Class Notes | Fall 2023

Sherry Ellis Ferrin BS ’71 has contributed to many art installations and murals along the Wasatch Front, including artwork at the Rail Event Center in Salt Lake City, Ogden River Parkway, Ogden Union Station, 91·çÁ÷ Downtown and many other locations. For over 20 years, she has designed and painted backdrops for Imagine Ballet Theatre in Ogden. She was named the 2011 Honorary Mayor of Christmas Village and received the 2014 Mayor’s Award in the Arts for visual arts, a 2016 Enlightened 50, or E-50, recognition from the Community Foundation of Utah and the 2016 Best Community Artist award by Nurture the Creative Mind. Previously, Sherry taught for 20 years in Ogden and Weber school districts as a kindergarten teacher. She also owned and operated Sherry Ferrin Photography for seven years. Sherry has served on numerous boards and councils, including the Ogden City Arts Advisory Committee and Ogden Christmas Village Advisory Committee. She met her husband of 54 years, Tres Ferrin, at Weber State. They have four children, 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Jerold Burns BA ’72 was a seminary teacher and administrator for 40 years with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While attending Weber State, he studied zoology and served in student government as the executive vice president. After graduation, he began his career at Ogden High School as a seminary teacher. Jerold earned a master’s degree in educational psychology from Brigham Young University in 1976. His career took him to many locations, including Montana, Minnesota and Georgia. He worked for the University of Minnesota, where he earned a doctorate in educational administration in 1996. He later served as a mission president for his church in Brazil from 2004 to 2007. Returning to Utah, he taught at the Weber Institute until his retirement in 2009. Jerold serves on the 91·çÁ÷ Alumni Association Emeriti Alumni Council. He and his wife, Karen Williams, live in Pleasant View, Utah. They have four children and nine grandchildren.

Bill Gibson BA ’76 served in the Utah State Office of Education for 25 years. During that time, he held various roles, including coordinator for rehabilitation and field services for the blind, rehabilitation counselor and director of the Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Before working for the State of Utah, Bill worked six years for Weber State Disability Services in cooperative education placements, which allow students to work in their field of study before graduation. Bill earned a certificate of rehabilitation administration in 1988 from the University of Oklahoma. Retired since 2015, he is the current president of the Ogden Association of the Blind, which hosts an annual Weber State day, helping the organization better engage with the community and Weber State. He lives on a ranch with his wife, Sandra, where they raise cattle. They have seven children.

Linda Lambert AS ’80 is a nurse practitioner at the University of Utah and Primary Children’s Hospital Heart Center in Salt Lake City. She completed her Master of Science in nursing, family nurse practitioner (MS-APRN) from Westminster College in 2000, and a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Phoenix in 1996. She is a nurse researcher and a longtime volunteer for the American Heart Association. Linda has authored or co-authored more than 70 peer-reviewed research papers on pediatric cardiovascular health. She’s also the administrative director of research at Primary Children’s Hospital Heart Center, where she manages the research of dozens of fellows and faculty members. She is the 2023 recipient of the American Heart Association National Healthcare Volunteer of the Year Award for her outstanding contributions to improving cardiovascular care and delivery.

Russell Murray BS ’82 has been a Hill Air Force Base contractor for the past 28 years. He is a full stack Java developer, writing software that supports the Air Force’s material processing system, which provides an efficient way for Air Force mechanics to order and track the status of materials for a variety of aircrafts and commodities. He has created several interfaces that automate ways for systems to communicate with remote part suppliers. Russell is the first in his family to earn a college degree and is a proud parent of four college graduates, three of whom have earned advanced degrees.

Brenda Barentsen Armstrong AS ’84, BS ’99 is an associate professor and the chair of the Department of Dental Hygiene at Utah Tech University. She joined Utah Tech in 2013 as an assistant professor of dental hygiene. In 2010, she earned a master’s degree in dental hygiene from the University of Minnesota. She then moved to Virginia to become an assistant professor and clinic coordinator for Thomas Nelson Community College (now Virginia Peninsula Community College). She is the 2023–2024 91·çÁ÷ president of Utah Dental Hygienists’ Association and has received many awards, including the 2022 Utah Dental Hygienists’ Association Educator of the Year, 2022 Dixie State University (Utah Tech) Board of Trustees Excellence in Education and the 2020 American Dental Hygienists’ Association Educator of the Year awards. She lives in Ivins, Utah.

