Four join Vantage Alumni Hall of Fame

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

Vantage Career Center’s Alumni Hall of Fame has grown with the induction of four new members.

Roy Klopfenstein, Adam Brincefield, Dan Bowers and Krista (Kunz) Schrader were inducted during Thursday night’s annual All-Boards Dinner and Hall of Fame ceremony, which was attended by representatives of 13 member schools and others.

Klopfenstein (Wayne Trace) is a 1979 graduate of Vantage Career Center’s ag business program and has managed the family farm for 43 years. He has served on various boards and has been active in a number of agencies, including the Ohio Farm Bureau and Paulding County Extension. He also served as a Paulding County Commissioner and is currently serving his first team as State Representative in Ohio’s 82nd District.

Bowers (Paulding) is a 1988 graduate of Vantage’s ag diesel program and currently owns Advanced Chassis, which was opened by his parents in 1988. In 2008, he began designing parts for street cars and tractors and in 2012, he and his wife Tracy purchased the business. He has volunteered for a number of agencies and organizations over the years.

Schrader (Delphos Jefferson) is a 1999 graduate of the health careers program. She earned her real estate license in 2002 and her broker’s license in 2005, then went on to manage her grandfather’s real estate company.

In January, 2009, she opened her own real estate company, Schrader Realty in Delphos, then opened a branch location in Van Wert in 2015 and recently one in Lima. In addition to volunteering for various causes, she started Schrader Shares, a program that so far has given back $50,000 to local organizations, schools, churches in the Delphos, Van Wert and Lima communities.

Brincefield (Van Wert) is a 2000 graduate of the machine tool program. After graduation, he trained through and graduated from the Ohio State Highway Patrol Academy Class 141. Throughout his career, he has held a number of positions, including field training officer, technical crash investigator, PIT certified driving instructor, and temporary academy instructor. He was named Trooper of the Year in 2009 and 2014 and was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2015. On his own time, he has coached a number of youth sports teams.

Pre-dinner entertainment was provided by the Lincolnview Choir, and the keynote speaker was Tim Copsey, Paulding County Economic Development Director. Dinner and desserts were prepared by student in the culinary arts program. The colors were presented by students in the criminal justice program.