Plymouth State wants to know what you’ve been up to since graduation! Send us your professional and personal accomplishments—career changes or promotions, advanced degrees and awards, military service, volunteer work, marriages, births/adoptions, and other information—so that we can share it with your classmates, alumni, and the University community.

Classes of 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, and 1967:
Celebrate your landmark reunions at Alumni Reunion Weekend, June 23-25, 2017!

Classes of 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, and 2007:
Celebrate your landmark reunions at Homecoming and Family Celebration and Reunion Weekend, September 22-24, 2017!

1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s

1930s | Back to Top

Barbara (Whittemore) Millar ’37 (at left) celebrated her 100th birthday in June. Her first job after graduating from Plymouth Normal School was teaching grades 1-8 in a one-room schoolhouse in Lisbon, ME. It marked the beginning of a long and fulfilling teaching career. She now lives in Kittery, ME, is active in her church, and enjoys visits from her 11 nieces and nephews, and 27 grand-nieces and great-grand nieces and nephews!

1940s | Back to Top

Class agent Patricia (Dubeau) Harlow writes: PSU Class of ’44 recently had its 72nd reunion at the Covered Bridge Restaurant in Campton. Present were: Lucille (Nutting) Gilman, Leah Gray, Pat Harlow, and Ferdy Sandford. Diane Tiffany ’76 represented the alumni office. They were joined by a group of family and friends. A brief time was spent remembering the eight members of the class who have passed in the last year. Following a delicious lunch and lively discussion we decided to get together again in 2017–why not?

1950s | Back to Top

William Hagner ’51 has used his retirement years to publish a memoir chronicling his time as an educator in Europe as well as his service during the Korean War. His book, A Moving Story: Memoirs of an Overseas Educator, is available at billhagner.com and in local NH bookstores.

Norma (Woodard) Green ’59 recently celebrated her fiftieth anniversary with husband David Green. She reports her career as a teacher and editor has taken her from Kentucky and Michigan to far-flung spots such as Ethiopia and Malawi. She taught in Wales from 1986 until her retirement in 1998, and she continues to offer private tutoring in English and writing. She says of her experience at PSU, “We had the opportunity to be in the classroom from year one, which was the ideal way to learn about child development. I have worked more recently with teenage dyslexic people and find it so satisfying to see their self-confidence grow as they proceed toward fulfilling their potential.”

1970s | Back to Top

Bruce Ritchie ’71 recently retired from teaching at PSU and Northeastern University, and he and his wife LeAnne have relocated to a seaside community in North Carolina. They look forward to getting settled in their home and “working at things we want to do, including photography, writing, and keeping our cats and dog happy.”

Larry Kontos ’77 hosted a “39th year” gathering for PSU music majors and musicians at his family home in Campton, NH, over Labor Day Weekend. He notes, “After 39 years, we still get together and have a festive time with friends and family!”

1980s | Back to Top

Susan (Christiansen) Roberts ’80 is box office manager for Boston Children’s Theater. She says, “This is ideal for me. My son has been involved with the Boston Children’s Theater Company for 4 years, and I ran box office for Black Nativity in Boston for 15 years.”

Michael Goldenberg ’84, athletic trainer at the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, NJ, was welcomed into the National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s Hall of Fame during the National Athletic Training Convention, held in Baltimore in early August. Induction into the hall of fame, the association’s highest honor, recognizes athletic trainers who exemplify the mission of NATA and advance the profession.

Brian Gallagher ’86 ran for state senate in NH’s District 2, which includes Plymouth and Campton, bowing to former NH representative Bob Giuda of Warren in a close primary race.

Shawn O’Brien ’86 (at left) was named the director of the Joint Staff, New Hampshire National Guard Joint Force Headquarters on September 9, 2016. With this announcement, O’Brien is also promoted to the rank of brigadier general.

Jim Herlihy ’89 has been appointed senior associate athletic director for finance and administration at UMass Amherst. Herlihy, who spent much of his career at Auburn University, has over 25 years’ experience as an athletics administrator and served as director of athletics at the University of Montevallo from 2008–2014.

Ed Rawson ’89G has been named senior vice president of sales and retail development by Associate Grocers of New England, Inc. Rawson spent nearly 35 years with Supervalu and started his career in Keene, NH, with Weterrau. Most recently he served as senior VP of sales and operations for Supervalu’s Western region, based in Minneapolis, MN.

1990s | Back to Top

Matteo Filippi ’90 puts his BA in music theory and composition to good use writing music, often on commission. Samples, including jingles, love songs, and spiritual music, can be streamed at his website. Read Matteo’s touching tribute to the late Bob Ulrich, a former PSU employee, here. [link to Reflections on a Golden Heart story in this issue]

Ralph Cunha ’91 has been appointed vice president of finance/chief financial officer of Indiana Fiber Network, the leading statewide network service provider in Indiana. Cunha, a CPA and certified global management accountant, has 20 years of experience in the telecommunications industry and previously held positions with Endeavor Communications, KLP, and the Indiana Exchange Carrier Association.

