Class Notes

Kenneth Bailey ’59 graduated in the century class in 1959. He says that Valpo was his second home, being active in theater, university choir as president, Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, and I worked in the biology greenhouse as a student assistant. Bailey received the medals granted during his Air Force service, after 52 years, thanks to Congressman Jared Moscowitz at a ceremony at City Hall, Coral Springs, Florida.

Elke Zell Bowman ’68 would like to share the publication of her memoir “Enduring Shame.” She says that Valparaiso University allowed her to change my station in life, and that she is forever grateful to the professors under whom she studied and thankful for the generosity of Valparaiso University when she needed it most.

James Thacker ’68 wants to recognize how Valpo taught him to use the gifts God had given him as an ordained minister in the ELCA. He says “When I look back on those four years at Valpo I can see so many of the ways God was preparing me for that life. There were friends and fraternity brothers who came into my life who ultimately would support the call into ministry. There were professors who, though they may not have known it, gave me just the wisdom I would need in that call. 77 years behind me have been so full of blessings they cannot be counted. The people I served at congregations in Jordan, MT; Madison, Minnesota; and finally 29 years in Woodbridge, VA; taught me how to be a pastor.”

Pamela Kay Alderman ’69 wishes to express how her studies in biology and English literature taught her critical thinking and knowledge of the research process.

Michael R. Wilson ’71 was able to get together in August with a classmate from the Social Work Department – Suzanne Aho. They were able to spend an enjoyable evening together – topped off that she brought dinner to the RV park where he and his wife were staying.

James Welch ’71 BLS, RN, HNB-BC of Georgetown, DE was announced as the 2024 Holistic Nurse of the Year. A member of AHNA since 2001, James has served on the AHNA Practice Committee, and chaired it from 2012-2014, and is currently also serving on the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation (AHNCC) Board of Directors. In that role he is the secretary and serves as the AHNCC Equality, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Social Justice Committee chair providing leadership in initiating programs that increase equity and inclusion.

Mark Ennes ’74 has retired from Merril Lynch as of May, 2024 after 45 years as a financial advisor. He and his wife, Mary are now full-time Georgia residents, and he continues to be involved in environmental organizations, his homeowners association, and Kiwanis Club, of which he has been a member for 35 years.

Janet S. (York) Marquez ’77 retired from her 30 role as a substitute teacher in 2019.

Linda Feldman ’79 Valente is the human component of ‘Team Tess,’ and, along with her canine companion, have earned their PAX 2 and PACH. She is excited to share that the pair went to Westminster in May to compete in the Annual Masters Agility Championship. Tess had a perfect Jumpers and Weaves run and earned a Westminster ‘Q’ (Qualifying run) in New York, placing 8th out of 21 sixteen inch preferred dogs.

In August 2024, Cornell Boggs III ’82, ’85 J.D. received the National Corporate Leadership Award from the Milwaukee Fellows organization.

In 2024, Dan Smolnik ’86 JD published an in-depth analysis of the econometric drivers of the Connecticut municipal real property tax in Volume 46, Issue 3, of Western New England Law Review. The piece is entitled The Connecticut Municipal Property Tax: A Closer Look at the Historic and Evolving Landscape. While nominally focused on Connecticut, the methodology is applicable anywhere.

In July of 2024, Smolnik published a blog post to the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ as part of an ongoing series of observations of spiritual life. This particular post finishes with an ending intended to honor his Valpo roots.

Nancy Janke ’88 is pleased to announce that the last of her five children has graduated from Valparaiso University, completing the Janke family era at Valpo. These include Matthew Janke ’17 BSEE & CC, Olivia Janke ’20 BS Chemistry & Biology, Natalie Janke ’21 BA Vocal Performance and Nathan Janke ’24 BSBE & CC ( with Nolan Janke getting his BSEE from Michigan State University.)

Sarah Schaefer ’90 has worked on the Isotek System’s Uranium-233 Disposition Project for the last 16 years in positions ranging from nuclear facility manager to project manager. This year she was promoted to President of the LLC. This project is safely disposing of cold war era fissile material for the Department of Energy while extracting life-saving radioisotopes for nuclear medicine.

Greg Warner ’90 and Gail Warner ’90 have retired early and moved to España. During their time at Valpo, they learned that truly anything was possible. They say their professors, peers and mentors never stopped us from dreaming and, as a result, they worked hard, saved money and left their careers in their mid-50’s to become permanent residents of what they argue is one of the most beautiful places in Europe.

Retirement provided Mark Zimmerman ’91 with an opportunity to return to his artistic roots. In the past two years, Mark has become a very prolific watercolorist creating beautiful paintings for his family, friends, and the community. His artwork has been selected at the Art Barn’s Annual Art Exhibition in 2022 and 2023. Recently Mark’s watercolor of Sunset Hill County Park was selected as part of the Berrien Artist Guild’s Exhibition in St. Joseph, Michigan and the Porter County Library’s Senior Exhibition. An enthusiastic volunteer in the community, Mark donates his time and talent to many area organizations and nonprofits including the VNA Hospice Meals on Wheels and United Way Northwest Indiana’s RSVP Program.

Kimberly Dana ’91 and Brian Jirak ’90 were married on June 15, 2024 in Brentwood, Tennessee with several Valpo alumni in attendance.

Rachel Jacobs ’94 Neustadt earned her Doctorate in Education in December 2023.

