Class Notes
This issue of Class Notes includes submissions through August 31, 2024.
Let us know the latest about your family, career, travels, hobbies, and more. Submit your news via: Your class correspondent: See contact information under your class year heading. If no one is listed, please consider volunteering; simply email alumni@lclark.edu for more information.
1948–49
Undergrad Class Correspondent: John Reitz BS ’48, BM ’49 jvreitz@aol.com “Please send me your updates!”
1955
Arts & Sciences Reunion June 26–29, 2025
1959
Sam Edwards BS was active in Presbyterian ministry for four years. He was employed by the Presbytery of Geneva in upstate New York as associate executive and then executive for 35 years. He has been retired for more than 17 years. He and wife Judith enjoy traveling, attending plays, concerts, movies, lectures, and adult education classes. They regularly spend time with their four adult children and five young adult grandchildren.
1960
Arts & Sciences Reunion June 26–29, 2025
Dick Kite BA has been devoted to his music, traveling with choirs and handbell choirs to England, Scotland, Eastern Europe, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Canada, and most of the western United States. He also spent a week on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne and six weeks at the Royal School of Church Music in Croydon, U.K.
Jenean McKay BS is an active member of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., which is only two blocks from the White House. The church was the home congregation of President Lincoln, who was a regular attendee of its services and prayer group.
1961
Brian Aldrich BA retired as emeritus professor of sociology in May 2015 from Winona State University in Minnesota. Two of his sons, Robert and Michael, graduated at the same time. After professionally publishing three books on housing for the urban poor in developing countries, Aldrich retired to write and self-publish several more, including adventure mysteries and a memoir. He also self-published a book with his sister during the pandemic. In October 2023, his wife of 42 years died of liver cancer. Aldrich currently resides in Winona, Minnesota, with his son, Robert. He is working on a new mystery tale about the attempts of a foreign government to create a super soldier by inserting A.I. into the brain.
Janet Vaughan Schwandt BA has raised three sons, pursued a successful career in hotel marketing, and taught art since graduation. She married Gary Baker BS, JD ’69 and retired in 2022.
1962
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Nancy Knudsen BA knudsenk@plu.edu “Please send me your updates!”
1965
Arts & Sciences Reunion June 26–29, 2025
1966
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Carla Shafer BS chuckanutsandstone@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Roger Clark BA celebrated his 80th birthday in Vancouver, Washington, with family and friends. He enjoys choral singing with St. Paul Lutheran Church, the Whatcom Chorale, the Bellingham Chamber Chorale, the Bellingham Festival of Music, and the Pacific Northwest Opera. He has performed all of Handel’s Messiah as well as Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and The Abduction From the Seraglio. This year, he will sing Fauré’s Requiem with the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra.
Jack Gustaf Lewis BA, along with Mojgan Sami BA ’91, has started a study abroad fund for L&C students with financial need. He started this fund after his life and profession were completely changed by studying abroad in Japan with the first L&C overseas study program in 1962. Lewis says the fund is now endowed, but additional funds are needed to make a greater impact. If you’re interested in giving, contact Rebecca Holt at rebeccah@lclark.edu or Lewis at jglewis888@gmail.com.
Lynne Pickens BA traveled to London in September. A member of the Royal Oak Foundation, an alliance of American citizens supporting the mission of the National Trust of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, she has traveled to London almost every year since 2000 (except during the COVID-19 years).
Carla Shafer BS, in addition to serving as class correspondent, is working on a collaborative project that includes publishing a 2025 Elder Voices anthology to break stereotypes and address the issues faced between generations in America today.
1968
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Marilyn Lane BS beach439@charter.net “Please send me your updates!”
Sara Scott Cerato BA is a trustee on the board of Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the second-largest performing arts center in the United States behind New York’s Lincoln Center. She is also president of the governing board of the Philadelphia Orchestra. She recently chaired the annual opening night gala with the orchestra’s world-renowned conductor, Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
1969
Undergrad Class Correspondent: David Grube BA lynnanddavidgrube@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
1970
Arts & Sciences Reunion June 26–29, 2025 Undergrad Class Correspondent: Rand Dawson BS rdawson@oregonfast.net “Please send me your updates!”
Mark Brackelsberg BA was profiled for his bowling talents in the Mesquite [Nevada] Local News. According to the article, he has been “mowing down pins at the Virgin River Bowling Center since the 1999–2000 season.” His bowling resume includes a 300 game, a career-high 718 series, multiple 279s with 11 strikes, and a personal-best 195 average. At Lewis & Clark, he was on the bowling team and was named to the NAIA District 2 All-Star team. Brackelsberg also plays softball, tennis, pickleball, and golf. He works for the Re/Max group in Mesquite.
Richard Kronman BS and his wife, Maureen, will soon receive a letter of occupancy allowing them to return to their home, which was destroyed in the 2018 Woolsey Fire near Malibu on the California coast. During the long rebuilding process, Richard continued working while also finding time to be a driver for truck caravans delivering food, personal items, medical supplies, and educational materials to La Morita, a municipality in southern Tijuana, Mexico. This area has become a refuge for Central and South American immigrants. Richard assists with this humanitarian effort four times a year.
Julia Banner Spence BA retired in 2020 as vice president of human resources for Neil Kelly, a residential design and remodeling company in Portland. She sits on the company’s board of directors. Spence has been an active community volunteer over the years and is currently the president of the board of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon, a statewide interfaith organization. Her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter also live in Portland. Spence’s brother,
John Banner BA ’72, lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, Rozalia. Banner continues to work as a tax attorney.
