Class Year: 1980

Carol Springsteen ’80 took an early retirement in 2017 after working many years in the life insurance and annuity industry. She reports that while she decides on her “next act” she is happy training her dogs in both agility and rally, visiting her children, friends and relatives, and continuing in her quest to hike all… Continue Reading →

Betty Buikema ’82 Birner published her sixth book on linguistics, titled Language and Meaning. She is a professor of linguistics and cognitive science in the department of English at Northern Illinois University, where she has taught since 2000. Continue Reading →

During its May meeting, the Hope College Alumni Association Board of Directors appointed four new members and elected two new officers. The board’s new members are: Chandler Alberda, a junior from Austin, Texas; Lindsay Allward-Theimer ’11 of Atlanta, Georgia; Suzanne Marceny ’82 Caltrider of Mason, Michigan; and Phillip Torrence ’96 of Portage, Michigan. Newly elected as vice president… Continue Reading →

Dan Gundersen ’82 is the senior vice president and principal at Camoin Associates, a national economic development consulting company based in Saratoga Springs, New York, that has opened an office in Richmond. Continue Reading →

Ingrid Anderson ’83 Baird has retired after 32 years of teaching high school French. In 2015 she was awarded the Kent County Education Association High School Teacher of the Year award. She currently volunteers through Bethany Christian Services teaching English to refugees and continues to tutor an inner-city school child through the Kid’s Hope program.… Continue Reading →

Robert Baird ’83 of Grand Rapids, Michigan, reports that 35 years after college graduation, his accomplishments include retaining a full head of hair, albeit gray. He is the president of HRA Psychological Services in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where his private practice involves forensic work (capacity to parent), disability determination, and general mental health and marriage… Continue Reading →

Todd Holstege ’83 teaches K-5 physical education at Emmons Lake Elementary School in the Caledonia school system. He is finishing his 34th year of teaching, and in February was inducted into the Grand Rapids Christian High School Athletic Hall of Fame as an athlete. He was one of only 11 athletes to have been inducted… Continue Reading →

Thomas Knoebber ’83 is the director of labor performance improvement at the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). Continue Reading →

Linda Miller ’83 became a grandmother to Adeline Grace on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 23, 2017. Continue Reading →

Melissa Stoll ’85 Cole received a doctorate of nursing practice with distinction from the Nurse Executive Organizational Leadership Program within the University of New Mexico College of Nursing. Her scholarly project was “How Nurse Leaders Assess Their Ethical Leadership Practice Before and After Ethical Leadership Training.” Continue Reading →

Peggy Hallacy ’86 Gorno was given the Salute to Women honor for personal and professional excellence as a role model and mentor to other women at Grand Rapids Community College. She has held several positions at GRCC: assistant director of financial aid, campus information system coordinater, IT manager of academic applications and director of the… Continue Reading →

Todd Garth ’87 was appointed chief program officer of GoodWeave International in September 2017. GoodWeave is one of the first and only organizations working to end child labor by connecting all the dots between New Delhi and New York, between a back alley factory and a boutique shop, between an artisan and the end consumer.… Continue Reading →

Jacque Schaendorf ’87 is the president and CEO of The Insurance House Inc., which is based in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also serving as the 2018-19 president of the Wholesale and Specialty Insurance Association, which is a national association of surplus lines brokers and managing general agents, and is writing an article for the WSIA’s… Continue Reading →

Jon McKeeby ’88 and Susan Milanowski ’88 McKeeby recently moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan. Jon is the chief information officer for the National Institutes of Health’s Clinical Center. Sue is a behavior consultant for children with autism for Centria Healthcare. Continue Reading →

Kimberly Platte ’88 Orcutt is the Andrew W. Mellon curator of American Art at the Brooklyn Museum. She is the former Mellon curator at large for American Art at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Continue Reading →

Brenda Conant ’88 Wierenga-Huyser reports that her first husband, Dean Wierenga ’88, passed away in July 2011 after 23 years of marriage and shortly after graduating from seminary in May 2011, and that it has been a tough grief journey. She shares that God brought her a new husband, Dave Huyser, in June 2017 and… Continue Reading →