2013 Winter WGA Evans Scholars Magazine - Western Golf ...

WGA 

The 

Evans Scholars 

Magazine 

Winter 2013 

Evans 

Scholars: 

A global 

connection 

Tom Watson 

speaks George Solich at 

Green Coat Gala 

From Evans 

Scholar to Energy 

BMW Championship 

wins Entrepreneur 

TOUR honors 

WGA launches 

Caddie Academy 


heads to Indianapolis 

SUMMER 2012 

The magazine of the Western Golf Association, Evans Scholars Foundation and Evans Scholars Alumni Association

in every issue 

N e w s 

10 

11 

Caddies 

Championships 

1 

Scholar Selection Meeting 

16 Fundraising 

22 Scholarships 

E v e n t s 

4 

6 

Green Coat Gala 

Ten Standout ES Events 

cover story 

24 Making a connection: John Gregg (Mich. ’78) 

features 

2 Marquette Celebration: Tribute to Father Naus 

18 

BMW Championship: Rory McIlroy dominates 

profiles 

8 

14 

23 

Mission to Mars: Charles Naudet (Kans. ’79) 

A Fighting Spirit: Devlin Gray (Marq. ’13) 

Speakers Forum: Sam Allen (Pur. ’75) 

THIS ISSUE 

Winter 2013 Newsletter No. 144 

The WGA Evans Scholars Magazine: A publication of the Western Golf Association, 

Evans Scholars Foundation and Evans Scholars Alumni Association 

To submit content: Send story ideas, letters, pictures, event wrap-ups and more to 

alumni@wgaesf.org or Western Golf Association, One Briar Road, Golf, IL, 60029 

WGA’s Vince Pellegrino with the 2012 BMW 

Championship’s “Place the Pin” winner in 

Indianapolis. Pin flags were placed around 

the area, with fans invited to send in 

photos via Twitter for a chance to win free 

tickets. See p. 11 for more on the BMW 

Championship. 

Mac Report 

Cover: Michigan Alum John Gregg and Marquette Evans Scholar Maryclaret Ndubuisi-Obi 

outside the Bean in Chicago. Photo by Charles Cherney 

29 

Alumni News 

WGA Chairman: Jim Bunch 

President and CEO: John Kaczkowski 

Magazine Editor: Amy Fuller 

Editorial Assistant: Betsy Drazner 

Vice President, Communications: Gary Holaway 

31 Profile: Bill Brockhaus (Ore. ’67) 

32 Around the Loop

scholar 

profile 

Ashley and Nick 

Kraus at the 

Nov. 15 Scholar 

selection meeting. 

‘The best gift we’ve ever received’ 

“The Evans 

Scholarship 

is the symbol 

of everything I 

have fought so 

hard for over the 

past five years.” 

-Ashley Kraus 

Growing up with four brothers, including 

a twin, Ashley Kraus was never short of 

male figures. But she was missing the most 

important one — her father, who died of diabetesrelated 

complications when she was just five. 

His absence left a hole in her life, but it also instilled 

a passion to help others. She wants to be a nurse, 

and she knows the Evans Scholarship can help her 

achieve that goal. 

She and her twin, Nick, followed in their brother’s 

footsteps to caddie at Medinah Country Club, and 

they have spent the past five years working toward 

establishing good grades, a strong caddie record and 

leadership roles in high school. “The golf course was 

the place my dreams started,” Ashley said. 

Then on Nov. 15, at Ridge Country Club in Chicago, 

they had an opportunity to go before WGA Directors 

and other Program supporters to interview for the 

Evans Scholarship. Before she faced the crowd, 

Ashley’s hands were shaking. “I’m so nervous,” she 

said. “Hopefully, they’ll like me. I can’t mess up.” 

Inside the meeting room, she was asked what 

the scholarship would mean to her. “The Evans 

Scholarship is the symbol of everything I have fought 

so hard for and a chance to show everyone that I’ve 

made it,” she said. “It’s always been on my mind.” 

Her interview was a success. So was her brother’s. 

A week later, they both received the award letter 

that changed their lives. This fall, Ashley will head to 

Purdue University, and Nick will attend the University 

of Illinois. 

“There are no words to describe how much this 

Scholarship means to us,” Ashley said. “It’s the best 

gift we’ve ever received.” 


1

evans events 

Making over Marquette 

Marquette Scholars, supporters celebrate renovated Scholarship 

House, honor former faculty advisor Father Naus for longtime service 

The Marquette 

Scholarship House 

received a $1.3 million 

renovation, including 

improvements to all 

three levels and in the 

community areas. 

Marquette University’s Evans 

Scholars opened their Scholarship 

House to Alumni, families and 

WGA leaders on Oct. 14 to celebrate their 

newly renovated living quarters and to 

honor Father John Naus for his service to 

generations of Scholars. 

“Today is a special day for all of us as we 

come together to celebrate our beautifully 

renovated Evans Scholarship House at 

2 The WGA Evans Scholars Magazine

Marquette,” said WGA Chairman Jim Bunch following 

a mass at the Chapel of the Holy Family in the Alumni 

Memorial Union. 

In a tribute to Father Naus, who served as faculty advisor 

to the Evans Scholars for 17 years, Marquette Scholar 

President Brett Palmer presented a crucifix to be blessed 

by him and displayed in the house. 

“On behalf of the Marquette Evans Scholars, I would 

like to congratulate and thank you, Father Naus, for your 

many outstanding years of service to Marquette and the 

Evans Scholars program,” said Palmer. “You helped guide 

hundreds of Evans Scholars and Marquette students by 

modeling what it means to be selfless.” 

Palmer also expressed appreciation for this year’s House 

renovation. The $1.3 million project was completed in 

the summer of 2012 and features upgrades to all three 

levels and the communal spaces, including the living 

room, board room and study lounge. 

Recognized for their contributions to the House were: 

The Rolfs Family, West Bend Country Club, WGA past 

Chairman Bob Alsteen, Northwestern Alum Roger 

Sandstrom and WGA Director and Marquette Alum 

Collins Fitzpatrick. 

A Beloved Figure at Marquette 

Father John Naus served the university for nearly 

50 years before retiring from Marquette University 

in the summer of 2012. He became the school’s 

Dean of Students in 1963 and served in a variety 

of capacities, including 40 years in the Office of 

the President. He also has served as director of 

spiritual welfare and as an associate professor of 

philosophy. Father Naus will continue to live at the 

St. Camillus Jesuit Community in Wauwatosa, Wis. 

Above, from left: Marquette Evans Alumni Don Balchunas, Jack Molenaar and WGA Director Collins Fitzpatrick; Janet and Bob Alsteen with Father John 

Naus; Marquette Scholars with WGA Director Bob Thies; WGA Chairman Jim Bunch and Scholar President Brett Palmer. 


3

G r e e n C o 

special events 

The Western Golf Association’s second annual 

BENEFITING the EVANS 

Golf legend and three-time Western Open champion 

Tom Watson was the featured speaker at the 

Western Golf Association’s second annual Green 

Coat Gala, held Nov. 9 at The Peninsula Chicago. 

More than 300 supporters of the Evans Scholars Foundation 

attended the black-tie affair, which raised over $600,000 

to help send deserving caddies to college on an Evans 

Scholarship. 

Guests enjoyed a night of dinner and dancing, in addition 

to hearing from Watson and Evans Scholar Maryclaret 

Ndubuisi-Obi, a sophomore at Marquette University. The 

event also featured live 

and silent auctions and 

“The Evans Scholarship 

a paddle raise to benefit 

Evans Scholars. 

has given me a new path on 

which to travel. And for this, I 

Watson, winner of 70 

professional tournaments, 

am truly grateful.” 

including eight major 

-Maryclaret Ndubuisi-Obi 

championships, spoke 

about his career and his 

affiliation with the WGA, including his Western Open wins 

in 1974, 1977 and 1984. He has been named PGA TOUR 

Player of the Year six times and is a member of the World 


a t G a l a 

SCHOLARS foundation 

Golf Hall of Fame. He also paid special tribute to his own 

longtime caddie Bruce Edwards, who died in 2004 at age 49, 

after battling ALS. WGA President and CEO John Kaczkowski 

inducted Watson into the WGA’s Caddie Hall of Fame. 

Ndubuisi-Obi also addressed the crowd, speaking about her 

journey from Nigeria. When she began caddying at Oak Park 

Country Club, she realized the Evans Scholarship could help 

her achieve her dream of becoming an obstetrician. 

“As my father has always said: ‘There is no boundary to 

happiness; no boundary to life,’” she said. “The Evans 

Scholarship has broken all boundaries that blocked my way 

and has given me a new path on which to travel. And for 

this, I am truly grateful.” 

Conway Farms Golf Club, Glen View Club and Park Ridge 

Country Club were among the clubs purchasing tables, 

joined by companies including Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, 

Molex, R-T Specialty, Northern Trust and ITW. In addition, 

Evans Scholars Alumni, including Marcus Nunes and WGA 

Directors Jack Holland and Jay Javors, showed support with 

table purchases. 

Mike and Sharyl Mackey of Chicago served as event 

committee chairs. 


5

evans events 

10 Standout 

Evans Scholars Events 

IN 2012 

More than 60 one-day golf tournaments are held across the country, from Southern California to 

New Jersey, to benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation. Listed below, in no particular order, are 

10 standout events and the amount each raised in 2012. “We’re extremely grateful to our WGA 

Directors, Alumni and other friends who support the Program through these events,” said WGA 

President and CEO John Kaczkowski. “They continue to be major fundraising vehicles, helping to 

raise nearly $1.5 million in 2012.” For a complete listing of all events, visit wgaesf.org. 

East coast evans scholars classic 

1 

June 25, Hawk Pointe Golf Club, Washington, N.J. 

Highlights: The annual East Coast Classic, 

held jointly with the New Jersey State Golf 

Association, has raised $315,000 since it began 

in 2003. New Jersey Evans Alum Sean Thornton 

recently said, “Without the Evans Scholars Program, my life would 

not be open to such immense opportunity.” 

Amount raised: $58,000 

Caddies to College Tournament 

2 

June 18, Norwood Hills Country Club, St. Louis, Mo. 

Highlights: The annual tournament has raised 

nearly $2 million for Evans Scholars since it 

began. “Thanks to the support of the St. Louis 

WGA Directors and Missouri Evans Alums, our 

tournament continues to receive recognition from the St. Louis 

golfing community as one of the premier charity tournaments,” 

said WGA Director Pat Reilly. Amount raised: $148,000 

Evans Scholars Invitational 

Evans Scholars Invitational 

3 

July 30, North Shore Country Club, Glenview, 

Ill., and Glen View Club, Golf, Ill. 

Highlights: More than 200 guests attended 

the Alumni’s premier Chicago-area fundraiser, 

which featured auctions and speeches from 

special guests including sports psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella, 

Golf Channel anchor Holly Sonders and Northwestern Scholar 

Justin Cruz, who called the Scholarship an “amazing, lifechanging 

opportunity.” Amount raised: $250,000 


Minnesota Seven Club 

4 

July 10, Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minn. 

Highlights: Golfers only use seven clubs in this 

event, which honors Chick Evans’ 1916 U.S. Open 

victory. Scholar President Paul Stadem passed 

on $6,000 in Evans Scholars caddie fees to the 

event. “The day is about helping our guests learn about the Evans 

Scholars Program,” WGA Director Cheryl Schneider said. “Mission 

accomplished.” Amount raised: $45,000 

West Bend Evans Scholars Classic 

5 

June 23, West Bend Country Club, West 

Bend, Wis. 

Highlights: At the 32nd annual Classic, 

guests enjoyed golf, dinner and a Scholar 

speaker. “We’re very proud of the caddie 

tradition we have built at West Bend, and we’re humbled by 

the support of our corporate sponsors,” said WGA Director 

Kelly Tighe. Amount raised: $35,000 

Evans Scholars golf Classic 

6 

July 16, Detroit Golf Club, Detroit, Mich. 

Highlights: Great golf and great weather made for 

a successful 23rd edition of the annual Michigan 

event. More than 200 caddies looped for players. 

Since the event began in 1990, the Classic has 

raised more than $575,000. Amount raised: $61,500 

Colorado Par Club Tournament 

8 

Oct. 1, Colorado Golf Club, Parker, Colo. 

Highlights: The annual event has raised more 

than $1 million since it began. “The support from 

Colorado’s golfing community and Evans Scholars 

Alumni is inspiring,” said WGA Director Ryan 

Pellet. “Meeting the Colorado Scholars allows people to see 

how grateful they are.” Amount raised: $50,000 

Evans Cups of Oregon and Washington 

9 

Sept. 17, Waverley Country Club, Portland, Ore., 

Sept. 24, Sand Point Country Club, Seattle, Wash. 

Highlights: Current Scholars and Alumni shared 

their experiences of receiving the Scholarship 

at the banquets. Extra efforts by the Oregon 

WGA Directors produced record-breaking fundraising numbers. 

Washington WGA Director Brooks Whittle was honored for his 

longtime service; the Evans Cup of Washington Perpetual Trophy 

will now be called the Brooks Whittle Trophy. “I consider all these 

Evans Scholars my grandchildren,” Whittle said. 

Total amount raised: $250,000 

Evans Cup of Washington 

Michigan Evans Scholars Golf Classic 

Ohio Caddie Classic 

7 

July 23, Kenwood Country Club, Cincinnati, Ohio 

Highlights: The 25th annual event, presented by 

Colliers, featured an auction and awards ceremony, 

with students Jesse Harlow and Eric Schreck winning 

the Thomas R. Binzer Award as outstanding Evans 

Scholars seniors from Southern Ohio. The event has raised more than 

$1.5 million since it began. Amount raised: $110,000 

Indiana Evans Scholars Caddie 

10 

Classic 

Aug. 13, Meridian Hills Country Club, 

Indianapolis, Ind. 

Highlights: Nearly 100 guests enjoyed 

golf at the 25th annual Classic. “Having 

the event at a club that embraces and supports their caddie 

program is a great experience in itself,” event organizer Eddie 

Arauco said. Amount raised: $20,000 


7

alumni 

profile 

Mission to Mars 

One Alum’s role in helping the NASA rover Curiosity reach Mars 

8 The WGA Evans Scholars Magazine 

Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

Evans Alum Charles Naudet oversaw a team that tracked 

Curiosity’s location in space to ensure a successful landing 

B y A m y F u l l e r 

Many kids dream of exploring space 

when they grow up, and Charles 

Naudet (Kans. ’79) was no exception. 

