Mike Essig, ’93 BS Hospitality Administration, ’05 MS Hospitality Administration, has been promoted to senior director of information technology for the Choctaw Nation’s newly created Commerce Division. He oversees IT for 21 casinos, 13 travel plazas, and a new grocery store enterprise. He lives in Durant, Oklahoma.

Shawn Danoski, ’93 BS Construction Management, is founder and CEO of DC Building Group, a commercial general contractor firm that he began in 2001. The company’s portfolio includes restaurant-retail, religious, nonprofit, industrial, and office projects. The company has received multiple awards, including the 2010 Contractor of the Year Award from the Associated General Contractors (AGC) and the 2015 JA Tiberti Spirit Award from AGC and the Nevada Contractors Association. His hobbies include pursuing motorsports with his family. He and his wife, Amber Clark Danoski, ’99 BS Education have two sons, Erik and Alex. 

John Hagen, ’92 BS Chemistry, is a professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He is married to Agnes Wong, ’92 BS Biochemistry.

Alfred McDonald, ’91 BA Criminal Justice, in February became a judge pro tem in Marana Municipal Court in Arizona. He lives in Tucson.

Dennis Gradillas, ’91 BS Hotel Administration, is regional operations manager for American Baptist Homes of the West (ABHOW). After many years working in the hotel and casino industry, he switched careers five years ago, going to work for ABHOW, which serves older adults in health care and housing. He recently moved to California to work at the company’s home office. He now is pursuing a master’s degree in gerontology. His hobbies include coaching Little League, hiking, biking, and the occasional triathlon. He says he, his wife, and their family are enjoying adapting to the Northern California lifestyle. They live in Brentwood.

Matt Engle, ’91 BS Business Administration, is a commercial insurance broker with Cragin & Pike. A past president of the UNLV Alumni Association, he recently was elected as an executive board member with the Downtown Las Vegas Alliance. He will serve as chair of the membership committee and will assist in the mission of promoting continued growth downtown and ensuring the area is clean and safe.

Christopher Edwards, ’91 BS Business Administration, is a professor in UNLV’s theatre department and serves as artistic director of Nevada Conservatory Theatre. He spent 20 years in New York City as an actor, director, and producer. He also held a variety of positions at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, including stints as director of education, director of apprentice training, and associate artistic director. He also has taught at Bennington College in Vermont and at Montclair State University in New Jersey. He is married, has one child, and lives in Henderson.

Brian Boehringer, ’91, will be a producer of the film Swing & a Miss: The Taylor Hooton Story. The movie tells the story of a teenage pitcher during the height of the steroid era in Major League Baseball. Between 1995 and 2004, Boehringer played for the Pittsburg Pirates, San Diego Padres, Yankees, and San Francisco Giants, and won a World Series ring in 1996 while pitching for the New York Yankees. One of his college highlights was pitching UNLV’s second no-hitter on May 5, 1990, against University of the Pacific.

Sami Khal, ’90 BS Business Administration, an assistant general manager at Costco Wholesale, is running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is seeking the Nevada District 3 seat. His wife, Karen Brown Khal, ’93 BS Nursing, is a nurse. They have three daughters: Courtney Kahl, ’15 BS Elementary Education, Kathleen Kahl, a UNLV sophomore majoring in social work, and Janie Kahl, a UNLV freshman who has not yet chosen a major. His hobbies include target shooting and discussing politics. The family lives in Henderson.

David Deuel, ’90 BA Criminal Justice, retired in 2011 after 20 years with the Nevada department of public safety. He says he had outstanding coworkers and also met a number of interesting individuals during his career as a parole and probation officer. He and his wife relocated to northern Michigan after his retirement. They enjoy the four seasons and not being able to even see a neighbor’s house from their own. Their black lab, Bella, keeps them busy as she loves the snow, the lakes, hiking, and chasing tennis balls. They live in Indian River.

Eric Berman, ’90 BS Hospitality Administration, ’10 Master of Hospitality Administration, is regional vice president for BJ’s Restaurants. He oversees 40 restaurants in 15 states. He has been with the company for eight years.

Steve Thornock, ’87 BA Elementary Education, has been a tax lien investor since 1995. Classic arcade games are his hobby. He and his wife, Joanna Gleason Thornock, ’85, have four children, including son Terry Thornock, ’14 BA Philosophy; daughter Julianna; son Jesse Thornock, currently a UNLV sophomore majoring in graphic design; and son Cody, a high school senior who is considering attending UNLV in the fall.