Class Notes

Cody Vantiger (’14 an sci) has been promoted to associate product manager in the marketing department at Kent Nutrition Group.

Michael Hotz (’08 ag bus) is the new senior commodity manager at Kent Corporation-Enterprise Services.

Jess Frank (’15 an sci) is the new content editor for Corner Post Marketing in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Emily Lair (L)(’15 hort) is the new ag instructor and FFA advisor at Spirit Lake (Iowa) High School.

Timothy Van Pelt (’02 ag engr) has been named president of the trust division for National Exchange Bank & Trust in southeastern Wisconsin.

Actress Jami Simon (’81 phys ed & speech comm) plays the recurring role of Pinky in the hit HBO series High Maintenance and the recurring role of Sideways Jane in the TV miniseries Riding the D with Dr. Seeds. She also has a featured role in the forthcoming film Accommodations.

Shane Jacobson (L)(’03 comm studies, MEd ’08) has been named president and CEO of the University of Vermont Foundation in Burlington, Vt.

Christina Freese-Decker (L)(’00 finance) has been appointed to a newly-created position as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Spectrum Health in western Michigan. She previously served as president of the Spectrum Health Hospital Group. In her new position, Freese-Decker will oversee strategy and operations for the entire system, including the hospital group, medical group, human resources, and information services.

Eric T. Crowell (L)(’80 indus admin), president and CEO of UnityPoint Health – Des Moines since 2001, has been appointed to the board of directors for the Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers.

David L. Ford, Jr. (A)(’67 indus engr) will retire Aug. 31, 2017 after 42 years as a business school professor at what is now the Jindal School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas. For 20 of those 42 years, Ford was the only African American professor in the school.

Mahipal Kunduru (PhD ’94 food sci) has joined Topco Associates, LLC as vice president for quality assurance.

Faegre Baker Daniels has added Chris Kreuder (’06 finance) to its product liability litigation team. As an associate, he will be working from the Des Moines office.

David Drendel (A)(’15 agronomy, ag business) is the new sales agronomist for Van Diest Supply Company in Boone, Iowa.

Morgan Shrader (’15 agronomy & ag business) is the new director of development for the National Swine Registry in West Lafayette, Ind.

Tory Mogler (’14 ag business & econ) has been promoted to ethanol trader at Cargill.

Todd Ramaeker (’13 ag studies & ag and life sciences ed) has been promoted to customer support planner by John Deere.

Kaitlyn Oberembt (’11 biology, animal science, ’15 DVM) has joined the staff at the Akron Veterinary Clinic in Akron, Iowa.

Jennie Savits (’09 food science, MS ’14) is the new enology field specialist for the Iowa State Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute.

Mary Fuller (A)(’08 ag and life sciences ed) is the new STEM program manager for Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri.

Mitchell Vorthmann (’04 animal science, MBA ’06) is the new supply chain planning manager at Atkins Nutritionals in Denver, Colo.

Mary Holz-Clause (L)(’76 ag business, PhD ’09 ag and life sciences ed) has been named chancellor of the University of Minnesota-Crookston.

Anand Rao (L)(’90 PhD food science and human nutrition) has accepted a position as vice president of research and development for Agropur, an international dairy cooperative.

Luke Hawkins (’11 agronomy) is the new Black Hawk County executive director for the USDA Farm Service Agency.

Pfc. Valeria Escamilla (’16 genetics), Iowa Army National Guard, has been promoted to health care specialist with Company C, 334th Brigade Support Battalion out of Johnston.

Mariah Schmitt (’17 dairy science/ag & society) is the new Iowa Dairy Center coordinator for the Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation.