Kalkaska Alumni

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Alumni letter from Superintendent, Terry J. Starr:

KALKASKA HIGH SCHOOL
ALUMNI HALL OF FAME
Vivian Wells
class of 1953
inducted may 26, 2017
• Restaurant owner
• kalkaska ambassador

Vivian Wells graduated from Kalkaska High School in 1953 having been a member of Glee Club, Chorus, Band, Dramatics, Pep Club, French Club, Paper Club, Glee Club, Mixed Glee Club, served as Treasurer of Cadet Teaching, and played basketball.
Vivian was owner and operator of The Twist House and Vivian's Restaurant in Kalkaska for over 20 years, providing a valuable service to area residents, workers, and tourists, serving as a respected mentor to dozens of young women who worked for her over the years.
Vivian served on the National Trout Festival committee and board of directors.
Vivian Wells, in recognition of her business ownership, volunteer service to the county, and her promotion of Kalkaska to all she meets, was named Kalkaska Citizen of the Year in 1988. She was a member of the Red Hat Society and the Kalkaska Memorial Hospital Auxiliary. Vivian Wells was a member of the Red Hat Society and the Kalkaska Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.
Vivian Wells was a devoted daughter, sister, mother and grandmother.

KALKASKA HIGH SCHOOL
ALUMNI HALL OF FAME
David Stockford
DISTINGUISHED TEACHER 1972·2008
INDUCTED MAY 26, 2017
• REGIONAL SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER AWARD winner
• new course developer

David Stockford joined the teaching staff in the fall of 1972 teaching Sociology, American Problems, and Honors English. Over the next 36 years he also taught classes in yearbook, speech, psychology, and American history. During his teaching career, he created the curriculum and implemented classes for Service Learning and Lower Track English.
David served the student body as newspaper and yearbook advisor (11 years), class sponsor, coach of inaugural girls' track and j.v. softball teams, golf coach, play director, National Honor Society Advisor (23 years), pronouncer of the District and County Spelling Bees, Drivers' Education instructor, and Future Problem Solving Coach.
David has been honored with the Lamplighter Teaching Award, the Outstanding Person in Education Award, and the Regional Social Studies Teacher Award. David has served the Boy Scout programs in Kalkaska as Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, committee chair, merit badge counselor, treasurer, and liaison for the pack and the troop. David was a founding member of Kalkaska United Methodist Church in 1983 and has served as chairperson of the church council, missions team, and trustees team, and as a Sunday school teacher, Ministry Center construction supervisor, worship leader, adult studies teacher, and youth group advisor. Prior to coming to Kalkaska, David served for two years as a United Methodist Church missionary teacher in a K-8 children's home and school in rural Louisiana, teaching grades 7 and 8.
David served as advisor to the Kalkaska Area Youth Advisory Council KAYAC) which distributed funds for area nonprofits for the Kellogg Foundation.
David created, developed, and implemented the Kalkaska High School Alumni Hall of Fame for both students and faculty

KALKASKA HIGH SCHOOL
ALUMNI HALL OF FAME
Gordon Waggoner
class of 1982
inducted may 26, 2017
• ENGINEER
• BANK BOARD DIRECTOR
• TIMBER RIDGE OWNER

Gordon Waggoner was Class Vice President his junior year, Student Council Representative for four years, and active in Marching, Concert, and Pep Bands his freshman year. He won numerous ribbons at the Industrial Arts Show. He played Freshman, J.V., and Varsity Basketball (two years), graduating from Kalkaska High School in 1982. Gordon Waggoner graduated from Lake Superior State University in 1988 with an A.S. degree in Computer Engineering, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Business Accounting. Gordon Waggoner was Co-Owner and Founder of Microline Corporation / Microline Technology Corp. (MTC) from 1992 to 1999, a R&D engineering company that developed non-destructive testing (NDT) instruments for the petroleum industry.
He served as Director of Metropolitan Bank of Farmington Hills from 1997 to 2002, & Irwin Union Bank in Traverse City from 2001 to 2006.
Gordon since 2005, has been the owner of Timber Ridge RV and Recreation Resort in T.C. which hosts numerous outdoor sporting events including the Iceman Cometh and the Vasa Festival of Races. Gordon founded the Timber Ridge Charitable Foundation, which organizes special events to raise and donate proceeds to various local non-profits.