1971
David Campiche BA, author of Black Wing (FriesenPress, 2023), spoke to the Daily Astorian in fall 2023 about his life, work, art, and philosophy. The novel, which took Campiche 12 years to write, is his first. When he’s not working on writing projects or poetry, he spends his time working on pottery and being an outdoorsman.
Terri Dill-Simpson BA was recently honored as the Artist of the Month by the Dry Canyon Arts Association of Redmond, Oregon. After an initial career in law enforcement and a stint at the Oregon Zoo, Dill-Simpson has spent the latter years of her career immersed in the world of painting. She has taught both in her private studio and at the Northeast Community Center in Portland for more than eight years. Her artwork, which often reflects themes of flora, fauna, birds, and insects, has been transformed into greeting cards, calendars, and fine art prints. She has exhibited her work across various Oregon locales, from the Belinki Gallery to the Oregon Zoo’s gift shop.
1973
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Jerry Miller BS jretriever@outlook.com “Please send me your updates!”
1974
Jill Flick Bradley BA reminisces on the 50-year anniversary of her graduating class: “Fifty years gone, great memories, and a great start to life.”
1975
Arts & Sciences Reunion June 26–29, 2025 Undergrad Class Correspondent: Susan Olson BA olsonsu@ohsu.edu “Please send me your updates!”
Scott Cramer BS, LLM ’24 received an online LLM in environmental, natural resources, and energy law from the law school in January 2024 while working full time as an appellate attorney. After a 26-year career in the Marine Corps and 14 years of federal service, Cramer returned to Lewis & Clark to pursue his passion for both science and the law through the LLM program. Cramer currently works as a California appellate panel attorney for indigent criminal appeals, prisoner civil rights, and parole suitability hearings. In addition, Cramer does pro bono appellate work at the local Fish & Wildlife Service office in California.
Christine Lorentz BA ’75, BA ’79 is an active fundraiser for the Go Warriors! Aloha High School Opportunity Fund, now in its ninth year. More than $18,000 has been awarded to 33 projects. The fund currently has a capital base of over $60,000, which is invested for future awards to staff and student projects.
1976
Undergrad Class Correspondents: Ken Goe BA kengoe1020@gmail.com Doug Leary BA dougleary@gmail.com “Please send us your updates!”
David Borofka BA is on track to have a new collection of stories published by Johns Hopkins University Press on January 21, 2025. The collection, titled The Bliss of Your Attention, “celebrates those who strive and fail and strive again.”
Doug Leary BA has been retired for a few years after a long career as a software programmer. He fills his free time with many interests, including 3D printing, cooking, playing Dungeons and Dragons, reading, watching movies he previously never got around to seeing, listening to old-time radio shows, woodworking (furniture, built-ins, etc.), and electronics. Leary still writes some software, but only as a hobby. He recently got into making hand-bound books with his daughter, which she intends to sell at craft fairs.
1977
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Ginger Harville BA gbharville@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Sarah Barker Ball BA has been nominated as a 2025 Music Teachers National Association Foundation Fellow, representing the Oregon Music Teachers Association (OMTA). This recognition serves as the culmination of many rewarding years of teaching music and staying active in OMTA. Ball has filled many roles in the organization, including serving as state president from 2020 to 2022. The award will be presented at the Music Teachers National Association conference in Minneapolis in March 2025.
1978
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Ann Vogel BA vogelann4@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Barbara Chamberlin BM is stepping back from her role as artistic director of the Whitehorse Community Choir in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. She led her final concerts with the choir in early May. Music has always been a part of Chamberlin’s life. She has sung in bands, performed as a solo act, and taught private voice lessons. She was also one of the founders of Music Yukon and of Yukon Women in Music. Chamberlin is working on a new CD for release in spring 2025 and will continue teaching voice and piano on a part-time basis.
Ronald Marks BS has been selected as a founding national cabinet member of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, which supports, empowers, and honors our nation’s military caregivers. Marks has also been nominated and selected as a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, one of America’s premier think tanks specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international relations. In addition, Marks has been appointed to the director of national intelligence’s Strategic Studies Group.
Toby Padgett BS (aka “DJ Toby Chicago”) is one of four reviewers chosen to make a press kit statement for the band Dario and the Clear’s newest digital release, Banquet of Noise. Padgett said, “What a tremendous honor this is! To be asked by a musician of Dario Saraceno’s caliber and talent to be a part of this tremendous work of his is both humbling and mind-blowing!” Padgett, who has been represented by 910 Public Relations for many years, says she has been using the skills and education she obtained at Lewis & Clark “every day since graduation.”
Donna Roisom BS, MAT ’85 coached high school tennis in the Portland area for more than 36 years. She coached at St. Mary’s Academy, Catlin Gabel School, and Valley Catholic High School before retiring from Grant High School. A standout athlete in several sports, Roisom competed in tennis while at Lewis & Clark. Over the course of her long career, Roisom has received many honors, including Northwest Girls Tennis Coach of the Year (2017) and Girls State Tennis Coach of the Year (2018). In 2019, she became the 13th recipient of the Lewis & Clark Hall of Fame Lifetime Sport and Achievement Award. Roisom now focuses her efforts on building up the tennis and pickleball programs in Charbonneau, Oregon.
1979
Dr. Stacy Rout Thompson BA is a member of the Lewis & Clark Board of Trustees. She also serves as president of the Lewis & Clark Board of Alumni. She retired in 2021 from Chabot College in Hayward, California, where she served as vice president of instruction. She then became founder and CEO of Strategic Transitions Consulting. Thompson enjoys exploring new beaches and experiencing cuisines from different cultures. She is the proud grandmother of two.
