Charles Berdahl has degrees from Augustana, University of Minnesota, Luther Seminary, and a Doctorate of Divinity from Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago. He served churches in Milwaukee, Denver, Ames, and Chicago and was VP of Development for LSS of Colorado, moving back to Sioux Falls after retirement. A third-generation Norwegian, Charles enjoys preserving the story of the 1873 wagon train to Dakota Territory, which included his great-uncle and great-aunt, Andrew and Karen, who became the in-laws of Ole Rølvaag. Charles and his wife, Judy, an Augie grad, are blessed with five children and twelve grandchildren.
Partner and litigation attorney at Davenport Evens, Ashley Brost is a graduate of Augustana and USD Law School. She serves as a Criminal Justice Act attorney for the US District Court of South Dakota and the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Ashley serves on the boards of Feeding South Dakota and the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation. She enjoys spending time with her family.
Since graduating from Augustana, Steve Lindquist has worked in the financial industry becoming a wealth management advisor at Merrill Lynch, most recently making Forbes list of “Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisors” in South Dakota. Steve is an enthusiastic supporter of the YMCA’s Leif Ericson Day Camp, where he was both a camper and a counselor. Steve, and his wife, Nicholle, also an Augustana alum, have three children.
Augustana Professor Emeritus of English Sandra Looney had a year of travel adventures including Iceland, England and Germany. She was joined by family, friends, and Augie alums on her international wayfaring. Sandra has two married children. Anja and her husband, Chris, daughter, and son live in Kansas City. Aaron and his wife, Judith, two daughters and son, live in Germany.
Carol Oakland was a pioneer in athletic fundraising for Augustana building a foundation of success for the programs, facilities, and participating students. In 2022 the National Association of Athletic Development Directors honored Carol with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Since her retirement she has served on the boards of the Great Plains Zoo, McCrossan Boys Ranch, and Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. Carol, husband, Jim, daughter Kristin, and son Jeff are all Augie biology grads.
Community leader and strategic visionary, Matt Parker is President of Parker Transfer & Storage representing the fourth generation of this family-owned business. He is always looking for new opportunities for personal growth and development, most recently in serving the healthcare industry as a member of Avera Careflight’s leadership team. Matt’s community service is wide-ranging from the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra Board to the South Dakota Trucking Association Board. He has two teenage sons.
Singer-songwriter Sara Thomsen grew up in Sioux Falls and graduated from Augustana in 1992. She has produced six solo albums and three collaborative ones. Increasing wonder and awareness, building community, and widening social engagement through song and story is at the heart of her work. Sara lives in the northwest Wisconsin woods with her spouse Paula Pedersen, their dog Athena, Eva the cat, a dozen chickens, and two beehives.
A licensed marriage and family therapist and qualified mental health provider, Mona Wade transitioned from direct client care to providing support to those who do as Clinical Manager for WellSpring Therapy Center. Mona is a quilter and will present her work “Wide Eyed Wonder” to the SD Art Museum Guild in April. She has recently sent her collection of musings to an editor and hopes to be a published author in 2025. Mona and her husband, John, have two adult children and four grandchildren. She attributes her love for oral reading to her father who encouraged her as a child to engage in public speaking.