Class Notes

John Ringer, J.D., '58, started practicing law in 1960 in his hometown of Dexter, Missouri. After 60, he was forced to retire in 2020 due to the onset of post polio syndrome. He reports he has finally adjusted to the life of a retiree, something he had never intended to enjoy!

Mike Arnold, ’73, has been named to the North Central Missouri College Foundation Distinguished Alumni Class. He attended NCMC before transferring to Jewell, then graduated from University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law. He has a law practice in Trenton and Gallatin and has served as Daviess County prosecuting attorney and a business law instructor at NCMC.

Steven Popejoy, ’79, retired from the faculty of the University of Central Missouri as Professor Emeritus of Business Law and Chair Emeritus of the School of Business Administration. He has retained his office on campus to continue research in retirement, focusing on the U.S. Supreme Court and national right-to-work laws, the latter area where he has been one of the leading researchers in the country in the past decade.

Brad Sprong, ’86, was named to the Euronet Board of Directors. He recently retired from a 38-year career at KPMG, where he most recently served as managing partner of the National Private Enterprise division. 

Valerie (White) Rose, ’93, retired from Sprint/T-Mobile after 25 years and now serves as a consultant for Apple. She resides in Kansas City.

Bryce Durnin, ’01, will begin his new role as assistant principal at Maryville (Missouri) High School in summer 2025. He has been serving as assistant principal at School of the Osage High School.

Shanna (Hilt) Adamic, ’02, published a book “Audacious Optimism: The Mindful Choice to Live Boldly and Create Endless Possibilities" (Wiley).

Mark Ellebracht, ’06, was appointed to the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole by Gov. Mike Kehoe. He is principal partner at The Injury Council law firm, served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2017 to 2023 and worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Clay County.

Julia (Nurse) Ubbenga, ’06, published her first book, “Declutter Your Heart and Your Home: How a Minimalist Life Yields Maximum Joy" (HarperCollins; released April 15, 2025). She and Justin Ubbenga, ’06, reside in Overland Park, Kansas.

Marilyn (Minter) Franklin, ’07, joined the Mission Advancement Operations team at the American Heart Association national center. She resides in Lewisville, Texas

Dr. Drew White, ’10, will become superintendent of Platte County (Missouri) Schools starting with the 2026-2027 year. He has served as deputy superintendent since 2023.

Jules Kilson, ’11, published a book, "The Grief Project" (Kendall Hunt Publishing) in December 2024. She is a licensed professional counselor and lives in Kearney.

Dr. Stewart Duncan, ’15, assistant teaching professor of musicology at University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory, was awarded the North American British Music Studies Association’s 2024 Ruth Solie Prize for Outstanding Article on British Music. His article was titled, “An Excellent Piece of Propaganda: The British Council’s Use of Choirs as Cultural Diplomacy in the 1930s.”

Daniela Marin, ’18, a Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering at Stanford University, was named one of the top 30 young Ph.D. scientists in the world working on climate solutions. Organized by the climate tech venture Marble, the inaugural Inflection Award brought the recipients together in Paris for a two-day event to connect them with world-renowned experts and increase visibility of their research.

Rachel Bell, ’22, serves as a policy advisor in the Office of Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly. She previously served in the Kelly administration as a policy analyst and constituent services coordinator.

Dr. Bob McKanna, ’64, from Inverness, Illinois, has fully retired. He serves as a trustee for the local fire department and buys and sells Lionel trains on eBay.

Peggy (O’Neill) Brandes, ’65, of Indianapolis, Indiana, is a retired music teacher and former assistant to the president of a national education foundation.

Gary Beets, ’68, is retired from Fellowship of Christian Athletes and resides in Ozark.

Brad Long, ’71, was inducted into the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame. He won seven league titles, one state championship, one state runner-up and two state third-place finishes at El Dorado High School.

Dr. Stephen Cohle, ’72, continues his work as the chief medical examiner of Kent County, Michigan. He would love to hear from classmates. Email alumni@william.jewell.edu for his contact information.

Linda (Higginbotham) Schaller, ’72,  is the director of programming for the San Francisco Dance Film Festival.

Susan Merrell, ’74, published her first book, “Run to be Righteous: Reflections on Running and Faith” (Christian Faith Publishing). Her passion for international travel, research and the wonders of nature, combined with her running experiences on seven continents, give this book a unique perspective of the Christian life. The Blue Springs resident became a member of the Seven Continents Club in 2005.

Robert Petty, ’76, was hired as a senior consultant/physician educator at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. He recently returned to Liberty after living for seven years in Doha, Qatar, serving as lead educator at Sidra Medicine.

