Alumni Board of Directors

Jon Bailey ’06

• Major: Religion
• Employment: Pastor, Aldersgate United Methodist Church
   

Rebecca Bentzinger ’77

• Major: Religion
• Employment: Retired Director of Spiritual Care, Washington Hospital Center
• My Simpson Experience: At Simpson, I was prepared to face the important societal, religious and ethical questions that we grapple with each day in our world. I enjoyed my activities in religion, philosophy, music and Pi Beta Phi.
   

Buddy Boulton ’94

• Major: History
• Employment: Director of Planned Giving, Grinnell College
• My Simpson Experience: I came to Simpson as a first generation student in the fall of 1990. I played basketball for the Redmen/Storm (the name changed halfway through my time at SC), which gave me an immediate group of friends on campus. We won the Iowa Conference championship my sophomore year, and I was the captain of the 1993-94 squad. Simpson College stretched me as an individual and gave me opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I grew, learned, failed and succeeded at Simpson—all of those experiences have made me who I am today. 
   

Kathy Brackney ’71

• Major: Home Economics
• Employment: Retired Buyer, Sears Roebuck and Co.
• My Simpson Success: My wonderful friendships that have continued to today! Also, helping support Simpson not only monetarily but also through the Alumni Board and Simpson Guild.
   

Ben Campney ’83

• Major: Political Science
• Employment: Retired IT Manager, City of Chicago Public Building Commission
• My Simpson Experience: I enjoyed my time on the Simpsonian and having the time at Simpson to be involved in multiple political campaigns. It was the volunteer involvement and interning in the Iowa House of Representatives that paved the way for my entire career.
   

Sam Chiodo ’79

• Major: Art
• Employment: Art Teacher, Des Moines Public Schools
   

Brooke Christofferson ’96

• Major: Communications and Political Science
• Employment: Vice President – Client Solutions, USA Today Network
• My Simpson Experience: It may be cliché but my Simpson Experience will always be some of the most wonderful years of my life. Even 20 plus years later, my closest friends are from my Simpson years. I wanted to make the most of my college experience and tried to pack everything and then some into those four years. While at Simpson, I had the opportunity to earn my degree and learn from professors that cared about not only my academic education but me. A few things that have stuck with me years later are my exposure to different thinking, learning hard work makes a difference and that the world is much larger than me. I also had the opportunity to learn just as much outside of the classroom as I did in the classroom by serving as a student ambassador, orientation leader, president of my sorority and editor of the Simpsonian to name just a few of my activities. The people, my education and my activities all combined to give me the ultimate collegiate experience—The Simpson Experience. 
   

Jenna Davidson ’07
 

Saul Davis ’79
 

Matt DeWolf ’03
 

Kyle Doyle ’05
 

Keith Edmonds ’83

• Major: Physical Education and Health
• Employment: Retired Educator and Administrator
• My Simpson Experience: I am a 1983 graduate of Simpson College where I participated in basketball and wrote for the Simpsonian. I enjoyed my time at Simpson and the many friends that I met during my 3 years there.
   

David Farnsworth ’99

• Major: Accounting
• Employment: Partner, McGowen, Hurst, Clark & Smith, PC
• My Simpson Experience: Simpson gave me the foundation to succeed both professionally and personally. The faculty prepared me for my industry and were instrumental in helping me land my internship, which has turned into a successful career with the same company since I graduated. I also had the pleasure of participating in football, which led to many life long friendships with my teammates. Last but definitely not least, I met my wife at Simpson and we have two wonderful girls! Simpson is where it all started.
   

Brianne Fitzgerald ’02

• Major: Corporate Communications and Marketing
• Employment: Communications & Engagement Officer, Volunteer Iowa; Owner, B Greater Consulting
• My Simpson Experience: Choosing Simpson College was one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. It was the place I needed with the support I needed, to find my passions and build my experience. I was able to travel abroad, complete several internships, join the greek system, live in a theme house and be guided and instructed by some of the best faculty and staff any private school has to offer. My Simpson Experience set me up for the future—everything that a first generation college student could have expected and wanted all rolled into one. I’ve taken away not only a quality education, but a lifetime of friendships, connections to amazing alumni, and the experience I needed to start my career. Now as an alum, I am able to stay connected and give back in so many ways. I know that my gifts of time, talent and treasure will help future students have a strong Simpson Experience just like I did years ago.
   