Jim Esterby ’96 earned his masters in software engineering at Penn State in December 2023.

In February 2022, Amy Crowley ’99 opened a 100% Gluten-Free carry-out kitchen. Auntie Amy’s Home Cooking has been open for over two years and going strong, with several Valpo Grads supporting them as regulars.

Colonel Eric Muller ’01 (USAF) has been appointed as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Senior Meteorological and Oceanographic (METOC) Officer on the International Military Staff (IMS) in Brussels, Belgium. He is responsible for NATO METOC policy as well as advising the Military Committee on the NATO’s day-to-day operational METOC activities, including leading the work of Military Committee Working Group (MCWG) METOC. Additionally, Col Muller leads over 160 personnel as Deputy Chief of Staff of the IMS Crisis Management Organization (CMO). He and his family are expected to remain in this position for the next 2-3 years.

Nathan Frederick ’01 summited Mt. Everest on May 23, 2024. Mt. Everest is the fourth of the Seven Summits that Nathan has completed.

In October, Jakob Rinderknecht ’02 and Gregory Clines were married in St Paul, MN. Jakob is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, while Greg is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Trinity University.

Joshua West ’02 married Glenn Patterson on January 20, 2024 in Kendallville, Indiana. Josh and his husband live in Kendallville where Josh is an advanced certified pharmacy technician and works for Clark’s Rx LTC.

The Reverend Doctor Brian Wise ’06 recently graduated from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, CA, earning his Doctorate in Ministry, focusing on pluralism and new religious movements. His dissertation was a full length documentary on the Rastafari Faith titled “Roots, Rock, Reggae, Zion- The Story of I, Teach, and Rastafari”. He could not have done this without the support of his amazing wife Amanda (Witt) Wise ’07 and his family.

Jason Hallman ’06 was recently selected to receive the 2023 Elaine Wodzin Award by the Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine (AAAM). The award recognizes researchers and emerging leaders dedicated to the field of traffic injury control who have a specific achievement in automotive medicine.

Robert Ordway ’07, ’10 M.S. is cycling 800 mi from DC to the Indiana Dunes to raise money for IAMALS.org, founded by ALS patient and former President Obama White House Counsel, Brian Wallach. In tandem, he is supporting Senator Braun’s Promising Pathway Act, which creates a rolling, real time drug approval pathway to speed access for individuals with rare, progressive, and serious diseases.

On September 14, VUAA Decade Achievement Award recipient and 2008 Meteorology Major Meredith Garofalo was honored as part of NYC TV Weeks 40 Under 40 Class of 2023.

“Death Strikes: The Emperor of Atlantis” will be released on January 23rd, 2024 in book stores and January 24th in comic stores. “Death Strikes: The Emperor of Atlantis” is a timely and timeless original graphic novel by EFF journalist Dave Maass and artist/Valpo alum, Patrick Lay ’09, based on a suppressed opera written by two concentration camp prisoners. In 1943 Peter Kien and Viktor Ullmann, two prisoners at Hitler’s Terezín concentration camp in Czechoslovakia, created a gripping one-act opera.

David Esala ’10 & Erika Walden ’14 Esala are excited to share the news of the birth of their second child, Otto Jacob Esala, on August 15, 2024.

Danny Hodgkinson ’10 begins his term as Lake County Bar Association President. Hodgkinson, a partner at the law office of McCollum Hodgkinson & Nikitas will take office on June 6, 2024, for a one-year term as the President of the Lake County Bar Association (LCBA).

Anna (Isaacson) Lindell ’11 was promoted to Associate Professor with Tenure in the psychology department at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

In June, Nathan Atkins ’13 became the Director of M&A for Guardian Fire Protection. Guardian Fire Protection, based in Rockville, Maryland, has over 40 years of experience in fire and life safety services. We serve more than 25,000 customers – commercial businesses, government buildings, and other organizations across the mid-Atlantic and Midwest. Guardian is actively seeking acquisitions and partnerships.

Melissa Kohner ’13 was appointed Director of Medical Education for Great Lakes Bay Health Centers, a federally qualified health center dedicated to providing excellent health care to underserved, uninsured, or underinsured people.

At the start of 2023, Jordan Embry ’19 was able to find a place where her passions and my purpose came together when she was asked to come back to Valparaiso University and serve as marketing manager. An opportunity that has allowed her to do the things she love every day – learning, collaborating, communicating, storytelling, and relationship-building.

Jake Landgraf ’19 recently completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. The trail connects Georgia to Maine in one continuous footpath over 2,000 miles long.

Carmen Vincent ’20 won an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Content for her documentary, “Teacher of Patience.” The documentary is a 30-minute film that seeks to raise disability awareness amongst first responders and the wider community.

In February 2024, Ethan Hennessy ’20 started a new job with Catholic Charities of Baltimore as the associate to the executive director. In his new role, he manages their Board of Trustees, provides administrative support to Bill McCarthy, CEO of Catholic Charities of Baltimore, and works on various other projects for the agency. He moved to this job from his previous role at the agency as a job placement specialist.

Ella Louise Speckhard ’20, who currently serves as a project coordinator for Valparaiso University’s Enrollment Marketing team, still uses the videography, editing, and storytelling skills she honed at Valparaiso University to make videos for her family. She says “Without my time studying in Christ College, working in the Writing Center, and interning with the Welcome Project, I wouldn’t be as passionate about telling my family’s story as I am now.”