Alumni Voices

Richard Sova (’68 industrial administration; minor in accounting)
Recently relocated to Hilton Head, South Carolina. My company, Landover Corporation, is just completing the development of the last of thirteen affordable housing projects in Iowa. I am very proud to have developed these projects, valued at over $130 million, knowing that they are helping to alleviate the affordable housing crisis in my home state.

Ted Grove (’75 accounting and finance)
After graduation, I attended law school. I graduated from Northwest School of Law in Portland , Oregon, in 1978. I practiced law until being appointed to the bench in 1995. I then served 27 years until 2022. I was the longest-serving circuit judge in Columbia County, Oregon. I now live in a mountain community in western Oregon with my wife Shannon. We have two dogs, Danny and Izzy, a Cat, Ivory, and a deer family, Momma Ginger, Sweetie Pie, and Honey Pie, of undetermined flavor at this time.

Bridget Hanson (’77 industrial administration/marketing)
Retired in 2015 after 27 years with United Telecom/Sprint in marketing, finance, and network, and 11 years part-time in the Olathe School District. Married for 39 years with two children and two grandchildren. My husband, Mike, and I enjoy babysitting, and we have several hobbies. I’m an avid scrapbooker, and I spend a lot of time digitizing old photos & videos and researching our family’s history. And I enjoy sports, especially ISU football and basketball, and the KC Chiefs and Royals.

Curt Ungs (’77 industrial administration and marketing)
Retired in 2022 after a 20-year career at mortgage technology leader Black Knight, Inc., now ICE / Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.

Neal Christensen (’79 industrial administration – accounting option)
Semi-retired CPA with my own firm, Neal D. Christensen, CPA, specializing in governmental accounting and federal grants. Living and working from beautiful Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Married with two kids and six grandkids. My wife and I travel abroad frequently and enjoy meeting fellow travelers and the locals from the areas where we travel. At home, I golf frequently with two golf leagues and watch on TV as many Iowa State athletic events as I can. Go State!

David J. Olinger (’87 finance)
Enjoying retirement from my financial/investment advisor career. Busy every day managing families’ investment portfolios.

Teresa C. Nelson (’87 marketing)
Sr Gift Planning Counselor, LCMS Foundation 2022. Married Dean Trower 12/2025.

Faron D. Kelley (’88 marketing)
Promoted to senior vice president of Disney Destinations Sales Strategy. Responsible for all sales functions for Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and Adventures by Disney.

Randy Snyder (’89 finance)
I have been the controller for The Golf Club at Chaparral Pines, (Phil) Mickelson Golf Properties, and I am currently living in the mountains of northern Arizona as the lead controller for the Tonto Apache Tribe. I am the owner of SRS Investments LLC, which owns several commercial leasehold properties in Arizona. My main hobby is hunting deer, elk, lion, and bear in the US and Mexico. Family: wife, Sandy (ISU VetMed 1993); daughter, Kat (ASU Ind.Eng. 2024); and son, Chris (NAU Forestry).

Jason Erdahl (’92 finance)
I am currently working for Valero Renewables as a grains procurement manager in Charles City, Iowa.

Teri Hoeft (’94 transportation and logistics)

Paul Cornett (’95 management information systems)
I am the lead infrastructure engineer for OneMain Financial in Evansville, Indiana (my hometown). I have been there for 9 years. I take care of IBM Power servers running AIX and IBMi. I am still married to my wife, whom I met in college in 1993. We have two kids: a son off making his way in the world and a daughter who is a senior in high school.

Heidi Huntsinger Goebel (’95 management)
I was elected to the four-year term of Emmet County (Iowa) Auditor in the November 2024 General Election. My term runs from 2025-2028.

Cigdem Gaye Goker (’96 MBA)
After graduating from ISU, I started working as a stockbroker at Global Securities in New York, a leading Turkish brokerage house. Over the years, I advanced in my career, and finally, I got promoted to CEO of the company in 2006. In 2012, I moved back to Istanbul and became a board member of Global Securities. In 2016, I became the Chairwoman of Global MD Asset Management, and since then, I have been holding the position. I am involved in women’s empowerment. I love mentoring young women entrepreneurs.

Clint Thomas (’97 management; minor in marketing)
After graduating in Spring 1997, I began my career with State Farm as a claims adjuster. After 3 years of that, I transitioned into becoming an agent in Mason City, Iowa, where I just celebrated my 28th anniversary with the company. While attending Iowa State, I played for the Cyclone football team, which fueled my passion to coach for 22 years in Mason City. Now that my kids have graduated, I have retired from that. My daughter is also an Iowa State alumni (2024).

