Who Believed in You?
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Spring 2017 INSIDE: UND alumna competes on NBC's "The Voice." p. 10 WHO BELIEVED IN YOU? Former Alumni Association Executive Director and Foundation CEO Earl Strinden saw something in DeAnna Carlson Zink in 1986 and, 30 years later, she leads the organization. P. 6 4 Message from DeAnna departments Who believed in you? 20 What’s New News from around campus. 38 Alumni News Who’s doing what: News about your fellow classmates. 48 In Memoriam contents 5 Raiding the Design World 12 The Voice of the Prairie UND grad takes her career Dave Thompson, '78, has been a to the National Football League. fixture at Prairie Public Radio By Kaylee Cusack since its start in the early '80s. By Milo Smith 6 Who Believed in You? DeAnna Carlson Zink gets a chance 16 Deep Cuts to thank her mentor, Earl Strinden, Budget cuts hit UND academic for believing in her. and athletic programs hard. features By Kaylee Cusack 10 The Voice UND alumna makes national name for herself on hit NBC talent search. By Kaylee Cusak this issue insideWe’ve cleverly hidden the UND flame somewhere on our cover ALUMNI REVIEW | VOL. 100 NO. 1 | SPRING 2017 Find the Flame: (hint: it’s not the one in the Alumni Association logo). Find it for a chance to win a prize! Simply e-mail [email protected] and give a detailed description of the flame’s location. Subject line: Found the flame. We’ll let you know if you’ve won. | Alumni Review Spring 2017 2 CEO UND ALUMNI ASSOCIATION & FOUNDATION DeAnna Carlson Zink, ’86 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Editor Jody Feragen, ’78 Milo Smith Vice Chair Associate Editor Doug Podolak, ’72 Alyssa Konickson, ’06 Directors: Chuck Ahearn, Dean Beckstead, ’65; Cindy Blikre, ’91; Steve Burian, ’90, ’92; Kris Designer Compton, ’77; Sara Garland, ’68, ’72; Phil Gisi, ’82; Sam Melquist Dr. John Gray, ’87; Marten Hoekstra, ’82; Chuck Kluenker; Linda Laskowski, ’72, ’73; Rick Lee, ’78; Doug Mark, ’86; Rob Mitchell, ’74; Jennifer Contributing Writers Neppel, ’86; Carrie McIntyre Panetta, ’88; Fernanda Kaylee Cusack, ‘10, ‘12 Philbrick, ’94, ’96; Cathy Rydell, ’88; Lisa Wheeler, David Dodds, ‘88 ’75, ’82; and Terri Zimmerman, ’85. Gabriella Fundaro, ’15 Ex Officio: Laura Block, ’81, ’10; Alice Brekke, ’79, Muriel Kingery ’87; Mark Kennedy; DeAnna Carlson Zink, ’86; Tom Jan Orvik, ‘94 DiLorenzo and Dr. Joshua Wynne. Contributing Photographers The University of North Dakota Alumni Review (USPS 018089: ISSN 0895-5409) is published Tyler Ingham quarterly by the University of North Dakota Jackie Lorentz Alumni Association, 3501 University Avenue, Stop Sam Melquist 8157, Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157. Shawna Noel Schill, ’06 Periodical postage paid at Grand Forks, ND 58201 and other offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Alumni Review, 3501 University Avenue, Stop 8157, Grand Forks, ND 58202-8157. For inquiries about advertising, additional copies, reprints, submissions, or general comments, contact 800.543.8764, 701.777.0831 or [email protected]. 32 Fast Track to Success 12 The Voice of the Prairie UND's High Performance Center signals Dave Thompson, '78, has been a fixture at Prairie Public Radio growth for track and field programs. since its start in the early '80s. By Gabriella Fundaro By Milo Smith 16 Deep Cuts 36 Meet a Student Budget cuts hit UND academic and athletic programs hard. Carlie Scheer shares why UND was your legacyyour By Kaylee Cusack her dream school since fourth grade. UNDalumni.org | 3 DEANNA’S letter WHO BELIEVED IN YOU? DeAnna with John Quiñones before the ABC Dear Alumni & Friends, host headlined the Delta Gamma/Everson Family WHO BELIEVED IN YOU? Lecture on Ethics & Values. Read the story on p. 31. That’s a question I’ve been asking Budget Cuts national chairman of the American Heart alumni at gatherings around the country As you may know, the University is in Association; Alva “Jeanne” (Kingzett) Pfeiffer, over the past several months. My goal is to the middle of making deep budget cuts at ‘69, professor of public health nursing at get people thinking about those who’ve the direction of state lawmakers dealing the University of Minnesota; James “Jack” mentored and influenced them in profound with major reductions in revenue due to Muhs, ‘86, president & CEO of FedEx Trade ways. depressed oil and farm commodity prices. Networks; Lucy Dalglish, ‘80, dean of the Most often, the first people you think Campus units this spring were asked to Phillip Merrill College of Journalism at the of when pondering the question are, no submit plans to reduce their budgets by 12 University of Maryland; and Tim O'Keefe, ‘71, doubt, parents and other