1980
Arts & Sciences Reunion June 26–29, 2025 Undergrad Class Correspondent: Kathleen Holder BA holder.km@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
F. Pieter Lefferts BA, an artist and author, was the featured guest on the podcast Main Street Moxie, just in time for its Earth Day release. You can listen to Lefferts speak about his creative processes and get a glimpse into his nature-centric worldview as he answers the questions, “How do you define moxie?” and “How has moxie impacted your life?” Look for season 3, episode 3, of the Main Street Moxie podcast.
Kathleen Minifie Maki BA retired in June 2023 after 21 years at the Seattle Art Museum, serving most recently as director of human resources.
John Maki BS retired in June 2024 from a 27-year career with the Boeing Company, where he wore many hats, including technical writer, business operations specialist, and data analyst (mostly in HR), training, and the commercial airplane sales and marketing groups. They are finding that retirement offers more time for hobbies, family (two daughters and four grandchildren), and friends, including several L&C alums whom they see often: Kyle Cook BA, Helen Babbitt BA ’81, Michell Courkamp Pihl BS, Cindy McLellan Douglass BA ’79, Steve Kass MAT ’95, and Cate Drinan MAT ’00. “Many thanks to L&C for offering the 1977 Art History class where we met. The rest was kismet.” They reside in Auburn, Washington.
S. Kim Nelson BA retired from the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences at Oregon State University (OSU) in 2022 after 34 years on the faculty. Her work at OSU focused on determining seabird habitat use and conservation options in Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Japan. Nelson primarily studied murrelets, a group of seabirds related to puffins. She and her husband, Will, love to travel, bird-watch, and garden. They are taking full advantage of their newfound free time to enjoy exploring the many wild places near and far from home.
Larry Robertson BS is a semiretired test pilot for Twin Cities Hammock.
David Schoenbrun BA retired this year after 34 years of learning, teaching, and writing African history at the University of Georgia (nine years) and at Northwestern University (24 years). He lives with his wife, Kearsley Stewart, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Schoenbrun writes that they are “keeping our ties to East Africa alive, continuing to write and travel, and growing ties to our adopted community in the Upper Rio Grande.”
Olivia Evans Yacukowicz BA is loving life in Boise, Idaho. She became a grandmother on January 25, 2024, to a beautiful grandson, Jackson.
1981
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Lisa Dodson BA lisagrilldodson@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Bill (Guillermo) Bowie BA is a full-time writer residing in Portland. A former Marian Davis scholar at Harvard, his work has appeared in The Insurgent Sociologist, Monthly Review, Oregon’s Mr. Cogito, Portland’s The Free Agent, and other journals.
Bob Simril BA is a semiretired business advisor who spent his career working in sales and marketing. He is running for Portland City Council this year.
1982
Anna-Lisa Schorn BA has been recognized by BestAgents.us as a 2024 Top Agent. She’s a real estate broker with Van Dorm Realty in Olympia, Washington.
1983
Benedikt Hoskuldsson BA participated in a special ceremony with Droupadi Murmu, the president of India, to mark his work as ambassador of Iceland to India. Hoskuldsson, who received L&C’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2022, has enjoyed a robust international career in climate and development issues. He is married to Hjordis Magnusdottir BA.
1984
Suzy Henry BA has been married nearly 30 years to Arthur Henry. She has enjoyed nearly 35 years of human resources work at Intel, Oregon’s largest employer. Suzy and Arthur recently enjoyed Suzy’s 40th class reunion on the Lewis & Clark campus.
Bethanne Klauck BA just adopted two more children, for a total of five, at age 62. She spends her days teaching and her nights enjoying the littles.
Brian Lindstrom BS released his latest documentary, Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill, in April after nearly a decade of work. The film, which will stream on Amazon Prime and Apple TV+, is an affectionate portrait of 1970 singer-songwriter Judee Sill, whose troubled youth and adulthood often eclipsed her musical talents. Lindstrom’s other acclaimed films include Alien Boy: The Life and Death of James Chasse (2013) and Finding Normal (2007).
Walter Minty BA has been married to his wonderful wife, Shirley, for 29 years. They have two children, Emily (24) and Daniel (20), and live in the Seattle area. Minty recently retired from his career in international business to face the challenges of young-onset Parkinson’s disease, which he was diagnosed with in 2009. He says, “Every day has its blessings and frustrations.”
1985
Arts & Sciences Reunion June 26–29, 2025
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Sarah Marin BA sarah.marin@comcast.net “Please send me your updates!”
David Wellman BA is an associate professor and founding director of The Grace School of Applied Diplomacy at DePaul University in Chicago. The Grace School is the world’s first school of diplomacy to teach diplomacy from a transprofessional perspective, which holds that while diplomacy is practiced by nation-state representatives, it is also practiced by businesspeople, scientists, artists, educators, religious leaders, community organizers, and activists.
1986
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Kim Crofcheck BA kcrofcheck@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
James Wilder Hancock BA and director Michael Kallio have joined forces amidst Hollywood’s challenges to produce genre-melding films.
Ellen Simonis BA, MAT ’93 has taken a job with the Washington Education Association as a UniServ director after 39 years of teaching middle school and high school in Oregon and Washington. Based in the MidState UniServ Council office in Yakima, she will be putting her energy into advocating and fighting for better working conditions as well as helping local education associations with contract negotiations and enforcement, grievances, and arbitrations. At this time of transition, Simonis reports that her only child is leaving for college to study musical theatre, so they are both entering new life phases.
1988
Undergrad Class Correspondents: Sydney Dickerson BA, MEd ’89 sfdickerson66@gmail.com Teresa Pacelli-Dill BS tlpacelli@yahoo.com “Please send us your updates!”
Robbyn Henshall Fernandez BA is the assistant superintendent of schools in Boulder, Colorado, where she oversees the district’s 56 schools. She has two children, Evan and Annie, and enjoys traveling, hiking, spending time with family and friends, and listening to live music. Fernandez says she is living her best life.
