UW-Oshkosh alumni Class Notes: November 2025

'65 Thomas Van Heuklon, of Macomb, Illinois, retired after 25 years of teaching and vocational rehabilitation work. For 15 years Van Heuklon helped maintain and operate a 1913 vintage Soo Line steam locomotive in Hartford, Wisconsin.

'68 Jim Dykstra, of McLean, Virginia, was elected second vice commander of American Legion Post 270.

'73 Jeffry Glover (MA), of Stoughton, has written more than 9,000 sonnets to date. In 2025, one sonnet won a Maria W. Faust Sonnet Contest, competing with 740 adult entries from 18 countries and 41 states.

'84 Frank Cumberbatch, of Milwaukee, was co-chair of the HPGM Midwest Leadership Summit and Gala. HPGM exists to support and advance Latino professionals from the Midwest.

'87 Teresa (Yulga) Connolly, of Scottsdale, Arizona, was named a 2025 Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, one of the highest honors in the nursing profession. Connolly, senior vice president and chief nurse executive at HonorHealth, has over 35 years' experience in nursing, and was just one of two people from Arizona selected for this honor.

'88 Matthew Haessly, of Milwaukee, is a commercial property disposition manager with the City of Milwaukee.

'91 Heather Yaeger, of Tomahawk, is the vice president of program operations at Lutheran Social Services.

'92 Tarara (Cook) Dever, of Austin, Texas, released a children's picture book, The Day We Found Yesterday. The book celebrates the bond between grandparents and grandchildren. Dever is the founder of TLC Book Design and an award-winning author of five other titles including Ultimate Mix Tape.

'94, '99 Amy McAloon (MS), of Appleton, celebrated 30 years of teaching at Appleton East High School.

'96 Tracy Bredeson (MPA), of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was named one of Women We Admire's list of Top 50 Women Leaders of New Mexico. Bredeson is the Chief People Officer at Dion's, a privately held New Mexico-based restaurant chain specializing in hand-crafted pizzas, salads and subs.

'96 Valerie (Murrenus) Pilmaier, of Sheboygan, an associate professor of English, Humanities, and Women's Gender and Sexuality Studies at UW-Green Bay, held a pre-show seminar in August before the Peninsula Players Theatre's production of Little Women: The Broadway Musical.

'98, '03 Heather (Degarmo) Gruszynski (MSN), of Wausau, is a nurse practitioner with the Aspirus Phillips Clinic team of family medicine. Gruszynski has over 20 years' experience in rural primary care settings with a strong foundation in managing chronic illness and mental health.

'98, '13 Michael Waters (MBA), of Greenville, a partner at Capital Connection, joined First Business Bank's Northeast Wisconsin Advisory Board of Directors.

'01 Rebecca (Flanagan) Calvin, of Riverside, California, is the executive vice president and chief marketing officer with responsibility for supply chain operations for Stater Bros. Markets. Prior to joining Stater Bros., Calvin had several years of experience in the grocery industry, most recently with the Save Mart Companies.

'04 Jason Lingk, of Springfield, Virginia, is the U.S. Army director of information operations for a corps of over 90,000 personnel, including four division headquarters and major supporting commands.

'04 Allan Stockinger, of Saint George, Utah, retired after ten years of working with Inotiv, a contract research organization in the pre-clinical pharmaceutical field. Stockinger hikes in Zion National Park and finished a marathon in under four hours.

'05 Scott Moodie (MBA), of Plover, joined Grace College's School of Business. Moodie has experience in organizational behavior, international business, strategy, and wellness.

'08 Sara (Nighbor) Rutkowski, of Berlin, is the City of Oshkosh Community Development Director.

'08 Kiel Zillmer, of Mukwonago, was made partner at Quarles & Brady law firm. Zillmer is a member of the health and life sciences practice group in Milwaukee and provides guidance on various real estate matters.

'09, '13, '20 Kelly (Shew) Peebles (MSE), of Neenah, is an instructional coach in the Appleton Area School District. Peebles partners with teachers to refine instructional practices, implement curriculum and use data to inform equitable, student-centered decisions. Peebles is married to '11 David Peebles.

'10 Brian Vollmer, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, is a senior account manager with Direct Supply, Inc. in Milwaukee. Vollmer works remotely while his spouse if an assistant professor of Biological Sciences at Western Michigan University.

'12 Josh Hughes, of Waukesha, tour guide for the Waukesha Ghost Walks for the past five years, co-authored the book Ghosts of Waukesha and is a creative content director for Karp & Iancu, S.C. Hughes is married to '14 Allison (Kerwin) Hughes.

'12 Ethan Turner, of Neenah, is a market manager at IHC Investments (The Hemp Collect).

'14 Shawn Karsten, of Ripon, vice president of community for XPRIZE Foundation, was named the 2025 Ripon High School Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. Prior to joining XPRISE, Karsten served as the vice president of advancement, marketing and communications as well as chief of staff at Ripon College.

'16 Benjamin Marks, of Greendale, is an assistant golf coach at Carroll University. Marks will graduate with a Doctor of Educational Leadership Degree in 2026.

'17 Abby (Boville) Clapper, of Belleair, Florida, is a self-employed personal trainer and runs a podcast called Talk Your Abs Off that helps people find sustainable healthy habits for a lifetime. Clapper is married to '18 Jeff Clapper.

'17 Kurt Kaufman, of Littleton, Colorado, was ordained by the American Baptist Church at the Federated Church of Green Lake where he attended as a youth. Rev. Kaufman serves at the First Baptist Church of Denver.

'19 Michael Raymond, of Oshkosh, is the sales and marketing director for Alliance Manufacturing in Fond du Lac. Raymond uses videography, photography and creates content while helping customers solve their challenges through story-driven marketing.

'21 Jack Bermingham III (MBA), of Oshkosh, is vice president and general manager of Oshkosh AeroTech's Ground Support Equipment (GSE) business. Bermingham was previously the business unit director at Oshkosh Airport Products where he and his team introduced groundbreaking innovations such as the Striker Volterra Electric Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) vehicle.

'21 Lisa (Marone) Moore, of Oshkosh, is a community development specialist with Becker Professional Services. Besides serving on the UWO Alumni Association Board of Directors, Moore also sits on the Oshkosh Sustainability Advisory Board and is involved with the Wisconsin Economic Development Young Professionals Network.

'21 Payton (Kardys) Schoenberger, of Lake Mills, is a third-grade teacher in the Oconomowoc School District. Schoenberger met her husband, '21 Zachary Schoenberger, during their freshman year in South Scott Hall.

'23 Seania Hampton, of Milwaukee, is a college and career associate with the Dr. Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy after completing two years of service with AmeriCorps.

'23 Kaitlyn Hupp, of Kenosha, is a local sports and general assignment reporter for the Lake Geneva Regional Newspaper.

'23 Amanda (Zahm) Posey, of Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, is a Kindergarten teacher in the Mountain Home School District. Posey and her husband are proud parents of a baby boy and two dogs.

'24 Audrey Naeyaert, of Shawano, is a licensed social worker and behavior technician with Guided Discovery, LLC.

'24 Rachel Rathman, of Baraboo, has been named vice president of lending for Loyalty Credit Union in Florida.