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Alumni News


Recent Alumni Notes

Items were received or collected prior to May 1, 2009. Alumni news items may be submitted by e-mail to patti@ku.edu or by clicking here and filling out the form. We rely on our alumni for the accuracy of information submitted.

1960s

William L. Turner, L’60, was elected president of the board of directors of We Tell Stories, a Los Angeles-based theater company, where he has been on the board since 2003. We Tell Stories is a nonprofit multiethnic community of artists dedicated to educating and nurturing young audiences in literature and theater. We Tell Stories brings classic literature and folk tales to life in classrooms, theaters, schools, museums, festivals, special events and libraries. Their goals are to inspire creativity, enhance literacy, cultivate intercultural awareness and harmony, and spark a love of the theater and spoken word.

Peter K. Curran, L’66, was selected for repeat inclusion in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Curran practices with Stevens & Brand LLP in Lawrence. Inclusion in Best Lawyers is based on a peer-review survey, with more than 2.5 million lawyers confidentially evaluating other lawyers.

Douglas Lancaster, L’66, is of counsel at the Overland Park law firm of Gates, Shields & Ferguson PA.

John Smith, L’68, has been elected president of the Lake City, Colo., Community Arts Center. Prior to his retirement, Smith was with Enterprise Products Partners in Houston.

1970s

Thomas G. Kokoruda, L’72, was selected by the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association to receive a 2009 Deans of the Trial Bar Award at the 36th Annual Bench-Bar & Boardroom Conference held in April at the Tan-Tar-A Resort. This award spotlights individuals whose superb litigation skills and professional demeanor are viewed as exemplary by their peers. Recipients of the honor must have practiced for at least 30 years or have reached age 60. Kokoruda practices with Polsinelli Shughart PC and is chair of the firm’s trial department and the health care litigation group.

Robert O. Watchous, L’73, Emporia, Kan., retired in June 2003.

Mary Torrence, L’74, serves as the Kansas Revisor of Statutes. Torrence is the first KU graduate and first woman to hold the position. The Office of Revisor of Statutes is the legal staff agency of the Kansas Legislature and currently has a staff of 21 attorneys.

Sen. John Yoder, L’75, was elected circuit court judge in Division 2 of West Virginia’s 23rd Judicial Circuit in November 2008. Yoder is completing his second term in the state Senate, which ends in 2008. He began his legal career as a district court judge in the Ninth Judicial District in Kansas in 1976. In 1980 he was selected in a national competition as a Supreme Court Fellow to work at the U.S. Supreme Court. He continued as a special assistant to the chief justice until 1983, when he became a federal prosecutor.

Ross Hollander, L’76, has been honored as one of the country’s most outstanding labor and employment lawyers
by The Best Lawyers in America 2009. Hollander is a partner and shareholder in the Wichita, Kan., firm of Joseph & Hollander PA and practices in the areas of employment law and litigation and business and commercial litigation.

Norene D. Jacobs (formerly Norene J. Thomas), L’77, has been selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America in health care law for the 18th consecutive year. Jacobs is a senior partner in the Des Moines, Iowa, office of Kutak Rock LLP.

Joe McKeever, L’77, serves as general counsel of Granite Investment Group, Irvine, Calif. Granite is a real estate
syndicator specializing in skilled nursing and assisted living portfolio acquisitions and operations in Texas and Illinois.

Sheila Bair, L’78, chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, received a 2008-09 Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award from the University of Kansas College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Jim Flory, L’79, a former Douglas County, Kan., district attorney and retired federal prosecutor, was elected to the Douglas County Commission in November 2008. Flory took office in January 2009.

1980s

Jim Eggleston, L’80, is founding partner of Eggleston Flowers & King LLP, a nine-lawyer firm based in Weatherford, Texas. Eggleston is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in commercial real estate law and farm and ranch real estate law. He is the exam coordinator for the TBLS for all real estate certification exams. Eggleston is also a committee member of the Real Estate Legislative Affairs Council for the State Bar of Texas. His oldest son serves with the U.S. Army in Iraq, his youngest son has joined the law firm in the transactions group, and his daughter is a senior at Texas A&M. Eggleston and his wife raise cattle and horses on their ranch west of Weatherford.

