gallery. Before enrolling at Weber State, he worked as a theater technician at the Val A. Browning Center for Performing Arts.

  • Jessica Kokesh MPC ’24 is the social media editor for Weber State’s Department of Marketing & Communications. She earned a Bachelor of Contemporary Media and Journalism from the University of South Dakota in 2011. She served on the board of the former WSU Chapter of Utah Women in Higher Education.

  
  
  
  
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