Alumni Positive Pursuits: Fall 2024

Silver Screen

(above) ’14 Jeff Rutherford, unlike his family of lawyers, was interested in writing and storytelling. Beyond English, he took theater classes to explore acting and directing, tools he would use in his future as a filmmaker. He returned to Gonzaga this spring as part of the Visiting Writers Series to talk about his feature film debut, “A Perfect Day for Caribou,” which landed in the 75th Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland and the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and now is available on-demand.

The visit brought Rutherford back to where he first felt comfortable exploring the arts as a potential career path. He shares: "It was the time I got more invested and also stopped pretending that I was interested in anything other than this.”

(above, right) ’92 Jeffrey Hawkins produced his first movie, a true- crime thriller titled “Kiss of the Con Queen,” which premiered at Tampa’s Sunscreen Film Festival. The movie was inspired by the true story of a fraudster who impersonated movie executives in an elaborate and high- profile scheme.

Protecting Our National Treasures

Lena Pace (’13 M.A.) is the new superintendent of both Arches and Canyonlands national parks in southeastern Utah, an area that includes some of the most striking geologic landscapes and significant Indigenous cultural sites of the northern Colorado Plateau, the National Park Service says.

Pace studied environmental science and politics at Whitman College and earned a master’s in organizational leadership from Gonzaga’s School of Leadership Studies.

Pace grew up in Alaska where both of her parents worked for the National Park Service. She was a commissioned NPS law enforcement ranger for more than 20 years in multiple parks and said she has been “inspired by the resources, history and culture of southeastern Utah” since she first visited Moab and Delicate Arch early in her career.

“I look forward to continuing to work with the dedicated staff who care for these special places, collaborate with our public and private partners, and engage with the local communities and Tribes,” she said in an NPS statement. 

Accolades

(left) ’05 Brandy (Edgell) Galloway and her family are serving as missionaries in North Africa with Assemblies of God World Missions.

(right) ’06 Jennifer (Joyce) Mahon joined NYC’s largest charter school organization, Success Academy Charter Schools, as creative director.

(left) ’11 Monica Marmolejo started a new role as the vice president of finance with the Mariners.

(right) ’13 Sheila (Canavan) Fitt joined Baird & Warner, a Chicago-based real estate firm, as a real estate agent. 

’18 M.A. Kim Virtuoso was promoted to chief people officer at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.

’20 Emma Craven received funding for a structured Ph.D. with a focus in psychology at the School of Allied Health, University of Limerick (Ireland).

Not Pictured

’82 Teri (Shira) Hanby was the engineering mentor for a team that won the Best Futuristic City award by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers at the International Future City competition.

’12 Halee Hempfling leads the Ecommerce division at TargetPath, and was named partner in January.

In Print

’77 Buzz Rettig self-published two novels: “By Any Other Name,” a crime story, and “Golf Dogs,” the tale of a Jack Russell terrier and a golf tournament.

’91 M.A. Helen MacKinnon and ’91 M.A. Susan Spellman Cann published “Counsellor Talk: Creative: Connecting through Creative Counselling Techniques.” Together, they provide advice, exercises and tools aimed at empowering teachers, parents and mental health professionals to create impactful change in therapeutic practices.

(above) ’05 Robyn (Smith) Itule published her first children’s book, intended to introduce young readers to the founders and efforts of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). The book is titled “Gritty. Independent. Resourceful. Leaders: Jacqueline Cochran, Nancy Harkness-Love and the Women Airforce Service Pilots.”