{1960s}

Allen Kidder, M.A., ’65, writes, “I was hired as an Economist by Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory (a non-profit research and development laboratory owned by Cornell University) in Buffalo, New York. I did independent cost estimates of military aerospace systems and cost effectiveness analysis, later becoming Principal Economist and Assistant to the General Manager. After 30 years at CAL/Calspan Corporation, I became Director of Grant Services for Genesee Community College in Batavia, NY, then Associate Dean, Albion Campus Center. After 15 years at GCC I retired and am now President of Christian Airmen Inc. (which owns Akron Jesson Field, a privately owned public use airport). I am an active flight instructor, teaching people to fly for over 35 years.”

“My latest book is now available, Neighborhood Democracy: Building Anchor Partnerships Between Colleges and Their Communities, (Routledge, 2022) writes L. Richard Guarasci, M.A., ’69, Ph.D., ’77, of New York City. “I am president emeritus of Wagner College in NYC, and I was a student of both Elinor and Vincent Ostrom.” Guarasci was the longest-serving president of Wagner College, becoming president emeritus on his retirement in 2019. He joined the college in 1997 as provost and vice president for academic affairs. He was previously dean of Hobart College at the Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Prior to that he served as a faculty member and dean at St. Lawrence University, New York.

{1970s}

J. Alfred (Al) Broaddus, Jr., M.A., ‘70, Ph.D., ‘72, writes “I received my Ph.D. in 1972. My wife Margaret and I were in Bloomington and I was doing coursework in the late 1960s. I did my most important work under Elmus Wicker and Mike Klein but I also had great courses from Lloyd Orr, Jeff Green, Jim Witte and many others. I was very well prepared for a long career with the Federal Reserve. I retired as president of the Richmond Fed in 2004. I am very grateful for all the department did for me and will continue to support its growth in the years ahead.”

Stephen A. Wandner, Ph.D., ’71, is President of Wandner Associates Inc, Senior Fellow at the National Academy of Social Insurance, and Nonresident Fellow at the Urban Institute. His book, Transforming Unemployment Insurance: A Comprehensive Guide to Reform, will be published by the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research later this year. Editor’s note: his book was published 8-15-2023.

{1980s}

In January, Biological Dynamics Inc., a medical company that develops and commercializes platforms for early disease detection, announced Peter C. Wulff, B.A., ’81, M.B.A., ’83, as its chief financial officer. Wulff has more than 35 years of financial management experience in both public and privately held companies in emerging growth life sciences. He most recently served as chief financial officer at JenaValve Technology, where he played an instrumental role in the corporate relocation from Germany and subsequent growth of its U.S. operations. Prior to JenaValve, Wulff served as the financial corporate officer for medical technology companies such as Alphatec Spine Holdings, Artes Medical, CryoCor, and Pure Biosciences. He lives in La Jolla, Calif.

Paychex Inc. president and CEO John B. Gibson Jr., B.A., ’88, of Pittsford, N.Y., has been appointed to the company’s board of directors and will serve on the executive committee of the board. Paychex, a Rochester, N.Y.-based company, offers human capital management software solutions for human resources, payroll, benefits, and insurance services. Gibson joined Paychex as senior vice president of service in May 2013, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience in HR solutions, technology, and business services. In December 2021, Gibson was promoted to president and chief operating officer, leading the daily operations of the company, including sales, service, marketing, and product management. Prior to Paychex, Gibson served in senior executive positions at HR outsourcing and technology companies, including Ameritech (now AT&T) and Convergys, where he served as president of the HR management division providing comprehensive global HR solutions to clients in 68 countries.

In April, the Western Springs (Ill.) Village Board appointed Heidi L. Rudolph, B.A., ’87, as the village’s new acting president. Rudolph fills the position that became vacant after the sudden death of Alice Gallagher in March of this year. She will serve in this role through the remainder of the current term, which expires in May of 2025. Rudolph was elected to the Village Board in 2017, and again in 2021. Since elected, she has served as chair of the finance committee (2017–present) and has been a member of the planning and zoning (2017–2021) and general government (2021–2023) committees. For the past six years, Rudolph has been senior managing director at Morae Global—a digital and business solutions company for the legal industry. Prior to working with Morae, she was senior vice president at Aegis Advantage, and before that, vice president for government/external affairs with Sara Lee Corporation. Rudolph and her husband Stephen live with their family in the Old Town South neighborhood of Western Springs.

