Class Notes

Dr. James H. Crane '75 published the final book in a series, "The Child of the King Volume IV: The Ruby" (Xulon Press). He spent the bulk of his career exploring for oil and gas for small independents as a geophysical consultant with his company, Gulf Coast 3-D. The Jewell physics and math major holds a Ph.D. in physics from Washington University and a master's in geology from the University of Houston.

B. Scott Burton '84 was recently conferred professor emeritus status at the College of Southern Nevada (CSN) in Las Vegas. He has taught university and college criminal justice courses for more than 19 years. Scott is a former director of the police academy that is associated with CSN. He continues to teach part-time at Western New Mexico University, where he is an adjunct associate professor of criminal justice. Scott is retired from a 25-year combined federal law enforcement career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services component of the U.S. District Courts.

Kristen (Fairlie) Smarr ’91 joined Boston University's executive leadership team in October 2025 as vice president for Integrated Communication Strategy. She will play a pivotal role in driving a bold transformation of BU's communications strategy, leading the collaborative integration of marketing and communications activities across the university.

Lisa (Shields) Montgomery '93 and her husband, Jeff, have been named the 2026 Distinguished Citizens by the Webb City (Missouri) Schools Foundation, of which Lisa is a founding member. She and her husband own Montgomery Insurance and Financial Services.

Mike Chalmers '95 was appointed senior vice president of Alliant Human Capital and director of Total Rewards Consulting headquartered in Irvine, California. He has led major initiatives at multiple Fortune 500 companies, advised private and public firms, and delivered strategic solutions across industries. He was a business and economics double major at Jewell, then earned his law degree at the University of Missouri.

Dr. Katie Stephens '02 was named administrator of Livingston County Health Center in Chillicothe. She has held inpatient and outpatient healthcare leadership roles, served as director of the ANCC Magnet® Program at Stanford Health Care and has operated a nursing consulting practice. A math major at Jewell, she went on to earn a BSN, MSN and a Doctor of Nursing Practice.

Sarah (Soderberg) Bryce '06 published a book, "The God Box" (Amazon, Kindle). She and Joel Bryce '07 reside in the Boston area after spending more than a decade in South Africa.

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!

Margaret (Rolls) Johansen ’59 is retired and lives in Bluffton, South Carolina.

Ronald Axon ’67 is retired and lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

Doug Boswell ’68 is retired and resides in New Waverly, Texas.

Rick Price ’69 is a retired United States Postal Inspector and resides in Fort Worth, Texas. He has fond memories of attending Jewell (1965-67) and playing on the first soccer team. He graduated from Texas Tech University in 1970.

Marty (Cuthbertson) Ward ’69 is a retired secondary teacher with 27 years of service. She resides in Gladstone.

Col. Rob Noland ’70 is a retired U.S. Army Chaplain. He resides in Knoxville, Florida.

Richard “Stoney” Stonum ’70 is retired and lives in Cordova, Tennessee.

Jim Phillips ’71 is an insurance broker and resides in Palmyra.

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.

Dezri Smith ’74 is a retired attorney and resides in Chowchilla, California.

Sarah (Gambill) Tipton ’75 received her Masters of Arts in Christian Ministry from Southern California Seminary in May 2025. She is a retired pharmacist and author of a Bible study, “Finding Truth in a World Full of Lies,” published in 2020 and available on Amazon.

Dr. Scott Mizes ’77 retired in 2013 after a 35-year career as a professor and clinical psychologist. He was a pioneer and world renowned researcher in eating disorders. He lives in Morgantown, West Virginia, and has two sons.

Dr. John Richmond ’77 was reappointed as dean of the College of Music at the University of North Texas for a third term (through 2031). He resides in Denton, Texas.

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.

Laurie Kidd ’81 serves as pastor of the Dakotas Conference of the United Methodist Church. She resides in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Dr. Susan (Mace) Weeks ’83 was promoted to executive vice provost for Academic Affairs at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas.

Jeff Lewis ’86 works in sales for Airgas and resides in Roswell, Georgia.

Jody Jensen Shaffer ’86 won the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators' Crystal Kite Award for her picture book, "The Last Day Julian was My Best Friend." This is the only peer-chosen award in publishing for young readers.

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. He also serves on the Jewell Board of Trustees.

Jill (Sullivant) Pietroburgo ’89 is an early childhood special education itinerant teacher for West Plains (Missouri) Public Schools.

Andee (Cook) Carr ’90 owns The Purple Hippopotamus boutique in Lee’s Summit.

Shea Thomas Codemo ’90 is a literacy consultant at University of Central Missouri.

Ellen (Burnett) Hamilton ’90 is a teacher in the Shawnee Mission (Kansas) School District.

Patty (Wells) Hawks ’90 is a kindergarten teacher with Northwest R-1 School District in Fenton.

Jim Richerson ’90 was inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame as part of the 2025 class. A past president of the PGA of America, he has served as general manager and COO of The Riviera Country Club & The Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, California, since 2021.

Doug Day ’91 is the chief marketing and development officer for KC CARE Health Center. He resides in Liberty.

Beth (Sakmar) Foster ’91 is a nurse at CommonSpirit Health in Colorado Springs.

Julie (Dick) Sparks '91 is a staff member at Colonial Presbyterian Church in Kansas City.

