1960s
Aslta Dyer Smith ’61, P’93 and her husband Willis “Snoopy” Smith celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in June; their love story was featured in The [Chehalis-Centralia] Chronicle.
Mike Price ’69 was among the inductees in the 2026 Snohomish County Sports Hall of Fame. Price played various postions on the gridiron before following in his father’s footsteps in the coaching pathway, where he held several assistant coaching positions before moving to head coaching roles at Weber State University, Washington State University, and the University of Texas at El Paso.
1970s
Trustee Lyle Quasim ’70, Hon.’05 was the subject of a documentary, Show Up, Suit Up, and Engage!, about his civil rights victories and long history of service, which premiered in March at the Grand Cinema in Tacoma. Born in Chicago but claiming Tacoma as his home and cause, Quasim transformed the city through relentless activism — from his work with the Black Panthers to serving as president of Bates Technical College, from co-founding Safe Streets to becoming the first Black director of Washington’s Department of Social and Health Services.
Bob Lucey ’71, P’04, a former Logger Football defensive noseguard who went on to serve as head coach at Curtis Senior High School in Tacoma for 31 years, published a book with Don Lichty in May. A Football Symphony: Four Championship Seasons of Curtis Viking Football traces the journey of four state championship teams from Curtis High School in 1989, 1990, 1995, and 1996. The book explores the physical and mental components of the game, program organization, coaching philosophy, defensive and offensive principles, and the leadership qualities that enabled Curtis to achieve sustained excellence.
Roger Dahl ‘75 retired his longtime cartoon strip, Zero Gravity, for The Japan Times in January 2026. He had been contributing to the publication since 1991. “One of the biggest factors in moving on from The Japan Times after 35 years is wanting to devote more time to new creative adventures,” Dahl says in an online interview with the publication from his Seattle home. “Children’s books, young adult literature, graphic novels, and animation. I’ve been asked to make a brief animation for my church’s upcoming 125th anniversary, and I’m excited to see if I can figure out how to do it.”
Congratulations go out to Margret Riddle Kingrey ’75, who told the Alumni and Parent Relations office that her new book, Stories from my 40 Years as an Occupational Therapist, was published in June.
1980s
Journalist and biographer Paul Grondahl ’81, the Opalka Endowed Director of the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany, is the author of a forthcoming biography of the beloved curmudgeon and popular 60 Minutes commentator, titled Andy Rooney: A Lucky Life. It will be published by SUNY Press on Oct. 1. Rooney’s former publisher, Peter Osnos, called it “the biography Andy Rooney deserved... a great read.”
Congratulations to trustee Kenneth Willman ’82, P’15, P’18 on his Tony nomination for Every Brilliant Thing in the category of Best Revival of a Play. Alongside his wife, Rosemary, Willman has been involved in more than 60 productions on Broadway, the West End, and internationally. They have won three Tony Awards and two Olivier Awards for plays and musicals they’ve produced.
Holly Dillon ’84, JD’88 served as an executive producer of the documentary Groundswell, which was named an official selection at the Cannes Film Festival in May. It is the sequel to the 2023 documentary Common Ground.
In April, Clallam County District Court 1 Judge David Neupert JD’86, P’92 announced his plans to retire at the end of this year. In an article in the Peninsula Daily News, he said: “What I’ve enjoyed the most is every day there’s a new opportunity to listen to folks that come into the court. A lot of folks in district court are self-represented, so it’s important to maintain a good listening ability and to welcome in folks who need to be heard.”
In February, Cynthia Nims ’86 shared her “Long Live the Recipe Box” project in a New Day Northwest feature on KING5. In addition to sharing what inspired the project, she made one of her favorite recipes from her mom’s battered and beloved recipe folder. She writes on the project’s website: “Whatever form the collection might take, I hope everyone has at least a handful of recipes that are meaningful to them. There’s no time like the present to build up that collection.”
In March, Brian Webster ’86 was profiled in the publication 425 Business. The article focused on his work as president and CEO of Kirkland- based Kestra Medical Technologies, which created a wearable cardioverter defibrillator (WCD) called the Assure system in 2021. The WCD is intended to be an antidote to sudden cardiac arrests, which are typically triggered by ventricular arrhythmias and can cause death within minutes if not promptly treated.
