Class Notes

Jeff Comstock, B.A., business administration - management information systems, recently became president of CX Product & Technology for NICE, Inc., which operates AI-powered platforms for customer experience automation. 

Brett Stanciu, M.A., English, received a Vermont Arts Council Creation Grant for her upcoming novel "Save Town Hall." Brett is an author as well as the treasurer of Greensboro, Vermont. Her third novel, "Call It Madness," will be available in June. 

Ed Barbier, B. A., economics/political science, became the branch manager of the new CMG Home Loans branch in Vancouver. 

Sev Jones, B.A., urban and regional planning, became the director of Community Development for San Juan County. Previously, he was the director of Planning and Projects at Kalispel Tribal Economic Authority. 

Caitlin Daniels, B.A., marketing, joined the Land Use Planning Department of PLS Engineering in Vancouver. 

Paul Sherman, B.A., history, just released his first book, "Poems of the Grand Canyon," written during and after his time working at a restaurant in the national park. 

Caden Mee, B.S., kinesiology - pre healthcare, recently became the girls basketball coach at Squalicum High School, where he also serves as a special education teacher. 

Kayla Bernsen, B.A., English - creative writing, recently became the head girls basketball coach at Meridian High School. Kayla is also a former assistant coach at Western. 

Marco Zamora, B.A., marketing, recently became a mortgage loan representative at Peoples Bank in Bellingham. 

The California State Teachers' Retirement System, the largest educator-only pension fund in the world, appointed Nick Abel, B.A., finance, as its new director of Sustainable Investment and Stewardship Strategies. 

Skagit County Superior Court Judge Tom Verge, B.A., business administration, retired Dec. 31 after a 37-year legal career, which included time on the bench in three different court systems  

Stacie Pratschner, B.A., and '18, M.A., anthropology, recently became Oak Harbor's Community Development director, where she'll help develop the city's marina. Previously, Stacie was the Community Development director in Mount Vernon. 

Liberty Stansberry, B.A., human services, founded Solutions HR Consulting, based in Seattle. Previously, Liberty worked in chief HR roles with Northwest Kidney Centers, Optum and Brookdale Senior Living. 

Sandra Cullis, M.Ed., natural science, was recently appointed the superintendent of the Denville Township School District in New Jersey. Sandra has served as assistant superintendent since 2013 and will begin as superintendent in July. 

Jaya Flanary, B.A., visual journalism, was recently promoted to be managing editor for visuals and design at the Cascadia Daily News, where she's worked since the newspaper's beginning in 2022

Audra Anderson, B.A., journalism, was promoted to managing editor for news at the Cascadia Daily Herald, where she's served as assistant editor since 2022. 

Dr. Devon "Fritz" Kuhlmann, B.S., biology, is passionate about rural healthcare and recently joined the medical staff of Sidney Health Center's primary care clinic in Montana. Fritz earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Western University of Health Sciences COMP Northwest in Lebanon, Oregon. He also served as a hospital corpsman with the U.S. Navy's Fleet Marine Force.

Jackie Zils, B.A., journalism, is a content strategist at JayRay, a branding, advertising and strategic communications firm in the South Sound. 

Celine Parton, B.A., business administration - marketing, is a musician who helped organize the 2026 Bellingham Folk Festival. Celine is a fiddler who performs with Dream Goats. 

Alana Schachtel, '15, B.A., Fairhaven interdisciplinary concentration, and Erik Fure, B.S., psychology, are musicians who used to jam together at Western and are now in Chicago as creating music as Immaterialize. Their songs "blur the lines between indie rock, dream pop, and experimental textures."