Class Notes | Spring 2023

• 1970s

  • William “Bill” Watanabe BS ’70 was born on the island of Maui, Hawaii, and moved to Tampa Bay, Florida, in the late 1980s to open a new mortgage branch for Barclays American Mortgage Corporation. He recently sold his realty company, Under the Sun Realty, which he owned for 17 years. He is currently working for Century 21 Real Estate Champions in St. Petersburg/ Clearwater, Florida, where he is a consultant and trainer for new real estate agents. Concurrently, he has been a commercial broker for 10 years. He is a member of the Certified Commercial Investment Institute, the commercial real estate industry’s global standard for professional achievement. He has one son, one daughter and six grandchildren. He lives in Seminole, Florida.

  • Manuel “Manny” Cantorna BS ’71 is a retired licensed clinical social worker. During his early career, he provided group and individual therapy for substance abuse patients at St. Francis Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii. He went on to supervise a unit of counselors who provided drug and alcohol therapy with the Salvation Army Detox Unit. He also worked for the State of Hawaii, supporting children with special health needs. He later worked with individuals struggling with substance abuse at American Psych Systems (now APS Healthcare, Inc.). Before retiring, he worked for a health insurance company, AlohaCare, where he oversaw local agencies receiving federal funds to assist people dealing with substance abuse. He has volunteered for the American Red Cross since retiring in 2019. Manny earned his Master of Social Work from the University of Utah in 1973 and his Master of Public Health from the University of Hawaii in 1986. He has one daughter and four grandchildren, and lives in Honolulu.

  • Bill Allred BA ’72 is a morning talk show host for the Salt Lake City-based radio station, X96. For the past 30 years, he has co-hosted the “Radio from Hell” show, which has produced over 8,000 episodes and continues to air. Bill began his career with the station in 1980, when it was a small Ogden-based operation known as KJQ. Prior to his career in radio, Bill was an accomplished actor. He acted with the Utah Shakespeare Festival while attending Weber State College. After graduating, he studied acting in the Master of Fine Arts program at Penn State University. He went on to act with the Long Beach Repertory Theatre Company of California, before touring with Children’s Repertory Theatre based at Florida State University in Tallahassee. Before returning to Utah, he also acted in several New York City productions. In 2014, Bill spoke at the TEDxWeberStateUniversity event. He lives in Salt Lake City.

  • Greg Bell BA ’72 is president and CEO of the Utah Hospital Association. He serves as founding chair of Get Healthy Utah, a nonprofit promoting healthy eating and active living. He formerly chaired Utah Transit Authority, USTAR and Envision Utah. Greg served as lieutenant governor under Utah Gov. Gary Herbert from 2009 to 2013 and two terms in the Utah State Senate. Greg is a past mayor of Farmington, Utah. A graduate of the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah, he practiced law for 30 years. His wife, JoLynn Bell BS ’72, has served in her church and community. She and Greg are inner-city missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They reside in Fruit Heights, Utah, and have six children and 28 grandchildren.

  • Carolyn Wold AS ’72 has worked in the nursing field throughout her career. She began in 1954 at St. Benedict’s Hospital, serving in the orthopedic polio and infectious disease department, and later became head of that department. She then transferred to Ogden Clinic, where she worked from 1959 to 1964. In 1964, she moved over to the original Thomas D. Dee Memorial Hospital, working as a float nurse. When the Dee hospital moved to a new location in 1969, Carolyn worked in the open heart surgical rooms and later became head nurse of the operating rooms and director of surgical services. Carolyn earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in nursing administration from the University of Utah. She also taught operating room nursing as an adjunct instructor at Weber State. Before retiring from McKay-Dee Hospital in 1993, she worked as the director of education for operating room nursing. In this role, she ensured that the hospital’s accreditation standards were upheld. She lives in Ogden.

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• 1980s

  • Steven R. Harris BA ’82, is the dean of libraries at Northeastern Illinois University on Chicago’s North Side. After graduating from WSU, he earned a master’s degree in English from the University of Utah, and continued on to earn a master’s degree in library science from the University of Arizona. Since then, he has served in many roles at university libraries across the country, including Texas A&M University, Louisiana State University, University of Tennessee, Utah State University, University of New Mexico and University of Nevada, Reno. He lives in Chicago.