Pat Haley, L’80, received the Labette Community College 2008 Van Meter Outstanding Alumni Award from the board of directors of the LCC Foundation and Alumni Association.

Judge Janice Miller Karlin, L’80, a bankruptcy judge for the federal district of Kansas, has been appointed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panel of the 10th Circuit. Karlin is a member of numerous bankruptcy associations and committees and has contributed chapters to practice manuals on bankruptcy law and civil procedure.

Bruce Mallonee, L’80, has agreed to serve as the 2009 chairman of the Campaign for Justice. The campaign brings together well-known and respected lawyers from across Maine to raise funds on behalf of six civil legal aid providers in the state. Mallonee is a partner at the Bangor law firm of Rudman and Winchell. He was recognized in 2007 by the Volunteer Lawyers Project with the Lew Vafiades Pro Bono Award. During his legal career, Mallonee has donated more than 800 hours to impoverished clients, many of whom were victims of domestic violence.

Sherri E. Loveland, L’82, was selected for repeat inclusion in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Loveland practices with Stevens & Brand LLP in Lawrence. Inclusion in Best Lawyers is based on a peer-review survey, with more than 2.5 million lawyers confidentially evaluating other lawyers.

Kimberly D. Baker, L’83, has been elected secretary-treasurer of DRI—the Voice of the Defense Bar. DRI is an international organization of attorneys defending the interests of business and individuals in civil litigation. DRI provides numerous educational and informational resources to members and offers many opportunities for liaison among defense trial lawyers, corporate America, and state and local legal defense organizations. Baker is an attorney in the Seattle office of Williams Kastner. Her practice emphasizes health care law, employment law, tribal practice (including health care reimbursement and housing), drug and medical device, and general product liability defense litigation.

Jeffery A. Mason, L’83, was appointed to the Kansas Bar Association Board of Governors from District 10 in October 2008. Mason is in his second year as a member of the Kansas Commission on Judicial Qualifications.

Neil B. Foth, L’84, was appointed a Johnson County District Court judge by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. He replaces Judge John Anderson III, who retired in January 2009.

David J. Adkins, L’86, has been named CEO of The Council of State Governments (CSG), headquartered in Lexington, Ky., with offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Sacramento, New York City and Washington, D.C. CSG is a nonpartisan organization whose membership includes all elected and appointed officials of the three branches of government in all 50 states. Adkins previously served as vice chancellor for external affairs at the Kansas University Medical Center.

Martin R. Brown, L’86, Byron Center, Mich., was recently promoted to vice president within the Farmers Insurance Group Corporate Legal Department, and general counsel and secretary of Foremost Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Farmers.

James Lee Burke, L’87, has joined as of counsel in the Phoenix, Ariz., office of the national law firm of Quarles & Brady LLP. Burke is in the firm’s commercial bankruptcy, restructuring and creditors’ rights practice. His practice focuses primarily on commercial litigation and creditors’ rights.

Bob Harris, L’87, was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America 2009 in the areas of bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights law. Best Lawyers compiles an annual list of outstanding attorneys by conducting peer-review surveys, which include more than 29,000 attorneys in 78 specialties, covering all 50 states. Harris practices in the Phoenix, Ariz., office of Quarles & Brady LLP.

Debra Lumpkins, L’87, left Gateway Legal Services, where she was the managing attorney of the consumer unit, to become assistant attorney general, Consumer Protection Division, Office of Missouri Attorney General. She will be prosecuting, civilly and criminally, the perpetrators of consumer fraud.

Katherine J. Bailes, L’88, of 5th Generation Legal Advisors, Overland Park, Kan., has written a chapter for the Estate Administration, Missouri Bar Deskbook, titled “Will and Trust Construction,” to be published in the 2009 edition.

Grant Burgoyne, L’88, was elected to the Idaho House of Representatives in the 2008 general election.

