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Hoel is now an executive director at Filene Research Institute, a national “think tank” that evaluates consumer finance and credit union issues.

“It’s a fun job,” Hoel said.

His advice to today’s HUSC presidents?

Hoel said, “Implementing a good idea is much more valuable than passing a resolution or taking a cheap shot at some administrator.”

Another former HUSC president, Shawn Krantz, ’79, did not take this advice to heart. During his term,
Krantz created a faculty evaluation system that upset many faculty members.

“The evaluations were made public to the students in the library,” he said. This was a risky move for a write-in candidate.

On the positive side, however, “Being president not only helped [my] resume, but more importantly, it gave me confidence to confront different situations and people,” Krantz said.

“[It] developed my skill set in leading people, focusing people on creative ideas, and confronting people’s resistance to ideas and other people,” he said.

Krantz went on to partner in a commercial real estate acquisitions firm.

His advice? “If you win, get creative. If you lose, go work for the winner and take a position in the administration.”

David Crowe, ’67, reflected on his HUSC presidency with pride.

“I think the major accomplishment I had as president was to get people to show up.” During his time at Hamline, HUSC was starting to decline. Not many people would show up for meetings or to vote.

Crowe is now a market researcher at General Mills. His political savvy, however, landed him a four-year term on the Plymouth City Council.

“My experience as president at Hamline served me very well. I learned I could make things happen, except that I never learned to keep my mouth shut,” he said, but he added that that “fault” was what got
Crowe elected as president in the first place.

Another former HUSC president, Carrie Carroll, some adversity to become president in ’94. After running for president her sophomore year and coming in second, Carroll decided to try again her senior year, with success.

Carroll had a rather exciting term as president. Her major event was holding an April Fool’s Dance, where they served nonalcoholic beer and gave out joke prizes, much to the dismay of the students.

“The whole dance was a spoof,” she explained.

Carroll is now the director of recruiting and retention for adult programs at Augsburg College. She advises the new HUSC president to work closely with the new university president “so she can assimilate as fast as she can to the student culture.”

Matt Peterson, ’91, also had an eventful time as president, in a more serious sense. HUSC make major decision was made about the MPIRG fee that year.

“It was very controversial. Some progressive students thought it was a social issue,” he said.

In the end, they decided to keep the MPIRG fee as a negative check-off where, as is the case today,
students have to physically mark that they do not want to pay the fee, or they will be billed for it.

“The HUSC experience for me was really good,” Peterson said. “I learned budgeting, negotiation, compromise, and a form to exchange ideas. That is something that really prepares you for life.”

Regarding his advice for the current president-elect, Peterson said, “Make the most of it. Be a good listener. Don’t take it personally.”

Darin Broton, ’99, advises Evens to find a way to educate herself and the congress.

“We brought in former executive boards and deans to give a history of what was done in the past that might or might not have worked.”

His was the only election to go through three ballots. There was not an instant runoff or ranking system in place before he was elected. The current rules were created because of Broton’s situation.

Broton created the first Commitment to Community trips for the campus. Broton now owns his own consulting firm for public relations.