Alumni News & Notes
Faculty, Friends and Family
Joan Berry Bishop, ABC ’19, created The Baylor Bishop Leadership and Innovation in Business Endowed Fund. This fund provides support for students in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation’s 1846 Business Incubator program.
Timothy and Shang-Ying Clark of Albuquerque, NM, created an endowment in honor of their son, Eli, BBA ’17. Eli was the pianist for the Baylor Jazz Ensemble during his time at Baylor. The Eli Clark Endowed Fund for the Baylor Jazz Program is used to promote jazz education and experiences for Baylor students and faculty.
Dr. Kevin and Mary Beth Gasser of Scottsdale, AZ, created The Gasser Family Endowed Scholarship Fund to support students who participated in the Baylor Buddies mentorship program. The Gassers are proud Baylor parents of their children, Grant, BBA ’19, and Alicia, BBA ’17. Grant volunteered in the Baylor Buddies Program while he was at Baylor, inspiring this endowment.
George “Chip” and D’Ann Hinkle of Houston established The Hinkle Family Endowed Scholarship Fund to support students with financial need. They have two children: Trey, a member of the Baylor University Class of 2021, and Meredith, a member of the Baylor University Class of 2023.
2010s
Brooke Houser, BS ’10, started in August 2019 as an optometrist at Mercy Clinic Ophthalmology in Fort Smith, AR. Houser received a Doctor of Optometry from the Rosenberg School of Optometry in San Antonio and completed an optometry residency at Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks in Fayetteville, AR.
Susan Kincannon, EdD ’10, was named Waco ISD superintendent. She previously served as Belton [TX] ISD superintendent since 2011. Kincannon has been a public educator for 30 years, including time as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, and deputy superintendent.
Hayley Marshall, BS ’10, and Michael Grover, BA ’05, were married April 13, 2019, in Fort Worth, where they reside. Hayley is an OB-GYN physician at Texas Health Harris and John Peter Smith Hospitals, and Mike practices estate and probate law. Multiple Baylor graduates were in attendance at the ceremony, including maid of honor Carrie Aitken, BSEd ’10, and best man Jacob Hale, BA ’05.
Brittany N. Stephenson, BA ’10, joined the board of directors of the Playhouse Theatre Group Inc. in West Hartford, CT. She is the executive assistant to the town manager and mayor of West Hartford. Stephenson is president of the Young Professional Advisory Board for the Playhouse on Park and serves on its Marketing and Scottsboro Boys Education & Outreach committees.
Lindsey Bibby, BBA ’11, and Ryan Bailes, BA ’09, were married Sept. 7, 2019, at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, MO. They live in Tyler, TX, where Lindsey works for Southside Bancshares Inc. and Ryan is a partner at the digital creative agency Bailes + Zindler.
Lincoln Chen, BS ’11, joined the Houston office of Chamberlain Hrdlicka as an associate in the commercial litigation practice. Lincoln is a commercial litigator and corporate counsel representing world-class logistics companies, health care conglomerates, financial lenders and other business interests.
Dr. Blake Cross, BBA ’11, is a family practice physician at CHRISTUS Clinic in Sulphur Springs, TX. He attended medical school in Fort Worth, earned his master’s degree at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth and performed his residency in Lubbock, TX. Cross has been married to his wife for seven years; they have a 2-year-old and another baby on the way.
Thomas Foster, BBA ’11, was hired as controller at the Central Texas Food Bank in Austin, the largest hunger-relief charity in Central Texas.
John Kappel, BS ’11, joined the Dallas office of the boutique family law firm Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson LLP. He focuses on divorce, child custody and property division matters, as well as probate and estate planning.
Dr. Tanner Mathias, BSEd ’11, joined Rutland [VT] Regional Medical Center as a hospital medicine specialist. Mathias earned his medical degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and completed his residency at St. Anthony’s North Health Campus in Westminster, CO.
Dr. Stevie Britch, BA ’12, received a Doctor of Philosophy from Washington State University. She is a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, conducting cutting-edge clinical pharmacology and substance abuse research.
D. Scott Crawford, BA ’12, is an associate in law firm HunterMaclean’s Admiralty and Maritime Practice Group in Savannah, GA. Scott previously served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Eldon E. Fallon in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans. Crawford received his Juris Doctor and Maritime Law Certificate from Tulane University Law School.
Nina Cates, BA ’13, and Andrew Henningsen, BBA ’12, were married Sept. 12, 2019, in Bend, OR. The couple lives in Seattle.
Dr. Grant McChesney, BS ’13 and Elizabeth Jones were married Jan. 19, 2019, in Austin. Grant is a 2017 graduate of Baylor College of Medicine and is completing his residency in orthopedic surgery. Elizabeth works for Thompson + Hanson. The couple reside in Houston.
Dr. Sammy Raad, BS ’13, entered his first year of residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine – Wichita Family Medicine Residency Program at Wesley Medical Center.
Katelyn Thomas, MSN ’13, a nurse practitioner and previously an intensive care nurse, joined HealthCare Express in Longview, TX, as a nurse practitioner.
Clarissa Burton, BA ’14, published Just Too Young: A Teen’s Guide for the Journey through High School and Beyond. She has a passion for helping first-generation college students, as she was. A master’s level social worker, Burton has worked for a charter school providing transition to children from low income communities. Learn more at clarissachristine.com.
The Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas elected Tony Miranda, MDiv ’15, DMin ’18, campus pastor of Corpus Christi’s Stark College and Seminary, as its president in June 2019. He directs the school’s graduate program and is a lecturer in Christian Scriptures. Miranda also serves as a teaching pastor at Primera Iglesia Bautista de Robstown. He is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in New Testament from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is writing his first book on the parables of Christ.
The Green Bay Packers and WPS Health Solutions paid special tribute to U.S. Army Maj. Terry Mercier, MBA/MHA ’15, and his family for Operation Fan Mail during a Packers-Lions game. Mercer has served in the Army for 19 years. He has been deployed several times in combat operations, including two tours in Iraq, as well as a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. He serves at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu as the chief of access management and works closely with the Veterans Affairs Hospital to ensure veterans receive the medical care they need. He also spends time working with the Oahu Warrior Transition Battalion for Wounded Warriors.
Jacob Ray, BA ’15, and Taylor Brock, BS ’15, were married in McKinney, TX, and live in Durham, NC. Jacob works in research administration at North Carolina State University and is pursuing his MBA. Taylor works for Duke University Press.