Darren Parry BS ’87 is the former chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation. He has served on the tribal council for 20 years. He is a storyteller, teacher, university lecturer and author. In 2018, he published The Bear River Massacre: A Shoshone History, which was selected in 2022 as the Brigham Young University Department of History’s book of the year. He has served on the National Advisory Council at Weber State since 2021. Darren strives to promote a deeper understanding of the rich traditions, knowledge and ways in which indigenous communities have long been stewards of the land and a more sustainable future.

Debbie Perry BS ’92 is the co-owner and chief financial officer of Salt Lake Running Company, named a top 10 running specialty store in America by Formula4 Media, which she started with her husband 28 years ago. She is the 2018 Nike Just Do It Award recipient for an outstanding female executive in the running industry. She has coached endurance athletes of all levels and ages since 1992. She is a multiple-time All- American, multiple world championship qualifier, and former no. 1 triathlete in the United States in the 35-39 age group. Debbie is a former PTA volunteer and is an ongoing volunteer for her church. She is a mother of five children. Her husband, Guy Perry BA ’95 is the founder and CEO of Salt Lake Running Company. He is a former Independent Running Retailers Association (now Running Industry Association) board member and a 2010 Utah Business “Forty under Forty” honoree. Guy has volunteered in church leadership capacities for the last 30 years. He assisted his wife in coaching runners at Bonneville High School  from 2010 to 2017 and currently volunteers on their community council. He has also raced at an elite level in various endurance events over the years, including the pro division at the XTERRA triathlon U.S. championships held at Snowbasin Resort, Utah.

Shaun Cutler BA ’93 has spent the last 30 years building successful partnerships in the technology and financial industries. He has held senior global leadership positions with companies like Symantec (now Gen Digital Inc.), Veritas and Visa. Shaun currently leads international partnerships for Paysafe, a multinational online payments company. He and his wife, Susie, have four teenage daughters heavily involved in dance and theater. His motto is “Front row, every show.”   

Rob Trebilcock BS ’93 has worked in public relations and communications for 15 years. He is currently in charge of public affairs and media relations for Cox Communications, covering Nebraska and Iowa. Previously, he was over corporate social responsibility for Bank of the West (now acquired by BMO), covering multiple states, and public affairs for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Nebraska. After graduating from Weber State, Rob worked in operations for 10 years with Convergys, now part of Concentrix. He oversaw operations in Canada, Omaha and Utah, along with a call center in India. Rob serves on multiple boards and is currently the board president of the Nebraska Sports Council. He is a part owner of jazz club The Jewell in Omaha. He has two children.

David Spangenthal BA ’95 is a musical theatre professional who has performed in multiple New York City Broadway musicals. Some of his credentials include Cats, Beauty and the Beast and Thoroughly Modern Millie. He recently oversaw the directing and choreography and performed the role of Beast in Beauty and the Beast at Diamond Head Theatre in Honolulu, Hawaii. He earned a Master of Arts in theatre studies from Montclair State University in New Jersey. David and his husband own Timothy John’s Salon in Manhattan, New York, which recently celebrated its 23rd anniversary. The salon has been recognized among Salon Today Top 200 honorees three years in a row. He is also a consultant for Summit Salon Business Center, where he helps salons grow all aspects of their business. He lives in New Jersey with his husband, daughter and son.

Lisa Jensen BS ’96 is the alumni coordinator for 91·çÁ÷ Alumni Relations. Before her role at Weber, she worked as a community health educator at Davis County Health Department. She also taught as a substitute teacher in Davis County from 2017 to 2020 and spent over 20 years as a stay-at-home mother. As a 91·çÁ÷ student, she was a writer for The Signpost student newspaper. In 1996, Lisa was awarded Public Relations Graduate of the Year by the 91·çÁ÷ Department of Communication and also earned the distinction of magna cum laude. After graduation, she worked as a sales and marketing professional for Iomega Corporation. Her husband, Grif Jensen BS ’98, is the director of technology services for Salt Lake City Corporation’s public safety division, which includes 911 dispatch and police and fire departments. He has worked for Salt Lake City Information Management Services for 23 years, beginning as a network administrator. They live in Syracuse, Utah, and have three children.

