Class Notes 2000-09

Class Notes - Clark College Foundation

April 2023

Matthew Selivanow ’05 and his wife Seidy, owners of Kafiex Coffee, are preparing to compete at the U.S. Coffee Championships. Matthew has been practicing for months, and Seidy won first place in a March qualifying competition in Denver, Colo., making her the top-ranked barista on the West Coast.

March 2023

Melissa Williams ’00 was highlighted in The Columbian for her historical research of Black families in Clark County. Williams finished her master’s degree thesis on African American housing in postwar Vancouver at Washington State University where Southwest Washington’s story of Black housing had never been fully researched prior to her 2007 paper.

January 2023

Derek Huegel ’07 and his brother Travis, who specialize in building tiny homes, celebrated the completion of their 230 build. Their goal is to build 100 more tiny homes in 2023, with their primary client focus being seniors that are looking for a comfortable downsized home.

December 2022

The North Clark County Run Club in Battle Ground, Wash., and event organizer Elba Benzler ’01 held the club’s 10th anniversary Thanksgiving River Run. This year the event netted 175 pounds of food and more than $200 in donations during the no-registration cost run along the banks of the East Fork Lewis River.

November 2022

Modular homebuilder Wolf Industries, owned by Derek Huegel ’07, teamed up with nonprofit tiny homes developer Community Roots Collaborative to build cottage cluster homes in Vancouver, Wash. The purpose of the clusters is to increase affordable housing by building 15 modular single-family homes. The project, if approved by the city of Vancouver, is expected to be completed in 2023 or 2024.

October 2022

Leah Jackson ’03 has moved her business, Niche Wine Bar, to the Riverview Tower in downtown Vancouver, Wash. The new larger space will host classes through Clark College’s community and continuing education program.

Clark College Foundation alumni board interim president Brittini Lasseigne ’05 was named executive director position at YWCA Clark County. Her nearly 20 years in nonprofit work includes a history with YWCA that began 17 years ago with their Independent Living Skills program. Lasseigne most recently served as chief marketing and development officer at Columbia River Mental Health.

Park Llafet ’01 is challenging incumbent Rep. Sharon Wylie for a seat in the Washington House representing the 49th District. Llafet was adopted from South Korea at 13 months old, became a naturalized U.S. citizen at age 4 and wants to be a public servant to give back to the community.

August 2022

Dawn Freeman ’00, a science lab technician at Washington State University Vancouver, was handed the reins as chief caretaker of the institution’s famed corpse flower named Titan VanCoug after the retirement of science professor Steve Sylvester.

April 2022

Narek Daniyelyan ’09, assistant vice chancellor for strategic partnerships at Washington State University Vancouver, is an adult finalist for the annual Marshall Leadership Award. Created to commemorate General George C. Marshall’s legacy, the Marshall Leadership Awards celebrate and support rising local leaders who demonstrate integrity, candor, courage and preparedness while serving a greater good.

Photographer Tyler Mode ’02 was selected as Battle Ground’s 2022 Citizen of the Year. Mode’s contributions to the community include starting a scholarship for students who are about to graduate from high school. Mode also runs a local weather page and takes senior photos and pictures at community events.

Rep. Brandon Vick ’04, R-Vancouver, Wash., announced he won’t seek reelection in November. The 18th District representative, now in his 10th year in office, said he has enjoyed his time serving in the legislature but believes it’s time for new representation.

March 2022

Leah Jackson ’03, of Niche Wine Bar, is moving the store location to a new ground-floor space in the Riverview Tower in downtown Vancouver, Wash. Slated to open this summer, the new location encompasses 1,500 square feet and will include a retail area and smaller rooms for talks with winemakers, wine classes, and small groups.

Tyler Mode ’02, a Battle Ground, Wash. photographer, who also runs the Battle Ground Weather page, recently suffered a stroke at the young age of 39. Mode is a cherished community member who takes free photos for school sports, nonprofits and local businesses, and although he did not study meteorology, he is fascinated by weather. Community members have rallied behind Mode with fundraisers to help with his medical expenses and recovery.

PeaceHealth hospice bereavement counselor Colleen Storey ’09 is recruiting and training volunteers to provide bedside care for people in hospice care that are expected to pass within 24 to 48 hours without family or friends to comfort them in their final hours. The No One Dies Alone program was founded in 2001 in Eugene, Ore., and adapted by Storey for Clark County in 2017. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the program had over 80 volunteers. Now, after a two-year hiatus, it has 40 volunteers, and Storey is hoping to encourage more people to get involved.

February 2022

Ursula Perkins ’01 was made a shareholder of Opsahl Dawson, a certified public accounting firm headquartered in Southwest Washington. In addition to her status as a shareholder, Perkins assumed primary leadership as the director of the organization’s trust department.