Dr. Dan Stiver, ’76, was named president of Fletcher Seminary, the new Texas-based school created after the closure of Logsdon Seminary in Abilene. He has been teaching at Fletcher Seminary from its inception in 2021. He has a long career in Baptist theological education. From 1984 to 1998, he served as professor of Christian philosophy at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, then moved to Abilene as a professor of theology at Hardin-Simmons University.

Lisa (Mynatt) Melvin, ’78, is retired and moved to New Market, Alabama, near her grandchildren.

John Gill, ’79, received Jewell’s 2024 Citation for Achievement. He is the president of Gill Grain Company and the managing general partner of Gill Family Investments, LP.

Steven Popejoy, J.D., ’79, retired from University of Central Missouri as professor emeritus of business law and chair emeritus of the School of Business Administration. He spent over 35 years in higher education, in addition to working in the corporate world for national firms such as AT&T and PriceWaterhouse. He has retained his office on campus to continue research, focusing on the U.S. Supreme Court and national right-to-work laws, the latter area where he has been one of the leading researchers in the country in the past decade.

Bill Stilley, ’79, joined the law firm of Stockton & Kandt, LLC of Overland Park, Kansas. He is the attorney for probate and trust administrations, as well as estate planning.

Holley Powell Smothers, ’81, was selected for inclusion in Marquis' Who's Who. She is educational consultant with more than 30 years of experience in art education, currently serving as a contractor with Pearson Vue, a global educational testing company. She also is an independent health and wellness business owner with ARIEYL, a direct sales company. From 1985-87, she was the head women's swimming and volleyball coach at Jewell.

Scott Burton, ’84, has been named the Criminal Justice Program director for the newly established undergraduate and graduate curriculum at Dallas Christian College in Dallas, Texas. Scott has more than 17 years of college and university teaching experience and is currently a tenured professor of criminal justice at the College of Southern Nevada. He is retired from a 25-year federal law enforcement career.

Dr. Jason Kinser, ’85, has been named the acting associate dean of Academic Affairs in the College of Science at George Mason University. His sixth technical book, “Modeling and Simulation in Python” (CRC Press) has been released, and his fifth novel “The Ice Child” under the pseudonym of Henry Wallace Monroe has been published.

Robyn (Breckenridge) Sedgwick, ’86, has been hired as general manager for the KTLF Radio Network with three stations and 52 signals that cover the state of Colorado. Prior to this role, she was general manager at WAYFM servicing Colorado and Kansas, Classical KCME and Jazz 93.5. She resides in Colorado Springs.

Jody Jensen Shaffer, ’86, published three picture books in 2024: “Sometimes I am Hot Lava” (Beaming Books), “The Last Day Julian was My Best Friend” (Two Lions) and “Porcupine Had a Fuzzy Sweater” (Magination Press).

Danny King, ’87, is employed with Euna Solutions in Springfield. His daughter, Emily King, ’23, married Brady O’Donell, ’22, on the steps of Jewell Hall in July 2023. 

Craig Zahnd, ’89, is a Jewell 2024 Citation for Achievement honoree. He is the senior vice president, general counsel, chief ethics officer and chief compliance officer at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Alyce (Curtis) Kelsey, ’90, serves as the editorial director of calendars and greeting cards at Andrews McMeel Universal in Kansas City.

Shara (Clevenger) Brice, ’91, executive director of Gift of Life, hosted a Life Savers Rally for more than 500 area high school students on Jewell’s campus in October. Her son, Joel Brice, ’19, has worked five years at Safe Haven Security, and daughter-in-law Jaymie (White) Brice, ’21, is a pediatric nurse and pursuing a nurse practitioner degree.

Dr. Mark Hoffman, ’91, was named the Center for Practical Bioethics 2024 Ethics Champion for his work surrounding ethical issues and artificial intelligence in healthcare. He is the chief research information officer at Children's Mercy Kansas City, a professor at University of Missouri-Kansas City, a member of the Ethical AI Advisory Council at the Center for Practical Bioethics and a Jewell Citation for Achievement recipient, among other professional honors.

Tony True, ’91, retired after a career in consumer package goods sales and returned to the Kansas City area. He serves  on the board of Community LINC, the Jewell Alumni Board of Governors and is a big brother through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas City.

The Honorable Blake Adams, ’96, was re-elected for a second 6-year term as County Court Judge of Collier County, Florida, without opposition in 2024.

Ashley (Crosby) Davidson, ’97, was named senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Black & Veatch in Kansas City. She was a vice president at Cerner Corporation (now Oracle Health) and most recently  served as vice president and head of global marketing at Royal Philips.

