Class Notes
1940s
Dr. James Leo Garrett Jr., BA ’45, presented a lecture to Truett Seminary in April on “Anabaptists, Global Missions, and Christian Unity.” Volume 2 of the 8-volume The Collected Writings of James Leo Garrett, Jr., 1950-2015 was published in August by Resource Publications (Wipf & Stock). Vol. 1 & 2 are on “The Baptists.” The series editor is Wyman Lewis Richardson.
1960s
Dr. Syntha Traughber West, BA ’60, writes, “Many thanks to Baylor Golden Wave Band Director, Dr. Isiah Odajima, for allowing me the yearly honor of twirling with the band during one football game with the Baylor Alumni Band! We actually get to perform at halftime!” West is the state recruiter and contestant coordinator for the Ms. Texas Senior America Pageant, having won the competition in 2001 and 2008. Contact at 494 Spyglass Dr., Willow Park, TX 76008 or drsynthawest@yahoo.com.
Dr. George Mims, BM ’61, writes, “I’m retired these days, but at age 80, I’m enjoying serving as substitute organist across the Houston area. It’s good to travel throughout the city playing various types of organs in different denominations today and seeing and hearing what’s going on in the churches, some in growth and some in decline, some with clear purpose and others stretched to the limit in too many directions. This exposure informs my concern and prayers as well as praises. So I play my heart out to encourage hope, comfort and joy for everyone I encounter each Sunday.” Contact at 12911 Ridge Bank Lane, Houston, TX 77041 or georgeellismims@gmail.com.
Years after thinking he had retired for good as senior vice president at Bank of Hawai`i, Dr. David Ramsour, BA ’62, MA ’64, was called back to Japan as director of academic operations for the Naganuma Japanese Language School. He works to develop the school’s relationships with academic institutions in the U.S. and Europe. Contact David and his wife, Carol Ann Hamzy Ramsour, BA ’67, of Dallas at ramhawaii@sbcglobal.net.
Polly Stevenson Gilbert, BA ’63, earned her master’s degree in library science from the University of Memphis. She married Dr. Ray W. Gilbert in Dallas, TX, in 1977, and together they raised her son Stephen. After teaching at Richardson’s J.J. Pearce H.S. for 10 years and coaching the National Academic Decathlon championship teams in 1984 and 1985, Polly was library director at St. Mark’s School of Texas for 23 years. Polly also owned TLC Inc., a tutoring company. She is a church deacon, Boy Scout merit badge counselor, president of Iowa State University Women’s Club and scholarship liaison. Contact at 2720 London Dr., Ames, IA 50010 or pollygilbert@swbell.net.
John S. Jackson, MA ’63, former chancellor of Southern Illinois University, delivered the inaugural lecture of the National Lab for the Study of the College President Oct. 22 at the University of Arkansas. Jackson’s lecture was titled “The Politics and Challenges of Higher Education Today.”
Ellen Stoesser Byrd, BSN ’64, was honored with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who, the world’s premier publisher of biographical profiles. For 54 years, Byrd has excelled in the field of nursing. She serves on the Dean’s Board of Baylor’s Louise Herrington School of Nursing, was named a member of LHSON’s “100 Legends on the Line” and has been recognized with numerous other awards. In 2013, she established The Ellen Stoesser Byrd Endowed Scholarship, which is given every year to a Baylor nursing undergraduate student.
Levi W. Price, DMin, BA ’64, received the 2018 Maples, Williamson, Daehnert (MWD) Award as the outstanding interim pastor of the year for the Texas Baptists Interim Ministry Network. Price served as pastor of First Baptist Church of El Paso for 17 years after pastoring several churches in California. He served on the Baylor Board of Regents from 1996 to 2002 before joining Baylor’s Truett Seminary as the first professor of pastoral care.
Lewis Sessums, BS ’65, and Janis Baucum Sessums, BS ’73, celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary Nov. 23. Janis entered Baylor in 1962 on a Lubbock Baylor Exes Scholarship to be a twirler in the Golden Wave Band. Lewis played football at Baylor. They have two sons: Derek of Indianapolis, IN, and Todd of Whiteface, TX; eight grandchildren and six great grandchildren. Contact at 5330 County Road 7330 Lubbock, TX 79424 or lesclu@suddenlink.net.
Lawson and Kay Cook, BA ’67, MEd ’69, of Richmond, TX, established The Houston-Cook Endowed Scholarship Fund in Education in honor of their parents. The scholarship was inspired by Kay’s mother Gracie, who was a first-grade teacher and will support students in Baylor’s School of Education.
Dr. Mary Lois Summers Sanders, BM ’67, MM ’68, of Angel Fire, NM, established the Dr. Mary Lois Summers Sanders and Thomas E. Sanders Endowed Scholarship Fund in Music to support students in the Baylor School of Music. She is a member of Old Main Society.
Tom H. Gann, BBA ’68, MBA ’72, of Lufkin, TX, created the Tom H. Gann Endowed Scholarship Fund to support students from Lufkin and Angelina County who are pursuing business at Baylor. He is a member of the 1845 Society and Old Main Society.
Tom Kennedy, BA ’68, was honored as a distinguished alumnus of Gainesville [TX] High School. Kennedy earned a track scholarship to Baylor and served as editor of The Baylor Lariat. He graduated as distinguished journalism graduate and went to work for UPI and The Houston Post, where he was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1978. He retired after serving as director of marketing for the Houston Community College System.
CORRECTION:
David Morrison, BA ’68, retired as vice president for communications and publications at Georgia’s Brenau University, where he served for 11 years. A 50-year communications industry professional, Morrison spent his early career as a journalist, working for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Philadelphia Inquirer. He founded the Atlanta office of Porter Novelli and was a senior vice president in that international public relations agency, among other executive positions. Morrison also taught journalism at Georgia State University and was associate editor of Auburn Magazine.