Paramedic Kanessa Thompson ’08, and Apollo, her certified therapy dog partner, have played a vital role during the pandemic by supporting local medical and care facilities. Apollo offers care and companionship to first responders after difficult calls and strenuous days helping patients. Thompson works as an operations supervisor to ensure local medical and care facilities are being adequately supported.

Kendra Zern ’09 and her husband purchased Fleur Chocolate in Vancouver, Wash., and rebranded it as Fleur Chocolatte & Wine. The business shifted from a coffee shop to a retail store that sells chocolates and other novelty gifts. Fleur Chocolate was formerly owned by Mike Sherlock ’99 who moved the business to the current location on Main Street in 2018.

January 2022

Wave Vancouver Ketamine Clinic opened the first week of December 2021 in Battle Ground, Wash., by Matthew Bolsoy ’02. Although approved for use as an anesthetic by the Federal Drug Administration in 1970, ketamine’s use as a treatment in those with a major depressive disorder was approved in 2019 after researchers and physicians found the drug as a viable treatment for depression.

December 2021

The North Clark County Run Club in Battle Ground, Wash., and Clark alumnus Elba Benzler ’01 teamed up this year to put on the Thanksgiving River Run. This year, 80 participants donated 240 pounds of food and $100 to the North County Community Food Bank from the annual free event Benzler started in 2011.

November 2021

Christina Frye ’03 is a 2021 recipient of the Vancouver Business Journal’s Accomplished and Under 40 class. Frye completed an American Sign Language series at Clark College and has been a program manager for Trillium Employment Services since 2013.

Brad Richardson ’06 is a 2021 recipient of the Vancouver Business Journal’s Accomplished and Under 40 class. Richardson has been the executive director of the Clark County Historical Museum since 2017. He and others were chosen by a panel of former recipients of the Accomplished and Under 40 awards.

Jason Wright ’08, who recently was promoted to partner at Webfor, was named a 2021 recipient of the Vancouver Business Journal’s Accomplished and Under 40 class. Wright joined Webfor in 2014 and has served as project manager, creative director and chief operations officer before his promotion to partner earlier this year.

October 2021

Evergreen Public Schools Board of Directors incumbent Julie Bocanegra ’01 is vying to keep her District 1 seat in the November general election. Bocanegra, who has held the seat since 2012, has deep roots in the Vancouver business and education communities. She manages a branch of Columbia Credit Union and is a former chair of the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce. In the fall of 2020, Bocanegra was selected to the Washington State School Directors Association Board.

Mike Pond ’08 is the third candidate running for the Vancouver City Council seat currently held by Councilor Laurie Lebowsky. Pond currently works as a marketing specialist for ADCO Commercial Printing & Graphics and will be running against former Clark County Councilor John Blom and Clark County Charter Review Commission Co-chair Kim Harless ’11 in the November election.

Webfor, Vancouver’s award winning creative and digital marketing agency, announced the promotion of Jason Wright ’08 to partner. Wright joined Webfor in 2014 and has served in the role of project manager, director of creative and Chief Operations Officer.

 

September 2021

Johansson Wing Architects, PC (JWA) recently welcomed Cara Doty ’09 as their new office manager who will lead over client service and office administration. Despite starting her career in nonprofits and teaching, Doty made the switch to business administration and operations management, specializing in workflow management and client relations during the last six years working in several local downtown Vancouver tax and accounting firms.

Clark Alumnus Matthew Selivanow ’09 and his wife Seidy have opened their second coffee shop, Kafiex Gastro Café, along the Vancouver waterfront. Selivanow began roasting coffee out of his garage in Battle Ground four years ago, and the couple opened the first Kafiex in 2018 near Esther Short Park.

August 2021

Chef Paul Durazo ’07 studied culinary arts at Clark College and trained at Portland restaurants like Ox Restaurant and Davis Street Tavern. He is now head chef at Mav’s Taphouse, a new family friendly restaurant in downtown Vancouver. Durazo sources produce from local growers and also has a mushroom foraging business called In The Pines Foraging.

June 2021

Allison Brown ’05, a seventh grade English language arts and history teacher at Chief Umtuch Middle School in Battle Ground, Wash., recently earned a National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification. The program takes one to three years to complete and helps hone teaching skills beyond what the state licensing board requires.

May 2021

Brandon Skinner ’04, CEO and co-founder of Riverside payments, was nominated by Portland Business Journal as one of its 40 Under 40 recipients in 2020. Skinner has led Riverside Payments to three consecutive INC 5000 Fastest Growing Companies rankings and   recognition as one of the Top 25 All-Time Fastest Growing Companies in Oregon and Southwest Washington.

April 2021

Vancouver-based construction company Ginn Group, led by Partick Ginn ’00, has embarked on a handful of deliberate and community-focused projects that address Clark County’s homelessness and affordable housing crisis. Ginn describes the new approach as a significant expansion of the company’s mission, driven in part by the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic and the drastic need for affordable housing.