Dimple Dhabalia, ’97, published a book, “Tell Me My Story: Challenging the Narrative of Service Before Self.” She invites humanitarians to consider how choosing a path of service may provide opportunities to reveal and heal wounds while embracing their humanity through the stories of the people they serve. She is  the founder of Roots in the Clouds consulting firm.

Brett Burchett, ’01, is a teacher at Stockton (Missouri) High School.

Dr. Christopher Strelluf, ’02, edited the “Routledge Handbook of Sociophonetics.” It is the definitive guide to his area of research and includes 28 chapters written by 57 leading scholars of sociophonetics working across 16 countries and six continents. He also wrote the handbook’s introduction and coauthored a chapter on sociophonetics and Chinese. He resides in the United Kingdom working for the University of Warwick.

Toby Goostree ’03, published his first book of poems, “But There’s So Much DIY in IVF That We Can’t Be Sure” (Fernwood Press). The book considers IVF against a backdrop of stories of infertility from the book of Genesis. The Oxbridge Honors Program alumnus is a certified financial planner with Goostree Financial Group in Prairie Village, Kansas.

Andy Garcia, ’04, was inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who for her work as an audiobook narrator. She holds two master's degree and numerous licenses and credentials, including a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Licensed Clinical Addictions Counselor. She also is a member of the Audio Publishers Association, Professional Audiobook Narrators Association, and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Arts (SAG-AFTRA).

Kristen Ellis Johnson, ’05, was selected for the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity’s 2023 Pathfinders program through her work as an environmental attorney at Stinson LLC in Kansas City. The Pathfinders program is designed for attorneys considered to be emerging leaders within their organization and the legal profession.

Andrew Johnson, ’05, is the recipient a 2022-2024 studio residency at Charlotte Street Foundation in Kansas City. During his residency at Charlotte Street he has also received an Arts KC Inspiration Grant in support of his writing, as well as a Rocket Grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation for his multimedia public art installation Closure Is Not Justice. His essays have recently appeared in The Sun, Commonweal and KC Studio Magazine.

Nick Ruble, ’05, of Lee’s Summit was promoted to partner at the law firm of Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice, LLC, where he serves as vice chair of the firm's Employment and Labor Practice Group.

Dr. Megan (Dusing) Bright, ’06, graduated from Murray State University with her Ed.D. in P-20 and Community Leadership. Her dissertation was called “Listen Up! Perceptions of Audiobooks by Teachers, Librarians and Parents.” Megan is the librarian at Liberty Middle School in the Liberty School District.

Philip Fuhrman, ’06, was appointed as associate circuit judge for the 31st Judicial Circuit by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson. He is currently an assistant prosecuting attorney in Greene County. He received his juris doctor from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Kevin Garner, ’07, is a senior proposal strategist at Burns & McDonnell Engineering in Kansas City.

Patrick James, ’07, was elected president-elect of the Kansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. He is a clinical dietitian with the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas. He lives with his wife Andrea (de Regnier) James, ’07, and their daughters, Viola, Elsie and Kiernan, in Pittsburg, Kansas.

Dr. Melissa (Guillory) Koonce, ’07, completed her Doctor of Musical Arts from Boston University. She is an orchestra teacher in the Independence (Missouri) School District.

Lilia Toson, ’07, was presented the 2024 Citation for Achievement by the College. She is the attorney-in-charge of Civil Citywide Units at New York City’s The Legal Aid Society, the nation’s oldest and largest not-for-profit legal services organization.

Rebecca Dillon, ’08, was named the 2023 Teacher of the Year at Eureka (Missouri) High School, where she has taught for seven years. She is in her 15th year in education and completed a master’s degree in educational technology from Capella University in 2022.

Adam Meier, ’08, was named chief nursing officer for The University of Kansas Health System St. Francis Campus in Topeka, Kansas. He previously worked as director of nursing for ambulatory operations at the health system’s main campus. He received his master’s degree in nursing and healthcare administration from MidAmerica Nazarene University.

Lt. Commander Kayron Parrish, ’08, U.S. Navy, recently completed an operational assignment in Manama, Bahrain. He served as the commanding officer of warships USS Devastator (MCM 6) and USS Sentry (MCM 3).

Scott Hopson, ’09, was promoted to senior trust investment officer with Arvest Wealth Management in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. He joined the company in 2014 and holds the designations of Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor (CTFA) and Accredited Fiduciary Investment Manager (AFIM).