Shelby Tidwell Solberg, BA ’15, of Alva, OK, is director of marketing and public relations at BancCentral National Association in Alva, OK. She leads and manages all communications efforts for the commercial bank and its several branches.
Anthony Taylor, BBA ’15, was promoted to associate by Pinecrest Capital Partners, a Dallas investment banking firm that offers exclusive advisory services to middle market companies. Prior to joining the firm, Taylor worked at MJC Partners in Los Angeles.
McKinley Freeman, BBA ’16, and Max Brown, BBA ’16, JD ’19, were married May 4, 2019, in Dallas. They celebrated with their Baylor families and friends, and then they spent 10 weeks traveling in Southeast Asia and Africa for their honeymoon. They reside in Houston.
Lt. Justin W. Hoblet, DPT ’16, is a Navy Medical Service Corps (MSC) officer, stationed at Naval Hospital Bremerton [WA] as a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy. He made the transition from flying carrier-based SH-60 Sea Hawk helicopters for a decade.
Austin Jolesch, BBA/MAcc ’16, is an analyst with Pinecrest Capital Partners, an investment banking firm in Dallas that offers exclusive advisory services to middle market companies. Prior to joining Pinecrest, Jolesch worked in the audit practice at KPMG in Dallas.
Rosemond Lorona, MA ’16, PhD ’19, joined Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego as a psychology professor. Her expertise is in emotion, prejudice and stigma, and how people perceive mental disorders, particularly within religious contexts.
David Ocasio, BBA ’16, was promoted to marketing and communications director of Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg, SC. He had been the organization’s digital marketing coordinator since 2017. Ocasio has previous experience developing marketing campaigns and activities in the finance industry. Contact as docasio@spartanarts.org.
Daniel Pelligrin, BA ’16, JD ’19, of Texarkana, TX, was sworn in Oct. 28, 2019, as a member of the Texas Bar. He began his career at the Houston offices of Martin, Disiere, Jefferson & Wisdom LLP.
Elayne Allen, BA ’17, attended the canonization of St. John Henry Newman in Rome after being introduced to Newman’s writings during a class on 18th and 19th century literature in Baylor’s Great Texts program.
Keba Batie, MBA ’17, of Grand Prairie, TX, was promoted to executive director in the middle market commercial bank for J.P. Morgan. Batie is celebrating 20 years in the finance industry with the last 15 at J.P. Morgan.
Parker Johnson-Graham, BA ’17, and Braxton Ray, BA ’16, were married Oct. 19, 2019, in Driftwood, TX, by Rev. Joshua Carney, MDiv ’07. The couple reside in Waco with their cat Jazz. Parker is a videographer and Braxton works in the Office of the Registrar at Baylor. Both Braxton and Parker are adopting the surname Johnson-Ray.
LeAnne Kerr, BA ’17, and Cole Rowley, BA ’17, were married March 22, 2019, in Austin. They were married by Highland Baptist Church college pastor Drew Humphrey, BA ’13, and were joined by several Baylor alumni in their wedding party. Tommy Kerr, BBA ’80, walked LeAnne down the aisle. The celebration included That Good Ole Baylor Line and a Dr Pepper Hour. They live in San Antonio, where Cole is a medical student at the Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, and LeAnne works in marketing for Communities In Schools. Contact at leanncarrollkerr@gmail.com.
Aaron Brown, MFA ’18, is directing the WaterTower Theatre’s final production of the 2019-2020 season with a production of the 1960s musical Golden Boy about Joe Wellington, a young black man trying to rise from the Harlem ghetto as a prizefighter. The play runs Aug. 20-30, 2020, at the Addison [TX] Theatre Center.
Luke Chipman, BS ’18, of Paris, TX, was inducted into Oklahoma State University’s Center for Veterinary Health Sciences Class of 2023.
Teddy DeLong, BBA ’18, and his family were featured in the Exton, PA, publication The Mercury for opening a new business, K9 Resorts of Malvern, a 13,000-square-foot luxury pet hotel in East Whiteland, PA.
Former Baylor Soccer student-athlete Julie James Doyle, BBA ’18, was named to the U.S. Under-23 Women’s National Team, which traveled to England for the 2019 Nordic Tournament (Aug. 28-Sept. 2). Doyle finished her Baylor career in 2018 as the program’s first first-team All-American. She was drafted in the second round by Sky Blue FC of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Sabrina Fountain, MA ’18, and Baylor English professor Dr. Greg Garrett, co-edited The Courage to See (Westminster John Knox Press), a daily collection of 365 literary passages from 200-plus authors paired with scripture and prayer. The book aims to spotlight literature as a powerful way for us to understand ourselves, the world and God.
Baylor political science alumni and professors attend the wedding of Dr. Marjorie L. Jeffrey, PhD ’18, to Mr. Alexander Habighorst. The couple were married July 27, 2019, in Spartanburg, SC. From left to right: Matt Brinzo, BA ’15; Bryan Beaty, BA ’16; Dr. David Clinton, chair of political science; Olivia Beaty: MA ’14; Dr. David Capper, PhD ’13; Dr. Marjorie Jeffrey; Dr. David Nichols, professor of political science; Dr. Mary Nichols, professor emerita; Dr. Debbie O’Malley, PhD ’17; Dr. Kevin Burns: PhD, ’17; Dr. Christine Basil: PhD ’17; Dr. Josh King, PhD ’16; and Dr. Elizabeth Amato, PhD ’11.
Itzayana Aguirre, MBA ’19, wrote an essay for Baptist Standard about how her parents, church and the Hispanic Baptist Convention of Texas became extremely important in her journey of higher education. Aguirre is digital fundraising coordinator at Cook Children’s Health Foundation and church administrator of Iglesia Bautista Victoria en Cristo in Fort Worth.
2000s
Amber Slayton, JD ’00, city attorney in North Port, FL, earned high marks from her supervisors on the City Commission. She was featured in a North Port Sun article Sept. 20, 2019.
Bridget Fagbeyiro Chapital, BSEd ’01, founded Hypothesis Haven, a STEM enrichment program for elementary school children that explores how the power of science drives medical breakthroughs. The program offers school enrichment, STEM workshops and summer camps in Houston and the surrounding areas. Chapital has worked in the medical research industry for nearly two decades. Contact at info@hypothesishaven.com.
David Anderson, BM ’02, MM ’04, was featured in an Oct. 24, 2019, Q&A in Gazette Extra, based in Janesville, WI. The feature explored Anderson’s role as music director for the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra and his musical influences, including Baylor conductor-in-residence Stephen Heyde. He was recently awarded the prestigious 2019-20 American Prize in Conducting Award in the community orchestra division and in 2016 earned the Walworth County Arts Council’s Friend of the Arts Award.
