’60 Ronald Paque (LS), of Boerne, Texas, is the recipient of the University of Arizona’s 2025 Arizona Professional Achievement Award. Paque is a scientist, educator and philanthropist whose work on RNA transfection of immune cells across species barriers has impacted microbiology and immunology, contributing to Nobel Prize-winning research and the foundation for COVID-19 mRNA vaccines.
’67 Charles Herro
’67 Charles Herro (EHS), of Alameda, California, is enjoying retirement while living on his boat in San Francisco Bay.
’75 Craig Brown (LS), of Sun Prairie, taught school from 1970-2012. Brown is married to ’70 Ann (Roelofs) Brown (EHS).
’76 Janette (Blechl) Fennell (B), of Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, received the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award from Oshkosh West High School in April. Fennell is the president of Kids and Car Safety, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing injuries and fatalities of children in and around motor vehicles. Fennell received the UW-Oshkosh Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 1987 and Distinguished Alumni Award in 2004.
’76 Janette (Blechl) Fennell
’88 Tim Noonan (B), of Charlotte, North Carolina, is Northmarq’s managing director of the Debt and Equity team in the Carolinas. Noonan has over 25 years of experience in multifamily, industrial and retail financing transactions nationwide.
’90 Michael Popke (LS), of Sun Prairie, has owned Two Lakes Media Group for 12 years. Popke is an independent freelance writer and recently completed his first novel.
’90 Lisa (Krueger) Pugh (LS), of Stoughton, is the host of the weekly Newsmakers show on WisconsinEye, the state’s public affairs network.
’95 Jim VandeHei (LS), of Alexandria, Virginia, will receive the Milwaukee Press Club’s 2025 Sacred Cat Award, given annually since 1973 to recognize excellence in journalism at the national level. VandeHei is the founder and CEO of Axios.
’97 Gretchen (Wiedemann) Steinbecker (B), of Manitowoc, is the vice president and marketing manager for First State Bank. Steinbecker was previously a communications and marketing specialist at Americollect.
’02 Joseph Weber (LS), of Greenfield, is the assistant vice president and retail lending supervisor for National Exchange Bank & Trust, based in the Waukesha office. Weber joined the bank in 2022 as a mortgage loan officer and is currently on the Milwaukee and State Chapter boards of directors for the Wisconsin Mortgage Bankers Association.
’02 Joseph Weber
’04 Allan Stockinger (LS), of Evansville, Indiana, is a metrologist and sample management generalist with Inotiv, Inc. Stockinger completed three marathons in three weeks in 2023, all in under four hours.
’04 Lisa (Muenzenberger) Wagner (EHS) and ’11 (MSE), of Neenah, is a pediatric counselor with Advocate Aurora. In 2019, Wagner served with the Red Cross as a disaster relief mental health counselor after the Molson Coors Brewery mass shooting. She has also served on the board of directors for the Racine Friendship Clubhouse, serving individuals living with mental illness. Wagner moved back to the Fox Valley in 2023.
’07 Jaimelyn (Wagner) Gray (LS), of Muskego, founded The Constructivists, a storefront theater company that opened in 2018. Gray is a force for good in the local theatre community, providing opportunities for emerging actors, promoting the work of other arts groups through her Milwaukee Theatre Alliance interview series You’ve Got a Thing!, and taking a lead role in the Small Arts & Culture Cohort. She performed in The Beauty Queen of Leenane which ran at the Broadway Theater.
’08 Micki Dirks-Luebbe (MPA), of Weston, is the incoming executive director of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Foundation. Dirks-Luebbe is currently the director of foundation, alumni and grants at Mid-State Technical College.
’12 Melanie “Mel” Bruins (MBA), of Waupun, is one of 130 winners being honored by the Manufacturing Institute as a Women MAKE Award recipient, given to women who have made a profound difference in reducing the gender gap in manufacturing. Bruins is the director of human resources for Mercury Marine-Global Operations.
’21, ’24 Nicole Markofski
’13 Sadie (Parafiniuk) Howell (MPA), of Fond du Lac, is president and CEO of Envision Greater Fond du Lac. Howell received certification as an economic development finance professional (EDFP) from Grow America. This is a credential given to individuals who complete the intensive economic development finance training series with instruction in business credit analysis, real estate financing, loan packaging, deal structuring, negotiation, and implementation of development programs.
’13 Emily McFarland (MPA), of Watertown, is the interim economic development director for the City of Whitewater. McFarland is completing her second term as mayor of the City of Watertown.
’15 Robert Caelwaerts (MS), of Abrams, is the incoming Suring School District superintendent. Caelwaerts is currently a middle school principal in the Wrightstown School District.
’15 Courtney (Dering) Schroeder
’15 Courtney (Dering) Schroeder (LS), of North Branch, Minnesota, received the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Minnesota Chapter’s 2025 Social Worker of the Year Award. Schroeder is a social worker and leader at HealthPartners Infectious Diseases Clinic.
’18 Kelly Skifstad (MS), of Belleview, Florida, is the Oshkosh Area School District’s (OASD) director of special education. Prior to working as a program specialist for special education in Marion County Public Schools in Florida, Skifstad worked in the OASD from 2013-2023.
’21 Steve Diehl (B), of Fond du Lac, is a business banking officer at Bank First.
’21 Nicole Markofski (LS) and ’24 (LS), of Marquette, Michigan, is a graduate teaching assistant at Northern Michigan University. Markofski has enjoyed attending and presenting at professional conferences. She also served as a peer editor for a distinguished psychology journal.
’23 Jessica Bussard (N), of Federal Way, Washington, is a trauma nurse with Common Spirit Health. Bussard credits her opportunities to the faculty at UW-Oshkosh who set her up for success.
’23 Taylor Zeinert (MPA), of Janesville, is the director of planning and development for the City of Sheboygan. Zeinert was previously the economic development director for the City of Whitewater.
Read more on UW Oshkosh Today.