Alumni Notes – Spring 2023

David Simeone ’77 B.A., Overland Park, Kansas, was recently appointed director of Education Programs with United Soccer Coaches, the world’s largest soccer coaches organization, serving members at every level of the game.

Bill Martin ’79 B.A., Lakewood Ranch, Florida, retired after a successful career as a broadcast journalist. He received the prestigious Headliner Award, the Cleveland Association of Broadcasters Award and won multiple Emmy and Associated Press awards for excellence in broadcast journalism. Martin was inducted into the Ohio Television/Radio Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2014. As an Ohio State Guard Officer, he received the Commendation Award, Meritorious Achievement, Outstanding Service, State of Ohio Commendation Award, Superior Conduct and Performance, Officer Candidate School Joint Training with Army Guard/Reserve Force. Martin earned a master’s degree in counseling and worked part-time as a licensed clinical counselor in Ohio and Florida.  

Donald Forth ’82 D.A., and Mary L. Forth, ‘82 M.A., Arroyo Grande, California, were recently honored at West Hills College in Coalinga, California, where a classroom was named after them and they were proclaimed Faculty Emeritus. The Forths were honored for their philanthropy and long careers at West Hills in teaching and administration. They served the college for 67 years from 1968 until 2018.

Jay Littman ’82 B.A., Surprise, Arizona, has worked for the NFL for 30 years, including the Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals.

Phil Skinner ’82 B.S., Fort Collins, is the Deputy Superintendent of the U.S. Mint in Denver. After a career flying helicopters in the Marines, he joined the business world and eventually started an international consulting company that led him to his current position.

Danny Weiss ’82 B.A., West Lafayette, Indiana, was recently promoted to senior lecturer in the Department of Music at Purdue University. His musical trio, “à gauche,” just released a new CD called “Into the Ooze” on Pow! Records. 

Deanna Schroder ’90 B.A., Aurora, is the new Associate Director of Human Resources for the University of Colorado’s School of Medicine. A 25+ year human resources veteran, she discovered her true calling after a couple of years pursuing a secondary English education degree at UNC.

Diane Miller ’94 M.A., Greeley, has been selected for the Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award based on her career in education, philanthropic endeavors, and contributions to society. She currently serves as chair of the board of directors for A Woman’s Place, a shelter for victims and survivors of domestic abuse. Miller also serves on the board of directors for the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra.

Brad Rees ’95 M.M., Findlay, Ohio, was appointed Vice Provost of Tiffin University and Dean of the School of Creative and Media Arts.

Mikel Irby ’96 M.A., Carlsbad, New Mexico, was recently sworn in as an Animal Control Officer and looks forward to applying himself to a job that makes a difference.

Carrie (McCrudden) Johansson ’01 Psy.D., Wheat Ridge, is currently a psychologist, speaker and author residing and practicing in Denver. She recently published a book called “Self Help on the Go,” which addresses ways to leverage emotional flexibility to become more resilient and improve how one responds to life’s most common problems.

Ian Kelly ’03 B.S., Parker, says his education at UNC gave him the foundation to build a great life. He has been a software engineer for more than 18 years and is currently a lead software engineer at a leading financial services company with global reach.

Nathan Cape ’08 B.S., Pueblo, was recently selected as President of Operations, with transition to CEO in spring 2023 at Minnequa Works Credit Union, which supports more than 12,000 members and has $234 million in assets. In addition, Cape serves on the board of directors for the Pueblo Area Chapter of Credit Unions and supports the “People Helping People” movement throughout Southern Colorado.

Karl Wyant ’05 B.S., Tempe, Arizona, joined Nutrien as the Director of Agronomy, contributing proven agronomic knowledge and leadership in establishing and growing the company’s commodity fertilizer products, premium crop production products, crop research programs and advanced sustainability initiatives. Wyant also represents Nutrien in publications and through speaking opportunities in professional and academic settings.

Howard Grantham ’06 B.S., Bellingham, Washington, was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in the Washington Air National Guard, a reserve of the United States Air Force.

Josh Nowak ’13 B.A., Thornton, was appointed  to the County Court bench in the 17th Judicial District as a county court judge by Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Nowak has been presiding  over a docket consisting of criminal matters since his appointment in August 2022.

Roger Japp ’07 B.S., Commerce City, was appointed director of MBA Health Administration programs at the University of Colorado, Denver. 

Cody Jackson ’12 B.M.E., Aztec, New Mexico, recently had four articles published in various state music education magazines including “From COVID to Thriving: A Brief Reflection of Growth Amid Setback,” He completed a master’s in music education at Ball State University, commissioned a new musical work for a middle school band that premiered in February 2023. He recently accepted a position as the adjunct professor of brass at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico.

Whitney Dyer ’16 M.S., Greeley, is a recreation supervisor for the City of Greeley and recently received The Colorado Parks and Recreation Association’s Outstanding New Professional award. The award honors one person each year who exemplifies leadership, inspiration and noteworthy contributions to the profession.

Tito Tapia ’18 B.A., Greeley, is a working artist and graphic designer and has displayed artwork and murals and facilitated workshops with students of all ages. He currently works at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

Yessica Rodriguez ’20 B.S., ’22 M.B.S., Greeley, works as a clinical research assistant for the All of Us Research Program at Banner Health Hospital in Greeley. She is part of a team that partners with the University of Arizona on a precision medicine approach looking at genetics, environment, lifestyle and symptoms for a better individualized scope of treating patients.

Michael Costello ’21 B.S., Littleton, is pursuing his master’s in Mineral and Energy Economics at Colorado School of Mines. This spring, he will begin a new position as an economist for Stantec, a top-tier global design firm.

Austin Sack ’21 B.A., Colorado Springs, was awarded two Colorado Broadcasters Awards for Best Investigative and Feature Reporting in summer 2022.