November 18, 2022

Class Notes

Find out what your Beloit friends have been doing over the past several months.

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Submit your news and photos to classnotes@beloit.edu. Submissions will appear in Beloit College Magazine’s printed and online editions and are accepted on a rolling basis.

1960-1969

John “Jack” Kleinheksel’64, Denver, Colo., received the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award from Washburn University School of Law. The honor goes to graduates whose careers and achievements have been widely recognized as outstanding in their field. For 25 years, Jack made his career as chief staff counsel for the U.S. Court of Appeals in Denver. He took an early retirement from government service to devote himself full-time to voluntary and charitable activities.

John “Jack” Kleinheksel’64, Denver, Colo., is a Distinguished Eagle Scout, the highest recognition awarded by the National Eagle Scout Association, which recognizes scouts who have achieved “…extraordinary national-level success and distinction in their professional fields and have a strong record of voluntary service in their communities …” He also received the Robert E. Burt Boy Scout Volunteer Award from the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, which recognizes distinguished service to scouting.
Richard “Dick” Stewart’65 has started a flourishing oyster mushroom business on his small “farm” in North Salem, N.Y. He retired from a 50-year career as a private practice lawyer, during which he successfully argued cases before the highest Connecticut Appellate Courts and the Federal Second Circuit. At Beloit, Dick earned recognition in football, including all-conference, all-state, and team MVP. He became an infantry officer during the Vietnam War era, attending Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning before ending his Army service as a 25-year-old 1st Lt. Military Police officer and police chief of the 30,000-person Fort Polk training post during the civil rights crisis in the Deep South. The week he graduated from the University of Connecticut law school, he was at the counsel table helping a Black defendant facing a murder charge. Returning to his hometown, New Canaan, he served 12 years as the highest vote-getter in three runs for Town Council and coached kids to local championships in baseball and hockey. Today, he serves on the North Salem Architectural Review Board. Two of his three sons have taken over the family’s 130-yearold supermarket business, and he has 11 grandchildren.

1970-1979

A group of Beloit museum grads gathered in Idabel, Okla., on April 22, 2022, for a celebration honoring Henry Moy’78 and his 25 years as director of the Museum of the Red River (MORR). As director of the Beloit College Museums in the mid-80s and ’90s, Henry was highly influential in training students for the museum field. Pictured from left are Brian Lang’91, Tom Skwerski’87, Todd Bothel’90, Henry, Dane Pollei’86, Jamie Kelly’96 — and MORR's Acrocanthosaurus in the background.

Sandy Weil Rushworth’76 received a Public Service Award from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists for a “Transition from Fossil Fuels to Renewables” presentation she gave to the public and for her outreach at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Dr. Dominick M Maino’73, right, was the featured artist at the Triple R Gallery's June and July First Fridays art exhibitions in Chicago. Many of his images were prominently displayed, including one that caught the attention of a collector, at left, who purchased the image. Dominick's interest in photography started at Beloit when his fraternity (Beta Theta Pi) built a dark room in its basement. Dominick is professor emeritus at the Illinois College of Optometry and Illinois Eye Institute and an internationally recognized expert in pediatric and individuals with special needs eye and vision care.

Ann Stinchfield Savagian’78 and Eva Belanger MacLeod’79 enjoyed a reunion complete with Ann's bespoke Beloit masks when Ann and her husband visited Boston in April.

