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| 40 Under Forty Alumni Updates as of 2008 |
Where are they now and what are they doing? |
2003 Alumni Updates- Eric Cederstrand has continued to focus on the redevelopment of downtown Tacoma as he manages a team of six commercial real estate brokers at Colliers International that covers all parts of the South Sound.
- Jeffrey M. Lang, Charles Schwab Bank vice president, helped open an Olympia location and now manages to Tacoma and Olympia offices. The Tacoma branch has achieved "Circle of Excellence" honors every quarter for the last three and a half years and consistently places in top ranks of branches nationally based on revenue and performance. He is two classes short of receiving his Masters in Business Administration from California State University.
- After his selection to the inaugural 40 under Forty class, Dave Olson finally finished his degree from The Evergreen State College and had briefl y considered attending law school. After doing the math, he instead decided to concentrate on artistic pursuits. After writing a manuscript and starting a spoken word literature podcast series, he relocated back to British Columbia, leaving Zhonka Broadband.
- Shelley Mauss Sprouffske remains involved with the American Cancer Society – recently being appointed to the eff ort's National Training Team for the Relay For Life. She has been highlighted by Merrill Lynch's Global Philanthropy for her volunteerism with the American Cancer Society. She married Jonathan Sprouff ske in December.
2004 Alumni Updates- Julie Anderson has twice been elected to the Tacoma City Council since being a 40 under Forty honoree and has also been appointed to the Sound Transit Board. She is the political strategist for the Planned Parenthood VOTES! Washington program and is now employed as the senior policy advisory for Washington's Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development. She was also honored last year as a Woman of Influence by the Business Examiner. On a personal note, she restored a historic building, the last surviving building of the Whitworth College campus, and got it listed as a Tacoma Landmark.
- Joy Bennett took some time off and assisted two micro-businesses with their marketing and sales initiatives after leaving Chuckals Offi ce Products in 2005. She worked at A World of Dance of Gig Harbor and BalloonMasters of University Place and as well championed a new line of curriculum for etiquette and choreography for A World of Dance. She then took a position with Maxon Furniture Inc. of Renton, part-time, while consulting work for both previous employers.
- Dean McSweeney is the senior vice president at Columbia Bank and is responsible for management of the private banking and fi nancial services divisions. He recently completed terms serving on the Humane Society board of directors and Tacoma Club board of directors. He continues to serve as treasurer for the Tacoma Goodwill board of directors.
2005 Alumni Updates- Kara Duffy started her own business in March 2007 – Miboso Studio. Her home studio specializes in physical and mental well being. She customizes wellness plans to each client's goals that include personal training for physical well being as well as improving their mental well being through positive thinking and breaking negative thought patterns to create an overall improvement in all areas of life.
- Ed Grogan has seen Summit Financial Group revenue grow 300 percent and add four wealth management associates. The fi rm has been recognized in Forbes as one of the "10 Most Dependable" Wealth Management Firms in the Northwest, Alaska and Hawaii and has been recognized by Seattle Magazine as a "Five Star Wealth Management Firm."
- Ethan Offenbecher has affiliated his firm, formerly Offenbecher Commercial, Inc, with a national industry leader in commercial real estate to become Coldwell Banker Commercial Off enbecher. This platform provides the fi rm with the best technology, resources and people to better serve its customer base in the South Sound. The firm was recently honored in Business Examiner's Top Places to Work with honorable mention awards.
- Ben Sclair launched The Suburban Times to serve the communities of DuPont, Fircrest, Lakewood, Steilacoom and University Place. The online version reaches more than 1,400 email subscribers three times each week with news and content for and from the coverage area.
- Sunday Tollefson launched Biz Wiz Consulting LLC in 2007. Tollefson's fi rm provides strategic and tactical planning services for small business owners. Clients hire the firm to write business plans, analyze integration of functional disciplines of business, or advise on overall strategy within a marketplace.
- Amy Wigstrom has changed positions from executive director of the Tacoma Symphony Orchestra to executive director for the Pierce County Division of the American Heart Association. To maintain her connection to the arts, she joined the board of the Second City Chamber Series and continues to support the local arts groups in Tacoma. 2006 Alumni Updates
2006 Alumni Updates- Waylin McCurley continues her role as a vice president at Rainier Pacific Bank, taking on several new functions in addition to his leadership and management responsibilities for human resources and development. McCurley is currently serving as the president of Werlin Reading, is the chair-elect for the United Way of Pierce County and serves on the state Correctional Industries board of directors.
- April L. Ziegele has developed an entire line of spa and beauty products called ZGirlz Cosmetics. The products are designed to provide 100 percent indulgence with 0 percent guilt and are organic and hypoallergenic. She still has her dental practice, Ziegele Aesthetic & Restorative Dentistry, and was recently named the "top cosmetic dentist for the West Coast" at the Silver Spoon Celebrity Mother's Day event.
2007 Alumni Updates- Since last year, Cam Bedry has opened a new Bath Fitter location in Lakewood and started a new plumbing company called Plumb Fit. The plumbing company came along because Bedry felt she was missing opportunities for more work since it was already in the customer's home doing a bath remodel.
- Nigel L. English was promoted to senior vice president and team leader of business banking in Pierce County at Heritage Bank. In January, he was elected to the board of directors of Tacoma Goodwill Industries.
- Sandy Leek is working for Puget Sound Energy's community and government relations group. He spent nine days at Western Washington University, volunteering as a "company advisor" for Washington Business Week and also served on the curriculum committee of LEAD Thurston County, co-chairing two of the seven Challenge Days.
- Kevin Mauermann is the director of operations at Tacoma Electric Supply, which has opened two additional Western Washington branches in the past year. That effort included everything from the actual build out and staffi ng to putting the product on the shelves. He has served at the Tacoma- Pierce County Chamber Total Resource Campaign captain and president of Coalition for Nalley Valley Business Development. He has also become engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Andrea Hieber.
- Karen Say is president and CEO of Saybr Contractors, Inc., a company that continues to expand despite the downturn in construction. The fi rm currently has 45 employees and is set to earn $25 million in revenue. Say is wrapping up her yearlong position as Chairwoman of the Associated Builders and Contractors Western Washington Chapter Board of Directors.
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Published by Business Examiner Newspaper Group a locally-owned company.