R. Byrn “Byrnie” Bass Jr., BA ’69, was selected for the 2018 Texas Super Lawyer List for the 13th time. Bass is past chairman of the bankruptcy law section of the State Bar of Texas and past president of the West Texas Bankruptcy Bar Association. In 2013, he received the State Bar Bankruptcy Law Section’s Pro Bono Service Award.
Col. Fleet S. Lintz Jr., BA ’69, was honored guest at the annual Veterans Day parade and dinner celebration Nov. 10 in Mercedes, TX. Lintz served in the Marine Corps as a naval flight officer. He served in Vietnam and later attended Navy Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun). He retired from the Marine Corps in 2000 with 31 years of affiliated time and more than 1,500 hours in the F-4 fighter jet.
H. Vincent (Vince) Moses, PhD, BA ’69, retired as director of the Riverside Metropolitan Museum and as adjunct professor of the humanities at California Baptist University in Riverside, CA. He operates Vincate and Associates Historical Consultants with his wife Cate Whitmore. Moses has served as consulting historian for the California Citrus State Historic Park in Riverside since 1982, and as a consultant for historical documentaries on Chinese World Television, the BBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and PBS Los Angeles. Vince and Cate’s new book is Henry L. A. Jekel: Architect of Eastern Skyscrapers and the California Style, 1895-1950 (Inlandia Institute). Contact vincate@att.net.
Past Baylor Scott & White Holdings Board of Trustees chair Jim Turner, BBA ’69, was honored in October as the Kerney Laday Sr. Trustee of the Year by the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council. Turner was on the Baylor Health Care System board for 15 years, leading up to the merger with Scott & White. He became the first chair-elect of the merged company and served as chair from 2015 through 2018.
1970s
Nancy Powell Graham, BA ’72, and Walter Lewis, BBA ’86, (right), sang in a choral concert “An Evening with Mark Hayes,” June 28 at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in Wichita, KS. Hays, BM ’75, center, is an award-winning concert pianist, composer, arranger and conductor with more than 1,200 published works.
Happy 100th birthday to Alyce Goff, MSEd ’73. Family and friends celebrated her on July 15 at DeSoto [TX] Civic Center. Goff is a 76-year member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She is a member of Glen Oaks United Methodist Church in Dallas, and she has served in many roles, including with the South Dallas Concert Choir, Dallas Metroplex Musicians Association, Dallas Retired Teachers Association, and others. The pianist also has received a number of honors and awards.
David Hodges, JD ’73, was named a general associate judge of McLennan County, TX. Hodges was formerly a prosecutor in the McLennan County district attorney’s office and worked in private practice before being elected as a county court-at-law judge in 1982. He also worked for the Texas Center for the Judiciary, followed by work as a visiting judge.
J. David McClung, JD ’73, was honored with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who, the world’s premier publisher of biographical profiles. He is director of Triton Marine Construction since 1994, having previously served as the firm’s president and CEO from 1994 to 2001. He received six Air Medals for his military service and a Young Graduates Award of Merit from Baylor, an Outstanding Alumni Award from Southern Nazarene University and a Distinguished Service Award from the Church of the Nazarene.
Watson E. Mills, PhD ’73, of Sharpsburg, GA, writes, “I was recently inducted into the Circumnavigators Club after having completed my third trip around the world. I have visited 176 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations and 436 of the locations listed on the Most Traveled People website.” As of Nov. 26, 2017, Mills ranked 201st in the world in most countries visited, according to mtp.travel/rankings.
Thomas J. “Tommy” Turner, JD ’74, was posthumously inducted into the Pi Kappa Alpha Order of West Range during the 2018 International Convention. The Order of West Range recognizes outstanding alumni of The Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity for achievement in their careers, service to society, or service to the Fraternity. Turner served Pi Kappa Alpha for 50 years, including as national president from 1992 to 1994.
G. Craig Weinaug, BA ’74, retired in December after 43 years working in local government. Craig completed his Master of Public Administration degree from Kansas University, and married Sally Don Donalson, BA ’75. He served in city/county manager and administrator roles in Wichita Falls, TX, Scott City, KS, Zion, IL, Ardmore, OK, and Douglas County, KS. Craig and Sally Don have had four children and four grandchildren, and have been foster parents to 18 additional children. Among Craig’s awards is the 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award from Kansas University Alumni Association. Contact at 1027 Hartland Dr., Lawrence, KS 66049 or craigweinaug@gmail.com.
Andy Fletchter, BA ’75, of Colorado Springs, CO, taught math and history at schools in West Hollywood and Pebble Beach in California, and Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland, with seven years each working for Youth for Christ in Geneva and Young Life International globally. In 2002, Fletcher founded Life, the Universe and Everything, a nonprofit which takes him to mostly secular high schools to talk about science and faith, specifically evidence for the existence of God. The talks have been given in over 260 schools in 42 countries. He married Kam Matzinger in 1981, and they have two children, Dylan and Maren. Contact at www.lifeuniverseverything.org.
Linda Bunch Klatt, BA ’70, MSEd ’76, joined Premier Sotheby’s International Realty as a broker/associate, with offices in Blowing Rock and Charlotte, NC. She and her husband of 47 years, Ralph H. Klatt, are the proud parents of Kate Klatt Miller, BA ’00 (husband Stephen Miller, BBA ’99), and Robyn Klatt Areheart, BSFCS ’02 (husband Brad Areheart, BA ’01), and grandparents to eight children. Contact at 364 Stonebridge Lane, Todd, NC 28684 or lindabklatt@gmail.com.
Karen and Robert “Bob” Anderson, BBA ’74, JD ’75, of Longview, TX, established an endowed scholarship to help students in the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. They have three children who also graduated from Baylor: Ashley Anderson Weir, BFA ’01, Robert Austin Anderson, BA ’04, and Bonnie Catherine Wilson, BA ’07.
William and Loree Brown, BSEd ’74, celebrated their 80th wedding anniversary in Hillsboro, TX. The Browns, ages 99 and 97, spent most of their married years (except for those during which William served in the U.S. Army in World War II) in Irene, TX, where she worked as a hat maker and raised three children. After their kids were grown, Loree went to college, then taught first through third grade for the next 20 years in Bynum, Malone and Hillsboro.
