Four new members have newly joined the Hope College Alumni Association Board of Directors.
The board’s new members are: Leslie Monday, a 1993 graduate from Kirkland, Wash.; Juan Carlos Muñoz, a 2000 graduate from Holland; Samantha Rushton, a Hope junior from Warren; and David Stavenger, a 1965 graduate from Midland. The appointments were made during the board’s May meeting and became effective earlier this summer.
Andrea Converse, a 2012 graduate from Lowell who was formerly Senior Class Representative, was appointed representative of the most recent graduating class. Sa’eed Husaini of Jos, Nigeria, formerly Junior Class Representative, was appointed Senior Class Representative.
In addition, Tom Kyros, a 1989 graduate from Grand Rapids, has been elected vice president, succeeding Michael McCarthy, a 1985 graduate from Weston, Mass., whose service on the board is continuing. Lisa Bos, a 1997 graduate from Washington, D.C., is continuing to serve as president, and Anita Bateman, a 1998 graduate from San Antonio, Texas, is continuing as secretary.
The board members who have concluded their service to the board are: Bob Bieri, a 1983 graduate from Holland; Carol Troost, a 1968 graduate from Scotia, N.Y.; Lois Veldman, a 1956 graduate from Lansing; and Colton Wright, a 2011 graduate from Tecumseh.
Monday is active as a volunteer in her community, including at her sons’ elementary school and on the Board of Directors for the Kirkland Boys and Girls Club, and as an annual supporter of the Susan G. Komen Walk for the Cure. She previously worked in human resources with Prince Corporation (now Johnson Controls). She and her husband, Marc, who is a 1992 Hope graduate, are members of First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue, where she serves as a deacon.
She was a language arts and education major at Hope, where her activities also included the Delta Phi Sorority, the Pull tug-of-war, the Nykerk Cup competition and the “Opus” literary magazine. She was also a second-generation student at Hope, the daughter of Arlene and Dale Schoon, both of the Class of 1961. She and Marc have hosted Hope regional events, participated in the college’s admissions alumni-calling program and have served as Class Representatives.
Muñoz owns a Farmers Insurance Agency in Holland, and was previously with State Farm and for 10 years had been employed in banking. He is a volunteer with Ready for School, which he serves as a member of the disbursement committee, and is a past treasurer of the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and is also a member of Christ Memorial Church.
Muñoz majored in business administration at Hope, where his activities included serving as a student mentor through the Career Advisors program, the Hispanic Student Organization, the business and economics departmental club, and intramural soccer. In addition to returning to campus for class reunions, he has recommended students to the college’s admissions office and has mentored a minority student.
Rushton is majoring in communication and psychology and interested in event management, particularly in student development, and counseling. She has worked in the college’s Center for Faithful Leadership as a student assistant, and is also a participant in the center’s LdOut3 leadership-training program. Her activities at the college also include the Student Alumni Leadership Council, the Dorian sorority and the Union of Catholic Students, and she will also work with the incoming freshman class as an Orientation Assistant later this month.
Rushton is a 2010 graduate of Bishop Foley Catholic High School in Madison Heights. She is the daughter of Gary and Sherrie Rushton of Warren.
Stavenger has throughout his career been involved in product development and business development. For the past 12 years, he has served as a consultant to entrepreneurial start-ups. He was previously employed with Dow Chemical Company, from which he retired after 30 years, most recently serving as a counselor in new business development. He and his wife, Betsy, who is a member of the college’s Class of 1966, are active members of Midland Reformed Church. In addition, he is a founding member of The Friends of Whispering Pines, an organization designed to meet the immediate needs and bring about change for a low-income trailer community in Midland County.
Stavenger majored in chemistry and minored in business at Hope, where his activities included the Cosmopolitan fraternity and the Pull tug-of-war, and after Hope he completed an MBA in marketing and finance at the University of Chicago. He and Betsy have stayed active in the life of the college in a variety of ways, including by hosting and attending alumni events as well as many activities on campus, and have also established two endowed scholarship funds.