1990s
Jon Itomura JD’92 was appointed in January to serve as chair of the Hawai`i Public Utilities Commission. He brings more than 25 years of public service and regulatory experience to the commission. The Public Utilities Commission
regulates the state’s electric, gas, water, wastewater, and telecommunications utilities, overseeing critical infrastructure that impacts every resident and business across the state.
Jennifer Takenaka Schielke ’95 was featured in a number of publications in March that focused on her work as a co-founder and CEO of Summit Group Solutions. “My work is about helping leaders align who they are with how they lead — because operational excellence is powerful, but integrity is what makes it sustainable,” she said in one of the articles.
In March, Tom Baumgartner ’96, the product marketing lead for data security posture management at Netskope, was featured in an article about how AI and differing regulations complicate compliance. The article was published on BankInfoSecurity.com, a specialized, multimedia platform from Information Security Media Group that provides daily news, analysis, and resources on banking security, fraud, and risk management.
Heidi Bolt ’97 is the new ministry relations officer for the northwest region of the Presbyterian Foundation. She served with the Peace Corps in Kazakhstan from 1999-2001 and went on to earn her Master of Divinity degree at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Virginia, and she is currently completing her doctoral studies. In her new role, she will visit churches and presbyteries in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
The new superintendent for the Manson School District in central Washington is Ian Crossland ‘97. He has served in many roles throughout his career, including as a teacher and district administrator in the Cashmere and Manson School Districts, head of school at Park City Day School in Utah, and an educational leader nationally and internationally.
In May, Jessica Lamb Henry ’97 and Aimee Davison Tarlow ’97 were among the honorees included in the Top Women Leaders of Oregon list for 2026 announced by the group Women We Admire. Henry is a managing director at Deloitte and Touche whose clients include companies in healthcare, consumer and industrial products, retail, sports teams, and more. Tarlow is the chief of staff and director of DesignOps at Microsoft and is known for navigating ambiguous situations with clarity and innovation.
Matthew Cooper ’98 is the new president of the University of Alaska. He has 13 years of experience at the university, including as General Counsel from 2020 to 2024. He has deep knowledge of the University of Alaska System and is well-versed in federal policies that affect the state. He is also committed to promoting innovation, enhancing the university’s Arctic presence, and strengthening student enrollment, retention, and graduation.
Janie Rue Griswold ’97, the chief learning officer at High Tech High (HTH) in San Diego, was included on the list of Top Women Chief Learning Officers of 2026 announced by the group Women We Admire in May. HTH is a network of 16 public charter schools serving grades K-12, which was founded in 2000 to offer innovative, project-based learning. She joined the network in 2000 as a humanities teacher and was promoted to school director for High Tech Middle and later became director of new teacher development.
In June, real estate and business attorney Kate Robinson ’99 was named executive partner of Holland and Knight’s Portland office. She oversees the day-to-day management of the office while continuing to manage her practice, which focuses on the multifamily housing sector.
Diana White ’00, MEd’00 retired from federal service on Dec. 31, 2025, with more than 20 years in the field of adult and community education. White relocated from Tacoma to a small village in upstate New York near Lake Ontario in July 2025, in anticipation of her retirement.
2000s
Kristin Funk ’00 is currently a doctoral candidate at Indiana University’s School of Social Work, where she co-developed and teaches what is likely the nation’s first social work course on Digital Equity and Data Justice. Her work focuses on the intersection of technology, access, and social services in rural communities. She also helped launch a rural telehealth clinic and now serves as its clinical supervisor, working with students and community partners to expand behavioral health access in underserved areas. On the home front, Funk’s high schooler is now exploring colleges, with Puget Sound currently at the top of the list. She says she is very excited that she may soon have a great reason to spend more time back in Tacoma — as a Logger parent!
In April, Michele Collins ’01 retired as a supervisory special agent from the Diplomatic Security Service – Department of State. She told Arches she worked and lived in seven countries and traveled to more than 80 and had an “amazing career” during her more than 24 years in the Foreign Service. She is looking forward to moving on to the next chapter of her life with her husband and son.
Scott Flichbeil ’02 was promoted in May to chief executive officer of the Foster Garvey law firm. He had served as the firm’s chief operating officer since 2021, and he first joined Foster Garvey as finance director in 2017.
In May, Megan Geldman ’04 was promoted to chief marketing officer at the software company Sphera. In her new role, she will lead global marketing, brand, and communications; her appointment comes as the company expands its operational intelligence platform and steps up its focus on artificial intelligence across risk, safety, and sustainability.