Pioneer Drive Baptist Church in Abilene, TX, honored its senior pastor and his wife, Stan, BA ’76, and Claudia Allcorn, BA ’76, for 20 years of service. The Allcorns served together at Columbus Avenue Baptist Church in Waco, as well as other congregations, before arriving in Abilene in 1998. Stan also served on the Baylor Board of Regents from 2002 to 2011.
Philip Poole, BA ’77, of Hoover, AL, was inducted in the 2018 class of the Public Relations Society of America’s College of Fellows, the organization’s highest honor. PRSA is the largest public relations professional organization in the world. Poole is one of 350 active Fellows in the 22,000-member organization. He served during 2018 as president of PRSA’s Alabama Chapter and received the chapter’s annual Ron Council Award for Mentoring. Poole retired in July 2018 after 15 years as executive director of university communication at Samford University, and 40 years in public relations.
Steven Reece, BS ’78, is founder of The Matzevah Foundation, which brings volunteers to Europe from Brentwood Baptist Church in Tennessee and partners them with Jewish descendants to care for their ancestral cemeteries. Reece, a Southern Baptist minister from Texas, has been cleaning Jewish cemeteries and erecting memorial plaques at mass grave sites in Poland and Ukraine, where millions of Jews were shot and gassed by Nazi German forces during World War II.
Nancy Shemwell, BBA ’78, was appointed chief operating officer of Raleigh, NC-based IoT Community (Internet of Things Community), the world’s largest community of corporate executives, IoT professionals and practitioners. Shemwell has served in leadership positions for more than 30 years with global organizations, including Vericlave, DataSpan, Multi-Link, Jovial Test Equipment, Extreme Networks, Symmetricom and Nortel Networks.
Cyndy B. Dunlap, BSN ’79, was named chief nursing officer for the Providence Healthcare Network. Dunlap oversees more than 470 nurses in the network, which includes Providence Health Center in Waco, and is part of Ascension, the largest nonprofit health system in the U.S. Dunlap has been in health care leadership for more than 20 years, including executive nursing positions at Baylor Scott & White medical centers in Temple and Waco.
The Universal Tennis Rating (UTR), similar to a golf handicap, was acquired by an investment group eager to harness the power of data to help improve the game. The group includes Oracle CEO Mark Hurd, BBA ’79, who played tennis for Baylor. In an Inside Tennis interview, Hurd noted that technology “is unifying the sport around a single, digital platform. We provide access to tools that tennis has never had before.’’ More than 855,000 players have a UTR rating. The system contains results from more than 8.4 million matches in 204 countries and is a data clearinghouse for 2,152 college teams. Establishing a UTR rating is free. Learn more at www.myutr.com.
The City of Plainview [TX] hired Cynthia Peterson, BSEd ’79, as the new Unger Memorial Chief Librarian. Peterson was the librarian at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall for 17 years and has spent most of her career in higher education library settings.
1980s
Larry Davis, BSEd ’81, was named chief diversity officer at Texas A&M University-Central Texas, where he most recently served as director of student services. He was a Baylor Track and Field letterwinner.
Dr. Sherry B. Perkins, BSN ’82, was named president and CEO of University of Maryland Capital Region Health. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and an adjunct faculty member of the University of Maryland School of Nursing.
Dr. Glenn Sanders, BA ’82, MA ’83, was named dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at King University in Bristol, TN. Sanders has taught history at Oklahoma Baptist University since 1988. He also chaired OBU’s departments of anthropology, history and political science and the division of behavioral and social sciences.
Mark R. Williamson, BBA ’82, was honored with a 2018 Elite Lawyer Award for the area of family law. He is the founding partner of Williamson Law Firm in Dallas.
James R. Rodgers, JD ’83, an attorney with The Moore Law Firm in Paris, TX, was inducted into the Paris Junior College Academic Hall of Honor Class of 2018. He was a summa cum laude graduate of PJC in 1978. Rodgers has practiced law in Paris for more than 35 years.
Leslie Schaffner, BA ’83, is president of the nonprofit Wichita Falls [TX] Area Community Foundation. Before accepting the position, Schaffner was director of special initiatives at the Priddy Foundation for 16 years.
Webster Stickney, MA ’83, is managing director of SierraConstellation Partners, LLC, a Houston-based interim management and advisory firm to middle-market companies in transition. His experience includes 35 years working with the family of Drayton McLane and the McLane Group. Stickney has served as the CEO of a Central Texas defense contractor, the CEO of a Texas blown-film manufacturer and a board member of the Houston Astros.
Dr. Elizabeth Davis, BBA ’84, president of Furman University in Greenville, SC, received the 2018 William M. Burke Presidential Award for Excellence in Experiential Education from the National Society of Experiential Education (NSEE). The award recognizes a sitting college president who has made “significant contributions to experiential education and exemplifies a commitment to college students through entrepreneurial support of experiential education on campus and in the community.” Davis was Baylor executive vice president and provost from 2010 to 2014.
Letha Turner Horbacz, BSN ’84, celebrated 30 years of service as a cardiac nurse at Baylor University Medical Center Dallas. Contact at horbfam@aol.com.
Debbie Snyder, MA ’84, is group vice president, corporate social responsibility solutions (CSR), for StratusLIVE, a Virginia Beach, VA-based provider of cloud-based, enterprise-class CRM and donor management software for nonprofit organizations and CSR teams. She has more than 25 years of experience in CSR program leadership, global program development, strategic planning and consulting.
Dr. Stephen Stookey, BA ’84, is dean of the School of Religion and Philosophy at Wayland Baptist University. He joined the Wayland faculty in 2016 as a professor of religion. Stookey is a trustee for the T.B. Maston Foundation and is on the Board of Directors of the Baptist History and Heritage Society.
Laura Swearingen, BBA’84, a real estate executive with The Laura Swearingen Team, RE/MAX Associates of Arlington, TX, joined Noticed, an invitation-only service for distinguished professionals. Swearingen has been chosen as a Distinguished Real Estate Professional.