Julie Bocanegra ’01 has announced her candidacy for reelection to the Evergreen Public Schools’ Board of Directors. She was appointed to Position 1 in February 2012 and reelected in 2013 and 2017. In 2020, Bocanegra was selected to serve as a member of the Washington State School Directors Association Board.

Mike Pond ’08 is the third candidate running for the Vancouver City Council seat currently held by Councilor Laurie Lebowsky. Pond currently works as a marketing specialist for ADCO Commercial Printing & Graphics and will be running against former Clark County Councilor John Blom and Clark County Charter Review Commission Co-chair Kim Harless ’11 in the November election.

March 2021

Identity Clark County elected Patrick Ginn ’00 to its board of directors. He is board chair of the Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Washington and a director of the Clark College Foundation where he will become chair in 2023.

On March 7, the COVID Tracking Project, co-founded by Alexis Madrigal ’00 and his colleague Erin Kissane, completed its final update on national testing and outcomes after a year of data collection, analysis and documentation of information normally put out by the CDC.

Derek Huegel ’07 is expanding his tiny-home production business to keep up with the demand. The new facility is more than double the size of the previous space and the staff grew from about 25 people to 35 in the past year alone. Wolff Industries currently has a backlog of about 55 houses on order waiting to start production.

December 2020

Student nurses at La Center school district, Erin Uskoski ’01 and Danielle Rivers ’95, were awarded with the Learn Here 2020 Real Hero award for promoting a safe and healthy environment through health screening programs, CPR training and preparation for the school’s COVID-19 emergency response shutdown and reopening.

Eric Petracca ’02 was named president and CEO of iQ Credit Union starting Jan. 1, 2021. Currently the financial institution’s chief operations officer, he started his career at Lacamas Community Credit Union and has held several leadership positions throughout the credit union.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Brandon Kesler ’09 was awarded as a member of Vancouver Business Journal’s Accomplished and Under 40 Class of 2020. Kesler is a field training officer, who volunteers to help inexperienced officers. He is also a drug recognition expert, assisting officers and prosecutors with holding drug-impaired drivers accountable for driving while impaired.

Narek Daniyelyan ’09 is one of the newest members of The Vancouver Business Journal’s Accomplished and Under 40 Class of 2020. Daniyelyan is the director of strategic initiatives at Workforce Southwest Washington. He develops strategic and integrated service delivery plans, advises on technology development plans and implementation for WorkSource and affiliate sites.

November 2020

Clark County Fire District 3  hired Jacob Grindy ’07, along with three full-time firefighters and three volunteer residents to respond to calls. The additional staff allows the district to have a crew active 24 hours a day, bringing the district’s total to five, and increasing the response capacity district wide. Grindy had been volunteering for the Camas-Washougal Fire Department since 2007 and has held the position of president since 2014 and lieutenant since 2013.

August 2020

Incumbent state Rep. Monica Stonier will have a challenger for the 49th district seat with Park Llafet ’02. They both secured positions on November 3 general election ballot. Llafet, running as a Republican candidate, is confident he can prevail in the traditionally Democratic district. “I believe it’s going to be a hard battle, but I believe it’s possible,” Llafet said. “I think we can make it a very tough race.”

VANtalks hosted a Zoom storytelling forum in July. “Learning to Listen & Lead: Stories from our Black Community” was led by Tyler Monk, director of a local group called Ready to Rise. The event featured four local Black speakers telling their story of living in Clark County. The speakers included Rashida Willard, vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion at Clark and  Nathan Webster ’02, a Clark adjunct business instructor.

Furry Friends recently announced changes to its board of directors, including the addition of Julie Goldbeck ’94 and Dena Hugh ’04. Furry Friends is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and no-kill cat rescue serving Clark and adjacent counties. Founded in 1999, the volunteer organization rescues and adopts out homeless, relinquished and abused cats.

A new downtown Vancouver electric scooter businesses is providing different modes of transportation to explore Vancouver during the pandemic. REV Rides, opened by Nathan Pust ’06, sells a selection of recreational electric vehicles, including stand-up scooters, dirt bikes and unicycles. They also offer maintenance in the workshop attached to the showroom. Pust said business has boomed across the industry during the pandemic, with sales doubling and almost tripling as people find alternative modes of transportation.

The Clark County Council heard directly from county residents about their experiences with systemic racism during an online conference in July. The meeting was the result of public backlash when council chair Eileen Quiring claimed there are no indications of systemic racism in Clark County. Several individuals described what they said was systemic racism in local schools that they or their loved ones experience on a regular basis. Issues included a lack of diversity among school staff, disparate rates of student discipline, instances of students being called racial slurs and a lack of cultural engagement. Several Clark alumni spoke including Melissa Williams ’00, director of student equity and inclusion at Clark, Edward Esparaza ’09 and Shanel Jones ’00.

