Circle USD 375 to recognize distinguished alumni Monday

Circle USD 375 will begin a new tradition during the Board of Education meeting Monday when they unveil their "Distinguished Alumni Wall" at the district office. A short reception will be held at 6 p.m. followed by the alumni recognition at 6:15.

Three alumni have been selected as the inaugural recipients of this honor. They include: Kevin Chase, a 1980 graduate; Cran Chase, who graduated in 1983; and Michelle Walthers Loss, who is a 2004 graduate of CHS.

"Circle has a rich tradition of excellence in the classroom, and we're proud of our alumni and their accomplishments," said Superintendent of Schools Jim Keller. "We are taking this first step of reaching alumni to honor their personal and professional successes and to celebrate some of their achievements."

Kevin Chase is chair-CEO of Verus Bank in Wichita and surrounding areas, taking that position in 1991 after three previous bank executive positions. He graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor of science in animal science and industry in 1984 and graduated from the University of Colorado's Graduate School of Banking in 1993.

He is married to Cindy Chase and they have four children, Kyler (25), Brayden (23), Jantzen (21), Alex (17) and Addison (13).

When asked the most memorable thing he learned while attending CHS, he said, "Engage yourself in as many extra-curricular activities as possible. It's a great time to discover what you enjoy and uncover areas in which you can excel."

Cran Chase has served as executive vice president of Verus Bank in the Wichita area since 1996 after a short term as a bank branch manager in Topeka, followed by a career as a teacher and state champion tennis coach at Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School (1992-95).

He attended Butler Community College, Emporia State University and earned his bachelor of science degree in business administration from the University of Kansas.

He is married to Kandi Chilcott and they have two children, Hayden (12) and Lanna (9).

When asked the most memorable thing he learned while attending CHS, he said, "My older brother Kevin was a senior when I was a freshman at Circle. He was a great role model and showed me how to get involved in everything that Circle had to offer. I learned not to sit on the sidelines and to engage in life."

Walthers Loss became famous for her tenure as Miss Kansas 2006, a role she played perfectly as she represented Towanda and Kansas with grace, style and talent. She went on to become an "on air personality" with Sunflower Broadcasting in Wichita and is known for being a member of "The Crew" on KSCW. She put the limelight and public personality aside and selected a job she felt was much more important – and that was being the mother to her two children, Charlie and newborn daughter Livia.

She earned her associates in arts from Butler Community College and her bachelor of arts from Wichita State University.

She is married to Caleb Loss.

When asked the most memorable thing she learned while attending CHS, she said, "Hard work and perseverance are always worth it."

USD 375 and the Circle Foundation will continue to work in unison to acknowledge outstanding community leaders who started their endeavors at Circle. Additional members to the Distinguished Alumni wall will be named in the future, and recipients will be honored on the school's Web site at: www.circleusd375.com.