Our mission is to provide scholarships and educational opportunities to Forest City students. #BecauseOfYouFC
Our mission is to provide scholarships and educational opportunities to Forest City students.
#BecauseOfYouFC
Erica Hanna, a ’99 graduate, heard about the water crisis in Africa and other impoverished countries. Since her father has worked for the Forest City Water Dept. for so long, Erica felt passionate about the issue and was moved to act. For her 29th birthday she set out to raise $10,000 to fund two water wells in Africa to bring water to more than 500 people. This goal was met and then some. It has been, arguably, the most fulfilling experience of her life. This fall, she will set out again to raise even more in another campaign for the organization “Charity: Water.” Knowing that every day 4,100 children die due to lack of water is unacceptable to Mayer.
In her spare time, Erica currently works for WCCO-TV in Minneapolis. She is a Creative Producer/ Director/Videographer on the marketing team. She has won numerous Emmy awards for her work in television and is moving onto the judging circuit for national awards competitions for marketing. In her spare time she is the owner of “Puke Rainbows Photography” specializing in headshots, family documentary style photography and also concepts and directs music videos. Active in the Twin Cities music scene, she is also a marketing consultant to many artists in the area who are gaining national exposure.
Social Media plays a big part in Erica’s everyday life. She was recently awarded the national “Klout for Good” award, for using her online influence for “good” in the world. She was voted one of the most influential people on Twitter in the Twin Cities and also runs a marketing group comprised of hundreds of participants once a month.
For fun, Erica still sings from time to time and helps her friends tweak their songs/ stage performance personas. Life is always busy, never a dull moment…and her current motto is “When life gives you rain, puke a rainbow.”
Jonathan Korth is a 1998 graduate from Forest City. Jonathan enjoys a multifaceted career as a soloist, chamber musician, collaborator and teacher, having performed recitals across North America, Europe, and East Asia to critical acclaim.
Since making his 2002 Carnegie Hall debut, Mr. Korth has become an advocate for classical music, performing and lecturing frequently. More recent concert activity includes tours of China, Taiwan, and Europe in addition to appearances at Washington DC’s Phillips Collection, the Jefferson Library in Monticello, and a return appearance at Carnegie Hall in New York. He also frequently performs in and around his new home of Honolulu as well as other Hawaiian islands.
Mr. Korth’s deep appreciation for chamber music has led to collaborations with musicians such as violinist Martin Beaver (Tokyo String Quartet), former New York Philharmonic associate principal cellist Alan Stepansky, and members of many of America’s leading orchestras.
A graduate of Peabody Conservatory and Stony Brook University, he began teaching at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in the Fall of 2008.
In his spare time, Jonathan enjoys spending time with his wife, Rachel. He loves traveling, sightseeing, hiking in the mountains of Hawaii, body-boarding and snorkeling.
John Hintz is a 1988 graduate who enlisted in the U.S. Army. He enlisted because he wanted to be part of its brotherhood. Currently he is Company Commander of Recruiting in Central and Western Iowa.
John Believes his most important career accomplishment was living through a year-long deployment in both Iraq and again in Afghanistan. He has been awarded two Valorous Awards for heroics in combat and has received three Purple Hearts for injuries suffered in combat. He was featured on CBS 60 Minutes with Lara Logan for a story about the war.
Just recently John was contacted to be an “On the Field Hero” at the All American Bowl in San Antonio.
In his spare time, John spends as much time as possible with his wife, Danni and his two small daughters because too much time has been spent away from the while he was at war. He said his wife and children are his pillars of strength. He also gives his wife credit for raising two children, having a full-tie job and finishing school on her own while he has been away.
Darren Lovick is a 1985 graduate of Forest City High School. He is the author or contributor to a variety of publications in the field of medicine. He began his advanced education at Iowa State University receiving a BS in agronomy. In 1995, he received an MD from the University of Iowa College of Medicine. He did his internship at the University of Minnesota in the department of surgery and neurosurgery. He is currently teaching at the University of Kansas Medical Center in the Department of Neurology.
Dr. Lovick is a frequent presenter at medical conventions. He has received a number of awards including a Golden Heart Award in 2004 from Mercy Medical Center, a Peyton Award from the University of Minnesota for outstanding presentation of scientific investigation, a Certification of Merit for best performance from the University of Minnesota Department of Neurology. Both Money magazine and US News and World Report named his neurosurgery and neurology departments on lists of America’s Best Hospitals.
Closer to home, Dr. Lovick served on the North Iowa Area Community College Foundation Board from 2004 to 2007. Darren is married to Janet and has three children: twin boys, Max and Nicholas and a daughter, Kate.
Kristin (Larson) Stanley graduated from Forest City High School in 1984. Kristin attended Iowa State University and graduated in 1988 with a BSB in Finance and a Minor in Spanish. Following graduation, Kristin joined General Mills in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as a Financial Management Associate.
During the 23 years Kristin has worked at General Mills, she has held increasingly responsible positions in Finance, progressing through 15 different roles in the areas of Supply Chain, Audit, Marketing, New Business and International. Over half of Kristin’s career at General Mills has been in internationally focused roles. Her current position is in the Global Business Solutions Division, where she is a Project Director, working on business strategy and continuous improvement, working three days per week. Prior to this assignment, from 2007 to 2010,
Kristin was the Regional Finance Director for General Mills Australia/New Zealand, leading the Finance and Information Systems for the region, based in Melbourne, Australia.
