Alumni

As Gov. Gretchen Whitmer prepares to deliver her first State of the State address, Northern Michigan University alumnus Mark A. Burton (’99 BS) is helping to formulate the vision for her administration and assembling the teams that will work toward achieving it. The Champion native was appointed the governor’s chief strategist in January.

In her 1990 student commencement address at Northern Michigan University, Rebecca Slough encouraged her fellow graduates “to lead with integrity, not because anyone is looking, but because it's who you are.” Twenty-five years later, her daughter Kylee (Slough) Deckert stood behind the podium, urging peers to approach the future with courage and “embrace success in all of its forms—not only what we achieve in our respective careers, but the type of people we become.” It is no surprise they expressed similar themes, because Kylee said her mom and dad instilled those qualities in their three children.

Five Northern Michigan University alumni who have taken diverse academic paths to find success in the cannabis industry will participate in a “Wildcats in the Weeds” panel discussion at the Great Lakes Cannabis Collaboration Conference at NMU on Tuesday, April 23. They commented in advance on how NMU prepared them for their careers.

Northern Michigan University alumnus Joe Tinti has been named Athletic Director of the Year by the Michigan Interscholastic Athletic Administration Association for Region 1. Tinti is the athletic director and principal at Norway High School. He was presented with the award on March 16 at the annual MIAAA Mid-Winter Conference in Traverse City.

Teri List, a 1984 alumna who holds a bachelor's degree in accounting and an honorary doctorate from NMU, has been appointed to the lululemon athletica inc. Board of Directors. She also serves on the boards of Microsoft, Visa and Danaher Corporation.

As part of its 125th anniversary celebration this year, Northern Michigan University is collecting stories and reflections from alumni, faculty, staff and community members to share throughout 2024 across various NMU platforms. Photos and recordings up to a minute in length are also welcome.