Now, as an adult, he gets to live that 

dream every day. 

Naudet is a physicist at the Jet 

Propulsion Laboratory, a NASA 

field center in Pasadena, Calif., that 

constructs and runs robotic planetary spacecraft and operates 

the Deep Space Network. 

As a group supervisor for the deep space tracking systems 

group, he leads a team in creating state-of-the-art techniques 

to accurately locate spacecraft positions. And his group’s 

involvement with Curiosity was one of its biggest missions ever. 

“I was a little worried about the ambitious, cutting-edge landing 

sequence,” he said. “It’s certainly up there in highlights. We’re 

all excited.” 

Beginning its flight on Nov. 26, 2011, from Cape Canaveral Air 

Force Station, Fla., Curiosity landed on its target inside Gale 

Crater on Aug. 6, 2012. The rover will explore Mars for at least 

two years, assessing among other things whether the crater has 

ever been able to sustain microbial life. 

Naudet’s work began well before the launch with data analysis 

and updating his team’s software and hardware. During the 

flight, his team took regular measurements of the rover’s 

location, then forwarded the data to the navigation team, which 

decides whether to move the spacecraft. Because the landing 

on Gale Crater was so specific, it was critical for his team to get 

precisely the right measurements. 

The extremely demanding requirements forced them to 

push their technology. They were attempting maneuvers 

that had never been done before, filled with a large number 

of sequences, automated commands and interfaces. And 

everything had to work precisely or the mission would fail, he 

said. “We had to make sure we knew where Curiosity was 

within 100 meters of the impact plane on Mars,” he said. 

Naudet, whose grandfather was a chemist, has always been 

interested in science. At the University of Kansas, he gravitated 

toward physics and engineering. “I am here because of the 

Evans Scholars Program,” he said. “I was very fortunate to be at 

the right time and place growing up near a golf course where I 

could caddie.” 

Working with a large number of teams on the Curiosity mission 

was enjoyable, he said, though there were certainly times of 

stress. “If anyone in particular fails, you’re responsible for the 

failure of a billion-dollar mission. That is very stressful,” he 

says. “There is a lot of responsibility.” 

Knowing that half of all missions to Mars fail made this project 

a “nail-biter,” he said. At some point, he had to accept that the 

result was out of his control. After his crew viewed the landing, 

there were cheers all around. “I was amazed,” Naudet said. “’I 

thought, ‘Wow, it worked!’” 

Though he has no idea what to expect — “I would be shocked 

if they found existing life” — he does anticipate technical 

issues or other challenges with Curiosity at some point. 

Meanwhile, his team has moved onto its next project, though 

the rover will remain among one of his favorite missions. “I’m 

really proud it succeeded,” he said. 


9

caddie news 

Tom Watson inducted 

into Caddie Hall of Fame 

Caddie Academy enters second year 

Tom Watson with WGA President/CEO John Kaczkowski 

Golf legend Tom Watson was inducted into 

the WGA’s Caddie Hall of Fame on Nov. 9 at 

the Green Coat Gala. The Caddie Hall of Fame 

highlights the tradition of caddying, with people 

selected based on their support of caddies. 

In Watson’s Gala speech, he talked about his 

own close relationship with his caddie, Bruce 

Edwards, who died after a long battle with ALS. 

Watson remains a strong supporter of the Bruce 

Edwards Foundation. 

WGA leaders are accepting applications for the second year 

of the Caddie Academy, an initiative that provides caddie 

opportunities for high school girls who come from economically 

disadvantaged families and live far from a country club. 

For seven weeks this summer, they’ll live at the Northwestern 

University Evans Scholarship House and caddie at clubs on 

Chicago’s North Shore, an experience that will help prepare 

them to apply for an Evans Scholarship. As many as 40 young 

women could be accepted into the Caddie Academy. Applications 

are now available at wgaesf.org. For information, contact Mike 

Maher at (847) 724-4600 or maher@wgaesf.org. 

Beverly’s longtime caddie manager Tom Gorman retires 

During his 26 years as caddie manager 

at Beverly Country Club in Chicago, 

Tom Gorman has overseen thousands 

of caddies. But one of the best parts 

of his job was helping to prepare 

more than 300 caddies for a chance 

to apply for an Evans Scholarship. 

Gorman, who announced his retirement in 2012, 

shares a few highlights from his career. 

What makes being caddie master so unique 

Seeing the kids from the first day of lessons when they 

don’t know what a ball is or what a club is and then 

seeing them come around in August. They improve for the 

better. 

How does it feel when a caddie receives an Evans 

Scholarship 

It’s amazing to see how all the hard work pays off. It will 

be helpful to them money-wise, but even more important, 

they get to be with some very good people. 

What was the best part about your job 

The best part is the kids. It’s amazing watching them 

grow up. Some children of caddies I had are caddying. 

They are all just nice people. 


tournament news 

From left: Crooked Stick WGA Director Buffy Mayerstein, WGA President/CEO John Kaczkowski, WGA Vice President of 

Tournaments Vince Pellegrino, WGA Director and Tournament Chairman Frank Morley and WGA Tournament Operations 

Director Patrick Timson. 

BMW Championship named PGA 

TOUR’s Tournament of the Year 

Did you know 

The BMW 

Championship also 

received PGA TOUR 

Tournament of the 

Year honors in 2008, 

when Bellerive 

Country Club in 

St. Louis hosted the 

event. To learn more 

about this award, visit 

wgaesf.org 

The PGA TOUR in December named the BMW Championship, the penultimate 

event in the FedExCup Playoffs, its Tournament of the Year for 2012. 

Raising approximately $3 million for the WGA’s Evans Scholars Foundation, 

the BMW Championship was one of the top-attended tournaments on the PGA TOUR 

in 2012, attracting more than 143,000 spectators to Crooked Stick Golf Club outside 

Indianapolis. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, the No. 1 player in the world, won the 

tournament and recently was named PGA TOUR Player of the Year. 

“The PGA TOUR co-sponsors more than 40 outstanding events each season, and to 

be singled out from among this esteemed group is truly humbling,” said WGA Vice 

President of Tournaments Vince Pellegrino. 

The event’s successful tournament activation, ticket and corporate sales, attention to 

detail and player amenities all played a significant role in its earning top status, said 

Andy Pazder, PGA TOUR executive vice president and chief of operations. “The Western 

Golf Association and title sponsor BMW should be extremely proud of being recognized 

as the best among their peers on the TOUR,” he said. 


11

tournament news 

BMW Championship returns to Chicago 

Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Ill., will host the 2013 BMW Championship from Sept. 9-15. The third 

of four events in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, the championship returns to Chicago’s North Shore 

for the first time since 1972. Conway Farms hosted the 2009 Western Amateur and is a longtime supporter of 

the Evans Scholars Foundation, the sole beneficiary of the BMW Championship. WGA Director and PGA TOUR 

star Luke Donald, a Conway Farms member, will help welcome the elite tournament field to his home course. 

Visit BMWChampionshipUSA.com for tickets. 

Western Amateur at The Alotian Club 

The 2013 Western Amateur will be held July 29 through Aug. 4 at The 

Alotian Club, one of the nation’s premier golf courses. Opened in 2004, 

the Roland, Ark.-based club is ranked No. 14 on Golf Digest's biennial 

ranking of “America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses.” 

Hosting the 111th Western Amateur provides the club a high-profile 

platform to showcase the course’s beauty and challenging design while 

highlighting its support of caddies and the Evans Scholars Program. 

Meridian Hills to host Western Junior 

The 2013 Western Junior Championship is set for June 

17-21 at Meridian Hills Country Club in Indianapolis. First 

held in 1914, the tournament is the nation’s oldest junior 

championship, drawing a field of top-ranked young men ages 

15 to 19 from across the country each year. 


Hotel Fitness Championship 

to debut this year 

In conjunction with Hotel Fitness, the WGA in 2013 will conduct 

a new championship in Fort Wayne, Ind., one of four tournaments 

that marks the debut of the “Web.com Tour Finals” next September. 

The events will finalize the 50 players who earn PGA TOUR playing 

privileges for the 2013-14 season and their eligibility positions 

under the TOUR’s enhanced qualifying system. 

The host tournaments will be the Hotel Fitness Championship, 

Chiquita Classic, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship 

and Web.com Tour Championship. Proceeds from the Hotel Fitness 

Championship will benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation. 

“We are excited to join with the PGA TOUR in bringing a whole new 

level of competition and excitement to the golfing community of 

Indiana,” said Bruce Dye, CEO of Hotel Fitness. “This sponsorship 

is also a unique and powerful tool to increase fundraising for local 

charities.” 

Photo (above right), from left: Tim Benton, vice president, business affairs, 

PGA TOUR; Vince Pellegrino, vice president, tournaments, WGA; Bruce Dye, 

CEO, Hotel Fitness; Eric Schneider, general manager and COO, Sycamore 

Hills Golf Club; Tom Henry, mayor of Fort Wayne, Ind. 

The Finals schedule: 

Hotel Fitness Championship: Aug. 

26-Sept. 1, Sycamore Hills Golf Club, Fort 

Wayne, Ind. 

Chiquita Classic: Sept. 2-8, The Club at 

Longview, Weddington, N.C. 

Nationwide Children’s Hospital 

Championship: Sept. 9-15, Ohio State 

University Golf Club/Scarlet Course, 

Columbus, Ohio. 

Web.com Tour Championship: Sept. 23- 

29, TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. 

Strong partnership between WGA and Women’s Western Golf Association 

Kelly 

McInerney 

is the 2012 

Women’s 

Western 

Evans Scholar, a joint 

effort between the WWGA 

and the WGA. A freshman 

at Marquette, Kelly caddied 

at Knollwood Club and is 

majoring in physical therapy. 

National Junior Championship 

The WWGA’s 87th National Junior 

Championship will take place July 15- 

19 at Dubuque Golf and Country Club 

in Dubuque, Iowa. 

National Amateur Championship 

The WWGA’s 113th National 

Amateur will take place June 17-22 

at Dayton Country Club in Dayton, 

Ohio. 


13

scholar profile 

Devlin Gray 

Scholar feature 

A Fighting Spirit 

Evans Scholar Devlin Gray beat leukemia as a child and is now 

using his experience to raise awareness about childhood cancer 

B y B e t s y D r a z n e r 

Before his first birthday, Marquette Evans Scholar Devlin Gray began a journey that not only changed his 

life, but the lives of those around him. 

At 11 months old, Devlin was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive cancer in his blood 

cells that left his immune system particularly susceptible to infection. The first few years of his life were 

spent in and out of the hospital as he underwent two bone marrow transplants, chemotherapy and radiation. 

In remission since, he has never let his rough start slow him down, going on to become a top caddie and 

student and earning an Evans Scholarship to Marquette University. With an unwavering spirit and positive 

attitude, he’s also become an ambassador in the fight against childhood cancer. 


Devlin’s life motto can be found in his email signature: “I 

don’t view the glass as half-empty or half-full, but live with it 

overflowing.” 

Devlin Gray is studying 

marketing at Marquette. 

His strength stems in part from the daunting battle that 

landed him in and out of the hospital as a child. After he 

was diagnosed with cancer, Devlin underwent aggressive 

chemotherapy, with his brother Casey, who was three months 

old at the time, becoming a bone marrow donor. 

Following a successful transplant and recovery, the family 

received the good news that Devlin was cancer-free. But at 

age 4, he relapsed. This time, he had a leukemic brain tumor, 

which sent him back to the hospital for more chemotherapy, 

another bone marrow transplant and this time, radiation, a 

process Devlin recalls as agonizing. 

“The radiation brought me to a very weak state just to restart 

my inner organs,” he said. “I distinctly remember the feeling 

of a third-degree burn on the inside of my body.” 

He was in the hospital for three months, 

getting sicker before getting better. 

“This experience 

The ordeal was just as difficult on his 

made me who I am, family. “I’m the guy who was supposed 

and I’m happy with to be watching out for him, but I was 

so overly helpless,” his father, Devlin, 

where I am and 

Sr., said. “It’s the worst feeling in the 

who I am today.” 

world.” 

-Devlin Gray 

During this time, the Gray family relied 

on support: neighbors who brought 

over dinners, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which sent the 

family to Disney World, and an uncle who dressed as a Power 

Ranger to surprise Devlin in the hospital. With the help of 

loved ones, Devlin never quit fighting. Eventually, he began to 

make progress, though the internal fight took a permanent toll 

physically, nearly depleting his muscles. 

He has been in remission since, though lingering side effects 

include type 2 diabetes and a weaker heart, in addition to 

an inability to gain weight or grow hair. “Before I looked like 

your typical average kid,” he said. “Afterward, I looked more 

skeletal because the radiation took out a lot of muscle and 

extra fat.” 

As Devlin recovered more fully over the years, he didn’t 

miss out on normal childhood activities, participating in a 

baseball league and learning to caddie. And despite advice 

from doctors to be extra cautious, he shied away from special 

treatment. “He said, ‘I’m playing,’ and that’s what he did,” said his 

father. “He never wanted to be treated differently.” 

Eventually, he followed his sister, Caroline, to her summer job as 

a caddie at Midlothian Country Club in Illinois. He couldn’t wait 

to put on a caddie bib and get on the course. “Caddying made me 

feel stronger; it’s a workout,” Devlin said. 

But he had to learn to pace himself to keep up. One hot day after 

going nine holes, Devlin knew he wouldn’t make it the whole 

round, and he told his member. “I didn’t want to slow him down. 

He thanked me and threw his bag on a cart,” he recalls. The very 

next week, he caddied for him again. “I know I can’t do as much as 

others sometimes, but I don’t let that affect me,” he said. 

His determined attitude extends to helping others. Since joining 

the Marquette Scholarship House, Devlin, now a senior, has 

rallied Scholars to raise money — more than $20,000 — for St. 

Baldrick’s Foundation to benefit kids with cancer. Each March, 

he dons a leprechaun outfit, which he wears to class for a month 

to inspire conversation and raise awareness.“I like to be an 

inspiration through sense of humor,” Devlin said. “It makes people 

think, ‘Who’s that goofy kid dressing as a leprechaun’” 

Other philanthropic plans are in the works, such as a campus-wide 

softball tournament called “Soft-bald.” And his outreach isn’t 

limited to fundraising. Those close to him say he has an innate 

ability to influence others in an optimistic and encouraging way. 