1989
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Andrea Ball BA aball1017@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
1990
Arts & Sciences Reunion June 26–29, 2025
1991
Jennifer Huenink BA, JD ’94 and her daughter, Sophie Abbassian BA ’25, who is the leader of L&C’s Rose Garden Restoration Club, are hard at work to bring the historic Veterans’ Memorial Rose Garden at the east end of the Fir Acres Estate back to its former glory. Abbassian found a few original roses still surviving there and has procured new roses through donations and club funding. Together Huenink and Abbassian host events and work parties to help with the transformation. They will officially debut the restored garden in May 2025.
Tim Johnson JD received a 2024 Administrator’s Excellence Award from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) in August. This is the highest accolade with which BPA honors federal employees, contract personnel, and external partners. It honors distinguished contributions to the agency, the electric utility industry, and Pacific Northwest communities. Johnson is the assistant general counsel at BPA and has worked there since 2005.
Mark Rittman BA received the July Business of the Month award from the Heart of the Rockies Chamber of Commerce for the business he co-owns with his wife, The Maverick Potter. Rittmann traces the inspiration for his work, in part, to his overseas study program to Ecuador, where he learned ceramics from a native potter. The Maverick Potter, located in Salida, Colorado, presents not only Rittmann’s work but also works from more than 24 local and regional artists.
1992
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Edgard Garcia BA eagspanish@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Renne Emiko Brock BS was awarded the Sequim-Dungeness Chamber of Commerce’s 2023 Citizen of the Year award. For nearly two decades, Brock produced and sponsored Sequim’s First Friday Art Walk and served as director for the North Olympic Fiber Arts Festival. Brock is also the multimedia communications program coordinator at Peninsula College. Brock earned an MFA in visual art from Norwich University and was part of the inaugural class of the University of Washington’s Certificate in Virtual Worlds program.
Ruthe Farmer BA, a trailblazer advocating for diversity and inclusion in technology, has been honored with the Global Female Leadership Impact Award at the Global Power Women Yearbook 2024 event in New York. This award recognizes her transformative efforts in using technology to uplift marginalized communities, alongside her work shaping policies that foster economic and political empowerment through tech. Organized by the Centre for Economic and Leadership Development in collaboration with Amazons Watch Magazine, the event brought together influential women leaders from around the globe to celebrate their achievements, share insights, and discuss the pivotal role of women in shaping the future of business and governance through technology. Farmer is the founder and CEO of the Last Mile Education Fund, which is committed to creating opportunities for underrepresented students to pursue education and careers in the technology and engineering fields. She previously served as senior policy advisor for tech inclusion in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where she played a key role in President Obama’s Computer Science for All initiative.
Dawn Parker BA is a professor in the School of Planning, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Canada. She has been actively involved in the development of the Waterloo Institute for Complexity and Innovation. Her research focuses on the development of fine-scale models that link the drivers of land-use change and their socioeconomic and ecological impacts. She’s pursued projects related to organic agriculture in California’s Central Valley, timber harvest and carbon sequestration in West Virginia’s eastern deciduous forests, and the effects of HIV/AIDS on smallholder agricultural households in Uganda. Her most recent work focuses on residential landscapes, examining interactions between land markets, landscaping, and carbon sequestration in exurban landscapes, and modeling the coevolution of urban transit networks and residential neighborhoods via land and housing markets. She earned her PhD in agricultural and resource economics from the University of California at Davis.
Stephanie Johnson Wright JD received the Gertrude Rush Award from the Iowa National Bar Association and the Iowa Organization of Women Attorneys in July 2024. Gertrude Rush was the first African American female attorney in Iowa. The award was given in recognition of Wright’s perseverance, which was outlined in the New York Times article “A Retired Prosecutor’s Quest for Recognition” (March 18, 2023).
1993
Jay Lee BA, a South Korean businessman, launched La Biblioteca in 2018 with Robert Brittan of Brittan Vineyards in McMinnville. The winery’s name is inspired by “La Biblioteca de Babel,” a short story by Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges. A copy of Borges’ tale holds a place of honor on a shelf in La Biblioteca’s tasting room. In addition to owning wineries and vineyards in Oregon, Lee imports premium wines to South Korea through Vitis, his company in Seoul.
1994
Fawn Bernhardt-Norvell BA was promoted to the position of vice president of advancement at the Center for Victims of Torture (CVT). In this role, she will have responsibility for the organization-wide strategy of sustaining and expanding revenue and leading CVT’s talented team of fundraisers, grant writers, and events professionals.
Stephen Kimball BA lives in Aurora, New York, with wife Alexis and their four kids, ages 8, 12, 17, and 21. Kimball is the host and producer of the podcast Sober Dad Crew, which explores the realms of fatherhood and sobriety. You can listen at SoberDadCrew.com or wherever you stream podcasts.
Douglas Mulford BS continues to love teaching and was recently named the Nat C. Robertson Teaching Professor of Science and Society at Emory University.
Jennifer Davis Salazar BA made a career pivot in 2022 and enrolled in Willamette University College of Law after nearly 25 years of employment with the Oregon Department of Human Services. She is a 2024 John Paul Stevens (Foundation) Public Interest fellow, which funded her clerkship with Legal Aid Services of Oregon this past summer. She hopes to pursue legal or policy work with the state government upon graduation in 2025. She previously earned a master’s degree in public health in March 2020.
William Salka BS is now provost and vice president for academic affairs at Westfield State University in Massachusetts. For the previous six years, he served as provost for Eastern Connecticut State University. Salka earned his doctorate in political science and government from Colorado State University.