Tresi Moore Weeks, BA ’84, JD ’87, was appointed Chair of the Board for Disability Rights Texas. Contact at 5600 Tennyson Parkway Suite 105, Plano, TX 75024 or tresi@weekslawfirm.com.
Stephen Kwaku Asare, MBA ’85, is an accomplished scholar and practitioner selected by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) as its first Democracy and Development (D&D) Fellow. Asare will serve as a D&D Fellow in Public Law and Justice. A KPMG Professor in accounting at the University of Florida Fisher School of Accounting, Asare is known in Ghana as a public intellectual and scholar-activist.
Gary Furr, PhD ’85, celebrated 25 years as pastor of Vestavia Hills Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL. Also a conference speaker and a published author, Furr serves as the founder of the Alabama Coalition for Healthy Mothers and Children, a faith-based, nonprofit organization of health care professionals, educators and community leaders advocating for the health care of Alabama children.
Dr. Michael H. Kennedy, MHA ’85, was named chair of the department of health policy, economics and management at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, TX, School of Community and Rural Health. Kennedy was an associate professor in the Department of Health Services and Information Management at East Carolina University.
Jeffery Looney, BSEd ’85, was named city manager of Granite Shoals, TX. He began his career at Mexia [TX] State School as program coordinator, then coordinated a five-county foster care program for people with disabilities. He later became Mexia city judge and went on to work as city manager and administrator of cities in Texas and Colorado.
Todd Dorton, BBA ’86, of Waco was appointed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to the Family Practice Residency Advisory Committee. The committee is responsible for funding recommendations for Higher Education Coordinating Board and other support programs. Dorton is president and CEO of Ethos Risk Advisors, LLC. He is a member of the Waco Business League and the Ukrainian Economic Reform Committee.
Judy R. Hodgkiss, JD ’86, an attorney with The Moore Law Firm in Paris, TX, was inducted into the Paris Junior College Academic Hall of Honor Class of 2018. Hodgkiss was valedictorian of her Paris High School graduating class and graduated summa cum laude from PJC in 1980.
Dr. Ginna Laport, BA ’86, is chief medical officer at Tempest Therapeutics Inc., a San Francisco-based development-stage biotechnology company. She has expertise in hematology, oncology and clinical drug development and will be a part of the transition Tempest is pursuing to become a clinical-stage biotechnology company.
Doyle R. Simons, BBA ’86, is retiring after five years as president and CEO at Weyerhaeuser Company. He served as chairman and CEO of Temple-Inland Inc., from 2008 to 2012.
Kristy Bonner, BA ’87, was recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as a 2018 Women in Technology honoree for making a difference in her workplace. Bonner is an IT director at NCH Corporation, headquartered in Irving, TX. She is also vice president of the DFW Alliance of Technology and Women.
Glen, BBA ’87, and Laura Lee Pirtle, BSEd ’89, are the new owners Classic Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat in Arlington, TX, at 1111 I-20 East at Collins. They will remodel the facilities, and they welcome all Baylor graduates and friends to stop by and see them.
Lee Mulcahy, BA ’88, of Aspen, CO, will have his paintings exhibited in Beijing’s 798 at Horizon, Nairobi’s National Museum and at his outlaw gallery/studio in Aspen’s Burlingame Ranch in 2019. Contact at leemulcahyphd@gmail.com.
Mark Chronister, BS ’89, was appointed Central Market Large and Jumbo Employer Team (LJET) Leader by Mercer, a global consulting leader in advancing health, wealth and career. Chronister spent 11 years as the Dallas Health Office Business Leader, where he maintained and grew awareness and presence in the Dallas and Austin markets.
Deeanne King, BBA ’89, longtime Sprint leader and current senior vice president of omnichannel operations and customer experience, was named Sprint’s chief human resources officer. King has been with Sprint for nearly 30 years and has extensive management experience across a variety of business units, including care, operations and human resources.
Peter Larsen, BA ’89, of Newburyport, MA, is writing a blog, O.K. with the War: One Texan’s Unlikely Journey Over There, about his grandfather’s experience in France in World War I. O.K. Farrell of Amarillo, TX, was also the father of Nancy Farrell Larsen, BBA ’58, and grandfather of Ann Larsen Lawrence, BA ’91. www.larsenlink.com
Don R. Reeves, BBA ’89, joined Roberts & Roberts in Tyler, TX, where he will continue to represent injured victims. Reeves worked as a personal injury attorney at Bennett Law Office in Longview, Texas, for approximately 19 years.
Charles E. Sutton Jr., JD ’89, was appointed head of the workers’ compensation practice group at corporate and insurance defense firm Wanek Kirsch Davies LLC in New Orleans.
1990s
Clayton Bailey, BA ’90, of Dallas was selected to the 2019 The Best Lawyers in America list. Bailey, one of The National Trial Lawyers’ Top 100 Texas Civil Plaintiff Lawyers, is known for his trial and appellate experience in complex tort and other commercial cases in federal and state appeals courts. In 2017, he was the only Texas-based lawyer selected to the National Law Journal’s Elite Boutique Trailblazers. He and Alex Brauer lead Bailey Brauer PLLC.
Chris Elliott, JD ’90, was inducted into Commerce [TX] High School’s Hall of Honor. He was an all-district quarterback who also excelled in baseball, served in the National Honor Society and was voted “Most Likely to Succeed.” He played baseball at Austin College.
Brady King, MA ’90, was named vice president of legislative and political affairs for the Financial Services Institute. King is the former director of congressional and political affairs for the American Institute of CPAs and also served as director of congressional affairs at the Overseas Private Investment Corp. (OPIC) during the Obama administration. In addition, he served as chief of staff to former Sen. Roland Burris and national security advisor to Sens. Edward Kennedy and Mark Dayton.
Carrie Moy, JD ’90, is the assistant district attorney for DeWitt, Goliad and Refugio [TX] counties. She has 26 years of experience as a prosecutor. Moy served at offices in and near Bexar County, including the 81st and 25th judicial districts.