F. J. Phillips (’97 finance)
I am coming up on 28 years working at Merrill Lynch in Northbrook, Illinois, and am currently a senior vice president and wealth management advisor. I and my team have been named by Forbes as a Best-in-State Wealth Management Team in the state of Illinois for the past 4 years. We are very proud of the accomplishment and the trust our clients place with us. Iowa State gave me a tremendous foundation as I built my business.

Stephen M. Bulfer (’97 accounting and finance; minor in international business)
My journey has been exciting, building on a foundation from ISU including taking a ski season off to ski 120 days with 3 former Olympic athletes, launching a career with Deloitte to build technology for over 50 of the Fortune 500, completing a dual-MBA between Columbia Business School and University of California, Berkeley, starting a real estate investment fund, building 7 venture-backed companies including two exists. My focus is on “zero to one” in B2B SaaS; living in Silicon Valley with family.

Melvin “Bud” Montang (’98 MBA)
I have somewhat returned to my roots in November of 2023 as I joined an Iowa company – Cambridge Investment Research. While I work primarily remotely, I do manage a few trips to Iowa. I joined Cambridge as a senior director of succession and acquisition solutions, which is a long title for saying I am still making deals.

Jason Stanek (’00 finance)
After my PhD from Iowa State, I have worked in agricultural biotech building software and data pipelines, doing analyses, and helping geneticists with research. While working and with the love and support of my wife and two wonderful and intelligent daughters, I finished an MBA through the U of I, and have created patent pending technology that I believe will cascade profound and broad improvements to human health and crop productivity. Now I’m looking for new challenges in academia or industry.

Stephen Bultmann (’00 accounting)
I am a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army. I will reach my 25th year as a commissioned Officer in May 2025, having been commissioned through the ISU ROTC program. I am currently stationed in Italy with my wife and three children but deployed to the Central African Republic as a United Nations Peacekeeper.

Jason Hyatt (’01 management)
I am going into my 23rd year as a PGA Teaching Pro at Cantigny Golf in Wheaton, IL, and in my 22nd year as head golf coach at the College of DuPage. I’ve been inducted into three (3) Hall of Fames (COD, NJCAA Golf, and NJCAA Region IV) over the last five years. My Men’s team has finished 3rd in the NJCAA DIII the last three years. I recently started up a Women’s golf program as well with three (3) All-Americans in 2024!

Shawn Syndergaard (’04 marketing)
Started and founded Accredited Debt Relief and Beyond Finance, which has over 2,000 employees and helps consumers all across the U.S. deal with debt consolidation.

Ryan Kight (’04 finance and management)
After 18 years at Edward Jones, most recently as a director, I recently graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with an Executive MBA, earning Beta Sigma Gamma honor society. This past summer I had the privilege of being elected Theta Xi National Fraternity’s national president. I’m excited to use these achievements to continue growing in my career.

Josh Renze (’04 finance and marketing; minor in management)
I am a regional sales director with North American Annuities in West Des Moines, Iowa. I have been in the finance and insurance industry for over 15 years.

Beth (Johnston) Herbord (’04 management)
My husband, Mark, and I live in Decatur, Illinois, with our youngest daughter, Veronica, who is a sophomore in high school. Our oldest daughter, Elizabeth, is an air traffic controller in Ohio. After working for Caterpillar for nearly 18 years, I went back to school in 2023 for my teaching license and am now a special ed teacher for 2nd – 4th grades. My time at ISU 20yrs ago gave me the confidence to return to school to become a teacher.

Evan Bloom (’05 management information systems)
After I graduated, I decided to move to South Korea as an ESL teacher. During my time there, I found the love of my life, and also got married in South Korea. I spent 15 years there exploring many places and teaching students from kindergarten up to adult age. Fast forward to now. I moved back with my wife, Meejoo, to the States about 4 years ago. I got a job as a help desk technician II at Ponca Tribe of Nebraska helping the organization solve their IT issues while making a difference.

Dave Makin (’05 marketing)
I’m Dave Makin, an Iowa State University grad and founder of CMO* To-Go. I’m a marketing consultant with 20+ years of experience helping businesses grow. I’ve worked with everyone from startups to Fortune 500 companies, racking up some impressive marketing awards along the way and even being named in Marquis Who’s Who in America. When I’m not helping clients, you can find me speaking at industry events.

