2015 MASS MEDIA alumni class notes
Mikki Burcher
Burcher, 2010, started M
Burcher Consulting and finished her
master’s degree in liberal studies
from Washburn in the fall of 2014.
Her business focuses on content
generation, content marketing, and
search engine optimization. She is
also a Leadership Greater Topeka
2014 graduate.
Tyler Graf
Graf, 2004, works as an
accountant for a shipping maritime
company, Tote Inc and recently
bought a house in Seattle.
Kristen Grimmer
Grimmer, 2010, just got
a paper accepted to the BEA
2015 Conference in the Sports
Division and it won 2nd place
in the Debut Paper Category.
She currently is teaching Media
Writing in the William Allen White
School of Journalism and Mass
Communications at KU and has one
more year to finish her dissertation
for her PhD.
Justin Gutierrez
Gutierrez, 2010, works full time
at Staff Remote V3 at ESPN. He does
field work on major sports broadcasts
for all Disney/ESPN networks.
Kate Hampson
Hampson, 2011, Business
Development & Finance Manager
for the Fort Collins Soccer Club. It
is a small, non-profit youth sports
organization that services over 5,000
soccer players.
Briana Holmes
Holmes, 2011, currently
the Marketing & Development
Coordinator at TARC, Shawnee
County’s most experienced provider
of support for children and adults
with intellectual, developmental and
related disabilities.
page 20
Molly Howey
Howey, 2008, works for GO
Topeka as the Director of Business
Development. She graduated from
Oklahoma University’s Economic
Development Institute in November
of 2014 with plans to sit for the
certification exam this year.
Richard Kelly
Kelly, 2012, moved to the role
of junior recruiter at Key Staffing.
He now has his own client base
and continues to cover the Topeka
RoadRunners for the Topeka Capital
Journal.
Misty Kruger
Kruger, 2010, works at Shawnee
County Health Agency as Public
Information Officer. She graduated
from Friends University with
an MBA. She was selected to
Leadership Topeka Class of 2015.
She lives in Silver Lake with her
husband, Tom and their two children.
Chris Marshall
Marshall, 2009, is the Copy Editor
at Advisors Excel (see page 21).
Jayna McFarland
McFarland, 2010, Is the host of
the new local kids’ program, “Aunt
Molly and Friends” on WIBW.
Ashley Nadeau
Nadeau, 2011, marketing Director
for InterHab in Topeka. InterHab
is the oldest and largest statewide
association of developmental
disability service providers. They
are the premier entity in Kansas for
advocacy on behalf of developmental
disability issues. She was nominated
for Top 20 under 40.
Neil Payne
Payne, 1998, currently prepping
a short film “Social of Modern
American Youth 101.”
Travis Perry
Perry, 2009, became a father,
sold a house/moved back to Topeka,
and started working at Washburn as
Communication Coordinator with
admissions.
Keri Battershell-Renner
Battershell-Renner, 2003, is
the Director of Communications
for Kansas Housing Resources
Corporation in Topeka.
Eric Smith
Smith, 2009, was promoted to
Online Editor for the Topeka Capital
Journal.
Melissa Sowers
Sowers, 2012, Director of
Communications & Events for the
Kansas Motor Carriers Association.
KMCA is the statewide membership
driven organization created to serve
the trucking industry and its Allied
Members.
Samantha Tadlock
Tadlock, 2013, is working as a
project analyst for the solar rebate
program at Kansas City Power and
light. She remodeled her house, has
grown her speed dating business, and
is getting married Dec. 31, 2015.
Rob Welcher
Welcher, 2011, is overdrive
operator/Video Editor for Fox 25 in
OKC.
Leslie Welker-Kruger
Welker-Kruger, 2010,
was promoted to eMarketing
Communications Specialist at Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Kansas in
November. She and her husband
welcomed a baby boy, Lukas, on
May 16, 2014.
Daniel Wiggs
Wiggs, 2007, is a performance
quality manager at SE2.
washburn.edu/massmedia