“Devlin is an inspiration to me and all the people he meets,” 

says his roommate, Evans Scholar Liam Sawyer. “The fact that he 

retains such a positive attitude about life after going through what 

he did is nothing short of amazing. His attitude is contagious.” 

His father agrees. “He’s my hero,” he said. “He’s been an 

inspiration to myself, my family and everyone who knows us.” 


15

fundraising news 

I Am A 

Caddie 

The 2012 Match Play Challenge 

Giving the Gift of Education 

WGA wraps up second successful annual fund campaign 

for major gifts; 18 Match Play partners lead the way 

The 2012 Match Play Challenge, the WGA’s second 

annual fund campaign for major gifts, has raised more 

than $5.2 million to help send caddies to college, 

making it the organization’s most successful operating 

campaign ever for major gifts. This year’s push was led 

by 18 Match Play partners, including 11 Evans Scholars 

Alumni, who pledged $100,000 or more to a pool of 

matching funds for Par Club gifts of $2,500 or greater. 

With tuition costs rising dramatically over the past 

five years, the organization has stepped up its efforts 

to raise needed funds to send hundreds of caddies to 

college through the Evans Scholars Program. 

Last year’s inaugural Challenge raised more than $4.4 

million, allowing the Foundation to award 20 additional 

Evans Scholarships in 2012, for a total of 230, over the 

year before. The initiative has raised nearly $10 million 

in the past two years. “This year’s success means that 

we will be able to continue increasing the number 

of caddie scholarships being awarded, as well as to 

build on the Program’s long-term growth,” said WGA 

President and CEO John Kaczkowski. 

In 2013, the organization expects to award 240 new 

scholarships. “We’ve made huge strides in our goal 

to meet the increasing need we see among today’s 

caddies,” said WGA Vice President Bill Kingore. “This 

will help ensure that we don’t leave any qualified 

candidates behind.” 

See a full list of the 2012 Match Play Challenge 

partners at wgaesf.org. Contact Bill Kingore at (847) 

724-4600 or kingore@wgaesf.org for information. 


Endowment campaign to go 

public at University of Illinois 

In an effort to secure the stability of the Illinois 

Evans Scholars, the WGA’s first university-specific 

endowment campaign will go public in the first 

half of this year. 

Illinois campaign leaders have quietly been 

working to secure commitments, raising $4.3 

million in gifts and pledges so far. An anonymous 

non-Alumni donor has generously pledged to 

contribute $1 million to launch the effort. 

The Illinois chapter is the largest of the Program’s 

14 Evans Scholars chapters and is considered its 

“flagship” chapter. More than 120 students live in 

the Scholarship House. 

In November, university President Bob Easter 

and WGA leaders toured the Illinois House, 

with Easter expressing his full support of the 

endowment concept. For more information, 

contact Vice President of Development Jerry 

Dudek at (847) 724-4600 or dudek@wgaesf.org. 

University 

President 

Bob Easter 

with Scholar 

President 

Marty 

Bentley. 

Plans in the works for new 

Scholarship House at Miami 

WGA national and local leaders are continuing their 

push for a new Evans Scholarship House at Miami 

University in Oxford, Ohio, with improvements to 

include life safety upgrades, a modern design for 

student housing and co-ed living accommodations. 

These efforts will help raise the school’s profile 

within the Evans Scholars Program by becoming 

national in scope and helping to attract students 

from across the country. 

WGA leaders plan to soon formalize an agreement 

with the university to secure a site on school 

property for a new Scholarship House, as well as a 

special tuition rate for non-resident Evans Scholars. 

In the next year, Foundation leaders will work to 

finalize a site and begin the planning process for the 

new Scholarship House. 

Evans Scholars charity golf retreat returns for fourth year 

The fourth annual Evans Scholars Charity Golf Retreat at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Oregon will 

be held May 7-9. The three-day trip includes travel on a private jet, gourmet meals and tee times 

on world-class courses including Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Bandon Trails, Old Macdonald and 

Bandon Preserve. Thanks to the generosity of WGA Director and resort owner Mike Keiser, the 

golf and accommodations will again be donated. The 2012 event raised over $200,000 for Evans 

Scholars. Foursomes are being sold; contact Jerry Dudek at (847) 724-4600 or dudek@wgaesf.org. 


17

Crooked Stick Golf Club 

Carmel, IN 

September 3-9, 2012 

Victory at Crooked Stick: The world’s top-ranked golfer, Rory McIlroy, continued his impressive 

run on Sept. 9, winning the 2012 BMW Championship against one of the strongest fields in golf in 

2012. He became only the fourth player to win consecutive legs of the PGA TOUR FedExCup Playoffs 

and the first player since Tiger Woods in 2009 to win in consecutive weeks on the PGA TOUR. He 

joined Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only players to win at least six times at age 23. 



19


McIlroy continues hot streak 

Below are excerpts from the PGA TOUR media conference following his win. 

On his BMW Championship win: “Just another great week. I sort of picked up 

where I left in Boston, shot 64 the first day here and am just playing with a lot of 

confidence right now. I’m confident in my ability and confident with the shots that 

I’m hitting and confident on the greens. I’m making the right decisions out there, 

and everything is really just going to plan at the minute.” 

On the common denominator in his last three victories: “I think my ability 

to save par, the ability to limit the mistakes on my card. I think I had 47 putts 

the weekend at Kiawah; Boston last week was something similar; and here this 

week again, a few really crucial up-and-downs (on Saturday, Sept. 8) kept me in 

this tournament and gave me the chance to go out there today and shoot a good 

number to win. Putting has been a big key to that in the last few weeks.” 

On his frustration in May and June: “(It feels) like a lifetime ago. I suppose it 

teaches me a lesson, that you can’t get that frustrated. You have to stay patient 

because it can just turn around at any moment and at any time. If I ever do 

struggle again, which I’m sure I will in the future, I can draw on that memory and 

know if I keep working hard and have patience, it will turn around eventually.” 


Tournament highlights Evans Scholars 

The Evans Scholars Foundation is the sole beneficiary of the BMW Championship. 

Below are a few events that highlighted their connection during tournament week: 

Steve Stricker’s Hole-in-One: Stricker’s hole-in-one on the sixth hole on the 

second day of play ensured that BMW of North America will donate a four-year 

scholarship to the Evans Scholars Foundation. This winter, WGA and BMW will 

award the scholarship in Stricker’s name to a caddie who will attend Stricker’s 

alma mater, the University of Illinois. 

The Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am: The single largest one-day fundraiser for 

the Evans Scholars Foundation, the Pro-Am saw over 110 Alumni and Scholars 

spanning 50 years and 10 chapters participate as caddies for the Pro-Am players. 

The donations of caddie fees added $15,000 for the Program. 

Kick-Off at Lucas Oil Stadium: PGA TOUR Pro and Indiana native Bo Van Pelt 

and former Indianapolis Colts player Ken Dilger attempted to “hole” a 100-yard 

shot at Lucas Oil Stadium for a chance to award a four-year Evans Scholarship. 

They didn’t “score,” but BMW donated $10,000 to the Evans Scholars. 

Photos, clockwise from top: Evans Alumni Eddie Arauco and Erin Indovina and Scholar 

Justin Cruz cheer on Bo Van Pelt at Lucas Oil Stadium; Steve Stricker signs a flag for Cruz 

following his hole-in-one, Evans Scholar and National Committee member Paul Stadem 

announces the golfers as they approach the 18th green on the final day of play; Scholar 

Brian Vasquez caddies in the Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am. 


21

scholar 

news 

Program’s top leaders honored at Summer Outing 

The 61st annual Evans Scholars 

Summer Outing was held Aug. 6 

at Olympia Fields Country Club 

in Olympia Fields, Ill. 

highest chapter gpa 

Evans Scholars at Northwestern 

University and the University of 

Missouri tied for having the highest 

GPA, a 3.41, in 2011-12. It is the 

first time in the Program’s history 

that two chapters tied for the 

James E. Moore Scholarship Trophy. 

LEADER OF THE YEAR 

Patrick Brinnehl, from the University of 

Michigan, caddied at Point O’Woods Golf 

and Country Club. He earned a degree in 

architecture and served as president of the 

Michigan Scholarship Chapter. “I am proud 

to be associated with one of the greatest universities in the 

world,” he said. “But being an Evans Scholar has been the 

greatest experience of my life.” 

scholaR OF THE YEAR 

Thomas Wuennenberg, from the University 

of Missouri, caddied at Sunset Country Club 

in St. Louis and earned a 3.97 cumulative 

GPA. An economics major, he serves as 

Missouri’s graduate resident advisor as he 

pursues an MBA. “The Evans Scholarship has provided me 

limitless opportunities through the gift of education,” he said. 


alumni profile 

Deere CEO charts path to success 

Sam Allen (Pur. ’75) spoke about his caddie days, 

earning an Evans Scholarship to Purdue University 

and his tenure as CEO of Deere & Co. at the 2012 

Evans Scholars Speakers 

Forum on Nov. 7 at The 

The Speakers Forum 

University Club in Chicago. 

Luncheon is an 

annual series that Allen, who caddied at 

features high-profile Kokomo Country Club in 

Evans Alumni. Indiana, joined Deere & 

Co. in 1975 as an industrial 

engineer before becoming 

CEO in 2009. “You get lucky, and I got really lucky,” 

Allen said of his career. 

He pointed to helping grow the John Deere Classic, 

which raises funds for local charities in the Quad 

Cities area, as a career highlight. The 2012 Classic 

raised a record $6.8 million for nearly 500 charities. 

“It was a great way for me to rekindle my love of 

golf,” he said. 

Allen also discussed improvements needed in the 

American education system for students to be able 

to compete for jobs on a global level, as well as an 

initiative he’s currently involved with to pressure 

Congress to reduce the federal deficit. 

Allen has teamed up with CEOs from other top U.S. 

corporations to encourage Congress to reduce the 

deficit with tax-revenue increases and spending 

cuts. When the opportunity to join the team first 

arose, he said he was hesitant but ultimately 

decided to participate. “You can either sit on the 

sideline and complain, or be part of the solution to 

try to get things done,” he said. 

Clockwise: Sam Allen (Pur. ’75) addresses the crowd with moderator Rick Morrissey (NU ’82) asking questions; Purdue 

Scholar President Chad Barker presents Allen a Boilermakers jersey; Allen and his wife, Marsha, greet guests. 


23


B y A m y F u l l e r P h o t o s b y C h a r l e s C h e r n e y 

Making a Connection 

At age 51, Evans Scholar Alum John Gregg (Mich. ’78) retired as a vice president at Kraft. 

Since then, he has committed himself to philanthropic endeavors, tapping into a vast 

network of friends and colleagues to help change the lives of people across the globe. 


S t o r y b y A m y F u l l e r 

I 

know a guy, he’s a senator in China.” 

Don’t be surprised if this — or some variation thereof — is how Alum John 

Gregg (Mich. ’78) starts out a story. If it’s not a senator in China, it could be 

a tribal chief in Nigeria, or a technology wizard in Germany. It could even be 

Pope Benedict XVI, whom he’s met once or twice, or his predecessor, Pope 

John Paul II. 

Gregg has more than 2,500 people of influence in his Rolodex, among them 

too many university officials, politicians and corporate executives to name. 

In other words, he’s quite possibly one of the most networked people you’ll 

ever meet. And Gregg considers his resourcefulness a gift that allows him to carry out his most 

important life mission: helping others, or as he puts it: “making people’s dreams come true.” 

From an early age in the caddie yard, Gregg was already exhibiting signs of leadership, the kinds 

of skills necessary to aid a rise through corporate America that would allow him to retire at age 

51. Ingenuity. Determination. And an ability to talk with anyone, anywhere, about pretty much 

anything. They’re the same skills he uses now, as a volunteer project leader for the American 

Christian International Foundation, which works to establish long-term medical and agricultural 

efforts in developing countries. 

Gregg grew up the second oldest of five children in a family whose parents placed a premium on 

two values: faith and service. His mom and dad worked church fundraisers and offered shelter to 

struggling relatives. Though money was tight, they gave away what they could — one contribution 

to build a church school was so high in relation to their income, the IRS demanded proof of 

payment, Gregg recalls. “We learned a lot by watching my mom and dad be charitable,” he said. “It 

was far more impactful than listening to them lecture about it.” 

When he was 11, Gregg followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Bill, who began looping 

at the nearby Western Golf and Country Club in Redford, Mich. It was a way to earn cash, which 

helped him to attend a Catholic Jesuit high school. It also provided an early chance to hone his 

negotiation and persuasion skills. After a dispute over arrival times, he and Bill, who were both 

top-ranked caddies at the time, informed the caddie master they would be leading their fellow 

co-workers in forming a union. As expected, the caddie master was not pleased, forcing the two 

groups to compromise. The result was the creation of a caddie lottery system for loops. 

When it came time to think about college, applying for the Evans Scholarship was a no-brainer. 

Bill already was a recipient. “It was the only approach I had,” Gregg said. “Growing up, I had no 

framework to think about college.” 

He was awarded the Scholarship to the University of Michigan, where he studied chemical 

engineering. From the start, he felt a strong sense of camaraderie with his fellow Scholars. “Many 

students at the university feel a need to go home to find someone who cares,” he said. “All I had to 

do was go back ot the Evans House. There was always someone around who cared.” 


25

Making a Connection cont. 

Rise to the top 

After college, Gregg began his career at Procter and Gamble as 

a chemical engineer. At night, he would return to his home in 

one of Cincinnati’s most underprivilged neighborhoods, where 

he and his wife, Kathy, lived as part of a Catholic outreach 

community. Gregg served the residents of a housing project 

next door, teaching them business skills. 

His exposure to rat-infested living conditions and a constant 

drug presence was a wake-up call. “I learned a lot about the 

poor,” he said. It also made him realize how lucky he was 

to have caddied. “The country club was my first exposure 

to teaching me about the power that scale offers, or what’s 

possible in life,” he said. 