Cody Strong BA ’97 became commander of the Utah National Guard 300th Military Intelligence Brigade (Linguist) and Utah counterdrug coordinator in Draper, Utah, in 2022. He received a Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College in 2020 and a Master of Public Administration from Brigham Young University in 2022. He is also a 2022 Seminar XXI Fellow from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Col. Strong served tours overseas in Kosovo, Iraq and Germany and commanded Bravo Company, 3-85th Mountain Infantry Regiment, Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Drum, New York, and the 142nd Military Intelligence Battalion (Linguist) in Salt Lake City. He also served in a variety of staff positions in the Utah National Guard, U.S. European Command and National Guard Bureau. He and his wife, Heidi, have three children.

Paul Draper BS ’02 is a magician and mentalist. He owns and operates Mental Mysteries and has performed in Las Vegas and at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. He has appeared on major television networks, including History, Discovery, A&E, HBO, HGTV and Hallmark. In 2004, he received his master’s degree in communication from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Paul is on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the Magic Castle in Hollywood, California, the EDI Council for the Magic Circle in London, England, and the board of directors for the Inclusion Center in Salt Lake City. As an applied anthropologist, Paul has taught anthropology-focused magic, intercultural philosophy and research methodology courses as an adjunct professor at Soka University of America, while concurrently teaching virtual creativity courses for Thomas Jefferson University. Paul has served as an instructor at UNLV and as a guest lecturer at University of Southern California; University of California, Los Angeles; Tulane University and Yale University.

Jared Price BA ’03 is the director of sales for the Young Automotive Group, which includes 30 dealerships in Utah and Idaho, and serves on the 91·çÁ÷ Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Young Caring for Our Young Foundation Board of Directors. He is a member of the Davis Chamber of Commerce. His wife of 25 years, Tanya Price AS ’01, has been involved with Utah Share, a support service for those who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss, for 18 years. She is an actress and has been in many commercials and movies, including the Nollywood film Christmas in Miami. She has strong connections in the Nigerian community and was recently honored as a Niger Delta Girl Child Ambassador for The Delta Girls Youth Child Program in Nigeria. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Young Caring for Our Young Foundation. They have three sons, whom Jared has coached in baseball, flag football, track, basketball and soccer.

Jeff Hall BS ’05 is a senior quality assurance engineer with BD, a medical equipment manufacturer, overseeing quality systems and investigating production deviations throughout the production processes. He writes standard operating procedures, manages internal audits and trains operators and technicians to ensure safe products. In 2011, Jeff earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. He has also earned a Six Sigma Green Belt certification from the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, with an emphasis on the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) model. He has two sons and lives in Ogden.

Tawny Choi AS ’08, BA ’11 is an academic transition advisor with Weber State’s Student Success Center, where she provides support, connections and resources to transfer and returning students, as well as those searching for a major or adjusting to higher education. After spending 10 years teaching English abroad in Taiwan and Hong Kong, she returned to Utah in 2022. Tawny is a Special Olympics coach at 91·çÁ÷. While attending 91·çÁ÷, she served as both traditional student senator and diversity and unity vice president.

Cassity Roberts BS ’10 had worked for Davis Hospital (now Holy Cross Hospital - Davis) for 15 years before starting her own business, NovaQuilts LLC. Her husband, Trevor Roberts BS ’12, is a process engineer for Barnes Aerospace. They love being part of the Ogden community and volunteer with the American Youth Soccer Organization. In addition, Cassity is on the PTA board of their children’s school.

Jason Loveless BS ’11 is a neurological physical therapist with the McKay-Deen Stewart Rehab Neurological Specialty Clinic where he has practiced since 2018. After graduating from 91·çÁ÷, he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to pursue a Doctorate of Physical Therapy from the University of New Mexico, which he completed in 2014. He then moved to Los Angeles and worked as a physical therapist at Physical Therapy Solutions and then at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center. After four years in California, Jason and his wife, Holly, moved back to Utah to raise their family. Living in North Ogden, they have two sons and two daughters.

Shaquille Heath AS ’13, BA ’15 is a writer and essayist whose writing explores the intricacies of identity, particularly Black identity. She writes for Juxtapoz magazine, a contemporary art publication, and has also been featured in The New York Times, New York Magazine, San Francisco Chronicle and others. By day, she manages public relations for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, including the de Young and Legion of Honor museums, both located in San Francisco, California.

Ariel Olson AS ’13, BS ’15, ME ’19 is the assistant director for 91·çÁ÷’s First Year Experience program, which helps incoming students make a successful transition into the university community. While attending Weber, she was a mentor in the FYE Peer Mentor Program for seven semesters and is now the coordinator for that part of the FYE program. Ariel served as the engagement coordinator for the 91·çÁ÷ chapter of Utah Women and Higher Education Board of Directors. She is a current member and past president of the 91·çÁ÷ Cat Club, which volunteers at cat sanctuaries and shelters and cares for cats living on campus.

