Alex Fenson, along with his younger brother and current BSU student, Graem, represented the U.S. curling team at the 2019 Winter World University Games in Siberia, Russia. Fenson, whose family has a long history of success in curling at the national and international level, lives in Bemidji.

L.J. Laudert is a certified personal trainer at Anytime Fitness in Duluth and Cloquet. Laudert lives in Duluth.

Jacob Beach has been hired as a police officer in Hibbing. The Grand Rapids native previously served as a part-time officer in Bovey and Coleraine. He lives in Bovey.

Jake Peterson was hired by Wanzek Construction as a field engineer working on renewable energy projects. He lives in Lubbock, Texas.

Spencer Peter joined the North American Bear Center in Ely as a biologist. He is responsible for education programming at the center, which houses interactive exhibits about bears and other northern Minnesota wildlife. Peter lives in Ely.

Eli Dotts, a special education teacher and coach at West Central Area school in Barrett, was the 2019 commencement speaker at Vermillion Community College in Ely. Dotts earned his associate’s degree at Vermillion Community College before graduating from BSU with his elementary education degree. He is engaged to Megan McDonald ’16, a sixth grade teacher at West Central Secondary. The couple lives in Alexandria.

Ryan Carrow is working toward his master’s degree in forestry and environmental management at the University of New Brunswick. His thesis is on the migration of Atlantic salmon in the region. He lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Sam King joined the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks football program as wide receivers coach. He previously spent two years as the running backs coach for the University of Minnesota Duluth. King lives in Grand Forks with his wife, Chelsea (Carlson) ’14, and their daughter.

Tamara (Benson) Lowney began a new role as president of the Itasca Economic Development Corporation, where she oversees the promotion of business and economic development in Itasca County. She lives in Hill City with her husband, Merrill, and their daughter.

Kristine Gustafson teaches sixth grade and coaches junior high girl’s basketball and volleyball at Northome School. She previously taught and coached in Park Rapids and Red Lake. She lives in Blackduck.

Rachel Bukowski owns and operates Buko Designs and More in Middle River. The company offers custom framing, design work and photography services. Bukowski also sells her own art and photography at the store. She lives in Middle River.

Neil Sample has been named vice president of commercial lending at Members Cooperative Credit Union in Duluth. He previously served as a business services officer and business services assistant for the credit union. Sample lives in Duluth with his wife, Brittany.

BSU alumna Melissa Henderson became engaged to fiance Dan Farrell. Their wedding is planned for September 2019. The couple lives in Minneapolis.

Jake Grages joined the Quality Deer Management Association as a wildlife management cooperative specialist based in southern Missouri. He previously worked as a hunting operations manager for a hunting outfitter in South Dakota. He lives in Missouri.

Krystle (Elsner) Glad was named chief executive officer of the Range Center in Chisholm, a private nonprofit organization providing services to individuals with disabilities across the Iron Range. She has worked in a variety of roles for the Range Center over the past 15 years, starting as a part-time care provider. She lives in Pengilly with her husband, Tyler, and their two children.

Cedrique Flemming was hired as the assistant athletics director for communications at Florida Gulf Coast University. He serves as the primary media and public relations contact for the university’s men’s basketball and men’s golf teams. He lives in Fort Myers, Fla.

Kelly Schultz was named color commentator for radio broadcasts for the Minnesota Vixen, a professional tackle football team that competes in the Women’s Football Alliance. Schultz, who is the play-by-play voice of BSU women’s hockey, also is play-by-play announcer for the Minnesota Whitecaps National Women’s Hockey League franchise. In January, Schultz received the Minnesota Coalition of Women in Athletic Leadership’s 2019 Kwame McDonald Media Award, given to members of the media who have supported and promoted girls and women’s sports. Schultz and her husband, Brian, live in Bemidji.

André Bell was hired as an assistant coach for the Tennessee Technological University men’s basketball program. Bell, a former BSU men’s basketball player, was previously an assistant coach at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas, and Moberly Area Community College in Moberly, Mo. He lives in Moberly with his two sons.

Jo Ann (Schmidt) Flansburg teaches preschool at Indus School in Birchdale. She lives on a small hobby farm in International Falls with her husband, Jerry.

Mike Block is the founder of Bemidji’s Elite Additive, a 3D printing company that provides custom production services to the medical, aerospace, consumer, energy and automotive industries. He lives in Bemidji with his wife, Calie, and their three children.