Rebecca Carroll (Reuter) (’07 management)
Since graduating from Iowa State, I have made great strides in the mortgage industry. Starting my 18th year in the industry, I am still referring back to the mentoring and education I received at Iowa State. I continue to be successful in managing an amazing client relations team for LoanCare, a top national sub-servicing provider serving nearly 1.5 million customers each year. I am always gloating about my Cyclones every chance I get, spreading the word about the best college around. Go State!

Kari Brett (’07 MBA, ’03 marketing)
I work at Principal Asset Management as a relationship manager for key account firms.

Steve Pinkston (’07 OSCM and marketing)
My family and I moved to Rocky Mount, North Carolina, to lead Cummin’s largest manufacturing plant. We build the engines for nearly every bus, fire truck, ambulance, and medium-duty delivery truck in the United States.

Jamie Barker (’08 accounting)
After completing my degree in accounting, I became the manager of the Campus Organizations Accounting office right here at Iowa State! After 27 years, I still love my Alma Mater and never want to leave! I’m grateful to get to see students every day, which keeps me enjoying my career. Attending the Contemporary Issues in Accounting conference at the Ivy College of Business helps to keep me current on accounting trends. With six grandchildren, we attend ISU athletics events whenever possible!

Jason Geiken (’11 MBA)
In December, I was appointed vice president for advancement and chief executive of the Foundation at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, a campus located near Corpus Christi.

Scott Gessner (’11 accounting and finance)
I opened a virtual bookkeeping and accounting business in January 2018 and quit my full-time job to run the business full-time in 2020. The business is still going strong and growing. I really enjoy helping people with their business financials because most of my clients have their business as their main income and livelihood. I live in Ankeny with my wife Amanda and 6-month-old daughter Grace.

Brandon T. Adams (’12 business management; minor in entrepreneurship)
While at Iowa State University, I attended a class with a guest speaker, Cactus Jack Barringer. He showed a video of him on Shark Tank making a deal with Kevin Harrington during his talk. Jack became my mentor; a few years later, I met Kevin Harrington. A few months ago, Kevin Harrington Enterprises (Kevin Harrington’s Company) and my company, Accelerant Media Group, merged into one company, now called Big Brand Ventures. I’m the CEO. We have 20 Employees and are approaching a 9-figure valuation.

Taylor Ross (’12 business management; minor in finance)
After graduating from Iowa State, I went to work for Lee Blue Jeans in Greensboro, North Carolina. After two years I left to join the Navy, ultimately becoming a F/A-18E Naval Aviator and flying combat missions into Afghanistan from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower! I couldn’t have done it without the leadership skills gained at ISU!

Christine Nelson (Greening) (’12 marketing)
I’m excited to share that I celebrated 10 years with North Mallow, the gourmet s’mores company I co-founded. For the first 8 years, I worked on growing the business alongside corporate jobs at Target and The Schwan’s Company. In 2022, I made the leap into full-time entrepreneurship as we expanded our e-commerce and corporate gifting business. This Fall, I cherished getting to share the Iowa State spirit with my two daughters (3-year-old & infant) at their first ISU football game and campus visit.

Josh Collins (’13 management information systems)
I welcomed my second daughter in July of 2024. I celebrated 13 years at John Deere in 2024. All this wouldn’t have been possible without ISU. I embraced uncertainty and journeyed to places I never would’ve if I hadn’t attended ISU. In Ames, I gained courage and empathy; both have helped me in every path I’ve walked down in life. Cyclones for life!

Addison Zellmer (’14 supply chain management)
Since graduation in 2014, I have worked for Wells Blue Bunny, Tones Spices, and Papa John’s Pizza in manufacturing leadership roles. I have been at my current company, Fairy Tale Cotton Candy, for five and a half years. In the fall of 2023, I was promoted to president of the company. I run a multi-shift manufacturing facility with 45 employees in Des Moines. I have been married to my wife Claire for 9 years, and we have 3 children (Maren-7, Rowan-5 & Sage-3). We live on an acreage outside of Indianola.

Ryan Niemela (’14 supply chain operations)
I am currently the director of engineering and operational excellence for a global supplier/manufacturer of medical packaging. 2 years ago, I completed my Lean Six Sigma Master black belt. I focus on process operations and re-engineering process design for lean transformation and increased efficiency to drive positive outcomes in operations, production, and culture. Mentoring, coaching, and helping teach the passion I have for change is amazing in my pursuit to drive excellence for my company.

Martin Morse (’15 finance and marketing)
I’ve joined Global Cleantech Capital in Amsterdam, Netherlands, as an asset manager. In this role, I’ll be focusing on investments in companies that are driving innovation in clean energy and sustainable infrastructure.