Karmen Doucette, MM ’02, is principal bassoonist for the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra, based in Kelowna, B.C. She was featured in the Oct. 29, 2019, edition of the Kelowna Daily Courier. Doucette holds an undergraduate degree in bassoon from the University of Calgary and an artist diploma from Toronto’s Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has studied with some of North America’s leading bassoonists.
William E. Hammel, JD ’02, joined Dallas-based Fox Rothschild LLP law firm as a partner, focusing on labor and employment matters.
Randa Barton, BA ’03, joined Polsinelli’s Dallas office as an associate attorney. She practices in the real estate finance section and works with lenders, businesses and individuals in the commercial real estate field. She earned her law degree from SMU and previously practiced law in El Paso and Abilene, TX. Contact at randa.barton@polsinelli.com.
Ben Cantrell, BA ’03, is vice president, treasurer and controller of EFG Companies, which was behind the award-winning Hyundai Assurance program. He brings 20-plus years of experience in retail automotive finance, accounting and operations. Previously, he was chief financial officer for Seniority Inc., and for Senior Quality Lifestyles Corporation.
Kate Josephine McGill Johnson, BA ’03, of Virginia Beach, VA, and her company, Heritage Business Services, celebrated two years in business. Her company provides virtual bookkeeping and business consulting to small businesses. Contact at kate@heritagebusinessservices.com.
Christian Otteson, MBA/JD ’03, was featured in the Aug. 23, 2019, edition of the Denver Business Journal. In a Q&A session, Otteson lays out how he came to be involved in notable bank acquisitions in Texas and Colorado, and he covers other topics. Otteson, a respected banking lawyer, is a partner of Denver-based Shapiro Bieging Barber Otteson LLP.
Joseph Fuller, MM ’04, released his live concert album Christmas In The City for the 2019 holidays. This is the fourth album and second Christmas collection for the established pianist who has more than 22 million streams on Pandora Radio. The album was recorded at Houston’s Steinway Selection Center and is available at JosephFuller.com, Amazon.com and all digital platforms. Fuller resides in the Houston area.
Dr. Chris Johnson, BA ’04, MDiv ’09, DMin ’16, pastor of First Baptist Church in San Antonio, was featured in the Sept. 17, 2019, edition of Baptist Standard. Johnson discussed his background and his thoughts on church and ministry. He talks about his faith, why he felt called into ministry and his life as a minister.
Kyle Armstrong, BA ’05, president of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in McKinney, TX, was named 2019 Young Healthcare Executive of the Year by the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council. He joined the McKinney team from Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis, TN, one of the largest not-for-profit health systems in the Mid-South.
Jason Burden, MDiv ’05, DMin ’11, pastor of First Baptist Church in Nederland, TX, was nominated for a second term as first vice president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. His church served as the base of operations for Texas Baptist Men disaster relief teams who have responded after Tropical Storm Imelda.
Attorney Tom Nowak, JD ’05, was appointed as judge of the 366th Judicial District Court in Collin County, TX. He has extensive experience as both a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney. Nowak is the criminal supervising attorney at Henley & Henley P.C. He previously served as a prosecutor in the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. Nowak is also a U.S. Air Force Reserve JAG officer.
Dr. Clay Elswick, BA ’06, completed his residency in neurological surgery from Detroit’s Wayne State University in June 2018. He completed a fellowship in complex and reconstructive spine surgery from the University of Michigan Neurosurgery Department in June 2019. He has started Brain and Spine Specialists of North Texas and is working in Arlington, TX.
Robert Watts, BBA ’06, of San Marcos, TX, was honored by the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce during the annual “Shining Stars Under 40” luncheon in September 2019. He works at Austin Habitat for Humanity as director of regional operations, serving Blanco, Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays and Travis counties. Watts also serves as president of the Austin Football Officials Association and has officiated high school football for 18 years. He and his wife Jessica Wells Watts, BBA ’05, have a son Robert Wesley, 4. Contact at robertallenwatts@gmail.com.
Allan Marshall, BA ’07, was named chief development officer for the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation. He obtained a master’s degree in higher education from Dallas Baptist University.
Jonathan Reynolds, BA ’07, of Salado, TX, author of The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (Monsterstreet #1), was chosen as part of the exclusive list for school book fairs in fall 2019. Monsterstreet is a series of spooky standalone stories, similar to the Goosebumps series. Each book has short chapters and cliffhangers to keep young reluctant readers turning the pages.
Whitney Reynolds, BA ’07, of the Chicago-based The Whitney Reynolds Show, was nominated for the coveted Stevie Awards, which recognize outstanding women entrepreneurs, employees and the organizations they spearhead. Reynolds, talk show host and executive producer of the show broadcast on Amazon Prime Video and the PBS App, is a Stevie Awards finalist for Video of the Year in the Media. Now in its ninth season, The Whitney Reynolds Show centers around delicate topics to provide inspiration, hope, understanding and guidance. Learn more at whitneyreynolds.com.
U.S. Army Maj. Bradley Ritland, DPT ’07, is in a research position with the military performance division at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick, MA. He previously was chief of amputee physical therapy services at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Before that, Ritland was assigned to a combat team, for which he was the brigade physical therapist, and was deployed to southern Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom for 12 months.
Stephanie C. Gaston, JD ’08, joined the Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP law firm’s Houston office as a partner in the labor and employment practice group. Her clients include school districts, housing authorities, special districts and governmental entities. Prior to joining Bradley, Gaston was a member at Clark Hill Strasburger in San Antonio.
B. Rae Perryman, BA ’08, was named regional editor of Adams Publishing Group’s Upper Shore division. Perryman previously was editor to the Baltimore region’s Dundalk Eagle and The Avenue News, both in Baltimore County, and she was director of special projects for The Palladium-Times in Oswego, NY. She won the 2018 award for Excellence in Feature Writing from the New York News Publishers Association for investigative work.
Rev. James Ellis III, MTS ’09, joined Trinity Western University in Langley, BC, as university chaplain and director of student ministries. James and his wife Renata are relocating to Canada from Holland, MI, where he was chaplain of discipleship at Hope College.
Michael Evans, DMin ’09, was nominated for a second term as president of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. He has led Bethlehem Baptist Church in Mansfield, TX, for more than 25 years.