Bridey Thelen-Heidel BA now lives and teaches in Lake Tahoe. In addition to being a teacher and author, she recently delivered a TEDx talk titled “ROB the Trauma: Steal Back Your Life.” Her memoir, Bright Eyes, published by SheWrites Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster, was released in late September (see also “Bookshelf,” p. 32). Get in touch with her at writer@bridey-thelenheidel.com.
1995
Arts & Sciences Reunion June 26–29, 2025 Undergrad Class Correspondent Ilka Bailey BA ilkabailey@hotmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Molly Juillerat BA has been appointed to serve as forest supervisor for the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest. In this role, Juillerat will oversee all land management and administration for the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest, which spans nearly 1.8 million acres in seven counties across southwest Oregon and northern California. Juillerat has served in the U.S. Department of Agriculture for more than 15 years and in natural resources management for more than 23 years. She previously served as the district ranger for Middle Fork Ranger District on the Willamette National Forest in central Oregon. Prior to working for the Forest Service, she worked for the U.S. Geological Survey, Crater Lake National Park, and the Bureau of Land Management’s Lakeview District’s Klamath Falls Resource Area.
1996
Hank Webb JD is a professor who spent six weeks teaching international business law and moot court courses at the Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law in Pangbisa, Bhutan, as a Fulbright grant recipient. While in Bhutan, Webb met up with Professor of Law Dan Rohlf, who was also visiting that law school. Webb teaches business law and other law and business courses at Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Marshall E. Rinker School of Business, where he is also the assistant dean. Webb previously lived and taught in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, for four years, and in Doha, Qatar, for three years. He regularly leads groups of American students on study abroad programs throughout Southeast Asia.
1997
Undergrad Class Correspondents: Anne Bunn BA anne@anneandsam.com Sam Thompson BA sam@anneandsam.com “Please send us your updates!”
Zak Boone BA is now vice president of college advancement and foundation executive director at Central Oregon Community College in Bend, Oregon.
Anne Bunn BA recently celebrated the two-year birthday of her drinking vinegar business, Urban Pharm. Urban Pharm is currently stocked in more than 30 retail stores and is shipped nationwide.
Thomas Gibson JD has been appointed chief deputy director at the California Department of Water Resources, where he has served as chief counsel since 2021. He held multiple positions at the California Natural Resources Agency from 2014 to 2020, including deputy secretary, special counsel for water, undersecretary, and general counsel. Gibson also served in multiple positions at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2007 to 2014, including general counsel and assistant chief counsel.
Jen Hambleton BA moved back to Portland from Monterey, California, in 2020. She and her teenage daughter live very close to the L&C campus. Hambleton recently joined the College Consulting Collaborative (CCC), a practice that supports students with learning differences/neurodiversity in planning for and applying to college.
Kamla Hurst BA has joined Metro, Oregon’s regional government, as their new waste prevention grants program manager.
1998
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Jan Martin BA jzmartin@shaw.ca “Please send us your updates!”
Laura Provinzino BA, L&C’s first Rhodes Scholar, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. Provinzino, who most recently served as an assistant U.S. attorney, has a history of prosecuting violent crimes and has won awards for her work in prosecuting sex trafficking. In addition, she served as a legislative intern for Paul Wellstone and became an assistant U.S. attorney in Minneapolis. Provinzino also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Diana Murphy on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit from 2003 to 2004. She earned her law degree from Yale Law School in 2002. In a statement, Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz said that Provinzino is a welcome addition to Minnesota’s federal bench. “She has been appearing before our judges for almost 15 years, and she has skillfully handled some of the most difficult cases prosecuted in our district. She is exceptionally smart, she is an elegant writer, she is always well prepared, and she treats everyone she encounters with kindness. These traits will serve her well in her new role.”
2000
Arts & Sciences Reunion June 26–29, 2025 Undergrad Class Correspondent: Annie Lovejoy Elasky BA annsara_lovejoy@hotmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Nick Hesterberg BA has joined Miller Nash as special counsel to the firm’s construction and insurance recovery team. Hesterberg, based in the firm’s Seattle office, has an extensive litigation background and represents clients in a wide array of complex business disputes, including antitrust and unfair competition matters, trade secret and intellectual property claims, contract disputes, business torts, and environmental litigation. He also maintains an active pro bono practice focused on representing individuals in immigration proceedings.
2002
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Sarah Stohr BA sarahstohr@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Lyla Andrews Bashan BA completed her most recent assignment—four years in the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan—and is taking a yearlong sabbatical from the diplomatic corps of the U.S. Agency for International Development. Bashan and her family will be traveling throughout Asia with her husband, Mike, while homeschooling their kids, Ramona (12) and Lyla Leigh (9). “Life is short—it’s good to adventure!”
Eleanor Marsh BA was named principal of Sinaloa Middle School, part of the Novato [California] Unified School District. Marsh has nearly 20 years of experience as an administrator and a teacher. She earned a master’s degree in multicultural and bilingual education from La Universidad de Alcalá de Henares in Spain.
Mike Stone Mayer JD has released his debut novel, Ashes to Ashes, a thriller that’s set in the Willamette Valley area and features a newly graduated student and law library scene. The idea for the novel came to him one day while driving home after Professor of Law Craig Johnston’s hazardous waste class. In addition, Mayer is also the current president of the National Association of Environmental Professionals.
Libby Spencer BA is the new chief operating officer of Willamette Valley Vineyards. A former employee of Willamette dating back to 2004, and a current member of Willamette’s board of directors, Spencer will oversee the day-to-day administrative, sales, and operational functions of this leading producer of Oregon pinot noir. As one of the top five largest wine producers in the state of Oregon, and also one of the state’s only publicly traded wineries, Willamette sources all of its grapes from 500 acres in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, from Forest Grove to the south Salem Hills.