Dr. Kelli C. Styron, BBA ’90, JD ’94, was appointed interim vice president of Tarleton State University’s Division of Student Affairs. She began her new duties Jan. 1, previously serving as dean of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts. Styron began at Tarleton in 1995 and has served in the Institutional Advancement and Enrollment Management divisions, led the social work, sociology and criminal justice department, and chaired the university’s compliance committee for accreditation.
Randy Riggins, BA ’91, is the International President for (ROYS) Reach Out Youth Solutions. ROYS equips and multiplies leaders globally who influence the younger generation to follow Jesus. Currently, ROYS is working with youth leaders in 30 countries to reach the 2.3 billion people between the ages of 10 and 29 who do not know Jesus. www.reach-out.org. Contact at 8350 Holliday Road, Lantana, TX 76226 or rgriggins@gmail.com.
Michael, BBA ’91, and Gloria Rebecca “Becky” Smith of Madison, NJ, created the Michael and Becky Smith Endowed Scholarship Fund in Accounting to support first generation college students pursuing a graduate degree in accounting. Their daughter, Margaret Rebecca “Maggie,” is in Baylor’s Class of 2021.
Jim F. Andrews Jr. MBA ’92, is counsel to the PPGMR Law firm in El Dorado, AR. He had a 17-year legal career at Deltic Timber Corporation, serving the last seven of those years as its vice president, general counsel and secretary. Andrews was appointed by Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson to serve as a commissioner on the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. He is a member of the advisory council to the Rankin College of Business at Southern Arkansas University and the Society for Corporate Governance. Contact at jandrews@ppgmrlaw.com.
Tracey Smith Campbell, BBA ’92, of Granbury, TX, is regional director for Apple Vacations. Travel Age West magazine recognized her as Favorite Individual Tour Operator Sales Representative for 2018. Campbell has worked in the travel industry for more than 21 years. Apple Vacations has won Best Tour Operator to Mexico from Travel Age West each year since 2006.
Dr. Alan Keister, BA ’92, received the Oscar E. Edwards Memorial Award for Volunteerism and Community Service from the American College of Physicians (ACP). The award will be presented April 11, 2019, in Philadelphia. Keister has practiced general internal medicine in his hometown of Amarillo, TX, since 2000. He has served in numerous leadership positions, including chief of medicine and president of the medical staff, at Baptist St. Anthony’s Hospital. Keister established the Heal the City Clinic in Amarillo, which was created to serve indigent patients who are not eligible for Medicaid or county assistance. More than 2,300 unique patients were seen in 2017.
Marcus Mohon, BA ’92, was honored as a distinguished alumnus of the Little Cypress-Mauriceville School District in Orange County, TX. He is the owner of Marcus Mohon Interiors in Austin and is active in numerous professional and civic organizations, including Leaders of Design Council and the Institute of Classical Art and Architecture. He has also received several national and international design honors.
Dr. LeAnna Biles Schooley, BA ’92, of Stephenville, TX, was named executive director of the Center for Texas Studies at Texas Christian University in September 2018. She has worked in museums and historic preservation for 28 years.
Aaron Burkes, JD ’93, is CEO and executive director of Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport. He served as president of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority since he was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in 2015. He also served two years in the Arkansas General Assembly as a state representative from Rogers and executive dean of economic and workforce development at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Thomas Everett, BSEd ’93, was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. Everett now works to help launch the athletic careers of many other athletes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Dr. Lance Hampton, BA ’93, holds the Barbara and William B. Thalhimer Jr. Professorship in Urology and chair of the Department of Urology at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. He has traveled to Vietnam almost every year since 2009 as a volunteer mentor for IVUmed’s Traveling Resident Scholarship Program. The program pairs a mentor with a urology resident from the U.S. and sends them to a developing country, where they provide training in the advanced techniques.
Denny Kramer, BA ’93, joined Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences at Baylor. Kramer serves as associate dean for graduate program operations. The academic units that form the College share a common purpose: improving health and quality of life. To learn more about the College of Health and Human Sciences, visit www.baylor.edu/chhs.
Greg Campbell, BBA ’94, was named head of Dallas corporate banking at Amegy Bank-Texas. He spent the previous 17 years in corporate banking at Wells Fargo in Dallas.
Luci Morrow Charpentier, BA ’92, writes, “I’m starting my 14th year at Georgetown [TX] High School and my first year as an empty nester. I don’t know how, but Noel and I raised two Tarleton State University Texans instead of Bears!”
Chris Ritter, BA ’94, a staff attorney with the State Bar of Texas, will become director of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program (TLAP) of the State Bar of Texas, which provides confidential help to Texas lawyers, judges, and law students experiencing mental health or substance abuse disorders. Ritter also holds degrees from the University of Texas School of Law and Lamar University.
Paul W. Lewis, PhD ’95, worked in East Asia for 17 years (1995-2012), including six years as academic dean of Asia Pacific Theological Seminary. He is now associate dean and professor of historical theology and intercultural studies at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Springfield, MO, where he has been since 2012. Lewis has recently co-edited four works: including Missiological Research: Interdisciplinary Foundations, Methods, and Integration (William Carey Library Publishers, 2018). Contact at lewisp@evangel.edu.
Christopher Todd, BBA ’95, MBA ’95, was promoted to dual chief financial officer/chief operating officer for the transportation management and logistics service company NT Logistics Inc in Frisco, TX. He oversees all of the company’s divisions as well as the fulfillment of several ongoing strategic imperatives.
Corey Bailey, BBA ’96, was named senior vice president, chief credit officer and divisional credit administration officer for the Texas Market of Comerica Incorporated. In his role, Bailey supports Middle Market Texas, Energy and U.S. Banking. He recently served as the Group Manager for Middle Market Banking in Texas for Comerica, where he has worked for 20 years.
Christopher Griffin, MA ’96, left Microsoft in 2012 and purchased a former Nike Golf facility in Fort Worth. He founded P53, the only 100-percent U.S.-made golf irons and wedges, named P53 in honor of the golf legend Ben Hogan and his magical 1953 season. Contact at p53irons.com.