Derrek and Ashley Gohlke, BA ’09, of Cibilo, TX, own and operate Lavaca Loca Designs, an e-commerce shop on Etsy. They create custom gifts for individuals and businesses. The Gohlkes have been featured in Voyage Houston Magazine and blogs such as Side Hustle, Alamo City Mom, and What the What with Tina.
Dr. Jennifer R. Green, BS ’09, MPH ’11, is the director of the Cumberland [NC] County Board of Health and oversees more than 250 employees. She previously was health director for the Riley County Health Department in Manhattan, KS, since 2016. Green earned her doctorate in health promotion sciences and public health from the University of Oklahoma Hudson College of Public Health.
Mayra Jimenez, BBA ’09, was selected as one of Glamour Magazine’s Women of the Year. In the past year, she was featured on CNN with Poppy Harlow, MSNBC, Good Morning America and in InStyle Magazine. She is vice president of legal services for RAICES, taking a stand to protect immigrant rights. Jimenez graduated Baylor with a dual degree in three years at age 20.
Justin Locklear, BFA ’09, is co-writer and composer for the Danielle Georgiou Dance Group’s premiere of The Bippy Bobby Boo Show, a co-production with Theatre Three that ran Oct. 25, 2019, through Nov. 2, 2019, at Theatre Too in Dallas. Locklear is an actor, director and playwright based in Dallas and is Artist-In-Residence at The Ochre House Theatre.
Huy Nguyen, BS ’09, MS ’12, PhD ’15, is an assistant professor of mathematics at Austin College in Sherman, TX. He previously was a visiting assistant professor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston.
1990s
Clayton Bailey, BA ’90, co-founder of Dallas litigation boutique Bailey Brauer, was selected to the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America, based on their commercial litigation work. Bailey earned additional recognition for his appellate practice.
Jeff Harris, BA ’90, celebrated 25 years of ministry as senior pastor at Grace Point Church in San Antonio. He has dedicated 28 years in ministry of leading “common people to uncommon life in Jesus.”
The Patterson + Sheridan LLP Capstone Design Project Endowed Fund will be used to benefit the School of Engineering and Computer Science’s Capstone Design Project program. Todd Patterson, BS ’90, is a partner with Patterson + Sheridan LLP. Patterson and his wife Amy serve on the National Steering Committee for Baylor’s Give Light Campaign.
Megan Thomas Watson, BA ’90, of Houston was named to the U.S. Track and Field (USATF) coaching staff for the Games of the XXXII Olympiad (Tokyo 2020). She was most recently women’s head coach of the 2018 World Indoor team and also served as Team USATF’s assistant coach at the 2017 IAAF World Championships, leading the distance squad in London. Watson serves on the USATF Women’s Executive Committee and USATF Women’s Development Executive Committee, and she is a USATF level two certified distance coach. She was a former Baylor Track and Field member under Clyde Hart, BBA ’56.
Cliff, BBA ’91, and Julie Thompson, BSED ’91, of Houston created The Cliff and Julie Thompson Endowed Scholarship Fund, which supports students majoring in finance, economics or elementary education.
After 16 years of teaching, Elisabeth Deloach Howell, BSEd ’91, is the new LOTE facilitator for Lamar [TX] CISD. She oversees the foreign language curriculum and staff development for language teachers. She and her husband Mark, BA ’92, have two boys and live in Sugar Land, TX.
Dr. Michael L. Thornton, BA ’91, a surgeon with Mansfield Cosmetic Surgery in Mansfield, TX, was named 2019 Readers’ Choice “Best Cosmetic Surgeon” in Living Magazine Arlington and Mansfield.
The Rev. Cheryl A. Kirk-Duggan, PhD ’92, is the visiting Black Religious Scholar and Crump Professor, 2019-2020, at the Seminary of the Southwest in Austin and an ordained minister in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Kirk-Duggan has written and edited more than 25 books. Among her many honors, she received the 2016 Shaw University Outstanding Achievement Award as International Recognized Womanist Scholar. Since 2004, she has served as professor of religion and director of women’s studies at Shaw University Divinity School in Raleigh, NC. Contact at drcherylkd@gmail.com.
Sharon Ramage, JD ’92, was named an Elite Lawyer, a directory and rating service that awards and recognizes attorneys who have displayed a high level of competence. She was honored for her devotion to be an advocate for families with special needs children. A social worker and attorney for Ramage Law Group in McKinney, TX, Ramage served as a special education hearing officer and mediator for the Texas Education Agency for 12 years. She co-authored All About Texas Law and Kids, a book published by Texas Lawyer Press.
Aaron Burkes, JD ’93, CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority, joined the local board of directors for Arvest Bank in Benton County, AR. He spent three-plus years as president of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority. He is also a member of the Transportation Industry Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Burkes represented eastern Benton County in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2007 to 2009.
John, BBA ’94, and Nikki Buxton Bell, BBA ’98, of Tulsa, OK, established The John and Nikki Buxton Bell Endowed Scholarship Fund in Business and The Nikki Buxton Bell Endowed Student Foundation Scholarship Fund. Nikki was a member of Student Foundation, serving on the Steering Committee during her senior year. John and Nikki serve on the National Steering Committee for Baylor’s Give Light Campaign.
Camilla Jordan Dyer, MSEd ’94, and husband Glenn Dyer published their first book, Adventures in the Country. Contact at 45 Little Haynes Drive, Loganville, GA 30052 or camilladyer@gmail.com.
Jonathan Grant, BBA ’94, MDiv ’00, was named executive director of World Hunger Relief Inc., which works, in part, to grow food and train others in agricultural techniques and animal raising suitable in countries with limited resources.
Ana Lannes Meyers, BBA ’94, executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools in Mechanicsburg, PA, was appointed as a commissioner by The Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools, headquartered in Philadelphia. Meyers manages a statewide coalition of 125 charter schools. Previously, she was director of legislative affairs and director of partnership programs at LeadingAge PA, a statewide association representing 360 non-profit senior facilities. Meyers is a native of Brazil.
Dr. Debra Newell, MSG ’94, of Gainesville, FL, authored A Taste of Trauma, a book about the far-reaching effects of the trauma experience. “It is, however, more about the walking it out and how to walk along with someone after such an event,” she writes. “I hope the book will become a handbook for everyone to become more sensitive about trauma.”
Colin Reilly, BBA ’94, was profiled Aug. 18, 2019, by Business Matters, a United Kingdom magazine (bmmagazine.co.uk). He is president of Townsend Kane Real Estate Solutions, a boutique real estate investment firm that buys distressed properties in Arizona.
