ASU Alumni Association names board of directors, National Alumni Council

The Arizona State University Alumni Association recently announced its 2020–2021 board of directors and National Alumni Council. Terms for all members of both groups began July 1.

“I look forward to working with this group of Sun Devils who are business and community leaders from a wide variety of industries and professions,” said Christine K. Wilkinson, president and CEO of the organization. “This group of leaders will bring their professional expertise and passion for their alma mater as they provide guidance and serve as ambassadors for the ASU Alumni Association and the university.”

Board and council officers

The following persons were named to serve as officers of the board of directors and the National Alumni Council.

Chair: Chris Hill ’86 BS

Hill has served in numerous roles since joining the board in 2015 including being a part of the ASU Alumni Veterans Chapter, and participating in the selection of scholarship award recipients and ASU Leadership Institute participants. He is a distinguished military graduate from ASU’s nationally ranked ROTC program and served in the Army as a medical service corps officer for 20 years. Hill subsequently served as CEO for several large health care organizations and is currently the senior managing director of Treadstone Management. 

“My goal is to continue to expand our engagement with our network of 500,000 Sun Devil alumni in our community, across the nation and around the world,” Hill said. “I look forward to working with our dedicated group of Sun Devil professionals on the board and council, along with our Alumni Association staff, as we seek to advance the university through outreach, service and leadership.”

Chair-elect: Kristine Kassel ’91 BS

Kassel is the president of Benefits by Design, an Arizona-based agency focused on group employee benefits. Kassel joined the Alumni Association council in 2013 and the board of directors in 2016. Kassel is focused on advancing the growth and accomplishments of the university, its students and alumni. Her passion for collaboration is reflected in her work on the Alumni Association board and her service in the community.

Treasurer: Bret Giles ’87 BS

Giles is a co-founder of Audacious Studios, a marketing incubator with four specialized agencies focused on performance marketing, digital product design and development, customer experience, and influencer marketing. Giles joined the Alumni Association council for two terms prior to joining the board of directors.

Past-chair: Rick Dircks ’82 BS

Dircks is the executive vice president of Dircks Moving and Logistics and has more than three decades of experience in the moving industry, working in various sales and management positions throughout the western United States. Dircks joined the Alumni Association board of directors in July 2016.

ASU Alumni Association board of directors

The following alums were elected to their first three-year term on the association’s board of directors, effective July 1:

Latasha Causey ’02 BIS

Causey is the head of recruiting for all U-Haul International locations in both the United States and Canada. Causey leads a team of recruiters who focus on finding the right talent to work in multiple areas of the U-Haul organization including information technology, call center, manufacturing and various roles within the Arizona corporate headquarters. She is very active in the Phoenix community as she serves on the board of directors of Teach for America of Arizona, Florence Crittenton, Children’s Museum of Phoenix and Charter 100. She is also the co-chair of the Valley of the Sun United Way, Women United leadership group.

Kirk McClure ’01 BSD, ’10 MBA

As a director at Kitchell Corp., McClure has a proven track record of transforming leads into jobs through collaboration, innovation and hands-on leadership. In the Valley, McClure is on the Fiesta Bowl’s Yellow Jacket Committee; is a board member of CoreNet Global, an association for the real estate industry; and a Blue Blazer with Fighter Country Partnership. He is also a past honorary commander at Luke Air Force Base and served on several boards, including Arizona Association of Economic Development and Maricopa Community College District Foundation .

Stephanie Mitrovic ’09 M. Arch

Mitrovic is the science and technology studio leader at SmithGroup, an award-winning integrated architectural design firm. She is also a member of the American Institute of Architects, International Interior Design Association and the National Council of Architectural Registration boards. Mitrovic serves as an ambassador for the Translational Genomics Research Institute and is on the steering committee for Valley of the Sun United Way, Women United leadership group. She also volunteers with the National Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk. This year, Mitrovic will serve as the chair of the 2021 Founders’ Day committee.

Graham Rossini ’02 BS

Rossini is in his 13th season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and serves as the club’s vice president, special projects and fan experience. He is an active board and council member of several organizations, including the ASU National Alumni Council, Downtown Phoenix Partnership, TGen Ambassadors, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s "The Vinnies," Downtown Phoenix Warehouse District and Green Sports Alliance.

The four new board members join Ray Artigue ’76 BA; Gregg Brewster ’83 BA; Lisa Fernandez ’09 BS; Tim Gertz ’01 BS, ’02 MAIS; Bret Giles ’87 BS; Trish Gulbranson ’88 BS; Luis Heredia ’98 BS; Tim Kelly ’98 BS, ’01 MS; Mark Kerrigan ’74 BS; Joya Kizer Clarke ’04 BS; Jim Lodge ’87 MBA; Mike McGuirk ’82 BS; Fred Reish ’67 BS; and Michael Tully ’87 BS, ’91 MBA.

ASUAA National Alumni Council

Eight ASU alums were named to their first three-year terms on the Alumni Association’s National Alumni Council:

• Eden Higgins ’87 BA, vice president, practice leader, Duffy Group, Inc.
• Tim Huish ’98 BS, strategy and support team leader, Wells Fargo.
• Valerie Jedlicki ’09 BS, assistant vice president, business services, SwitchThink Solutions.
• Chad Kolodisner ’91 BS, executive vice president, Diamond Ventures, Inc.
• Jennifer Mellor ’00 BS, chief innovation officer, Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce.
• Rick Nakazawa ’85 BS, director of gobal product technical operations, McAffee, Inc.
• Ira Rotenberg ’95 BS, ’00 MBA, chief financial officer, GO Carwash Management.
• Andrew Vandertoorn ’02 BS, C-17A evaluator pilot, U.S. Air Force Reserve; and First Officer, Delta Air Lines.

These new members join the following on the National Alumni Council: Michal Angulo ’06 BS; Suzanne Durkin-Bighorn ’04 BS, ’18 MNLM; Andi Fourlis ’92 BAE, ’11 EdD; Samantha Hagan ’93 BS; Jennifer Mammano Ward ’03 BS, ’03 BS; Jeff Mirasola ’90 BS; Shaney Salomon ’14 BIS; and Ty Triplett ’76 BS.