Gregg worked at other companies, including PepsiCo, before 

arriving at Kraft in 1988 as associate director, research and 

development, for Kraft Foods New Business Development. By 

age 37, he was named a vice president. He immediately made 

a statement by giving up his office, announcing he wanted 

to “connect with the people.” He claimed a few tables in the 

cafeteria and encouraged everyone, from corporate officials to 

cafeteria servers, to meet with him. 

“He had a very unique work style,” says longtime colleague 

Dave Mehnert.” A lot of managers care about the business but 

don’t necessarily care about what it takes to get there. John 

just cared about people. He’s delighted with the idea of making 

a difference.” 

Gregg took particular delight in helping colleagues advance 

in their careers and guiding them through personal ups and 

downs. “His faith is remarkable,” former colleague Roger 

Zellner says. “He was always having meetings with a whole 

range of people. He always gave good advice.” 

Gregg inspired through story-telling, colleagues say, and he left 

groups transfixed with his colorful anecdotes. “His messages 

always came through stories,” Zellner says. “He has a gift as an 

orator.” 

Mehnert recalls being disillusioned at one point in his career. 

But his way of thinking changed after hearing Gregg speak about 

being successful at work. “I took it to heart,” he recalls. “It was 

literally almost magical. When my attitude changed, I was just a 

happier person.” 

Though a boss had initially expressed skepticism at Gregg’s 

managerial style, his reservations dissipated after a peer 

evaluation, born out of a company-wide survey, showed top marks 

for his performance.“I still don’t get it,” the boss told him, “but 

whatever you’re doing, do more of it.” That year, Gregg earned 

his company’s distinguished achievement award, an honor that 

usually went to someone in a customer service role. 

When he wasn’t helping people at work, he was helping people 

outside of work: he ran the company’s United Way campaign 

for several years, led weekend-long Catholic retreats with high 

schoolers and became involved in a global project that aimed at 

improving the evangelization process for Catholicism. 

“I don’t know if the guy sleeps,” Zellner says. “He has an 

incredible amount of energy.” 

Along the way, Gregg felt it was important to share everything he 

was learning with others. At that point, he was a leading expert 

in food development, particularly dairy, and he regularly consulted 

with top businesses and universities about hiring chemical 

engineers to work in the food industry. He also served on 

numerous boards for groups ranging from a university in England 

to the Society of Hispanic Engineers. 

When he was 51, Gregg decided he was done with the rat race. 

He wanted to refocus his efforts. So he gave his two weeks 

notice, to everyone’s shock, especially his wife’s. “I have more to 

do in my life,” he told his bosses. 

Working in Nigeria 

John Gregg’s red cap is indicative of an “honorary chief” title within the 

Igbo tribal system. 

During one Catholic service trip about seven years ago, he met 

an archbishop from Nigeria who asked for help to improve the 


A Global Connection 

Marquette Evans Scholar Maryclaret Ndubuisi-Obi is from the 

Igbo tribe in Nigeria, where Gregg has been made an honorary 

chief of projects. “It’s a big world, but a very small world,” 

he says of the unique connection. Below is Maryclaret’s story. 

Eight years ago, I found myself searching. As a little girl, I felt a driving force in 

my mind and heart that moved me to exploration. I lived in Lagos, Nigeria, in a 

miniscule apartment with my father, mother, brothers and extended family. Partitioning 

food among 8-15 people became quite a struggle. Some nights I would go to bed 

without eating much at all. 

I had my family, friends and faith. I was content but knew there was more I had not 

discovered about myself and the greater world. As corruption ruled the state, and 

tribal warfare and disagreements reigned, I began to lose my hope. Sometimes 

we would go several weeks without electricity, relying on candle light and fading 

lanterns to see. Using rain water and water from local wells was a common 

occurrence. Life was as it was, and I had no other idea of a better one. I lived hoping the next day would 

bring hope for my future. 

Coming to America changed everything. My father wanted us to have a better life, to not be limited by our environment. I was blessed to receive 

the Daniel Murphy Scholarship in high school, which introduced me to the world of golf and the Evans Scholarship. At first, golf was foreign to me, 

and I was confused and lost. I have since realized it is a sport of many wonders. It taught me hard work and perseverance and led me to the Evans 

Scholarship, which changed my life. 

Becoming a Scholar has started my road to exploration and rekindled the fire of knowledge and awe that was almost lost years ago in Nigeria. This 

scholarship has taken away the fear that always held me back. It has given my family hope and empowered me to reach the highest limits. As my 

father has always said: “There is no boundary to happiness; no boundary to life.” The Evans Scholarship has broken all boundaries that blocked my 

way and given me a new path of hope. 

living conditions in his home country. Gregg initially declined. “I’m 

not a fundraiser,” he told him. “You need someone who can secure 

millions of dollars for you.” 

But the archbishop wouldn’t take no for an answer, following up 

with a phone call to his home. Thus began Gregg’s next big chapter 

— his “job” in retirement. The more he learned about povertystricken 

Nigeria, where the life expectancy is only 47 years old, the 

more inspired he became to make a difference. During visits to the 

country, he connected with its people immediately: their values, 

including their faith, and focus on family. 

For the past five years, his work in Nigeria has been his main 

passion. He joined with the American Christian International 

Foundation to become a project champion, first helping to raise 

money to expand a girl’s high school, then beginning work on a 

much larger project: creating a major agricultural effort to balance 

the overall food supply chain in southeast Nigeria. His efforts 

ultimately will help improve quality of life and life expectancy. 

Gregg, who serves as ACIF’s vice president and treasurer, has 

created and is leading the massive effort, called WARE, which 

initially involves establishing a pilot co-op to unite all 38,000 

farmers in the Ohaji region. Through a partnership agreement 

that directs and monitors how farmers do business together, the 

group works with nearby universities to train and implement 

best practices, addressing issues such as fertilizer shortages 

and inadequate transportation. Down the line, Gregg hopes to 

create what would be the region’s first production lines and 

continued 


27

Making a Connection cont. 

manufacturing efforts. 

As project leader, he spends much of his time working with 

political and educational leaders to direct funding to his group’s 

agricultural and medical efforts. Though fundraising is a goal — 

he raises about $40,000 a year, including an average of $15,000 of 

his own money — his networking expertise, leadership skills and 

knowledge of the food process are what’s most crucial. 

“In this way, once our work is done, our presence and funding 

will not be necessary to sustain what will be in place,” he says. 

“Most charities talk about how much they put into a project. We 

talk about how much we get others, living in the region itself who 

control the existing resources, to spend on the things they should 

be spending their money on.” 

Gregg dedicates about 50 hours a week to the project, taking four 

trips to Nigeria annually. His efforts already have been rewarded, 

with local leaders deeming him an “honorary chief” for the 

project within the context of the Igbo tribal system, a symbolic 

leadership gesture. The tribe also happens to be where Marquette 

Evans Scholar Maryclaret Ndubuisi-Obi is from, making for one 

of the more unique global connections within the Evans Scholars 

Program. 

Aside from Nigeria, Gregg also travels to other countries each 

year, mostly China and Germany, to foster international support 

for the project. He lectures at several universities in China, which 

combined with his previous international corporate experience, 

has allowed him to build a truly global network of friends and 

colleagues. Gregg ultimately sees these relationships as the key 

to being able to change even more people’s lives. “God keeps 

bringing me the people,” he says. 

And that brings us back to the senator in China. Gregg had tried 

for a year to convince him to visit Nigeria to see the devastating 

situation and potential opportunity for himself. As plans were 

being made this past spring, the senator nearly backed out when 

turmoil in Libya reached a peak. Gregg spent a couple hours going 

back and forth with the airline to ensure their plane would not be 

flying over dangerous areas, even quizzing them on a backup plan. 

Once he was satisfied they would be in no danger, he called the 

senator and relayed the message. “There’s no excuse now,” he told 

him. His friend made the trip, and the visit opened up new contacts 

with China’s agricultural and business communities. 

Gregg hopes to someday expand the farmers’ co-op to the rest of 

Nigeria, impacting hundreds of thousands of farmers. It’s a longterm 

project that requires patience, and her husband has plenty, 

says his wife, Kathy. “When it seems impossible, when everyone 

else is afraid to try, he’s not,” she says. “That it takes time doesn’t 

bother him.” 

In the meantime, he continues to spread the word — and share 

stories from his travels — with everyone, from his three children 

and their grandkids to college students and new people he meets 

each day. “We were at a wedding recently, and someone asked, 

‘What are you doing in retirement’” Kathy says. “He starts talking 

about the need for help in Nigeria. People are in awe about it.” 

Gregg sees his work in a different light. Everything that’s happened 

in his life, from getting the opportunity to caddie, to earning 

the Scholarship, to working his way up the corporate ladder, 

has happened for a reason. “My whole life has been divine 

inspiration,” he says. “I didn’t have to do a lot.” 

Now, it’s his time to give back. “For me, when helping other 

people, it’s led to great joy. If you can help someone’s dreams 

come true, it’s a great life,” he said. “I’ve got a great life.” 

A Project Champion in Nigeria 

John Gregg oversees a project called WARE (Winning with African Research and 

Extension), which works to balance the food supply chain for a specific crop from 

the farming process to the marketplace. He’s also fundraising to start up a people’s 

health clinic in the region, and plans are in the works to double student nurse 

capacity at a local college. To learn more about his efforts, visit www.a-c-i-f.org. 


the 

macreport 

alumni news and class notes 

A true family feel 

The Mac Report 

section of the WGA 


Magazine continues 

the tradition started 

by legendary 

Educational Director 

Roland F. “Mac” McGuigan of highlighting 

the personal and professional updates of 

Alumni, along with their letters and photos. 

It gives the Program a true “family” feel and 

helps to illustrate the lifelong connection 

of the Evans Scholarship program. My 

personal favorites are the baby photos. To 

keep this tradition strong, please take the 

time to log in on the website or send us a 

note to share your updates. 

A sincere thank you goes to Alumni 

Chair Mary O’Leary (OSU ’87) and her 

leadership team for the tremendous work 

they have accomplished with the Alumni 

Association. Thanks to their hard work, 

more opportunities than ever are available 

for Alums to get involved. Alumni are 

also donating at record levels. Mary will 

complete her final year as Chair this year, 

and new Vice Chair Joel Bergstrom (Minn. 

’96) will succeed her in 2014. 

On a personal note, I was delighted to 

receive my 25-year Par Club bag tag. Like 

so many Alums, I can still remember how 

proud I felt as a new graduate writing that 

first check to join the Par Club. 

As always, thank you for your generous 

support of the Evans Scholars Program. I 

wish you a happy and healthy 2013 and 

look forward to seeing many of you during 

my upcoming travels. 

Jeff Harrison (MSU ’86) is Vice President of 

Education for the WGA/ESF. 

Young Evans Alumni group in 

Chicago kicks off first year 

With a new structure for the national Evans Scholars Alumni Association 

in place, young leaders in Chicago are turning their attention to 

solidifying plans for the Young Evans Scholars Alumni group. 

Composed of a committee of 15 young Alumni led by co-chairs Erin Indovina 

(Pur. ’08), Ryan O’Hare (Ill. ’08) and Laura Kingsbury (NU ’10), the group helps 

plan social events, offering young Alumni a way to reconnect with old friends 

and meet new people. There are about 700 young Alumni in the Chicago area. 

In its first year, the group hosted a Trivia Night 

and an all-day Big 10 Football Watch. “This is a 

great way for Young Alums to hang out in a casual 

atmosphere, make new friends and to network,” 

Kingsbury says. “Our ultimate goal is to strengthen 

our connection to and support of the Evans Scholars 

Foundation.” 

The group is an especially great resource for Alums who live in Chicago but 

went to school elsewhere. Indovina says the structure is one that could be 

followed in other regions of the country. “We would love to assist other Young 

Alumni groups that want to start a similar initiative,” she says. To learn more, 

contact Indovina at (847) 724-4600 or indovina@wgaesf.org. 

Scholar composites now online! 

“Our ultimate goal 

is to strengthen our 

connection to and 

support of the Evans 

Scholars Foundation.” 

-Laura Kingsbury 

Take a trip down memory lane with 

your old school composite! All House 

composites have been uploaded to 

the WGA website at wgaesf.org. 

Young Evans 

Alumni at 

the 2012 

Speakers 

Forum in 

Chicago 

theMACreport 

29

ALUMNI 

news 

‘A tremendous opportunity to contribute’ 

Ryan O’Hare (Ill. ’08) is a co-chair for the Chicago-area Young Evans Scholars Alumni 

group. He helps plan events that bring Young Alums together in a casual atmosphere, 

giving them a chance to reconnect and meet new people. 

How did you become involved with the Young Alumni group 

I was always an active Scholar in terms of a willingness and desire to take on leadership 

roles. I was eager to get involved and take on a leadership role in the committee. 

What’s the experience been like so far 

The biggest challenge is that there is no blueprint on what to do and how to make the committee successful. At the same time, 

this challenge is also a tremendous opportunity to contribute to something from day one. 

What’s the best part about the group 

Having the opportunity to donate my time to a cause that I am passionate about and having the chance to contribute to a group 

that hopefully will become a staple of the larger Alumni Association framework that the WGA/ESF can benefit from. 

evans alumni calendar 

2012 La Grange Evans Scholars Day 

march 3: Las 

Vegas Evans 

Scholars Alumni 

Reception, 

Anthem Country 

Club, Henderson, 

Nev. 

may 20: Southern California Golf 

Tournament, Bella Collina Towne and Golf Club, San 

Clemente, Calif. 

June 24: East Coast Evans Scholars Classic, 

Hawk Pointe Golf Club, Washington, N.J. 

JuLY 2: Friends and Family Night: U.S. Cellular 

Field, Chicago 

JuLY 29: Evans Scholars Invitational, North Shore 

Country Club and Glen View Club, Glenview, Ill. 

*For a full list of ES events, visit wgaesf.org 

June 10: Evans Scholars Classic, Maple Bluff 

Country Club, Madison, Wis. 

June 10: West Suburban Evans Scholars Day, 

Chicago Highlands Club, Westchester, Ill. 

June 17: Caddies to College, Norwood Hills 

Country Club, St. Louis, Mo. 

Follow us! 

facebook.com/ 

evansscholars 

twitter.com/ 

WGAESF 

linkedin.com 

ES Alumni Association 

Evans Scholars Big Bike Ride 

More than 40 riders took part in the first Evans Scholars Big 

Bike Ride, part of Chicago’s North Shore Century, on Sept. 

