Class Notes

By Amanda Clark

*Annual Alumni Association Member
**Lifetime Alumni Association Member

1960s

**William “Fred” Dais (Ed ’64, MEd ’69, Ed Spec ’77) completed 56 years as an educator in May 2020. He served as a teacher and principal at Springfield Local Schools in Holland, Ohio, director of field experiences at Carson-Newman University in Jefferson City, Tenn., and a part-time instructor and field supervisor for The University of Toledo’s Judith Herb College of Education since 2009. Dais is married to Dr. Lynda Dunn, a professor emerita at Carson-Newman University and currently an adjunct professor at Owens Community College in Perrysburg, Ohio.

1980s

Patrick Murphy

Patrick Murphy (Law ’80) was appointed by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to serve as judge for the Crawford County Court of Common Pleas, Probate and Juvenile Division, located in Bucyrus, Ohio.

Dean Niese

*Dean M. Niese (Eng ’84) was named president and CEO of The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc. He joined the firm in 1984 and previously served as COO and chairman of the firm’s board of directors. Niese worked with staff and fellow shareholders to help the firm grow from a single office in Toledo with 15 employees to a regional engineering leader with 14 offices and more than 350 employees in Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia. He is credited with spearheading the firm’s environmental business, now their largest operating unit.

Robert Wohl (Ed ’83) had a successful career teaching physical education and adapted physical education over the past 35 years and is still going strong in Findlay, Ohio. He has wonderful memories of the professors in physical education in the 70s and 80s at UToledo.

1990s

Brian Geer

Brian P. Geer (Eng ’93) was named COO of The Mannik & Smith Group, Inc. He joined the firm in 1998, was named a principal and vice president in 2005 and senior vice president in 2012. Geer also serves as an officer with the U.S. Naval Reserves, Civil Engineering Corps. Lieutenant Commander Geer received his commission in 2009, deploying to Afghanistan in 2013-2014.

2000s

Joseph Hautman

Joseph Hautman (Eng ’02, Honors ’02) and Sarah Fitzgerald welcomed their second child to the family, Luke Joseph, joining three-year-old Abigail Grace. Joe is employed by GE Aviation as a senior fleet program manager. The family resides in Cincinnati and will celebrate their eighth wedding anniversary this year.

Brian Weinblatt

**Dr. Brian Weinblatt (A/S ’02, MA ’04, Ph.D. ’12) and Morgan Waisner were married on March 15 at The Addison in Boca Raton, Fla. Brian is senior director of development at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Morgan is director of philanthropic engagement at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation in Miami, Fla.

2010s

Quentin Kuhlman

Quentin Kuhlman (LLSS ’15) and Natalie Fleck exchanged vows on May 23 in Ney, Ohio. Quentin and Natalie are both employed at First Federal Bank of the Midwest.

Trent Miller

Trent Miller (MBA ’12) was promoted in the United States Army to Lieutenant Colonel. He was also selected for battalion command beginning in the summer of 2021, he will command 2^nd Battalion, 25^th Aviation Regiment at Wheeler Army Airfield, Hawaii. Miller is married to Denise (Siefker) of Columbus Grove, Ohio and they have two sons, Evan, age eight, and Lee, age four.