May 24, 2011<\/p>\n
We want to hear your news! Submit class notes, baby photos, and other news here on the Currents website.<\/p>\n
1940s<\/strong><\/p>\n Gordon Hansen \u201943<\/strong> (Wells Minn.) recently lost his wife, Lorraine. Gordon continues to work on two war monuments in the Wells area.<\/p>\n 1950s<\/strong><\/p>\n Shirley (La Rock) Wilson \u201951<\/strong> (Rochester, Minn.) notes that she recently turned 80. She has been in her home for 55 years and has 13 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.<\/p>\n 1960s<\/strong><\/p>\n Marlene \u201965<\/strong> and Jerry Mensink \u201965<\/strong> (Rochester Minn.) welcomed their first grandson, Maxwell Patrick Mensink, on February 14.<\/p>\n Terry Lierman \u201969<\/strong> (Chevy Chase, Md.) has been named one of Washington\u2019s most powerful staffers by Roll Call. Terry has chaired the Maryland Democratic Party and was national finance co-chair for Howard Dean\u2019s presidential campaign. He also ran for U.S. Congress in 2000.<\/p>\n 1970s<\/strong><\/p>\n Nancy Butler \u201976<\/strong> (Lakewood, Colo.) has a new position, senior clinical science liaison in Medical Affairs for Centocor Ortho Biotech\/Johnson and Johnson. \u201cI am very happy to have landed here and challenged with learning a new field, immunology with rheumatology focus,\u201d says Nancy.<\/p>\n Randy Staver \u201979<\/strong> (Rochester, Minn.) was elected to a four-year term on the Rochester City Council. Staver has worked for Mayo Clinic in areas including information technology and management engineering. In addition to campaigning this summer, he also participated in the weddings of two daughters, one of whom is also a WSU graduate.<\/p>\n 1980s<\/strong><\/p>\n Tammy Steele Westby \u201980<\/strong> (Rochester, Minn.) has formed CRW Architecture + Design Group along with ten other design professionals. Tammy is associate partner and marketing director for the firm, which is based in Rochester.<\/p>\n Donna Torkelson \u201883<\/strong> (Zion, Ill.) has been teaching in the Winthrop Harbor school district for her entire 26-year career. She now teaches K-4 fine arts and will receive her master\u2019s in curriculum and instruction in May. Dana\u2019s oldest daughter, Brittany, plans to follow her mother\u2019s footsteps to Winona State. Dana has also adopted three children, Juan, Monique, and Jonathan.<\/p>\n Michael Kramer \u201986<\/strong> (South Bend, Ind.) and wife Claire welcomed a second daughter, Fiona, on May 1, 2010. She joins sister Daisy.<\/p>\n Kurt Johnson \u201988<\/strong> (White Bear Lake, Minn.) was named the 2011 Minnesota State Auctioneer Champion. Johnson is a past president of the Minnesota State Auctioneers Association, an instructor at World Wide College of Auctioneering, and has been in the auction business for 22 years. (Read a feature on Kurt in the Winter 2009 issue of Currents<\/em>).<\/p>\n Peter Woerpel \u201989<\/strong> (La Crosse, Wis.) will retire as principal at Onalaska High School this summer. He graduates his thirteenth class in June and has been with the Onalaska district since 1978, first as a physical education and health teacher and later as assistant principal and principal. He earned his master\u2019s at WSU in educational leadership.<\/p>\n 1990s<\/strong><\/p>\n Dave Bringe \u201991<\/strong> (Holmen, Wis.) has been promoted to senior vice president of sales at WinCraft, Inc. in Winona. Dave began working for WinCraft in 1996 and was later named national sales manager and then vice president of sales in 2008.<\/p>\n Jennifer Carlson \u201891<\/strong> (Circle Pines, Minn.) recently co-authored the book, Multimedia Text Sets:\u00a0 Changing the Shape of Engagement and Learning<\/em> (Portage & Main Press) with Janice Marcuccilli Strop. The book provides learners with tools to explore and interpret today\u2019s variety of multimedia text forms. Jennifer is assistant professor in the School of Education at Hamline University.<\/p>\n Shelly (Sornberger) Merchelewitz \u201991<\/strong> (Winona) teaches at Bluffview Montessori School in Winona and has boys aged 11, 10, 7, and 5.