21, raising over $8,000 for the Foundation. The 2013 event 

will be held Sept. 22. 



Clean drinking 

Oregon Alum works to provide 

clean drinking water for children 

in world’s impoverished areas 

Bill Brockhaus teaches in a classroom in Nepal in 2009. 

Bill Brockhaus (Ore. ’67) has always believed 

in the power of education. It’s been a pillar in 

his life from his caddie days at Oswego Lake 

Country Club in Oregon to his time as an Evans Scholar 

and then his stint in the Peace Corps. For Brockhaus, 

life is all about learning and teaching, and most of the 

time, a little of both. 

Today he continues to reach this goal through his 

work in program development for Splash, a nonprofit 

organization that provides clean drinking water for 

children in impoverished areas around the world. 

With Splash, Brockhaus combines a passion for 

international exploration with a talent for teaching: he 

helps people to see the dangers of dirty drinking water 

and the benefits of filtration. Splash is currently active 

in six countries: Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Nepal, 

Thailand and Vietnam. 

“If people drink our water every day, they don’t have to 

walk miles to a well or endure the effects of illnesses 

caused by unfiltered water,” he said. 

It’s amazing to see the direct impact on those receiving 

clean water, Brockhaus said. A memorable moment 

occurred last year in Ethiopia, where he helped install 

a filtration system for an organization that feeds poor 

mothers and children. He was on site at a small hut 

to serve breakfast when young boys who lived on the 

streets began arriving. 

“They are all polite. They stand in line and wait 

their turn. And they all have smiles on their faces,” 

Brockhaus said. “It was extremely moving. I thought: 

This is what it’s all about.” 

He was surprised when a little girl and boy 

unexpectedly climbed on his lap. “I started making 

sounds, trying to create a musical beat,” he said. “The 

three of us were sitting there, communicating, but not 

knowing a word of what we were saying.” 

Involvement in Splash affords Brockhaus opportunities 

like this every time a filtration system is installed. “To 

be able to combine kids, water and the value of both, 

it’s like a dream come true,” Brockhaus said. “Without 

clean, safe water, kids can never reach their full 

potential.” 

Splash has plans to expand to more countries. “Our 

real goal is to have a museum someday telling about 

the time when filtration was necessary,” he said. “Our 

goal is a day when it’s not.” 

-Betsy Drazner 

theMACreport 


31

AROUND THE LOOP 

Stay connected — let your fellow Alumni know what’s new in your life! Send in your letters, updates and photos online at wgaesf.org or send 

a note, including your full name, school and year graduated, to: alumni@wgaesf.org. 

Colorado 

George Solich, ‘83, is 

president and CEO of Energy 

IV in Greenwood Village, Colo. 

Charlie Trafton, ’86, is 

president of Rainier Title in 

Seattle. 

Ed Cintron, ’88, is vice 

president, investments, at UBS 

Financial Services in Colorado 

Springs. 

Steve Hofmeir, ’95, is a 

chiropractic sports physician 

at West Valley Wellness and 

Rehabilitation in Phoenix. 

Jay Reseigh, ’98, is senior 

vice president, professional 

services, at Vertex Business 

Services in Richardson, Texas. 

He and his wife, Maria, 

and their children Cole and 

Emerson live in Firestone, 

Colo. 

Lukas Kaliszewski, ’00, and 

his wife, Gabriela, welcomed 

daughter Bianka on July 10. 

Glenn Groat, ’01, is a 

radiologist at Wieler and Sein 

Medical Group in Santa Ana, 

Calif. He is engaged to Anne 

Marie Tremaine. 

Trent LaBore, ’04, earned a 

master’s in accounting from 

University of Colorado Denver. 

Susanna (Hovestol) 

Meringola, ’09, is an 

assistant county attorney for 

Potter County in Amarillo, 

Texas. 

Illinois 

Rich Carmody, ’64, is 

of counsel to Adams and 

Reese in Birmingham, Ala. 

He was recently awarded 

Outstanding Committee 

Member of the Year for his 

work as newsletter editor to 

the Ethics and Professional 

Compensation Committee. 

Tom Fahey, ’65, is retired. 

Tim Ryan, ’78, is a recycling 

specialist at Universal 

Recycling Technologies in 

Janesville, Wis. 

Joe Costa (Ill.’07) married Aneta Grudzien on Oct. 29, 2011, in Chicago. 

Alum’s self-published novel 

Greg Sledd (Ill. ’73) wrote in August: 

I have written and self-published a novel. Summer 

Never Comes is set in Champaign-Urbana of the early 

‘70s; the time, as that era’s Scholars will remember, 

of long hair, bell bottoms, rock ‘n roll and the Vietnam 

War. In the book, undergrad and Daily Illini reporter Paul 

Roberts is assigned to research the campus’ anti-war 

demonstrators. He discovers the peace protesters include 

not only resolute, naive, draft-age teenagers, but is 

controlled by bullies, subversives and treachery. When 

Nixon escalates in Vietnam, and students riot, Paul’s 

choice is exposing a conspiracy or concealing the truth. 

I’ve put out Summer Never Comes as an e-book on 

Kindle, Nook, Apple iPad, other e-book sites and Amazon 

CreateSpace. As an always-hopeful author, I also have 

hard copies available for any interested Scholars. 

Steve Merkin, ‘80, is 

senior vice president, human 

resources, at Renaissance 

Pharma in Lake Forest, Ill. 

Pat Forbes, ’82, is a vice 

president of Standard and 

Poor’s in New York City. He 

and his spouse, Bill Berman, 

live in New York City. 

Kathy (Halm) Elinsky, 

’83, earned an MBA at the 

University of Colorado. 

Dan Schick, ’85, is owner/ 

president of Razors Edge 

Direct in Western Springs, Ill. 

Rick Schweinberg, ’85, is 

CFO of Porter Pipe and Supply 

in Addison, Ill. 

Dave O’Neill, ’88, is a 

regional vice president, 

Enterprise Sales, at 

Salesforce.com in Chicago. 

Jim Buszkiewicz, ’92, and 

his wife, Lori, welcomed 

daughter Allison on June 19, 

2011. She joins Sara, Jennifer 

and Amanda. They live in 

Westminster, Mass. 

Mark Walsh, ’93, is vice 

president at Takasago 

International in Lakeland, Fla. 

Jason DeJonker, ’97, and 

his wife, Heather, welcomed 

daughter Kristin Cecile on 

Sept. 8. 

Kerry (Rosean) Hart, ’97, is 

a senior planner at McCann 

Erickson in London. 

Rich Merson, ’97, is a vice 

president at Legg Mason in 

Denver. 


his wife, Wendy, welcomed 

daughter Gwen on May 23. 

She joins Luca. 

Indiana 

Ed Sweeney, ’05, is pursuing 

a law degree at Chicago-Kent 

College of Law. 

Dennis Aloia, ’76, is chief 

operating officer of Benton 

County in Oregon. 

Bob Olah, ’76, is senior 

accountant clerk in the 

department of water resources 

for Sacramento County in 

California. 

Steve Cass, ’77, is senior vice 

president at Gartland Foundry 

in Terre Haute, Ind. 

Gary Matula, ’77, is an 

executive vice president at 

Molex in Lisle, Ill. 

Pat Conley, ’78, is president 

of Regnier Insurance Services 

in Highland, Ind. 

Sean Gaughan, ’79, is a 

broker associate at RE/MAX 

Excalibur Realty in Scottsdale, 

Ariz. 

Tom Solon, ’88, is a senior 

network engineer at Federal 

Network Systems, a Verizon 

company, in Schererville, Ind. 

Jack Tully, ’89, is vice 

president of Perfection 

Machinery Sales in Elk Grove 

Village, Ill. 

Marty McGrory, ’90, is an 

administrative law judge 

at Illinois Department of 

Employment Security in 

Chicago. 

Tim Kvantas, ’91, is head 

golf professional at The Grove 

Country Club in Long Grove, Ill. 

Joe Davy, ’95, is director 

of business development at 

Maruichi Leavitt Pipe and Tube 

in Chicago. 

Robbie Moy (Ill. ‘04) married Annette Oswiecinski on Sept. 10, 2011. 

Paul Mozis, ’97, is a certified 

financial planner at MB 

Financial Bank in Elmhurst, Ill. 

Conrad Moseley, ’99, is a 

relationship manager at Wells 

Fargo Commercial Real Estate 

in Tucson, Ariz. 

Matt Brady, ’00, is a 

structural engineer at 

American Institute of Steel 

Construction in Chicago. He 

and his wife, Sarah, welcomed 

daughter Katherine on July 20. 

She joins Theresa, Louise and 

Eileen. 

Brian Engler, ’00, is an 

engineering project manager 

at Tripp Lite in Chicago. 

Avi Fogel, ’00, and his wife, 

Chana Esther, welcomed 

daughter Dina on June 26. She 

Ixta and Miguel Rosa’s (Ill. 

‘04) son Ramon Gabriel. 

joins Miriam, Chaim, Leah and 

Nosson. 

Nate Hamstra, ’01, is an 

associate at Quinn Emanuel 

Urquhart and Sullivan in 

Chicago. He and his wife, 

Kelly, welcomed daughter 

Reagan Elizabeth on July 27. 

Bryan McNulty, ’01, is a 

principal business analyst at 

ComEd in Joliet, Ill. He and his 

wife, Shannon (Ellsworth) 

McNulty, ’02, welcomed son 

Mason Douglas on Aug. 21. 

Mike Henry, ’02, and his 

wife, Jaime, welcomed 

daughter Devin on Feb. 14. 

Tim Feuerborn, ’03, married 

Ortensia Napolitano on June 

4, 2011. 

Meaghan Hanifin, ’03, is 

assistant senior counsel at 

Takeda Pharmaceuticals USA 

in Deerfield, Ill. 

Robbie Moy, ‘04, married 

Annette Oswiecinski on Sept. 

10, 2011. They live in Chicago. 

Miguel Rosa, ’04, and his 

wife, Ixta, welcomed son 

Ramon Gabriel on May 22. 

Ramon was born on the 

couple’s second wedding 

anniversary. 

Elliott Gruber, ’05, is a 

licensed banker at Wells 

Fargo in Palatine, Ill. He and 

Joe Costa, ’07, married Aneta 

Grudzien on Oct. 29, 2011. 

Dan Garcia, ’07, is a 

paralegal at Jenner and Block 

in Chicago. 

Dan O’Reilly, ’07, is pursuing 

an MBA at Yale School of 

Management. 

Ryan O’Hare, ’08, is assistant 

vice president, financial 

services group, at Aon Risk 

Services in Chicago. 

Danny Berz, ’09, is a senior 

analyst at Lakeshore Food 

Advisors in Chicago. 

Maria Bobek, ’09, is a 

manager at Tesla Motors in 

New Jersey. 

Jesse Krantzler, ’09, is a 

senior developer at Vodori in 

Chicago. 

Justin Marku, ’09, is an 

associate at Sterling Partners 

in Northbrook, Ill. 

Pat Riley, ’09, is an associate 

at Torch Lake Capital Partners 

in Chicago. 

Mike Ward, ’09, is a futures 

trader at Cheiron Trading in 

Chicago. 

Brad Wong, ’09, earned 

a master’s in product 

development from Carnegie 

Mellon University. He is a 

freelance industrial designer 

in Chicago. 

Lisa Ephraim, ’10, is 

an accountant at Ryan 

Enterprises Group in Chicago. 

theMACreport 

Bryan McMahon, ’97, is vice 

president and chief financial 

officer of Christian Brands 

in Phoenix. He and his wife, 

Kristen, welcomed son Leyton 

on May 14, 2011. 

continued 


33

Indiana cont. 

Matt Roos, ’99, and his wife, 

Lynze, welcomed son Loren on 

Jan. 23, 2011. 

Matt Blaylock, ’01, is a 

global strategic account 

management planner at Deere 

and Co. in Moline, Ill. 

Luke Dussman, ’01, and his 

wife, Kelly, welcomed son 

Tommy on Sept. 19. 

Andy Krop, ‘01, is director, 

restructuring and special 

situations group, at KPMG 

Corporate Finance in Chicago. 

He and his wife Marcie 

(Burke) Krop, ‘03, welcomed 

daughter Margaret Rose 

on Feb. 1, 2012. She joins 

Madison. 

Jeff Weingartner, ’01, and 

his wife, Cara, welcomed 

daughter Lille on May 30. She 

joins Austin. 

Ted Saul, ’02, is a sales 

representative, wine 

division, at Republic National 

Distributing Company in 

Indianapolis. He married 

Maureen Brierton on June 1. 

Marcie (Burke) Krop, ‘03, is 

a vice president, controller’s 

department, at Northern 

Trust in Chicago. She is also 

controller of Evans Senior 

Investments. She and her 

husband, Andy Krop, ‘01, 

welcomed daughter Margaret 

Rose on Feb. 1, 2012. 

Todd Stone, ’04, is a 

lieutenant in the U.S. Navy in 

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

Steve Dawson, ’07, is a 

manager, internal audit, at 

Macy’s in Cincinnati. He is 

engaged to Amber Daniel. 

Jason Harless, ’07, is a 

doctor of physical therapy at 

Indiana Physical Therapy in 

New Haven, Ind. He officiated 

the 2012 Paralympic Track 

and Field Qualifying Trials in 

Indianapolis. 

Elyse (Biller) Ostrega, ’08, 

is a paralegal at Manson 

Karbank Burke in Overland 

Park, Kan. 

Samantha (Vincent-Feipel) 

Seaton, ’09, and her husband, 

Seth, welcomed daughter 

Eloise on Dec. 5, 2011. 

Dan McCarthy, ’12, is an 

underwriter at Zurich North 

America in Chicago. 

Andy Krop (Ind. ‘01) and 

Marcie (Burke) Krop (Ind. 

‘03) with their children. 

Marquette 

Jim Krol, ’72, is an account 

manager, complex solutions 

for Trane - Ingersoll Rand in 

Milwaukee. 

Gary Gillen, ’87, is of counsel 

to McCracken and Frank in 

Chicago. 

Brian Hoefler, ’87, is an 

aerospace R&D team leader at 

Sandvik Coromant in Pontiac, 

Mich. 

Mark Halm, ’90, is vice 

president at Walter E. 

