This year, we wanted to do something a little different to reflect and look back on the year 2023. Instead of doing a general overview of the whole company and what happened at Nussbaum, we decided to take a more personal approach and ask everyone about their year, individually. It was so special to see the variety of responses.
Each and every one of you plays a part in the success of Nussbaum (we hear that often), but we don’t often see the individual events, moments, and successes that happen behind the scenes to make up Nussbaum’s success. And this year has been full of them for these Nussbaum employees! So, without further ado, enjoy this look back on 2023 through the eyes of your fellow employee-owners, starting with the first question posed:
What was one of your favorite (personal) moments this year?
Chris Aranda: Great family vacations – camping, swimming, boating, hiking, games & relaxing. I also got a personal trainer and am really enjoying a variety of new workouts and accountability to completing my 4 workouts a week!
Darien Aviso: I paid off my mortgage this year. I also paid off any credit card debt or personal loans. I am completely debt free, so it’s smooth sailing from here. 2024 is going to be a good year!
Peg Balducci: For the last 3 years, my husband and I have taken our children and grandchildren skiing to Cascade Mountain in WI. January of 2023, I was finally able to graduate from the magic carpet and bunny hills to the green slopes. 😊
Jason Banwart: Took a trip to Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, and Austria in August.
Neil Barbour: My granddaughter Charlote was born.
Jessi Blunier: Road-tripping with my husband across the west – we drove out to Cheyenne, Jackson, the Tetons, Yellowstone, Bozeman, and ended at a cabin in the middle-of-nowhere Montana. Lots of random pit stops at obscure tourist attractions (one of which was the Wyoming State Penitentiary .. not sure what that says about us that we wanted to stop there, but we loved learning the history! Highly recommend if you’re passing through Rawlins, WY) and lots of quality time together. It was a blast! Also found out after the fact that Brent Nussbaum was in Jackson/the Tetons at the exact same time as us. Sadly, we didn’t get dinner together. 😊
Donzell Boyd: A personal highlight for the 2023 year is getting off the road and spending more time at home with my wife.
Doug Bradle: Our family vacationed in Colorado in the summer and greatly enjoyed it.
Jason Buga: The birth of my grandson, River.
Taja Burte: I got to see another birthday.
Lisa Burton: My oldest daughter married the love of her life.
Jackie Coffey: My birthday – I am blessed to see 70.
Addis Coffman: When I got hired at Nussbaum on May 8th (the best interview process – a true blessing from the Lord!), I took English 101 at Heartland and had an A through the whole semester, and I started Biblical Counseling, which has been a major blessing and has brought me closer to the Lord.
Clint Coleman: Getting a Boston Terrier puppy (truck dog) as an early Christmas present.
Hunter Collins: I had a couple of big changes in my personal life this year. I moved in with my boyfriend and we got a puppy together! Gus is a 7-month-old yellow lab, and he is my “little” bestie (I’m obsessed with him … ask Michaela)!
CJ Conger: Seeing my kids’ entrepreneurial spirit come alive! My oldest daughter has been trying her hand at multiple craft/bake sales on top of babysitting, my other daughter has a growing homemade candle business, and my son (the youngest) is still figuring out his passion (aside from soccer). Seeing my wife nurturing our kids has been such a joy!
Donovan Craig: Getting to have my son ride with me for a couple of weeks. It was a really great experience.
Jackie Derrick: I can’t name just one favorite moment, because every time I spend time with my family is incomparable to the time before. So, my favorite moment is any time spent with family.
Josh Detmers: University of Georgia football winning the National Championship.
Tyler Dietrich: Seeing my 5 children all singing Only A Boy Named David passionately around the family table.
Bryce Domnick: When I got my car and got to drive it for the first time.
Colin Domnick: I spent a month in Mexico for treatments. Now, my family, some friends, and I am learning Spanish which has been a blast. We plan to go back once we have learned it, so that we can better utilize it.
Derek Dotterer: Taking a trip to the Smoky Mountains this summer with friends.
Todd Evans: I got to celebrate my daughter turning 13.
Levi Fehr: I purchased a house back in March!
Oscar Flores: Sharing memories on the ranch with my daughter.
Jeremy Fox: When I began my journey at Nussbaum.
Ed Gabriel: I got my first hole-in-one in disc golf.
Donna Gardner: I got my first great-grandson.
Caleb Gee: Adopting our youngest!
Kirsten Gee: I attempted to run a full marathon portaging a canoe. I made it halfway, but it was the best outcome and the love and support I felt was incredible!
Wyatt Gerber: I shot a nice buck during deer season.
Joe Good: Being done with my surgeries, and Liberty University getting into the Fiesta Bowl.
Matt Gordon: My wife had our 3rd child in January 2023 – Wren.
Angie Green: Our family took a memory-making trip to Colorado in the summer, and we also got to visit Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. Mt. Rushmore has been on my husband’s list of places to visit for a while, so it was fun to make this trip possible!
Brad Haney: Taking Collin to college at the University of Arizona.
Eric Hartter: All the marvelous moments I got to spend with my wife.
Pierre Hawkins: A good moment for me is finally finding a really good company to drive for.
Scott Herrmann: Our 4th child, Rhen James, was born in July and he is a very smiley, alert little guy. I’m not typically much of a baby snuggler, but he’s making me change my mind. If I mention loving puppies next year as my favorite thing, you’ll know I’ve experienced real change.
Zack Hildebrand: My wife Alyssa and I welcomed our third child (and first daughter!) into the world on October 25th.
