Fall 2023

At the Ivy College of Business, we proudly share news about our college alumni. Each fall and spring, we include alumni updates in our Ivy magazine, which we call Alumni Voices.

’70s

Richard Armbruster (’77 industrial administration, marketing) I retired in 2018 and enjoy traveling with my wife of 40 years. Over my 42 years in the business world, I have worked for a number of great companies, including JC Penney, 3M, Sunbeam Corp, Candle Corporation of America, and most recently, US Acrylic, LLC. I live in suburban Chicago, Illinois, but continue to support the Cyclones by attending athletic games with my fraternity brothers. My business degree has opened many doors for me. I continue to cherish the time I spent in Ames, Iowa.

’80s

Drew Sutter (’82 industrial administration, accounting) I retired from Deloitte and Touche after 35 years in public accounting with that firm, first in the Colorado Springs, Colorado, office and then in the San Diego, California, office as the partner in charge of accounting and auditing. My spouse, Cathy Chapman Sutter (’82 psychology, ’80 DMJ, English), and I currently split our time between San Diego, California, and the Lake Tahoe area.

Faron D. Kelley (’88 marketing) I have recently transitioned from my role as the vice president of Disney Sports to a new position as the vice president of customer experience for Walt Disney World.

’90s

Kate Douglas (’92 marketing) I am the director of marketing for FLEET Response, a national disaster restoration company based in Denver, Colorado. Through our partners, we provide immediate response to businesses and homeowners suffering a loss.

Scott Dulitz (’93 management information systems) In July 2022, I was named CEO of Morrisville, North Carolina-based TrialCard Inc., a market leading pharmaceutical services company. Previously, I held the position of president and chief strategy officer where I led the organization’s acquisition of seven new companies since 2018. I credit my Iowa State degree in MIS for enabling me to craft winning strategies that blend technology and services to create unique and innovative market offerings.

Curt Stamp (’95 MBA) I was recently promoted to vice president of government and regulatory affairs for Cox Communications in Atlanta, Georgia. I am responsible for company public policy, regulatory and state and local government affairs strategy.

Christopher Mende (’98 management information systems) In January, I took on the role as Google Cloud’s head of technology for New Zealand, where I’ve been living for the last 10 years. It’s a great opportunity to work with business owners and boards to help them solve their biggest challenges. I’m looking forward to a campus visit later this year with my daughter who is exploring the idea of a career in tech as well.

Sheri Zevenbergen (’98 accounting, finance) I began my career in public accounting, then moved into leadership roles in the financial services industry, focused primarily on operations and global project delivery. I pursued my passion for coaching and founded The DASH Mindset where I encourage and equip people to unlock their true potential and live it in the way that’s most authentic and meaningful to them. I live near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with my husband and two sons, ages 9 and 12.

’00s

Aaron Horn (’01 management information systems, entrepreneurship) I am thrilled to announce I have recently taken on the new role of chief information officer at Benchmark, Inc., in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, one of the nation’s largest commercial and industrial roof and pavement consulting firms. I am responsible for ensuring that the organization’s technology infrastructure and capabilities align with its overall business strategy and objectives.

Katie Bovee (’02 management information systems) Upon graduation, I began working at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Over the past 20 years, I have grown my career and have now become a senior manager overseeing engineers who are standardizing healthcare data so it can be used to drive analytics, research, and AI. The work my team does is shaping the future of healthcare.

Kathleen Bryda (’05 MBA) I depart for a three-year assignment to the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, as a career foreign service officer (U.S. diplomat) in August. This will be my fifth overseas posting in my 15-year career with the U.S. Department of State, a career sparked by the groundwork I did on behalf of the Ivy College of Business, which contributed to the establishment of the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Liang-Yun Goh (’05 management information systems) I commenced a new job as an application support analyst at Synapxe, a company formerly known as IHiS last July.

Michael O. Budnick (’06 MBA) I am currently president and CEO of SciAntics group, which features Mad Science of Western New England and ART-ventures for Kids, providers of science and art enrichment and entertainment programs for children. I recently married my longtime partner, Alison. We share a home together in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts.

Kristopher J. Goeden (’06 finance) I am grateful for my time at Iowa State, which provided the foundation for my current career at Principal Financial Group. I work for principal asset management as a director of our strategic client group and have recently become a published author. My children’s books, When Dad Travels for Work and When Mom Travels for Work, are selling globally, receiving top reviews, and were recently featured on WHO Channel 13 News in Des Moines, Iowa.

Brad Wooten (’07 master of accounting) In 2019, I left a divisional chief financial officer position at a global nonprofit organization to open my own CPA firm. I currently live in Orlando, Florida, with my wife and three sons where I serve individuals and small businesses by providing tax and accounting services.