Kathy Greenlee, L’88, Kansas Secretary of Aging, was nominated by President Barack Obama to the Health and Human Services post of assistant secretary, Administration on Aging. Greenlee has served as Secretary of Aging for the state of Kansas since January 2006. In that capacity, she has led a cabinet-level agency with 192 full-time staff members and a total budget of $495 million.

Kevin Kelly, L’89, is an associate development director at the Kansas University Endowment Association, where his responsibilities include development work to support the KU Libraries and KU’s deferred maintenance needs. Kelly served as director of outreach activities at KU Law, and managed a solo law practice in Lawrence from 1990 to 2006. Kelly, his wife, Christy, and son, Trey, 6, make their home in Lawrence.

1990s

Steve Ariagno, L’90, was recently married to Jessie Prock in Wichita, Kan. He is a partner in Ariagno, Kerns, Mank & White LLC, practicing in criminal defense. Ariagno has been named a Missouri/Kansas Super Lawyer. He also has a daughter, Meghan, 7.

Mark A. Ferguson, L’90, joined the Overland Park law firm of Gates, Shields & Ferguson PA as partner. Ferguson brings nearly 20 years’ experience in employment, education, business litigation and insurance subrogation law to the firm.

Melanie (Dick) McMullen, L’90, has joined the National Cable Television Cooperative Inc. in Lenexa, Kan., as director of business and legal affairs. NCTC is a programming and hardware purchasing organization representing 1,100 cable television operators in the United States and its territories. McMullen and her husband, Keith, live in Kearney, Mo., with their sons Alex, 13, and Sean, 11.

John E. Hayes III, L’91, is in-house counsel with Coldwater Creek in Colorado.

Molly M. Wood, L’91, was selected for repeat inclusion in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Wood practices with Stevens & Brand LLP in Lawrence. Inclusion in Best Lawyers is based on a peer-review survey, with more than 2.5 million lawyers confidentially evaluating other lawyers.

Laura Fey, L’92, is practicing with Daley Crowley LLP in Kansas City, Mo. Fey was formerly with Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP.

Kurt A. Level, L’92, has been named vice president and associate general counsel for Harrah’s Operating Company, Las Vegas.

Gregory Glass, L’93, has been named managing editor of Asia IP, a Hong Kong-based magazine focusing on intellectual property law in Asia and the Pacific.

Evan H. Ice, L’93, was selected for repeat inclusion in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Ice practices with Stevens & Brand LLP in Lawrence. Inclusion in Best Lawyers is based on a peer-review survey, with more than 2.5 million lawyers confidentially evaluating other lawyers.

Dan Wiley, L’93, was selected by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius as the newest 1st Judicial District judge serving Leavenworth and Atchison counties. Wiley has been practicing with the Leavenworth firm of Murray, Tillotson and Wiley since 1993. He also serves the Leavenworth area as a municipal judge for the city of Leavenworth and as a district judge pro tem for the Leavenworth County District Court. Wiley has more than 11 years of judicial experience in Leavenworth County.

Susan Weigers Kannarr, L’94, Topeka, Kan., was appointed chief clerk of the House of Representatives in January 2009.

Katherine (Basom) McClendon, L’94, is company counsel at Lineage Power Corporation in Mesquite, Texas.

John L. Snyder, L’94, received the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s 2008 Outstanding CLE Contributor Award in December at the KCBMA Annual Meeting in Kansas City, Mo. This honor goes to an individual whose exemplary efforts produced outstanding CLE programs for the Bar. Snyder is a partner at Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP.

Nathan Muyskens, L’95, a former partner at Troutman Sanders LLP, has joined the government enforcement and compliance practice of Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP in Washington, D.C.

David M. Staker, L’95, is married to Christina Dunn Staker, L’96, with four children, Gabrielle, 7, Matthew, 5, Joseph, 3, and Madeleine, 1. Staker is president of Plastic Packaging Technologies, a flexible packaging manufacturer in Kansas City, Kan.

Thomas Tronsdal, L’95, is the owner of Canyon Fence Company in Tucson, Ariz., the largest fence company in southern Arizona.