Michael S. Heimall, MHA ’96, a former director at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, was appointed director of the Washington, DC, Veterans Administration Medical Center (DCVAMC). He will oversee delivery of health care to more than 121,050 veterans and an operating budget of $610 million. He is a retired U.S. Army officer with 30 years of hospital and health system leadership.
Dr. Aven Senter, BA ’96, of San Antonio created the Paige Russell Senter Endowed Scholarship Fund to support students in Art History in loving memory of his wife, Paige, who earned an Art History degree from Baylor in 1996.
Nicholas Fraunfelder, BA ’97, was named chief operating officer for PurpleCloud Technologies, a privately held technology company in Atlanta that builds custom software solutions and data analytics for hotel operations and management. Fraunfelder spent five years as chief revenue officer for Clockwise.MD, a cloud-based scheduling and communications software platform.
Jeremy, BA ’97, and Kristy Fudge of Parker, TX, established The Fudge Family Baylor Built Endowed Fund to provide resources for the Baylor Built program in Baylor Athletics, a program that elevates student-athlete development and character formation alongside academic and athletic success. Jeremy and Kristy also serve on the National Campaign Steering Committee for Baylor’s fundraising campaign, Give Light.
Bradley Hunter Welch, BM ’97, was named resident organist, holder of The Lay Family Chair, of Dallas Symphony Orchestra. A nationally acclaimed recitalist, Welch performs with the DSO on classical, pops and holiday concerts and oversees the Meyerson Symphony Center’s Lay Family Concert Organ, built by C.B. Fisk.
Shane Bender, BBA ’99, MBA ’99, of Fort Worth authored Forecast Your Future: How Small Businesses Exchange Stress and Chaos for Cash and Clarity. The book was the No. 1 new release in the business planning and forecasting category on Amazon. Bender is the founder of Bender CFO Services, where his team provides part-time chief financial officer services to small businesses and nonprofits. Contact at bendercfo.com or shane@bendercfoservices.com.
Sharla Brown Chambers, BBA ’99, MBA ’99, is senior vice president and chief operating officer of Ciera Bank in Fort Worth. She previously served in chief financial officer and COO roles in the Farm Credit System. Chambers is a certified public accountant (CPA) with experience in public and corporate accounting as well as retirement plan administration and compliance. She and her husband James have two daughters. She is involved in National Charity League and in humanitarian/business training trips to Vietnam through Northwood Church.
Shawn Courtney, MBA ’99, was appointed president and CEO of Pittsburgh-based ERIKS North America, an industrial service provider. He has served in a number of roles for the company since 1992, including regional product director of ERIKS North America and also is president of ERIKS Seals and Plastics.
Stephanie Ybarra, BFA ’99, joined Baltimore Center Stage as artistic director after working for six years at the Public Theater of New York. As director of special artistic projects, she oversaw the Public’s Mobile Unit, which—like the Center Stage Mobile Unit—performs Shakespeare plays in such non-traditional venues such as prisons and homeless shelters. A San Antonio native, Ybarra received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.
2000s
Clint Harp, BBA ’00, of Waco released his memoir, Handcrafted: A Woodworker’s Story (Touchstone, 256 pages), the completion of a longtime dream for Harp, who with his wife Kelly Harp, BSEd ’02, co-owner of Harp Design Co., came to national attention through his appearances on the HGTV home renovation series Fixer Upper. The book includes an endorsement by former President Jimmy Carter.
Greg Long, MDiv ’00, wants to save Navajo language and culture by creating the first Bible translated into Navajo directly from the original Hebrew and Greek languages. Long grew up on the plateaus of north-central Arizona. While studying at Truett, Long founded Buffalo River Indian Baptist Church near the Baylor campus. After graduation, he moved home to Arizona, where he served as pastor of First Indian Baptist Church in Winslow and Grandfalls Bible Church in Grandfalls before starting Selah Congregation in Flagstaff.
Joanna Gaines, BA ’01, of Waco released her latest book, Homebody (Harper Design, 352 pages). Gaines walks readers through how to create a home that reflects the personalities and stories of the people who live there. This comprehensive guide offers practical steps for navigating and embracing your authentic design style.
Maureen Murchie, BA ’01, MM ’03, lives in New York City and freelances on both modern and baroque violin and viola. In addition to regular work with the Handel & Haydn Society, a highlight of this year was playing in the Broadway show Farinelli and the King, starring Mark Rylance and Iestyn Davies. Maureen is also a sales and marketing administrator at BIA, a Manhattan-based eDiscovery firm.
Ryan K. Patrick, BBA ’01, was sworn in at the federal courthouse in Houston as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas. Patrick is a former state district judge and criminal lawyer.
Kristen Houseton Huguley, BA ’02, is executive director of the Leander [TX] ISD foundation—Leander Educational Excellence Foundation (LEEF). Huguley previously worked at Texas Humane Heroes, where she rose through the ranks from volunteer to executive director. In 2017, Huguley was honored with the Texas Women in Business Community Member of the Year award.
Jessica Luparello, BA ’02, was promoted to general counsel and director of legal services for Community Coffee Co., based in Baton Rouge, LA. She continues to be responsible for the company’s legal strategy and protecting intellectual property. Luparello joined Community in 2014 as senior corporate attorney and leader of legal services.
Ryan, BSE ’02, and Jennifer Malone, BSEd ’01, of Katy, TX, created an endowed scholarship fund to provide support for students in Baylor’s School of Engineering and Computer Science. Jennifer and Ryan also serve on the National Campaign Steering Committee for Baylor’s fundraising campaign, Give Light, as representatives for the School of Engineering and Computer Science.
Dr. Matthew Brown, BA ’03, is a family physician at Texas County Memorial Hospital in Houston, MO. He attended Baylor College of Medicine, with a focus in international health/tropical medicine and traveler’s health.