Deuchler Associates in Aurora, 

Ill. 

Dan Higgins, ’90, is a 

physician at Wisconsin 

Institute of Urology. He and his 

wife, Jenny, and their children 

live in Neenah, Wis. 

Jim Neuner, ’93, is director 

of finance at Artists Repertory 

Theatre in Portland. 

Update from the Adams family 

Bonnie and Bob Adams (Marq. 

‘82) with their grandson. 

focus is our new grandson Mason, born in April. 

Bob Adams (Marq. ’82) 

wrote in November: 

The Adams family is still in 

Shorewood, Wis., and doing 

well. 

My bride Bonnie just got 

back from a trip to Australia. 

She took our daughter Carly, 

who has been in Australia 

for about a year, for a cruise 

and sightseeing. Her main 

Our daughter Cassie, Mason’s mom, is an RN at a pediatric 

acute care organization. Our daughter Katie graduated from 

Kansas State University and is now in the master’s program at 

Marquette working toward her nurse practitioner certification. 

She is an RN at St. Luke’s Hospital on the cardiac floor. RJ, our 

son, is going to Adrian College in Adrian, Mich., and working 

on his degree in sports management. Carly will return home 

from Australia at the end of November and will be preparing her 

search for colleges. 

I have left Wells Fargo Insurance Services and now am the 

business development officer for The Rauser Agency in 

Milwaukee. I concentrate on specialty products for the group 

insurance marketplace and consulting services for the upcoming 

health insurance exchange programs. 

I play golf each year with John Sasaki (Marq. ‘85), Dave 

Pajkos (Marq. ‘85), Bob Thies (Marq. ‘85) and periodically 

Dennis Bartimoccia (Marq. ‘85). 

I did have a chance to play golf at my old caddie grounds, the 

Knollwood Club, for the first time in 30 years! I was lucky to get 

in touch with some members through LinkedIn and was afforded 

an invite to play. What a blast! Some changes, but I could play 

each hole in my sleep even over that 30-year hiatus. 


Andy Yonkus, ’96, is a project 

executive at State Mechanical 

Services in Naperville, Ill. 

Patrick Boilini, ’03, married 

Stephanie Guthrie on April 14 

in Chicago. 

Paul Rojek, ’03, and his wife, 

Brittany, welcomed daughter 

Layla on July 1, 2011. 

Chris Schwall, ’03, married 

Molly Wills on Oct. 15. 

Justin Ivins, ’04, is director 

of technology at Core Twelve 

in Chicago. 

Liz (Nielsen) Maher, ’04, and 

her husband Mike Maher, 

’07, welcomed daughter 

Hannah Jean on Nov. 11. 

Shawn Parks, ’04, and his 

wife, Andrea, welcomed son 

Caden on Oct. 25, 2011. 

George Steinfels, ’05, 

and his wife, Jaime Lynn, 

welcomed son Noah Patrick on 

Feb. 10, 2012. He joins Caleb. 

Jeff Grom, ’08, earned a 

pharmacy degree from the 

University of Illinois Chicago 

and is now a pharmacist for 

Walgreens in Phoenix. He is 

engaged to Cara Gorman, 

‘08. 

Liz (Nielsen) Maher (Marq. 

‘04) and Mike Maher’s (Marq. 

‘07) daughter Hannah. 

Christina (Dwyer) Guthrie, 

’08, is a licensed acupuncturist 

and board certified herbalist at 

Eastern Vitality in Chicago. 

Kevin Scott, ’10, is a 

business consulting analyst at 

Accenture in Chicago. 

Erin Howard, ’11, is a nurse 

at Central DuPage Hospital in 

Winfield, Ill. 

Paul Celentani, ’12, is 

a teacher at Marquette 

University High School in 

Milwaukee. 

Miami 

Mark Richey, ’80, is 

managing director at 

West Capital Advisors in 

Montgomery, Ohio. 

Gary Rudemiller, ’82, is 

vice president, operations, at 

Wausau Paper in Harrodsburg, 

Ky. 

John Gehring, ’83, is 

executive vice president 

and chief financial officer 

at ConAgra Foods. He was 

featured in the Miami 

University Department of 

Accountancy’s Annual Report. 

Bill Kozek, ’84, is general 

manager/vice president 

PACCAR at Peterbilt Motors in 

Denton, Texas. 

John Trauth, ’84, is executive 

vice president at Cybertap in 

Vienna, Va. 

Carl Kissinger, ’85, is 

president of Warsaw 

Federal Savings and Loan in 

Cincinnati. 

Bryan Williams, ’92, is 

director, SEC and financial 

reporting, at Atrium 

Companies in the Dallas, 

Texas, area. 

Chris Miller, ’96, is a 

manager at Progressive 

Insurance in Cleveland, Ohio. 

Kevin Groger, ’97, is senior 

product manager, digital, 

payments and innovation, in 

business banking at JPMorgan 

Chase in Columbus. 

Darrell Woolaver, ’98, is a 

POS operations supervisor at 

Hickory Farms in Maumee, 

Ohio. He and his wife, Gwenn, 

live in Holland, Ohio. 

Noah Bieszczad, ’99, is an 

assistant winemaker at Stoller 

Vineyards in Dayton, Ore. 

David Heitker, ’02, and his 

wife, Hayley, welcomed son 

Benjamin on Aug. 13. 

Terry McCormick, ‘02, is an 

architect at Bartzen and Ball in 

Richmond, Va. 

Matt Werner, ’02, is a 

financial analyst at Vantiv in 

Cincinnati. 

Katie (Tracey) Gaster, 

’03, and her husband, Russ, 

welcomed son Logan Russell 

in July. 

Rachel Barrett Knight, ’03, 

is an adjunct faculty member 

at Lake Land College in 

Mattoon, Ill. She is pursuing 

a Ph.D. in curriculum and 

instruction at Indiana State 

University. 

John Feighery, ’05, is an 

account development manager 

at Frito-Lay in West Chester, 

Ohio. He and his wife, Katie, 

welcomed son Ryan on March 

31. 

Luke Adams, ’08, is a 

procurement specialist at 

Fiat Group Purchasing in Burr 

Ridge, Ill. He married Jennifer 

O’Neil on March 31. 

Hayley and David Heitker 

(Mia. ‘02) welcomed son 

Benjamin on Aug. 13. 

Michigan 

Greg Piche, ’67, owns 

Singularity Health Law in 

Denver, Colo. He recently 

published a book titled Sham 

Peer Review: The Power of 

Immunity and the Abuse of 

Trust. 

Pete Lannon, ’76, is retired 

from GE. He lives in Laguna 

Niguel, Calif. 

Bill Fanelli, ’79, is a 

leadership development 

consultant at Eli Lilly in 

Indianapolis. 

John Barrett, ‘81, is vice 

chairman of SMS Assist in 

Chicago. His team won the 

2012 Chicago Innovation 

Awards for proprietary 

technology. 

Ken Guerrini, ’85, is head 

of global risk management at 

GSI Commerce, an eBay Inc. 

company, in King of Prussia, 

Pa. 

Dan Banda, ’87, is a 

paralegal at Schiff Hardin in 

Ann Arbor. 

Joel Koviak, ’90, is an 

account executive, ride 

control, at Tenneco in Monroe, 

Mich. 

continued 

theMACreport 


35

Impacting communities with the Peace Corps in Peru 

Dave Witte (Mich. ‘10) wrote 

in August: 

Following graduation, I was a juniorarchitect 

for University of Michigan 

Architects. While working in Ann 

Arbor, there was a great amount of 

excitement surrounding the Peace 

Corps’ 50-year anniversary because 

President Kennedy first mentioned the 

dream of creating a group of volunteers 

on the steps of the Michigan Union. 

In September 2011, my application for the Peace Corps finally 

went through, and I was awarded a two-year placement in 

Peru. The goals of the Peace Corps are to bring technical skills 

to men and women of the host country to promote a better 

understanding of the American culture and to share the Peruvian 

culture with Americans when I return. 

I am working with local water 

committees to improve access to 

quality drinking water and teaching 

better management techniques to the 

water-system operators. 

My main project is a healthy homes 

initiative where I work with 25 families 

to improve their hygiene practices. At 

the end of the program, the families 

who have adopted healthy habits will 

be given financial assistance to build 

an improved cookstove in their homes, greatly increasing the 

indoor air quality and decreasing respiratory illnesses 

I hope that after two years, I can make an impact on the 

community. So far, it’s been one year, and the community has 

already made a large impact on me. My blog can be found at 

davidwittepeacecorps.blogspot.com. 

Michigan cont. 

Beau McSparin, ’93, is a 

quality manager at Forward 

Air Solutions. 

Sabrina (Schmitz) Krolicki, 

’94, and her husband, Paul, 

welcomed son Jackson on 

June 27, 2011. He joins 

Michael. 

Matt Phillipoff, ’96, is vice 

president, finance, at Pulte 

Michelle and Justin Havekost 

(Mich. ‘03) welcomed son Evan 

on Aug. 30. 

Homes in Alpharetta, Ga. He 

and his wife, Nichol, live in 

Atlanta. 

Matt Stark, ’97, is a patent 

attorney at Merchant and 

Gould in Alcoa, Tenn. He and 

his wife, Petrina, and their 

children Pano, Deano and Ali 

live in Knoxville, Tenn. 

Casey Rue, ’99, is pursuing 

a doctorate in educational 

leadership at Wayne State 

University in Detroit. 

Brian Edge, ’00, is an account 

manager at Qualis Automotive 

in Troy, Mich. He and his wife, 

Erica, and daughter Sophia live 

in Royal Oak, Mich. 

Eric Prowse, ’00, and his 

wife, Melissa, welcomed 

daughter Lyla on October 6, 

2011. She joins Owen. 

Tim Simmons, ’00, is CPO 

business manager at General 

Motors in Detroit. He and his 

wife, Jennifer, welcomed son 

Nolan on June 18. He joins 

Preston. 

Edward Girodat, ’03, 

married Laura Gerhard on Feb. 

11, 2012. He works at Crown 

Enterprises in Warren, Mich. 

Justin Havekost, ’03, is 

special projects coordinator 

at Sandler and Travis 

Trade Advisory Services 

in Farmington Hills, Mich. 

He and his wife, Michelle, 

welcomed son Evan Anthony 

on Aug. 30. 

Tim Lewer, ’05, is a process 

engineering team lead at Shell 

Oil in Saraland, Ala. 

Jeff Malo, ’07, earned an 

MBA and a master’s in finance 

from Walsh College in Troy, 

Mich. He is a senior managed 

care contracting administrator 

Evans Scholars, Alumni, family and friends gathered for the first Detroit 

Alumni event at Tiger Stadium on Aug. 19. 


Michigan State 

Brian Goulding, ’79, is 

engineering tech support, 

engineering systems 5, at 

AMSEC in Virginia Beach, Va. 

Tim Dwyer, ’82, is a staff 

therapist at The Family 

Institute at Northwestern 

University in Evanston, Ill. 

Jack Kersjes, ’83, is a 

chartered global management 

accountant. He is controller 

at Berean Christian Stores in 

West Chester, Ohio. 

Laura (Verkest) Dwyer, ’85, 

is a physician at Northwestern 

Memorial Physicians Group in 

Chicago. 

Mike Merucci, ’86, is a 

trader/portfolio manager at 

Surveyor Management in 

Wilmette, Ill. 

Jim Peter, ’89, and his 

wife, Brenda, welcomed son 

Zachary on March 15. He joins 

Joshua, Kara and Justin. 

Todd Berg, ’90, and his wife, 

Robin, welcomed son Levi 

Alexander on Oct. 27. 

Nick Stachurski, ’90, is 

in product development 

purchasing for Chrysler Group 

in Auburn Hills, Mich. 

Denise (Hyek) Ward, ’97, is 

a legal assistant, intellectual 

property and complex 

litigation, at Sommers 

Schwartz in Southfield, Mich. 

Chris Maras, ’99, is a reading 

coach at Harwood Elementary 

in Sterling Heights, Mich. 

He and his wife, Karen, and 

children Serafina and Quinn 

live in Grosse Pointe Woods, 

Mich. 

MSU friends welcomed family additions in the spring of 2012. From 

left are Ryan and Julie (Shermetaro) Reed’s (MSU ‘06) daughter, 

Catherine; Dennis Mydlowski (MSU ‘05) and Kaitlin (Balazy) 

Mydlowski’s (MSU ‘06) son, Austin; and Jason Bruveris (MSU ‘05) 

and Natalie (Victor) Bruveris’ (MSU ‘06) son, Drew. 

at United Physicians in 

Bingham Farms, Mich. He 

is engaged to Jessica 

Schrader, ’08. 

Jessica Schrader, ’08, 

earned a bachelor’s degree 

in nursing from Oakland 

University in Rochester, Mich. 

She is a registered nurse at 

the University of Michigan 

Hospital. She is engaged to 

Jeff Malo, ’07. 

Katie Malo, ’10, earned a 

master’s in physician assistant 

studies from Wayne State 

University in Detroit. She is 

a thoracic surgery physician 

assistant at University of 

Michigan Health System in 

Ann Arbor. 

Karen and 

Chris 

Maras 

(MSU 

‘99) with 

daughters 

Serafina 

and Quinn 

Jess Cook, ’11, is a 

registered nurse at Cancer 

and Hematology Centers of 

Western Michigan in Grand 

Rapids. 

Nick Covello, ’11, is 

clubhouse manager at L.E. 

Kaufman Golf Course in 

Wyoming, Mich. 

Brent Hertz, ’12, is a 

technical recruiter/account 

manager at Kappa Search in 

Chicago. 

Michael Schultz, ’12, is an 

assistant underwriter at Burns 

and Wilcox in Farmington 

Hills, Mich. 

Jason Bruveris (MSU ‘05) 

and Natalie (Victor) Bruveris’ 

(MSU ‘06) sons Drew and Luke. 

Mike Hill, ’00, is a registered 

nurse, emergency department, 

at St. John Providence Park 

Hospital in Novi, Mich. 

Kevin Selenich, ’02, is 

human services planner, 

performance management 

section, at North Carolina 

Division of Social Services in 

Raleigh, N.C. 

Desiree Dinga-Andrews, 

’03, is a packaging engineer II 

at Yazaki North America in 

Detroit. 

