The Maverick magazine is a great way to stay in touch with current events at your alma mater, old classmates and the bright future of Colorado Mesa University.
Issue link: https://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1133083
since he grew up frequenting a family cabin on the Grand Mesa and loves the outdoors. He’s hopeful one of his kids will decide to attend CMU because he knows they could have the same experience he did. PRODUCER OF SATELLITES JULIE BAUMGARTNER, ‘11 BY DEBORAH DAWES Occasionally, it hits Julie Baumgartner that she has “the coolest job in the world.” Just a few years ago, she wouldn’t have imagined she’d be doing what she is today. Baumgartner, a program planner at Lockheed Martin Space, and her coworkers produce satellites that go to space. Baumgartner’s husband, Peter, is an aerospace engineer. One day he said something that was a breakthrough of sorts. He said his employer, Lockheed Martin, needed people who didn’t have engineering degrees. Baumgartner had earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Management from CMU in 2011. Raised in Lakewood, Colorado, she first attended Northern Arizona University, later transferring to CMU. “I missed Colorado,” she said, and she wanted smaller classes and more interaction with professors. “I felt like I was able to get involved right away at CMU,” she said, “and professors gave out their cell phone numbers. If you had a question, even on the weekend, you could call and they would call back.” After graduation, Baumgartner worked as a Denver-based admissions counselor for CMU and as a hotel events manager, a position that required keeping track of “…many, many moving parts. When you have 30 events going on, everything has to come together,” she said. Among many other skills, her proven ability to keep track of those many moving parts helped her land a job with Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, in 2016. Baumgartner is part of a team that recently completed the latest global positioning system (GPS) satellite. Yes, that GPS. The U.S. Air Force owns and operates the GPS and in July will launch the satellite into space. Baumgartner works with manufacturers of satellite parts making sure everything is coordinated and on schedule. She said of the process, “I saw a piece of aluminum. That became a clip. That’s now part of the satellite, and it’s going to space. This is the coolest job in the world!” Baumgartner said she learned confidence at CMU. “I don’t hesitate to ask questions of my leaders. I learned that by being able to reach out to my professors, building those connections.” • NICHOLAS BRAUN, ‘04 Last June, Nick got married in his home state of Pennsylvania to his wife, Terri. They are living in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he works in sales for Sherwin Williams. This spring he won the President’s Award for the Best of the West Wyoming District, which earned him a free trip to Maui, Hawaii. Nick snowboards as often as he can and enjoyed over 30 days on the mountain this year. JASON, ’04, AND SHARNELL, ’04, WILSON These high school sweethearts received a big honor when they were asked to play the role of mo’i kane (king) and mo’i wahine (queen) in this year’s Merrie Monarch festival. The Merrie Monarch Festival is a week-long cultural event held in Hilo, Hawaii, each spring, featuring Hawaiian culture and a premier hula competition. Jason portrayed King David Kalakaua and Sharnell portrayed Queen Kapi’olani. They both grew up on the same island as the festival is held, so they were fortunate to share the experience with many friends and family. The couple resides in Hilo and have four children together. JENNIFER RUSSELL, ‘05 For the past 12 years, Jenn has worked for the Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health. She’s currently the project director for the Indian Health Service Tribal Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program where she provides assistance and resources to 32 tribal communities. She implements evidence-based interventions to prevent unintentional injuries related to motor vehicle crashes and elder falls. In April, she was proud to present at the Center for American Indian and Alaska Native Health Research Symposium.