July 2020

Downtown Vancouver’s Angst Gallery will close July 31 after more than a decade of displaying emerging artists’ work. Gallery owner Leah Jackson ’03 made the decision to close before the pandemic outbreak in order to focus on her adjoining business, Niche Wine Bar.

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Monica Stonier faces two challengers for Washington’s 49th district seat, including Park Llafet ’02. Llafet, running as a Republican, holds different ideas than his running mates for reopening the public school system in light of the resurgence of cases of the novel coronavirus.

June 2020

Alexis Madrigal ’00 is co-founder of The Atlantic magazine’s COVID Tracking Project. He participated in a virtual discussion on June 3 while more than 100 students, faculty/staff, alumni and community members listened. The event was hosted by Clark College Foundation’s Alumni Relations. The research conducted and the data collected by Madrigal, his reporting partner Robinson Meyer and with help from 100 volunteers, has made significant ripples in the national conversation about the pandemic.

Joe Winton ’02 is the new assistant vice president for digital and integrated marketing at HCA Healthcare Far West Division in Henderson, Nev. Winton is also celebrating birth of new baby boy, Cassius, with his wife Ajya.

May 2020

Washington State Representatives Brandon Vick ’04 and Larry Hoff wrote an opinion article that was published in Clark County Today and The Reflector on their views about reopening economic and recreational activity in Washington. Their proposal includes an introduction of the Republican’s Safe Economic Restart Plan that allows small businesses to be exempt from paying sales and other types of taxes for one year.

The executive director of the Clark County Historical Museum, Brad Richardson ’06, captured photos of his wife Katie Richardson ’09 and their children before she went to her nursing shift during the COVID-19 pandemic. This photo, among a collection of other photos and stories from Clark County residents, will be archived in the museum.

April 2020

Patrick Ginn ’00, CEO of Ginn Group, made 13 units at the Latitude 45 Apartments available to temporarily house health care providers working during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Ryan Moor ’02, retooled his companies, Ryonet and Allmade, to manufacture face masks during the pandemic in an effort to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The demand at Allmade has been high; they cannot keep their designs in stock. Moor made a video on his LinkedIn page showing his team managing a backlog of more than 5,000 orders.

Portland Providence intensive care nurse and Clark College alumna, Sarah Leland ’08, described her experience of being diagnosed with COVID -19 now that she has recovered from the disease. Unaware of how she became infected, Leland shares her optimism and fear of returning to work as a health care professional.

March 2020

The Atlantic magazine writer and alumnus Alexis Madrigal ’00 is leading a journalistic public health effort to help people understand and respond to the new coronavirus outbreak in the United States. The COVID Tracking Project is a website full of high-quality data compiled from reputable public health and media sources. It includes visual maps and graphs, a blog, press reports, state maps and more. The team he’s working with includes more than 100 volunteer data-grabbers, journalists, scientists, visualization specialists, designers and project managers.

Clark College Foundation board member Patrick Ginn ’00 and his wife Jennifer welcomed a new addition to their family at the end of 2019. Cora Ginn was born on December 29 at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center, weighing 7 lbs. 5 oz. and measuring 20 inches.

Director of the Clark County Historical Society and Museum, Brad Richardson ’06 will host the speaker series “Main Street” at Camas’ historic Liberty Theatre on July 2. The event connects historical facts and stories to downtown buildings and corridors, providing lesser-known historic details of Clark County’s main streets. A portion of funding to sponsor the event comes from Camas-Washougal Community Chest, a grant-funding group that supports programs serving residents of Camas and Washougal.

February 2020

Washougal Police Officer Francis Reagan ’06 was named Officer of the Year for a heroic water rescue on the Washougal River in May 2019. Reagan has been a member of the department since 2014 and is currently assigned to patrol. Prior to becoming a police officer, he served as a Navy SEAL and credits his training with giving him the skills to perform the rescue.

Clark College Foundation alumni board member Justin Curtiss ’09 published an article in the Vancouver Business Journal explaining how the signing of President Donald Trump’s SECURE Act could impact retirement planning strategies.

The Honorable Brandon Vick ’04 celebrated a win in the Washington legislature as five occupational licensing bills he is sponsoring or cosponsoring passed through committee hearings. The five House bills focus on easing regulations for occupational licensing in the state; Vick sees these bills as an opportunity to help improve Washington’s job growth.

Melissa Williams 00, director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Clark College, was among a group of panelists who spoke about local black history as part of The Historic Trust’s educational Winter Chautauqua event, “Black Roots in the Lower Columbia River Basin” held at the Artillery Barracks of Fort Vancouver on February 22.

