Lindenwood Magazine - Spring 2018: Connecting to Alumni and Friends

’60s Tricia Byrne (’68) has agreed to be the class agent for the 50-year class reunion at this year’s Lindenwood Homecoming and Reunion. She is reaching out to fellow classmates and hopes to have a great reunion this October. ’70s Marsha Hollander Parker (’71, ’87) recently won the Lindy Alumni Award for 2018. The Lindy Awards are presented annually by the School of Arts Media and Communication to recognize outstanding student work across a variety of media, as well as an alumnus who has distinguished himself or herself in the communications industry. Parker began her career at Lindenwood in 1987 and has served the university in a variety of positions including director of evening and graduate admissions, alumni director, and dean of fine and performing arts and communications on the St. Charles campus and director of theatre and professor of theatre on the Belleville campus. ’80s Jeffrey Blackwell (’86) was recently named the Standex Refrigerated Solutions Group VP of operations in Hudson, Wis. The announcement was made by Nor-Lake, a designer and manufacturer of refrigeration equipment for the food service industry. Blackwell has many years of experience in operations, serving two years as VP of operations at Amesbury Truth Corp and was responsible for multiple sites in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He earned a B.S.B.A in Industrial Management from Lindenwood. ’90s Jeff Arnet (’94) was recently named the superintendent of the Kirkwood School District after serving as deputy superintendent of the Independent School District in Austin, Texas. Arnett began his 30-year career in education serving the St. Louis area as a teacher in the Fort Zumwalt School District. He also taught in the Chicago area and worked for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y., serving as a communications, education, and public programs director. Arnett has bachelor’s degrees in education and communications from Evangel University in Springfield, Mo., master’s degrees from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Lindenwood University, an education specialist’s degree from Western Illinois University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Phoenix. Justin Meeks (’96, ’98) recently resigned as Bourbon County Attorney to focus on administrative law as the Bourbon County Counselor. He held both positions since February 2015. He will now be giving the county legal advice about contract, acquisition, and human resources. Jo Anna Pollock (’97) is one of 10 attorneys recently elevated to shareholder by Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nation’s largest mass tort firms. Pollock practices in the firm’s Complex Litigation Department, where she focuses on litigating international child sex abuse, environmental, and class action cases. She also is very active in volunteer and pro bono work and in 2012 founded the Madison County Bar Association Internship Program to mentor high school students interested in the legal profession. Pollock received her law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from Lindenwood (magna cum laude). ’00s Shane Stone, Ph.D. (’00) joined the faculty at Eastern Wyoming College as a criminal justice instructor. Prior to accepting the position at EWC, Stone worked as an investigator for the Missouri Department of Corrections and as U.S. probation officer, sheriff’s deputy, police officer, and Missouri State Trooper. Stone served in the Army National Guard and Army Reserves as a military police officer in the criminal investigative division. Prior to his position at EWC, he taught at Casper College for five years. Stone has a Ph.D. in leadership from the University of Cumberlands; a master’s degree in theological studies from Midwestern Baptist College; a master’s in criminal justice from Lindenwood; and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Central Missouri State University. Katie Marie Brooks Jones (’01), director of programs and political action for Boone Center Workshops, was appointed in October 2017 by Missouri Governor Eric Greitens to serve a five-year term on the Governor’s Council on Disability (GCD). The GCD promotes full participation and inclusion of the nearly 1 million Missourians with disabilities in all aspects of community life by educating citizens, businesses, schools, universities, and others of their rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In addition to her job at BCI, Jones is also a member of the National Association of Workforce Development and chairman of the legislative committee of the St. Charles County Coalition of Service Providers. Jones earned her bachelor’s degree in social work. Tesse Jercinovic (’02) is currently living in Huntington Beach, Calif., and is an assistant manager for Lacoste; her store is one of the top 10 in the U.S. market. This year marks her 10th anniversary with this company. She is able to return to the St. Louis area and fondly recalls her time at Lindenwood and her Delta Zeta sisters. She received her B.A. in retail merchandising. Leonard Rhine (’05) was recently named the new executive director of Life Care Center of Bridgeton. Rhine’s previous roles include executive director of Carondelet Manor in Kansas City, Mo., and administrator at Garden View Care Center in Chesterfield, Mo. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration at the University of Missouri in St. Louis and his master’s degree in business administration at Lindenwood. Alumni News & Notes continues on next page... ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES SPRING 2018 Lindenwood University ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES Submit your alumni news and notes to alumni@lindenwood.edu 21 CAMPUS NEWS FACULTY SPOTLIGHT UPCOMING EVENTS LINDENWOOD SPORTS ALUMNI EVENTS AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES LINDENWOOD Spring 2018