Milgard MBA Graduates of 2015-2016

FARID BAGHIROV

Currently working at Cordant Health Solution as a supervisor and enjoying spending time with my family without having to do homework.

TROY BASS

The MBA program has enabled me to steadily progress in Columbia Bank's Loan Operations department. While I look forward to using my knowledge to further the Bank and my career, I'm most excited to settle back down and invest in my family and friends.

CALEB BEHRMANN I would like to thank Maggie Beeson for being so supportive of me over the last two years of late nights, dinners alone when I am in class, and weekends spent working on projects and papers when we could have been out having fun together. I would also like to thank my family for helping me to be the person I am. I look forward to using the skills I have learned to advance my career within the Boeing Company and applying my new experiences to real-world business situations.

ERWIN BROSAS I would like to thank my wife Chary for her support and patience while I was attending the MBA program. Also I would like to show my appreciation to my daughters Faith, Hope, and Love for being great kids and sources of entertainment during my busy school schedule. I also want to thank my colleagues at Russell Investments es-pecially my manager for her support and flexibility. This accomplishment would not be possible without their help and support.

I am looking forward to continue working for Russell Investments and look for opportunities to advance my career at the company. I will definitely spend more time with my family now that I am free from school projects, case studies, and team meetings.

BLAIR BUMGARNER

After graduation I plan to spend some more quality time with my four-month-old son Bennett and my amazing wife Rebecca. We're looking forward to actually being able to say "yes" to weekend trips and family gatherings. I plan to continue working for Microsoft, applying concepts from the MBA program to future product launches and project implementations

MBA graduates of autumn 2015, winter, spring and summer 2016 were invited to provide a photo and update for this

edition of the newsletter.

Not Pictured: Laura Botello, Moises Colon, Tuong Dang, Melissa Dinius, Roman Dixon, Cody Hargrove, Marcus Perry, Jillian Rushing, Jon Skidmore, Russell Summers, Candace Wood

Milgard MBA Graduates of 2015-2016

LAURA BELLE DOUGLAS

The last two years have been a busy but wonderful experience – I’ve started and completed my MBA, chaired a regional professional development organization, and welcomed my son, Mac, into the world. I have learned so much about taking ahold of opportunities and being efficient, and I am now ready to reap the rewards by relaxing and enjoying a job well done! Spending more time with my son and husband is a priority, and I hope to use my new skills to advance in my field of international education. Congrats to all my classmates!!

ELIZABETH DROWN

Since classes ended I've been on the road for work, supporting the Northwest, Alaska, and Hawaii Pepsi warehouses with operational support and training. It's fun to work with different kinds of teams to help them solve problems and be successful. I feel confident that the connections I've made in this MBA program with peers and professors will continue to add value to my life and my career. In my newly acquired free time, I've been able to enjoy time working on the yard, spend time with my wonderful husband, and experience all of those weekend events I've been missing these last two years.

ALYSSA JORGENSEN

Alyssa started the MBA program just weeks after moving to the PNW from the New England area and has since made it her home. She has been working in Seattle for two leading advertising agencies in the strate-gy and data analytics departments for the past year and is set to continue on a steady path of growth.

MATTHEW MEACHAM

Thank you to: my wife Cassie and my family for all their help the last two years, especially when I was gone studying; my classmates for their thoughtful perspectives; my boss for the opportunity to bring what I’ve learned to our workplace; and Candace and Jordan for helping me to laugh and have fun. Life stuff: Kiddo #2 in October, watch the Seahawks again and play some sports. Career stuff: Keep working where the mission is to help people. Wherever I go, I will do my best to help staff grow and achieve their best selves.

PATRICK MILES The past two years have been challenging at times, and I want to thank my friends and family for all of the support they've given me during the program. In particular, I want to acknowledge the sacrifices that my wife and kids made for me while I was pursuing this degree. I've really enjoyed being present with my family since finishing the program.

After graduation I resumed my seat on the board of First Night Tacoma, and in March I was elected Board Presi-dent. I am looking forward to this new challenge, and I'm excited about what I can bring to the board. I am looking forward to new career opportunities, and putting my MBA to use.

Milgard MBA Graduates of 2015-2016

BRIAN MILLER

The Milgard MBA program has helped me develop professionally into a small business and accounting manager. I now confidently deliver creative, entrepreneurial, and long lasting financial solutions for my individual and business clients.

BYRNISE MONTECLARO

I'm very grateful to my family for their loving support and continued encouragement to finish my MBA degree. With this new set of skills, I'll be a better leader and an holistic entrepreneur. I hope someday to do a start-up that could make even a small contribution in recreating a new earth.

NICK POSTIGLIONE

I am appreciative of the friends and relationships developed over the last two years. The knowledge and skills will help develop and further my career in ways that I could not have done without the degree. After completing the MBA program, I am looking to forward to hiking more mountains and attending more happy hours.

DOLORES STEGEMAN I plan to continue working at Tacoma Power in my role of Transmission and Distribution Section Manager. I have learned much from the MBA program and the professors that pertain toward both my professional and personal pursuits. I intend to fill my newly regained spare time with a tremen-dous amount of sewing, including traveling to collaborate and train with others focused on profession-al level sewing and design ventures.

PAUL SWANSBY I want to thank all the students and faculty for their assistance throughout my MBA journey of 5 ½ years. Next, I’d like to express my gratitude to my beautiful wife for her constant support as my chief editor and my personal motivational coach. Lastly, I’d like to give thanks to my very talented daughter, Chloe, for her un-derstanding when we passed up on some fun and spontaneous opportunities that happened to coincide with my studies. I plan to utilize my MBA skills in my current Boeing career, while I seek out my next oppor-tunity. I am also looking forward to immersing myself in the PNW via hiking, biking, camping and playing golf.

ASHLEY THATCHER I am excited to experience life without school! For 26 years straight I have been a student and am ecstatic to join the "real" world as they call it. I will be using my education to enter the fitness industry; what exact path, I don't know but I am ready to experiment. I am thankful to my friends and family who supported my journey especially my parent for all these years.