January 2020

Three alumni, Melissa Boles ’08, Andrea Smith ’13 and Melissa Pedraza ’15, were recently named to Vancouver Business Journal’s “Accomplished and Under 40 Class of 2019” list. Boles is a program manager at Workforce Southwest Washington. Smith is a communications and education program manager with the Building Industry Association of Clark County. Pedraza is the brand director for MyBite Vitamins, a Gresham-based multivitamin company, and general manager of Platinum Pets in Vancouver.

Clark County Historical Museum opened a new exhibit, “History a Brewin” to commemorate Clark County’s history of beer production. Clark County Historical Society and Museum Executive Director Bradley Richardson 06 launched the show exactly 100 years after prohibition began in America. The exhibit will remain open for a few years.

Legacy 6 Inc. was named Vancouver Business Journal’s 2019 Family Owned Philanthropic Business of the Year. Legacy 6 is a three-generation private civil construction company founded by the Wubben family. Michael Wubben ’03 is the vice president.

November 2019

Washington State Representative Brandon Vick ’04 was recognized in November by the Washington Association of Education of the Talented and Gifted with its WAETAG Advocacy Award for 2019. The honor recognizes his support and efforts in Olympia to ensure all students get the education they deserve. Vick introduced House Bill 1641 in the 2019 legislative session aimed to address inequities in gifted student programs. The bill passed the House Education Committee, though it did not clear the House Appropriations Committee.

Former Clark College staff member Melissa Boles ’08 was named to Vancouver Business Journal’s “Accomplished and Under 40 Class of 2019” list. Clark College Foundation Board member Deborah Blom described Boles as “one of those servant leaders, giving of her time and efforts to ensure that our organizations are working effectively and accessible to those who need them.” Boles has served as program manager at Workforce Southwest Washington for a more than a year.

October 2019

Brad Richardson ’06, who is the executive director of the Clark County Historical Society and Museum, was quoted in a Columbian article about the historic Webber Building in downtown building and its uncertain future. The building is in a swath of downtown land that Vancouver leaders see as a key to connecting the downtown core to the new Waterfront. Richardson hopes to be involved in the process to possibly save the building.

September 2019

Holly McKeen 06 was sworn in as a general practice attorney September 20 and became Clallam County’s newest deputy prosecuting attorney. She did so without attending law school, choosing instead to complete the Admission to Practice Rule 6 curriculum, an unconventional path to the legal profession. McKeen earned an associate degree at Clark and a bachelor’s equivalent at Peninsula College before taking a position with the Port Angeles City Attorney’s office.

August 2019

Corwin Beverage employee Dustin Meyer 07 was acknowledged with a place in the 2019 Pepsico Chairman’s Ring of Honor, a recognition reserved for one out of every 1,000 front line sales associates globally. He and his spouse Yulya joined 200 honorees from across the globe at a conference in New York City hosted by Pepsico Chairman Ramon Laguarta. Meyer joined Corwin Beverage in 2012 and supports large format stores for the company.

Vic Marcus 07 and Karina (Marcus) Zaher 09 were spotlighted in the Vancouver Business Journal. The two co-own NWI Global, a company based in East Vancouver that helps businesses, government agencies and organizations communicate in more than 200 languages. The company was founded in 1992 and transitioned ownership to Marcus and Zaher in 2015. They have worked at NWI since 2003

July 2019

Tony Lothspeich 09 was among three Clark County Fire District 6 firefighters honored July 16 at Clark County Fire Station 61 for their roles in a dangerous rescue of a rafter on the Washougal River on May 4. Lothspeich was one of more than a dozen emergency officials who responded to a woman whose foot was trapped between two boulders with water up to her neck. Lothspeich also received a Meritorious Service Medal.

June 2019

During a meeting of the Vancouver City Council, Melissa Boles ’08 a manager for Workforce Southwest Washington appealed in an open letter about adding a third voting district to the city.

April 2019

Patrick Ginn ’00, who serves on the Clark College Foundation Board of Directors, made the Portland Business Journal’s 2019 Forty Under 40 List.

Morgan Hutchinson ’09, owner of High End Market Place, a cannabis dispensary,  received a Green Business certification from Clark County.

March 2019

Mike Pond ’08, a marketing specialist for ADCO, joins the race for Vancouver City Council Position 6. 

February 2019

Natalya Belonozhko ’05 joins Horenstein Law Group. Belonozhko will serve clients in business planning, real estate, leasing and finance.

January 2019

Janice Taylor ’08 is awarded the Clark College Presidential Coin by President Robert Knight for her dedication to and great work for the college.

December 2018

Laura Butterfield ’08 joins the staff of the Veterans Administration Medical Center.

October-November 2018

Melissa Boles ’08 was named to the 2019 board of Southwest Washington Contractor’s Association Foundation. Boles is the industry initiatives manager for Workforce Southwest Washington.

Nicholas ’04 and Miranda ’14 Larson welcomed a son, Hunter Larson on October 22, 2018.

