Class Notes

Sam Ayres (MBA '08) has been named vice president of operations for MercyOne Medical Group in Central Iowa. Ayres brings to the role more than 30 years of experience at MercyOne Heart Center. In his new leadership role, Ayres will oversee short- and long-range planning in collaboration with physicians and clinical colleagues. He will have direct responsibility for guiding improvements in operations, quality, patient satisfaction, and colleague engagement.

Daniel C. Royer ('04 music & advertising) became executive director of One Iowa Sept. 1, 2019. Royer joins the statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization after more than 14 years of nonprofit leadership experience, including a professional role as executive director of the Iowa Alliance in Home Care and volunteer work with the Capital City Pride Board and the One Iowa Action Board.

Barbara J. Dawson (L)('85 psych & speech comm), a partner in the Phoenix, Arizona office of Snell & Wilmer, is the 2019-2020 chair of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Litigation. In this role, Dawson leads nearly 40,000 litigators, judges, and arbitrators who comprise the largest section of the ABA.

Kevin Brooks (L)('80 farm op) of Slater, Iowa, has been hired as the regional vice president of Availa Bank for Ankeny, Ames, and Nevada, Iowa.

Brenna Finnerty ('04 comm studies) has been promoted to senior director of development with UnityPoint Health-Des Moines and John Stoddard Cancer Center.

Georgia Van Gundy ('92 finance) of Waukee, Iowa, was honored Aug. 8 as a 2019 Des Moines Business Record "Woman of Influence" in recognition of her corporate and community leadership in Greater Des Moines. Van Gundy recently became senior vice president of Hy-Vee. She was previously the executive director of the Iowa Business Council.

Pat Miller (L)('82 psychology) of Ames, Iowa, was honored Aug. 8 as a 2019 Des Moines Business Record "Woman of Influence" in recognition of her longtime leadership of Iowa State University's Lectures Program, as well as her activism in the area of women in politics.

Iowa Sports Foundation executive Kevin Bourke (L)('83 phys ed) has been named president and CEO of the Ames Convention & Visitors Bureau, replacing the retiring Julie Weeks. Bourke, a former track and cross-country coach at Iowa State, had been with the sports foundation for 20 years -- most recently as chief operations officer.

Saeed Mousa (PhD '17 mech engr) has been promoted to general director of scholarships, elite faculty recruitment, and international collaboration at Jazan University, Saudi Arabia.

Effective September 23, 2019, Eric Koppelman ('95 advertising) is the new Chief Executive Officer of Portland, OR-based Ruby Jewel Ice Cream. Koppelman has spent the past 25 years in the consumer products food industry in a variety of leadership roles, with a special focus driving growth and organizational change at Organic/Natural Foods companies.

On May 24, 2019, Laura Catherine Burnett ('11 civil engr) was honored as a Distinguished Naval Graduate of the Officer Training Command in Newport, Rhode Island. At the conclusion of four months' training at Civil Engineer Corps Officer School in Port Hueneme, California, ENS Burnett will then go to her first duty station at NAS Corpus Christi. ENS Burnett is a licensed professional engineer (PE) in her home state of Colorado and received her MSCE at Colorado State University in 2016.

Bruce Alan Simonsen (L)('92 mech engr) joined the McCarthy Cook & Co. team in 2017 as operations manager in China Basin, San Francisco. Simonsen has a depth of experience, having been on teams that built some of the largest and most complicated projects in the Bay Area, such as the Transbay Terminal. He has spent more than 20 years in the construction and commercial contracting industry as a successful design-build mechanical engineer and construction project manager on projects in Iowa, Colorado, and California. He resides in Pleasanton, California, with his wife, Elizabeth, and their four grown children: Charlie, Laura, Emma, and Grace.

Former ISU track and field letterwinner John Adams (A)('67 phys ed), owner of Parrot Film Company in Sioux City, Iowa, has been named 2019 "Vendor of the Year" by the Association of Theater Owners.

Jeremy Roth ('82 psychology) of Littler has been named to Best Lawyers in America's 2020 "Lawyer of the Year" list. Roth is based in Littler's San Diego, California, office.

Dr. Craig Cunningham ('12 biology) has graduated from residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine -- Wichita Family Medicine Residence Program at Ascension Via Christi Hospitals.

Tom Hummer ('11 English) recently released his fifth EP, Real Life. He also performs and tours with his band, Sell the Future. Learn more about the Ames-based musician online at https://www.tomhummer.com or listen to "Real Life" online at https://open.spotify.com/album/2xzoQChAqJGdIfwLryCuy6?si=hG-lPpGZRg-A5np0kV8pUQ.

Kimberly Jo Gehling ('02 computer sci, MS '11 human computer interaction) is the president of Websites to Impress, Inc., a web and digital marketing company that recently expanded its offices. WTI is located in Geneseo, Ill., and Davenport, Iowa.

Dennis A. Muilenburg (L)('86 aero engr) -- chairman, president, and CEO of The Boeing Company -- has been selected to receive the 2019 Owen B. Butler Education Excellence Award from The Conference Board. The honor will be presented Oct. 2 at The Pierre Hotel in New York, New York.

Steven Schuelka (L)('80 stat, MS '83) of Crown Point, Ind., has been elected treasurer of the American Society for Quality (ASQ). An associate professor at California State University and Ivy Tech Community College, Schuelka was elected to serve on the 2020 board during the organization's annual meeting May 19, 2019.

Former U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (L)('62 government) has been named one of dsm Magazine's 2019 "Sages Over 70," along with his wife, Ruth. The Harkins are being recognized in honor of their lifelong devotion to public service.

Dave Wedemeyer recently achieved a cycling milestone by completing a century ride (100 miles) in every state. On August 27, 2019, Dave completed the Mt. Washington Century in New Hampshire, marking his 50th state. In total Dave has ridden over 120 century rides in his lifetime, and has also ridden RAGBRAI 29 times.

Carolann Jensen (L)('86 agriculture) will become the state relations officer for Iowa State University on Aug. 26, 2019. She comes to ISU from the Iowa Finance Authority, where she has served since 2011. She previously spent 24 years as a senior research analyst for the Republican caucus in the Iowa Senate.

Cheryl Stritzel McCarthy (A)('81 journalism) is the author of a memoir entitled "Many Hands Make Light Work" (Aug. 6, 2019; She Writes Press). It documents the true story of a family of nine children growing up in a Midwest college town during the turbulent 60s and 70s, written in the spirit of "Cheaper by the Dozen" with advice for raising capable, confident children during turbulent times. McCarthy is a journalist whose work appears in The Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and newspapers across the country.

Mercy College of Health Sciences has appointed its first academic dean, Glenda Gallisath (PhD '95 education). She will work to ensure that Mercy College continues to meet the academic and workforce needs within Des Moines and the region. Gallisath most recently was the associate vice president for accreditation and assessment at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in North Chicago, Ill. She has extensive experience in academic affairs and has held membership and leadership positions on several boards pertaining to health care and human services, fine arts, nonprofit agencies and community development.

Rick Kroeger ('89 management) has been hired by Bank Iowa as a commercial loan officer in Des Moines.