Connie (Owens) Taylor ’76 was recently ordained as a Baptist minister. Congratulations, Connie!

Kathleen M. Murray ’79 was selected as the new president of Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Murray previously served as the first female president of Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, and before then, she served for seven years at Macalester College, including a three-month stint as acting president in 2013. Read the full Star Tribune article here.

Pat Schou ’74 announced her retirement as executive director of Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network in Princeton, Illinois, in summer 2024. Read the full Shaw Local article here.

Kathleen Potthoff ’73 was recently elected as Judge Advocate at the Department of Florida Marine Corps League. Congratulations, Kathleen!

After retiring from a 40+ year career in education, Joel O. Estes ’76 wrote and published his first book, Stand: A Journey of Friendship and Self-Discovery. Stand is a middle grade novel about the incidence of discrimination and the discovery of privilege. While targeted to young readers it is applicable to all ages. Stand is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & and a variety of independent bookstores. You can also listen to Joel share more about this book and his journey on this podcast. Congratulations Joel!

Wayne Messmer BME ‘72 is performing the one-man play Damien by Aldyth Morris. Recent performances have been met with critical acclaim. Messmer has been portraying Father (Saint) Damien, “The Leper Priest of Molokai” since 2002, including multiple performances in Hawaii. Congratulations Wayne!

Wilson earned a B.F.A. at Illinois Wesleyan University School of Drama (1975) where he studied under Edward Pisoni, an M.A. at San Francisco State University (1979) where he studied under Eric Sinkkonen, and completed an M.F.A. at Carnegie-Mellon University School of Drama (1982) where he studied under Oren Parker and Lynn Pektal. Wilson is a member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 and was an Assistant Professor for 9 years at Stanford University before joining the faculty of the Theatre Arts Department at San Francisco State University where he taught for 23 years. He retired as a Professor Emeritus in 2020, and lives in San Francisco with his partner and husband of 35 years.

Wilson’s extensive San Francisco Bay Area credits include scenic designs for American Conservatory Theatre, Theatreworks, The American Musical Theatre of San Jose, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Magic Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Aurora Theatre, both San Francisco and California Shakespeare Festivals, Artists Confronting AIDS, San Francisco Opera Center, the original Eureka Theatre, and others.

Nationally, Wilson’s design work extends to New York City, Chicago, Washington D. C., Los Angeles, Houston, Princeton, Newark, Buffalo, Malibu, Louisville, and Wichita. Wilson is the recipient of numerous awards, including ten Bay Area Critics Circle awards and five Hollywood Drama-Logue Awards, the Theatre L.A. Ovation Award, the Garland Award, and the Barbara Bladen Porter Award for Continued Creative Excellence.

Congratulations on a wonderful career, John!