Dr. Daniel Roeter ’03 was featured in WhatcomTalk for his work as an urologist with Pacific Northwest Urology Specialists in Bellingham, Wash. He utilized a new robotic-assisted surgical method called da Vinci Si Surgical System.

Audra Rowton ’08 retired after 18 years of service to Clark College as secretary senior in the physical sciences department.

September 2018

Ambient Media, which is owned by Stephen Cross ’01, joined the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce.

Sherry Smith ’03, administrative services manager for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math department, was awarded the Clark College Quarterly Classified Staff Excellence Award for summer 2018.

Hon. Brandon Vick ’04 is running for reelection the Washington House of Representatives 18th Legislative District, position 1 seat. This is an office that Vick has held since 2013.

July 2018

Ginn Realty Group owner Patrick Ginn ’00 joined the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce. The chamber will host a Platinum Ribbon Cutting July 30, 2018, to help launch the company’s grand opening of their new office in Hazel Dell. Ginn is also a member of Clark College Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Stephen Pick ’06 was recruited to serve as the executive director of Journey Theater Arts Group, a local youth and community theater organization. Pick recently graduated with his M.A. in directing and arts administration from Boston University.

Bree Sanchez ’08 was pictured with her colleagues on the cover of the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce magazine, Vancouver Vision, to promote Vancouver Mall’s presenting sponsorship of the Chamber’s 4th Annual Women’s Golf Tournament. Sanchez is a member of the management team at the mall.

May 2018

Morgan Hutchinson ’06 co-owner of High End Marketplace joined with three other business partners to open Funky Fresh Juice in downtown Vancouver. Funky Fresh Juice was recently honored with the 2017 Small Business Grant from Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce.

Dan Trujillo ’02 joined the team at The Reflector, Battle Ground’s local newspaper, as a reporter. Trujillo spent the last 12 years as a sports reporter for the Camas Post-Record.

Alexia Diane Ginn was born March 30, 2018. Photo by Patrick Ginn

Alexia Diane Ginn was born March 30, 2018. Photo by Patrick Ginn

Patrick Ginn ’00 and wife Jessica welcomed a healthy baby girl, Alexia Diane Ginn, on March 30, 2018. This is the couple’s first child together. Alexia also has an older sister, Rylee, aged 7.

Brittni Allen ’05 and Austin Lasseigne were married April 7, 2018. Lasseigne is the director of philanthropy for YWCA Clark County.

April 2018

Justin Curtiss ’09 an attorney at Landerholm, joined the Clark College Alumni Board. He is a previous member of Clark College Foundation’s ad hoc stewardship committee.

February 2018

Julie Bocanegra ’01 vice president and branch manager for Columbia Credit Union, is one of the 2018 recipients of the Iris Award. Bocanegra serves on the Evergreen School District Board of Directors. She was appointed in 2012, elected the following year and then re-elected again in 2017. Bocanegra served as vice chair and chair of that district which is the fifth-largest school district in Washington State. She was instrumental in leading the district’s student equity and technology learning initiatives. She also is a former board chair of the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce.

Bryony Melcher ’01 joined the Clark College Alumni Board’s Athletics committee as an ad hoc member. Melcher is a 2016 recipient of the Clark College Athletics Hall of Fame Award.

January 2018

kate burton

Kate (Burton) Jacobsen ’05

Kate (Burton) Jacobsen ’05 was inducted into the Clark College Athletics Hall of Fame on February 17, 2018. Jacobsen is possibly the most dominant student-athlete Clark College has seen in women’s track and field. During her two years at Clark College, she achieved greatness by earning 22 first place finishes. She was a four-time NWAACC Champion: twice in the hammer throw and twice in the discus throw. During Jacobsen ‘s 2005 campaign she won the NWAACC’s Most Outstanding Field Athlete award at the NWAACC Championships and set an American Junior College record in the hammer throw at 188’3.” This record holds today.

Clark College Athletics Hall of Fame 2018

Clark College Athletics Hall of Fame 2018

The following alumnae from the 2002 women’s cross country team will be inducted into the Clark College Athletics Hall of Fame on February 17, 2018, during a ceremony in Gaiser Student Center: Christine Eckstein, Genevieve Fisher, ’04, Jenna (Justus) Wood, Yesewzer Kebede, Heather Meler, Molly (Phimister) Taylor, Sarah Schroeder, Emily Vandenekart.

The following alumnae from the 2003 women’s track and field team will be inducted into the Clark College Athletics Hall of Fame on February 17, 2018, during a ceremony in Gaiser Student Center: Brittney (Anderson) Sarkela, Erin (Bell) Dooley, Genevieve Fisher, K’pree Ford-Harris, Natasha Marie Iwanick-Settle ’07, Elizabeth Jacobsen, Keyanna Jenkins-Jensen, Jenna (Justus) Wood, Yesewzer Kebede, Andrea Krugle, Inna Kluyev, Heather Meler, Katie Miller ’06, Tia Parsons, Molly (Phimister) Taylor, Ashley Rambo, Nicole (Roberts) Hood, Amy Strelow ’10, Emily Vandenekart ’03, Valerie Wyant.