KALKASKA HIGH SCHOOL
ALUMNI HALL OF FAME
Gerald Poppy
class of 1975
inducted may 26, 2017
• veterinarian
• DAIRY NUTRITIONIST
• ANIMAL Agriculture EXECUTIVE

Gerald Poppy graduated from Kalkaska High School in 1975 having been a member of band and National Honor Society, Junior Class Vice President, and cast member of the junior and senior plays. He was in ski program for two years, football for four years, and wrestling for three years, being the first Kalkaska wrestler to place at State (7th) as a junior and receive All-American Honorable Mention status as a senior. He continued his wrestling career at the collegiate level for two years at Michigan State University, followed by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1982. he earned his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from University of Phoenix in 1996 and received PhD in Epidemiology from Colorado State University in May 2017.
He successfully practiced Veterinary medicine at Kalkaska Animal Clinic from 1983 to 1989 and served as assistant and varsity wrestling coach at KHS, placing three wrestlers in the top four at State Finals.
After leaving Kalkaska, Gerald Poppy was named Top Nutritionist for Standard Nutrition working in Washington State in 1993.
Gerald has held several management and executive positions with Monsanto Dairy Business., has served as Director of the North American Dairy Business for Diamond V Mill in 2004, and became President of Packerland Whey Products Corporation / Fermented Nutrition in 2014
Gerald Poppy currently serves as Executive Director of the Academy of Veterinary Consultants since 2016.
Gerald Poppy is a devoted husband, father, and grandfather who enjoys family time, snowboarding, fly fishing, hang gliding, and piloting his Cessna 182.

KALKASKA HIGH SCHOOL
ALUMNI HALL OF FAME
Doug Spencer
class of 1982
inducted may 26, 2017
• PETROLEUM ENGINEER
• Inventor

Doug Spencer was Student Council president his junior and senior years, Homecoming King, and a member of National Honor Society. He lettered three years in three varsity sports: football (All State 1st Team), basketball (HM), and baseball. He was a National Merit Scholarship award winner.
Doug attended Michigan Technological University, majoring in Applied Geo-physics from 1982-1984 and playing varsity football for two years. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge in 1987.
Doug is the founder and president of Inline Devices, LLC, specializing in the integrity evaluation of underground and offshore pipelines. is founder and vice-president of MicroTorq, LLC, specializing in precision handheld and robotic industrial fastening applications, and founder and president of IonEarth, LLC, specializing in Iridium satellite communication systems for energy service and adventure sports applications. He is an inventor of record on 15 US and Foreign Patents in the energy sector.
Doug Spencer is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, the Society of Professional Well Log Analysts, and the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists and a member of Tau Beta Pi,
Doug Spencer is a devoted husband and father who serves as Director of the Elk Rapids Basketball Association with over 200 K-6th grade participants, was founder of the 1 Elk Youth Travel Basketball Association, and has coached ERBA, 1Elk, Parallel 45, and Varsity Girls Basketball teams.

KALKASKA HIGH SCHOOL
ALUMNI HALL OF FAME
Debbie (Blaisdell) Wildman
class of 1976
inducted may 26, 2017

• Mechanical design engineer
• Project manager

Debbie Wildman graduated from Kalkaska High School in 1976 after being elected class president her first three years and vice president of the Student Council her senior year. She was a member of NHS, the French Club, FHA, Ski Club, and GAA. She was on the Homecoming Court and was a cast member of the Junior and Senior Class plays. Debbie Wildman was a four-year cheerleader who was voted Outstanding Cheerleader, and was a member of the Grand National Championship-Pom-Pom Division her senior year.
Debbie attended N.M.C. while working at Cadillac State Bank in Kalkaska and then at Traverse City State Bank and Continental Ensco. She continued her schooling by obtaining a license to practice cosmetology, and worked local hair salons before establishing her own hair salon for five and one half years. Debbie Cone continued her education at N.M.C. and then transferred to the University of Houston, where she graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1993.
She began working at Transco Corporation as an engineer in their design group, moved into Project Management and began managing large projects for Williams Corporation. She worked for El Paso Corporation in 2002 before joining Kinder Morgan in 2003 as a Project Manager where she designed and constructed pipelines, compressor stations and meter stations. She was promoted to a Director in the Project Management group was then promoted to Vice President of Project Management for the Natural Gas Division of Kinder Morgan where she is currently working in Houston.