Leslie (Wilson) Stith ’91 is a chaplain and manager of Spiritual Wellness at Saint Luke’s East Hospital. She resides in Kansas City.

Shelley Temple Kneuvean ’91 serves as chief financial officer for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and  Kansas City, Kansas.

Sarah (Gore) Dorsey ’92 is a business owner and resides in Frisco, Texas.

Dr. Shannon Cate ’92 moved from Urbana, Illinois, in summer 2024 to teach English at Julian High School in south Chicago. She has two daughters and lives near the lake in the South Shore neighborhood.

Courtney (Wymore) Fletcher ’92 is an attorney with Carnahan Evans PC in Springfield.

Beth (Gatton) Huisman ’92 works in payroll and accounts payable at Gatton Rentals & Investments in Kansas City, Kansas.The Honorable W. Brent Powell '92 was appointed Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court. He was appointed to the Court in 2017 and retained by voters in 2018 for a 12-year term. He serves alongside The Honorable Zel Fischer '85, who was appointed to the State's high court in 2008 and has served a term as Missouri Chief Justice.

Wei Chung ’93 is a registered nurse at North Arkansas Regional Medical Center and resides in Harrison, Arkansas.

Lisa (Shields) Montgomery ’93 is an account representative and manager with State Farm Insurance. She resides in Webb City.

Cammy (Auxier) Neth ’93 serves as coordinator of the Future Ready Lab for North Kansas City Schools. She joined the district in 2024 to launch the animatronics STEAM lab for more than 1,700 fifth graders.

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.

Travis Whitacre ’93 serves as CEO and CFO at Price Family Holdings. He resides in Smithville.

Jill (Nail) Magnante ’94 has taught English for 20 years in Newbury Park, California. In March, she was appointed as the coordinator of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program for grades 9-10.

Scott Neal ’94 is the assistant general manager for the Seattle Seahawks' Lumen Field. He resides in Issaquah, Washington.

Betty Osborn ’95 is an applications specialist for Columbia (Missouri) Public Schools.

Heather (Adams) Bennett ’97 serves as vice president of Treasury at Dairy Farmers of America in Kansas City.

Adam Burke ’99 was named CFO of Valkyrie Enterprises, a defense technology and services provider. He has more than 25 years of leadership experience including CFO roles at Threat Tec, Linxx Global Solutions, LGS Management Group, Tamerlane Global Services, ITA International and Xe Services.

Andy McGill ’99 will begin his new role as superintendent for Sikeston (Missouri) R-6 Schools in July 2026. A Sikeston High School graduate, he has served the district for 19 years, currently as assistant superintendent of human resources and support services.

Dr. Brian Slaughter ’99 was appointed COO of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City. He has worked at Stowers Institute for 17 years, most recently as senior director of research support.

Chris Britt ’00 of St. Louis is a sourcing manager for BJC Health Care.

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.

Kimberly (Farrell) Modelski ’01 is a high school choir teacher for Blue Valley (Kansas) Schools.

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

Dr. Christopher Strelluf ’02 has been promoted from associate professor to reader at University of Warwick (Coventry, United Kingdom) and appointed head of Applied Linguistics.

Megan (Stauffer) Nickey ’04 of West Plains is employed by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Andrew Johnson ’05 joined the Stowers Institute for Medical Research as lead writer and storytelling strategist.

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.

Tom Eisenhauer ’06 joined USA Fencing as senior sports development manager. He resides in Liberty.

Kylie (McPhee) Gormly ’06 was promoted to chief operating officer of SILAC Insurance.

Casie (Kennedy) Stephens ’06 was promoted to associate director at Midwest Special Needs Trust. She joined the organization in 2011, training others on special needs trusts, pooled trusts, public benefits and planning for loved ones with a disability. She holds several certifications from Cornell University and Cannon Trust School. Casie resides in Columbia.

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.

Jake Lisby ’07 created Buzz, an AI-driven rent collections platform. In March, the Las Vegas property tech company Pay Ready acquired Buzz, and Jake now serves as chief AI officer.

Dillen Jackle '08 is a football and track coach at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, Kansas. The school won the state football championship in 2018, 2023 and 2024, and his shotput and discus athletes have placed in the top three in state for several years.

Calleine (Harms) Dobnikar ’10 opened a solo law firm in Lee's Summit called Inspired Estate Planning, LLC. She specializes in providing clients with comprehensive, individualized estate planning services.

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.

Hillary (Capwell) Allen ’11 is a critical care nursing supervisor at Northwest Medical Center in Springdale, Arkansas.

Laura (Andreas) Behler '11, her husband and a team of other families started a classical Christian school in Leavenworth, Kansas. St. Giles Christian Academy is now in its fourth year.

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.

Mia (Russell) McKenzie ’12 RN, is the kidney transplant coordinator at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

Hannah (Herndon) Bradley ’13 is a realtor with Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty and resides in Celina, Texas.

Forrest McCurren ’13 competed on “The Road,” the CBS reality music competition show for emerging country musicians. The singer/songwriter performs across the country with his wife, Margaret. 

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.

Dr. Rose Galetti ’21 graduated from Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine in May. Her specialty is internal medicine.

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.

Hayden Armour ’23 is an implementations specialist for Prodjex and resides in Liberty.

Aubrey Avalos ’24 is an information security analyst for Seaboard Foods in Houston, Texas.

Nancy Gillespie ’25 is a medical ICU nurse at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.