Chuck Syverson is a dean and assistant football coach at Franklin County School in Eastpoint, Fla. He was previously a head football coach in Wyoming. He lives in Eastpoint, Fla.

Rachel (Becker) Renken was hired by Corning Incorporated as manager of corporate events. In this role, she manages an executive events team and oversees corporate events strategy. She and her husband, Andrew, live in Corning, N.Y., with their toddler.

Beth (Brown) Davies has joined All American Title Company’s Hibbing office as a closer. She previously worked for the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency as a housing rehabilitation manager. Davies lives in Hibbing with her husband, Steve, and their two children.

Emily (Storrar) Ludwig, a math and business education teacher at Braham Area High School, was named the school’s 2018-19 Teacher of the Year and received a Leadership in Educational Excellence award for her commitment to her students. Ludwig lives in Isanti with her husband, Jacob, and their daughter.

Jason Swanson was named executive director of the Minnesota River Area Agency on Aging in April. He previously served as regional director of operations for Tealwood Senior Living. He lives in Walnut Grove with his wife, Devon, and their two children.

Jeff Lorenson is the athletic director at Davis High School in Davis, Calif., a position he’s held since 2014. The former Beavers men’s basketball guard lives in Sacramento with his wife, Christi (Goodhart) ’04, and their two children.

Nick Heisserer, director of admissions and registration at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, earned the Strategic Enrollment Management Endorsement from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. He is one of only 24 individuals nationally to have earned this endorsement — and the first from Minnesota. Heisserer is married to Kassie (LaPorte) ’06, who is the executive director of Bridges of Hope. The couple lives in Pillager with their two children.

Crystal (Jones) Bessler was named Nevis Public Schools Teacher of the Year. Bessler teaches physical education to students in kindergarten through sixth grade in addition to coaching seventh- and eighth-grade girls basketball and softball. She lives in Lake George with her husband, Justin, and three children.

Kurt Knott of RiverWood Bank was promoted to president of Bemidji branches, overseeing daily operations at both of the bank’s Bemidji locations. Kurt lives in Bemidji with his wife, Jodi, and their four children.

Julie (Goos) Urness was awarded Teacher of the Year honors for her dedication to her third grade class at Roseau Elementary School. She has taught for 26 years, all but one teaching third grade. Urness lives in Roseau with her husband, Dan, and their two children.

Jessica (Jaeger) Johnson will serve as principal at Dodgeland Middle and High School School in Juneau, Wis. for the 2019-20 school year, following an 11-year stint as principal at Dodgeland Elementary School. The former 2014 Wisconsin Elementary School Principal of the Year is also an author, keynote speaker, and offers workshop sessions for schools around the country. She lives in Juneau, Wis. with her husband, Ryan ’01, and their two sons.

Donavon Daiker was hired as the head softball coach for Aitkin High School. Daiker lives in Brainerd with his wife, Christina, and their daughter, Emily.

Michael Norland was hired as chief deputy for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in January. Norland, a 19-year veteran of the department, has served as a patrol deputy and investigations supervisor since 2000. He lives in Fosston with his wife, Karen, and their son.

Jeremy Fogelson, a neurosurgeon at Mayo Clinic, received a hand-painted portrait of himself from patient Jennifer Hunter after performing surgery that eliminated the chronic, debilitating neck, shoulder and back pain Hunter had dealt with for nearly 20 years. Fogelson lives in Rochester with his wife and three children.

Jody (Diemer) Madsen was named the 2019 Teacher of the Year in the Worthington school district in March. Madsen has worked for the district in special education and sixth grade teaching roles since 2000. She lives in Okabena with her husband, Gary, and their three sons.

Jonathon Olson was named chief financial officer for Alexandria-based manufacturer Alexandria Industries. He previously spent nearly 20 years as a tax principal for CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP. Olson lives in Alexandria.

Jane (Johnson) Scherf teaches second grade at North Woods School in Cook. Her husband Jon ’94, ’04 also works at Northwood School as a middle and high school social studies teacher. The couple live in Britt with their two children.

Patrick Furlong, who works as a private wealth advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services in Hibbing, earned his behavioral advisor professional designation from Kaplan University. The designation emphasizes the relationships between financial decisions, and psychology and neuroscience. Furlong lives in Hibbing with his wife, Kristen (Riipinen) ’93.