Ken Rohman, BBA ’94, was named chief marketing officer for Wind Creek Hospitality with global responsibility for the company’s 10 casinos and resorts in North America and the Caribbean. He and his family are relocating to the gulf coast of Alabama near the corporate headquarters in Escambia County. Contact at kenrohman@gmail.com.
Michelle Sartain Wells, BA ’94, was promoted to senior brand and marketing specialist for the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. Wells oversees brand management, trademarks and licensing for both UT Health Science Center at Tyler and UT Health East Texas Health System.
Jay, BBA ’95, and Ashley Brown, BA ’96, of Houston created The Jay and Ashley Brown Family Endowed Fund for Missions and The Jay and Ashley Brown Family Baylor Built Endowed Fund. Both funds provide resources to enhance student missions and elevate academic and athletic success.
Susan Scott, BA ’95, returned to Baylor for a screening of her award-winning documentary, STROOP: Journey into the Rhino Horn War, which exposes the realities of the rhino poaching crisis. Over the course of four years, Scott traveled throughout South Africa and Asia to document the people involved in the illegal killing and trade of rhino horn and the people fighting to end the crisis.
Chris Trowbridge, BBA ’95, JD ’98, was named managing partner of Dallas law firm Bell Nunnally & Martin LLP, which has 60-plus attorneys. He is chairman of the Thanks-
Giving Foundation, a nonprofit group that owns and operates Thanks-Giving Square, a private garden and public space of reflection in downtown Dallas. Trowbridge is also actively involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Dallas and served as its chair in 2014 and 2015.
Jeff Davenport, BA ’96, of Highlands Ranch, CO, authored I Am a Field (Iron Stream Books), for people who want to better understand what God is growing in their lives.
Laura Hilton Hallmon, BA ’96, JD ’99, a partner with Cantey Hanger LLP law firm in Fort Worth, is president of the Baylor Line Foundation. Hallmon’s term officially began June 1, 2019, and runs through Dec. 31, 2021.
Houston Youth Symphony Philharmonia, conducted by Michael Isadore, BMEd ’97, was awarded the American Prize Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music, High School Division, 2018-19. Isadore is associate conductor of the Houston Civic Symphony and director of orchestras at Dulles High School.
KD Conservatory’s school director Mike Schraeder, BSEd ’97, and Tom Parr IV, BFA ’00, director and playwright, collaborated on Chasing Alice, a theatre production that ran in August at the T.A. Taylor Theatre at KD Conservatory in Dallas. Schraeder and Parr were theatre students together at Baylor before ending up in Dallas. Schraeder recalled their 25 years of friendship in an article on BroadwayWorld.com/Dallas.
Farley Dakan, BBA ’98, was named senior vice president for corporate development for Houston’s Contango Oil & Gas Company. Prior to joining Contango, Dakan was founder, owner and CEO of Will Energy Corporation, which recently entered into a Contribution and Purchase Agreement for the sale of its oil and gas asset portfolio to Contango.
Matt Foster, BBA ’98, joined Franklin Templeton as a national retirement consultant, working closely with the Washington D.C.-based team. Previously, Foster was a director of Retirement National Accounts at Invesco.
Robert L. Fuller, BA ’98, published two novels, In The Belly Of The Earth and In The Dungeon Of The Heart, available online and at Fabled Book Shop in Waco. The two-part story is a survival tale set in the Ozark Mountains. It deals with bullying, fear, forgiveness, the whiles of adolescence, and the overwhelming grace of God. The suggested reading age is 10-18.
Jerry Winninger, BFA ’98, of Haltom City, TX, is an accomplished artist and graphic designer. His work has been exhibited in numerous places, including Haltom City’s Art in the City, Fort Worth Gallery Nights, Arts Goggle, Art Space 111 Gallery, International Galleries Inc., Race Street Gallery, The Brandi Cottingham Gallery on 7th Street, and The Haltom City Public Library. His work has been commissioned by the Amon Carter Museum and other public and private venues. Learn more at jerrywenninger.wixsite.com/arts/.
John Bible, BBA ’99, is president of the Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce in Waco. Bible’s career path includes teaching Chilton [TX] ISD fifth graders and launching an investment firm, Bible & Sovereign Partners LLC.
Christopher Curry, BA ’99, joined the Transportation Security Administration Office of Chief Counsel as an attorney advisor. A former U.S. Air Force officer, Curry holds a Juris Doctor from The George Washington University and lives in Northern Virginia with his wife Yu Yong and daughter Annika, 3.
Andrew Houser, BA ’99, of Mountain Brook, AL, was named president of Boyd Bros. Transportation, one of the nation’s largest flatbed trucking and logistics companies. Houser and family relocated to Birmingham, AL, in July 2019 and now reside in Mountain Brook.
Emily Mills, BA ’99, and Brett Mills, BA ’98, founders of Jesus Said Love, are helping exotic dancers and victims of sex trafficking turn their lives around and turn a profit. The nonprofit ministry’s headquarters have become a business incubator of sorts with clients opening restaurants, juice bars and traveling art studios. They were featured in Waco Tribune-Herald article Sept. 20, 2019.
1980s
Following a career in marketing and communications leadership in IT and consulting services industries, Kelly Cunningham, BFA ’81, joined TWR (formerly Trans World Radio) to serve its global ministry in Central Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Based in Cyprus, Kelly is responsible for International Church development and strategy. TWR proclaims the gospel using media in 230 languages across 190 countries. Contact at kcunningham@twr.org.
Bob Roberts, MPA ’81, a former CFO of Baptist Health, joined Legacy Capital of Little Rock, AR, as chief operating officer.
Laura Runge, BA ’81, of Dallas won the artist label contest for Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau wines. Her painting, Joyous Crush, began appearing on wine bottles Nov. 21, 2019. It is expected to appear on more than 1 million bottles.
Dr. Steve Currall, BA ’82, president of the University of South Florida, joined the board of directors of the Moffitt Cancer Center Institute, a Tampa-based facility that is one of only 51 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers.
Jeff Dorrill, BBA ’83, JD ’85, is an elite triathlete and runner in Dallas. He became the national champion in his age group (55-59) at the Ultra-Distance Triathlon National Championships in Grand Rapids, MI, less than a year after a bicycle crash at a national championship race that prevented him from running or swimming for four months. Dorrill is gearing up to compete in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in France and Hawai`i. He is a partner with Haynes and Boone LLP.
Valerie Reardon, BBA ’83, was named executive vice president, chief operating and continuity officer at Blue Cross of Idaho. She had served as the interim COO since March 2019, in addition to her role as senior vice president, chief compliance and privacy officer for Blue Cross of Idaho. Prior to joining Blue Cross of Idaho, she served as senior vice president for compliance at Emblem Health.
