Class Notes

The Directors of Neumann Monson Architects, Inc. are very pleased to announce that Scott Palmberg has been elevated to shareholder in the firm. Neumann Monson is excited to have him as part of the ownership team. Neumann Monson Architects, founded in 1977, provides award-winning architectural, planning and interior design services to a wide variety of clients and utilizes a collaborative work process to produce sustainable design solutions.

The Directors of Neumann Monson Architects, Inc. are very pleased to announce that Dan Broffitt has been elevated to shareholder in the firm. Neumann Monson is excited to have him as part of the ownership team. Neumann Monson Architects, founded in 1977, provides award-winning architectural, planning and interior design services to a wide variety of clients and utilizes a collaborative work process to produce sustainable design solutions.

The Directors of Neumann Monson Architects, Inc. are very pleased to announce that Cheung Chan has been elevated to shareholder in the firm. Neumann Monson is excited to have him as part of the ownership team. Neumann Monson Architects, founded in 1977, provides award-winning architectural, planning and interior design services to a wide variety of clients and utilizes a collaborative work process to produce sustainable design solutions.

The Directors of Neumann Monson Architects, Inc. are very pleased to announce that Brian Warthen has been elevated to shareholder in the firm. Neumann Monson is excited to have him as part of the ownership team. Neumann Monson Architects, founded in 1977, provides award-winning architectural, planning and interior design services to a wide variety of clients and utilizes a collaborative work process to produce sustainable design solutions.

Author Dr. Patricia Tice (L)(’75 CD, ’83 Prof. St.) has combined her formal training in psychology and human behavior with her experience and training in manners and etiquette to create a book that is a must-have resource on dealing with people, different attitudes, behaviors in the world of agriculture. Agri Manners – Essential Etiquette for Professional Success is published by Agri Marketing magazine. The book’s introduction is written by Chris Soules, star of the ABC-TV shows “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette,” “Dancing with The Stars”, is an Iowa farmer and an Iowa State alum. Agri Manners is your first resource for planting and growing a meaningful life and career in agriculture and is your go-to resource for knowing how to earn trust and respect, and presenting yourself in a way that is honorable and professional. Since its release in December 2015, Agri Manners is now being used by several colleges and universities. Dr. Tice says, “Agricultural stakeholders always need to be professional, well-mannered and respectfully civilized, from the farm field to table to global leader. This new book elevates respect for the agricultural complex.” Agri Manners – Essential Etiquette for Professional Success can be ordered through www.agrimarketing.com Click on the Bookstore tab. Dr. Tice and her husband Lynn Henderson (’74 Ag JLMC) live in Adel, Iowa.

Ryan Augustine was recently awarded the Farm Bureau Entrepreneur of the Year award for his startup business, AccuGrain. AccuGrain competed against three national finalists for the title Jan. 11-13 in Orlando, Florida, at the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention. This is the second year in a row the honor has been given to an Iowa State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences alumnus and participant in the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative (AgEI) program. Augustine (’12 agricultural studies) participated in AgEI’s Student Incubator Program and Econ 334, the Entrepreneurship in Agriculture course, during his time at Iowa State. “Being selected as the American Farm Bureau’s Entrepreneur of the year has been a great honor for AccuGrain. Competitions like these, as well as the many opportunities for mentoring and growth that we had through the Ag Entrepreneurship Initiative at Iowa State University, have helped give us the resources and confidence we need to take our idea from a simple start up to a successful business,” Augustine said. The Econ 334 course gives students the skills and resources needed to develop business startups. Through this course, Augustine created the AccuGrain concept – an agricultural business using X-ray technology to measure the weight of flowing grain through pictures. Since then AccuGrain has continued to impress members of the industry with its ability to produce accurate data in a timely manner. “It has been great to see Ryan move this idea from classroom to reality, as it has taken persistent, resourceful work. He has commercialized an ISU-patented technology, a very exciting example of startup development and technology commercialization in a university environment,” said AgEI director Kevin Kimle. ScoutPro, a crop scouting and pest identification mobile app created by Iowa State agricultural and life sciences education graduates was named the Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015. Michael Koenig, Stuart McCulloh and Holden Nyhus also created ScoutPro in the Econ 334 course. AccuGrain received $30,000 in prize money from the competition to help implement their business. Augustine was joined by Iowa State student, and AccuGrain intern, Steven Brockshus during the competition. The Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative at Iowa State was established in 2005. The initiative works to broaden understanding of entrepreneurship among faculty and students of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences by providing educational experiences to develop students' entrepreneurial skills and increase interaction among students, faculty and agricultural entrepreneurs.