David C. Kresin, L’97, and Edmundo Robaina started a new firm in Phoenix, Ariz., Robaina & Kresin PLLC, in January 2009. The firm represents employees in labor and employment matters. Kresin and his wife, Molly, live in Phoenix with their three children.

Shawn Stogsdill, L’97, has joined Van Osdol & Magruder PC as of counsel. Stogsdill has practiced extensively in the areas of business, tax, real estate and real estate planning law for the past 10 years. He serves as an adjunct professor of constitutional law at William Jewell College.

Kevin Fulk, L’98, earned his Ph.D. from the University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business in December 2008. His dissertation is titled “The Involvement of Multiple Information and Communication Technologies in Complex Information System Project Control: A longitudinal, Interpretive Study.” Fulk also received the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence upon graduating.

Mark Haug, L’98, has been appointed a School of Business Teaching Fellow at the University of Kansas. The Teaching Fellows program was established in the spring of 2007 and honors outstanding teaching by nontenure track faculty members who have terminal degrees. During the fall 2008 semester, Haug taught a statistics course and a supply chain management course.

Geoffrey J. Lysaught, L’98, has been appointed director of the Searle Civil Justice Institute and senior lecturer at Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago.

Wesley F. Smith, L’98, was selected for repeat inclusion in the 2009 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Smith practices with Stevens & Brand LLP in Lawrence. Inclusion in Best Lawyers is based on a peer-review survey, with more than 2.5 million lawyers confidentially evaluating other lawyers.

Sarah Deer, L’99, was a visiting professor of law at William Mitchell College of Law for the 2008-2009 academic
year. Deer taught constitutional law and Indian law. She accepted a tenure-track position on the law faculty at William Mitchell beginning in the fall 2009. Deer was one of the first recipients of KU Law’s Tribal Lawyer Certificate and she will become the seventh female law professor in the United States who is also a citizen
of a federally recognized Indian tribe. Deer delivered the keynote address at KU Law’s 14th annual Diversity in Law
Banquet in March.

Kyle N. Roehler, L’99, has become a shareholder in the Kansas City, Mo., law firm of Foland, Wickens, Eisfelder, Roper & Hofer PC, where he practices in the area of civil litigation and insurance law.

Rachel Smith, L’99, and Chris Vickers welcomed daughter, Maya Elizabeth Marie, in August 2008.

2000s

Heather Jones, L’00, has been recognized as a 2009 Rising Legal Leader by a Kansas City legal newspaper. Kansas City Legal Leaders are a devoted cadre of lawyers, judges, public officials, legal scholars and law students who put their communities first. Jones is a shareholder in the law firm Seigfreid, Bingham, Levy, Selzer & Gee. She was nominated for taking on numerous leadership roles and committee positions at the firm. She is also active in the community and serves in various capacities for the Lawyers Association of Kansas City, including being a president of the Young Lawyers Section. She also chairs the Liberty Arts Commission and participates in the Leadership Northland class.

Jacqueline M. Sexton, L’00, became a shareholder in the Kansas City, Mo., law firm of Foland, Wickens, Eisfelder, Roper & Hofer PC, where she practices in the area of civil litigation, with an emphasis on employment, banking and insurance law matters.

Dawn (Cook) Blunda, L’01, St. Louis, Mo., is pleased to announce the birth of daughter Izabelle Taylor in February 2008, and the graduation from high school of her daughter Krystol in May 2009.

Jason H. Klein, L’01, is practicing with Latham, Shuker, Eden & Beaudine LLP in Orlando, Fla.

Stefan Padfield, L’01, assistant professor at the University of Akron, C. Blake McDowell Law Center, had his article, “Is Puffery Material to Investors? Maybe We Should Ask Them,” 10 U. Penn. J. Bus. & Emp. L. 339 (2008) selected by the Law Alumni Association for the Thomas G. Byers Memorial Award for Outstanding Faculty Publication.

Travis L. Salmon, L’01, has become a shareholder in the Kansas City, Mo., office of Polsinelli Shughart PC. Salmon practices in business litigation with an emphasis in complex commercial litigation.