December 2017

Patrick Ginn ’00, owner of Ginn Realty Group, was named to Clark College Foundation’s Board of Directors.

November 2017

Julie Bocanegra ’01, vice president and branch manager for Columbia Credit Union, was reelected to the Evergreen School District Board as representative for district 1.

Amy Boget ’09, former arts commissioner for the Town of Yacolt, was elected to the town council representing district 1.

Matt Donald ’02 was reelected to serve district 4 on the Woodland School District Board of Directors.

Sierra Eckman ’06 was named to Vancouver Business Journal’s 2017 Accomplished and Under 40 Class. Eckman is a certified public accountant and senior manager at Opsahl Dawson & Co.

Austin and Ashley Ginter ’08 welcomed a baby girl, Magnolia Ginter on Oct. 11, 2017 at PeaceHealth Southwest Washington Medical Center. Magnolia is little sister to older brothers Jacob and Cooper.

Brandon Skinner ’04, co-founder and CEO of Riverside Payments, was named to Vancouver Business Journal’s 2017 Accomplished and Under 40 Class.

Jessica Tijerina Turpeinin ’08, owner of A Merry Heart Events, was named to Vancouver Business Journal’s 2017 Accomplished and Under 40 Class.

September 2017

Morgan Hutchinson ’06 was named a member mentor for cycle #3 of the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce’s Mentorship Program. Hutchinson’s focus includes digital marketing and social media communications, brand development, Uptown Village, emerging industries and community event coordination. Hutchinson owns High End Market Place in Vancouver.

August 2017

Reesa McAllister ’05 is a recipient of Clark’s Classified Staff Excellence Award for the 2017 spring quarter. She’s a secretary for the computer technology division.

Michelle McLaughlin ’04 is a teacher with Woodland Public Schools who was recognized by the district as an Employee of Excellence at the district’s annual award luncheon.

Tia Schmidt ’05 is a recipient of Clark’s Classified Staff Excellence Award for the 2017 spring quarter. She is an administrative assistant in the nursing department.

July 2017

Nancy Boyce ’08 is one of five recipients of the 2017 Clark College Outstanding Alumni Award.

Jeff Groff ’09 was named member at large for Leadership Clark County’s executive committee.

Janice Taylor ’08 was named to Clark College Foundation’s stewardship sub-committee.

June 2017

Eddie Allen ’04 joined the staff of St. Joseph Catholic Church and School as development director.

American Sign Language instructor Becky Engel ’06 was one of five Clark College faculty honored at Clark’s commencement with a 2017 Exceptional Faculty Award. She serves on the ASL advisory boards for the Vancouver, Battle Ground, Evergreen and Camas school districts.

Irina Kolychev ’01, a registered nurse, is among four PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center nurses named by the March of Dimes as Oregon and Southwest Washington Nurses of the Year.

May 2017

The works of six local artists, including gallery owner and director Leah Jackson ’03, are on display in May at the Angst Gallery in Vancouver, Wash., to celebrate spring. Jackson is one of the founding members of the Mosaic Arts Alliance. She also owns the Angst Gallery and the adjacent wine and art bar, Niche.

Debbie Marcoulier ’02 was appointed to the Public Facilities District Board that oversees the Hilton Hotel and Convention Center property. She is president/CEO of the design-build contractor RSV Building Solutions.

Reid Trevarthen‘s ’09 artwork is on display in May at the Angst Gallery in Vancouver, Wash. “National Geographic Magazine” is the source for his impressionistic work. His body of work can be viewed on his website.

April 2017

D. A. Davidson & Co. hired Colin Ault ’07 as a registered client associate in the Vancouver office. Ault previously worked at Threshold Inc., and as a financial adviser at Edward Jones.

Alicia Smith ’05 recently joined Davidson & Associates Insurance as a personal account manager.

Katrina West ’05 is a new test technician at Sigma Design. She brings to the job experience as an assembly/rework operator working on prototypes and complex assemblies.

Lora Whitfield ’02 was awarded tenure by Clark College’s Board of Trustees on March 14.

March 2017

Anna Boneski ’15, Julie Mercado ’15, Katie Archer Jolma ’03, Hope Baker Bump ’93, Susan Edwards ’89, Teresa Haye ’95, Kris Henriksen ’98 and Sujatha Synne ’06 were among the 2017 WSUV Women of Distinction honorees who were celebrated at a reception March 30 at Firstenburg Student Commons.

February 2017

Nancy Boyce ’08 made the Alaska Journal of Commerce’s 2017 Top Forty Under 40 list. She’ll be honored at an official dinner on April 28, 2017, at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, Alaska.