{1990s}

In November 2022, Planet Fitness Inc., one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers, announced that Jennifer L. (Mollica) Simmons, Cert./B.A., ’91, previously senior vice president of business strategy and analytics, has been promoted to division president of corporate clubs. Simmons joined Planet Fitness in 2013. In her new role, she will be responsible for leading the company’s corporate club portfolio—including driving overall performance, leading and developing the team, and identifying strategic growth and expansion opportunities of the brand’s corporate store fleet, which consists of more than 200 locations across 14 states and Canada. With more than 20 years of leadership experience and a background in finance, Simmons previously held business planning positions for well-known global consumer brands including Timberland and PepsiCo. In addition to her bachelor’s degree in economics from Indiana University, she has an MBA in finance from the University of New Hampshire. Simmons lives in Winter Park, Fla.

In June 2022, Bobby Jones Links, an Atlanta-based club management and advisory services company, welcomed Kenneth R. Nicholas, B.A., ’91, as its vice president of operations. Nicholas joined the firm with more than 20 years of club management experience in the St. Louis, Chicago, Wichita, Kan., Philadelphia, and New York markets. He most recently served as a regional manager for ClubCorp, where he was responsible for oversight of several private clubs in New York and Pennsylvania. Before his six-year tenure with ClubCorp, Nicholas spent 16 years with American Golf, where he served in various leadership roles. Nicholas will oversee select clubs in Bobby Jones Links’ portfolio, leveraging his extensive experience in operations, food and beverage, and creating memorable customer and member experiences. Nicholas has been married to his wife Keely for 27 years and has two children, Haley, and Alex.

“I am now a full professor and associate director in the McBee Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia,” writes Robert K. Toutkoushian, M.A., ’86, Ph.D., ’91, of Athens, Ga. He adds, “I teach courses on the economics and finance of higher education, and econometrics applied to higher education. My work focuses on applying economic theories and methods to a wide range of topics in higher education, including the demand for higher education, faculty compensation, and higher education finances. A recent study of mine is “Estimated profit: A look at the excess revenues of private four-year nonprofit postsecondary institutions,” in Education Finance and Policy, 16, 125-145 by Toutkoushian, R., & Raghav, M. (2021). Of particular note is the book that I wrote with Mike Paulsen titled Economics of Higher Education: Background, Concepts, and Applications, published in the Netherlands by Springer in 2016.” (Editor’s note: co-author M. Raghav is an IU Econ Ph.D. 2007 graduate).

In June, Damon S. Seiters, B.A.J., ’95, a former sports reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, was one of 11 inductees into the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Fame for 2023. “The 11 individuals we are inducting have contributed greatly to high school athletics in the Silver State as an administrator/director, athlete, coach, contributor and/or official,” said Donnie Nelson, executive director of the NIAA. “They have made a positive impact on the young men and women of our state in some very important ways, and they have helped to make many of their dreams come true.” An Illinois native who graduated from IU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, with an outside major in economics, Seiters joined the Las Vegas Review-Journal as a part-timer in 1996, covering football and basketball. He retired in April 2022 after 25 years with the paper. During his time covering high school sports, he said he’s most proud of telling interesting and unique stories about Southern Nevada athletes. Seiters lives in Las Vegas.

{2000s}

“I was recently promoted to partner/operations from chief operating officer at Trivest Partners, a private equity firm,” writes Todd V. Jerles, Cert./B.A., ’01. Trivest has offices in Miami, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Toronto. Since its founding in 1981, Trivest has completed more than 400 investments, totaling approximately $7 billion in value and is one of only 15 firms recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the top-50 founder-friendly private equity firms for the past four years, every year since the list’s inception. “I currently live in Miami with my wife Lisa and two children, Dagny and Moses,” adds Jerles.

Indiana University Kelley School of Business professor Scott J. Shackelford, Cert./B.A., ’05, is one of four IU Bloomington faculty members named as 2023 Provost Professors. A global thought leader on cybersecurity, Shackelford joined the Kelley School of Business’ Department of Business Law and Ethics in 2010 as an assistant professor, was promoted to associate professor in 2016, and to full professor in 2022. He is executive director of both the Ostrom Workshop and the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research. Shackelford’s research analyzes pressing legal and policy issues at the intersection of law, ethics, property, and peace, with a special emphasis on the interrelated fields of Internet governance and sustainable development. He has written more than 100 articles, book chapters, essays, and op-eds for diverse publications, and his research has been covered by an array of outlets, including Politico, NPR, CNN, Forbes, Time, The Washington Post, and the LA Times. He is also the author of several books, including Managing Cyber Attacks in International Law, Business, and Relations: In Search of Cyber Peace (Cambridge University Press, 2014), which won the Elinor Ostrom Award. Shackelford lives in Bloomington, Ind.