Alumni

After falling from a roof and injuring his back, NMU alumnus Greg Ormson ('99 MA) found that yoga delivered both pain relief and a new vocation. He became a certified instructor in the practice, just as he had with another avid interest: motorcycling. Ormson has found a unique way to blend both passions. He leads “Yoga and Leather: Yoga for Bikers,” the first—and, to his knowledge, only—specialized class of its kind in the nation to be held in a Harley-Davidson dealership.

The Northern Michigan University Alumni Association has announced five recipients of its 2020 Alumni Awards: Steve Mariucci ('77 BS, '83 MAE) of Monte Sereno, Calif., and Per Utnegaard ('82 BS) of Oberaegen, Switzerland, Distinguished Alumni; Anita Mattson ('02 BS) of Worcester, Mass., Alumni Achievement; Amanda Rosenburg ('02 BS) of Astoria, N.Y., Outstanding Young Alumni; and Greg Toutant ('94 BS) of Negaunee, Alumni Service.

NMU alumnus and former Wildcat football player Vincent Propson is the new activities director at Randolph High School in Wisconsin. He told the Daily Citizen the job was a perfect match. The school wanted someone to teach physical education and health, who also had experience as an athletic director and could be a strength and conditioning coach.

NMU broadcasting alumnus Jim Gleason (BS '90) was recently featured in a newspaper profile of his Radio Wasteland Records store, which opened in 2017 in Midland. Gleason turned a longtime collecting hobby into an entrepreneurial venture. He sells new and vintage vinyl while working to replicate the 1970s and ‘80s atmosphere of people listening to music playing on a turntable while thumbing through records.

Cindy Steele, who attended Northern from 1986-88, played a role in the historic SpaceX launch to the International Space Station. As chief of NASA's Public Engagement Division, she coordinated the logistics of VIPs at the launch site.

NMU alumnus and former Wildcat basketball player Rod Coe ('58 BS) traveled extensively over his 26-year career with World Book Encyclopedia, before retiring as an executive vice president. His job put him in contact with NBA legend Bob Cousy, Mount Everest climber Sir Edmund Hillary, “Mercury Seven” astronauts, First Lady Rosalynn Carter and others. Coe later formed an RV tour company. At 83, he continues to share his enthusiasm for travel, along with the knowledge gleaned from actually reading the encylopedias he sold.

In "Wild Horses: A Crime Revisited," author and NMU alumna Susan Serafin Jess ('05 MFA) examines the 1967 case of a love triangle in lower Michigan that ended with a manslaughter conviction. Sarah Barclay had fallen hard for another woman whose husband became incensed and threatened her life. When he confronted Barclay forcefully one night, she shot him. Despite her claim of self-defense, she was convicted and died in prison only two years into her sentence, at the age of 26.

NMU alumnus Andy Herro will serve as Marquette County community bank president and commercial lender for Upper Peninsula State Bank when it expands with a new full-service location at the site of the former Burger King on Washington Street in Marquette. He graduated in 2010 with a bachelor's degree in accounting.

Four NMU alumni played pivotal roles in the creation of Disney-Pixar's Onward. The film's theatrical release was cut short by COVID-19, but its heartwarming premise and early availability on digital platforms have made it a welcome diversion for families self-isolating at home. Onward's story was inspired by director-writer Dan Scanlon's ('87 VOC) experience losing his father when he was only 1 year old and his brother was 3.

It began with an isolated request months ago, but has expanded into a meaningful mission during the COVID-19 pandemic. On most days since the “stay home” order was implemented, recently retired music teacher and NMU alumnus Chris Charboneau ('93) has posted a video of himself playing a different song on the piano—and frequently singing along—for his Facebook friends. The activity gives him a sense of purpose and allows him to channel his creativity in a way that boosts others' spirits during socially isolated, uncertain times.