Feature/Profiles

As a Northern Michigan University trustee, Greg Toutant recently attended the dedication of the new WellBeing Center on campus, which provides comprehensive physical and mental health services in one easily accessible location. A few weeks earlier, in his full-time role as CEO of Great Lakes Recovery Centers Inc., he had participated in a ribbon-cutting and open house for the John Kivela Center, a new behavioral health campus in Negaunee that also offers integrated care and services under one roof.

Emily Lanctot, director and curator of Northern Michigan University's DeVos Art Museum, recently participated in a two-week residency that brings an international consortium of artists to Monte Castello di Vibio, Italy. The gathering culminates in an exhibition of artworks and corresponding catalog.  

Northern Michigan University environmental studies and sustainability major Elizabeth Williams completed a three-month internship at BLOXHUB, the Nordic hub for sustainable urbanization in Copenhagen, Denmark. She pursued the opportunity as a recipient of the prestigious Voyager Scholarship created by the Obama Foundation and Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb. She states her dream is to redesign cities in ways that are equitable and financially, socially and environmentally sustainable.

Northern Michigan University professor Stacy Boyer-Davis, who also serves as assistant department head of accounting and the MBA program in the College of Business, has been appointed to the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA) Board of Directors.

NMU Trustee and alumnus Steve Lindberg may be familiar for serving as Michigan's 109th District state representative for the maximum three terms, from 2007-2012. He also gained international media attention more recently for his retirement hobby of wildlife photography, by capturing a rare image of a three-antlered deer that was widely circulated. But Lindberg's previous and primary vocation was in education. He taught briefly in Wisconsin and at the former women's Job Corps Center at NMU before embarking on a 28-year career as a teacher and guidance counselor with Marquette Area Public Schools.

Having lived in Mexico at a young age, it is no wonder that Northern Michigan University Professor Timothy Compton took a liking to the Spanish language. In some ways, Compton followed in the footsteps of his father who was also a Spanish professor during his career. In other ways, Compton has paved the way for his own unique teaching career.

Northern Michigan University's Julie Rochester received the prestigious David Knight Award at the 2022 NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative Association (FARA) Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. The award is presented yearly to an individual who has provided outstanding service to the organization. Rochester spent six years on the FARA Executive Committee, in capacities including D2 representative, vice president and president. 

Northern Michigan University junior Luke Tschumperlin is enrolled in the Disney College program. He is working at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida until January while taking online classes at NMU. Tschumperlin is able to network with professionals throughout the Walt Disney Company, take part in learning and career development sessions, and live and work with people from around the world.

“Having grown up in Brighton, Mich., on a dirt road, getting my hands dirty was natural. Hard work is natural,” said Suzi Trdan, retail store manager of Starbucks and Sundre at Northern Michigan University. For Trdan, who is often smiling and eager to make connections with customers, hard work truly does seem natural.

This has been a year of milestones for Missie Holmquist of Marquette. In February, she was appointed by the governor to the Northern Michigan University Board of Trustees, and recently played a role in selecting NMU's next president. This spring, she marked the 20th anniversary of both her 2002 graduation from NMU with a bachelor's degree in psychology and the launch of her longtime career with Upper Peninsula Health Plan, which she now serves as president and CEO.