Justin M. Harris (’07 management) I currently reside in Charleston, South Carolina, with my wife, Jacqueline, and two daughters, Danity and Ava. Since graduating, I’ve been fully entrenched in the financial services industry and am currently the assistant vice president, regional underwriting manager for the southeast region with my company PURE Insurance.

Elisa Berzins (’09 marketing, management) I have been working at a full-service advertising agency the last two years. We have helped produce a multitude of amazing brand experiences with massive brands, at events such as the Super Bowl, NBA All-Star, WBNA All-Star, and more!

’10s

Sean French (’10 marketing) I’m excited to share I work for Carrot Fertility as director of care navigation. We are opening a 24/7 contact center based in Des Moines, Iowa. I’m proud to call Grimes, Iowa, home with my wife, Emily, and two children, Eliza and Leo.

Emily Moorlach (’11 accounting) After college, I worked as a tax intern, French teacher, travel advisor, and translation project manager before becoming a freelance French-to-English translator. I love working with new clients, translating everything from websites and birth certificates to subtitles for the world’s largest streaming platform.

Brittany Richard (’12 finance; minor in management) I have gone from an entry-level retail banker to a compliance specialist with a local community bank in Port Angeles, Washington.

Anna Lucs (’14 marketing) My husband of seven years and I met at Iowa State. We both were on the track team but fell in love in marketing class. He built his own digital marketing agency, Social Nickel, which I now work for as well. We also added another Cyclone to the family, our daughter, Ellie Grace, who is now 2. We have a lot to thank Iowa State for: the gift of meeting each other and the education that prepared us to found our own marketing agency.

Nicole Humiston (’16 management) I started the year with a promotion as field sales manager for the Moet Hennessy wine and spirits portfolio in Chicago, Illinois, at Breakthru Beverage. In May, I married my partner, Dallas Stevens, in an intimate ceremony in Chicago followed by a party with family and friends.

Allison Witters (’16 marketing; minor in management) My top five since graduating: 1) I started my first job at International Paper, thanks to on-site interviews at Iowa State. 2) I moved back to Iowa and survived the derecho that absolutely devastated Cedar Rapids. 3) I got engaged in Las Vegas, Nevada, (to my Iowa State boyfriend). 4) I got to officiate my friends’ wedding in Palm Springs, California. 5) I dressed up as a milk carton for Pack Expo 2022 in Chicago to promote Pactiv Evergreen’s Gable Top Filling Equipment!

Jason Maen (’16 supply chain management, ’17 accounting) I left the Polk County Sheriff’s office in 2018 and accepted a position at MidAmerican Energy Company. In May 2022, I graduated from MIT’s master of applied science in supply chain management. I then returned to my role at MidAmerican and began helping implement my research to improve operations. In May, my wife Bethany (’19 animal science) and I fulfilled a long-time dream of owning an acreage and raising specialized crops. Our goal is to do this full-time.

Katelyne Austin (’17 supply chain management) I had my first child in January! Olivia was born a major Iowa State sports fan. I can’t wait to bring her to Ames, Iowa, for her first kid-friendly tailgate!

Carmen Frederick-Johnson (’19 marketing) In July, I tied the knot with Gabriel Johnson (’19 agricultural engineering) in the middle of a cornfield in Boone, Iowa! So excited to start our new adventure.

Mitchell Ehlers (’19 master of business analytics) I am staff software engineer at John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group working on precision agriculture technologies. I build and support live data processing services that enable data to seamlessly sync between Deere machines and the farm management system operations center. I work with a great team located across the U.S. and India. My computer engineering degree in addition to the skills I learned in the master of business analytics program helped me rethink how to draw valuable business insights from these services.

’20s

Jasmine Sanchez (’21 marketing; minor in management) After I graduated, I found myself working in the nonprofit world. First, at The Bridge Home in Ames, Iowa, as a development associate, and now at The American Society of Radiologic Technologists as a fundraising coordinator. Iowa State prepared me for countless opportunities as a first-generation student. I’m so proud to be an alumna and of my journey!

Emily Vanderham (Schaffer) (’21 management) I am proud to announce that I have been employed at Ag Leader Technology as a human resource professional since April 2022. Iowa State and the Ames community have provided me with support and opportunity in the early stages of my career that I am endlessly thankful for. My husband, Matt, and I were married in May and happily reside in Ellsworth, Iowa.

Carson Luttenegger (’22 supply chain management) I have been working for Mizzou Athletics at the University of Missouri for a little over a year as an assistant director of athletic marketing and fan experience. I work primarily with women’s soccer, men’s wrestling, and women’s gymnastics programs. The knowledge and capabilities that I have learned from the Ivy College of Business have set me up for success in my current role and have proven to be transferable among all fields of work.

Ivy magazine