Brady Fry ’15

• Major: Business Management
• Employment: Category Manager, Casey’s General Stores, Inc.
   

Terry Handley ’09 (Alumni Trustee)
 

Paul Hengesteg ’99

• Major: Theatre and German
• Employment: PhD Student and Graduate Assistant, Iowa State University
• My Simpson Experience: Three things come to mind when I think of my Simpson Experience: lifelong friends, theatre and study abroad. It never fails to amaze me that the bonds formed with people (fellow students and faculty/staff alike) while as a student are bonds that remain important to me today. I have friends that I can call after weeks or months of not talking, and pick up without missing a beat. It isn’t surprising that many of those friends were fellow theatre students—with the amount of time we spent together, bonds like ours were bound to happen. I also thank my Simpson Experience for including a semester in Germany, which was decidedly not part of my original plan as a new student. The time abroad transformed my whole world!
   

Jack Jetmund ’83
 

Michelle Kopp ’02
 

Carrie Kruse ’06

• Major: Accounting
• Employment: Economic Development Coordinator, City of Des Moines
• My Simpson Experience: I had the opportunity to play on the women’s tennis team all four years while at Simpson College. I also had the amazing opportunity to travel abroad to Italy my senior year for May Term to study art and architecture. Simpson College did a fantastic job in preparing me to become a CPA by offering many opportunities for internships as well as a CPA exam review course, all of which I took full advantage of. Getting involved on the Alumni Board has been a rewarding experience and has provided a great way for me to give back to the college that has given me so much.
   

Guy Leman ’99

• Major: Environmental Science with Biology emphasis
• Employment: Certified Financial Planner Professional, Compass Financial Services
• My Simpson Experience: I loved my time at Simpson. I participated in football and enjoyed my area of study tremendously. Going to school in a small town and experiencing the athletic competition of other small Iowa colleges is something that changes you. I met all sorts of people through my years at Simpson, and it becomes more than just a place you lived, it becomes a part of who you are. 
   

Emily Nichols ’09 (Secretary)
 

Kaela Phillips ’06
 

Steven Ramsey ’11
 

Barbara Rauch ’72

• Major: Math and Education
• Employment: Retired Financial Manager, Department of Defense
• My Simpson Experience: I was a music major for one semester before changing to math and education. I am a member of Alpha Chi Omega, and I attended summer school sessions allowing me to graduate in three years.
   

Tom Shandley ’75 (Alumni Trustee)

• Major: Psychology
• Employment: Senior Consultant at Academic Search, Inc; Retired VP of Student Life, Davidson College
• My Simpson Experience: I was president of Barker Hall, the Campus Activities Board and a four-year tennis letter winner.
   

Erica Shannon Stueve ’09
 

Adam Soyer ’97
 

Jim Spooner ’82 (Alumni Trustee)
 

Joe Strong ’09
 

Chad Timm ’95 (President)

• Major: History
• Employment: Associate Professor of Education, Simpson College
• My Simpson Experience: The Simpson Experience transformed me. My Experience was powerful in the way that it emphasized educating the whole student, intellectually, spiritually and physically. At Simpson I didn’t just choose a career, I decided on a way to BE in the world. Some might describe this as vocational discernment, or a coming to consciousness or linking the person you wish to be in the world to the work that helps you earn a living. I call it the Simpson Experience.
  
  At Simpson, I analyzed significant and sophisticated problems from multiple perspectives and disciplines, cognitive dissonance was encouraged if not required, and I engaged in conversations with otherness in a safe and supportive environment. The conversations across-disciplines ensured that I approached complex problems with appropriately complex solutions. Finally, I learned how to take what I learned in the classroom out into the world and to change it.
  
  Of course my Simpson Experience included more than just classwork, from wrestling in the National Tournament for Coach Darrah and participating in Greek Life to falling in love with my Simpson Sweetheart Andrea. These experiences, combined with the challenging curriculum and supportive faculty and staff, shaped me into the person I wanted to be and prepared me to be that person in the world outside of school. 
   

Dana Woods ’78