Maj. Joshua Horman, ’09, is one of five officers selected to join the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels, for the 2025 air show season. He was chosen as the C-130J Super Hercules pilot, joining the ranks of the U.S. Navy’s most elite aviation officers, ground support officers and enlisted maintenance personnel already serving on the team. The business administration major completed Officer Candidate School and commissioned into the United States Marine Corps. During The Basic School, he picked up a competitive Naval Flight Officer contract and began his journey into Naval Aviation.

Jessica (Schwalm) Woodward, ’10, received the Atlas Award from her team at CACI, Inc. for her contributions as a geospatial analyst/Q.C. finalizer. She resides in Monument, Colorado.

Dr. Jenna Christensen, ’11, joined the faculty at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, as an assistant professor of molecular biosciences. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and pursued her postdoctoral fellowship at University of California San Diego. She and her husband, Dr. David Weinberg, have a 2-year-old son, Simon.

Nick Griffin, ’12, is the new head football coach at Eldon (Missouri) High School. In his career, he has been on staff for teams that went to four conference championships, won two district titles, had an additional district title appearance, a state quarter-final appearance and a state semifinal appearance.

Kurt Webster, ’12, is the new offensive coordinator at Shawnee Mission Northwest (Kansas) High School. His previous football experience included being the head coach at Chapman (Kansas) High School, defensive coordinator and assistant coach at Shawnee Mission West.

Lindsey (Blundell) Howell, ’13, of Gilmer, Texas, published a book, “Three Wells” (Christian Faith Publishing). She has a master’s in theological studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Dr. Aimee Lambeth, ’13, is an attending physician in pediatric rehab medicine and an assistant professor at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Tristan (Dorsey) Martinez, ’14, celebrated their daughter Jewell’s fifth birthday. She says because of her well-rounded education from Jewell, she has been able to achieve a great deal in her career and presented at a national conference this year. She resides in Springfield.

Chris Stathos, ’14, was named the first-ever head of partnerships for Hallmark's Brand Experiences team, a new venture within Hallmark that seeks to bring the company's brand to life through owned and operated live experiences. He spent 10 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, most recently as director of partnership development.

Meridith (Post) Sappenfield, ’15, is an RN with the University of Kansas Health System.

Dane Erbst, ’16, is a firefighter and EMT with Cal Fire. He resides in Chico, California.

Kelly (Brock) Schleisman, ’16, is associate director of business development for Real Chemistry. She lives in Kansas City.

Charlotte Burns, ’18, completed a Master of Physician Assistant Studies from Stephens College and works as a physician assistant in the Endocrinology/Cray Diabetes Center at the University of Kansas Health System.

Dalton Nelson, ’18, and Jacob Dice, ’19, summited Mt. Rainier in Paradise, Washington, in August. The mountain is the fifth highest point in the continental United States, and is just one adventure of many for the steadfast friends. They met at Jewell through the summer physics’ Pillsbury Scholars research program.

Tana Pottorf, ’18, is a neuroscience Ph.D. candidate at Emory University where she has been awarded several grants from the National Institutes of Health, most recently for studying the interactions between microglia and motoneurons in the spinal cord after peripheral nerve injury. In 2024 she received the Emory University Neuroscience Graduate Program Teaching Award and the Cell Biology Department Trainee Spotlight as well as welcomed daughter Everly with her husband, Joey Nitcher.

Chris Davison, ’20, is a physical therapist at Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital in St. Louis.

Terrace Wyatt Jr., ’20, opened his original play, “Black Man, MO,” as part of the KC Fringe Festival at Union Station’s City Stage. Professor Nathan Wyman, ’95, director of Jewell Theatre Company, was the scenic designer for the production. Terrace has been active in Kansas City theatre venues as an actor and budding playwright since graduating, and in summer 2024 he was recognized in KC Studio magazine as Kansas City’s Artist to Watch.

Anthony Hansen, ’21, started new role as director of player personnel with University of Missouri Baseball in August 2024.

Kevin Kim, ’21, is an assistant football coach (linebackers) at Missouri University of Science and Technology. He played football for three seasons at Jewell and coached for two seasons before moving to Rolla.

Rachel Bell, ’22, is a policy analyst in Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s Government Affairs Division. Prior to this role, she was a constituent service coordinator.

Logan Peterson, ’22, is an ICU registered nurse at Phelps Health. He resides in Fort Leonard Wood.

Hayden Armour, ’23, was hired as an implementations specialist/project manager at Prodjex, a web and app development company based in Liberty.

Darby Lynn Slaughter, ’23, started the Master of Divinity program at Wake Forest University.

Morgan Tuttle, ’23, completed a master’s degree in playwriting and dramaturgy at the University of Glasgow.

Isabel Warden, ’23, was hired as the community outreach specialist for Visiting Nurses Association.