9 Notable alumni of Colorado Mesa University
Updated: June 14, 2026 EliteDegrees
Colorado Mesa University is ranked #2,966 in the world and #767 in United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 9 notable alumni from Colorado Mesa University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. Many individuals affiliated with Colorado Mesa University won Nobel Prizes for Peace, in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, and Economics.
1. Josh Penry
1976-. (aged 50)
politician
Josh Penry is the former minority leader of the Colorado Senate. Elected in 2006, Penry was the youngest member of the Colorado state Senate. According to The Denver Post, Penry played a leadership role in opposing regulation for the oil and gas industry and a labor bill. Penry was identified by several newspapers as a "rising star" in Colorado politics...
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2. Marsha Looper
1959-. (aged 67)
husbandry worker
engineer
politician
Marsha Looper was a Colorado legislator. Elected to the Colorado House of Representatives as a Republican in 2006, Looper represented House District 19, which encompasses eastern El Paso County, Colorado from 2006 to 2012.
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3. Jeff Linder
1977-. (aged 49)
basketball coach
Jeffrey Michael Linder is an American college basketball coach and current men's assistant basketball coach at Texas Tech. Linder was previously an assistant coach at Emporia State, Midland, Weber State, San Francisco, and Boise State from 2001 to 2016.
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4. Stephanie Grisham
1976-. (aged 50)
civil servant
political adviser
spokesperson
press agent
Stephanie Ann Grisham is an American former White House official who was the 32nd White House press secretary and served as White House communications director from July 2019 to April 2020. She was chief of staff and press secretary for the first lady of the United States, Melania Trump, from 2020 to 2021, after previously serving as her press secretary...
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5. Marilyn Ferguson
1938-2008 (aged 70)
writer
editing staff
Marilyn Ferguson was an American author, editor and public speaker known for her 1980 book The Aquarian Conspiracy, which is connected with the New Age Movement.
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6. Bligh Madris
1996-. (aged 30)
baseball player
Bligh John Madris is a Palauan-American professional baseball outfielder in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Houston Astros, and Detroit Tigers.
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7. Dalton Tanonaka
1954-. (aged 72)
journalist
Dalton Ichiro Tanonaka is an American television executive. He has spent most of his career in Asia, receiving several international and US. awards for his journalism work. Tanonaka is also known for his community service, providing scholarships to deserving students and speaking at schools and universities.
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8. Matt Soper
1984-. (aged 42)
businessperson
politician
Matthew Soper is a Republican politician who represents Colorado House of Representatives District 54, which encompasses parts of Mesa and Delta counties on Colorado's Western Slope.
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9. Scott McInnis
1953-. (aged 73)
director
lawyer
police officer
politician
Stephen Scott Emory McInnis is an American politician and lawyer who was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado from 1993 to 2005. In August 2010, McInnis lost his bid to become the Republican nominee for Governor of Colorado after a plagiarism accusation and apology hurt his standing. In November 2014, McInnis was elected a member...
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