Helena Minton’70, Andover, Mass., has a new collection of poetry, Paris Paint Box, New and Selected Poems, published by Loom Press. The collection, her fourth, brings together more than 45 years of the author’s poetry. Her poems have also appeared in a variety of journals and anthologies, including the Beloit Poetry Journal. Helena worked for many years as the director of a public library and has taught English composition and creative writing. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the University of Massachusetts- Amherst and serves on the board of the Robert Frost Foundation in Lawrence, Mass.
Jim McGee’72, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., is enjoying retirement after a 35-year career in government service. After graduating from Beloit, he earned master’s and doctoral degrees in history at the University of Florida and enjoyed a year as a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Munich. Following a brief career as a college history professor, he made a radical change, becoming a government national security professional. During nearly four decades of government service, he did scholarly research into Germany’s Baader-Meinhof gang, taught hostage negotiations and incident management to U.S. Army criminal investigators, led an executive mission into the heartland of Peru’s Shining Path terrorists, trained SWAT teams for local, state, and federal agencies, and supervised security tests at numerous sensitive facilities. He retired as a senior security advisor in a Cabinet-level agency. Along the way, he and his wife, Jan, one of the first women to become an Army criminal investigations special agent, raised their daughter and cared for a succession of dogs rescued from shelters. In retirement, Jim has embarked on a third career as a novelist. His first action/adventure novel Letter of Reprisal was published this past April and is earning very positive reviews.
James R. Sullivan’72 continues his theatre career and this year worked in Ireland directing the world premiere of a new musical at the Smock Alley Theatre in Dublin. The show, Parcel from America, is taken from a short story by Irish writer Tomaséen Foley and is set in the 1950s. After many years in New York, Sullivan is based again in Chicago and continues his writing and directing work there.
Lynne Southerland’74, Los Angeles, Calif., is a director and producer, serving as showrunner on an unannounced Disney Junior series based on a legendary Disney character. She was one of 53 Black professionals currently working in animation who were featured in “A Great Day in Animation,” a photo project organized by Nickelodeon Animation and Paramount Pictures. The project recreated an iconic photo called “A Great Day in Harlem” that featured legendary jazz musicians and appeared in Esquire magazine in 1958.
Don Kent’77 met President Joe Biden in Israel in July at the Maccabiah Games. The multi-sport event, also known as the Jewish Olympics, is held every four years and is the largest international sporting event held in Israel. Don plays international soccer in his spare time and represented the United States at the Maccabiah several times in the past two decades. This year, he competed in the 55-plus division and served as the overall commissioner of Maccabi USA soccer. Two of the nine teams he oversaw won gold medals, and four won silver, the best result for American soccer in the games’ 75-year history. He was honored to be selected to meet with President Biden, who attended the games’ opening ceremony this year. Don is a member of the Beloit College board of trustees.
Thomas C. Mackey’78, Louisville, Ky., has retired after academic appointments in U.S. legal and constitutional history at NYU Law, Michigan State University, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Eastern Montana College, and Kansas State University, and after 31 years at the University of Louisville.
Pam Miller Withers’78, Vancouver, Canada, recently became communications and project manager for Seattle nonprofit I4SDI.org, which organizes virtual workshops on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her work includes finding writers and interns for the (soon-to-be overhauled) website and helping select speakers. She also published a young adult novel this year, Mountain Runaways (Dundurn Press).
Biologist, writer, and globetrotter Mark Moffett’79, Greenport, N.Y., was a guest on the podcast “Selected Wisdom” in June. With host Clint Watts, Mark talked about his research on ants (Mark’s nickname is Dr. Bugs), how animals and humans form societies, and the stability and evolution of those societies over time. In a wide-ranging conversation, Mark also discussed what he considers to be the scariest animal (a giant centipede), his winding career path, and his global expeditions. The podcast is available at https://selectedwisdom.com.

1980-1989

Bill Kaage’80 retired in July 2022 after 39 years with the federal government. He served the past eight years as chief for the National Park Service Division of Fire and Aviation.

Jim Hoppert’82, Plymouth, Wis., wrote and produced a musical, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Nineveh, which ran July 15-17 in Plymouth. The musical, which he wrote during two months of sabbatical leave five years ago, is a contemporary treatment of the biblical story of Jonah. Money raised from the musical supported “Project Nineveh,” which provided relief for Ukrainian refugees and funding for a local food pantry.
Last year, Mark Smith’82 returned to his home state of Montana. Along with savoring the beauty and lifestyle of this place, he is engaged in the part-time practice of law and serves on the local Democratic Central Committee in his new hometown of Belgrade, Mont.
Alex Upmann’85, Kenosha, Wis., is entering his third year of working remotely for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois. Alex was promoted to senior infrastructure service management analyst, supporting his company’s installation of ServiceNow.
Steve Frevert’86, Burlington, Iowa, is the executive director of the Historic Valley Junction Foundation, the Main Street downtown revitalization organization for West Des Moines, Iowa.
Anu Sud Hittle’86 has moved back to Washington, D.C., after 30 years away working on climate change issues, most recently for the state government of Hawaii. Anu continues to work on the clean energy revolution in her new position with the U.S. Department of Energy as the stakeholder engagement director in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. She is excited to connect with D.C.-area alumni and continues to co-lead the class of 1986’s efforts to engage classmates in service of Beloit College.
The Society for American Archaeology (SAA) recognized Dawn Scher Thomae’86, Greendale, Wis., at its annual meeting in April in Chicago this year. Dawn is the curator of anthropology collections at the Milwaukee Public Museum and received the SAA’s Award for Excellence in Collections-Based Research and Education for her work integrating collections, research, and education over the past 30-plus years. The SAA credited her with providing robust hands-on collections, public programs, and exhibit experiences for hundreds of undergraduate and graduate student interns from around the country and working with dozens of M.A. and Ph.D. students who utilized the museum’s anthropology collections for their theses and dissertations.
David Wakeley’86 graduated from Earlham School of Religion in May and began chaplain residency at the Mayo Clinic and Hospitals in Rochester, Minn., in September. David is attending to the spiritual needs of children in crisis and has a particular interest in how children experience and give voice to their suffering. As part of his residency, David is hoping to explore how stories can be used to create a sacred space for children to make meaning of the existential questions they face when confronted with serious illness or mortality.
Shelly Mills Mohnkern’87 and Scott Mohnkern’89, Germantown, Md., served as coordinators for Free Spirit Gathering, a week-long spiritual festival held in Darlington, Md., in June 2022. Scott has been appointed coordinator for Free Spirit Gathering 2023.
Three alumni had a hand in bringing to fruition Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories, a groundbreaking exhibit at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, which opened in May. Tom Skwerski’87, exhibitions operations director and Native Truths project head, Jamie Kelly’96, head of anthropology collections and an anthropology collections manager, and Emily Starck’14, assistant collections manager, were involved in the complete renovation of the museum’s Native North American Hall, which was unchanged for nearly 70 years. Native Truths features stories told by Native people in their own voices of self-determination, resilience, and continuity. The exhibit includes historic and contemporary beadworks, ceramics, murals, music, poetry, and more. The project was created with the guidance of an advisory council of 11 Native American scholars and museum professionals and in partnership with 130 collaborators representing more than 105 tribes.

1990-1999

Recently awarded James Madison Fellow Jimmy Grant’96, right, is pictured with noted constitutional law scholar Akhil Amar during the James Madison Foundation Summer Institute.

Following a career in archaeological and historical research, Michelle Cull San Antonio’98, North Creek, N.Y., took a leap to attempt something new in 2019. She earned her Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification and later that year pursued paramedic school. She now works as a full-time paramedic in rural upstate New York, where she lives with her husband and three children on the banks of the Hudson River.

2000-2009

Wellinthon García’04 married Ross Mathews on May 7 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Marcus Hayes’99 (not pictured) attended the wedding, which was featured in the May 10, 2022, edition of People magazine.
Credit: Clane Gessel Studio

Jenny Kluge Schieve’03, Beloit, Wis., started a new position this fall as principal of the Fruzen Intermediate School in Beloit. Jenny served as assistant principal at the relatively new public middle school for four years prior to her new position and was earlier a teacher for the School District of Beloit.
Carolyn Noble’06 and Evan Peterson, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., had a beautiful baby girl named Charlotte in March 2021. Charlotte was welcomed by her older sister, Brooke, who is 3 years old. In January 2022, Carolyn’s professional role changed to the director of development at the University of Michigan-Dearborn’s College of Business, where she partners with alumni to find opportunities for giving back to their alma mater.
Paul Grazia’07, South Portland, Maine, was recognized by The Forecaster as the 2022 Spring Coach of the Year for his work coaching baseball at the Waynflete School in Portland.
In January 2022, Rebecca Lammers’07, London, United Kingdom, was appointed to the voluntary position of chair for the Taxation Task Force within Democrats Abroad, the official Democratic Party arm for the nine million Americans living outside the United States. It has 48 country committees throughout Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. The Taxation Task Force is a group of more than 70 volunteers globally working on tax advocacy for Americans abroad.
Greg Long’09, New Glarus, Wis., has joined the board of directors for the Swiss Center of North America.

2010-2019

Reine Lucas’15 and Ray Thomas’13 were married in Cancun, Mexico, this past April. Shown from left, first row: Ashaki “Nzhinga” Hall’14, the bride and the groom, Brittany Judkins Cousins’11, and Charlotte Mayeda’18; second row: Ulysses Smith’13, Katia Nonet’16, Calago Hipps’15, David Cousins’11, and Matthew Floyd’13.

Lori Bork’16 married Nick McCormack on May 21, 2022. In attendance were Genevieve Dallmeyer’16, left, and Devon Sweeting’16.

College sweethearts Josie Lindsey-Robbins’17 and Patrick Galloway’16 were married in June 2021. They celebrated with several Beloit alumni, from left: Danny May’17, Leah Kruckman’14, Ike Chafkin’16, Kevin Cesario’17, Jacob Grams’17, Hayden Simonis’14, Nora Polaski’17, April Apfelbaum’17, Mike Nolden’16, Hannah Devereux’17, Jacob Thuente’16, and Biology Professor Emeritus Ken Yasukawa.

Michelle Donahue’11 joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington this fall. She is teaching creative writing and publishing in the university’s Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts programs and is working on Ecotone, the university’s literary magazine.
Matt Meade’16, Chicago, Ill., started a position as an advance associate with the city of Chicago Mayor’s Office.

2020-2029

Nick Schmidt’21, Sherman Oaks, Calif., produced the samples on two songs with Baton Rouge rap artist NBA YoungBoy, both of which have been doing well. The first, called “2hoo,” was released as track No. 5 on YoungBoy’s January mixtape Colors. The release debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s top rap albums worldwide, as well as No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/hip-hop albums. Nick played guitar on the second song, “Holy.” It was released as a part of a presale for YoungBoy’s studio album The Last Slimeto, which had its full release in August.
Seakguech “Guech” Sok’21 completed an environmental internship with UNESCO’s Natural Science Unit in Cambodia, and was offered a paid position as an environmental analyst. Her role as an intern included various projects and included sustainable beekeeping practices and raising awareness about native bee conservation in Cambodia.