Fall 2011
Greetings Classmates:
It’s fall again! The days are shorter, the kids are back in school, football season is here, and the weather is turning cooler. Another fall ritual, Luther homecoming, happened several weeks ago, and I was fortunate enough to be able to sneak away for an afternoon and evening to attend some of the festivities. It was fun to bump into a few classmates and other Luther friends while there, take an unguided tour of the campus, hike up to Dunning’s Spring, and attend the reception for my wife’s 15-year reunion.
A highlight of the reception was a brief update from President Torgerson on recent Luther news and events. What I found most fascinating from his address were the details about the new wind turbine being installed near Luther’s campus. The project is part of Luther’s commitment to reduce campus greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by the 2014-2015 school year and, ultimately, achieve carbon neutrality. The wind turbine was fully erected on September 19, 2011, was commissioned by GE in late October, and commenced commercial operations on November 1, 2011. The 5.2 million kilowatt hours of net electricity generated per year are enough to power more than 500 homes in Decorah and represent approximately one-third of Luther’s annual consumption. The project is expected to save Luther over $3 million in electricity costs over the 20-year life span of the turbine. Nice.
Did you get a chance to browse through the most recent Luther Alumni Magazine or take a look at recent news on the Luther website? I was surprised to see the number of Luther faculty and staff that have retired this year, including many that taught or served while we were in school. Included are Virginia Gibbs, Carol Gilbertson, Sheryl Juve, Harvey Klevar, Penny Leake, Richard Leake, Mark Lund, Judith Nye, Frederick Nyline, Uwe Rudolf, and Walt Will. I’m sure you will recognize one or more names from that list.
On behalf of Luther College, Joellyn and I would like to say thank you for your contributions to the Annual Fund during the past fiscal year. If you haven’t yet contributed, please consider it – it’s easy to do at givenow.luther.edu.
Until next time, have a great fall and winter. Take care.
Leif Stoa
1993 Class Agent
[email protected]
Joellyn (Kilburn) Veninga
1993 Class Agent
[email protected]
Don’t forget your Annual Fund giving!
Each year nearly 10,000 alumni, parents, and friends support the Annual Fund with gifts from $5 to $50,000. Strong support from alumni helps Luther secure additional funds from foundations and corporations, and your gift each year helps us to reach our goal of 30% alumni giving to the Annual Fund. Here’s how your class is doing so far this year:
CLASS of 1993 TOTAL GIVING: $8,999.66 from 10.04% of the CLASS*
Have you made your 2011 gift to Luther? Only 103 more gifts are needed to reach 30% for your class. Please visit www.givenow.luther.edu to make a difference for Luther students. Thank you!
Please note: Your Spring 2012 class agent letter will include a listing of your classmates who gave to Luther during 2011. Be sure to make your gift before December 31 to be included.
*as of October 21, 2011
Class Notes
COLIN BETTS, Luther College associate professor of anthropology, was featured on National Geographic’s “The Genographic Project” website. Bett uses “The Genographic Project” in his classroom to teach students the method and theory of research, while gaining an understanding of their own genetic history.
DIANE (LARSON) CARLSON is a shelter advocate and DAP program database administrator at the Women’s Community in Wausau, Wis.
MICHELE DAVIS earned a diploma in digital design from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh; she owns Chele D Creations in Eatontown, N.J.
JULIE GALBO is deputy director general at Financial Supervisory Authority in Copenhagen, Denmark.
MICHELE (ANDERSON) GRAVES is a stay-at-home mom in Apple Valley, Minn.
KRISTIN JENSEN HEATON is a research psychologist at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick, Mass.
BRIAN MEINERS is a business analyst at Federated Insurance in Owatonna, Minn.
HEIDI (LEICHT) NAUMOWICZ is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and certified employee assistance professional (CEAP). She opened her own practice in Huntley, Ill., offering counseling, coaching, and organizational consulting.
ANGELA (JACOBSON) NEMES is a stay-at-home mom in Helena, Mont.
DAVID SCHIFSKY is chief park ranger at Point Reyes National Seashore in Point Reyes Station, Calif.
BRAD SCHMUGGE is a principal at Anderson, Kuiti, and Asuma accounting firm in Duluth, Minn.
SCOT SCHWARK is band director at John Adams Middle School in Rochester, Minn.
PAULINE (TEN VELDE) SUSMAN lives in Rheenendal, South Africa.
Births
MICHELE (ANDERSON) and Robert Graves welcomed twins―a daughter, Samantha Jane, and a son, Cooper James―on March 17, 2010.
Sarah and STEVE MATTSON welcomed a son, Nathan James, on July 1, 2010. Nathan joins sister Claire (3).
Katie and BRIAN MEINERS welcomed a son, Calvin James, on Sept. 10, 2009. Calvin joins brother Jacob (9) and sisters Haley (7) and Emma (3).
MELISSA (WILT) '92 and KEVIN OLSON welcomed a son, Soren Wilt, on June 10, 2010. Soren joins brother Lars (4).
STEPHANIE (NORSTAD) and Daniel Scheffler welcomed a son, Noah Daniel, on Dec. 18, 2009.
LISA (BRINKMAN) and Andrew Sinanan welcomed a daughter, Hannah Marie, on Jan. 17, 2011.
CECILIE (GRUEHAGEN) and REED WALDO welcomed a daughter, Alma Ihli, on April 4, 2011.
LIZ GUNLOGSON and Mark Zielinski welcomed a daughter, Emma Marie, on March 7, 2011.
Marriage
MICHELE DAVIS and Robert Lovrincich, Oct. 23, 2010
