Professional
Ed Gries, a high councilor in the Cocoa Florida Stake, was elected president of the Society of Logistics Engineers at the organization's conference recently. Brother Gries, a project manager in logistics for Rockwell at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, will spend his term as president overseeing a major restructuring of the society to accommodate its growth and changing needs of the membership and the profession. He is a 1962 graduate of BYU.
Bill Ronhaar, executive secretary in the Mount Vernon 2nd Ward, Mount Vernon Washington Stake, was recently elected president of the Washington Land Title Association, the professional association for members of the title insurance and abstracting business in the state. Brother Ronhaar attended the annual convention of the American Land Title Association at Orlando, Fla.
Richard P. Halverson, president of the St. Paul Minnesota Stake, was recently honored by the Association for Investment Management and Research for his outstanding leadership in professional ethics. The 40,000-member professional association presented Pres. Halverson with the Daniel J. Forrestal III Leadership Award during its annual leadership conference in Washington D.C. Pres. Halverson's service to the association spans 25 years and includes serving as chairman of the Professional Conduct Committee and as a member of the Professional Ethics and Responsibility Committee. Pres. Halverson is president of Great Northern Capital in St. Paul, Minn.
Leadership
Sharlene Cook, a junior at Valencia (Calif.) High School, attended The National Young Leaders Conference in Washington D.C., Oct. 18-23. The theme of the conference was "The Leaders of Tomorrow Meeting the Leaders of Today." During the six-day conference, Sharlene interacted with key leaders and newsmakers from the three branches of government, the media and the diplomatic corps. A member of the Anaheim 2nd Ward, Anaheim California Stake, Sharlene has a 3.85 grade-point average and performs with her school's marching band and wind ensemble.
Education
Bonnie Fullmer of the Middleton 2nd Ward, Caldwell Idaho North Stake, has been selected as a Presidential Scholars Distinguished Teacher. Each year the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars chooses 14 national scholars and each one invites the teacher who has been most influential in his or her life to Washington D.C., for a weeklong celebration. Sister Fullmer, an English teacher at Centennial High School in Boise, was chosen by Valerie MacMillan.
Lynn Callister, an assistant professor of nursing at BYU, has been chosen from 30,000 association members nationwide to receive the Award for Excellence in Nursing Education from the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nursing. The award is given annually to a member recognized by her peers as exemplifying the highest standards of service to education. Sister Callister has taught maternal and newborn nursing and women's health at BYU since 1988. She is a member of the Pleasant View 8th Ward and Relief Society president of the Provo Utah Sharon East Stake.
Pageants
Trisha Rae Ramirez of the Cheyenne 1st Ward, Cheyenne Wyoming Stake, was crowned Miss Wyoming 1994 in the Camplex Center at Gillette, Wyo., one year after returning from the Taiwan Taipei Mission. She went on to compete in the Miss America Pageant at Atlantic City, N.J., in September. Sister Ramirez is pursuing a degree in piano performance and piano pedagogy at BYU.
Shauna Roylance of the Warden Ward, Othello Washington Stake, was third runnerup in the Mrs. America competition at Fort Worth, Texas, in September. Half of each contestant's total score is based on interviews. Sister Roylance earned the right to represent Washington in the national contest after she was crowned the state winner in July. The mother of three sons is a singer and has written and recorded some original pop and Christian/spiritual music. She also volunteers her time and talents to various local pageants.
Elaine Thomas of the Mountain Shadows Ward, North Las Vegas Nevada Stake, recently was crowned Miss Jr. America West Coast Teen in competition at Anaheim, Calif. She was also named Miss Photogenic and won first place in the variety division of the talent show with a performance on the violin. She is the only girl in a family of 12 children.
Centennarians
Mary Ann Finch Thomas of the Alhambra Ward, Phoenix Arizona West Stake, turned 100 years old on Oct. 27. She was born in Goshen, Utah. She married Edwin Thomas on June 11, 1913, in the Salt Lake Temple and they had five children. She has 17 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren. She completed 100 percent of her visiting teaching for 67 years and continues to be an avid reader.
Lydia Vilate Michaelson of the Afton 1st Ward, Afton Wyoming Stake, turned 100 years old on Oct. 25. She was born in a two-room log cabin at Glen Coe (now Thayne), Wyo., to Jacob and Elizabeth Emma Barker Michaelson. She was one of the 11 students in the first graduating class from Star Valley High School on April 24, 1915. She is the youngest of 13 children. Sister Michaelson served in the Eastern States Mission, 1930-32, and graduated from BYU in 1947. She taught school for 36 years. She attributes her longevity to hard work and strict observance of the Word of Wisdom.
Della Vilate Passey Davis of the Rocky Butte Ward, Portland Oregon East Stake, turned 100 years old on Aug. 22. She was born in Lanark, Idaho, to George Henry and Miranda Vilate Dimick Passey. She was baptized Sept. 6, 1902. She and her family moved to Sterling, Alberta, in 1904 to colonize the area with other members of the Church. She moved with her family to Portland, Ore., in 1919. She has three daughters, 11 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren.
Eva May Butler Israelsen of the North Logan 2nd Ward, North Logan Utah Stake, turned 100 years old on Oct. 5. She was born in Butlerville (now Cottonwood Heights), Utah, to Leander Neri and Sally Haphzabah Wagstaff Butler. Sister Israelsen has lived in North Logan for the past 58 years. She married Victor Eugene Israelsen Nov. 7, 1917, in the Salt Lake Temple. They had 11 children and she has 67 grandchildren, 215 great-grandchildren and 16 great-great-grandchildren. She has served in many Church callings and as a visiting teacher.
Athletics
Jensen Marciel Maldonado of the Ainaola Ward, Hilo Hawaii Stake, represented Hawaii in the National Junior Olympic Boxing Championship Tournament at Marquette, Mich., this summer. He earned the spot in the Bantam Division by winning the gold medal for the island of Hawaii and then going on to win the state championship.
Lauren Fifield, 9, won the Arizona State Track Championship in the 1500 meters for ages 10 and under this summer. Her time was a personal best 5 minutes, 48 seconds. She also placed second in the 800 meters. A member of the Tempe 14th Ward, Tempe Arizona South Stake, Lauren advanced to the Region X championships where she placed fifth in the 1500 and 800.
Travis Allen, Pace Lombardi, Jeremy Burt, and Cody Johson teamed up to win the Triple Crown National 3-on-3 Basketball Championship in the division for 11 year olds. They won all seven of their games at the tournament in Boulder, Colo., in September. Travis of the Cottonwood 9th Ward, Salt Lake Cottonwood Stake; Pace of the Edgemont Ward, Sandy Utah Central Stake; Jeremy of the Granite 5th Ward, Sandy Utah Granite Stake; and Cody of the Alta View 5th Ward, Sandy Utah Alta View Stake, made up the Kickin' Cousins team. Travis and Pace are cousins, as are Jeremy and Cody.