Ben Johnson, BA ’03, joined the Penn State Law faculty as an assistant professor and holds affiliate faculty positions with the College of Information Sciences and Technology and the department of political science in the College of the Liberal Arts. He holds a juris doctor from Yale Law School and a master’s in economics from Boston University, and he previously worked in private practice in Dallas.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Emily Lindley, BA ’03, of Austin to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which protects the state’s public health and natural resources consistent with sustainable economic development. Lindley most recently served as chief of staff for the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 Administrator. She also has more than 10 years of experience at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Attorney Stephen A. Mason, JD ’03, joined Dickinson Wright PLLC’s Austin office, where he focuses his practice on patent prosecution and litigation, trademark and service mark adoption and registration, and technology licensing and counseling.
Josh Terry, BBA ’03, of Dallas is president of The Garden Group. Mars Services, a member of The Garden Group Network, was selected for the 2018 Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies in America. The Garden Group is a family owned diversified holding company based in Dallas that focuses on small business investments. In 2011, Terry co-founded Acis Capital Management, LP, a fixed income asset manager, which he helped grow to $3.7 billion in assets under management prior to his departure in 2016.
Dr. Edgar Bedolla, BA ’04, joined the physicians at North Texas Plastic Surgery. He earned his medical degree at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and did his general surgery residency at the University of Oklahoma. He received advanced training in plastic surgery at the University of Miami.
Jennifer Cheek, BA ’04, of McKinney, TX, was elected to shareholder at Macdonald Devin, P.C. in Dallas. Cheek represents clients in a wide range of product liability, complex catastrophic loss, commercial and toxic tort cases nationwide.
Leslie M. Darby, BA ’05, JD ’07, of Fort Worth was named one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Law in the Dallas region by The National Diversity Council. She is a partner at Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP, where she focuses her practice on brand management.
Blake A. Holt, BA ’04, left a logistics career at Dal-Tile Corporation to open a Kona Ice franchise with his wife Lisa in Frisco and Allen, TX. Five years later, he is excited to announce the opening of his newest venture, a Budget Blinds franchise, also in Allen. The Holts have three boys and recently celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary. Contact at bholt@budgetblinds.com.
Jenny Ebbeling Toste, BA ’04, of Fresno, CA, is president and CEO of ValleyPBS. Most recently, she was an award-winning social media specialist for Fresno State University. Toste is founder and CEO of Jenny Toste Productions and a regional EMMY® Award-winning anchor known for her work in local and national television news, from the network level at ABC News’ Good Morning, America to large markets like San Francisco. She spent a decade as a reporter and anchor at KSEE-24 and CBS-47 in Fresno.
Michael Bracken, BA ’05, of Hewitt, TX, authored Smoked, a short story appearing in The Best American Mystery Stories 2018, released by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Smoked first appeared in Noir at the Salad Bar (Level Best Books, 2017). Bracken, the author of several books and more than 1,200 short stories, has received numerous awards for his writing. Bracken is editor of Texas Gardener magazine and marketing director for the Waco Symphony Association.
David Ocamb, MA ’05, of Cedar Park, TX, was promoted to chief research and planning officer for GDC Marketing and Ideation. He oversees the department tasked with uncovering market insights as well as crafting campaign strategy and tactics for all of the agency’s clients. Contact at david.ocamb@gmail.com.
Rev. Dr. Robert E. Wallace, PhD ’06, was named senior pastor of McLean [VA] Baptist Church. He most recently was professor of Biblical studies at Judson University in Elgin, IL. He is a respected Old Testament scholar and has spent more than 20 years as a professor striving to bridge the gap between academia and the church.
Matthew Genitempo, BFA ’07, of Marfa, TX, released Jasper (Twin Palms Publishing, 2018: 96 pages), a book of his photographs inspired by poet and land surveyor Frank Stanford. The images consist of landscapes, cluttered interiors and rugged men living in solitude in the Ozark Mountains. Genitempo holds an MFA from the University of Hartford. He was recently selected as one of 30 Emerging Photographers by Photo District News, and he received the LensCulture Emerging Photographer Award. Jasper was short-listed for the 2018 Paris Photo/Aperture Foundation First PhotoBook Prize. Learn more at matthewgenitempo.com.
Dean Martin, MHA ’07, was named executive director of Fort Knox and the Penobscot Narrows Bridge & Observatory in Prospect, ME. A decorated combat veteran, Martin recently retired from active duty in the U.S. Army as lieutenant colonel after serving more than 24 years, including as an aeromedical evacuation pilot with combat zone deployments to Kuwait and Iraq.
Emily Chapman Richards, BA ’07, is executive director for Nashville-based nonprofit Show Hope, a nationally recognized voice for adoption advocacy and orphan care support work, co-founded by her parents, Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman. Richards holds a master’s degree in theology from Queen’s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She and her husband Tanner have three daughters. Show Hope has provided more than $24 million in Adoption Aid grants, impacting more than 6,200 children from more than 60 countries. Learn more at showhope.org.
Denise Hearn, BA ’08, of Seattle co-authored The Myth of Capitalism: Monopolies and the Death of Competition. Endorsed by two Nobel Prize-winning economists, the book dissects the true drivers of inequality, low wages and low dynamism in America today. Learn more at www.mythofcapitalism.com.
Maj. Mary Hossier, BA ’08, is stationed at Incirlik Air Base Turkey. She is training for her 13th marathon and uses her training as an opportunity to mentor other service members.
Taylor L. Mathews, BBA ’08, was promoted to accounting specialist in the oil and gas department of Gollob Morgan Peddy in Tyler, TX. A certified public accountant (CPA), Mathews advises clients (in the area of oil and gas tax and audit) on economic and political trends that may affect them.
Dr. Jeffrey D. Shahidullah, BA ’08, ES ’11, coedited Handbook of Pediatric Behavioral Healthcare: An Interdisciplinary Collaborative Approach (Springer Publishing Co., 321 pages). The book addresses the delivery of high quality pediatric behavioral healthcare services that are multitiered, evidence-based and integrated.