relatives. They percent. former CEO of the UND Alumni Association have been there cheering you on from the We at the UND Alumni Association & & Foundation. beginning. But as we start to grow our lives Foundation are committed to improving the Two outstanding young alumni will away from our families, it is often teachers campus experience for students. That can receive the Young Alumni Achievement and supervisors who become influential in be difficult when large cuts are required, Award: Aircorps Aviation owner Eric our development as adults. but our alumni and friends have made a Trueblood, ‘06, and manager of Global Trade In addition to some of my professors at tremendous impact on UND students and and Customs with Pandora Jewelry Julianne the University of North Dakota, the person the importance of philanthropy only grows “Jules” Kotrba, ‘07. who believed in me most at that time was during times like these. The awards will be presented during Earl Strinden, the Executive Vice President It is not our practice to plug budget the 101st Homecoming Celebration at and CEO of the UND Alumni Association holes with donor contributions. That model the Sioux Awards Banquet on Wednesday, and UND Foundation. Earl saw something is unsustainable over the long haul as a October 4. Please note this is a change in me that I did not see in myself when he return to previous state funding levels could from our usual Thursday schedule for hired me as I neared graduation. I learned so be years off. So we will continue to focus the banquet. Look for more details on much from him and now I am the leader of on our core tenets: student scholarships, Homecoming 2017 in the the next issue of the organization he did so much to nurture faculty and program support, and campus the Alumni Review. and build during his more than three improvements. All of these areas are critical Thank you for all that you do for the decades as CEO. to helping students succeed. University of North Dakota! How often do you get the chance to thank the person who believed in you at a Sioux Awards Sincerely, critical point in your life? I was privileged I am pleased to announce that five to sit down with Earl this winter and talk outstanding alumni have been chosen by about all the ways in which he influenced the UND Alumni Association & Foundation me more than 30 years ago. What a pleasure Board of Directors to receive our highest DeAnna Carlson Zink, ’86, CFRE it was to walk down memory lane with a honor, the Sioux Award. UND Alumni Association & Foundation CEO man who is arguably the greatest advocate They are Al Royse, ’72, ’73, ‘76, retired [email protected] the University of North Dakota has ever partner with Deliotte & Touche, former UND had! You can read an excerpt of that Alumni Association & Foundation chair, and conversation starting on p. 6. 4 | Alumni Review Spring 2017 FEATURE story RAIDING RAIDING THE DESIGN WORLD THE DESIGN WORLD UND MBA grad and former UND Athlete takes her career to the big show in the National Football League. By Kaylee Cusack t all started with the University field, the ice and the court, producing of North Dakota softball team’s everything from tickets to billboards. travel clothes. “She is everything you want in Cami Bennett didn’t like them. an employee in regard to work ethic, IAnd she decided to do something about reliability, talent and attitude,” said Kyle it. Doperalski, associate athletic director for “I was trying to think of a way to get external relations and Bennett’s former the coaches to let me help with that,” supervisor. “As an undergrad, she created recalled Bennett, a standout softball player professional graphics that we used on from Grants Pass, Oregon. “So I thought, all mediums, and it was clear she was an maybe I could tell them that’s what I’m extremely gifted designer.” going to school for. But then I thought, Doperalski so valued Bennett that well, maybe that is something I want to go when a full-time designer role with UND to school for,” she added with a laugh. Athletics opened up, he knew who Bennett’s appetite for branding to call. Bennett had just finished her and design led her to pursue a UND undergraduate degree and was involved undergraduate degree in marketing with in a summer internship with the Seattle a minor in graphic design, and ultimately Mariners of Major League Baseball. an MBA. “I thought if I’m going to be back Now, instead of designing t-shirts working at the University, I could go to for UND softball players and fans, she’s grad school,” Bennett said. “Once I had that Cami Bennett, '14, '16, poses with her parents tackling the graphics needs of the NFL’s thought, I couldn’t get it out of my head. before an Oakland Raiders’ game in 2016.