Mark Putbrese, an Edward Jones financial advisor in Naperville, Ill., has been named a principal with the firm’s holding company, The Jones Financial Companies, LLLP. He was one of only 51 individuals chosen from more than 43,000 associates across the United States and Canada to join the firm’s 353 principals. He holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Accredited Asset Management Specialist professional designations. In addition to serving clients, Putbrese is a regional leader for his firm, guiding and supporting nearly 60 branch teams throughout DuPage County, Ill. He will remain in Naperville and continue serving area investors. Edward Jones, a Fortune 500 company, provides financial services for individual investors in the United States and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firm’s business, from the investments offered to the location of branch offices, is designed to cater to individual investors in the communities in which they live and work. The firm’s 14,000-plus financial advisors work directly with nearly 7 million clients. Edward Jones, which ranked No. 6 on FORTUNE magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2015, is headquartered in St. Louis.

Longtime member Darren Carlson was appointed Chairman of the Omaha Home for Boys’ board of directors Jan. 12 during the first meeting of 2016. A partner in Omaha’s Carlson & Burnett Law Firm, Carlson received his B.S.in Agricultural Business from Iowa State University in 1985, and earned his Juris Doctorate magna cum laude from Creighton University in 1988. While attending Creighton, he served as a member of the editorial staff of the Creighton Law Review from 1986-88. He has been an attorney for over 25 years and is a member of both the Iowa and Nebraska Bar Associations. His practice focuses on estate planning, agricultural law, corporate and business transactions. His business practice includes establishing and advising nonprofit corporations and foundations. “I’m very excited about the opportunity to serve the Omaha Home for Boys as chairman,” Carlson said. “We have some challenges before us, but we also have some great opportunities to reach out into the community more, create connections and become more visible in Omaha. I see great things for the Home in the future.” Carlson has served as a trustee and director on the Omaha Home for Boys’ Board since 2002. He previously held secretary and vice chair positions, among others, with the Home. He is a member of the Tangier Shrine, Miracle Hills Optimist Club, Nebraska Marketing Council and Omaha Agricultural Business Club. He’s been a member of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church for more than 23 years, where he has served on the board of trustees. He served on the Millard Schools Education Foundation, Inc., from 2004 to 2010, including two terms as president. “Darren has been a valuable, active member of our board for more than a decade, and I look forward to working with him in 2016 and beyond,” Omaha Home for Boys President & CEO Jeff Moran said. “Just as he has with every role he’s held during his 14 years on the board, he brings a lot of experience, enthusiasm, connections and drive to the Chairman position.” The Omaha Home for Boys has served youth in our community for more than 95 years, first as an orphanage and currently as a residential youth home. The young adults – both male and female -- served are generally at-risk due to neglect, socio-economic situations, truancy or poor school performance, drug and alcohol abuse and/or the inability of their families to support them. OHB is a resource in the community, offering support and stability while working in collaboration with schools, service providers and other nonprofit organizations to help youth and families be successful. OHB is a community-based organization that serves young men and women ages 12-24 through: Inspiration Hill Residential Care, Jacobs’ Place Transitional Living and Branching Out Independent Living. The Home is nationally accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Services for Families and Children (COA).

Danielle Kimler (2014 BS Elec. Eng.) and Brian Lois (2015 PhD Math) were married September 19, 2015 in Bettendorf IA. The couple now live and work in Dallas, Texas.

Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Executive Director R. Todd Ashby has been recognized with a national leadership award for his work to establish the forthcoming Des Moines Transload Facility. The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) named Ashby as the 2015 recipient of the Ronald F. Kirby Memorial Award for Outstanding Individual Leadership. Ashby was nominated for the award by the Urban Land Institute Iowa (ULI). "I'm humbled and honored by the award and would like to say the entire MPO organization deserves credit," Ashby said. "I am fortunate to work with so many bright and passionate people on our volunteer committees and on the MPO staff." Once complete, the Transload Facility will serve businesses within an estimated 150-mile radius of Greater Des Moines by connecting the trucking network to the rail network. The Transload Facility is expected to open in 2016. Ashby was singled out for this recognition because of his behind-the-scenes leadership in fostering an idea into action. "Todd Ashby went beyond identifying an innovative solution to a problem that was not being addressed elsewhere -- he stepped up to the plate and delivered," said Larry James, Jr., chair of ULI. "But for his efforts, the project might never have happened."

Lewis M. Sutton, longtime board member of the Pet Care Trust, is retiring after 16 years of service. He was honored during the Pet Care Trust Board meeting in Chicago that was held in conjunction with the World Pet Association’s Aquatic Experience trade and consumer show November 6-8, 2015. The Pet Care Trust is a non-profit, charitable, public foundation that is instrumental in the sponsorship of programs supporting companion animal welfare and the benefits of owning companion pets as well as the development of educational programs demonstrating the importance of responsible companion animal ownership. Sutton is the Executive Vice President of the International Markets Division at PetAg, Inc., has an extensive background in animal science and nutrition, and is a well-published animal nutrition specialist. His expertise, experience, and commitment to the pet industry has made him an asset to the Pet Care Trust. Under his leadership, the Pet Care Trust began the Pets in the Classroom grant program in 2010, a program that provides teachers with funding to purchase and maintain classroom pets with the knowledge that, while they are a valuable teaching tool, many teachers have very limited resources for the support of classroom animals. Through this educational grants program, teachers can obtain a grant for the purchase of new pets, pet environments, or pet food, and supplies for existing classroom pets. Steven T. King, Executive Director of the Pet Care Trust commented: “Lew Sutton had done more in his sixteen years on the Pet Care Trust Board to advance the work of the Trust than any other individual. He was instrumental in the development and roll-out of the Pets in the Classroom program, which has provided more than 70,000 grants to teachers and brought a pet into the lives of more than 3 million children.”

Mr. Mark Sherfy, P.E., has joined the Overland Park, Kan.-based civil engineering and surveying firm BHC RHODES as its new Public Works Group Leader. Sherfy previously worked for the city of Shawnee, Kansas as Deputy Public Works Director. In his new role, Sherfy will oversee engineering initiatives for BHC RHODES, including street design, road and highway design, traffic engineering, stormwater and drainage, and construction services.

Otten Johnson Robinson Neff + Ragonetti PC (Otten Johnson) is pleased to announce that Emily A. Hippen has been elected shareholder and director of the Denver, Colo.-based firm, effective Jan. 1, 2016. Emily is part of the firm’s Real Estate and Real Estate Finance Practice Groups. Her practice will continue to focus on commercial real estate finance, with an emphasis on the representation of lenders and borrowers in both loan origination and loan modification transactions. She also represents commercial real estate owners in matters relating to their commercial real estate acquisition and disposition needs.

Tyler Stafford, a content strategy manager for the Los Angeles-based ad agency Omelet, has been named one of Forbes' "30 under 30" for marketing and advertising. Stafford creates non-traditional digital content and audience-first marketing initiatives for such companies as Nike, Red Bull, and Walmart.

S. Luke Craven is the newest Member at Whitfield & Eddy, P.L.C. in Des Moines. He joined the firm in 2010 as an associate attorney with the firm and practices in the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. He was named to the 2015 Great Plains Super Lawyers in the area of Personal Injury: General as a Rising Star.

Mannava Sivakumar has been appointed by the Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) as Acting Secretary of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. IPCC was established by WMO and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1988. The role of the IPCC is to assess, on a comprehensive, objective, open, and transparent basis, the scientific, technical, and socio-economic information relevant to understanding the scientific basis of risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation. As the Acting Secretary of IPCC, Dr. Sivakumar will be working with the Chairperson of IPCC on the implementation of the IPCC work programme and the budget of IPCC and will report to the Secretary General of WMO, to the Executive Director of UNEP and the Chairperson of IPCC.