Sarah Bateman Story BS ’14 is an operations administrator and digital learning specialist for 91·çÁ÷’s Department of Online & Continuing Education, where she supervises the setup team of nontraditional courses, which include online classes, community education, independent study and teacher training courses. She also oversees the Department of Online & Continuing Educationm payroll team. She and her husband, Keith, live in West Haven, Utah.

Crystalee Beck BA ’14 is the founder and CEO of Comma Copywriters, a copywriting agency that serves tech and real estate companies. In 2022, Comma Copywriters passed the million-dollar revenue mark and was listed No. 24 on the “Fast 50” list by Utah Business magazine. Crystalee also runs The Mama Ladder, a community for mothers building businesses. She shares what she has learned about building businesses on her YouTube channel. Her husband, Ryan Beck BS ’13, is the director of land acquisition and development at Woodside Homes. They are the proud parents of four young children.

Gary P. Duran AS ’14, BS ’16, MED ’23 is a research assistant for the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center and a Ph.D. student in the urban educational policy program at the Rossier School of Education at USC. He presented his latest research findings at the Association for the Study of Higher Education’s 2023 General Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Gary served as the government relations liaison with 91·çÁ÷ President Brad Mortensen during the 2023 General Session of the Utah State Legislature.

Jasmine Pittman BS ’17 began as a consultant for the National Cancer Institute director’s office, where she crafted messaging on behalf of the director. She also streamlined internal processes to boost organizational efficiency. Jasmine was recognized with the NCI Director’s Award of Merit for Internal Communications and Employee Engagement Excellence Group in March 2023. Now, she combines her expertise and passion for creating captivating narratives in the fashion industry as a member of the Vogue Club, attending events and documenting her experiences on social media. She lives in Washington, D.C.

Mercedes Ziegler BA ’17 is the Safe@Weber violence prevention coordinator with the 91·çÁ÷ Women’s Center, where she provides legally required violence prevention education on campus and teaches about healthy relationships, consent, bystander intervention, gender socialization and more. She has been involved in anti-violence work since she was a student employee at the Women’s Center in 2016, and worked in nonprofit victim advocacy prior to rejoining the Women’s Center in 2022. She will be receiving her Master of Professional Communication in December 2023. Mercedes has served on the 91·çÁ÷ chapter of the Utah Women in Higher Education Network Board of Directors as the marketing coordinator and is currently the president-elect.

Carlee Johnson Madsen MPC ’18 is the delivery development coordinator at the Arbinger Institute, where she oversees a team of facilitators who train businesses worldwide on “turning outward,” a method that improves interpersonal relations within an organization. Before this role, she was a communication and conflict lecturer at Utah State University. She is also a conflict consultant with Canfield Conflict & Collaboration Consulting. Carlee earned an integrated studies bachelor’s degree from Utah Valley University in leadership and psychology and certifications from The Center for Dispute Resolution, Canfield Consulting and The Daring Way program. She helped create the Heravi Peace Institute, a peace initiative at Utah State University, where she provides training for students to receive conflict management and peace-building certificates, and mentors students in becoming peer mediators on campus.

Zachary Twitchell BS ’20 is a second-year student in the doctor of osteopathic medicine program at Des Moines University, where he also served as a teaching assistant in clinical medicine and osteopathic manipulative medicine. He was selected in spring 2023 by DMU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine for the Clinical Medicine Award, which recognizes students’ high academic performance.

Cassidy Miller BA ’21 is the alumni marketing coordinator for 91·çÁ÷’s Department of Alumni Relations. Before her role at 91·çÁ÷, she was a sales associate and the marketing director for Aaron’s Jewelry in Roy, Utah. Cassidy graduated summa cum laude from Weber State. As a student, she was the historian for the Presidential Leadership Fellows, where she represented the university at events and provided photo documentation. She volunteers for Weber School District as a teacher’s assistant. Her husband, Nathan Miller BS ’22, is a merchant service account representative for IC Solutions, a credit card processing company based in West Haven, Utah. He is an entrepreneur and videographer, owning and operating 801Studios, a video production company. He has produced videos for 91·çÁ÷ alumni events and commercials for X-Treme Trailers, a Utah-based company. Nathan and Cassidy live in North Ogden.