Rick Brenner ’94 has been named president of Michigan International Speedway after 23 seasons as a sports executive with Minor League Baseball. Brenner most recently served as president of DSF Sports and Entertainment, the company that owns the NH Fisher Cats.

Leigh Poirier ’95 has been appointed director of the UCI+One Program with the Division of Continuing Education at the University of California-Irvine. She writes, “I’m grateful for the experiences and exposure I gained during my four years at Plymouth State. From exposure to the classroom during my first semester through student teaching, I developed a spectrum of transferrable skills including public speaking, organization, project management, and more. Over the past 20 years my career has meandered in different aspects of education, from working in the classroom with middle school students and community college students to more than a decade of residential education and more. The skills and lessons I learned at Plymouth State contributed in some way with every new chapter of my career.” (image)

Kristin Wilson ’95, ’07G, ’11G is director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment for Fall Mountain Regional School District, which has 11 schools across the towns of Acworth, Alstead, Charlestown, Langdon, and Walpole, NH.

Beth (Resch) Mullen ’96 has been promoted to math instructional coach for Franklin County Schools in Franklin County, NC.

Kristie Ruppe ’96 was elected county judge in Hernando County, FL. She is the first female judge in the county’s history.

Bethany (Souther) Zell ’96 is program director of Healthy You, a community wellness program of Cary Medical Center in Caribou, Maine, and Pink Aroostook, her county’s breast cancer wellness and support program. In addition, she is in her second year of service as president of the Maine Breast Cancer Coalition and is Maine’s field coordinator/team leader for the National Breast Cancer Coalition. She writes, “My degree in marketing created a foundation for the work that I currently do in public relations. I love that my current positions enable me to help educate people on health and wellness and provide them with the support that they need to make improvements in their lives. I also love that I get to learn right along with the people that I serve. As I discover health issues that are important to our local communities, I get to provide them with resources and educational opportunities and programming that will positively impact the wellness of our community members!”

Michael Boudreau ’97 is executive director of Compas de Nicaragua (Friends of Nicaragua). Boudreau first visited Nicaragua as a member of PSU’s Nicaragua Club, and this year his organization will be celebrating the Nicaragua Club’s 20th anniversary by inviting PSU club alumni to join the service trip. More information about the anniversary trip is available here.

Laurel (Kupillas) Ostiguy ’97 recently published her first novel, Last Goodbye, which draws upon her experiences at PSU. She says, “When I wrote about the fictitious campus, I envisioned Plymouth and the entire town. I even used some names of places and locations that I visited when I was a student in New Hampshire, and some of the characters are named for friends from college. More importantly, the split wall in the dorm room was an homage to my room in Smith Hall—best room ever! I lived in it for two years with my roommate Melissa. Even though I work in finance in Boston, my dream has always been to publish a book and now thanks to those interested in the book, I am in the process of writing a spin-off to Last Goodbye. I’m so excited to begin this new journey in my life as a published author!”

 

 

 

2000s | Back to Top

Anthony Koschmann ’02 has joined Eastern Michigan University as a marketing professor.

Kelly Beebee ’03 has joined Meredith Village Savings as a mortgage loan originator. She was previously branch and business development manager for the bank’s Plymouth office and is currently located at the office in Center Harbor, NH. She joined Meredith Village Savings in 2006 as head teller at the bank’s main office in Meredith, NH and became branch manager in 2012.

Bethan (Gordon) Gentry ’04, ’09G has been promoted to legal compliance officer at Benefit Strategies, LLC in Manchester, NH.

Anna DeVylder ’06 joined Hampton Academy in July as assistant principal. DeVylder, who enjoys working with adolescents, previously taught middle school math in Penacook, NH.

LeAnne A. Morris ’07G narrowly missed election during her run for one of four open seats on the town council of Snowflake, AZ.

Jennifer Cooper ’08 has been appointed music director for Acton Community Chorus, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing choral music to the Acton, MA, area since 1984. Cooper, who is director of music at Lawrence Academy, served as director of the PSU Chamber Singers in spring 2013 and has sung with the New Hampshire Master Chorale since 2008.

2010s | Back to Top

Mitchell Shortell ’12 has been promoted to assistant project manager with Zubatkin Owner Representation.

Blake McGurty ’12G is the new principal of St. Mary Academy in Dover, NH. McGurty previously served as math and computer teacher and IT coordinator at the school and has experience as a behavior management professional in Conway and Barrington, NH.

Colin Murphy ’13 is a solutions consultant for QuickBase, Inc. in Cambridge, MA.

Taylor (Dillingham) Lafortune ’15 was promoted to manager with Sodexo at Plymouth State University.

Alex Herbst ’15 is pursuing a master’s degree in geosciences with a focus in broadcast meteorology at Mississippi State University.

Whitney Roberts ’16, a former member of the PSU softball team, works at the Concord (NH) Sports Center and coaches the 18U Concord Cannons girls’ softball team while studying for a master’s degree in athletic administration at PSU. She has also found time in her busy schedule to offer a series of multi-day softball clinics for girls throughout the state.

Jessica Savage ’16 is a children’s case manager at Riverbend Community Health, Inc. in Franklin, NH.

 

 

 

Tags:  alumni news and notes class notes