Class Notes 2024
1960s
Gary Woodgerd l 1963
Montana
After graduation, through the UM Placement Center, Gary was hired by Boeing Seattle as a buyer and went on to work in several companies. He has held many positions throughout his 45 years in purchasing and sales management, specifically regarding aerospace, space and defense products.
1970s
Rusty Wells l 1971
Whitefish, Montana
At the Northern Division meeting for National Ski Patrol, Rusty was inducted into the National Ski Patrol Hall of Fame. As a 38-year member of Flathead Nordic Patrol he was involved in many backcountry rescues over those years and also served as Mountain Travel and Rescue Advisor (also writing one chapter for NSP's training manual for MTR) for the Northern Division and spent 6 years as their Western Region Director .
John Kafentzis l 1975
Washington
John retired at the end of 2023 after teaching Journalism and advising the student newspaper for 16 years at Gonzaga University. In May he retired from The Spokesman-Review where he had worked full and part time for 47 years in a variety of positions, from police reporter to news editor to design editor.
Catherine Sassen l 1978
Texas
Catherine retired after a 45-year career in academic libraries. She finished her career as Principal Catalog Librarian at the University of North Texas where she was selected as the Outstanding Library Faculty Award recipient for 2024.
1980s
Barbara Collura l 1985
Virginia
Barbara was invited to the State of the Union address on March 7, 2024, as the guest of Congressman Gerry Connolly in recognition of her work helping people with infertility. She is the President/CEO of RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. She is active in advancing reproductive rights and family building at the federal and state level.
1990s
Harold Jessup l 1990
Alaska
Harold recently retired after working with Teck Alaska, Red Dog Mine, for 27 years and 7 months.
Sam Schmidt l 1998, 1999
Montana
Samantha Schmidt (Schoeneman) recently received the 2023 Community Impact Award from the American Physical Therapy Association. She completed her comprehensive Pilates certification and now co-owns a thriving small business in Missoula, Alpine Physical Therapy. Their goal is to provide hope and change lives through movement.
Bridget Barker l 1999
Arizona
Dr Barker has been promoted to full professor in Biological Sciences at Northern Arizona University. In 2013, she joined the faculty at TGEN-North, and in 2016 she became tenure track faculty at Northern Arizona University (NAU) in the Pathogen and Microbiome Institute (PMI) in the Department of Biological Sciences. Dr. Barker has extensive experience with genomics, bioinformatics, population and molecular genetics, and evolutionary biology. Her background in microbiology, work with fungal pathogens, and computational biology allowed her to develop and bring these new techniques to the field of Valley Fever (coccidioidomycosis) research and development of the first vaccine for a fungal disease.
James Diefenderfer l 1999
Utah
James was recruited to GMRE in 2019 to be the Vice President responsible for establishing GMRE’s first Program Management Organization. After serving 16 years within the Department of Defense, he was recruited to work for Boeing in the US Air Force Battlelab Program, where he spent 4 years as a Senior Systems Engineer focused on Analytical & Visualization Modeling. From there, he was recruited by L-3 Communications where he spent 10 years enhancing his leadership and mentoring skills in the New Business Development Organization. He led Canadian new business activities, USA/USAF Product Development teams, and the Program Management Organization managing US Army Satellite Communications programs. In his current role on the Board of Directors, James will bring his insights and experiences to help lead the future of GMRE. He will also continue serving as a mentor to senior staff and collaborating with business units to support overall strategic initiatives.
2000s
Annemarie Vicere l 2001
Texas
Annemarie has joined Lathrop GPM as part of its Intellectual Property practice group in Dallas. Knowing that Texas is a state with a robust and diversified economy - Lathrop GPM is investing in growth in the Dallas market. The addition of the IP team is a step forward in building Lathrop GPM’s Dallas office to be a national hub with attorneys from all practices who collaborate to serve the legal needs of clients across the U.S. and internationally.
Bethann Garramon Merkle l 2007
Bethann was recently elected an Early Career Fellow of the Ecological Society of America. No more than 10 people receive this award per year. She was elected in recognition of my pioneering, transdisciplinary work and scholarship in science communication and institutional-level social change.
2010s
Cody McNearney l 2019
California
Cody McNearney joined Foran Glennon’s Sacramento office as an associate. Cody concentrates his practice in civil litigation, with a primary focus on professional negligence. Prior to joining the firm, Cody was an associate at a renowned California defense law firm managing various aspects of complex medical malpractice cases including written discovery, taking and defending depositions, law and motion and settlement negotiations. While in law school, Cody served as the president of the Military Law Society and completed an externship at the school’s pro bono legal aid services. In 2022, Cody was honored with the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law’s Capital Commendation for Public Service Award.
2020s
Daisy S. Borders l 2022
Daisy S. Borders joined Phillips Murrah as a civil and family law attorney. Her family law practice includes litigation of relationships with domestic violence and abuse, high-conflict custody dynamics, and complex property valuation. Prior to her current employment, Daisy lived and practiced law in Alaska. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two dogs.