2003
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Traci Sanders BA htraci@hotmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Tricia Kalish JD is executive director at the Teton County Access to Justice Center in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The center provides pro bono legal representation to community members who often struggle to pay for legal assistance, especially in light of the area’s high cost of living. It’s the only free legal clinic for Teton, Sublette, and Lincoln counties.
2004
Blake Androff BA has been named CEO of Signal Group, an integrated public affairs firm in Washington, D.C.
Andrew Bowman LLM is the new president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife. He has more than 25 years of conservation and nonprofit management experience. In his current role as president and CEO of the Land Trust Alliance, Bowman provides national leadership to a network of nearly 1,000 community-based conservation organizations supported by over 230,000 volunteers and 6.3 million supporters. During his tenure, Bowman has guided the conservation community to major victories in Washington, D.C., including markedly increased federal conservation funding and legislation that ensures the integrity of the federal tax incentive for conservation easement donations.
Danelle Forseth JD and Melissa Luna JD are two law school alumni who cowrote an Idaho State Bar article titled, “Women Attorneys and Achieving Work/Life Balance in Rural Idaho.” Forseth and Luna also share a general civil law practice, Landeck | Forseth | Luna, in Moscow, Idaho. They note that their favorite things about small-town life are knowing the people in their community, the short walk to downtown, and a 90-second commute to the office.
2005
Arts & Sciences Reunion June 26–29, 2025
Matthew Johnson JD was one of three associate judges of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation to receive a ceremonial oath of office and presentation of robes in April 2023. The tribal court has sole criminal jurisdiction over Indian people on the Umatilla Indian Reservation and criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians who have been charged with domestic violence offenses under the Violence Against Women Act. It also has concurrent jurisdiction with Oregon for civil issues within the reservation. A licensed attorney, Johnson has been the tribal court director/judicial assistant since 2022.
Alison Dornsife Nelson JD passed the bar examination for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and was sworn into the CNMI Bar Association. Nelson started working at the CNMI Office of the Attorney General in 2020 as an assistant attorney general, where she represents executive branch agencies. For the past two years, she has also overseen all civil litigation involving the commonwealth as the civil division chief. The CNMI is a commonwealth of the United States located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean north of Guam.
2006
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Craig Beebe BA craigwbeebe@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Kelly Trujillo JD has been appointed to serve as a judge in the Solano County [California] Superior Court. Since 2002, Trujillo has served as an assistant city attorney at the Napa City Attorney’s Office.
2007
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Craig Gilden BA craig.gilden@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Ben Elkind BA was profiled in a ProPublica story titled “‘It Feels Impossible to Stay’: The U.S. Needs Wildland Firefighters More Than Ever, but the Federal Government Is Losing Them.” According to the article, Elkind has been fighting wildfires for the Forest Service for 14 years and smoke jumping for the last eight.
Dawson Law BA was one of more than 40 LGBTQIA+ experts in U.S. national security and foreign policy featured in the 2024 LGBTQIA+ Out in National Security Leadership and New Voices List. Law most recently served as the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence representative to the United Kingdom, where he worked on sanctions, illicit finance, and economic security issues. Prior to moving to London, Dawson served as a senior sanctions policy advisor in the Office of Foreign Assets Control. Law served in the Foreign Service at the U.S. Department of State from 2009 to 2019, where he was posted in Canberra, Hanoi, Warsaw, Khartoum, and Washington, D.C. Law earned a master of global management at Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Bobby McHugh BA, founder of Coast House Materials production company, is the producer of a short horror film titled Dream Creep, which was one of seven films chosen to play in the Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour. He writes, “We have played in over 20 festivals and have been accepted to over 15 more.”
2008
Chris Bailey BA was named to the “20 for the Next 20” by Hawaii Business Magazine. Bailey is manager of the Wahiawa Value-Added Product Development Center, administered by Leeward Community College. The 33,000-square-foot manufacturing and teaching facility, which opened earlier this year, enables start-up companies to process marketable food products. Bailey moved to his home state of Hawai‘i for the Wahiawa position, which meshes well with his experience in Portland. He previously worked with the Portland Mercado, an incubator that now supports more than 100 businesses representing diverse populations.
Stephanie Beechem BA was recently promoted to chief of staff of the University of California’s systemwide Academic Affairs division, where she helps lead projects and programs that span all 10 UC campuses. She has worked at the University of California for seven years in various roles, including as a speechwriter and spokesperson for UC’s president. Beechem and husband Matt welcomed a son, Miles, in February 2022.
2009
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Megan Maier BA, JD ’19 meganmaier2009@gmail.com “Hi, folks! I’m eager to learn about your personal and professional accomplishments.”
2010
Arts & Sciences Reunion June 26–29, 2025 Undergrad Class Correspondent: Zach Wilson BA zwil22b@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Melanie Martin Loya BA, after living and working internationally for nearly 10 years, returned to the States and graduated from the University of Illinois with a PhD in special education in May 2024. She now works as a postdoctoral fellow at the MIND Institute, part of the University of California at Davis, in Sacramento. She lives with her partner and one-eyed Jordanian cat.
Mitchell “Mitch” Tsai JD was named a Southern California Super Lawyer for 2024, an honor reserved for the top five percent of practicing attorneys in the State of California. Tsai is the principal attorney for the Mitchell M. Tsai Law Firm, which specializes in public-interest environmental litigation.
Nawneet Vibhaw LLM has joined law firm JSA as a partner in its Environmental, Social, and Governance practice at the firm’s New Delhi office. Vibhaw’s expertise lies in environmental advisory services. He has extensive experience advising and representing clients across various sectors, such as cement, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, real estate, and chemicals. He has appeared before the Supreme Court of India, High Courts, and the National Green Tribunal on diverse environmental matters.
