FACETIME MAY 2013 1980s

Curtis Jacobs, ’81 MED

Author Curtis Jacobs, ’81 MED (pictured above), recently spoke at the Inspire My Life Conference - Women in St. George, Utah, along with several other presenters, promoting a theme of teaching individuals to apply positivity-based principals to achieve success in  their personal and professional lives. Curtis has spoken extensively through the U.S., Canada, and New Zealand.

Ken Thiessen, '82 BS and '90 MS

Engineering geologist Kenneth Thiessen, ’82 BS & ’90 MS, has been appointed to the Oregon State Board of Geologist Examiners by the Governor of Oregon. The OSBGE helps assure the safety, health and welfare of Oregonians with regard to the public practice of geology. Ken is a Registered Geologist and Certified Engineering Geologist. He works as a Hydrogeologist for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality in Portland.

Pam (Hood) Miller, ’83 BSJOU, was honored by Yavapai College with a President's Outstanding Alumni Award. Pam, chief executive officer and publisher of Verde Valley Newspapers, Inc., has been with the organization’s parent company (Western News & Info, Inc.) for 30 years this May. She has served as chairman of the Verde River Days committee, as well as board member for the Verde Valley Guidance Clinic, Yavapai Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Yavapai Silent Witness and Buena Vista Children's Services.

Alan Saquella, ’83 BS and ’84 MA 2

The NAU Criminology and Criminal Justice Department honored Alan Saquella, ’83 BS & ’84 MA (above photo), with the 2012 Alumnus of the Year Award for his volunteer work in helping to establish the CorpSec Club, a corporate security club. The group is up and running, sponsoring several events to help students get connected with career opportunities. Alan is corporate security director for Cox Communications in Phoenix.

Teachers Alicia Jorajuria, ’84 BS (Wellton Elementary, seventh- and eighth-grade), Jodi Barksdale, ’02 BSED (McGraw Elementary, fifth-grade), Marlie (Hayden) Meza, ’07 BAILS & ’12 MED (Yuma High, biology), Sarai Robles, ’08 BSED (Arizona Desert Elementary, extended resources), and Anne Foley, ’11 BSED (Pueblo Elementary, fifth-grade), were selected as finalists for the 2013 Yuma County Teacher of the Year Award. Jason McCutcheon, ’98 BA (Yuma High, welding instruction), took home the high school category honor. Rodolfo Rodriguez, ’01 BAILS & ’09 MED (Carver Elementary, fifth-grade), won the intermediate (fourth-sixth-grade) award. The 2013 Yuma County Teacher of the year award went to Jarrod Norris, ’11 BSED (G.W. Carver Elementary, special education).

Judge Kenton Jones, ’84 BA, was named a Yavapai College President’s Outstanding Alumnus. Kenton has practiced law since the mid-1980s, and was appointed as a Yavapai County superior court judge in 2009. In addition to his work in the courtroom, he also has served in leadership roles on the board of numerous organizations, including Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Northcentral University, Yavapai Humane Society, Yavapai Big Brothers Big Sisters and Rotary International.

Karsten Peterson, ’84 BS, joined Jones Lang LaSalle’s Phoenix office as managing director. A veteran office leasing broker, Karsten is charged with expanding the firm’s operations in the Southeast Valley. Karsten has received Top Broker recognition for his extensive market knowledge and understanding of the region.  

Todd Davis, ’85 BS

Choice Hotels International, Inc. promoted Todd Davis, ’85 BS (above), to chief information officer. Previously serving as chief technology officer, Todd provided technology leadership to grow the company’s IT infrastructure and introduced a cloud-based property management system across international markets. Todd has been with Choice Hotels for nearly 18 years and serves on the NAU School of Hotel and Restaurant Management Advisory Board.

Suzanne Kropf, ’85 BSBA, was featured in the Pomerado News for her continued success in local real estate. Awarded the Prudential Real Estate Affiliates’ Chairman’s Circle Platinum award, Suzanne ranks in the top one percent of more than 68,000 Prudential agents nationwide. A longtime resident of Poway, Calif., she works in the local community to develop relationships and provide personalized real-estate service.  

Steven Cooper, ’86 BS

Steven Cooper, ’86 BS (pictured above), serves as the executive director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Law Enforcement Information Sharing Initiative. He facilitates programs and resources that improve the exchange and sharing of information amongst various law enforcement agencies. Steven is also responsible for the oversight of the Immigration & Customs Enforcement Case Management.

Mark Elvin, ’87 BS

Mark Elvin, ’87 BS (photo above), is assistant sheriff for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Heading up operations at the Detention Services Bureau, he is accountable for the oversight of approximately 5,000 inmates across seven facilities. Mark has been with the Sheriff’s Department since 1989.

Ski coach and instructor Phil McNichol, ‘87 BSBA, spoke earlier this winter at the High Country Conference Center on NAU’s north campus at the Arizona Snowbowl 75th Anniversary SnowDown. Phil shared lessons learned both on the slopes and off, transferring his ski instruction to success in the workplace and life. As former U.S. Men’s Ski Team Head Coach, Phil’s experience has included instructing champions such as Bode Miller, a two-time World Cup winner, and leading the U.S. Men’s Alpine Team to 42 World Cup victories – including an Olympic Gold Medal in 2006.