Rev. Sarah Stewart, MDiv ’08, is senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City, the church’s first female pastor in its 128-year history. She preached her first sermon as senior pastor Nov. 18. Stewart served as youth pastor at churches in Norman, OK, and Rosebud, TX, before she and her husband Brad, MDiv ’08, returned to Oklahoma City. She began serving as young adult pastor at First Baptist, where Brad serves as minister of discipleship and young adults.
Mayra Jimenez, BBA ’09, was highlighted by InStyle Magazine for working to aid and educate refugees through the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES). Jimenez is children’s program director and managing attorney, overseeing more than 50 employees in the largest faction of RAICES that provides legal services to unaccompanied children in court. The organization closed 51,000 cases free of charge in 2017.
2010s
Dr. Alicia Fuhrman, BA ’10, recently completed her residency training in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Washington. She graduated from the John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School in Houston in 2014 and is a practicing physiatrist at St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute in Spokane, WA.
Dr. Whitney J. Rochelle, BSEd ’10, joined the Wisdom Tooth Center in Moore, OK, after completing her residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center earlier this year. Her research and outreach work with the Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry focused on increasing patient access to care, educating the community and influencing city policies regarding water fluoridation.
Melanie Crowson Russell, BA ’10, is a digital content producer at WATE-6 On Your Side news station in Knoxville, TN. She has experience as a print reporter, editor and photographer.
Brandon Baker, BS ’11, completed residency training in podiatric surgery in Salt Lake City and joined Indiana Podiatry Group, where he practices with his wife Cassey Crowell. They were married Sept. 29, 2018, in Indianapolis. Contact at brandonbakerdpm@gmail.com.
Jennifer Harris Chapman, BA ’11, earned a PhD in Human Development & Family Studies from Texas Tech University in May. She is assistant professor of human development at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL. Contact at chapmaj@eckerd.edu.
Kristin E. Lechowicz, BA ’11, JD ’14, joined the Chicago office of the Kelley Kronenberg law firm, where she assists in matters related to construction, retail and commercial litigation, general liability and workers’ compensation. Previously, she was as an associate attorney at an insurance defense firm in Chicago.
Mary Alice Birdwhistell, MDiv ’13, senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Waco, is the focus of the first documentary in a series produced by Baptist Women in Ministry and EthicsDaily.com. It was screened Nov. 16 at an event sponsored by Truett Seminary and the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work. In the short film, Birdwhistell reflects on her ministry journey and talks honestly about the absence of female ministry role models.
Austin Green, BS ’13, graduated from dental residency at Yale Hospital in New Haven, CT. He returned to Waco to join Creekwood Dental Arts.
Sarah Rodriquez, BM ’13, graduated from University of Texas Cizik School of Nursing. She works at CHI St. Luke’s Health—Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston as an intensive care registered nurse (RN). In March 2018, she presented a research study about blood pressure monitoring for hypertension care at the Southern Nursing Research Society Conference in Atlanta. She has a research article currently under review by the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR). Contact at 1430 Bodart Dr., Houston, TX 77090 or sarah.danielle.rodriguez@gmail.com.
Jolene Damoiseaux, BS ’14, started Mothers on the Move, an organization in Kenya that provides transportation for expectant mothers who otherwise would have no way to get to health centers. Her project won the Albert Schweitzer Prize Audience Award from the Netherlands Albert Schweitzer Fund, which provides money for local health projects in Africa. Damoiseaux is studying midwifery at the Academy of Midwifery in Maastricht, Netherlands, after which she plans to open a midwifery practice.
Arthur Torres, BMEd ’14, assistant band director/mariachi band director at University High School in Waco, was featured on KWKT-TV in September. In his mariachi class of a dozen students, Torres passes down the culture of Mexican folk songs dating as far back as the 16th century.
Andrew Valverde, BS ’14, and Elizabeth Martinez married Feb. 10, 2018, in Spring Branch, TX. Andrew is a lead research coordinator for the University of Michigan. Elizabeth is a registered nurse at Driscoll Children’s Hospital. They met while working at Waco’s Hillcrest Hospital and reside in Corpus Christi, TX.
Stephanie Onyechi, BSEd ’15, took part in a white coat ceremony as she begins her first year of medical school at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Onyechi’s previous exposure to the area through missionary trips as a Baylor undergraduate encouraged her to apply at the UTRGV School of Medicine.
Elena S. Hall, BA ’16, of Richardson, TX, released Through Adopted Eyes: A Collection of Memoirs from Adoptees. The book explores adoption from the viewpoint of more than 40 adoptees.
Stephanie Madrid, MBA ’17, was selected as chair of the Local Leadership Board of Directors for the Houston office of the American Lung Association, leading lung disease prevention and lung health initiatives in the state. Madrid is division vice president for Kindred Hospitals of Houston and is the Integrated Market Leader, supporting collaboration and strategic partnership between Kindred and its local partners. She began her career as a speech-language pathologist at Kindred Hospital Houston Medical Center.
Sheridan Stokes, BSEd ’17, was inducted into the Stephenville [TX] High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Stokes competed at Baylor for two years as a heptathlete, earning Big 12 Academic All-Conference track and field honors. She also served as a missionary with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Brazil. Stokes is working on a doctor of nurse anesthesia degree.
Bryce Jurss, BS ’18, created an easy way to equally split the cost of a pizza delivery among friends. RoyChat is an AI chatbot which corresponds via SMS to order and deliver users’ food, split checks and in the future help save money, invest, correspond with medical personnel and more, without having to download an App. The new concept is developed by The Odyssey Project Inc.
Drew Mackenzie, BA ’18, is among this year’s class of Karsh-Dillard Scholars at the University of Virginia School of Law. The prestigious awards offer full tuition and honor students with the highest qualities of leadership.
Nicole Manley, JD ’18, joined Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr’s Dallas office as an associate practicing commercial litigation. Manley graduated from Baylor Law magna cum laude and was senior executive editor for the Baylor Law Review.
Diane and Clark Grotberg of Fergus Falls, MN, established The David Grotberg Golden Wave Band Endowed Scholarship Fund in loving memory of their son, David, who was passionate about Baylor and a member of the Golden Wave Band.