During its May meeting, the Alumni Association Board of Directors chose its officers for 1999-2000 and appointed six new members. The board also made several reappointments.
Claire Gibbs of Melbourne, Fla. (right) continues to serve as president, and Bruce Brumels of Lake City as vice president. Michelle Laverman (left) of Phoenix, Ariz., was named secretary, succeeding Michael Percy of Mentor, Ohio, whose term on the board has concluded.
The board's new members are: Duke Nguyen Browning, a member of the Class of 1980 of Houston, Texas (Southern Plains Region); Garett Childs, a junior from Breckenridge (Junior Class Representative); Nancy DeWitt, a member of the Class of 1981 from Cincinnati, Ohio (Ohio Region); Marion Hoekstra, a member of the Class of 1965 from Laurel, Md. (Mid-Atlantic Region); Gregory Van Heest, a member of the Class of 1978 from Minneapolis, Minn. (North Central Region); and Raymond Vinstra, a member of the Class of 1958 from Kalamazoo (Kalamazoo/Southwest Michigan Region).
Dan McCue, a member of the Class of 1999 from Las Vegas, Nev., who was formerly Senior Class Representative, was appointed Most Recent Graduating Class Representative. Jennifer Trask, a senior from Elm Hall who was formerly Junior Class Representative, was appointed Senior Class Representative.
In addition to Percy, five board members have concluded their service to the board: Marianne Griffin of Fort Worth, Texas; Jennifer Liggett of Kalamazoo; Kara McGillicuddy of Holland; Jane Terpstra of Minneapolis; and Richard Webster of Sterling, Va.
Duke Nguyen Browning, whose name was changed from Duc N. Nguyen when he took U.S. citizenship in 1982, is licensed to practice law in Texas. Currently, he is self-employed.
He is a member of Holy Covenant United Methodist Church. His activities with the church include being a choir member, head of Sunday school member care and a member of the church counsel.
Browning was a volunteer with the college's "Hope in the Future" campaign. He has participated in regional events in the Houston area, in addition to returning to campus for his 10-year reunion.
He majored in business administration and minored in economics at Hope. He holds a J.D. from Washburn University. Browning and his wife Kerrin, who is also a member of the Class of 1980, have three children: Amy, Laura and Michelle.
Garett Childs is majoring in accounting at Hope. He has been involved in a variety of student activities. He ran cross country in the fall of 1998, winning the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association's All-Conference Second Team Award. He also competes in track He is a member of the Centurian (Alpha Theta Chi) fraternity, which he has served as corresponding secretary and will serve in the fall as vice president. He participated in morale in the Nykerk Cup Competition during 1997 and 1998, and will be coaching in the fall of 1999 and the fall of 2000.
He was a resident assistant in Scott Hall during the 1998-99 school year. He also works in the office of the Dow Center on-campus, in addition to working in Alma during the summers.
He is a 1997 graduate of Breckenridge High School, and the son of Gary and Sharon Childs of Breckenridge. He serves as summer pianist with First Congregational Church in Breckenridge.
Nancy DeWitt is an attorney with the General Electric Company, serving as labor and employment counsel for GE Engine Services. She has practiced labor and employment law for 15 years, representing management in collective bargaining negotiations, arbitrations and employment disputes. She was counsel to the National Labor Relations Board in Washington, D.C., for six years, and in private practice for eight years.
She has served as a Class Representative, and chaired her class's five-year reunion. She helped plan Hope events while living in the Washington, D.C., area, and has volunteered with Hope fundraising campaigns.
She is a member of Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, serving as a Sunday school teacher and youth group leader. She is also a past president and board member of Women Entrepreneurs Inc.
DeWitt majored in political science and business administration at Hope. She holds a J.D. from the National Law Center, George Washington University.
She and her husband Scott, who is a member of the college's Class of 1981, have two children, Jason and Seth. Hoekstra is retired from a 31-year career with the United States Department of Defense, where she was a linguist, generalist and manager.
She volunteers with the American Red Cross for blood drives, and is a 19-gallon blood donor in addition to being registered as a bone marrow donor. She is a member and ordained elder at Laurel Presbyterian Church, where she has chaired and served on the Ministry to the Congregation of the Laity. She has also participated in work/study trips to Honduras through the church.
Marion Hoekstra has been a Class Representative and volunteered for the "Hope in the Future" campaign. She has returned to campus for class reunions and Homecoming activities involving the Dorian (Kappa Beta Phi) sorority, in addition to attending and supporting alumni events in the Washington, D.C., area.
She majored in Spanish and minored in English at Hope. She also holds a master's in Spanish from the University of Chicago.
Van Heest has worked as an attorney since 1983, practicing with Gries & Lenhardt P.L.L.P. in St. Michael, Minn., since 1994. He was selected as a 1999 "Minnesota Super Lawyer" by "Minnesota Law & Politics," "Twin Cities Business Monthly" and "MPLS-St. Paul Magazine."
Gregory Van Heest is a member of Valley Community Presbyterian Church in Golden Valley, Minn., where he is a member of the Strategic Planning Task Force.
He served as a Class Representative for several years, and was a volunteer with the college's "Hope in the Future" campaign. He has returned to campus for class reunions in addition to being involved with regional events in Minnesota.
Van Heest majored in English and psychology at Hope. He holds a J.D. from Boston University School of Law, and a master of laws in taxation from William Mitchell College of Law. He and his wife, Ann, have two children: Tyler and Elizabeth.
Raymond Vinstra retired in 1992 after working with the Upjohn Company in Kalamazoo since 1959. He finished his service with the company as head of corporate accounting data control.
He is currently building his own home, and from 1994 to 1997 he worked in building and production maintenance with Active Inc. From 1957 to 1959 he was in the United States Navy.
He is a member of First Reformed Church in Kalamazoo. His activities also include Gideons International; the Christian Family Camping Association; and serving as treasurer of the urban Missions Committee of the Classis of Southwest Michigan.
Vinstra has served on reunion planning committees for the Class of 1958, the Pull tug-of-war and the Arcadian fraternity.
He graduated from Western Michigan University in 1966 with a BBA, majoring in general business and minoring in accounting. He and his wife Sharon, who is also a member of the Class of 1958, have three children: Christine, who attended Hope for a year; Sheryl; and Greg, who is a member of the Class of 1989.