Lacie LaRue has been named to the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s first-ever 40 Under 40. The Chronicle is a 25-year-old independent news organization covering the nonprofit world. The 40 Under 40 is a list of extraordinary young nonprofit leaders, fundraisers, foundation officials, donors, and social entrepreneurs from across the country. LaRue is the senior director of annual giving at the Oregon State University Foundation in Corvallis, Ore., where she is gaining wide recognition for her data-driven approach to donor engagement. She has developed a system that allows Oregon State to divide its supporters into more than 2,000 segments. "It allows us to create a giving experience that is unique to that individual’s philanthropic interest at the university and helps strengthen the relationship," Lacie told the Chronicle. "I love the analytics and digging through data and developing strategies out of what you find." At Oregon State, she has helped increase the number of annual-fund donors who give $1,000 or more for academics yearly by 5 to 11 percent each year since 2011.

The American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA) has named Steve Jackson as its 2016 Chairman of the Board of Directors. Jackson is President of Cedar Valley Corp., LLC, a second-generation, family-owned and operated heavy & highway construction contractor firm. Founded in 1971, the company is headquartered in Waterloo, Iowa. In accepting the Chairmanship, Jackson acknowledged and thanked his wife Terri and their daughters. He also spoke about his career and cited a legacy of giving back to the concrete pavement industry, which he said is a value instilled in him and his company by his late father, Robins Jackson. This is only the second time in the almost 53-year history of ACPA that a father and son have served as Chairmen of the ACPA Board of Directors. Robins Jackson served as Chairman in 1977. Founded in 1963, the American Concrete Pavement Association is the national trade association for the concrete pavement industry. The primary mission of the ACPA is to create and maintain a strong national presence through dynamic, strategic leadership; effective technical expertise and resources; and persuasive advocacy on behalf of the concrete pavement industry.

Alvin L. Barden of Eagle River, Wisconsin was inducted into the Wisconsin Forestry Hall of Fame on September 19, 2015 at the Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association Annual Convention in Marshfield, Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Forestry Hall of Fame was founded in 1984 by 10 public and private forestry organizations for the purpose of honoring those who have made exceptional contributions to the field of forestry in Wisconsin. Barden was and remains a leader in promoting Sustainable Forestry, teaching thousands of Wisconsin students, both young and old, the value of caring for our renewable natural resources. He provided the tools and encouraged woodland owners to use all available public and private financial, educational and technical resources to assist them in managing their woodlands. Barden received his B.S. Degree in Forest Management from Iowa State University (1955) and a M.S. Degree in Natural Resources Administration from Colorado State University (1970). He served our country in the Air Force Reserves reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel. He was active throughout his career, developing, leading and improving organizations for Family Forest Landowners, Professional Loggers, Foresters and Academia. Barden has also been recognized by the Society of American Foresters with the “John Macon Award”, “SAF Fellow” and the “Golden Membership Award”. The Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association recognized him with the “Distinguished Service Award”. Barden was nominated for the Hall of Fame by the Wisconsin Tree Farm Committee where he was awarded the “Leadership Award” for being the former Administrator, Committee Chair Person and is presently an active Committee member. The Wisconsin Forestry Hall of Fame is located in the College of Natural Resources at The University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point in the Dan Trainor Building. It is open during regular school hours. Members of the Forestry Hall of Fame organizations select new inductees from those nominated each year. The 10 member organizations of the Forestry Hall of Fame are: Wisconsin Forest History Association, Wisconsin Tree Farm Committee, Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association,Wisconsin Society of American Foresters, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources – Division of Forestry, Wisconsin County Forests Association, U.S. Forest Service, Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association, University of Wisconsin – Madison, and University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.