Danny Beyer (’15 MBA)
I became a shareholder in Iron Horse Wealth Management in early 2021, and in 2024, we received several national awards, including being recognized as the fastest-growing RIA in Iowa by CityWire, one of the top firms in the state by USA Today, and one of the top firms in the country by Newsweek.

Philip Weinert (’16 finance, accounting, and management information systems)
Thanks to the Ivy College of Business for giving me the foundation to go on and pursue further education, earning my MBA! I graduated from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 2024 and am now in my new career as a management consultant for Bain in Chicago. When I’m not working or parenting my future Cyclone, Abraham, I am keeping close tabs on all my favorite ISU Athletics teams! Go Cyclones!

Mason Cook (’16 management; minor in entrepreneurship)
In January 2025, Mason Cook launched Mastercraft Ventures – a venture capital fund focused on investing in Wisconsin-based startups. Mastercraft secured a substantial anchor investment from the Badger Fund of Funds, a public-private Wisconsin partnership through the state of Wisconsin.

Anna Rasmussen (’17 marketing)
I got married in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in April 2023 to my husband Jack, who I met during my last year of college. On our 1st anniversary we found out we were pregnant with a baby girl. We welcomed our sweet girl, Charlie Ray, on October 16th, 2024.

Kaixuan Zhang (’17 master of accounting, ’14 accounting; minor in finance)
I graduated from ISU with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting. Afterward, I became a CPA and worked at Community CPA & Associates in Des Moines, Iowa, for two years. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate in accounting at the University of Calgary, where I teach financial accounting courses and research tax incentives and corporate investment. I am deeply grateful to ISU for shaping my skills and igniting my passion for accounting, which continues to guide my academic and professional journey.

Michael Hanstad (’17 marketing)
2024 was a big year for us! We opened up our 3rd Charlotte’s Kitchen location in Altoona, Iowa, as a drive-thru-only concept, and we also opened up a reservation-only pizzeria called Pepp’s Pizzeria in Grimes, Iowa. It took our total employee count to over 70, and we hope to add a 4th location for Charlotte’s Kitchen in 2025!

Dalton Grell (’18 supply chain management)
Currently, I work for Maersk’s Final Mile Division as the general manager at Lowe’s XDT 3984. I oversee all deliveries for Lowe’s across Central and Eastern Iowa, Southwest Wisconsin, and Western Illinois, along with running the warehouse in Cedar Rapids. My wife (ISU alum) and I spent our first 5 years moving around the Midwest for work but have finally settled back in my hometown of North Liberty with our daughter.

Rachel Schulte (’19 MBA, DVM)
Rachel Schulte, DVM, opened a new veterinary clinic in Pittsfield, Illinois, named Washington Street Veterinary Clinic.

Daykota Freel (Shelton) (’19 business management)
Since graduating from Iowa State, I have found joy in my role as an instructional designer allowing me to be creative in my work. I continued my education at Drake University and obtained my Master of Arts in communication, graduating in the spring of 2023. My husband and I got married in July of 2023 and are enjoying everyday adventures with our two dogs, Bentlee and Ollie! We are also expecting a baby boy this upcoming July and are excited to grow our family!

Jack Ermisch (’19 accounting)
I run my own small business selling pre-loved clothing and supporting the circular fashion movement. I have gained a following on social media under Jack Valentine / FlippedThrift. I use all of my ISU knowledge daily in my marketing, business planning + management, and quarterly and yearly sole-proprietor taxes! Personally, I recently got married and purchased a house!

Parash Shakya (’19 MBA and master of information systems)
2024 was a blast! My Green Card (U.S. Permanent Residency) was approved in April, marking a significant milestone in my journey. After seven years, I had the privilege of visiting my home country, Nepal, which was a deeply fulfilling experience. In October, I married my wonderful wife, Sabina Shrestha, in a traditional ceremony in Kathmandu. Looking ahead, we are excited to announce that we are expecting our first child soon!

Matt Hodges (’20 supply chain management and management)
I work in medical device sales and got a promotion that required me to relocate down to Florida. Right before leaving, I got engaged. In my first year down in Florida, I was recognized as rookie of the year, territory manager of the year, and part of the Region of the year.

Martin Jennings (’20 supply chain management)
I graduated in December 2020, and JB Hunt reached out to me in February 2021. I started my position in March 2021 and have been here ever since. I love my job and enjoy working alongside several fellow Iowa State graduates.

Jasmine Sanchez (’21 marketing; minor in management)
After graduation, I moved to Des Moines, Iowa, to work for the American Society of Radiologic Technologists Foundation as a fundraising coordinator. I help empower and support medical imaging and radiation therapy students and professionals with programs and scholarships.