2011
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Christina Greever BA pepper.greever@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Jonah Geil-Neufeld BA and his media/podcast production agency, Puddle Creative, launched their own podcast, We Are Not Doomed. The podcast shares stories of optimism during climate change through interviews with industry leaders, authors, journalists, and real people who are making an impact. We Are Not Doomed is not meant as a naïve statement, but rather a hope and an affirmation to rise to the occasion and work toward a better future.
2012
Undergrad Class Correspondents: Renda Nazzal BA rnazzal6@gmail.com Brandis Piper BA, MAT ’13 bpiper1489@gmail.com “Please send us your updates!”
2013
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Chris Van Putten BA vanputtenchristopher@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Shohei Kobayashi BA conducted Portland’s Resonance Ensemble in June 2024 alongside Professor of Music Katherine FitzGibbon, who is the ensemble’s artistic director and president.
Ethan Allred BA ’12 also performed in Mission 15, the ensemble’s 15th anniversary concert. The concert highlighted the ensemble’s journey as “one of the Northwest’s finest choirs” (per Willamette Week), dedicated to championing innovative voices, cultivating community engagement, and deeply considering social impact.
Lindsay “Elle” Tilden BA is one of six recipients of the 2024–25 Canva Fellowship at the American Film Institute (AFI) Conservatory. Over the course of the two-year AFI Conservatory MFA program, each fellow will receive a $40,000 scholarship. Tilden’s fellowship will be in screenwriting. After earning her bachelor’s degree in English at L&C, Tilden studied publishing at the Columbia Publishing Course at Oxford. Most recently, she worked as a senior editorial coordinator at New York Magazine, where she helped manage publication processes across web and print. Tilden also managed the magazine library and worked closely with in-house producers to pitch archival material for film and TV development.
2015
Arts & Sciences Reunion June 26–29, 2025 Undergrad Class Correspondent: Clay Alexander BA clay.g.alexander@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Sophie Belman BA is currently enjoying life in Barcelona, Spain, where she is a Schmidt Science Fellow at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center. In 2023, she completed her PhD in pathogen genomics at the University of Cambridge, where she used pathogen genome and human mobility data to develop mathematical models; a large part of this research was published in the journal Nature in July 2024. In Spain, Belman is bringing together air quality and meteorological data with pathogen genomic and disease data to develop models that capture disease patterns. Her research is designed to work toward understanding features of the pathogen genome that are influenced by environmental factors, with the goal of better preventing and treating disease in an increasingly urban and warming world.
Michael Cowgill JD has been promoted to partner at mctlaw. He has distinguished himself in national mass tort cases against major corporate defendants, including Johnson & Johnson and Biomet Orthopaedics in lawsuits related to defective hip implants. Additionally, Cowgill has emerged as one of the country’s leading attorneys for high-profile wrongful death lawsuits involving kratom, an over-the-counter, opiate-like substance illegally imported into the United States but sold nationwide. Cowgill and his wife, Majka, live in Sarasota, Florida, with their children.
Aaron Downs EdD, most recently superintendent of the Canby [Oregon] School District, has been named superintendent of the Sherwood School District. Prior to working in Canby, Downs served as assistant superintendent in the West Linn–Wilsonville School District.
Loren Naldoza BA is running for Oregon state representative for House District 33, which includes Downtown Portland, Northwest Portland, Linnton, and Cathedral Park/St. Johns. His career has spanned different roles, from helping families avoid homelessness to public service and now to public policy advocacy. His areas of concern include Oregon’s housing crisis, the state’s lack of affordability, and the statewide impacts of climate change.
2016
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Evelyn Guerrero BA i.evelyn.guerrero@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Dr. Karen Pérez ES is the new executive director of the Educator Advancement Council, which uses a systemic approach to coordinate services and resources in support of Oregon educators. She brings to the position more than 26 years of experience in education and community advocacy, teaching, and district-level administration.
2017
Undergrad Class Correspondent: Heather Wells BA wells.heather65@gmail.com “Hello, Class of 2017! I’m your class correspondent, Heather Wells (née Schadt). I look forward to hearing all your news and updates. Feel free to email me anytime!”
LM Alaiyo “Dr. A” Foster EdD was named to “America’s Top 10 Women of Distinction in 2024” by Chief Navigators magazine. Foster, who is “a trailblazer at the intersection of education, philanthropy, and social justice,” currently serves as president and CEO of the Black United Fund of Oregon. Foster is also an adjunct professor at Portland State University. Gikui Gichuhi LLM has been selected as a Fisher Family Summer Fellow on Democracy and Development, a program hosted by the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at Stanford University. Gichuhi is an assistant director of public prosecutions in Kenya. She has expertise in homicide-related prosecutions and environmental law and is committed to justice, victim support, and environmental advocacy. She has been recognized for her policy work on alternative dispute resolution, children, the criminal justice system, and wildlife trafficking. Gichuhi has spoken at several conferences, including Interpol World 2019 and the Africa Prosecutors Association Conference.
2018
Araceli Cruz MA has been named assistant vice president for global diversity and inclusion, a new position that’s part of Portland State University’s Global Diversity and Inclusion unit. Cruz oversees the Native American and Student Community Center, the Veterans Resource Center, and Student Legal Services. She also supports institutional efforts for equity and justice through collaboration, education, development, and capacity building. Cruz serves on the Oregon Department of Education Latinx Student Success Plan Advisory Board, the Borland Free Clinic Board, and the statewide Hispanic Serving Institution Convening Committee.