  • Frank Nolden BA ’87 recently retired after a successful 34-year career with the IRS. From 2008 until his retirement in 2022, he held various positions in the IRS Senior Executive Service. Most recently, he served as executive director of Stakeholder Partnerships, Education and Communication. He oversaw the national Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, which works with volunteer organizations, such as the United Way and AARP, to prepare income tax returns for underserved populations. Prior to that role, he was the director of the IRS Service Center in Atlanta, Georgia, where he oversaw approximately 2,000 employees. He is currently a stake president with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His wife, Nannette Shayne (Slade) Nolden BS ’93, went on to complete her master’s degree in 1995 at Portland State University, where she studied psychology with an industrial/organizational emphasis. She has held various positions, including human resources manager and Realtor. She most recently served nine years on the Board of Directors for View Point Health, a community service board in Georgia that provides mental health services for underserved communities. Additionally, she has served two years on the board of directors for Behavioral Health Georgia. She has also spent time lobbying for mental health legislation in Washington, D.C. Frank and Nannette have seven children and 11 grandchildren with two more on the way.

  • Andy Veasey BS ’88 works in the legal and compliance department of a U.S. hedge fund within the London-based office of Davidson Kempner Capital Management, LP. Andy came to Weber State from London with a tennis scholarship and played for the university for four years, helping to win the Big Sky Championship in 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1988. After graduating from Weber, he earned a master’s degree in international business from Pepperdine University in California. He then returned to London, taking a position with Goldman Sachs for the next 10 years. This led him to a successful career in legal and compliance with major financial institutions, including Credit Suisse; Millennium Management, LLC; HSBC and Morgan Stanley. His wife, Cynthia “Cyndi” Sahleen-Veasey BIS ’90, met Andy while studying pre-med at Weber State on a Presidential Scholarship. She was involved in the choir and Orchesis Dance Theatre. She graduated magna cum laude. When she moved to London, she worked as a biochemist for the National Poisons Unit before completing her medical training at King’s College London in 2001. She was a recipient of the Goldman Sachs Academic Scholarship during her medical training and specialized in neurodevelopmental pediatrics with a special interest in neurorehabilitation. She has worked in various National Health Service hospitals, including University College Hospital, The Children’s Trust and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. She currently works at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, where she provides support for children and young people with neurodisabilities and their families. Andy and Cyndi have two daughters and one granddaughter.

  
  
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• 1990s

  • James R. Taggart AS ’91, AS ’92, BS ’00 received the Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce 2022 Chairperson of the Year Award. He has led the chamber’s Legislative Affairs Committee for the past four years. As president of Ogden-Weber Technical College since 2017, he has been involved in numerous local, state and national organizations. He sits on the board of directors for the Utah Defense Alliance, Northern Utah Economic Alliance and Northern Utah Chamber Coalition, as well as the Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce Executive Board, and as a commissioner for the Council on Occupational Education.

  • Russ Porter BS ’94, MED ’05 is a health science, current events and driver’s education teacher at Bonneville High School in South Ogden, Utah. He is serving in his sixth year as the Mayor of South Ogden City. He also serves as the chair of the Weber Area Council of Governments, as well as on the McKay-Dee/Layton Hospital Board of Trustees and the Weber Area Dispatch 911 Board of Trustees. He and his wife, Sherri, have four children and four grandchildren.

  • Doug Heer BS ’97 has served as president of Precision Pools & Spas, a company of 35 employees, for the past 25 years. The company is a member of the Master Pools Guild and the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance. Doug has been recognized by Continental Who’s Who for his professional excellence in the pool and spa industry. He volunteers in his community, supports his church and lives in Eagle Mountain, Utah.

  • Melissa Trotter BA ’97 is a procurement analyst and small business specialist with the Bureau of Reclamation headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Previously, she was a branch chief for an Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center branch at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and the director of business operations at the 460th Contracting Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado. In 2001, she completed a Master of Science in Psychology at Utah State University. Melissa is married to Chris Trotter, U.S. Air Force, retired. They have two daughters.

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• 2000s
  
  

  • Susan Cummings BS ’02 is a medical technologist with the Associated Regional and University Pathologists at the University of Utah, where she has been part of the cellular immunology lab for the past 20 years. In 2017, she earned a second bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science from the University of Utah. In June 2020, for her work with indirect COVID-19 testing, she was named employee of the month and later employee of the year, a distinction among 4,000 employees. Her husband, Casey Cummings BA ’02, is an online marketing manager for Harvest Right, a Salt Lake City-based company that sells freeze dryers. Prior to this role, he spent nine years as a marketing manager for Sky Properties, a commercial and residential real estate company in Bountiful, Utah. After graduating from Weber State, he became a marketing manager for RXAmerica, a prescription benefit management company. He earned a Master of Science in Communication from the University of Utah in 2006.