Christopher P. Sobba, L’01, has become a shareholder in the Kansas City, Mo., office of Polsinelli Shughart PC. Sobba practices in construction and business litigation.

Elizabeth A. Srp, L’01, and her husband, Dan, welcomed their daughter, Josephine Julia, in February 2009.

Diane Forge Bauersfeld, L’02, has been named a Law Librarian Fellow at the University of Denver, where she will earn her master’s degree in library and information science with a law specialization. Bauersfeld and her husband, Reid, welcomed their son, Reid Egan, in 2005 and their daughter, Ellory Anne, in 2007. They reside in Loveland, Colo.

Bradley C. Friesen, L’02, an attorney at Bell, Davis & Pitt PA, has been named a director of the Winston-Salem-based law firm. His practice concentrates in bank litigation, commercial litigation, uniform commercial code, business litigation, condemnation/eminent domain, civil litigation, landlord/tenant-commercial, and landlord/tenant-residential disputes.

Timothy Glassco, L’02, returned to the private sector as a principal at the Podesta Group, a government relations and public affairs firm in Washington, D.C., after working on Barack Obama’s campaign and inaugural committee.

Crystal Nesheim Johnson, L’02, and husband Chad welcomed daughter, Sydney Marie, in October 2008.
Johnson is a deputy state’s attorney for Minnehaha County in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Maria Macoubrie, L’02, and her husband, Brad, are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Brynna Claire Macoubrie, in September 2008. Brynna joins big brother, Brody, 3. Macoubrie is an associate in the Kansas City, Mo., office of Bryan Cave LLP.

Jamie Huffman Jones, L’03, was named a 2008 Mid-South Rising Star by Super Lawyer Magazine. She is practicing with Friday, Eldredge & Clark LLP in Little Rock, Ark.

Barbara Privat, L’03, joined the Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office in February 2008. Barbara and husband, Todd, were expecting their second child in April 2009, who was to join Kyle, 2.

Jeffrey M. Schwartz, L’03, has started the law firm of Schwartz & Waible LLC in Fort Collins, Colo. It is a general practice specializing in criminal defense representation. Schwartz previously practiced as a Colorado Public Defender for more than five years.

James P. Wolf, L’03, has been named a shareholder in the Kansas City, Mo., office of McAnany, Van Cleave
& Phillips PA. Wolf is a member of the firm’s workers’ compensation defense practice group.

Betsy Blake, L’05, received a Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s YLS President’s Award in December at the KCBMA Annual Meeting in Kansas City, Mo. The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the KCMBA Young Lawyers Section during the bar year. Blake is an associate at Williams & Campo PC.

Mark Dodd, L’06, accepted a position as general counsel/tribal attorney for the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Mayetta, Kan. Dodd and his wife, Nicole, had their fourth child, Jack Austin Dodd, in February 2009. He joins Caraline, 4, Logan, 3, and Luke, 18 months.

Carly Farrell, L’06, is practicing with Edward C. Gillette in Mission, Kan., in the area of domestic relations.

Ben Reed, L’06, has joined the Wichita office of Joseph & Hollander PA. His practice will focus primarily on domestic law.

Ambriel Renn-Scanlan, L’06, recently concluded her two-year clerkship with U.S. Magistrate Judge K. Gary Sebelius and is now an attorney in the Honors Program for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Kansas City Regional Solicitor’s Office.

Leita Walker, L’06, and her husband, Jason Walker, are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Henry Schultes Walker, in July 2008. Walker is an associate at Faegre & Benson in Minneapolis.

Rusty Glenn, L’07, joined the Shuman Law Firm, a boutique securities litigation firm in Boulder, Colo. Glenn was also elected to the board of directors of Hep-C Connection, one of the largest hepatitis C-focused advocacy organizations in the country and the only one of its kind in Colorado. Hep-C provides community education and testing, patient support and disease prevention strategies.