Jantzen Shinmoto BA, MAT ’19, a realtor with Locations Hawaii, has been recognized by BestAgents.us as a 2024 Top Agent. Shinmoto previously worked as a first-grade teacher during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Harrison Patrick Smith BA, better known as the musician The Dare, is gaining prominent media attention for his unique look and musical style. He’s recently been profiled in the New York Times, GQ magazine, and several other publications. While a student at Lewis & Clark, Smith was the frontman of a band called Turtlenecked.
Karin Sung JD is the new appointee at the California Public Utilities Commission.
2019
Jarely Castro BA graduated in May from Willamette University College of Law and has since landed a job at a civil litigation firm, where she will practice personal injury law. Now that she has her law degree, Castro is looking forward to being part of the first cohort pursuing the Oregon Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination, which is an alternative and more practical way to get an Oregon bar license. “I was recently issued a provisional license by the Oregon State Bar, which will allow me to practice law under the supervision of my firm until I obtain my full license, hopefully by the end of this year.”
Pete Lahti BA graduated from Oregon Health & Science University with a DMD degree in June 2023. Lahti got engaged to Alex Hanson BA ’20 in October 2023. Their wedding is set for September 2025.
Grant Mohn BA is co-owner of Grand Canyon Adventures, which provides amazing tours all over northern Arizona to nearly 10,000 people a year. While his job does not revolve around his physics degree, he credits his broad liberal arts education with playing an important role in getting him where he is today. Mohn recently joined the board of directors for the Willow Bend Environmental Education Center, which hosts a variety of environmentally focused events for people of all ages.
Ozzie Reif BA has turned his Ely Mitten Project into a full-time mitten-making operation. He made the transition to full time in December 2023 after two years of making prototype mittens and working on his start-up part time. He currently makes all the mittens himself, which he sells through his Etsy website and at Piragis Northwoods Company in Ely, Minnesota.
Tess Vickery LLM was quoted in the Law Society Journal, a leading publication for legal professionals in Australia, regarding the legal control of dingoes. Vickery is the first Australian graduate of the Animal Law LLM degree program at Lewis & Clark Law School.
2020
Arts & Sciences Reunion June 26–29, 2025 Undergrad Class Correspondent: Cole Harris BA coleharris0000@gmail.com “Please send me your updates!”
Alex Hanson BA graduated from Pacific University with a doctorate in occupational therapy in August 2024. Hanson got engaged to Pete Lahti BA ’19 in October 2023, and their wedding is set for September 2025.
Kaimana Kahale BA was profiled in an article about young people returning to the islands of Hawai‘i in the June issue of Maui Now. Kahle moved back to his home island of Moloka‘i after graduating from Lewis & Clark, where he played football for three seasons. He landed a fellowship at the University of Utah and started a master’s program in education but postponed it during the COVID-19 pandemic. He decided to return home and put his efforts into “helping this community that has molded me.” He obtained his license in special education at Leeward Community College, got certified in social studies, and now teaches seventh-grade social studies at Moloka‘i Middle School.
2021
John Carr BA is beginning an AmeriCorps program in Philadelphia, where he is working to get college students interested in teaching STEM. Madeline Koenig EdD is taking the reins as the new principal at Greenwood Elementary School in the La Grande [Oregon] School District. She spent four years as a regional administrator with the InterMountain Education Service District, working with 21 school districts across Eastern Oregon.
Joy Pajarla BA curated an exhibit about biological patterning at the Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven, Connecticut. She wants people, especially kids, to see the complexity and elegance of the natural world and be inspired to study and conserve it.
2022
Michael Blankenship MEd founded the LGBTQ+ Empowerment Endowed Scholarship, the first officially endowed scholarship specifically supporting LGBTQ+ students across the Washington State University system. Its first scholarship was awarded in 2018. Last fall, Blankenship began a job as a high school counselor in the Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver, Washington.
2023
Mateo Kaiser BA, an avid apiarist, has created a free new service called Swarmed to quickly and easily connect beekeepers to community members who’ve spotted a swarm they’re concerned about. After answering a few questions, a community member’s report is sent to a network of local beekeepers, one of whom can “claim” the swarm, get the contact info, and come pick it up—often within a half hour. Kaiser founded the student pollinator garden and beehives on the graduate school campus while he was involved with SEED (Students Engaged in Eco-Defense). He is currently participating in the California Master Beekeeper Program offered by the University of California at Davis.
Altamush Saeed JD, LLM ’24 received the first-ever Diversity Equity and Inclusion Spark Award at the Humane Society of the United States Expo 2024. As the founding managing partner of Environmental and Animal Rights Consultants, Pakistan’s first dedicated animal and environmental law practice, Saeed is an award-winning interspecies justice lawyer, activist, philanthropist, and professor who has led significant legal initiatives. In addition to his legal work, Saeed cofounded the Charity Doings Foundation, which has been working for humans, animals, and the environment in Pakistan since 2016.
2024
Corrina Chan BA went on the L&C Travel Program to Svalbard (a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole) as a graduation present. She reports that she met many new people, including other alumni, and made many fond memories. Chan will be a student in the Columbia Publishing Course at Oxford University, after which she will begin a master’s degree program at Queen Mary University of London (she studied abroad there in 2022). She can be reached on Instagram @chan_corrina.
Marie Napoli LLM has been recognized for her legal achievements by Women We Admire, which recently announced the Top Women Leaders in Law for 2024. Napoli has more than 30 years of experience handling mass tort and complex litigation as well as catastrophic personal injury cases and medical malpractice matters. Notably, Napoli leads teams that negotiated settlements involving the national opioid litigation, World Trade Center litigation, Flint water crisis agreement, and the recently announced multibillion-dollar settlements on behalf of public water systems for AFFF (aqueous film-forming foam) water contamination.
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