  • John Summers BS ’02 is the director of quality at Nutraceutical Corporation in Salt Lake City. In this role, he oversees production quality, process monitoring and compliance with federal regulations. He is also responsible for process improvements to increase efficiency and quality. Prior to this role, he was a process engineer and senior quality manager for 25 years with Fresenius Medical Care, which provides kidney dialysis services. He is a certified quality engineer with the American Society for Quality. John served as a scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America for 12 years.

  • Nancy Summers BS ’02 is a doctor of veterinary medicine in northern Utah. She completed her doctorate at Washington State University in 2006. She has practiced at Bayview Animal Hospital and Fairfield Animal Hospital, and is currently practicing at Antelope Animal Hospital. She is a member of both the Utah Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association. Her husband, Jason Judd West BS ’00, is a freelance commercial photographer. He has worked with clients such as Sundance Catalog, Polaris, Costco, Amazon, Deseret Book and Mrs. Fields. They live in Ogden.

  • Derrick Glum BS ’04 has recently been named chief executive officer of Saint Mary’s Health Network, a member of Prime Healthcare, in Reno, Nevada. Prior to joining Saint Mary’s, Derrick served as regional chief operating officer of Steward Health Care in Mesa, Arizona. There he oversaw Mountain Vista Medical Center and Florence Hospital for two years. He has also served in various executive positions for Gila River Health Care in Phoenix, Arizona, as well as system vice president of post-acute care at Renown Health and as CEO of LifeCare Hospitals in Reno.

  • Bryan Magaña BS ’06, MA ’09 is the public relations director at Weber State University. Before returning to his alma mater, he served 15 years in the 419th Fighter Wing Public Affairs office at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Bryan is active in his church, leading a team of musicians each week and organizing an annual gift drive for Operation Christmas Child.

  • Angela Petersen Nelson BS ’08 is a forensic scientist and crime lab supervisor with the Salt Lake City Police Department. She teaches Fingerprint Processing and Intro to Forensic Science at Utah Valley University. Before joining the SLCPD, she worked as a forensic investigator for the West Valley City Police Department. Angela served with the Department of Defense, Afghanistan Camp Leatherneck, from 2012 to 2013, where she used her forensic expertise to support the U.S. Marines. Prior to her time overseas, she served the Weber County Metro Crime Scene Investigation Unit as a crime scene investigator, and as a legal secretary and victim witness advocate for the Weber County Attorney’s Office. She is a certified senior crime scene analyst as well as a certified latent print examiner and a member of the International Association for Identification Crime Scene Certification Board.

  • Nikki Reeder AS ’06, BS ’18 is an American Academy of Nurse Practitioners board-certified family nurse practitioner. Nikki earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Weber State in 2018 and her Master of Science in Nursing from Maryville University in 2021. She works for TruHealth, providing care for patients with Medicare Advantage health plans in long-term care communities. Concurrently, she practices medical weight loss with a specialty in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy at OptiHealth. Nikki is certified in basic life support, advanced cardiac life support and pediatric advanced life support. While attending Weber State, she participated in a foreign language-based study abroad in Spain as well as a nursing-based study abroad in Ecuador. She has two children and lives in West Haven, Utah.

  
  
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• 2010s

  • Matthew Zacher BFA ’11 is the creative director for Weber State’s Department of Marketing & Communications. Prior to his role at Weber, Matt worked for the Ogden-based advertising agency Out of Bounds Creative for 15 years. He started at the agency as a junior designer, and spent the last eight years as the art director. The agency focused on the outdoor industry including clients such as Atomic, SITKA Gear, and W.L. Gore and Associates, as well as promoting Ogden’s 25th Street, Ogden Contemporary Arts, Ogden Convention and Visitors Bureau and the GOAL Foundation. Matt and his wife live in Ogden, and they have two children.

  • Morgan Saxton BS ’13 has worked in the news industry for nearly a decade. Morgan graduated from Weber State University at age 20 with a bachelor’s degree in communication. Following graduation, Morgan worked for the Standard-Examiner newspaper in Ogden, writing daily breaking news stories. She now co-hosts a lifestyle show, The PLACE!, at FOX 13 in Salt Lake City. Previously, Morgan worked as a morning reporter for over five years at KUTV, where she won her first Emmy Award for reporting on a wildfire in southern Utah. Morgan also spent a year in the Midwest as a multimedia journalist covering a wide variety of stories including the 2016 Iowa presidential caucus.