The newest members of the Athletics Hall of Fame were inducted on February 4, 2017. The recipients are basketball stand-out Beth Hamrick Graves ’95, four-time All American Kalani Rodrigues ’03 (awarded posthumously) and the 1968 baseball team that won the state community baseball championship and held the western champion record that year. View photos of the event and watch the inductee videos online.

Tom Hannibal, Dennis Dupuis and Harvey Hewett

L to R, Tom Hannibal, Dennis Dupuis and Harvey Hewett, members of the 1968 baseball championship team. The team was inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in February.

The National Organization of the Model UN selected a position paper written by Michael Cordes ’16 as their nationwide template. Cordes was a Model UN student delegate while at Clark. As a result, Cordes and Clark College will be attributed for all National Model UN student delegates learning to write position papers. Cordes represented Russia at the 2016 National Conference; the subject of his paper was human rights. He was awarded the Distinguished Delegate Award for the paper. He is currently attending the University of Washington.

January 2017

Nancy Boyce ’08 is one of three finalists for the Association of Equipment Management Professionals (AEMP) Foundation’s Technician of the Year Award. She’ll be recognized during an AEMP conference in March 2017.

Mechanical engineer Melissa Covel ’07, who is the holder of three U.S. patents, joined the Sigma Design team in December 2016.

Kylan Johnson ’14 and Alex Mickle ’08 are opening Columbia Food Park, with mulitiple cuisine and beer options, in April 2017.

November 2016

Chad Doing ’02 joined Rip City Radio 620 as the pre- and post-game host for the Portland Trail Blazers games. Rip City Radio 620 is the flagship station for the Trail Blazers basketball team.

October 2016

Daniel Rogers ’01, Chandra Chase ’02 and Melanie Green ’06 were named as Vancouver Business Journal’s Accomplished and Under 40 recipients in October. The annual award highlights the brightest, young leaders in our community. Chase is a programs and communications director at the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce. Following her graduation Clark, Chase received a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University Vancouver. She has served on Clark’s Alumni Association Board of Directors since 2013. Rogers is the chief financial officer at Clark College Foundation. He earned his CPA credential in 2004 following his graduation from Washington State University Vancouver in 2003 where he earned a bachelor’s in business administration. He’s also the board chair of Partners in Careers.

September 2016

Mike Silva ’01, Brenda Shular ’02 and Rebecca Kleiva ’10 received a Clark College Presidential Coin from President Robert K. Knight during a college ceremony.

Regional accounting firm Perkins & Co. promoted Vancouver native Paris Powell ’00 to shareholder.

July 2016

Clark College alumnus and employee Narek Daniyelyan ’09 was appointed by Gov. Jay Inslee as the student member of the Washington State University Board of Regents for the 2016-2017 academic year.

June 2016

Kameron Hurley ’00 is the author of the nonfiction collection The Geek Feminist Revolution, which contains the Hugo-Award winning essay “We Have Always Fought.” Her epic fantasy series, the Worldbreaker Saga, comprises the novels The Mirror Empire (2014), Empire Ascendant (2015), and The Broken Heavens (April 2017). Her first space opera, The Stars are Legion, will be published from Simon and Schuster’s Saga imprint in January 2017. Additionally, her first series, The God’s War Trilogy, which includes the books God’s War, Infidel, and Rapture, is a science-noir series that earned her the Sydney J. Bounds Award for Best Newcomer and the Kitschy Award for Best Debut Novel. Her short fiction has appeared in Popular Science Magazine, Lightspeed Magazine, Year’s Best SF, The Lowest Heaven, and Meeting Infinity. She has also written for The Atlantic, Entertainment Weekly, Bitch Magazine, Huffington Post and Locus Magazine.

January 2016

Ashley Ginter ’08 and Austin Ginter welcomed a boy, Jacoby, December 1.

October 2015

Bryan Gardner ’06 and Rheann Gardner ’08 welcomed their son, Beckett L. Gardner, on October 1, 2015.

June/July 2015

Ellyn Cyr ’02 and Glen Knight, welcomed a boy, Royce C. Knight, on May 9, at 7 pounds, 8 ounces.

April 2015

Olga and Roman Sayenko ’08 welcomed a boy, Rostislav, on March 27. Their son weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces.

March 2015

Belle Johnson ’09 and Kelly Johnson gave birth to a boy, Logan, on March 5, 2015.

Jack Divine ’06 and Marci Divine gave birth to a boy, Cruise, on February 22, 2015.

February 2015

Jordan ’10 and Samantha ’09 Sherman welcomed a baby girl in January.

January 2015

Kristin Tortorello ’06 and Darrell Smith of Vancouver, welcomed a new baby named Kingston Leigh Smith on December 3. He weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces.