Tonzia Buor, Alyson Davis, Jonathan Hatfield, Dr. Ken Janda and Leah Wicander

The Hope College Alumni Association Board of Directors appointed five new members and elected three new officers during its April meeting.

The board’s new members are: Tonzia Buor, a 2005 graduate from Denver, Colorado; Alyson Davis, a junior from Palatine, Illinois; Jonathan Hatfield, a 2009 graduate from Grand Rapids, Michigan; Dr. Ken Janda, a 1973 graduate from San Diego, California; and Leah Wicander, a 2007 graduate from Madison, Wisconsin.

Newly elected as the board’s three officers are: president, Tracey Hoesch, a 2003 graduate from Ann Arbor, Michigan; vice president, Tonisha Gordon, a 2009 graduate from Perrysburg, Ohio; and secretary, Dr. Kiersten Krause, a 1997 graduate from Holland, Michigan.  The outgoing officers are president, Dr. Jon Soderstrom, a 1976 graduate from Madison, Connecticut, who has concluded his tenure with the Alumni Board to serve on the college’s Board of Trustees; vice president, Lindsay Allward-Theimer, a 2011 graduate from Atlanta, Georgia; and secretary, Anna Hartge, a 2012 graduate from Washington, D.C.

Grace Purdue of Grand Rapids, Michigan, formerly Senior Class Representative, was appointed representative of the most recent graduating class. Naod Estifanos of Traverse City, Michigan, formerly Junior Class Representative, was appointed Senior Class Representative.

Along with Soderstrom, the board members who have completed their service are Jonathan Liepe, a 1991 graduate from Colorado Springs, Colorado; Terrell Solberg, a 2021 graduate from Traverse City; Carl Toren, a 1979 graduate from Lynnwood, Illinois; and Susan Williams, a 1990 graduate from Grand Rapids, Michigan.  In addition, board member Lenora Koelbel, a 1964 graduate from Laredo, Texas, died on Nov. 6, 2021.

Tonzia Buor majored in political science at Hope, and went on to receive an M.B.A. degree from Anderson University.  She is the vice president of human resources at North Suburban Medical Center (HCA Healthcare) in Colorado. Her industry experience encompasses healthcare and nonprofit. Originally from Liberia, West Africa, she is a Board Member of her family’s nonprofit organization, Christian Leadership Training International, that recently opened a college preparatory school with 431 students in Ganta, Liberia, in November 2021. She is also passionate about the state of healthcare in Liberia, and not only opened a clinic for students, staff, and faculty in the college preparatory school, but is involved in providing hospitals and clinics in Liberia with basic equipment and resources. As a student at Hope, she was involved in the Social Activities Committee and Black Student Union, and was a Phelps Scholar.

Alyson Davis is majoring in psychology with minors in German and leadership. She is involved in the college’s Campus Ministries program as a Bible study leader and a student mentor. She is also a member of the Dorian Sorority, for which she is currently serving as the chaplain, and in the past has been an orientation assistant.  She is a 2020 graduate of William Fremd High School in Palatine.

Jonathan Hatfield majored in business management and psychology at Hope. He joined J.P. Morgan’s Private Bank after graduating and spent time in both Michigan and Chicago, returning to Grand Rapids in 2018. He moved his wealth management practice to Merrill Lynch in the summer of 2020. As an alumnus, he has volunteered in the business department and connects with students who have a career interest in financial services. He has also served as a host for Hope-Calvin rivalry parties in Chicago, hosted visits from the Business Club and Baker Scholars at J.P. Morgan, served as a selector for the Baker Scholars, and frequently returns to campus for accounting and finance career panels.  His activities as a student included the Wind Symphony, Club Hockey, and serving as president for the Baker Scholars. He also studied abroad through the college’s Vienna Summer School and London May Term. He and his wife, Lora-Jan (LJ), have two young children at home.

Ken Janda graduated from Hope with degrees in chemistry and physics and participated in summer research and a research experience at the University of Southampton, England.  He subsequently completed the Ph.D. program at Harvard University and a postdoctoral study program at the University of Chicago. He has since served on the faculties of the California Institute of Technology, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of California, Irvine; teaching and performing research in physical chemistry. At UC Irvine, he was appointed Dean of Physical Sciences, in which capacity he served for 10 years before retiring. As Dean Emeritus of Physical Sciences, he currently serves on the University of California Global Climate Leadership Council, supporting research to combat and mitigate climate change and promote climate social justice.  Passionate about Hope summer research, he helped establish and fund the college’s Sheldon and Marilyn Wettack Summer Research Fellowships.  He and his wife, Patricia, who is a 1972 Hope graduate, have two children and four grandchildren.

Leah Wicander majored in Spanish and minored in German, both for secondary education. Following graduation, she taught courses for the Hope College language department before earning her Master’s degree in Applied Spanish Linguistics from Michigan State University. She pursued a Ph.D. in Second Language Acquisition through ABD status from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She works for Madison School & Community Recreation, which is the city's public recreation provider and a department of the Madison Metropolitan School District. She is the Youth Aquatics Specialist, primarily overseeing the swim lesson program, which serves approximately 4,000 swimmers on an annual basis. She also works closely with the Adult Aquatics Specialist to offer a host of American Red Cross courses to community members. Her activities as a student included the Phelps Scholars Program, serving as a resident assistant in Cook Hall, volunteering as a mentor with the Children’s After School Achievement program, intramural inner-tube water polo, and lifeguarding at the college’s Dow Center. She also studied abroad in Chile.