John Bieniek, ’05, married 

Terran Cockerill, ’09, on 

Aug. 24. 

Jason Bruveris, ’05, and 

Natalie (Victor) Bruveris, 

’06, welcomed son Drew on 

April 3. He joins Luke. 

Dennis Mydlowski, ’05, 

and Kaitlin (Balazy), 

Mydlowski, ’06, welcomed 

son Austin Louis. They live in 

Queens Creek, Ark. 

Julie (Shermetaro) Reed, 

’06, and her husband, Ryan, 

welcomed daughter Catherine. 

They live in Clawson, Mich. 

Ethan Guy, ’09, is a project 

manager at Energy Solutions 

in Oakland, Calif. 

theMACreport 

continued 


37

MSU cont. 

Matthew Huie, ’09, is resort 

assistant manager at Four 

Seasons Resort Maldives at 

Landaa Giraavaru. 

Minnesota 

Tom West, ’64, is retired from 

St. Catherine University in St. 

Paul. 

Jim Schug, ’71, is retired 

as county administrator 

of Washington County in 

Minnesota. 

Mark Swenson, ’71, was 

featured in Emerging, the 

University of Minnesota 

design publication. 

Mark Stangl, ’80, received a 

Teacher of the Year award at 

Dakota Hills Middle School in 

Eagan, Minn. 

Tim Walker, ’84, is a global 

accounts sales operations 

director at Honeywell 

International in Eden Prairie, 

Minn. 

Greg Williams, ’86, is owner 

of GTW Law Group in Aliso 

Viejo, Calif. 

Joe Piepgras, ’90, is a 

solutions development 

manager at General Mills in 

Golden Valley, Minn. 

John Hamre, ’91, is head 

hockey coach/general 

manager at Coulee Region 

Chill Jr. A Hockey Team in 

Onalaska, Wis. 

Bruce Langer, ’93, is 

managing partner at EPIQ 

Partners in Minneapolis. 

Chad Kastner, ’97, is regional 

marketing director at Putnam 

Investments in Apple Valley, 

Minn. He and his wife, Penny, 

and children Quincy and Cleo 

live in Apple Valley, Minn. 

Nick Skally, ’99, is director 

of marketing at Malibu Boats 

in Loudon, Tenn. 

Joe Larson, ’01, and his wife, 

Stefanie, welcomed son Reese 

Matthew on Nov. 12. He joins 

Annika. 

Serving as America’s Cup captain 

Randy Mount 

(MSU ‘74) wrote in 

November: 

I have had the 

privilege of being a 

“Captain” Caddie 

twice now. My first 

promotion to captain 

took place in the 

spring of 1967. Last month I took the helm of the America’s 

Cup (yacht competition) down in New Zealand. Yes, 

an American Cup Captain, but you can call me Skipper. 

Luckily it didn’t turn out to be another Gilligan’s Island. We 

returned the boat in ship shape in a timely manner. 

Jesse Wesp, ’02, is an 

associate producer at the Golf 

Channel in Jacksonville, Fla. 

Nick Knoblauch, ’03, is a 

police sergeant in Brooklyn 

Park, Minn. He and his wife, 

Melissa, welcomed daughter 

Abigail on March 14. 

Nicole Fenwick, ’04, is an 

architect at HGA Architects in 

Minneapolis. She married Cole 

Sianko on Aug. 25. 

Kristin Johnson, ’04, is 

an associate at Innosight in 

Lexington, Mass. 

Cathleen (VonderHaar) 

Reffkin, ’05, is a worker’s 

compensation claims adjuster 

at Travelers Insurance in 

Indianapolis. 

Colin Eide, ’09, is pursuing 

a master’s in public policy at 

Harvard University’s Kennedy 

School of Government. 

Shawn Smith, ’10, is a 

legislative assistant in 

Madison for the state of 

Wisconsin. 

Dan Marquart, ’12, is an 

analyst, corporate finance, at 

William Blair in Chicago. 

Dan Palmer, ’12, is a 

graduate engineer at TKDA in 

St. Paul. 

Missouri 

Jim Van Garsse, ’73, is a 

power and industrial sales 

manager, east region, at 

SPX Cooling Technologies in 

Overland Park, Kan. 

Jerry Noce, ‘74, wrote in 

November: “We have now had 

our second wedding in seven 

months. Our son Matt married 

in May and our daughter Betsy 

married a week ago. 

Rosanna and Steve 

Czarnecki’s (Mo. ‘97) son 

Weston. 

“It has been a great year. We 

moved our offices to the Met 

Square Building, and I think 

this will be my last move and 

last business lease.” 

Pat Reilly, ’83, is vice 

president/broker at Risk 

Placement Services in St. 

Louis. 

Jim Kranz, ’93, is a 

senior account manager at 

Honeywell. 

Mitch Dixon, ’94, is a 

commander in the U.S. Air 

Force at Joint Base Lewis- 

McChord, Wash. 

Jeff Crawford, ’95, is 

regional marketing manager, 

Southern California/Pacific 

Northwest, at Stantec in 

Irvine, Calif. He and his wife, 

Jennifer, welcomed daughter 

Noelle Elizabeth Ann on Aug. 

7, 2011. 

Steve Czarnecki, ’97, and his 

wife, Rosanna, welcomed son 

Weston Isaak on Sept. 24. He 

joins Braden. 

Kiet Dinh, ’01, earned a 

master’s in accounting from 

University of Missouri in St. 

Louis. He is a controller at St. 

Louis Print Group. 

Mark Talbott, ’02, and 

his wife, Kiley, welcomed 



Alum wins company award 

Doing good deeds comes 

naturally to Jim Kranz (Mo. 

‘93), whether it’s fixing a 

stranger’s flat tire or installing 

new ceiling fans in the Evans 

Scholarship House. So it’s no 

surprise that he was recently 

honored with an “Everyday 

Heroes” Award from his company, Honeywell, after lending 

a stranger a hand. 

Northern Ill. 

Carrie (Bajarunas) Fouts, 

’94, and her husband, Jason, 

welcomed son Grayson on 

Sept. 26, 2011. He joins Tyler 

and Julia. 

Jason Akai, ’97, earned 

a master’s in business 

information technology from 

DePaul University. He is an IT 

project manager at Astellas 

Pharma in Northbrook, Ill. 

He and his wife, Audrey, 

and their children Peter and 

Nathan live in Oak Forest, Ill. 

John Aylward, ’98, married 

Justine Overman on Aug. 25. 

They live in Los Angeles. 

Steve Nowak, ’01, and his 

wife, Colleen, welcomed 

sons Jack and Nate on 

March 22. They join Will. 

continued 

In December 2011, Kranz was in O’Hare International Airport 

when he noticed a sobbing teenager. He approached the 

tearful teen with tissues and learned she was a British 

international student who had mixed up her connecting 

flights and was stranded at the airport. 

Scholars at First American Bank 

Kranz generously donated his frequent flier points to secure 

her a room at a nearby hotel. Then he left, not thinking twice 

about the incident. Nine months later, he received a surprise 

call from his CEO, who asked if he’d helped out a distraught 

student at the airport. The CEO had been contacted by the 

student’s father, who happened to be a lord to the queen 

of England. Her father had gotten in touch with the CEO by 

using a business card Kranz had given the student. 

theMACreport 

His act of kindness earned him his company’s Chairman’s 

Award for Everyday Heroes. “I grew up in a family of seven 

kids. My parents taught us to always do what we could for 

others,” Kranz said. “It’s just how we were raised.” 


Thomas Wettstein (Ind. ’12), Nate Webb (NIU ’96), 

Dan Rekowski (NIU ’06), Chris Voigt (Mia.’11) and Dan 

Pische (NIU ’05) work at First American Bank in Elk Grove 

Village, Ill. 

Dan Pische (NIU ’05) wrote in August: 

daughter Charlotte Ann on April 

20. She joins Anna. 

Phuoc Nguyen, ’05, is 

an international controller, 

construction and structure, at 

FYFE Co. in San Diego. 

Ray Troy, ’06, is pursuing a 

Ph.D. in nuclear engineering 

at University of Missouri. 

He is chief operating officer 

at AmiraLin Innovations in 

Columbia. 

Doug Grom, ’07, is an 

associate at Henderson and 

Lyman in Chicago. 

Mike Czech, ’08, married 

Sarah Hopper on Sept. 1. 

Patrick Miller, ’12, is an 

account manager at Appistry 

in St. Louis. 

I started at First American Bank in 2005, right out of 

school. The bank, located in Elk Grove Village, Ill., has 

had resounding success over the past several years 

hiring Evans Scholars to fill numerous positions within 

their commercial loan department. 

Since 2005, First American Bank has reached out to 

the 14 chapter houses seeking Scholars interested 

in a career in commercial banking. First American 

Bank currently has five Evans Scholars working in its 

commercial loan department and looks to fill further 

positions with this coming year’s graduates. 


39

‘Time to move on’ 

Ralph Weber (NU ’69) wrote in August: 

I will be retiring from Northwestern Memorial Hospital 

at the end of this month. I have been transitioning my 

work to others over the past two years. It is now time to 

move on. 

I have been blessed with more than 31 wonderful years 

at a truly special institution. I do not wish to retire fully, 

so I will set up a small consulting practice to hospitals in 

the area of regulatory facilities planning/state approvals 

and community relations. 

One of the blessings of my association with 

Northwestern has been the ability to advise friends 

seeking access to doctors and specialized services. I 

will maintain my connections to continue all that! 

NIU cont. 

Dan Pische, ’05, is a 

commercial loan officer at 

First American Bank in Elk 

Grove Village, Ill. 

Carl Hawkins, ’10, is 

a patrol officer with the 

Elmhurst Police Department in 

Elmhurst, Ill. 

Mitch Parod, ’11, is an 

application engineer at TOX 

PRESSOTECHNIC in Chicago. 

Northwestern 

Jack Townsend, ’61, is 

retired. He lives in Skokie, Ill. 

Bob Caldwell, ’69, is owner 

of North Shore Family Care in 

Northbrook, Ill. 

Brian Shea, ’77, is president 

of Shea Law in Chicago. 

Frank Pasquesi, ‘87, is 

president of Knollwood Club in 

Lake Forest, Ill. 

Darrell Drake, ’93, is vice 

president/associate media 

director at Kelly Scott Madison 

in Chicago. 

Mark Pasquesi, ‘93, is a 

managing broker at Prudential 

Rubloff Properties in Lake 

Forest, Ill. He was recognized 

as Managing Broker of the Year 

in Chicago Agent Magazine. 

Keith Gora, ’96, is a 

psychology teacher at Bemidji 

State University in Minnesota. 

Chris Walker, ’00, and his 

wife, Kari, welcomed daughter 

Sloane on Jan. 5, 2012. 

Casey Clark, ’03, and his 

wife, Amy, welcomed daughter 

Avery on December 20, 2011. 

Jerry Kribs, ’05, is a math 

teacher and golf coach at 

Fenwick High School in Oak 

Park, Ill. 

Jon Moskaites, ’05, earned 

an MBA at Northwestern 

University. He is a strategic 

marketing manager at Becton 

Dickinson in Franklin Lakes, 

N.J. 


Recording a personal history 

For 30 years, Ed Bernardi (NU 

’52) interviewed family members 

and old neighbors from Italy in 

hopes of unveiling the history 

of his relatives from the rise of 

Mussolini in 1922 to the end of 

World War II. He planned to share 

these notes with his children. He never imagined it 

would lead to the publishing of a novel. 

The Reluctant Patriot, released 

in November, is based on the 

true stories of his relatives and 

their friends. “I had never done 

this before, but I was having a 

great time. The further I got into 

the book the more I loved it,” 

Bernardi said. 

Just after the first World War, 

Bernardi’s father and future 

father-in-law departed to 

America from small towns north of Florence, Italy, 

while the rest of their families stayed behind to 

endure the poverty and war that would soon overtake 

the continent. 

“I thought it was really important for my children and 

grandchildren and great grandchildren to get this 

down on paper,” Bernardi said. “We were really lucky. 

If they hadn’t left, we would have been locked into 

that life with Mussolini.” 

His book unravels the story of Mussolini’s fascism 

as it ultimately created a deadly conflict among a 

previously peaceful people. 

“I developed a story based on real people, real 

incidents, things that happened to people within my 

very own family,” Bernardi said. “People can’t imagine 

how brutal the days were there. My book maybe will 

bring it to life.” More information about The Reluctant 

Patriot can be found at bernardipatriot.com. 



Noah Rothschild 

(NU ‘05) married 

Allie Lakin on 

June 26, 2011. 

He’s pictured with 

Evans Alumni and 

a WGA Director. 

Jeff Schrenk, ’01, is 

an inventory deployment 

analyst, Bath and Body 

Works, at Limited Brands in 

Reynoldsburg, Ohio. He and 

his wife, Jenna, welcomed 

son Liam on April 23. 

Purdue 

Mark Liddy, ’76, is pursuing 

a degree at the Vet Tech 

Institute of Indianapolis. 

Noah Rothschild, ’05, is 

head of accounts at Doejo 

in Chicago. He married Allie 

Lakin on June 26, 2011. 

Max Pendergraph, ’07, is 

pursuing a Ph.D. in history at 

Vanderbilt University. 

Joe Shields, ’08, works at 

Flow Equity in Ethiopia. 

Joe Foran, 10, is a senior 

consultant at IBM Global 

Business Services in Chicago. 

Justin Smith, ’11, is a 

marketing analyst at Gatorade 

in Chicago. 

Hello from San Diego 

Bob Muth (NU ‘02) wrote in September: 

Ohio State 

Tom Navarre, ’79, is vice 

president of Family Express in 

Valparaiso, Ind. 

Scott Hauptman, ’93, is 

AVP, internal audit, at Grange 

Insurance in Columbus. He 

and his wife, Brittany, and 

children Tanner and Ryan live 

in Columbus. 

Cory Stine, ’95, earned a 

Ph.D. in higher education from 

the University of Toledo. 

I left my law firm after the University of San Diego 

School of Law offered me a faculty position as an adjunct 

professor and a position serving as the first supervising 

attorney of a new legal clinic they created. 

Veterans come to the clinic for free legal help and meet 

with an upper level law student. The law students primarily 

handle the cases and are able to represent them as clients 

in court under my supervision. 