James Schmeling, BA '97 Political Science, was appointed as Executive Vice President, Strategic Engagement for Student Veterans of America. Student Veterans of America Appoints Executive Vice President of Strategic Engagement New position supports organization’s 2016 initiatives and future direction WASHINGTON, D.C. - Student Veterans of America (SVA), the nation’s premier organization providing military veterans with the resources, support, and advocacy needed to succeed in higher education and beyond, has named James Schmeling as Executive Vice President of Strategic Engagement. With this appointment, SVA is increasing the focus on research and driving public policy to support the continued success of the veteran community. "Adding James Schmeling to the team further strengthens our ability to meet the needs of student veterans across the country," noted Jared Lyon, SVA Acting President/CEO. “James’ understanding of our nation’s veterans and military families, especially student veterans, and his leadership experience on the national stage will greatly benefit veterans, service members, and military families in pursuit of higher education.” SVA is a chapter-based coalition of student veterans and their supporters focused on helping veterans integrate into college life, achieve their academic goals, and gain meaningful employment. Supporting chapters and empowering chapter leaders and members will remain a key element of SVA’s mission while new programs and services are developed to expand SVA’s influence and impact. “Now is the time to redouble our efforts with higher education and veterans, to enable the education sector to meet the needs of veterans as well as its own needs,” said James Schmeling. “While I was at the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), it became clear that higher education is the key differentiator in veterans’ career success after military service. Having spent the past 16 years working as an administrator and researcher in higher education, I’m looking forward to applying that experience at SVA in support of students, faculty, and administrators to ensure the best post-college outcomes for our veterans.” James Schmeling, J.D., co-founded the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF) at Syracuse University, and was appointed as its first managing director. At IVMF Schmeling supervised the Programs mission area, which includes transition, employment, education and training programs. Schmeling’s work on veteran employment includes collaboration with leading corporations including GE, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Walmart. As an academic administrator and intrapreneur, Schmeling co-founded two, and built three, highly successful publicly-engaged institutes in public and private universities. He leads and has served on several non-profit boards. Mr. Schmeling has published on veteran policy, employment practices, entrepreneurship and disability, study of corporate culture, disability as a component of diversity, and more. Schmeling is a U.S. Air Force veteran, served 6+ years, and was honorably discharged as a sergeant. Post-service he earned his law degree, with distinction, from the University of Iowa College of Law, and his B.A. in political science with a minor in international studies (Latin America) from Iowa State University. http://us11.campaign-archive2.com/?u=00012c707b4eea916ba13da83&id=4c4a03beb0

After spearheading an effort to get a dangerous portion of Highway 63 expanded to four lanes, a local Missouri state representative sponsored a bill to name the highway after ISU alumnua Harriett Beard. She is now busy working to get highway 63 four-laned to Ottumwa, Iowa.

Matteo del Ninno is the founder of Inteo, a startup focused on the need for education to provide better materials for better outcomes in college algebra. Inteo’s interactive math app is learning by doing. The free-response, auto-graded interactive mechanism ensures that student users have enough material to learn autonomously while also providing transparent and timely communication with teachers.

Jen (Hacke) Sass (’01 Journalism, ’04 M Ed.) and Wes Sass (’00 Journalism, ’02 Meteorology) were married May 23, 2015 in Dubuque, Iowa.

Tara (BS Psych '01) and Michael Whitmire are the proud parents of a daughter, Brodie Kay Whitmire. She was born on August 4, 2015. She weighed 7 lb 10.5 oz and was 21 inches long.

Jonathon Schroeder joins Davis Brown Law Firm Jonathon Schroeder recently joined the Davis Brown Law Firm as an associate attorney in the Ames office with a general practice that includes, but is not limited to, real estate transactions, business and non-profit formation, and zoning and development law. Jonathon’s experience includes real estate title examinations and closings, landlord and tenant law, and business formation. He also has experience in contract drafting, review and negotiation, and municipal law, including representing clients on development and zoning issues. Prior to joining Davis Brown, Jonathon practiced at a general practice law firm in Winterset, Iowa, where he also served as the Assistant City Attorney and represented other municipal clients. He completed internships with the Iowa Supreme Court, Brick Gentry P.C., Drake University Legal Clinic-Criminal Defense and Transactional Clinic, Ahlers & Cooney, P.C., Iowa Legal Aid, and the City Attorney in Ames, Iowa. He earned his J.D. at Drake University Law School, with high honors, where he served on the staff of the Drake Law Review. His Bachelor of Arts degree was earned at Iowa State University where he graduated cum laude.