<\/p>\n Christine (Kamenske) Horvath \u201993<\/strong> (Marana, Ariz.) has been named vice president and chief compliance officer at Stratford Advisory Group, Inc. She manages the firms financial, compliance, information technology, and human resource operations, and directs its investor advisor compliance program. In addition to earning her bachelor\u2019s at WSU, she received her MBA with distinction at DePaul University.<\/p>\n Yvonne D\u2019Arcy \u201995<\/strong> (Germantown, Md.) writes that her latest book, How to Treat Pain in the Elderly<\/em>, has received Book of the Year from the American Journal of Nursing. Yvonne is currently pain management and palliative care nurse practitioner at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Bethesda, Md.<\/p>\n Jessie (Peissig) Gomez \u201995<\/strong> (Fullerton, Calif.) and husband Nigel welcomed their second child, Iva Juliet, on December 26, 2010. Iva joins 2-year-old sister, Rio Jasmine.<\/p>\n James Mangold \u201995<\/strong> (Pulaski, Wis.) has been named business banking manager for Wells Fargo\u2019s northeast Wisconsin district. He will be based in Green Bay. He began his career with Wells Fargo in Apple Valley, Minn. and was recently district and store manager in Raleigh, N.C.<\/p>\n Matthew Shea \u201996<\/strong> (St. Paul, Minn.) was elected a shareholder of Gray Plant Mooty, the Minneapolis-based law firm. He practices in the areas of estate planning, business succession planning, estate and trust administration, and international estate and tax planning. Minnesota Law & Politics magazine has named him a \u201cRising Star\u201d five times. Matthew graduated summa cum laude from Winona State and earned his JD, cum laude, at William Mitchell College of Law.<\/p>\n When Amy Ellestad Conlon \u201997<\/strong> (Madison, Wis.) recently returned to Winona to celebrate the senior football game of her youngest, Joseph, it was a homecoming of sorts for the rest of the Ellestad family.\u00a0 Joe \u201810<\/strong> (center) played wide receiver for the Warriors. In addition to Amy and Joe, Eric \u201901<\/strong>, Patrick \u201907<\/strong>, and Jeff \u201907<\/strong> graduated from WSU. Sisters-in-law Tara McCabe Ellestad \u201900<\/strong> and Jennifer Irish \u201907<\/strong> are also Winona State alums.<\/p>\n Justin Barrientos \u201998<\/strong> (Winona) and his wife, Marie, had a son, Benjamin Carter, on June 9, 2010.<\/p>\n Renae Servaty \u201998<\/strong> (Spearfish, S.D.) is new executive director of the Booth Society, a non-profit group that works with U.S, Fish and Wildlife Services to operate the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives. Renae coordinates volunteer and outreach programs and manages visitor services.<\/p>\n Shannon (Hudak) Saesan \u201999<\/strong> (Farmington, Minn.) married Joshua Ben Saesan on August 14, 2010. Shannon is a web design project manager at Capella University in Minneapolis. Josh works at Carol Corporation in Bloomington.<\/p>\n 2000s<\/strong><\/p>\n Cyndi (Nelson) Blume \u201900<\/strong> (Roseville, Minn.) and husband Ryan welcomed son Nathan on July 23, 2010.<\/p>\n Alyssa (Ponto) Huettl \u201900<\/strong> (Prior Lake, Minn.) and husband Steve welcomed their second son, Easton Dean, to their family on October 25, 2010.<\/p>\n Meghan (Anderson) \u201900<\/strong> and Erik \u201901<\/strong> Leverenz (Grayslake, Ill.) welcomed a new addition to their family on November 5, 2010: daughter Abigail Hope. She joins her big sister, Kaitlyn.<\/p>\n Mike Passe \u201901<\/strong> (Holly Springs, N.C.) was promoted to captain by the U.S. Marine Corps in November. Mike served in Iraq in 2005 and 2006 before attending Officer Candidate School. He flies helicopters out of New River Air Base in North Carolina.<\/p>\n Breanna (Wagner) Welke \u201901<\/strong> (Hastings, Minn.) and husband Brian had a baby girl, Evelyn Ames on September 29th, 2010.\u00a0 Breanna is a public relations account manager at Kohnstamm Communications in St. Paul, MN. Brian works with American Family Insurance in Hastings.<\/p>\n Shelly (Krusko) Hexom \u201902<\/strong> (Sioux City, Iowa) and husband Fred welcomed their first child, Alexander Elliott, on September 27, 2010.<\/p>\n Bill McCormick \u201902<\/strong> (Appleton, Wis.) and his wife, Lori, welcomed a second son, Aiden Daniel, on February 9.<\/p>\n Alanna (Killian) Callahan \u201903<\/strong> (Dubuque, Iowa) and husband Tom welcomed their fourth son, Owen, in October. Owen joins brothers Eli, Ethan, and William.<\/p>\n