Glenn Gaines, BBA ’84, of Plano, TX, was elected chairman of the board of e3 Partners/I Am Second, a faith-based ministry that establishes thousands of new churches each year globally, presents the Gospel with hundreds of thousands annually and produces high-impact videos focused on real-life restoration testimonies.
Annie Cunningham Hall, BBA ’84, MBA ’93, of DeSoto, TX, recently closed her custom bakery, Annie’s Culinary Creations, to teach full-time as a professor of business at Eastfield College in Mesquite, TX. She also teaches at Collin College. Contact at annie.hall03@yahoo.com.
An insurance agency owned by Terry Strickland, BBA ’84, was voted Waco’s No. 1 agency by the Waco Tribune-Herald’s Reader’s Poll. Strickland has been a State Farm agent for more than 33 years. Contact at 2411 Lake Air Drive, Waco, TX 76710 or terry@terrystrickland.com.
Shawn Todd, BBA ’85, CEO of Todd Interests, continues his work of adaptive reuse of buildings in downtown Dallas. He is set on tackling the biggest project yet, the historic First National Bank Tower, which, at $450 million, will be the state’s largest historic renovation. His first downtown adaptive reuse project was the landmark Dallas U.S. Post Office and Courthouse. Todd was recently featured in D Magazine.
Barbara Shergold Britton, BS ’86, of Brookfield, WI, released her fourth book of Biblical fiction. Lioness: Mahlah’s Journey begins a three-book series on the daughters of Zelophehad from the book of Numbers into the book of Joshua. Five orphaned sisters changed history, but few know their story.
Jeff Mills, BBA ’86, of Sandy Springs, GA, created The Jeff Mills Family Endowed Scholarship Fund in Entrepreneurship to provide scholarship support to entrepreneurship and corporate innovation students in the Hankamer School of Business. Jeff has three children: Lauren, Riley, BSN ’19, and Joshua.
Kelly Brookbank, BA ’86, writes, “We’ve moved! We are now ‘coastal Texans’ living by the ocean and loving it! Missing Texas and our children but enjoying a new way of life. Come visit!” Contact at 102 Windmere Drive, Summerville, SC 29483 or brookbank.kelly@gmail.com.
Mark, BBA ’86, MTax ’87, and Debra Lindsey Rountree, BSEd ’89, of Dallas created The Debra and Mark Rountree Endowed Scholarship Fund in Communication Sciences and Disorders and The Rountree Family Endowed Scholarship Fund for Accounting Graduate Programs. Mark is a member of the University’s Board of Regents, and he and Debra also serve on the National Steering Committee for Baylor’s Give Light Campaign.
Robin Russell, JD ’86, discussed the importance of diversity, women in leadership roles and the future of the law profession in a Q&A with the Houston Chronicle (Aug. 14, 2019). She is deputy managing partner at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP. Russell’s nearly 32-year career primarily has focused on bankruptcy and restructuring and a broad spectrum of related transactional work.
Peyton Smith, BBA ’86, JD ’89, a labor and employment partner with McGuireWoods LLP, was appointed office managing partner for the firm’s Austin office. Smith has practiced law in Austin throughout his career. He has been married for 29 years to Beth Nance Smith, BSEd ’87, who works for Accenture and has served as the program associate manager for the Texas Medicaid Project since 2013. They have two children: Lincoln Smith, BBA ’17, and Scarlett Smith, a Baylor sophomore.
Steve Thevenin, MBA ’87, is executive vice president of leader and organization improvement (LOI) at Maine Pointe, a global supply chain and operations consultancy. Thevenin spent more than two decades at IBM, where he was an executive consultant focused on improving and sustaining the effectiveness of executives, managers, and employees for IBM and its clients.
The Denver Business Journal named Jay Voncannon, BBA ’87, the large company chief financial officer of the year as a part of the publication’s 2019 C-Suite Awards. Jay is CFO of CoorsTek Inc., an advanced ceramics company, wholly owned by the Coors family and headquartered in Golden, CO. Jay lives in the foothills of the Rockies with his wife Christine and daughters Matilda and Georgia.
Dr. Randall Barron, BS ’88, joined Brownwood Regional Medical Center and One Source Health Center in Early, TX, as a family medicine physician. He attained his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Allen Griffin, BA ’88, JD ’92, joined the Dallas office of the boutique family law firm Orsinger, Nelson, Downing & Anderson LLP as an associate with a practice covering a range of family law litigation matters. He is a former Dallas assistant city attorney, and before that, practiced family law at his own firm as well as with several prominent Dallas law firms.
Paintings by Lee Mulcahy, BA ’88, were exhibited in September 2019 at the 24th annual community show in Redstone, CO. Mulcahy’s paintings also were exhibited at Art Basel Miami in December. His gallery and studio are located in Aspen, CO. His family charity, Africa Water Wells, are drilling four more water wells and will be installing computer labs with used laptops donated by the Dallas and Aspen communities at schools outside Sotik, Kenya. They are raising funds and requesting nurses, teachers and volunteers for their Kenyan trip in February. More info at leemulcahy.com and africawaterwells.org.
Chad Patterson, BBA ’88, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Big Pines, spoke of the core values of leadership and the behaviors that drive impact, change and results at the Greater Marshall [TX] Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership HEART business professional luncheon Aug. 30.
Chris Talley, BA ’88, chief communications officer at USAA in San Antonio, was promoted to senior vice president. Contact at
rctalley@swbell.net.
Steve Francour, MSEd ’89, is the women’s tennis coach for Lawrence University in Appleton, WI. Francour recently picked up his 500th career victory as the Vikings downed Cornell College in a Midwest Conference match. Francour, in his seventh season at Lawrence and his 30th season overall, has 199 wins in his women’s coaching career and 301 victories coaching men. Contact at steven.a.francour@lawrence.edu.
Stacy Repult, BBA ’89, is a principal at Dallas- based private equity firm Juniper Capital Management. Repult has more than three decades of financial experience and contributes to the firm’s strategic leadership. Most recently, she was chief financial officer of Nimbix Inc.
