Winter 2005 - Wayne State College

Alumni Notes1979Mike and Janece Ann (Beck’81) KoKoruz reside in Omaha.He is the regional sales managerfor The Swanson Corp.,Omaha, and president of theInstitute of Packaging Professionals,Midlands. She is theHealth, Beauty and Cosmeticsmanager for Hy-Vee Foods,Omaha. They are parents oftwo children, Aaron, a senior atTCU in Texas and Kristina, asophomore at WSC.1985Jeri (Glesinger) Sherer,Wakefield, has changed hercareer path and has joined theemergency medical servicesfield. She serves as a volunteerEMT on the Wakefield RescueSquad. She has obtained EMT-Intermediate licenses in bothNeb. and Iowa as well as beinga National Registered EMT-Intermediate.1986Dean Jacobs spent May 2001to April 2003 traversing theglobe on a low-budget adventureto better understand andknow the world we all share.This journey is captured in hisbook: Wondrous Journey-theWorld is Waiting for You. Deanwandered from Australia andSoutheast Asia to the MiddleEast and Africa as he explored28 countries. His book capturesthe essence of the 22 ½-monthjourney with stories and 140color photographs.1987Michael L. Nissen and KathyMohlfeld announce the birth ofdaughter, Brianna Marie, bornJune 30. They reside in Wayne.Michael is the assistant warehousemanager at Producer’sHybrids, Battle Creek, andKathy is a counselor and academicadvisor at WSC.1989Mike Forsberg and his wife,Kim, announce the birth of son,Miles Eugene, born Nov. 19. Heis welcomed home by Mason(5), Makayla (3) and Megan (1).Mike farms near Laurel, wherethey reside.1991Randy Ronspies and his wife,Linda, announce the birth oftheir first child, Austin Trey,born March 5.Randy ismaterialsmanager atConnectivitySolutions,Omaha, andthey residein Gretna.Mike (MBA ’04) and Kim(Backstrom) Bentjen haverelocated to Omaha. Mike issecond VP at First National Bankand Kim is a pharmacist atSelect Specialties Hospital.They are the parents of Bailey(8), Adam (5) and Natalie (1).1993Gordon McGee and his wifeCarin, Arlington, announce thebirth of son, Ethan, born May 3and welcomed home by Macie(3). Gordon is the director ofproduct management atAmeritrade, Omaha.Teresa K. Hoffman, Columbus,accepted the position of citygovernment/general assignmentreporter for the Columbus Telegram.DaVarryl Williamson is anInternational Boxing Federationheavyweight contender andsigned a promotional agreementwith Don King Productions.King is enthusiastic aboutinking him and says thatDaVarryl has earned the right tofight for a world heavyweighttitle.1994Merrily (Kyander) Schmid andher husband, Jim, announce thebirth of son, Ethan Michael,born July 19. He is welcomedhome bysister Ivy (4)and brotherAndy (2).Merrilyenjoysbeing a stayat-homemom.Bill (MSE ’97, Eds ’04)Heimann received the 2004New Outstanding Principal ofthe Year Award for the state ofNeb. He serves as the secondaryprincipal at Wakefield CommunitySchools. He and his wife,Jenny (Brummer) reside inJoseph WallAlumni Mini-Feature: Joseph ‘Joe’ WallWSC Graduate Working for Majority Whip in U.S. CongressJoseph ‘Joe’ Wall, a 2004 Wayne State College graduate, has been appointed to the Office ofthe Majority Whip Roy Blunt’s (Mo.) staff in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington,D.C. Wall has been named Floor Assistant, acting as the Whip Office’s liaison to the rest of the GOPconference, as well as the public, for Floor-related activity. He began his new duties in earlyJanuary.Wall’s primary responsibilities are composing the Whip Notice (weekly), the Whipping Post(daily), and Floor Updates (play-by-play updates of floor action). In addition, he is the liaison tothe GOP Conference and the general public, keeping the GOP members and staff informed of theFloor schedule. “The best part of the job is being on the House floor during all votes,” he said.Originally from Omaha, Wall graduated from Wayne State with a bachelor of arts in politicalscience in May 2004. He was a four-year letter winner on the WSC baseball team.While a student at Wayne State, Wall worked as an intern at the National RepublicanCongressional Caucus (NRCC), the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the Energy andCommerce Committee, and the White House. He served as a staff assistant at the NRCC during lastfall’s election campaign.“This has been a great experience, and I’m really looking forward to working with the 109thCongress and the many challenges that my new position brings,” said Wall.18