Wherever you are, SigEps are a vital part of the cultural and professional landscape.

Healthy food, healthy kids

Dammeier, Washington State ’81, is on a mission to change how America eats. Dammeier, who launched Beecher’s Handmade Cheese in 2003 and runs several restaurants in the Seattle area, prides himself on producing “real food with absolutely zero artificial ingredients.” His Beecher’s Foundation equips kids with the knowledge to make healthy food choices. In 2026, his Food Detectives program marks 20 years of in-class workshops and five years of virtual programming that has reached classrooms in all 50 states.

Gridiron champ

In just his second season as head coach, Mike Macdonald, Georgia ’10, led the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl, clinching the 2026 NFL championship. Macdonald started his coaching career while he was still a student and member of Georgia Delta at the University of Georgia, first working with his old high school team and then becoming a student assistant and graduate assistant at UGA. In securing the Super Bowl LX win, Macdonald joins an elite group of head coaches (including Bill Belichick and Mike Tomlin) who’ve won the NFL championship in their second season. Macdonald also became the third youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl.

It’s always growing season

Ken Christianson, Washington State ’74, grew up on his family’s farm, which produced vegetable seeds, and joined the company after graduation. In 1990, Christianson launched his own agricultural company, Chrishaven Trees (chrishaventrees.com) in Burlington, Washington. The family-run company specializes in growing flowering and shade trees for the wholesale trade. A former member of the WSU Foundation Board of Trustees, Christianson and his wife and fellow WSU alum, Sue, are longtime supporters of the university’s agriculture and athletic initiatives. The couple co-funded the athletic department’s Champion’s Center, provided scholarships for agriculture students, and helped fund the university’s honey bee and pollinator research. A longtime SigEp volunteer, Christianson has served as a director of SigEp National Housing since 2014.

Business builder

Jay C. Ackley, Washington ’74, has spent more than 30 years developing profitable businesses. Through the business that bears his name, Ackley Capital, he acquires and invests in small to medium-sized companies that have high potential but require additional funding and operational expertise for long-term success. Ackley has amassed an impressive portfolio of companies across a wide variety of industries, including financial services, real estate, printing, food and beverage, and manufacturing. In recent years, the company has gained attention for acquisitions of businesses in the wine industry, held and managed under the Ackley Brands banner. Ackley volunteered as a member of the Washington Beta Building Board from 1974 to 1993, spending 15 years as president.