  • Elizabeth Bizzell BA ’14, MHA ’19 is the graduate programs clinical/marketing coordinator with WSU’s Annie Taylor Dee School of Nursing. In 2015, she began her work at WSU with the Department of Health Sciences, and her responsibility in marketing roles has grown over time. Prior to coming to Weber, she worked in retail management. She is a 2022 recipient of the Wildcat MicroFund, which helped her to found Give Again, a local nonprofit dedicated to redefining gift giving.

  • Julia Saxton BS ’15 is a major gifts officer at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. In this role, she oversees fundraising for various projects including a new location in Lehi, Utah. Concurrently, she is the program director for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. After graduation, Julia served as an associate development director for the College of Engineering, Applied Science and Technology at WSU. As a student, she served as student body vice president of service. She was highly involved with the Center for Community Engaged Learning (CCEL), raising money for and participating in a service trip to Thailand, where she helped build an orphanage and education center. In 2022, CCEL awarded her the Presidential Award for Community Engaged Alumni. She is currently raising a puppy who will serve as a hospital therapy dog. She credits her love of philanthropy and community to the educational and extracurricular experiences she had at Weber State.

  • Natalie Slater BS ’15, MPC ’17 returned to Weber State after a 25-year hiatus, during which she raised seven children. While earning her master’s degree, she was on the dean’s list. She graduated summa cum laude. She is currently the director of admissions at Ogden-Weber Technical College. She began her career at OWTC with an internship as a job coach in the career center. She was soon promoted to the manager of the career center. She then concurrently took on the recruiting team for the college, which soon merged with the enrollment team, becoming the Department of Admissions. Natalie also serves on the Admissions Task Force Committee for the Utah System of Higher Education.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
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• 2020s

  • Amy Hajdas MPC ’20 is the marketing strategist for Weber State University’s Department of Marketing & Communications. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit in 1992. After graduation, she worked for various advertising agencies in Detroit and Chicago before taking a marketing and design position with Roosevelt University in Chicago. This began her career in higher education. Amy is actively involved in the art communities where she lives. She also oversaw marketing strategy and design for galleries she owned and operated with her husband in Ogden, Philadelphia and Chicago. Amy and her husband moved to Utah in 2013.

  • Matthew Taylor BIS ’20 is a sales manager with Lifetime Products, where he has worked in various roles for the past six years. Concurrently, he is a first lieutenant medical services officer in the Army Reserve, where he operates as a platoon leader for a dental unit in Salt Lake City. He has served in the Army Reserve for the past seven years. Matthew is also a musical theater performer with the CenterPoint Legacy Theater in Centerville, Utah. He has played a lead role in his past three shows, Newsies, Cinderella and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Matt uses all three of his BIS areas of study, musical theater, marketing and military science, in his professional and personal pursuits.

  • Hannah A. Olsen AA ’21, AS ’21, AS ’21, BS ’22, BS ’22 is finishing her Master of Education at Weber State. She will be attending law school beginning fall 2023, with plans to become an attorney. She is the current president of the Weber State University Alumni Association Student Alumni Council. Hannah is the Salt Lake City fellow for IGNITE, a national political leadership organization for young women. She has been an intern or fellow for the Office of U.S. Senator Mitt Romney, the United Nations Office of Human Rights Education Switzerland, Utah Second District Court Judges DiReda and Bean, WSU Admissions and WSU Legal Counsel. She is engaged to Dekklan MacKay BS ’22, who is pursuing a career in banking. He is currently working for the First Community Bank in Layton, Utah. Dekklan also served on the WSUAA Student Alumni Council. Together, they were involved at WSU. They both participated in clubs and organizations and took on leadership roles, and they never missed a football or hockey game.

  • Tyson Pendleton BFA ’21 is a program supervisor at WayPoint Academy in Huntsville, Utah, where he helps students with depression, obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety. He has volunteered for the past seven years for the nonprofit Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music as a committee member and a campground coordinator. In October of 2022, he presented his first solo art exhibition, “Personal Space,” at The Monarch in Ogden. The well-attended exhibit was a collection of expressionistic oil paintings.

  • Donette Taggart Huff BS ’22 is a health coach for Orriant, a corporate wellness provider. She is also an office manager for the Utah Army National Guard’s Environmental Resources Management office. Donette is an inducted member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, an honor society with more than 700 college chapters. She has two children.

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