Northwest welcomes new employees as spring semester begins

Melissa Bray joined Northwest in November as a custodian with Facility Services. Previously, she was employed with Hallmark as a retail merchandiser and with Walmart in various roles. She has a bachelor’s degree from Northwest in therapeutic recreation and an associate degree in practical theology from Christ For the Nations Institute in Dallas. 

Stormie Buchanan joined Northwest in September as an admissions specialist in the Office of Admissions – Operations. She was employed previously as a production manager at Merch Madness in Clarinda, Iowa. She graduated from Northwest in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in public accounting.

Alyssa Bugbee joined Northwest in December as a Northwest Online and Learning and Teaching Center specialist. Previously, she worked with various companies, including Tyson Foods and Niman Ranch, in the swine and agriculture industries. She has a bachelor's degree in animal science from Northwest.

Paul Coleman joined Northwest in November as a HVAC technician in Facility Services.

David Cuenca joined Northwest in October as a technology specialist in the Office of Information Technology.

Kelly Dougherty joined Northwest in November as a custodian in Facility Services.

Jacob Dudley joined Northwest in October as an assistant library director for access services in the B.D. Owens Library. He was employed for the previous six years with the Saint Joseph Public Library, most recently as an adult services librarian. He has a bachelor’s degree in American studies from Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, and a Master of Library and Information Science with a focus in management and administration from the University of Missouri.

Baily Fergison joined Northwest in September as a part-time dance team coach in the Department of Athletics.

Kelli Graham joined Northwest in January as an office manager in the School of Education.

Ryan Griesinger joined Northwest in October as a graphic designer in the Office of University Marketing and Communication. He spent the previous four years as a graphic designer at Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska. He earned his bachelor’s degree in graphic design at Northwest in 2019.

Savannah Guenther joined Northwest in January as a part-time instructional aide at Horace Mann Laboratory School. She completed her bachelor’s degree last spring at Northwest in elementary education and is pursuing a master’s degree at Northwest in educational Leadership K-12 while serving as a graduate assistant with the women’s basketball program.

Alissa Hays joined Northwest in November as a dispatcher in the University Police Department. She previously worked at University Police as a student dispatcher and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in criminology at Northwest. 

Scott Heflin joined Northwest in September as a printing and receiving specialist in the purchasing office.

Alexander Helfert joined Northwest in November as a custodian in Facility Services.

Tad Henggeler joined Northwest in December as a technician with Facility Services at the Recycling Center.

Chance Hermelink joined Northwest in August as a financial assistance coordinator. Previously, he was an assistant preproduction engineer at Excellerate manufacturing in Olathe, Kansas. He has a bachelor’s degree from Northwest in business management.

Timothy Hill joined Northwest in September as an environmental sustainability coordinator in Facility Services. His previous professional experience includes work in program development, event management, and communication and marketing with Business Professionals of America, the University of Missouri, Harrison County Community Hospital and Clinics, and the National Geographic Society. He has a bachelor’s degree from Northwest in geography and broadcasting.

Monica Kohlleppel joined Northwest in September as an admissions specialist in the Office of Admissions.

Alan Langley joined Northwest in December as a groundskeeper with Facility Services.

Kendra Long joined Northwest in November as a counselor in Wellness Services. Her previous professional experience includes work as a therapist in the St. Joseph area and as a social worker for the St. Joseph School District. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work at the University of Kansas.

Miah Lugrand joined Northwest in January as director of student accommodations and accessibility in the Office of Title IX and Equity. Most recently, she was employed with Kansas City Public Schools as special education director, and she has 20 years of experience in K-12 special education. She has a bachelor’s degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Central Missouri and a master’s degree in special education and education leadership from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Jaime Mahmood joined Northwest in January as an admissions specialist in the Office of Admissions. She was employed during the last nine years at a children’s hospital as a pediatric pharmacy billing specialist. She has certifications in coding and billing, as an administrative medical assistant and as a pharmacy technician.

Lauren McCormick joined Northwest in August as a part-time instructional aide at Horace Mann Laboratory School. During the previous 10 years, she was a music teacher in Georgia, Virginia and North Carolina. She has a bachelor’s degree in music education from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida.

Nicholas McMahon joined Northwest in August as a custodian with Facility Services.

Terri Parman joined Northwest in December as a custodian with Facility Services.

Catrina Pelton joined Northwest in November as a project director with Upward Bound. Previously she was a social studies teacher for 17 years at Maryville High School and worked as a dispatcher for the Northwest Regional Communication Center in Maryville for five years. She holds master’s degrees in history and in secondary educational leadership, both from Northwest.

Shelbi Pieper joined Northwest in November as an advisor and coach in the Student Success Center. She graduated from Northwest last spring with her bachelor’s degree in human services and is pursuing a master’s degree at the University in school counseling.

Christopher Poppa joined Northwest in September as a maintenance technician in Facility Services. He previously worked at Kawasaki as an assembly team member and with Maryville Parks and Recreation in park maintenance.

Tucker Quinn joined Northwest in September as an assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions in the Department of Athletics. Previously, he served as director of digital media at Monmouth College in Illinois. He is a 2020 graduate of Northwest with a bachelor’s degree in sports media, and he completed his master’s degree in professional communication at Youngstown State University in Ohio in 2022.

Jaran Richman joined Northwest in October as an assistant men's basketball coach. He earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education at Northwest in 2021 and a master’s degree in applied health and sports science at the University in 2023 while serving as a graduate assistant with the men’s basketball program.

Gerry Runde joined Northwest in September as a collections and billing coordinator in Student Account Services. Previously, she was employed as an office assistant at O’Connell Accounting and Tax Services. She has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Northwest.

Serena Salsbury joined Northwest in November as an accounts receivable coordinator. Previously she worked in accounts payable for Rally Networks.

Amber Schafer joined Northwest in November as a recruitment coordinator. She spent the last 18 years with Kelly Services Inc. as a recruiting director and manager, recruiting team leader and recruiter, among other roles. She has a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a master’s degree in agriculture, both from Northwest.

Aruna Surabathuni joined Northwest in September as a software developer in the Office of Information Technology. She worked during the previous four years in India as a software developer in enterprise application development with companies including IBM and MulticoreWare Inc. She has a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in India.

Jamie Uhrlaub joined Northwest in September as an assistant director in the Office of Financial Assistance. He was employed during the previous 12 years as a financial aid counselor and associate specialist in compliance at the University of Arizona, and he served for 10 years with the U.S. Marine Corps. He has a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from the University of Washington.

Suzanne Von Behren returned to Northwest in October as a wellness educator. Most recently, she worked as a health educator and registered nurse with the Nodaway County Health Department in addition to employment with Bank Midwest. She was previously employed at Northwest as a registered nurse in Wellness Services from 2011 to 2017. She has bachelor’s degrees in biology, psychology and nursing from Northwest and is pursuing a master’s degree in parks and recreation administration at the University.

Amanda Weatherd joined Northwest in August as a custodian in Facility Services.