College of Business and Management
John Bendoraitis ’97, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has been named to the YMCA of South Florida Board of Directors. John is currently the chief operating officer of Spirit Airlines.
Evon Inyang ’16, Minneapolis, recently launched her own private practice, ForwardUs Counseling, specializing in couples counseling and perinatal mental health.
Amara Mackey ’15, Saint Paul, was recently promoted to chief financial officer at Ideal Credit Union.
Nadia Mohamed ’20, Saint Louis Park, was elected mayor of Saint Louis Park in November 2024. Nadia is America’s first elected Somali American mayor.
Jennifer Ryan ’98, Orr, was recently named senior commercial lender with Security State Bank of Hibbing.
College of Liberal Arts
Kate Devlin ’06, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, recently published a children’s book titled, “ABCs of the Lowcountry.” It’s available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Kate is a freelance writer and editor.
Sarah Fjellanger ’18, Savage, recently released a book titled, “Last Chance Stop.” Sarah’s book is a work of historical fiction that takes place in the year 1900, about a young family of immigrants from Norway. The book is currently available on Amazon.
Kristin Johnson ’05, Saint Paul, published her first book of poetry, “Pickles in Paradise: Poems for Pickleballers.” “Pickles and Paradise” is poetry for those who long to be on the pickleball court and for those who live on the court. Kristin’s book is available on Amazon.
Rebecka Lassen ’21, Minneapolis, released her book, “In Two Weeks’ Time,” from Atmosphere Press, a ten-page fiction story written during her time at Metro State University
Kristine Rodgers ’16, Red Wing, recently joined Red Wing Public Schools as a Special Education teacher.
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Mandi Dickey ’04, Plymouth, has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who for expertise in the health care industry. Mandi has been the chief executive officer of Brain Wellness Solutions since 2024, where she provides patients with specialized treatments such as transcranial laser therapy.
College of Individualized Studies
Mary Gaasch ’08, Lauderdale, recently became the executive director of Crescent Cove, which provides care and support for children with shortened life expectancies. Mary was also reelected to her fifth term as mayor of the City of Lauderdale.
Tom Gitaa ’96, Minneapolis, is the founder, editor-in-chief and publisher of Mshale, which reports on news and culture of African immigrants in the United States. Tom also serves on the board of the United Nations Association.
Stephen Lenius ’15, Golden Valley, recently designed, produced, and published “Stewart Luckman Sculpture: Flipping, Turning, Pushing,” a new retrospective catalogue of artworks created by sculptor Steward Luckman. The catalogue is available on Amazon.
Susan LeVeille ’91, Inver Grove Heights, has worked in the fields of communication and counseling. She recently published her novel, “The Last 3.2 Bar,” under the name S.K. Levoir. It’s available on Amazon.
Jim Lukaszewski ’74, Richfield, was recognized by PRSA Midwest District with the 2024 Platinum Award, celebrating achievements in furthering the practice of public relations.
Mel Robinson ’81, Columbia Heights, completed a degree in Human Development at Metro State in 1981 and had a long and successful career with tech companies training new employees. After retirement, Mel became involved with the American Legion and Gideon organization, along with volunteering with SACA Food Shelf and Meals on Wheels.
David Therkelsen ’74, Minneapolis, recently published a book, “How Transfusion Moved from the Margins to the Mainstream of Medicine.” The book summarized the important developments in blood banking and transfusion medicine made from the end of World War 2 through the pandemic in 2021. The book is available through Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Elaine Wynne ’76, Minneapolis, was recently featured in a story by Minnesota Women’s Press about “Perseverance for Veterans.” The article shares Elaine’s long effort to make EMDR trauma therapy available at no cost to anyone in Minnesota who served or is serving in the military.
College of Community Studies and Public Affairs
Audra Klinkner ’23, Lynd, is currently leading The Action Foundation, a nonprofit focused on enabling individuals with mobility challenges to access the outdoors.
Agitu Wodajo ’97, Atlanta, Georgia, was recently showcased in Small Business World Magazine’s “Think Globally, Read Locally.” She has been recognized by the governor of Minnesota, Metro State University, and others for her transformative work in healthcare, women’s empowerment, and social policy.
School of Urban Education
Stevie Middlebrook ’23, Saint Paul, was recently featured in the January issue of Minnesota Commission of the Deaf, Blind & Hard of Hearing, for her efforts in support of legislation that would expand master’s degree credits to include special education programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing education.