KariLee (Babin) Pietz was hired by Cayuna Regional Medical Center as a social worker in the emergency department and outpatient setting. Pietz previously worked for Wadena County Human Services and the Office of Children’s Services for the state of Alaska. She lives in Deerwood with her husband, Nathan. The couple has two children.

Bob Borash, president and founder of RMB Environmental Laboratories, opened the company’s fifth lab in Hibbing. RMB Environmental Laboratories provides water testing, consulting and data management for a wide range of clients including private landowners, municipalities, industrial companies and government agencies. Borash lives in Detroit Lakes with his wife, Tracy.

Rhonda (Flinck) Peña was selected as the 2019 Elementary Teacher of the Year for the state of Texas. She has taught at Bryan Elementary in Mission, Texas for the past 25 years. She lives in Mission with her husband and son.

Jeff Stollenwerk was named the Duluth Seaway Port Authority’s director of government and environmental affairs. He and his wife, Stefanie, live in Duluth.

Paul Cyr was inducted into the Minnesota chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in recognition for his successful coaching and officiating career. Cyr retired from the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Public Schools in 2013 after 27 years of coaching, teaching and serving as middle and high school principal. He lives in Oklee.

Tom Serratore, head coach of the Bemidji State men’s hockey team, faced off against the U.S. Air Force Academy, coached by his older brother Frank (’82), Dec. 29–30 in Colorado Springs, Colo. The series marked the first time since 2009 that teams coached by the Serratore brothers met on the ice. Tom lives in Bemidji with his wife, Cindy. Frank and his wife, Carol, and live in Colorado Springs.

Shelley (Sjoberg) Baumgartner works as a fourth grade teacher at Lindbergh Elementary School in Little Falls. She and her husband, Todd, live in Little Falls.

Tim Buckley was one of three new assistant men’s basketball coaches hired at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in April. Buckley previously spent two years as a scout with the Minnesota Timberwolves and was an assistant coach and associate head coach under Tom Crean at the University of Indiana.

Barb Schlichting‘s eighth book, a murder-mystery titled “The Broken Circle,” is scheduled to be published in July. Schlichting lives in Bemidji with her husband, Bob ’69, who is retired. Their son, Tim ’01, is an industrial technology teacher at Pine City High School in Pine City, where he lives with his wife, Jennifer, and their three children.

Richard Holz was named provost at Colorado School of Mines and begins his new role in June. He previously served as dean of the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. Holz lives in Pewaukee, Wis.

Karen (Gustafson) Linné was installed as an associate pastor at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Cloquet. She previously served congregations in Mahtowa and Pike Lake and as chaplain at Essentia St. Mary’s Hospital and Augustana Health Care Center in Moose Lake. Linné is married to Mark (’80), who works for the Carlton County Highway Department. The couple lives in Duluth.

Jerry Ness, superintendent of the Fergus Falls Public Schools, was recognized by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators with the 2019 MASA Polaris Leadership Award for exemplary school leadership and achievement in education. He planned to retire at the end of the 2018-19 school year. Ness lives with his wife Karen (Krieger) ’79 in Pelican Rapids.

Laurie (Bottem) Kelly retired as head volleyball coach after a 40-year coaching career at both the high school and college levels, most recently at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Mont. Kelly was inducted in the BSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000 as a three-year member of the school’s field hockey team. She and her husband, Chuck, live in Billings, Mont.

Ann (Dobie) Cassidy works as a paraprofessional at Belgrade-Brooten-Elerosa Elementary School. She is married to Robert and has two kids. The couple lives in Belgrade.

Rich Morris is enjoying retirement in Las Vegas, Nev., after serving as an Air Force historian for 42 years. He spent 30 years on active duty retiring as a chief master sergeant in 2002. After his military service, he spent 12 years working in civil service before retiring for a second time in 2015. He is married to Susan (Olson Gorski) ’72.

Mary Rollheiser was named Minnesota Substitute Teacher of the Year by Teachers on Call, a staffing organization that supplies schools across Minnesota and Wisconsin with substitute teachers. Rollheiser spent 34 years teaching at Bemidji Area Schools before beginning her substitute teaching career. She lives in Bemidji with her husband, Brian Israelson ’77.

Jan (Evenson) Henrickson, owner of Northern Exposure gift shop in Walker, celebrated the store’s 25th anniversary in December. She lives in Walker.