Alumni Profiles: Kris Kropff, '99 aand William H. Pohlman, '76

Kris Kropff, ’99 B.M. in Music History and Literature 

Music has always been a part of life for Kris Kropff. She received a half-size guitar for Christmas at the age of 3 and began taking piano lessons after school every day when she was 5. In the fifth grade, she started to play the saxophone because she liked the sax solos in Pink Floyd.

Even though she had grown up performing, Kropff decided that a degree in music performance wasn’t the right fit for her. She originally enrolled at Wright State as a music education major.

 After meeting music professor Charles Larkowski, Kropff learned more about the university’s major in music history and literature. 

 “He explained the degree to me, and it really just sparked something in me,” Kropff explained. “I liked the broader based nature of the music history degree. Once I started taking classes, I was hooked. I just loved everything about it.”

 Kropff had found the best of both worlds. She could perform in her spare time while pursuing a degree in the field she loved.

 “One of the great things about Wright State is that it’s big enough to have a lot of ensembles—and very quality ensembles—but it’s not so big that if you are a musicologist, you can’t perform in the top band,” she said.

 As a student, Kropff played clarinet and bass clarinet in the Wind Symphony and saxophone in the Jazz Band. She was also a reed player for many of the theatre department’s musicals.

 Following graduation, Kropff joined The Lorenz Corporation—one of the world’s leading publishers of choral music. She has risen through the ranks of the family-owned company founded in Dayton, Ohio, in 1890.

 “We’ve really been growing, and it’s been really fun to feel like I’m a constructive part of that,” said Kropff, who currently serves as president of music publishing. “I’ve always liked playing in ensembles more than I’ve liked being a solo player. Here, you really get to feel like you’re working with all of these great people to create something fantastic.”

 Kropff, who was selected as one of the College of Liberal Arts Distinguished Alumni in 2010, still keeps an eye on her alma mater.

 “It’s been great to watch the growth at Wright State,” she said. “The program has really just continued to get stronger and stronger.”


William H. Pohlman '76 B.S.B. 

William H. Pohlman graduated from Wright State University in 1976 with a bachelor of science in accounting from the Raj Soin College of Business.

 Bill is a partner in the firm of Pohlman & Talmage CPAs, Inc. He has 35 years of experience working with the medical and professional community in the areas of accounting, tax, financial planning and retirement plan administration. He attained his CPA certificate in 1979. Bill became a Certified Financial Planner and a member of the College of Financial Planning in 1989. He is also a member of the American Institute of CPAs (with the designation of Personal Financial Specialist) and the Ohio Society of CPAs. Bill has chaired the board of trustees of the Montgomery County unit of the American Cancer Society and currently chairs the board of the Wright State University Foundation.

 After graduation, Bill joined the local wealth management firm CH Dean in the accountancy department. After recognizing an unmet need in the firm’s business focus, he left Dean to begin his own accounting firm at a time of great economic uncertainty. He convinced Doug Talmage to come along with him and five years later recruited Vicki Prenger as well. Both Doug and Vicki are Wright State grads.

 Bill has mentored, advised and guided numerous Wright State graduates through his involvement with the Raj Soin College of Business Department of Accountancy. At last count, Pohlman & Talmage had hired 18 interns and seven graduates during its 20 years in business.

 Pohlman & Talmage support a scholarship awarded each year to two accountancy students and one financial services student each year.  Bill personally has endowed a scholarship to support accounting students.