Alumni News

     
    • Brothers & Rho-Mates in the News
       
       
      MickeTimothy Micke, #316, is the High/Middle School Principal in the Athens School District. He can be reached at micke@dwave.net. Tim notes, “We're still playing AGR Alumni Sheepshead - off and on for the last 25 years!”
       
      Gary Mork, #298, is now Vice President/Agricultural Loan Specialist at Peshtigo National Bank, a $150 million locally owned community bank with offices in Peshtigo, Marinette, Coleman, Gillett, and Oconto Falls. Gary has 20-plus years of banking experience primarily in agricultural lending. His most recent position was Ag Lender with Associated Bank. Before this he worked with M&I Bank and Farm Credit Services.
       
      Gary will assist farm customers in Oconto and Marinette Counties out of the Gillett office. He can be reached at gmork@peshtigobank.com.
       
      Roger Larson, #178, is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Quality Liquid Feeds, Inc. (QLF), a family corporation with more than 30 years experience in liquid feed manufacturing and marketing. He works out of the corporate office in Dodgeville. Roger can be reached at roger@qlf.com.
       
      Bryan Hanke, #362, is Assistant Vice President at Marathon State Bank in Marathon, WI. He can be reached at 715-443-3913 or blh64@verizon.net.
       
      cheryl-skjolaasRho-Mate Cheryl Skjolaas is Extension Program Specialist - Agricultural Safety and Health and AgrAbility at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Cheryl has worked for UW for the past 23 years, 17 years with the Biological Systems Engineering Department. Prior to this, she was a 4-H Youth Development agent.
       
      AgrAbility is a program that assists farmers with disabilities, injuries or health conditions and their families. It provides practical education and assistance that promotes independence in agricultural production and rural living. Cheryl also serves on the Safety Committee of the Wisconsin Custom Operators, an organization comprised of individuals throughout the state who derive their income in whole or part from providing custom farming services (forage harvesting, forage bagging, baling, tillage, planting, combining, trucking, manure handling, spraying, etc.).  
       
      Cheryl was presented with the Donald R. Peterson Tech Transfer Award for innovation in drawing attendees at Wisconsin Farm Technology Days into her farm safety display area.
       
      Raised on a dairy farm in Stoughton WI, Cheryl has an agricultural education degree from UW-RF. She can be reached at 608-265-0568 or skjolaas@wisc.edu.
       
      Steve Ortman, #4, is president of Ortman Drilling and Water Services. He and his wife, Robbi, reside in Kokomo, IN, and can be reached at 765-452-9844 or rbortman@ortmandrilling.com.
       
      Steve’s grandfather, J. B. Ortman, started the business in 1922 with a home made wooden drilling machine he bought for $200.00. He paid another $200.00 for a Titan tractor to power the drilling rig. Since those austere beginnings more than 80 years ago, the company has completed more than 10,000 wells with a total depth of more than 1,500,000 feet – almost 300 miles!

      Ortman Drilling is now a four generation family firm, which does a wide variety of water-related work for municipalities, schools, swimming pools, parks, industries, golf courses, farms and other high capacity facilities.
       
      Known as community leaders and philanthropists, Steve and Robbi help support       Bright Star School, which feeds, clothes, and educates the children of the Fuata Nyayo village in Mukuru slum in Nairobi, Kenya. For fun, they restored this beautiful and rare 1932 Chrysler Imperial CH Coupe.
       
      Derek H. Husmoen, #845, has an updated address: 800 Marion Pugh Drive, Apt. 2910, College Station, TX 77840. You can reach him at derekhusmoen36@hotmail.com. He says, “Hope all is well back up in Wisconsin. Say hi to the chapter for me, as well as Mom and our advisors.”
       
      Jeffrey Faulks, #330      , is an Agriculture Account Representative for Alliant Energy, working from the Marion office. He lives in Clintonville and can be reached at 715-823-9312 or jeffreyfaulks@alliantenergy.com.
       
       
      Fanta - MWSnapMatt Fanta, #596, was named a “40 Under Forty” winner by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. The publication awards the designation annually to 40 Twin Cities professionals who are under 40 years of age, have achieved impressive business accomplishments and made significant community contributions.

      Winners are featured in Business Journal’s annual “40 Under Forty” online feature. Read Matt’s profile here.

      Since graduating, Matt has been actively involved in a variety of philanthropic activities ranging from Alpha Gamma Rho to the United Way to the MS Walk. He has been active with the Fraternity’s alumni association at the UWRF and nationwide for the past 10 years, including several years as Alpha Psi Alumni Board President. He continues to works as the financial adviser with the Alpha Psi chapter.

      Matt has been with Land O’Lakes for 12 years, working within three of the company’s core businesses and taking on increasing responsibilities within the organization. He joined the company’s animal feed business as a marketing specialist in 1997. A year later, he took a data/information specialist position within Land O’Lakes Dairy Foods. In 1999, he took on a marketing manager role within CROPLAN GENETICS/Land O’Lakes Seed. In addition, in 2005 he took on the role of trait business manager for Forage Genetics.
       
      Jack Ourada, #78, was just elected to the Alumni Board of Alpha Psi. He is Vice President/Agricultural Loan Officer at Citizens State Bank of Loyal.
       
      Draeger _ MWSnap
      Dennis Draeger, #214, CFP, reports that he survived the 2009 flood in Fargo, ND. Denny is a Senior Financial Advisor and Registered Principal with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. You can reach him at ddra656600@aol.com.

      Jared Schaffner, #677, is Associate Principal at Onalaska High School. He previously served as advisor to the highly-recognized Pulaski FFA Chapter. He says, “No matter how many years go by, UWRF and AGR are eternally linked in my mind. “ He can be reached at schja2@mail.onalaska.k12.wi.us. 
       
      Mark Vachavake, #268, Stash's Thirsty Thirteen, has been teaching middle and high school science in Alaska the past four years. He lives in Elim (a remote fly-in Alaskan village 23 miles southeast of Nome), which is also the ending of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.
       
      He says he greatly enjoys the hunting, fishing, and the outdoors there. “I have caribou heart soup in the fridge, caribou jerky in the dehydrator, muskox, salmon and caribou canned in the pantry and frozen salmon, trout, blueberries, muskox, moose, caribou, and smoke salmon in the freezer,” he notes. “The spring bird hunt is coming soon, so there should be fresh duck, goose and with some luck, crane. Life is good.”

      Mark can be reached at mvachavake@yahoo.com.
       
      Jim Kinney, #417, and his wife, Heidi, had a baby girl, Caitlyn, in 2008. They live in Verona, WI, and he can be reached at jphilkinney@gmail.com.
       
      Andy Bensend, #244, is one of 10 soybean producers from across the country chosen to participate in the United Soybean Board's second annual 'See for Yourself' program in Summer 2009. This trip was designed to give him and the other selected individuals a better understanding of what their check-off dollars are doing for the soybean industry.

      The delegation left St. Louis on July 13 for Mexico, which is the number one importer of U.S. soybean meal. Along the way, they toured several facilities that represent various end users of U.S. soy and had the opportunity to interact with USB leadership and provide their perspective and feedback on the checkoff. Several of the USB's areas of focus, including biodiesel, new uses, animal agriculture and international marketing, took center stage during this whirlwind tour.
       
      Matt Fanta named a "40 Under Forty" winner by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal

      Matt Fanta, director of Marketing for Winfield Solutions, was named a “40 Under Forty” winner by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. 

      Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal awards the designation annually to 40 Twin Cities professionals who:

      • Are under 40 years of age;
      • Have achieved impressive business accomplishments; and
      • Made significant community contributions.

      Winners are currently featured in Business Journal’s annual “40 Under Forty” online feature, which went live today.  You can read Fanta’s profile here.

      Fanta, 33, has been with Land O’Lakes for 12 years, working within three of the company’s core businesses and taking on increasing responsibilities within the organization.  He joined the company’s animal feed business as a marketing specialist in 1997.  A year later, he took a data/information specialist position within Land O’Lakes Dairy Foods.  In 1999, he took on a marketing manager role within CROPLAN GENETICS/Land O’Lakes Seed.  In addition, in 2005 he took on the role of trait business manager for Forage Genetics.

      Since graduating from college, Fanta has been actively involved in a variety of philanthropic activities ranging from Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity to the United Way to the MS Walk.  An Alpha Gamma Rho alum from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, Fanta has been active with the fraternity’s alumni association at the University of Wisconsin and nationwide for the past 10 years.  This past year, Fanta served as Buzz Committee co-chair for Land O’Lakes Twin Cities United Way campaign.  The Buzz Committee is responsible for the marketing and promotion of the campaign among employees.  The 2008 Buzz Committee’s efforts helped contribute to the company’s most successful United Way campaign ever—generating more the $500,000 for the charity.  Fanta also has served as an MS Walk Volunteer in past years.