Kristin is married to Lester Stanley, and they have three children—Eric (15), Brooke (13) and Claire (6). The are now living in Minnetonka, MN. Kristin enjoys attending her children’s activities and sports events, spending time with family and friends, traveling and volunteering in her free time. Kristin also leads General Mills’ Women across Finance initiative and in on the Advisory Council for her children’s school.
A native of Leland, Class of ’65, Terry Branstad went to University of Iowa to receive his undergraduate degree and Drake University to obtain his law degree. Branstad served in the US Army from 1969 to 1971.
He served three terms in the Iowa House of Representatives 1972, 1974 and 1976 and was elected the 41st Lieutenant Governor of Iowa in 1978.
He was elected in 1982, to serve as Iowa’s 39th Governor. He was 36 years old—the youngest to ever be elected in Iowa’s history. When he left in 1999, he was Iowa’s longest-serving governor. He served as chair of the National Governors’ Association and chaired the Midwestern Governors’ Association. He also chaired the Education Commission of the States, the Republican Governors’ Association and the Governors’ Ethanol Coalition.
After leaving the governor’s office in 1999, Branstad served as president of Des Moines University. He chaired the President’s Commission for Excellence in Special Education under President George W. Bush. He served as a member of the National Advisory Council for Positive Action for Teen Health.
Once again, Terry Branstad decided to run for governor. He won the election in November 2010 to become Governor. He and his wife Chris have three grown children, Eric, Allison and Marcus and four grandchildren.
Eric was born to parents Paul and Eva (Erickson) Bartleson. At the time of his birth, Eric’s father was a soldier fighting WWII in France. His father did not see him until he was about 15 months old. His family included siblings Mark, Ruth, and Joel.
He graduated from FCHS in 1962 and continued his education at Waldorf College. While at Waldorf, Eric was a two-year starter on the football team that completed the first undefeated season in 1962-1963.
Following graduation from Waldorf, he attended Mankato State College where he graduated with a major in English and a minor in Mathematics. He continued his education receiving a Master’s Degree and Specialist Degree from Mankato State University and a PhD from the University of Minnesota. On September 10, 1966 he and his high school sweetheart Cathy Bleich were married. This marriage produced three children: Paul, Jennifer and Ann Marie. At the present time they are proud grandparents of nine and great-grandparents of four.
His classroom teaching career spanned seven years teaching English and Mathematics in Minneapolis and English at Mason City High School. He spent seven years as a high school principal in Marshall and Milaca Minnesota and then twenty years as a superintendent in Lake Crystal, Lake Crystal-Welcome Memorial, Mankato, and Winona.
Following his time as superintendent in Mankato, Eric served three years as a Professor in the Educational Leadership Department at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
He also served on the Executive Committee of the American Association of School Administrators for five years. Today he still serves on the Minnesota Association of School Administrators’ Foundation Board and Minnesota Association of School Administrators.
Eric retired in 2004. In retirement he has served as an Interim Superintendent in two school districts, adjunct professor at Winona State University, and currently is a part-time faculty member for Capella University, an online university based in Minneapolis, MN.
Eldean Borg, honored as the “Outstanding Boy” in during Forest City High School’s class of 1955, is now known as broadcast journalist Dean Borg.
He was graduated from Iowa State University as the “Outstanding Broadcast Journalist” in 1959, and later earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Iowa.
Dean appeared on the inaugural “Iowa Press” broadcast in 1971 and now hosts the statewide Iowa Public Television program that sets the standard for public affairs broadcasting in Iowa.
He reports for Iowa Public Radio and his work is often carried nationally by PBS, NPR and other broadcast networks.
Dean’s career includes producing news and public affairs coverage from South Vietnam and Southeast Asia as well as Paris and other European cities.
He produced news and health programming for The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and hosted nationwide television public affairs programs on military affairs topics for NBC.
The Iowa Broadcast News Association honored Dean with the prestigious Jack Shelley Award. Iowa State University has given him its Distinguished Alumni citation, the highest award given by ISU to an alumnus. Dean’s family includes his wife, Sheila, four sons–Randy, Barton, Lindsey and Matthew– and one daughter, Kierstyn.
Dr. Tom Mangan is a 1940 graduate of Forest City. He graduated from University of Notre Dame in 1943, and from St. Louis University in 1947 where he was awarded “Best in Medicine.” He returned to Forest City where he practiced for 26 years. He also served as the city health officer as well as the county coroner.
Dr. Mangan served as a Naval medical officer during the Korean War. He was one of the first family physicians at Mayo Clinic beginning practice in 1975. While at Mayo, he was granted an honorary appointment to the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.
He taught clinical medicine for 15 years at Mayo. He was named Teacher of the Year four years in a row and is now in the Teacher of the Year Hall of Fame. He has been on the Advisory Board of one of the Mayo health newsletter publications. The Family Medicine Staff Library is named in Dr. Mangan’s honor.
Dr. Mangan has enjoyed raising six hives of bees as well as being the regional weather data collector. He also loves road racing. He once was a physician on the race track and then he advanced to driving formula race cars—Formula Ford, Formula B and lastly Formula Atlantic. He loves to read newspapers and weekly magazines and medical literature. He listens to classical music and enjoys watching all kinds of sports. He has had a life-long sweet tooth and a great sense of humor. His children: Michael (Class of ’65), Mary (Class of ’67) and Martha (Class of ’72) and his wife Ruth are very proud of him. His parents, John D. and Clara M. Mangan co-owned the Mangan Pharmacy and Fountain on Clark Street for years.