Cara Peterman ’04 was named one of the top 50 women chief risk officers of 2026 by the Women We Admire organization in March. She is a director, the chief risk officer, and the corporate treasurer for Puget Sound Energy, Washington state’s largest privately-owned electrical and gas utility. She has worked for PSE for more than 20 years.
The Hard Way, a documentary film directed by R.A. Beattie ’05, was nominated for an Emmy award. The film, produced by Off The Grid Studios in Bend, Ore., follows Warm Springs guide and steelhead angler Matt Mendes through a deeply personal exploration of identity, resilience, heritage, and life along Oregon’s Deschutes River.
2010s
Kai Correa ’11 was featured in a March story in the New York Times, titled “How Kai Correa and the Mets plan to overhaul the defense, one drill at a time.”
In May 2025, Lukas Perry ’13 completed his Ph.D. in music theory from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., and was appointed assistant professor-in-residence of music theory at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Ruth Isenberg ’16 is starting a tenure-track role at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn. She is a bacterial geneticist whose expertise is in bacterial interactions with their eukaryotic hosts and with other bacteria. Her current research explores the genetic factors that mediate bacterial competition and persistence within the oral cavity.
In June, the Puget Sound Business Journal named Emma Richardson ’17 to its 40 Under 40 list. She works for Special Olympics Washington as director of health programs and as program director of women’s health research and action center.
Annie Vela ’17 contacted the Arches team to let us know she was elected to city council in Ilwaco, Wash., where she resides happily.
Katie Gallagher MAT’17 will be the new principal at Islander Middle School in Mercer Island, Wash., this fall. She joined the school as associate principal in the 2024-25 school year and said she is excited to serve in her new role. The school “is already home for me. I’ve had the privilege of learning alongside students, partnering with families, and working closely with an incredible staff, and I care deeply about this community,” she said. “My goal is to ensure every student feels known, supported, and challenged while building the skills and confidence they need for what comes next.”
In April, Abigail Jackson ’18 co-authored an opinion essay in Canada’s National Observer encouraging governments to do more to help towns reeling from mass layoffs. She works as one of the lead researchers for the Community Transformations Project and led the development of the policy brief on place-based skills development in Canada. She has also co-authored several other publications, on topics including international place-based skills development and supporting communities through major layoffs. Previously, she had worked at Habitat for Humanity, administering programs related to energy efficiency, affordable housing, and community development.
In April, Curtis Mraz ’18 of Champlain Valley Apiaries in Middlebury, Vt., was featured in an article in the Vermont independent publication Seven Days. The article notes Mraz became the fourth-generation president of Vermont’s oldest
apiary business in late 2022. It was founded in 1931 by his great-grandfather Charles Mraz, who was memorialized in a 1999 New York Times obituary as “an inventive beekeeper” and “leading evangelist for the therapeutic use of bee stings.” Stewarding Champlain Valley Apiaries through challenging times has felt daunting, the article states. “What ultimately convinced me that I wanted to be involved long term is not that we just need to save the bees,” he said, “but that the bees are telling us that we need to save the rest of the bugs.”
2020s
Rowan Coates ’21 started work in September 2025 as the new cultural arts manager in Murray, Utah. She was profiled in an article in The Murray Journal in March.
Lynnie McIlvain ’21 started work as director of development at Investigative Reporters and Editors in May. She has worked in fundraising for seven years.
Anna Edmunds ’22 is a fellow at the Minnesota-based nonprofit Fresh Energy. She is pursuing a Master of Public Policy degree with a concentration in science, technology, and environmental policy and is participating in this fellowship as part of a practicum course focused on state governance and the legislative process. She had previously worked at the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. In her new role, she will track key docket dates and comment deadlines for the organization’s work at the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, as well as conduct research on energy affordability and the energy burden cap legislation.
AmeriCorps member Austyn Smith ’24 was featured in the April issue of Washington Service Corps Monthly Bulletin celebrating National Volunteer Week. Smith served with the Washington Reading Corps and took time on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to participate in an environmental service project. “The special memories and relations I made during this time proved to me in the present moment that when people come together to volunteer for an important cause, then so much good is put into the world,” Smith said. “As someone who experiences a lot of anxiety about the effects of climate change, that day provided a break from my worries and gave me a lot of hope for the future of our environment.”