ALUMNI NOTES

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GARRET PORTER, LEFT, AND DAKOTA PORTER, RIGHT (Business Administration 2018), landed a $200,000 deal for their company, ActionGlow, on the ABC show Shark Tank in November 2022. The brothers formed the company, which manufactures patented LED lighting kits for sports gear, ten years ago. Garret Porter said they considered the late NMC instructor George Beeby, who taught Introduction to Business, “a valuable member of the ActionGlow team.”

EDWIN ANDERSON (Engineering 1969) retired from a career with US Steel and now resides in Ludington, Michigan.

RACHEL ANDERSON (Education 2007)
is the new principal of Lake Ann Elementary School, in Lake Ann, Michigan.

MIKE BOGROFF (Turf Grass Management 2001) is now Golf Course Superintendent at The Pines Country Club, in Morgantown, West Virginia.

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JAY CASSENS (Aviation 2004) With years of diverse aviation experience, Jay is now a senior airport development and real estate rep for Federal Express Corporation (FedEx). In addition, he’s an instrumentrated pilot and FAA certified unmanned aircraft pilot and serves as an adjunct professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s school of business.

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RACHEL PLAMONDON (General Studies 2013, Web Design 2012) has joined Unite Digital, LLC, based in Southeastern Michigan, as a software engineer.

KENNETH HILLIER (General Technology 1975– 1980) is now retired from a career in industrial maintenance and lives in St. Petersburg, Florida. He remembers NMC fondly and says, “Keep up the good work!”

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CHRISTINA (DOBRANSKY) HINDS (Education 1996) has been announced as deputy superintendent of Northview Public Schools in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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BRIAN JACKSON (Engineering Tech-UAS 2017) fondly remembers that he started at NMC the same fall that his daughter started kindergarten! He is now a staking engineer with Cherryland Electric Cooperative in Traverse City.

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MICHELLE KENNEDY (AA 1973, Nursing 1975) has amazing memories of her time at NMC. She has recently retired from a long career in nursing and lives in Sitka, Alaska, where she’s a successful bead artist.

TIMOTHY NIXON (Maritime, 1979) was recently named one of Wisconsin’s top 50 lawyers, through Super Lawyers®, which recognizes top lawyers via a multiphase selection process of peer nomination, independent research and peer evaluation. Timothy currently practices out of the Green Bay office of Godfrey & Kahn, S.C.

ANDY REPKE (Aviation, 1986) is based in Massachusetts, and is a 20,000+ hour Safety Officer/ Captain flying a KBED Based Global 6000, with several safety awards including Gold Seal CFI, numerous FAA Wings Awards, and NBAA 17,000 business safety award.
LINDSEY (MULLER) SORENSON (Education 2006) is now a consulting manager with Vynamic, a healthcare industry management consultancy headquartered in Philadelphia.

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MICHAEL W. TAYLOR (Education 1986) is now a full professor of education at University of Mary in North Dakota. He recently published a college text Perpetuating Joy in Affinity Spaces Through Intercultural Pedagogy and will have another book coming out in 2023. And in April 2022, three of his children all graduated form the University of Mary!

2023 OUTSTANDING ALUMNI -NOMINATIONS OPEN

Since 1988, Northwestern Michigan College’s Outstanding Alumni award has recognized graduates and past students for significant professional achievements and/or exemplary leadership in the local or global community. Nominees for this award should have demonstrated accomplishments that reflect NMC’s values of lifelong learning, innovation, integrity, and collaboration.

Have someone in mind?

Find more information and the nomination form at nmc.edu/alumni. Submit nominations online or by mail by March 1, 2023.

Have some news you'd like to share?

Send your updates to alumni@nmc.edu or visit www.nmc.edu/alumni