Michael Payne, L’07, has joined the Greeley, Colo., law firm of Otis, Coan & Peters LLC. His practice emphasizes all areas of real estate, business and commercial law, both litigation and transactional matters.

Bobby Pineda, L’07, has opened his own practice, The Law Office of Bobby W. Pineda, in Rock Springs, Wyo.

Christi Pribula, L’07, is a trust officer at The Commerce Trust Company in Leawood, Kan.

Ashley K. (Schellpeper) Adrianse, L’08, is an associate at Cramer, Alissi & Fontaine PC in Hartford, Conn., specializing in insurance and business litigation defense.

Dustin Bradley, L’08, Lawrence, Kan., is a staff attorney with the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Katie Cheney, L’08, joined the firm of Frasier & Johnson LLP in Beloit, Kan., in January 2009.

Adam S. Davis, L’08, and wife, Carrie, are pleased to announce the birth of their son, Brendan Thomas Davis, in October 2008.

Abigail Grantstein, L’08, Indianapolis, accepted a position as assistant director of enforcement at the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Tyler Hibler, L’08, has joined the Overland Park office of Wallace Saunders Austin Brown & Enochs Chartered. His practice focuses on insurance defense litigation.

Lisa (Brown) Nieman, L’08, has been working as counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in Washington, D.C., since May 2008.

Wakil Oyedemi, L’08, is an assistant district attorney in the Reno County District Attorney’s Office in Hutchinson, Kan. As the newest assistant DA in the office, Oyedemi is charged with handling traffic infractions, misdemeanor cases and felony traffic cases.

Aimee Richardson, L’08, and Ryan Walkiewicz, L’07, were married in September 2008 at Danforth Chapel on the University of Kansas campus. Aimee is an associate attorney with the law firm of Riling, Burkhead & Nitcher Chartered in Lawrence. Ryan is an assistant district attorney for Wyandotte County. They reside in Kansas City, Kan.

Carol J. Toland, L’08, began working as a legislative attorney for the American Law Division of the Congressional
Research Service in Washington, D.C., in September 2008.

Cheri Whiteside, L’08, joined Thompson & Knight LLP in the firm’s tax practice group in Dallas.

In Memoriam

Frederick G. Apt Jr., L’56, Iola, Kan., December 11, 2008
John W. Brookens, L’41, Marion and Westmoreland, Kan., March 16, 2009
Dale Bruce, L’41, Wichita, Kan., October 20, 2008
Gary F. Conklin, L’63, Westmoreland, Kan., October 28, 2008
Marc D. Conklin, L’91, Kansas City, Kan., March 25, 2009
Catherine Anderson Crittenden, member, Class of 1985, Wichita, Kan., April 20, 2009
Judith Emick DuChateau, L’85, St. Louis, Mo., November 25, 2008
Jason B. Harper Sr., L’86, Germantown, Md./New York, N.Y., February 16, 2009
Bill House, L’39, Arkansas City/Cedar Vale, Kan., March 8, 2009
Norman W. Jeter, L’37, Hays, Kan., April 16, 2009
Ervin G. Johnston, L’51, Overland Park, Kan., February 16, 2009
Robert P. Keenan, L’49, Great Bend, Kan., October 25, 2008
Robert B. Lester, L’77, Rocklin, Calif., January 7, 2009
Richard “Rick” Liby, L’93, Denver, Colo., April 23, 2009
Howard L. Lydick, L’56, Richardson, Texas, August 5, 2008
Andrew J. Mullin, 2L, Lawrence, Kan., October 18, 2008
Cliff W. Ratner, L’54, Wichita, Kan., April 19, 2009
The Hon. James L. Rose, L’62, Colorado Springs, Colo., November 14, 2008
Donald E. Schrag, L’78, Wichita, Kan., December 14, 2008
Daniel J. Stangle, L’75, Park Falls, Wis., August 21, 2008
Betty van der Smissen, L’52, Fayetteville, Ark., November 6, 2008
Thomas C. Wallingford, member, Class of 1965, Leawood, Kan., October 3, 2008
Robert C. Wooton, L’66, Kansas City, Kan., February 13, 2009