Dillon Hodel: I got me a woman.
Kylie Hoffman: I actually did get married! April 2023 😊
Jeremy Howard: One of my favorite moments of 2023 was buying segways to enjoy with my significant other.
Larry Hubbell: Our 4th grandson was born.
Dustin Huber: Our family moved in August and I started working at Nussbaum in October.
Carol John: I was able to be with my dad during his last days on earth and see his transition to his heavenly home!
Brian Johnson: My divorce was finalized and I got to start a new chapter in my life.
Josh Kissinger: Had a great time camping with my two older children over Memorial Day weekend.
Doug Knepp: Spending a week with the entire family in the Smokies.
Grant Knepp: One of my favorite moments was walking over a Roman bridge in Spain and thinking, “We are standing where Romans stood!”
Jerrid Knight: 2023 was an exciting year for our family. We sold our duplex, bought a new home, and are currently selling our other home in Secor, so there have been a lot of changes and moves. 2023 is when our daughter turned 1 year old, so watching her grow has been my favorite overall moment of the year. She’s been progressing so fast and it’s hard to believe how little she was looking back on the last year, compared to where she is now.
Roger Kyler: My first written publication (Driven Magazine) – I’ve had my photography work published many times, but this is my first where I have written the article.
Spencer Larson: I bought my first home this year!
Ryan Mara: Trip to Colorado with 3 of our kids to camp and hike.
Brent Martin: A couple trips – to the TX Gulf Coast with my wife and to the Smokies with my wife and kids.
Drew B. Martin: I celebrated my first wedding anniversary with the wife!
Cristian Martinez: I took a vacation to Mexico.
Wes Meador: Highest credit score I’ve ever had.
Emily Miller: I got married to my best friend! (this was easy to pick 😊)
Michaela Mogged: Witnessing a GREAT Packer win against the Saints at Lambeau field with my husband.
Paul Mool: My wife and I just had our third baby and it’s (finally) a boy this time!
Sam Moravec: I have made a big step in preparing for my future by purchasing my first house for myself and my father.
Stephen Mueller: Spending two months in Texas with my daughter and her family and remodeling her home to prepare it for their first baby.
Evan Nestel: I took my first seminary class at Reformed Theological Seminary!
Billie Joe Nussbaum: Taking my kids to Oregon for vacation – we all got to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time, did some hiking, climbed a giant sand dune (I really thought I might die in the process 😊), and searched for sasquatch, obviously. 😊
Jeni Nussbaum: This year I was very fortunate to travel to Puerto Rico with my family and spend Mother’s Day on the beach with my kids, and witness my brother get married. Family, love, and a beach … doesn’t get much better!
Toby Plattner: I went backpacking in the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho!
Dave Rainwater: Getting married to a wonderful woman!
Shawn Reischauer: I had the opportunity to be the best man for my friend’s wedding! It was a blast planning for and going to the Ozarks with the groomsmen since we are all close friends, then getting to support him on a very important (and quite eventful, but in the end it all worked out) day!
James Rocke: Traveled to NY and DC.
Dayton Rumbold: This one is easy for me—I got married 😊 A specific moment would be walking down the aisle right after getting married. It was surreal and I was so happy to be married to someone incredibly kind and sweet.
Lexie Salgado: Any time I got to spend laughing with friends and family.
Joshua Schermerhorn: I brought my kids to the fishing derby, and my youngest caught a 10 lb 8 oz catfish – his biggest to date.
Rick Schmidt: I hit a milestone birthday (y’all can guess) and 6 out of the 7 guys that all lived together in college, our wives, and their kids were all able to get together for a 4-day weekend in Salt Lake City! From there, my wife and I got to take the rest of the week and go to Moab and we had an amazing trip.
Mark Stalter: Building a new house for the first time ever.
Thad Steffen: One of my favorite memories from this year was attending a Pacers vs. Lakers NBA game in Indiana. It was a close game that came down to the final seconds, and the Lakers won 112 – 111. It was fun to see some of the best players in the world in person. Going to an NBA game was on my bucket list, and I would definitely do it again.
Jeremy Stickling: Thrashing Brent Wagenbach in ping pong on a routine basis. Obviously. (satire)
Heather Swords: Easiest question to answer – becoming a grandma!
Lauren Turpin: I am not one to put myself out there or try new things if I’m not 100% sure. I did that this year, and it was one of the greatest decisions I’ve made 😊
Scott Ubbenga: My son starting Kindergarten and getting to be his team’s basketball coach.
Anthony Voorhees: Figuring out I am allergic to gluten, and now I know what I can eat without getting sick.
Brent Wagenbach: We welcomed our 4th child into the world (little boy)!
Heather Warnick: I was able to purchase my very first new car (with 21 miles on it)!
Bill Wettstein: Visiting the pyramids and the Sphinx in Egypt.
Shannon Wright: Celebrating 29 years of marriage to the best man I know, Mr. WRight! Turning the leaf to Chapter 30 at the next sunrise. I love being Mrs. WRight.
Cody Zeller: Being married to my wife for over 2 years. Going to be 3 in March. Every year I’m thankful to God for her and to be with her.
Lena Zimmerman: I gained two new in-laws!
Matt D. Zimmerman: Our youngest son, Levi, was married to Karly Wiegand!
Matt “Zimmy” Zimmerman: Finished our kitchen/dining remodel at home!
Noah Zimmerman: Traveled to Europe! (Dolomites Mountain Range & Switzerland were the highlights)
