THE LORAS COLLEGE MAGAZINE | VOL. 59 | NO. 1 | WINTER 2010

Tom Bitter (’93) was appointed as an Iowa
District Court judge by Gov. Chet Culver.
Bitter graduated from the University of
Iowa’s College of Law in 1996 and for many
years practiced alongside his father, Joseph
Bitter, now deceased, at Bitter Law Office.
Paula Neuhaus (’95) has been appointed as
director of Maquoketa Art Experience, a
not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to
revitalizing downtown Maquoketa, Iowa,
through artist-in-residency programs, workshops
and exhibitions. In this role she will be
responsible for coordination and promotion
of all arts programming, residencies,
workshops, exhibitions and ongoing
expansion as well as promotion of the
Eastern Iowa Cultural Corridor. Neuhaus
continues her work as a poet and writer,
volunteers with several Dubuque art groups
and manages two independent projects:
Wordcure Spoken Word Series and Art
Gumbo Micro-funding Program.
Lora Neyens (’95) was promoted to development
editor II at The McGraw-Hill
Companies in Dubuque, Iowa.
Jean Luna (’96) has been named half-time
assistant principal at Kenwood High School
in Clarksville, Tenn. She will also fill a halftime
teaching position at the high school. For
the past 13 years, Luna has educated children
in the states of Iowa, Washington and
North Carolina, most recently working as a
first grade teacher at Sango Elementary
School in Clarksville.
Melissa (Higgs) Kohler [Lisa Higgs] (’97)
has announced the upcoming publication of
her first chapter book of poetry, Lodestar.
Finishing Line Press released the book of 20
sonnets on March 11, 2011.
Brian Unsen, CPA (’97) was promoted to
senior manager at Eide Bailly, LLP, in
Dubuque, Iowa, specializing in providing
audit services for governmental, nonprofit
and employee benefit plan clients. He has
been with the firm since 1998.
Rick Casarez (’98) is head coach of the
Ruff House Training Center in Dubuque,
Iowa, teaching mixed martial arts. Casarez is
a former NCAA All-American wrestler at
Loras College and professional mixed
martial arts fighter.
Kizzy Gaul (’98) is now a certified pension
consultant (CPC). Gaul is a retirement
services compliance specialist for Dubuque
Bank and Trust’s Wealth Management
Group. The American Society of Pension
Professionals & Actuaries confers the CPC
credential to individuals who have completed
a set of rigorous exams to demonstrate
competence in specific areas of retirement
and employee benefits consulting. She has
been with DB&T’s Wealth Management
Group since 2007.
Chad Huntington (’98) has been named a
2010 Rising Star by the Tri-State Business
Times. The award annually recognizes
business leaders age 40 and younger for their
leadership and commitment to the Dubuque
community. Huntington is currently the vice
president of human resources at A.Y.
McDonald Mfg. Co.
2000s
Peter Arling (’00) has been selected as a
2010 Rising Star by the Tri-State Business
Times. The award annually recognizes
business leaders age 40 and younger for their
leadership and commitment to the Dubuque
community. Arling is currently an attorney
and shareholder at O’Connor & Thomas, P.C.
Nathan Copeland (’00) received a Public
Service Award from the Mutual Insurance
Association of Iowa at their 130th Annual
Convention held in Des Moines, Iowa, on
Nov. 15, 2010. He was presented with this
award for his courageous actions on Oct. 2,
2010, helping rescue Danielle Eldeen and
her two granddaughters, Kadie and Madison
Schaeffer, from their overturned minivan
that had caught fire after crashing on
Highway 151.
Joni Dement (’01) joined Honkamp Krueger
Financial Services, Inc., as senior retirement
services document specialist.
Joe Splinter (’01) was promoted to senior
manager at Eide Bailly, LLP, in Dubuque,
Iowa, specializing in providing audit and
consulting services for nonprofit and
healthcare clients. He has been with the
firm since 2000.
Class Notes | Spring 2011
Anthony Stone (’01) had the honor of
serving as the defensive coordinator for the
USA Women’s National Football Team in
July 2010. The team won the first IFAF
Women’s World Championship gold medal
with a 66-0 victory over Canada at the
Zinkensdamms IP Stadium in Stockholm,
Sweden.
Jesi Riggles (’02) recently published her
first novel, Four Thousand Miles, as an
eBook. In addition to writing, she teaches
creative writing workshops to teens through
the University of Wisconsin Outreach
Program and has served as a creative writing
mentor for the Young Scholars Program
through the Wisconsin Center for
Academically Talented Youth. Riggles’ short
story, “Death of a Woman,” has been
published in the Detroit based literary
magazine The Furnace.
Sarah Ledger, M.D. (’03) has joined the
practice as a physician at Family Medicine
Mount Pleasant in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.
She will also serve as a full-time medical
staff member at Henry County Health
Center. Ledger specializes in family practice
medicine with obstetrics.
Steve Lukan (’03) was named a 2010 Rising
Star by the Tri-State Business Times in
Dubuque. The award annually recognizes
business leaders age 40 and younger for their
leadership and commitment to the Dubuque
community. Lukan is currently an account
executive/producer at English Insurance in
Dyersville, Iowa, and a state
representative/assistant Republican leader for
the Iowa House of Representatives.
Brian Cassidy (’04) joined The Friedman
Group, Inc., as an account executive. He will
specialize in personal and commercial lines
insurance. Cassidy previously worked at
Northeast Iowa Community College.
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