Gannon Frederick Gremmel (’21 marketing; minor in management)
After college, I took a role in Boston, Massachusetts, to pursue medical sales. I lived there for a year until I was offered a full-time job back home in Des Moines, Iowa. Currently, I cover Iowa, New England, and San Diego, leading a team while consistently being top in the country year after year. It is amazing knowing the steps Iowa State Business College prepared me for the real world to dominate in a very competitive industry and be a leader in the company with a sense of giving back.

Xavier Chiodo (’22 business economics)
After graduation in 2022, I accepted my commission to become a Marine Corps officer. I earned the MOS of aviation supply officer and am currently stationed in Hawaii. I am logistically responsible for 35 aircraft across three types/models/series. I am also responsible for mentoring and leading 35-50 marines and sailors at any time. My marines and sailors ensure all aircraft receive all components for repairs and meet their flight requirements across the Pacific fleet.

Mackayla Vayvanh (’22 accounting and business management; minor in marketing)
Since graduating, there has been a change in jobs, resulting in me being employed with Iowa State Bank as an accounting tech!

Cole Higgins (’22 management)
Since graduating from Iowa State, I have achieved my master’s degree in sports management from Northwest Missouri State University, served as the first assistant athletic director in Southeastern Community College’s history, and now have started the position of head athletic director at Southwestern Community College. Nationally, I am one of the youngest athletic directors in collegiate athletics. I love Iowa State University, and I am eternally grateful for my time.

Jillian Panko (’22 marketing)
In 2024, my fiancé and I bought our first home, I got promoted to marketing coordinator at my wonderful job at GRX Marketing, my fiancé and I got a puppy, and we set a date for our wedding. Can’t wait to see what 2025 brings to the table!

Derek Snyder (’23 management information systems)
After graduating, I accepted a position at a senior living startup company where I had interned during my senior year at Iowa State University. Due to the flexibility of this role, I was able to work remotely from Orlando, Florida. A year ago, I moved to Durham, North Carolina, to work as an IT analyst at Duke Health Technology Solutions. In my current role, I manage the flow of confidential patient data and contribute to healthcare technology innovation.

Ashley Clark (’24 business management)
Since my graduation from Iowa State, I have furthered my education and just completed my first semester at Drake University School of Law. It’s been quite the change but a welcomed challenge, and one that Iowa State prepared me for.

Sydney Scothorn (’24 human resource management)
After graduating in the Spring of 2024, I held a position with the Iowa State Foundation as a human resource information systems intern for the Summer of 2024. Beginning Fall of 2024, I reentered Ivy as a Ph.D. student in management specializing in organizational behavior and HR. I could not be more grateful to have the opportunity to continue with the college and pursue my passion for HR in academia!

John Mobley IV (’24 MBA; graduate certificate in entrepreneurship and innovation)
Since the start of my Ph.D. in Engineering Education Research at the University of Michigan, I’ve had the opportunity to attend three nuclear-centric conferences — with one held in Abu Dhabi — and serve in the 2024 Nuclear Engineering Student Delegation in Washington, D.C. — meeting with the offices of all six Congressional members of Iowa. The moment I’m most proud of, however, is getting engaged to Lily Pumphrey, whom I met through my involvement with the Ivy College of Business!

Cody Swank (’24 human resource management)
Post-graduation, I moved to Arizona to work for Hilton Grand Vacations as an HR business partner. I couldn’t have asked for a better team to join. I serve as the main HR contact for six resorts across Arizona and one in New Mexico, supporting both sales and marketing teams. My role includes onboarding, authorizing I9s, and helping managers navigate corrective actions and terminations. Fostering a positive work environment is deeply rewarding. Excited to be attending law school to get my MHREL. Go Cyclones!

Armaan Gupta (’24 management information systems; minor in marketing)
After graduating from Iowa State, I started my full-time rotational program at John Deere as a Software Engineer for the customer data team. Outside of work, I continue to help run hackathons, or invention competitions, in Iowa and have joined the Ames Writers Collective as a Board Member. I’m looking forward to progressing in my career and helping grow Iowa along the way!

Jackie Trujillo Garcia (’24 finance)
Since graduating in May 2024, I took a well-needed break to visit family in Mexico before making the big move to New York City. I recently started my career as a consultant associate at KPMG and am already working with amazing clients at a great firm. The transition has been exciting, and I’m learning so much every day. Moving to NYC has been a huge step, and I’m loving the experience so far!