Randy McKenzie is ranked Specialist E4 in the Army. He has served in Hawaii since December of 2015 and he will begin at West Point in July 2017. He graduated in 2014 from Kalkaska High School and was in the National Honor Society while here and was Senior Class Vice President.

KALKASKA HIGH SCHOOL
ALUMNI HALL OF FAME
Clara Greacen
KHS Class of 1886
Inducted May 22, 2009

Clara Greacen graduated from Kalkaska High School with the first senior class in 1886. Clara became a certified public school teacher and taught at the District #4 Graecen School in Kalkaska County. Clara Greacen attended and graduated from Howard University of Law and the Washington School of Law in Washington, D.C. Clara was one of the first women admitted to practice law before the United States Supreme Court. She was a practicing attorney with the United States Department of Treasury. Clara Greacen was a practicing attorney with the United States General Accounting Office. Clara Greacen practiced law as a government employee in our nation's capital for forty-two years. Clara Greacen was a member of the Women's University Club and Women's City Club of Washington, and the Christian Science Church.

KALKASKA HIGH SCHOOL
ALUMNI HALL OF FAME
Treva Seeley Bowerman
class of 1954
inducted may 27, 2016

Treva Seeley Bowerman graduated from Kalkaska High School in 1954. She became the first woman in the nation to own and manage two of the Big Three automobile franchises, Ford Motor Company and Chrysler Corporation, from 1973 to 1986. Treva was elected to and served as a member of Kalkaska Public Schools Board of Education. She was a dedicated member of Big Brothers and Big Sisters, the Commission on Aging, and North Country Hospice, where she received numerous awards, including being honored as Volunteer of the Year. In 1962 Treva served as Trout Festival Secretary and in 2002 was selected as the Trout Festival Grand Marshall. She was an integral part of the successful Shady Bell attraction for many years. Through her membership in the Quality Thyme Garden Club, Treva planted and cared for floral displays throughout the village of Kalkaska. Treva was a big supporter of Kalkaska Area Interfaith Resources (KAIR), the newly built Kaliseum, and the American Cancer Society Smoke Out. She was active in the St. Paul Lutheran Church as sacristan and the Kalkaska United Methodist Church as treasurer.

KALKASKA HIGH SCHOOL
ALUMNI HALL OF FAME
Royce Thomas
Class of 1976
Inducted May 27, 2016

Royce Thomas graduated Kalkaska High School in 1976, having excelled in baseball, basketball, football, golf, and cross country, and the only Kalkaska High School athlete to be selected as Outstanding Athlete three times (1974, 1975, and 1976).
Royce Thomas has pursued and been successful in careers in the banking and oil service industries. He was associated with Bub McDowell, and over the course of 16 years, Royce became an owner/partner in B& L Hotshot, McDowell & Sons, Inc., and BRR, Inc. He then became a partner in Phoenix Operating before starting an oil drilling business in Wyoming. In 2013 Royce continued his employment with Fortis Energy Services, Inc. as Vice President of Northeast Operations. Under his leadership Fortis Energy Services was recognized as Rocky Mountain Oilfield Service Company of the Year in 2015 and Northeast Oilfield Service Company of the Year in 2016. In the early 1990s Royce and four other partners created Grandview Golf Course, which has been given a four-star rating by Golf Digest. Over a 35-year span Royce has coached both middle school and high school boys and girls’ basketball teams, and has been Assistant Varsity Girls' Coach for over 20 years. Royce has been a passionate financial supporter of Kalkaska Public Schools.