1970s
Dr. Charlie, BS ’70, and Linda Payne Massler, BSHE ’70, celebrated their 50th anniversary June 28, 2019, with an extended family trip to the Hershey, PA, area. “Two daughters, two sons-in-law and four grandchildren had a wonderful time of celebration together,” Linda writes. The Masslers are retired — Charlie from dentistry and Linda from financial planning — and are “enjoying every minute of this new ‘career.’ We hope to make it back to Baylor in the fall of 2020 for the 50th anniversary class reunion and Homecoming. Sic ’em, Bears!” they write. Contact at 445 Burkes Crossing Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27104 or charles.massler@gmail.com.
Kay Wheeler Moore, BA ’70, of Garland, TX, was awarded the Garland High School Alumni Association 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award for public service and community involvement. She and her husband Louis Moore, BA ’68, are community activists in Garland and have helped rehabilitate the inner-core neighborhood where she grew up. Contact at kaymoore2000@yahoo.com.
David H. “Danny” Nordyke, BBA ’70, of Tyler, TX, established The Ruth E. Nordyke Endowed Scholarship Fund in Business in loving memory of his wife Ruth Nordyke, BBA ’70. Ruth and Danny met and later married while students at Baylor. Their children also graduated from Baylor: David Nordyke Jr., BBA ’02, and Kathryn Rowan, BSE ’97.
Dr. Kathryn Tinius, BA ’70, of Dallas established The Tinius Family Endowed Fund in Film and Digital Media for Baylor in Los Angeles. This fund will help support Film and Digital Media’s internship program there.
Stephen B. Ables, BA ’71, JD ’73, authored Teeing Up the Day (Austin Brothers: 76 pages), a collection of moving stories that offers a Christian perspective on golf. These devotionals will continually draw the reader’s attention to the important things around him or her and help the reader see past the obstacles and sand traps along the way. Contact at 506 Kerrville, TX 78028 or sables@ktc.com.
Peggy Shuler Dement, BA ’72, of Garland, TX, revisited the London area with daughters Stephanie Dement Little, BBA ’99, and Charlotte Dement Cobbs, BBA ’13. “First stop, the Prime Meridian in Greenwich,” Peggy writes.
Dr. Jimmy Dorrell, BA ’72, MES ’93, and Janet Dorrell, BS ’80, MS ’02, were featured on stories.whataburger.com in an article titled “This Waco couple might be the best neighbors in the world” for their 26-years of work with Mission Waco.
Suzii Paynter, BA ’72, was named CEO of Prosper Waco, which helps improve the overall quality of life in Waco through education, health and financial stability. Prosper Waco brings together all the nonprofits and community organizations working toward the same goals and provides them with the data to make informed decisions.
Beverly K. Plauché, BBA ’72, of Rusk, TX, authored Walking with the Lord: What a Way to Go! from Christian Faith Publishing. The heartfelt story follows the author as she continues to look for God’s direction in her life. Plauché is a retired teacher and financial manager.
Angela and Louis Bremer Jr., BS ’73, established The Louis and Angela Bremer Endowed Scholarship Fund in Health Policy and Leadership. This scholarship assists graduate students pursuing a degree in the Robbins MBA Healthcare Program. Louis and Angela’s two children are also Baylor graduates: Kirsten Bremer Steves, BBA ’05, and Louis III, BM ’07.
Ray Perryman, BS ’74, founder and president of the Waco-based Perryman Group, received the Chairman’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in Economic Development from the International Economic Development Council. The award was given “in recognition of Dr. Perryman’s decades-long commitment to economic development and providing the information corporations and communities need to optimize location decisions.”
Mike, BBA ’75, and Edith Colvin Reitmeier, BA ’75, BSN ’79, of Waco established The G. Michael and Edith Colvin Reitmeier Endowed Scholarship Fund in Graduate Accounting. Mike is president and managing shareholder of JRBT, which also created The JRBT Endowed Fund in Accounting. Both funds help support accounting students.
5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Priscilla Richman Owen, BA ’76, JD ’77, assumed the chief judge position Oct. 1, 2019. She was appointed by President George W. Bush to the 5th Circuit and took the oath of office in 2005. The 5th Circuit is based in New Orleans and covers Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Owen joined the firm of Andrews & Kurth in Houston after law school. In 1994, she was elected to the Supreme Court of Texas.
Barbara Tate, BA ’76, MSEd ’78, MBA ’93, retired as director of Waco’s MHMR program serving McLennan County. MHMR Central Texas has 92 funding sources, including a $34 million annual budget, operates 32 locations in six counties and employs 550 people. The organization served more than 15,000 people last year.
Deb Varallo, BSEd ’76, was appointed to a three-year term on the 2019-20 board of trustees of the Nashville State Community College Foundation. She founded Varallo Public Relations, a full-service marketing, public relations and crisis management firm in 1991. She is a member of Society of Fellows for TEDxNashville and recognized by the YWCA of Middle Tennessee as a Woman of Achievement.
Dr. John Dennis Anderson, BA ’77, MA ’78, of Cape Cod, MA, was the featured performer Sept. 7, 2019, at the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center in Piggott, AR. Anderson is an accomplished oral interpreter who presents biographical performances of America’s greatest authors.
Elizabeth Darling, BSEd ’78, president and CEO of OneStar Foundation in Austin, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to be the Commissioner of the Administration for Children, Youth and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services based in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Charles Weathers, BA ’78, MSD ’83, established The Charles W. Weathers Endowed Athletic Scholarship Fund for Women’s Basketball and The Charles W. Weathers Endowed Fund for the Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty. He is also a member of Old Main Society.
1960s
The Appalachian State University Athletics Department will honor former football head coach Jerry Moore, BBA ’61, with a plaza and a statue outside Kidd Brewer Stadium. The plaza and statue will appear in front of the stadium’s new north end zone facility during the 2020 football season.
Michael A. Jenkins, ’63, is a Broadway producer, as well as president and founder of Leisure and Recreation Concepts Inc., a design and consulting firm for the entertainment industry that includes theme parks and water parks. Jenkins has won multiple Tony Awards and produced several Broadway plays, including Legally Blonde, Matilda, The Color Purple, Kinky Boots, On Your Feet and An American in Paris. He studied stage design and architecture, and later helped develop the original three Six Flags parks. Jenkins has served on a number of professional and civic boards, including as president of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the Dallas Arboretum, and the Board of Advisors for Baylor’s School of Arts and Sciences. Contact at 1500-B Hi Line Drive, Dallas, TX 75207 or mjenkins@larcinc.com.
Daniel G. Bagby, BA ’62, MS ’64, authored The Worship Hour: Resources for Congregational Connection (Smyth & Helwys). He recently retired as Emeritus Professor of Pastoral Care at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, VA, where he and Janet Pitman Bagby, BA ’65, live.