Justin Kullgren, ’02, is 

an assistant professor of 

pharmacy practice, clinical, 

at South College School of 

Pharmacy in Knoxville, Tenn. 

Brad Ross, ’03, is planning 

advisor, refining and supply, 

at ExxonMobil in Washington, 

D.C. He and his wife, 

Suzanne, live in Springfield, 

Va. 

Ryan Lewandowski, ’07, is 

a manager at Boston’s Pizza 

in Columbus while pursuing a 

career in law enforcement. He 

married Jessica Nooney on 

March 17. 

Kevin Nicholas, ’09, is 

a service supervisor at 

MAG-IAS in Hebron, Ky. He 

is pursuing a master’s in 

production and operations 

management at Karlsruher 

Institut für Technologie in 

Karlsruhe, Germany. He 

recently received a Six Sigma 

Black Belt. 

Matt Orr, ’09, is an associate 

at Stonehenge Capital in 

Columbus. He married Colby 

Cummerow on Oct. 14, 2011. 

Mike Ulmer, ’76, is a 

business analyst at IBM in 

Indianapolis. 

Mike Hudik, ’90, is a food 

and beverage manager at 

Morton’s in Las Vegas. 

Chris Hoke, ’91, is director of 

operations/business manager 

at Northwestern Consolidated 

School District of Shelby 

County in Fairland, Ind. 

Jared Grinstead, ‘99, and his 

wife, Mary, welcomed twins 

Owen Richard and Olivia Jean 

on April 8. 

Howard Johnston, ’01, and 

his wife, Megan, welcomed 

son Oliver on May 27, 2011. 

He joins Amelia. 

Matt Freiburger, ’02, is a 

portfolio manager at Steele 

Investment Counsel in Dublin, 

Ohio. He recently became a 

chartered financial analyst. 

He and his wife, Jessica, 

welcomed son Stephen on 

June 24. He joins Andrew and 

Michael. 

continued 

theMACreport 

I also have a staff attorney who works for me as well 

as other clinic legal personnel support to ensure we are 

giving the veterans the best legal representation possible. 

The veterans get free legal help, the law students gain 

experience representing clients and appearing in court, 

so it is a win-win for everyone. I also teach one course a 

semester. As things settle down, I hope to be able to meet 

up with some San Diego-area Scholars in the future. 

1987 

OSU 

Alumni 

tailgated 

at a 

football 

game in 

the fall. 

41

Mary and Jared Grinstead (Pur. 

‘99) and their twins, Olivia Jean 

and Owen Richard. 

Purdue cont. 

Jason Sierman, ’02, is 

pursuing a law degree at 

Willamette University in Salem, 

Ore. 

Ryan Wolf, ’02, and his wife, 

Tirza, welcomed daughter 

Emersyn on Jan. 27. She joins 

Audra. 

Melissa Brady, ’03, served as 

manager, administration and 

finance, at the 2012 Ryder Cup. 

Chris Reffkin, ’05, is manager, 

security/privacy, at Crowe 

Horwath in Indianapolis. 

Mark Scott, ‘07, and his 

wife, Tina, welcomed son 

David Michael on Nov. 26. He 

joins Joseph. 

Dan McNicholas, ’08, is a 

senior hedger/junior trader at 

Tenzan Capital in Chicago. 

Kelly Burkhart, ’09, earned 

a law degree from Indiana 

University. She married Zach 

Edwards on Aug. 18. 

Kyle Weisbrodt, ‘09, is 

a cardiac catheterization 

laboratory nurse at Methodist 

Hospitals in Merrillville, Ind. 

He is engaged to his Purdue 

sweetheart Katey Detert. 

Nathan Buuck, ’11, is a 

software engineer at Aptera 

in Fort Wayne, Ind. 

Becky Danaher, ’12, is a 

labor and delivery nurse at 

MetroSouth Medical Center 

in Blue Island, Ill. 

Wisconsin 

Rich Bartosic, ’70, was 

inducted into the Xavier 

High School Hall of Fame in 

Appleton, Wis. 

The 2012 Speakers Forum guest speaker, Deere and Co. CEO Sam 

Allen (Pur. ‘75), and his wife, Marsha, are pictured with Purdue 

Alumni in Chicago. 

Steve Lovejoy, ’71, is retired 

from The Journal Times in 

Racine, Wis. He has won 

numerous awards from 

the Wisconsin Newspaper 

Association. 

Jim Dwyer, ’74, and his wife, 

Mary, live in Barra da Tijuca, 

Brazil. 

Bill Jordan, ’78, is a regional 

construction manager at 

ExxonMobil in Okpo, South 

Korea. 

Mark Shircel, ’79, is vice 

president, human resources, at 

Newly Weds Foods in Chicago. 

Jeff Kinney, ’83, is director of 

finance with Cook Children’s 

Physician Network in Fort 

Worth, Texas. He and his wife, 

Marsha, and children Madison 

and Morgan live in Hurst, 

Texas. 

Chris Blazek, ’85, is Traffic 

Supervisor, Northeast Region, 

for the Wisconsin Department 

of Transportation in Green Bay. 

Dave Schaller, ’86, is a 

pastor at Church of the Open 

Door in Glendora, Calif. 

Ed Gronski, ’89, is a store 

manager at Dollar Tree in 

Platteville, Wis. He and his 

wife, Gayle, and children 

Kia and Kjerstin live in 

Platteville, Wis. 

Jeff Lehrmann, ’92, 

and his wife, Kristine, 

welcomed daughter 

Addisyn on April 26, 2011. 

She joins Antonia, Jaden 

and Kylie. 

Carrie Hedemann, ’93, 

married Eric Carlson on 

Oct. 11. 

Brett Snyder, ‘93, and his 

wife, Sheri, welcomed son 

Haden on Feb. 16, 2011. 

Pat Kressin, ’94, and his 

wife, Katie, welcomed 

daughter Margaret Ellen on 

Aug. 27. She joins Zachary. 

On July 12, Tim McVady (Pur. ’92), John Fitzgibbon (Pur. ’92) and Gary 

Matula (Ind. ’77) played in the Els for Autism event at Conway Farms Golf 

Club in Lake Forest, Ill. Scholar Brandon Clarke (Ind. ‘14) caddied for the 

group. 

Scott Larson, ’88, is a 

senior vice president at Stifel 

Nicolaus in Waterloo, Iowa. 

Gene Szymczak (Wis. ‘71) 

on the terrace of Frank Lloyd 

Wright’s Hardy House in 

Racine, Wis. He bought the 

historic home in September. 

Photo credit: Mark Hertzberg 


Joe Burke 

(Wis. ‘60), 

Tom Miske 

(Wis. ‘61) 

and Gordon 

Brunner (Wis. 

‘61), along 

with their 

wives, gather 

for a summer 

reunion in 

Cincinnati. 

Mike Lee, ’94, is vice 

president, capital markets, 

at Walker and Dunlop in 

Madison. 

Nancy (Sasse) Woolver, 

’95, is a financial services 

professional at New York Life 

Insurance in Fairport, N.Y. She 

and her husband, Jason, and 

son Max live in Fairport, N.Y. 

Mike Dietrich, ’98, is a 

project manager at KVG 

Building in Milwaukee. He and 

his wife, Lisa, and son Jackson 

live in Milwaukee. 

Chad Helminger, ’98, is 

financial controller for GE 

Energy - Power Conversion in 

Paris, France. 

Candy (Back) Runnoe, ’99, 

is a physical therapist at Mayo 

Health System Eau Claire. 

She and her husband, Jamie, 

and their son Jack live in 

Chippewa Falls, Wis. 

Paul Pucci, ’02, and his 

wife, Meredith, welcomed son 

Samuel on May 23. He joins 

Jackson. 

Dylan Esterling, ’04, is a 

vice president at The Business 

Bank in Appleton, Wis. 

Jonathan Nass, ’06, is a 

senior consultant at Ernst and 

Young in Chicago. 

Shawn Seifert, ’06, married 

Kimberly Prange on Aug. 4. 

They live in St. Paul. 

Kevin King, ’07, married 

Nicole Reiss on March 24. 

Evans Alumni located in the Seattle area enjoy a golf outing. 

Additional 

updates 

Dave Green, Kan. ’81, 

earned his patisserie diploma 

from Le Cordon Bleu. He 

is a commis pastry chef 

at Pennyhill Park Hotel in 

Bagshot, England. 

Brady Hampton, Ore. ’08, is 

a financial advisor at Tax and 

Financial Group in Newport 

Beach, Calif. 

Antonia Maurer, Ore. ’08, 

is the Washington County 

services coordinator at Oregon 

Food Bank in Beaverton, Ore. 

She and her husband, Steve 

Cottingham, live in Portland. 

Kevin Berry, Ore. St. ’05, 

is director, digital media, at 

Comcast SportsNet in Oregon 

City. He and his wife, Ali, live 

in Oregon City. 

L. “Bud” Stavney, Wash. 

’55, is retired. 

Andrew Clark, Wash. ’09, is 

pursuing a law degree at Case 

Western Reserve University 

School of Law in Cleveland. 

Sarah Grover, Wash. ’10, 

is pursuing a Ph.D. in social 

psychology and neuroscience 

at the University of Colorado. 

Hope Hunderfund, Wash. 

’11, is community development 

chair at KeyBank in Seattle. 

She is engaged to Kevin 

Reyes. 

theMACreport 

Shawn Seifert (Wis. ‘06) 

married Kimberly Prange. 

Joe Cabelka, ’08, earned a 

law degree from University of 

Minnesota. He is an attorney 

at Shumaker and Sieffert in St. 

Paul, Minn. 

Steve Olsen, ’08, is an 

account supervisor at Cramer- 

Krasselt in Milwaukee. 

Justin Steiner, ’08, is dean of 

instruction at Recovery School 

District in Baton Rouge, La. 

Mark Mleziva, ’10, is a 

seminarian at the Diocese of 

Green Bay. 

Matt Boland, Penn St. ’09, 

is an advanced chemical 

engineer at ExxonMobil in 

Houston. He married Caitlin 

Doutt on Oct. 8, 2011. 

Matt Boland (Penn St. ‘09) 

married Caitlin Doutt. 

Alumni 

participated in 

the Oshkosh 

Invitational 

on Sept. 1, 

raising $3,000 

for Evans 

Scholars. 


43

IN memoriam 

Roland Candiano Zagnoli (Mich. ’55) 

Rollie Zagnoli passed away Aug. 21. He was a consulting 

pharmacist from Deltona. -BeaconOnlineNews.com 

Danton William Rehor (NU ’57) 

Dan Rehor passed away Nov. 22, 2011. He was active 

in church and volunteered at the Palo Alto Baylands 

Interpretative Center in California. He is survived by sons 

Charlie and Bill. -Lake County News-Sun 

State University. 

Thomas A. Dutch, 

MSU faculty advisor 

Tom Dutch, 87, passed 

away Dec. 6. He served 

in the Navy and earned a 

master’s degree in student 

personnel from Michigan 

James P. Geimer (NU ’58) 

Jim Geimer, 76, of Buffalo Grove, Ill., passed away Sept. 

24. A long-time WGA Director who served as tournament 

chairman of the Western Open, he is survived by daughters 

Susanne, Nancy and Katherine. -Chicago Tribune 

Herbert Alan Robbins (Wis. ’59) 

Herb Robbins, 74, of Corolla, N.C., passed away April 26, 

2011. He served as a lieutenant in the Navy before earning 

a law degree from Northwestern University. He retired from 

NASA in 2002. He is survived by wife Bren and children Guy, 

Ian, Gambol and Anne. -The Washington Post 

Dutch partnered with the WGA to help grow the 

Evans Scholars Program at MSU. He served as 

the chapter’s faculty advisor from its inception 

in 1954 until his retirement. His hard work was 

recognized with the creation of the Thomas 

A. Dutch Scholarship Fund for MSU Evans 

Scholars. 

Dutch is survived by wife Nathalie and children 

D’Arcy, Alex, Mary, Martha, Emily, Tad, John, 

Daniel, Dave and Paul. -DignityMemorial.com 

Gill Marrin Lewis (Notre Dame ’60) 

Ernest Fuller, WGA supporter 

Ernie Fuller, 95, of Orchard 

Lake, Mich., passed away 

Sept. 2. He served in the Air 

Force during World War II, later 

becoming owner and developer 

of Edgewood Country Club, Bay 

Pointe Golf Club and the Links of Pinewood Golf Club. 

Fuller passionately supported the Evans Scholars 

Foundation, participating in a small Pro-Am 

tournament created to benefit the Program. Over 21 

years, the tournament raised $423,000 for the Evans 

Scholars. He is survived by children Edward and 

Barbara. -GaylordFuneralHome.com 

Marrin Lewis passed away Oct. 8, 2011. He served in 

the Army as a second lieutenant and worked in the State 

Department in Washington, D.C. He is survived by wife 

Carolyn and sons Edmond, David and Michael. -St. Louis 

Post-Dispatch 

Richard Welden Martin, Jr. (MSU ’76) 

Rick Martin, 58, passed away on Aug. 27. He enjoyed over 

25 years at Chevrolet, later becoming a volunteer for the 

Boise Open. He is survived by children Rachel, Richard and 

Ashley. -Idaho Statesman 

Jeffrey Kent Lucas (Colo. ’78) 

Jeff Lucas, 56, of Spring, Texas, passed away Aug. 31. 

He worked in the oil and gas industry for 34 years and is 

survived by wife Denise and daughter Amanda. -Howe 

Mortuary 


from the archives 

First of three wins 

Tom Watson waves triumphantly to the crowd after claiming his first PGA TOUR 

victory at the 1974 Western Open at Butler National Golf Club. He followed with two 

more victories in the WGA-sponsored championship, in 1977 and 1984.

1 Briar Road 

Golf, IL 60029 

Return Service Requested 

NON-PROFIT ORG. 

U.S. POSTAGE 

PAID 


Foundation 

USPS 1000 Approved Poly 

Evans Scholars know the winning difference is the stance they take as leaders in all walks 

of life. Thanks to the skills they have learned as caddies on the golf course and as leaders 

continued 

in school, 240 young men and women will head to college this fall on an Evans Scholarship. 

The WGA Evans Scholars Magazine: A publication of the Western Golf Association, Evans Scholars Foundation and Evans Scholars Alumni Association

2013 Winter WGA Evans Scholars Magazine - Western Golf ...

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