Milton Tyler, BA ’64, of McGregor, TX, Ret. Chaplain USAF, authored a Christmas book of biblical fiction, The Night God Was Born. It describes the possible adventures, hardships and challenges the wise men might have encountered as they followed the star of God to the manger where Christ was born. Available on amazon.com or b&n.com.
Karon Sullivant, BA ’65, was instrumental in fundraising for a shelter for Abigail’s Arms Cooke County [TX] Family Crisis Center, which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary. Last year, the shelter served 1,200 people, including 700 children, the innocent bystanders of abuse. Her work was highlighted in the Gainesville [TX] Daily Register’s column “Heroes Among Us.”
Gerald “Jerry” Kelley, BS ’66, retired in 2018 after 47 years working in five different states. In 1971, he earned an Master of Science in urban planning from the University of Missouri. Contact at 404 Hillflo Ave., Opelika, AL 36801.
Dr. Elizabeth R. Berrey, BSN ’67, of Albuquerque, NM, was honored with a Nursing Legend Award by the New Mexico Center for Nursing Excellence at their gala Nov. 2, 2019. Berry retired in 2014 as associate director of nursing education for the New Mexico Board of Nursing. “I am proud to have been one of the initial nurse educators on the New Mexico Nursing Education Consortium Leadership Team,” Berrey writes. “Because of our collegial work across the state, the quality of nursing education and practice in New Mexico has been forever changed for the good.”
The Christine Fall Memorial Endowed Fund was established by George Franklin Pugh, MA ’67, and Mildred Derrick Pugh of Richmond, VA, in memory of Dr. Christine Fall, BA ’24, MA ’34, who taught English at Baylor. This fund supports the Christine Fall Award, which is given to the graduate teaching assistant of the year in the Department of English.
Madeline Withrow Hoherd, BA ’68, and her husband George recently moved to Montrose, CO, after living in Colorado Springs, CO, for 27 years. She earned a master’s degree from Western Seminary in Portland, OR, in 1977. In Colorado, she worked for Focus on the Family for 12 years, then was senior editor at Community Bible Study for six years. Contact at madeline.hoherd@gmail.com.
R. Byrn “Byrnie” Bass Jr., BA ’69, of Lubbock, TX, was selected for the 2019 Texas Super Lawyer List in recognition of his work in business bankruptcies. This is the 14th time Bass has been named to the list. He serves on the board of directors of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce. In 2013, he was the recipient of the State Bar Bankruptcy Law Section’s Pro Bono Service Award.
1950s
Margaret Ann Lee Gilbert, BA ’49, of Paducah, TX, reports that she, along with her former Baylor roommates Joy Meador, BA ’49, of Dallas and Louise Cannon, BS ’49, of Granbury, TX, are “healthy, happy and driving.” Here she is pictured with members of her family, which boasts four Baylor graduates. “My husband Billy loved Baylor more than I do, and that is a lot! I received my master’s degree and taught math for almost 30 years, but my pride and joy is my family!” she writes.
Dr. Thomas Edwin Cook, BS ’50, MD ’52, opened Allergy/WellBaby Clinic in Pusa Baptist Hospital Korea during more than five years there. He spent many years in locations such as Gaza and Honduras for the Journeymen Program for the Southern Baptist Convention. He recently attended the Jeffries gathering at First Baptist Church Dallas. His son Thomas E. Cook Jr., BBA ’79, from Cancer Care Clinics all over Tennessee, is retired after living in South and Central America. Ed’s wife Bobbie Joyce Cravey, BA ’47, died in 2004. Contact at 1 Tower Park Ln #208, San Antonio, TX 78209 or tedwincook@hctc.net.
Rev. Robert M. Cash, BA ’53, preached his final sermon at Union Baptist Church in Washington County, GA, Sept. 8, 2019, culminating 62 years of pastoral ministry. There, Cash also was lauded for his mission work in Ghana. With Eatonton as home base, he served a multitude of Baptist churches throughout middle Georgia and most recently pastored for more than 14 years at Union Baptist. Cash and his wife of 67 years, Pauline, have three children, including Bob Cash, BM ’86. Contact at rmcpcc3032@bellsouth.net.
Beverly Fife Denny, BA ’53, of Frisco, TX, had a great time at the 2019 Baylor Homecoming game victory over Texas Tech. Denny’s daughter Anne Alaimo, BBA ’89, recorded her mother grooving to the Baylor beat and uploaded it on Twitter. The video amassed tens of thousands of views on social media. With Baylor Facebook pages following suit, Denny has become a viral sensation among the Baylor community. She attends almost every football game and other events Baylor events. According to the Baylor Lariat, she witnessed the construction of Armstrong Browning Library as a sophomore dorm resident in 1950, and she sang in the first Baylor Sing in 1953.
Cotton Davidson, BS ’54, was featured in the Waco Tribune-
Herald’s Aug. 14, 2019, issue. Now the oldest living former Oakland Raider at age 87, Davidson was quarterback for the team when Oakland Coliseum opened in 1966. The Raiders will soon move to Las Vegas. Davidson is pictured with his wife Carolyn, ’54, and Oakland Raiders Coach Jon Gruden before a preseason game (Wayland Corgill photo).
Dr. Patrick Beckham, BA ’57, MD ’61, retired after 48.5 years of practice in Austin doing plastic and reconstructive surgery. He co-founded Austin Smiles, a volunteer travel team for repair of cleft lip and cleft palate in Mexico and Central America. He has been on 32 surgery missions. Beckham also was instrumental in starting a Christian orphanage in Vietnam while serving the Air Force as a surgeon in the 1960s. This resulted in the escape and placement of 80-plus children into the Buckner orphan’s home in Dallas. Contact at 1212 Havre Lafitte Drive, Austin, TX 78746 or phbeckham@gmail.com.
Bill Glass, BA ’57, a former Baylor All-American and NFL defensive end for the Cleveland Browns, returned to his alma mater to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his successful prison ministry Behind the Walls. Bill Glass Ministries hosted the 50th anniversary gala Aug. 17 in the Baylor Club at McLane Stadium. The event featured special guest speaker Roger Staubach and many other football legends and entertainers. Additionally, Glass participated in the coin toss and was an honorary team captain for Baylor’s 2019 season opener against Stephen F. Austin.
Herbert and Nell Johnson, BA ’58, of Fort Worth created The Herbert H. and Nell T. Johnson Endowed Fund for The Texas Collection at Baylor Libraries. The fund supports The Texas Collection, which is a special collections library that focuses on materials related to Texas.